The sea was almost split in two by the shark's head, then its half-body emerged from the surface, revealing its full appearance.
Not a Sea King, but not a pure Sea Beast either.
Sea Beasts aren't this big.
It was forged entirely of metal, yet half of the shark's head still maintained its primitive form as a Mechanical Shark Sea Beast.
"Mechanical..."
Lily glanced at it and said, "Just like the information transmitted by our people."
Marika stepped down, dispersing smoke rings, and used Moon Step to land back on the deck.
"Ah, alas..."
She laughed regretfully, "Mechanical? I was hoping a Sea Beast this size would produce a lot of meat."
The pirates at the lookout exchanged glances, first breathed a sigh of relief, then couldn't help but cheer.
"Long live the Governor! Long live Lady Marika!"
Come to think of it.
A mere Sea Beast could never be a match for the Governor, their worries were indeed excessive.
But their concern wasn't unfounded given human instinct.
Only elites can board the Death Star, and they've participated in the Martial Arts Tournament. As navigators, they aren't matched against combatants but compete amongst themselves.
Besides skills, they compare in navigation knowledge - being on this ship signifies rising above tens of thousands of pirates, yet they still aren't strong.
Perhaps outside, each person could be a squad leader on a warship or head of a station, but no more than that here.
Compared to monsters, totally inadequate.
They are the ordinary people's extent on the seas, naturally not comparable to monsters.
But there aren't many monsters on the sea.
Those with a bounty worth over a hundred million are still unreachable experts; such people under the Governor's command are just about twenty or thirty.
The rest are all ordinary people.
Splash!
Just as the cheering ended, around the Death Star, enormous waves surged up again, clusters of shadows emerged from the splashes, transforming into Mechanical Sea Beasts as large as the giant shark.
Some had heads of lions, the rest were fish bodies; aside from hair and teeth remaining primitive, their eyes were covered by futuristic goggles, with tubes extending from both sides inserted into their foreheads.
Others had fully mechanical heads like Jabra's enlarged wolf-headed Sea Beast version.
A mechanical Sea Beast where the head was part fox, part deer.
All-metal neck, giraffe-like Sea Beast.
Bull-horned, bear-like, monkey-like Sea Beast...
Sage even saw a snot-dripping dog-headed Sea Beast.
"Wow!"
Renedia's eyes sparkled, "Can it be done to this extent!"
At first she was engrossed with the Mechanical Shark, considering how to drag it away, then she saw more intriguing things.
Mechanical Sea Beast technology, or modification technology; due to Queen she has some exposure, but such gigantism and degree of weaponization seem even more advanced than Queen.
Too bad the person themselves didn't show up; otherwise she could study it now.
Sage could mobilize all cadres because there's no longer any worries.
Mid-high-level combat strength has been replenished.
Totto Land is defended by the Big Mom Pirates led by Katakuri, Wano Country was dismantled, and King-led Beast Pirates patrol Wano Country and O'hara's seas.
It means the front lines are held by Big Mom, mid-line and base by the Beast Pirates, and he left Sipher and Misty in O'hara, allowing him enough time to defend or even leave the crew entirely.
Now, he returns to the phase of unhindered sailing.
Development phase is over, it's time for gradual strikes!
"Mechanical, is it? No wonder..."
Sage sneered, flickers of electricity danced between his fingers, "Mechanical structures can't withstand thunder."
Especially in stormy weather, electric forces are amplified, making them even more powerful.
For such technologically constructed objects, if internal failures occur, fixing is impossible.
The only praise-worthy aspect is the immunity to Supreme King.
With no intelligence or heart, how could machines perceive the wonder of the Haki?
"Once more, Thunder Welcome."
Rumble!
Before these Sea Beasts could launch attacks, Sage lightly tapped down with his finger, the sky emitted a flash brighter than before, ring-shaped lightning descended like heaven's collapse, striking the surrounding Mechanical Sea Beasts, like a curtain of light falling.
When the light curtain dispersed, intense electric lights coiled over the sea surface, while the Sea Beasts floated one by one, revealing half of their bodies, losing their ability to resist.
"Keep them. If Vegapunk can't be caught, we can research this case later. Lily, place a Life Card here, have nearby subordinates come salvage and take them away."
Sage smiled, "Used well, these things could ease a lot of my defensive strength."
Peacekeeper exists only on land, but these Mechanical Sea Beasts are in the seas; unless encountering top experts and counters, they attack one target accurately, barely any ships can withstand it.
If mass-produced... that'd be incredible!
Manufacture a weakened version to sell, escalates the war intensity between the Revolutionary Army and the World Government, and intensifies Pirates and Adhering Countries' hostility, even drawing in Non-Adhering Countries untouchable, forcing them to come buy these things, tightening their belts.
By then, it'd be a lending boom.
Stretching out a hand easily collects premium assets.
As for whether these things turn into weapons against them...
How could he not leave a backdoor?
The things he manufactures generally have these, especially high-tech products.
Even exported warships now have backdoor info, like where the powder room is always fixed, which node to attack on the mast for easier breakage, where on the hull to induce chain reactions - all are backdoors.
As for guns, cannons, swords - those aren't strong, weak users remain weak, a strong one even with a stick excels, unaffected overall.
Lily nodded, then looked at the high-hanging eggshell in the sky.
"Mechanical Sea Beasts, then this should likely be Vegapunk's location."
She frowned, a red dot in her pupils flashed by again, "Hmm?"
Feeling off.
Although distance is far, within her Observation sense, she faintly heard gunfire and battle sounds, seemingly many mixed presences in that area.
And...
Lily raised her head towards the eggshell direction, her pupils suddenly constricted, "Sage, that's..."
"Feeling it."
Sage grinned, also gazing at the eggshell area, "The old monkey's there too, the aura's intense, what's happening? Infighting? This is... a very timely opportunity!"
He spread his hands, "Full speed ahead! This time maybe able to see the one claimed master of science 500 years ahead of time, what's he really like!"
Vegapunk, as the renowned scientist, has been etched in Sage's impression, ranked alongside Kaido, Big Mom, other powerful entities in his memory.
Intellectual prowess is also strength.
Just never had the chance to discover.
But now, the opportunity presents itself.
Whether internal conflict or an invader, as long as he captures him, that guy definitely is the key to unlocking Pluton, at this point he doesn't wish merely for technology.
Learning slowly takes too long, now he can't wait.
Needs that fellow for Pluton's quick activation!
His plans will only proceed smoothly with this!
"No one can stop me!"
Sage sneered, "Old Monkey, even you cannot!"