Vegapunk looked at Kuma lying on the operating table, guilt and sorrow surfacing in his eyes.
"He truly is a gentle man."
"But he's about to die… by my own hands."
Vegapunk's voice grew heavy as he lifted his head and looked at Yuuki, who stood not far away.
"So… thank you, Captain Yuuki, for placing that Magic Eye Cross—the one capable of resurrection—into his hands."
"Even though Kuma accepted death from the very beginning, I still wish to thank you on his behalf… and on behalf of the people of the Sorbet Kingdom."
Yuuki glanced at the sleeping Kuma.
From Vegapunk's tone, he could hear a near crushing sense of guilt in the scientist's heart.
"There's no need for thanks. I have my own objective as well."
"With your level of technology, you should have a method to complete Kuma's modification while preserving his consciousness, shouldn't you?"
Yuuki folded his arms across his chest and spoke calmly.
Vegapunk's white brows drooped, and a dejected expression appeared on his face.
"I did invent a dual-personality neural circuit device—something capable of switching consciousness."
"But…"
Vegapunk lowered his head, his slightly aged voice sounding subdued.
"I am merely a humble scientist."
"That device was already reported to the World Government long ago."
"Besides, I'm not the only researcher on this island."
"There is no way I could hide something like that from everyone else."
I see.
A flicker of understanding crossed Yuuki's face.
"You must have done some research into how the Magic Eye Cross can revive the dead."
"It's related to the soul, isn't it?"
The moment the topic shifted to the Magic Eye Cross, Vegapunk's earlier gloom instantly transformed into keen excitement.
His eyes lit up as he looked at Yuuki.
For anything unknown, he had always possessed an insatiable desire to investigate.
Although he still had yet to fully understand this power system known as magic, which existed outside the framework of Devil Fruits—
the reason the Magic Eye Cross could resurrect someone was, to him, not a particularly difficult subject of study.
"Ahem."
"From a scientific perspective, a concept like the soul should not truly exist."
"Or rather, I prefer to regard the soul as a living being's consciousness."
Vegapunk cleared his throat and spoke with complete seriousness.
Seeing that Vegapunk was about to launch into a lengthy lecture, Yuuki cut him off directly.
"That's exactly the core of the problem."
Yuuki spread his arms and gave a slight shrug.
"In scientific terms, the process of modifying Kuma is essentially the gradual erasure of his consciousness."
"But in a certain sense…"
"His body is still alive."
"So—"
"Even I cannot truly determine whether Kuma can be revived again."
"After all, if the Magic Eye Cross cannot capture Kuma's soul, then the resurrection ritual of magic cannot truly be activated."
Vegapunk froze.
He had actually overlooked that issue.
Or rather—
his unfamiliarity with magic had prevented him from even considering such an angle.
Vegapunk fell silent for a moment before lifting his head again, his expression now grave.
The apple-branch-like device atop his head swayed slightly.
"I can now finally confirm that what you call magic truly is an independent system."
"Consciousness?"
"Soul?"
"You're conducting an experiment as well, aren't you?"
Vegapunk's tone had turned serious.
Yuuki slightly lifted one arm from where it rested across his chest and lightly tapped his forearm with his index finger.
"You could say that."
"A collision between science and magic…"
"That is something worth looking forward to."
Hearing that, Vegapunk seemed to study Yuuki properly for the first time.
"Kuma said that aside from being mysterious, you were actually a good person."
"But now…"
"I suddenly feel that you are an extremely dangerous man."
Yuuki was momentarily speechless.
"So, in Kuma's eyes, I'm a good person?"
He chuckled softly before looking at Vegapunk.
"I'll take dangerous as a compliment."
"Now then."
"It's time to talk about the real reason I came here."
The real reason?
"You didn't come for the Void Century?"
Vegapunk looked genuinely surprised.
Based on the information he had gathered from Kuma and outside sources, combined with the fact that Robin—the sole survivor of Ohara—had joined the Magic Eye Pirates,
and that Yuuki had personally brought her to Future Island,
Vegapunk had assumed from the very beginning that Yuuki's goal was the Void Century.
"What I'm about to say may sound a little rude."
"The true reason I came here…"
"Is for your Green Blood technology."
Yuuki lowered his folded arms, slipping his hands into his pockets as he looked at Vegapunk.
Clang!
Vegapunk's hands unconsciously struck the metal railing of the operating bed, producing a sharp sound.
He even took a step backward, staring at Yuuki in shock.
His interest in the Green Blood technology had never been disclosed to the outside world.
Not to mention the World Government or the scientists on the island—
besides himself, only his six satellites knew of it.
"How do you know about that?"
Vegapunk stared at Yuuki in disbelief.
Seeing the shock on the scientist's face, Yuuki wasn't surprised in the slightest.
At the current point in time,
the Pacifistas had only just been completed and were preparing for deployment.
As for the Seraphim, who would use Green Blood to replicate the Seven Warlords—
they would not appear until two years later.
At present, that project was likely still only a proposal.
However—
the underlying technology had already been developed by Vegapunk.
"That's a secret."
A faint smile appeared on Yuuki's lips.
Vegapunk instinctively took another step back.
He suddenly realized that, because of Kuma, perhaps he should not have so casually agreed to meet a pirate of this level.
"…Very well."
Vegapunk's voice sounded again.
This, however, was what truly surprised Yuuki.
He had originally assumed obtaining the Green Blood technology from Vegapunk would require considerable effort.
Yet the man had agreed so readily.
"I don't know how you learned of this technology."
"And I don't know what you intend to do with it."
"But let me remind you—"
"Fully applying this technology is far from simple."
Vegapunk's tone was serious.
"I can give it to you."
"But in exchange, you must help me with one thing."
After hearing what Vegapunk wanted him to do,
Yuuki's face filled with surprise.
Not because it was difficult.
On the contrary—
for him, it was incredibly simple.
"No problem."
Yuuki nodded.
Vegapunk said nothing further.
He walked over to a complex machine nearby and inserted the tablet-like device he had been holding into it.
After about five or six minutes—
Beep.
A soft sound rang out.
Vegapunk removed the tablet and turned back, handing it to Yuuki.
"All the data regarding the Green Blood technology has been transferred onto this tablet."
"The lineage factor technology was something I developed over ten years ago."
"But in my eyes, it was far too imperfect."
"It could only replicate Zoan-type Devil Fruits."
"Such a technology held no real meaning."
"So, I later developed the current Green Blood technology, which allows the application of Paramecia-type Devil Fruits."
"Unfortunately…"
"It is still incomplete."
"It still cannot be applied to Logia-type Devil Fruits."
Vegapunk shook his head with a sigh.
For a perfectionist like him,
whether it was the original lineage factor technology or Green Blood—
both were still flawed.
Yuuki took the tablet and glanced over its contents.
A satisfied expression appeared on his face.
He had no need to fully implement the Green Blood technology.
All he needed was the means to extract the stable blood containing Devil Fruit abilities from Paramecia users.
"That was troublesome of you, Dr. Vegapunk."
Yuuki stored the tablet away and said with a smile.
"Just remember our deal."
Vegapunk replied.
Yuuki nodded and turned toward the laboratory exit.
As the automatic doors slid open, and one of his legs stepped beyond the threshold—
"Are you really not interested in the Void Century?"
Vegapunk's voice suddenly came from behind him.
If it were an ordinary pirate, perhaps treasure would be what interested them most.
But in Vegapunk's eyes,
for an ambitious pirate like Yuuki,
there was no way he wouldn't be curious about the Void Century.
Yuuki's steps paused.
He turned and met Vegapunk's gaze.
For several seconds, the air fell silent.
Then—
Yuuki smiled faintly.
"Of course I'm interested."
"It's just that I know…"
"You don't truly know either."
"And besides—"
"The true romance of this sea…"
"Perhaps lies beneath the ocean floor, doesn't it?"
The moment those words left his mouth,
Vegapunk's pupils sharply contracted.
Only recently had he begun to suspect that there was something abnormal about the sea itself.
"You are—"
Vegapunk began.
"Just a guess."
Yuuki interrupted before he could finish.
"Whether it's a guess or an inference…"
"In the end, it means very little."
"I am interested."
"So, I plan to go and see the final island for myself."
"Honestly."
"The Pirate King Roger has been dead for twenty-four years already."
"And still no one has become the next Pirate King."
"In my eyes, all those people constantly shouting that they'll become Pirate King…"
"Are nothing more than slogan-shouting fools."
"And as for the so-called Four Emperors of the New World…"
Yuuki let out a cold chuckle and turned once more toward the door.
Without looking back, he raised a hand in farewell.
"Let's hope you're still alive the next time we meet, Dr. Vegapunk."
Vegapunk stared blankly at the laboratory doors as they slid shut behind Yuuki.
And at the retreating silhouette beyond them.
"I think this is the first time I've ever met someone like him."
Vegapunk muttered to himself as he walked to Kuma's bedside.
Kuma still lay unconscious upon the operating table.
"No wonder you kept talking to me about this man named Yuuki."
"Other than the overwhelming sense of danger he gives off…"
"He truly does possess an extraordinary kind of charisma."
"I remember you placed your bet on a pirate named Straw Hat Luffy."
"Even though you're part of the Revolutionary Army…"
"But now…"
"I think perhaps you made the wrong bet, Kuma."
"Then again, perhaps that makes sense."
"For a revolutionary to place his wager on a pirate…"
"The odds were always absurdly low to begin with."
(End of Chapter)
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