Two days after his meeting with Gan Fall, Krieg finally returned to Marineford.
The journey back had been... eventful. For starters, their descent from the Sky Island involved a terrifying plummet when their Octopus Balloon failed, and Krieg nearly fell six thousand meters to his death.
Fortunately, his rugged constitution and a lucky landing in the sea saved him.
Then, there was the encounter with a group calling themselves the "Butler Pirates." Apparently, they saw a man in civilian clothes and a giant bear and thought they were easy pickings.
「Leave that rare bear behind!!」 their leader had shrieked, charging with an axe.
Krieg didn't even break a sweat. He dismantled them in seconds. Since two of Butler's subordinates had active bounties, Krieg decided to "clean house," dragging the whole lot to the nearest Marine branch.
After stopping at Merveille to pick up the Magatsuno, he dropped Tesoro off at Sabaody Archipelago and sent Gin and Sigma to check on Pearl's recovery. Now, Krieg stood alone in the restricted technical division of Marineford.
The "Militarista" Project
In the Navy, there is a program known as Project Militarista.
While the Science Division focuses on the high-profile Project Pacifista—the research into cyborgs and human modification—the Technical Division's Militarista Project focuses on a more grounded philosophy: "How can those without Devil Fruits fight and defeat those who have them?"
Krieg is the primary test subject for this project. The lead engineers have been his personal equipment developers for years, turning his specialized requests into weapons of mass destruction.
「Wait, Rear Admiral? You're missing one of the specialized knives,」 a technician noted, looking over Krieg's returned gear. 「The one with the insulated grip we made specifically for potential lightning-users in the sky...」
Krieg was handing back the anti-Enel equipment he'd requested before his leave, replacing it with the heavy sacks of Dials.
「Ah, that... I had an urgent need for it. I ended up using it as a trade-in,」 Krieg said.
「Ehh... well, it was just a custom knife with a rubber grip, so it's not exactly priceless, but still.」
「Don't be so stiff. Look at it this way: I brought you something much better.」
Krieg dumped the haul onto the workbench—the Dials bought on Lovely Street, the gift from Gan Fall, and the mysterious shell found by the Golden Bell.
The Sky's Arsenal
「Whoa... that's a massive haul... Are these all different types?」 the technician asked, eyes sparkling.
「Exactly. Lamp Dials, Flavor Dials, Flame Dials, Water Dials—the works. But the crown jewel is this: an extinct Jet Dial. We got lucky finding this one,」 Krieg said, patting the large shell he'd recovered near the bell.
Pagaya had confirmed it before they left: it was indeed a Jet Dial, a stroke of incredible luck. Between that and the Impact Dials included in Gan Fall's gift, Krieg now possessed nearly every variety of Dial technology.
The only thing missing was the Axe Dial, which originated from the distant land of Birka, but Krieg was content to let that one go for now.
「Jet Dials... I see we have two in total. Do you want to integrate these into your boots for flight or propulsion?」
Krieg shook his head. 「No, save them for a different piece of equipment. I have a few ideas for high-speed maneuvering that don't involve my footwear.
I've written down a summary of each Dial's properties on this list. Take a look.」
「Understood, sir. We'll take these and start the prototyping. I'll bring the blueprints to you in a few days. Will you be staying at HQ?」
「I'm leaving the Dials in your hands,」 Krieg replied, heading for the door. 「But I won't be here to check the blueprints for a while. I have a bit of business to attend to.」
「Oh? Where are you headed this time, sir?」
Krieg looked back over his shoulder, a determined glint in his eye.
「Water Seven. The City of Shipwrights.」
With his "budget" secured in gold and his technology upgraded with Dials, Krieg was finally ready to commission the ultimate vessel for his unit.