Vegapunk fell into thought for a moment, then looked at Sanders.
"I can't not modify him at all."
"The people in the World Government aren't idiots."
"I can only guarantee that I will never erase Bartholomew's consciousness."
"They care a lot about the Clone Soldier Project."
Sanders spread his hands.
"As long as it's not a particularly vital organ, the power of the Heal-Heal Fruit can completely regenerate flesh."
Vegapunk's eyes lit up at those words.
Healing an amputated limb… that's practically cheating!
He looked at Kuma and said:
"Well? Kuma, whether you want to remain as a cyborg afterward or return to your original body is up to you. Just be the model for the clone soldiers."
"Besides, the erasure of your consciousness is just Sanders' speculation."
"Maybe the World Government won't go that far."
Sanders sneered at Vegapunk's naïveté.
He was going off canon, after all.
There's no way he'd be wrong.
He knew better than anyone just how shameless the World Government could be.
Kuma glanced at Sanders. Sanders gave him a look, letting him know to make his own decision.
"If they don't erase my consciousness, I can accept becoming a cyborg."
"Great!!"
"I can continue studying your body again!" Vegapunk clapped his hands in delight.
With Kuma being such a perfect template for the clone soldiers, he really didn't want to let go of this opportunity.
"Then it's settled."
"Kuma, you'll stay with Vegapunk on the World Government's side for now."
Sanders looked at Kuma.
"The World Government will take Bonney hostage to keep you from backing out. They'll have her under control temporarily."
"What should I do then?"
Just hearing Bonney's name made Kuma panic.
"Once Bonney is healed, just return to the Sorbet Kingdom."
"I understand."
Kuma nodded, clearly satisfied with Sanders' suggestion.
He didn't want Bonney kept in some cold laboratory either.
Even though the World Government would still monitor and guard her in the Sorbet Kingdom, that was where she grew up, and trustworthy friends could take care of her.
And for a kid only 7 or 8 years old, the World Government wouldn't assign heavy security.
"If things are discovered, don't hesitate—just leave with Vegapunk."
"I'll take care of Bonney's side."
"I can get her out of the Sorbet Kingdom anytime."
Sanders continued to remind him.
Even if Vegapunk's secret research into history and his collusion with Sanders were eventually exposed, with Kuma around, Vegapunk's safety would be guaranteed.
Of course.
As long as he received word, he could rush over quickly.
This place and Dressrosa were both in the New World.
The distance between them wasn't far.
With his speed, he'd arrive before the Marines or the World Government's executioners even got there.
"Thank you, Lord Sanders."
Bartholomew humbly thanked him once again.
To him, as long as Bonney could return to the Sorbet Kingdom after being healed, he had nothing to worry about regarding the World Government's surveillance.
There were plenty of trustworthy friends there who could help.
But Sanders' thoughtfulness still moved him deeply.
For a great Emperor of the Sea to care enough to look after a little girl only seven or eight years old— that alone showed how much Sanders valued them.
"No need to thank me,"
"From now on, you're my comrade,"
Sanders said with a smile.
"Buhihihihi!"
"A Sea Emperor, a great pirate, and the world's top scientist plotting right in the World Government's backyard…"
"If word got out, who knows what kind of uproar it would cause!"
"I can't wait to see the expressions on the Five Elders' faces when they learn the truth,"
Vegapunk laughed, his massive brain bobbing slightly.
"That would be quite the show," Sanders grinned.
Causing trouble for the World Government? That was something he was always happy to do.
For those pompous elites, he planned to drag their so-called nobility down into the dirt.
To make them feel what it was like to be oppressed like the people they crushed underfoot.
Kaido wanted to drag those born into privilege onto the battlefield.
Sanders wanted to crush them into the dust— to give them the end they truly deserved.
He was strong, long-lived.
By all rights, he didn't need to care about the struggles and feelings of the rest of the world.
He could've simply stood high above it all, watching the sea's storms from on high.
The Void Century, the Celestial Dragons' cruel rule, the chaos of pirates— none of that had to matter to him.
Even if a world-ending catastrophe sank everything beneath the waves, the Float-Float Fruit would let him and his friends escape without harm.
But he simply couldn't stand the sight of those fat, piggish Tenryuubito.
"Vegapunk, it's best if you don't tell anyone about what we've discussed,"
Sanders said, glancing at the unconscious Sentomaru lying on the ground.
"Of course. I'm the smartest man in the world—do you think I'd make such a rookie mistake?"
"I still want to continue my research here in the World Government's labs for a while,"
Vegapunk replied, wearing a smug expression as if Sanders had underestimated him.
"I won't even tell Bonney. Or anyone else."
Bartholomew quickly spoke up.
When it came to Bonney and Vegapunk, he didn't intend to tell even Dragon or the Revolutionary Army— despite the fact that they were people he trusted deeply.
Sanders nodded in satisfaction, then turned back to Vegapunk and asked:
"Dr. Vegapunk, have you considered creating clones or duplicates to help yourself?"
"W-What?! How did you know that?"
Vegapunk's eyes widened in shock.
He had indeed been feeling overwhelmed recently.
And he didn't want too many World Government researchers interfering with his work.
So he'd been planning to use various technologies to create duplicates.
In his concept, those duplicates would share his intelligence— connected to the same brain and memory network.
"Then you'd better keep today's memory stored only in your main body,"
Sanders said with deep meaning in his eyes.
In the future, one of Vegapunk's clones would betray him, leaking his research into the Void Century to the World Government.
That betrayal would eventually lead to the death of Vegapunk's original body.
Admiral Kizaru would personally kill his old friend.
Sanders knew that this warning today might make Vegapunk store the Void Century research
exclusively in his main body— possibly preventing his execution by the World Government in the future.
But Sanders didn't care about that.
He only cared about making sure today's events didn't leak.
"Alright. I understand,"
Vegapunk nodded.
"But that means the clone project will have to be delayed by about two months."
Vegapunk was willing to go along with it.
He was also well aware that clones might not stay loyal to the original forever.
To isolate today's memory and the Void Century research, he'd have to do some more work on the tech.
Hmm... two months should be enough.
After all, he was the smartest man in the world.
He'd develop the necessary technology quickly.
"Alright then. I'll be taking my leave,"
Sanders said.
"Too much time has passed already."
"The World Government's agents should be arriving soon."
"If nothing goes wrong, it should be Borsalino who shows up."
"I've been looking forward to meeting him again."
Sparks of lightning danced in Sanders' eyes, and a wave of white frost billowed from his body.
He hadn't forgotten— it was Borsalino and Sengoku who had captured him back then,
leading to his imprisonment in Impel Down.
Even though he had gained many benefits from that place...
A debt of blood must still be repaid.
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