Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters in Marineford.
Under the surgical spotlights, Vegapunk, dressed in a surgical gown, stood alone in front of a surgical table. On it lay Zephyr, the former Marine Instructor, who had just been sent back from the New World.
According to the intelligence report, he had fallen victim to one of Alucard's techniques, which was very similar to the monsters he himself had created ten years ago. Back then, he had only experimented on living humans. Now, even a former Admiral had become his material.
A smile creased Vegapunk's eyes above his mask. Former Admiral? Instructor? It didn't matter. To a scientist, fresh experimental material was the most important thing.
Vegapunk picked up a scalpel, recalling the intelligence. "The report says he was hit in the abdomen by Alucard and has been unconscious ever since?"
With that thought, Vegapunk used the scalpel to slice open Zephyr's stomach. However, what he saw inside made the experienced Vegapunk, who was as used to this as eating, freeze.
Among the organs lay a red-stained piece of paper, made of a special material that had not been damaged in the slightest.
Vegapunk put down his scalpel and carefully used a pair of forceps to extract the note. He unfolded it, and the bloodstains on the paper moved like a living animal, slowly forming a line of text:
The item has been delivered. I'll be waiting for you at Baizinbur.
Alucard!
The name immediately flashed in Vegapunk's mind. After a long moment, he put the paper into a nearby device to be destroyed. Then he chuckled. "No wonder. No wonder Sakazuki died and Zephyr came back safely. He was just being used as an envelope, I see."
Vegapunk continued with his examination. He cut a piece of Zephyr's flesh and stored it carefully, and he also drew a considerable amount of blood before he started the actual rescue work.
"I can't let you die, for both professional and personal reasons. I'll need you for many things in the future, Zephyr."
A few hours later, Vegapunk put down his tools and walked out of the operating room, pulling off his mask.
Sengoku and Kong quickly approached him. "How is Zephyr's condition?" they asked.
Vegapunk's expression was calm. "Well... I've been studying Alucard's cells for a long time. His body is fine; you could even say he's undergoing a rejuvenation. But the side effects are immense. I'll need to do more research."
"Will he... fall into that berserk state again?" Kong asked, frowning. He had personally participated in the operation ten years ago to deal with the monsters created from Alucard's cells, so he knew what people became after absorbing them.
The fact that Zephyr still maintained his human form was a great relief to Kong.
"I have a special sedative that can temporarily suppress the berserker state. However, Zephyr's injuries are more severe, so it seems I'll have to create an enhanced version," Vegapunk replied.
"How do you have a sedative?"
Although more than a decade had passed, the incident was so shocking that Kong remembered it vividly. At the time, Vegapunk had claimed to have used up all the experimental materials. So how could he still have something like a sedative?
A flash of cunning passed through Vegapunk's eyes. "Well, to create a monster, you must also create a way to suppress it. It's just that there was no need to use it back then."
Who knew if the mad scientist was telling the truth? But at present, he was the only one who could help Zephyr, and with the full support of the World Government, Kong had no choice but to tolerate Vegapunk's actions.
"You know how to answer any questions he might ask when he wakes up, right?" Kong said, squinting.
"Huh? I just saved a man. What's there to answer?" Vegapunk countered, giving Kong the exact answer he wanted.
Just as Alucard had assessed him, a smart person doesn't spend their days plotting and scheming to show off their intelligence. Instead, they operate in the shadows, knowing what to do and what not to do. If Vegapunk acted without fear, challenging the Fleet Admiral with just his intellect, he wouldn't last long, no matter how smart he was.
"That's good," Kong said. He turned and walked away with Sengoku. "We'll dispatch a unit to stand by here temporarily to prevent any accidents."
'To prevent Zephyr from going berserk, or maybe to prevent him from escaping?' Vegapunk wondered to himself. He then smiled and asked Kong's retreating back, "If I may, which matter should be prioritized: Zephyr or the Dyna Stone?"
Kong's steps faltered. After a moment, he said, "...Zephyr. The Marines owe him too much." "Understood."
Vegapunk answered, then left the research area and walked to his private room. He pressed a button on the wall just a bit taller than himself.
Suddenly, a hidden drawer slid out of the wall two meters in front of him. Inside was a small, intricate briefcase. Vegapunk took out the notebook-sized case and pressed the two clasps on the sides. The lid instantly opened, revealing rows of bullets.
"I had planned to send these after I had dealt with the Dyna Stone situation, but it seems I'll have to do it sooner." Vegapunk spoke to himself.
They were 13mm caliber bullets for use against Devil Fruit users. The special bulletheads were made of a mixture of silver and Seastone powder, modeled after Alucard's Jackal bullets.
He called them "armor-piercing exploding bullets."
Since they were manufactured in secret, Vegapunk had never tried to see what would happen if he shot a Devil Fruit user with one. But it didn't matter. In the future, he would be able to find out by simply keeping an eye on Alucard's intelligence reports.
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