Vegapunk stared silently at the man before him an old friend who was clearly ready to use force if persuasion failed.
As the chief architect of the Pacifista Program, Vegapunk understood all too well how terrifying Borsalino could be.
A Logia-type user of the Glint-Glint Fruit, able to move and strike at the speed of light. His kicks carried the power of a thousand suns, and his swordsmanship and physical prowess were said to be equally profound.
Vegapunk had always suspected that no one in this world had ever truly witnessed Borsalino fight at full power.
And now, that same man was looking at him with an expression that said, "You know how this goes, old friend."
Vegapunk's mind spun at lightning speed.
Countless threads of logic, data points, and possibilities collided and fused in his brain.
If Borsalino was here on behalf of the Navy, that meant they needed his intellect and inventions.
If they needed him, then they must have already known the kind of man he was a scientist who pursued knowledge for its own sake, not political obedience.
Research, especially on the scale he worked on, demanded vast sums of money. Without funding, even the most brilliant theories were nothing but dreams.
So if the Navy had come directly to him, bypassing the World Government's protocols, there was only one conclusion to draw.
The Navy had found a way to free itself from the World Government's financial chains.
Vegapunk finally asked the only question that mattered.
"The Navy… isn't short on funds anymore?"
Kizaru smiled lazily, reaching into his coat. He pulled out a golden check and flicked it toward him. "First round of research funding. Fifty billion Berries."
Vegapunk's eyes widened as he counted the zeros.
And that was just the first batch?!
With research funding secured, the equation changed completely.
For years, he had endured the suffocating bureaucracy of the World Government their endless restrictions, their obsession with turning every discovery into a weapon.
The Five Elders, those decrepit rulers sitting in their marble tower they knew nothing of science. They only knew fear and control.
They didn't want progress; they wanted tools of domination.
Weapons to preserve their decaying throne.
Vegapunk clenched his fists, a burning clarity filling his chest.
To hell with the Five Elders. To hell with the World Government. And to hell with that self-proclaimed "scientist," Saturn.
He was done playing their game.
"I accept."
Vegapunk looked straight into Borsalino's eyes, his tone firm and deliberate. "From this day forward, I, Dr. Vegapunk, will serve the Navy and only the Navy."
Kizaru's grin widened in quiet satisfaction.
Efficient as ever.
He'd earned his bonus faster than expected. Even for him, that was impressive.
He gave Vegapunk a thumbs-up before pulling out a Den Den Mushi and dialing Sengoku's number.
"Better talk to the Fleet Admiral yourself."
Buru-buru… buru-buru…
The snail's face shifted as Sengoku's voice came through. "Borsalino. How did it go?"
"Mission accomplished, Fleet Admiral. Vegapunk has agreed."
Kizaru handed the Den Den Mushi over.
"Oh? Excellent!" Sengoku's voice rumbled with approval. "Vegapunk, welcome to the true Navy."
Vegapunk took a deep breath and raised the receiver. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I have one condition."
"I request the immediate suspension of Bartholomew Kuma's consciousness erasure. His mind must remain intact."
Silence.
For a long moment, the line stayed quiet.
Sengoku's mind was racing.
Erasing Kuma's mind was part of the contract between the World Government and the Seven Warlords.
Keeping it intact would be tantamount to tearing that contract apart.
But then he thought of Renn Hawk the young Rear Admiral whose vision was reshaping the Navy from within.
The Navy was already moving toward independence.
The World Government's pride? It could burn.
"…I approve."
Vegapunk's eyes brightened. "Excellent!"
"Now listen carefully, Vegapunk," Sengoku continued, his voice turning grave. "I'll tell you what the Navy needs from you next. I believe this plan will be… quite to your liking."
Sengoku began to explain Renn Hawk's proposal the revolutionary "Deep-Sea Recovery Project."
A world-altering initiative designed to retrieve treasures from the ocean floor: developing deep-sea salvage vessels capable of withstanding immense pressure, evading Sea Kings through biological sonar, and using the Navy's global network to systematically recover resources hidden beneath the waves.
As Sengoku spoke, Vegapunk's eyes widened further and further, until he was nearly trembling.
The mastermind behind such a plan Rear Admiral Renn Hawk was, without question, a genius.
The technical hurdles flashed through his mind: pressure resistance at ten thousand meters, deep-ocean stealth systems, wide-range magnetic scanning of metal veins…
And yet, none of these problems felt insurmountable.
Because now, he had the funds.
And more importantly, the freedom.
He understood instantly what made this plan truly unparalleled.
Organization.
Even if someone else had the same idea even if they had the technology no one else could execute it.
Only the Navy possessed the manpower, reach, and structure to coordinate a global deep-sea recovery operation.
In this world, there was only one power with the authority, discipline, and unity to reshape the seas
the Navy, the embodiment of Justice.
"This plan… is absolutely feasible!" Vegapunk shouted into the Den Den Mushi, nearly roaring with excitement. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, give me one month! No three weeks! I'll have the first prototype ready!"
He felt as if every scientific cell in his body was igniting.
He was now the Navy's Chief Scientist. The wealthier the Navy became, the greater his research budget would grow.
And he knew the deep sea held far more than treasure.
There were ancient artifacts, lost civilizations, forgotten technologies…
For a scientist like him, those were worth more than all the gold in the world.
"I'll await your results," Sengoku said simply, before ending the call.
Kizaru pocketed the Den Den Mushi with a lazy flick of his wrist.
He glanced at Vegapunk, who had already fallen into a frenzy of inspiration, pacing in circles and muttering rapidly:
"Reverse-spiral dive engines… mimic sonar systems for Sea King evasion… visual cloaking composites…"
A spark had been lit and once Vegapunk's mind started turning, nothing could stop it.
Kizaru smirked. He knew exactly what this meant.
His bonus was as good as guaranteed.
Sure enough, after a few frenzied laps around the room, Vegapunk froze mid-thought, slapped his thigh, and bolted toward the main lab without even saying goodbye.
Kizaru stretched, strolled into the lounge, and sank comfortably into a chair.
"Ahh… comfortable~"
His voice echoed lazily through the empty room.
He closed his eyes, seemingly drifting into a nap.
But every ten minutes, a wave of Observation Haki swept silently across Egghead Island, scanning every corner for intruders.
Until the first treasures of the sea were brought to the surface…
"Whoever comes," he murmured with a grin, "will taste what it means to be kicked by light~."
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