Ortoren was intrigued by the Devil Fruit, but since even the World Government couldn't wrest it from Dr. Vegapunk, he decided it wasn't worth souring relations with the scientist over just one fruit.
While Ortoren and Borsalino were wandering through the facility, looking over strange inventions, the door of a nearby lab opened and out walked a man with an absurdly long head.
If Ortoren hadn't known better—that no such subspecies as a "Long-Brain Tribe" or "Long-Headed Tribe" existed—he might have thought Dr. Vegapunk and Strawberry were both from such a race!
In height, Dr. Vegapunk looked fairly average, but with his enormous cranium, the top of his head stood taller than Ortoren himself.
No doubt about it—Ortoren recognized him instantly. This was Dr. Vegapunk, looking like a dead ringer for... no, not Epstein—Einstein.
Dr. Vegapunk seemed a little worn out, as if fresh from research, but the moment he spotted Ortoren, he froze, then broke into a delighted smile and hurried over.
"Vice Admiral Benn!? It's been so long!" Dr. Vegapunk greeted warmly, extending his hand for a shake.
Indeed, it had been a long time. Ortoren had only met him once, back during the surprise raid on MADS. He'd meant to speak more with him then, but an emergency involving the Fleet Admiral had cut things short, and they hadn't crossed paths since.
"Doctor, it's been a while. Seeing you still in good spirits puts me at ease," Ortoren said cheerfully, shaking his hand.
Truth be told, he felt uneasy at the doctor's enthusiasm. The way Vegapunk looked at him—it was the same gaze one gave a specimen, as if he couldn't wait to strap him down and dissect him.
"I've been doing well here," Vegapunk said with a smile. "In the past, lack of funding held me back—so many experiments and projects I couldn't even begin. But now, things are different. I can pursue whatever research interests me..."
Unlike the scholars of Ohara, who were forced into service, Vegapunk enjoyed a degree of freedom. He could leave Punk Hazard when he wished, carrying out external surveys or field studies.
His true tie to the World Government was simple: only they had the resources deep enough to fund his boundless research.
In fact, after the fall of Ohara, Vegapunk had even traveled there himself, meeting with Dragon. Later, after the Punk Hazard incident, he moved on to Egghead Island to develop new technologies. By then, Borsalino had largely returned to headquarters. Though part of the Science Division followed, Vegapunk effectively became Egghead's leader. His autonomy was clear—he wasn't entirely under the Government's control.
After a bit of small talk, Vegapunk got straight to the point. "I heard from Borsalino that you, Vice Admiral Benn, suffer from a mental condition? Passed down through your bloodline, correct? Would you like me to take a look?"
Ortoren's face twitched. That expression of his didn't look like concern—it looked like he wanted to drag him straight to the lab table.
"Thank you for your concern, Doctor. But over the past two years, my condition has improved a lot. I've found a treatment that works for me, so there's no need to trouble yourself," Ortoren replied quickly.
Vegapunk hesitated, regret flashing briefly in his eyes, before pressing again. "Even if I'm mainly a scientist, I have considerable expertise in biotechnology. Calling myself half a doctor wouldn't be wrong. Why not let me take a look?"
"No, no... that won't be necessary," Ortoren declined at once.
Seeing he wasn't biting, Vegapunk shifted tactics. "Then, if you don't mind, I'd like to draw a blood sample. As a Vice Admiral, we're all part of the same organization, after all. Our Science Division is conducting related studies, and your contribution could be invaluable."
So direct?
Ortoren grimaced and glanced at Borsalino. The man was clearly enjoying the scene, smirking like he was watching a good show.
Still, Ortoren valued Vegapunk as the Navy's greatest mind and didn't want conflict with him. After some thought, he asked, "What exactly would this research be for?"
"Weapons!" Vegapunk replied without hesitation.
After a brief pause, he continued, "It's an assignment from the World Government. Personally, I'm not too interested in weapons. What I really want from your blood sample is to enrich the Lineage Factor database. Your physical constitution is extraordinary. If we could harness it, it might benefit not just humanity, but intelligent life as a whole..."
"Is it really that extraordinary?" Ortoren asked, genuinely surprised.
"Of course!" Vegapunk answered firmly. "Though you've struggled with mental illness, I suspect that in terms of ordinary health, your body has never once been afflicted by disease, has it?"
Ortoren thought it over. Indeed, aside from his mental condition, he'd always been perfectly healthy—never once plagued by physical illness.
After Ortoren nodded, Dr. Vegapunk went on. "That's why, if we can crack the secrets in this area, medical science could take a massive leap forward. To exaggerate a little, it's not impossible that research on you could even lead to a universal cure."
Before Ortoren could respond, Vegapunk continued, "Right now, many congenital diseases can't be cured. Take Admiral Zephyr's asthma—it's genetic. I've conducted some research on it myself. It's a flaw in his lineage factor. But if we can make a breakthrough from your case, I believe there's a real chance we could cure Admiral Zephyr's asthma."
Ortoren was quiet for a moment, then asked, "And what are the odds of that?"
"I can't give you a guarantee, but it would certainly help," Vegapunk said honestly.
He then gave Ortoren a mischievous wink. "I know what you're worried about—that your blood might be used to make weapons. But like I said, that's just a target the World Government gave me. I don't care much about that. So here's what we'll do: I'll take a small sample, run a superficial study, then file a report saying the research failed. The Government won't press me on it. And I promise you, your blood will only go toward non-weapon research. In fact, I'll focus it mainly on biomedical work—maybe even curing Admiral Zephyr sooner rather than later. How about it?"
At that, Ortoren remembered what Borsalino had once told him: Vegapunk was a man of his word. If he said he wouldn't cross a line, he never would.
And Ortoren did care deeply about Zephyr-sensei's health. If this could truly help him recover, it would be an incredible blessing.
As for weapons research—sure, he disliked it, but it wasn't enough to scare him off. Borsalino himself had been experimented on for over twenty years, and in the end, the "weapon" that came from it posed no real danger to him.
With that thought, Ortoren's gaze drifted to the Devil Fruit displayed in the distance. "Personally, I'm quite interested in that Artificial Devil Fruit. If you, Doctor—"
Before he could finish, Vegapunk cut in. "Vice Admiral Borsalino, would you fetch that fruit? I'd like to give it to my good friend Vice Admiral Benn as a gift for our long-overdue reunion!"
Ortoren couldn't help but feel a rush of appreciation. Who said scientists were all stiff and detached? Clearly, the Doctor understood the art of human connection.
"Doctor, we've been friends for years. Calling me Benn feels too distant. From now on, just call me Ortoren. Now, come on—let's get that blood drawn!" he said warmly, clasping Vegapunk's hand.
And with that, Ortoren gained another friend.