Borsalino: We Have No Grudge, So Why Are You Trying to Drag Me Down?
New World, Punk Hazard, this is the base of the Marine Science Unit.
Before Kuzan and Sakazuki turned against each other on the island, it had a mild climate, spring-like weather all year round, and a very pleasant environment.
In the central area of the island, numerous high-tech research bases have sprung up, and the Science Unit have entered a state of regular operation.
Vice Admiral Borsalino of the Marines is the highest-ranking official on this island.
Meanwhile, Borsalino was in the port of Punk Hazard, watching a warship slowly dock. A moment later, the gangway was lowered, and Ortolan stepped off the ship with a big smile on his face.
"Dr. Borsalino, it's been a long time~~~" Ortolan greeted him warmly as soon as he came down.
But upon hearing the word 'Doctor,' Borsalino, who had been cheerfully addressing the doctor, suddenly turned pale and said, 'You bastard, if you call me Doctor again, I'm really going to lose it!'
"Hahaha, you little devil, don't call me Doctor next time." Ortolan laughed loudly, completely ignoring Borsalino's threat.
Borsalino knew that Ortolan was just being sarcastic, and the two of them still had a good relationship. Even though he was teased like that, he didn't get really angry as he claimed. He just shook his head helplessly and didn't mention it again.
Standing next to Borsalino was Orbia. Unlike when they parted on the Red Line, when Orbia looked haggard and depressed, she now looked radiant and seemed to be doing quite well here.
Especially his attire, which has undergone a complete transformation. He was once a student of serious criminals in the criminal underworld government, but now he is wearing Justice Cloak and has colonel's epaulets on his shoulders. Wow, he's suddenly become one of us.
Indeed, Professor Clover is currently Rear Admiral in the Marine Science Unit, responsible for the research and investigation of various ancient documents, while Orbia, as the doctor's successor and the second-in-line leader of the Academy, is now a Colonel in the Science Unit.
"Colonel Orbia, it's been a long time. How have you been?" Ortolan greeted Orbia with a smile.
Orbia seemed much more relaxed than before. She shrugged and smiled, saying, "It's pretty good. Aside from not being able to leave Punk Hazard freely, everything else is much the same as before..."
"I came directly from G-5 this time, so Robin didn't come with me. But don't worry, she's doing very well in Marineford. I heard from her teachers that her grades are excellent. She also said that she wants to join the Marines in the future and apply to be transferred to the Science Unit so she can work with you." Ortolan brought up Robin's feelings again.
Upon hearing this, Orbia smiled gently and said, "Although we can't meet, Robin and I still keep in touch frequently, and we even video Den Den Mushi other occasionally... I know about her situation, so even though I've said it many times, I still want to say... Thank you, Bane."
"Now we can be considered friends, just call me Ortolan," Ortolan said, waving his hand.
Borsalino, who was standing nearby, chimed in at the opportune moment. "When I return to the second division to report for duty next time, I can bring Robin to meet you."
It's clear that Borsalino and Orbia get along quite well.
Without lingering at the port, the group chatted and laughed as they walked toward the island.
"Your Punk Hazard is really hard to find. If you hadn't sent someone to deliver the Eternal Log Pose, I wouldn't have been able to find it..." Ortolan complained as he walked.
"After all, it's Non-Magnetic Island, which is quite special, and that's why it's so durable," Borsalino replied with a smile.
That's right, Punk Hazard is a very rare Non-Magnetic Island. Usually, once such an island is discovered, it will be quickly acquired by major powers and used as a reserve for secret bases.
The preservation of the Non-Magnetic Island's location is extremely high because there is no magnetic field, so it cannot attract Log Pose. Only after landing on the island can a special Eternal Log Pose be created to record the island's location.
Without such Log Pose, finding it in the vast ocean would be entirely a matter of luck.
Similar to Punk Hazard, there is another famous Non-Magnetic Island, which later became the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army, Balldigo Island.
The reason why the Revolutionary Army Izo so well, and why the World Government couldn't find their headquarters for so many years, was because Balldigo Island is Non-Magnetic Island, making it extremely difficult to find.
Later, it was that Stronger from the Blackbeard Pirates who, by some twist of fate, ended up on the Revolutionary Army's ship, which led to the exposure of that awful place.
As a scientific researcher, Orbia was quite busy. After returning to the base, she quickly said hello and went to attend to her work.
On the contrary, Dr. Borsalino had no plans to be experimented on in the near future, so he was free and could keep chatting with Ortolan.
The two entered Borsalino's office. Borsalino personally made Ortolan a cup of tea, and after they sat down on the sofa together, he asked, "What's the meaning of your sudden request to visit our Punk Hazard? Are you planning to have Dr. Vegapunk examine you?"
"Seeing a doctor is one thing, but actually I don't need that much anymore. Recently, I can clearly feel that my condition has improved quite a bit through aggressive treatment..." Ortolan waved his hand and said.
That's right, Ortolan remains in a stable state. He goes mad every full moon. He went mad quite often during G-5, but with the help of Momonga, Ichisho, and others, he can be cured by taking a Seastone, soaking in a bay, and getting a good beating.
After several such episodes, Ortolan regained consciousness more and more often during his mad state, and the duration of his insane state became shorter and shorter.
This is also why Ortolan didn't rush to see Dr. Vegapunk before; he felt that his madness might be cured in another year or two without external intervention.
Even Ortolan was filial. He felt that the path to curing the disease was pointed out by his mother, Charlotte Linlin. As a filial son, it would be reasonable for him to go back and cure his mother's disease when he was able to do so in the future.
"What are you doing here if you're not here to see a doctor?" Borsalino asked.
"When I was chatting with the Admiral Sengoku earlier, I heard that your Science Unit has developed a new type of warship? Several have already been assigned to headquarters for experimental purposes?" Ortolan inquired.
When this was mentioned, Borsalino waved his hand and said, "It can't really be called new. In fact, there haven't been any key technological improvements. The firepower is still the same, the speed is still the same, and even the materials haven't changed..."
After a slight pause, Borsalino continued, "Considering the convenience of commuting across the seas, Dr. Vegapunk attempted to enhance the use of Seastone beneath the warships. The intention is to use this method to emit special signal waves, allowing the warships to completely integrate with the ocean's magnetic field perception. In this way, as long as they don't engage in excessive actions, such as firing cannons, the warships won't attract the attention of Sea Kings or other threatening creatures in the ocean, greatly improving the safety of the warships' navigation and... ensuring stable passage through the Calm Belt."
Hearing this, Ortolan raised an eyebrow and asked, "So what were the results of the experiment? Was it safe, effective, and stable enough to cross the Calm Belt?"
"Our experiments here are complete, but they still need to be verified at headquarters," Borsalino replied directly, not hiding anything.
"Ahem..." Ortolan lowered his voice slightly, then said, "Um, is this convenient?"
Upon seeing Ortolan's expression, Borsalino seemed to understand his meaning immediately. He raised his hand to signal Ortolan to be quiet, then walked to the desk and activated a black box device.
After finishing, Borsalino said, "The signal jamming is off. You're not here to ask me for help with some weird trouble again, are you?"
As a research island, Punk Hazard is home not only to Dr. Vegapunk, the most brilliant mind, but also to a large number of scholars. Therefore, the World Government's surveillance of this island is very strong.
In the original story, Bartholomew Kuma contacted Dr. Vegapunk via Den Den Mushi, but their conversation was overheard by the Five Elders of Mary Geoise, ultimately leading to a series of tragedies.
Ortolan himself knew he needed to be wary of this place.
Even... he couldn't completely trust Borsalino. After Borsalino activated the shielding device, he subtly used his electromagnetic waves to sense and probe him before finally confirming that Borsalino was still a trustworthy comrade.
"I plan to open a shipping route in the Calm Belt that connects with the North Blue..." Ortolan then slowly began to tell Borsalino about his plans.
However, he didn't mention any Calm Belt Development Plan; his main focus was on collaborating with Doflamingo to sell merchandise.
After hearing this, Borsalino looked at Ortolan with a shocked expression and said, "Ortolan, I have no grudge against you, why are you trying to harm me? You're dragging me into this?? This is a serious violation of our Marines's discipline! If it's exposed and Admiral Sengoku finds out, you'll be court-martialed! You're too audacious!?"
"The Admiral is my partner..." Ortolan rolled his eyes at Borsalino.
Borsalino???
"Listen to what you're saying! How dare you slander my beloved Admiral Sengoku like this? You wait, I need to confirm this with him first," Borsalino said with an air of righteous indignation, as if he wanted to distance himself from Ortolan.
Ortolan waved his hand, indicating that he should do as he pleased. Borsalino went out to make calls to specific Den Den Den Mushi that were not afraid of being eavesdropped on, because of the jamming device.
A moment later, Borsalino walked in with a smile and said, "Bane, what did you just say you wanted? I can do whatever you want!"
Good grief, you change your tune so quickly? Borsalino, your political awareness is quite high!