Mousse persuaded his mother to submit a proposal to the World Government, but the Five Elders bluntly rejected it outright. Their reply claimed that the two sides had not yet built sufficient trust, but Mousse believed the main reason was that this research held little value for the World Government in maintaining the Celestial Dragons' rule.
Although a device that directly extracted energy had the potential to be developed into a weapon, if that were its only intended use, its cost-effectiveness would be far lower than the lethal gas research currently led by Caesar Clown, who had not gone with Vinsmoke Judge but instead defected to the higher-paying World Government.
Yet Vegapunk genuinely believed—or rather, deceived himself into believing—the Five Elders' excuse. He hoped Mousse could find a way to strengthen mutual trust between Totto Land and the World Government, nearly making the latter burst out laughing on the spot.
However, remembering that such an opportunity really did seem likely to arise soon, Mousse decided to give him a little hope. Perhaps to persuade him, Vegapunk stopped holding back and more than doubled the speed of clone cultivation. What had originally taken five years to reach adulthood would now take only two. Not only did efficiency soar, but the clones' "effective lifespan" was extended from five years to eight.
Thus, Mousse felt he should give this old man some hope before making him completely give up.
"You said platinum lead is poisonous? That 'White Rot Disease' was caused by platinum lead poisoning?" Vegapunk looked utterly astonished. It seemed that even the most brilliant scientists still had knowledge beyond their grasp.
However, Vegapunk's comprehension far surpassed that of ordinary people. With only a brief explanation from Mousse, he realized that Flevance, the "White Town" renowned worldwide for its wealth and prosperity,