Who Says Scientists Can't Kill?

Borsalino quickly clarified, "No. Not Charlotte Linlin—her second son, Charlotte Katakuri."

"What? Charlotte Katakuri? He's only in his twenties, isn't he? His Devil Fruit is nothing special, and his bounty is under 500 million Berries. How could you have lost to him?" The Fleet Admiral's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I underestimated him. I shouldn't have fought him at close range. Once we started, I discovered that his Observation Haki was incredibly powerful. I didn't land a single hit, but he severely wounded me with one stab. Mm, his Armament Haki was also extremely strong, and he was much stronger than me physically."

Navy Vice Admiral Borsalino had originally wanted to say, "More importantly, Charlotte Linlin's Homies caught me off guard," but the words changed before they left his mouth. "Hehehe, Katakuri, since you used your mother's Homies to ambush me, don't blame me for returning the favor."

"Steel Bone" Kong had no idea what Borsalino was thinking. He truly believed Katakuri had defeated him fair and square in a one-on-one fight, and his brow immediately furrowed.

Then he remembered that Katakuri had also killed several Navy generals this time and crippled a future Marine Admiral. The Fleet Admiral promptly made the decision with a sweep of his hand, raising Katakuri's bounty from 480 million Berries to a staggering 1.5 billion Berries!

Even if bounty standards in the world of One Piece had not changed as drastically as some One Piece readers imagined, 1.5 billion Berries was still an astonishing figure no matter what.

Among the many Great Pirates of this era, fewer than ten powerhouses had bounties exceeding that amount. Even Scopper Gaban, "the Pirate King's left hand," fell short of it. It was practically the World Government personally recognizing Katakuri as one of the world's top Great Pirates.

"Charlotte Katakuri, when the Navy comes after you in the future, they won't be sending Navy Vice Admirals to their deaths anymore. Enjoy the personal attention of Garp or Senior Sengoku!" Navy Vice Admiral Borsalino almost felt sorry for Katakuri now.

But before "Steel Bone" Kong left, he delivered another piece of bad news that made Borsalino feel Katakuri truly deserved that 1.5 billion Berries bounty.

"What? The mission failed? How is that possible? Even if I left, there were still two main warships and more than 1,700 elite Marines aboard them!" Navy Vice Admiral Borsalino cried out in fury.

However, his body could not withstand such intense emotional turmoil in its current state. His vision went black, and he fell unconscious again.

Seeing his beloved subordinate's reaction, the Fleet Admiral decisively swallowed the rest of his words instead of saying them right away. It wasn't merely a defeat. Those two warships had been completely wiped out. They would never return.

On the shore of an inconspicuous deserted island in the New World, a lean middle-aged man pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took several puffs before complaining to his young companion, "They didn't even send a Navy Vice Admiral. Aren't they looking down on us too much? Do they really think scientists can't kill?"

"Even I never expected that you, Beck—someone who usually wouldn't hurt a fly—would kill more people than me, someone born into a war organization," the young man beside him said with a laugh. He had a thick head of blond hair.

The young man then took the opportunity to invite his friend. "But the Navy won't make the same mistake again. Next time, they'll definitely send a Vice Admiral, and at least an elite Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters. Those are monsters even guns and cannons can't deal with. I'm planning to go home, Beck. Will you come help me? Germa 66's research conditions are no worse than here, and it's a World Government member nation, so safety is guaranteed."

But after removing the cigarette from his mouth with two fingers, the lean middle-aged man asked his companion a question instead. "Judge, if your family's conditions are so good, why did you run away in the first place?"

"I was still naive back then. All I wanted was the freedom to research subjects that interested me and do something beneficial for the people of the world. I didn't want my research to be used on the battlefield." As the blond young man spoke, he grew somewhat melancholy.

He lit a cigarette and was about to put it in his mouth when he suddenly slammed it to the ground. His bloodshot eyes widened as he looked at his companion, waving his hands and shouting, "But you can see it now too, Beck! This world simply has no room for a quiet laboratory! We need power—enough power—so that we can research freely and benefit the world! Come with me! With your help, I'll definitely conquer the North Blue. Then we'll have enough power to fulfill our dreams!"

But the lean middle-aged man remained unmoved. He gave a faint smile and replied, "Ever since coming to the New World, I've been cooped up in the laboratory. This is a good chance to travel around and treat it as a break. As for what comes next, I'll think about it after I've rested. The researchers here can go with you first, as long as they agree."

"You're not still waiting for Roger to make a comeback, are you? That's impossible. Even when his pirate crew was whole, the Navy chased them like stray dogs. Now the crew has disbanded. Besides, Roger has no stable source of income. The money he invested in us before was probably a windfall, and it couldn't possibly last. Even if he makes a comeback, he won't have enough money to fund you building a new laboratory."

The blond young man immediately understood what his friend was thinking and sneered. "Or are you planning to find a new backer? That's even less likely. Whitebeard's forces may be powerful, but they're poor. Big Mom isn't much better—and she's a lunatic."

"I still have to see for myself, don't I? The New World isn't that big. At most, it'll delay me for a year. I'll treat it as a vacation." The lean middle-aged man ultimately did not change his mind, though he left himself some room. "Would you refuse to take me in if I joined you a year from now?"

"Of course not. You'll always be welcome, Beck, whenever you come." The blond young man's expression softened.

He had figured it out as well. Unless there was absolutely no other choice, his partner would never work for the World Government. He probably did not even dare return to his hometown. That meant Germa 66 had the best research conditions in the world, and he would have to come eventually.

Besides, arriving later had its advantages. Germa 66 was a war organization, and Judge's return to seize power would inevitably involve bloodshed. If this genius scientist, whom Judge considered superior to himself, were struck down by open or hidden attacks during that process, Judge would have no one to blame but himself.

It would be better for him to join after the situation had stabilized. Relatively speaking, that would be much safer.