The Future of the Research Center: Enel and Buggy Become Test Subjects!
Half a month has passed since the Red Hair Pirates surrendered en masse and Whitebeard Newgate, Newgate, met his end at the Sphinx.
For fifteen days, the whole world was like a boiling iron pot, experiencing unprecedented upheaval.
Countless pirates who regarded the Yonko as their faith and the "Great Pirate Era" as their guiding principle have completely fallen into madness.
They were like gamblers who had lost all their chips, launching a final, frenzied revenge.
On an island in the New World that was once protected by Whitebeard, a pirate crew flying the skull and crossbones flag stormed the port, attempting to reclaim their former glory and commit arson, murder, and plunder.
However, as soon as they began their operation, they were not met with screams from civilians, but with a barrage of artillery fire from the sky.
The navy's reaction speed exceeded everyone's expectations.
There were no warnings, no shouts, only cold and ruthless suppression.
The previous process of reporting up the chain of command and waiting for orders from headquarters was completely abolished. Akira granted all base commanders the authority to make decisions on the spot; if they judged that the other side was engaging in any behavior that would endanger civilians, they could open fire directly.
After the bombardment, naval soldiers in new combat uniforms surged onto the island like a tide, precisely and swiftly eliminating the remaining pirates.
The battle ended in less than half an hour.
The pirate captain, who was leading the group, had a young naval Second Lieutenant step on his face. He died without understanding when the navy had become so terrifying.
Similar scenes are constantly unfolding in every corner of the Grand Line and the Four Blues.
The other side of this madness is an unprecedented wave of "surrenders."
When their last illusions were shattered by relentless gunfire, and when they saw that both Shanks and Whitebeard, those two towering figures, had crumbled, countless pirates who were still observing finally recognized reality.
Rather than being eliminated like trash by the new-era navy, it's better to lay down your weapons and exchange them for a chance to survive.
At the gates of various Marine Base, long lines of pirates came to surrender themselves, leaving behind mountains of weapons.
The appearance of two figures amidst this surge still caused quite a stir.
Gild Tesoro, the Gild Tesoro, and his subordinate, the goddess of fortune, Baccarat.
After Golden City was destroyed by Akira and sank to the bottom of the sea, the two disappeared without a trace.
Everyone thought they had died in that natural disaster.
But no one expected that on the very night Whitebeard's life ended, they would walk into the gates of the New World G-5 branch, dressed in rags.
We surrender.
Tesoro's voice was hoarse and dry. The golden armor that once symbolized endless wealth was gone, replaced by a set of tattered clothes covered in dust.
The young navy officer in charge of registration was stunned for a long time before pulling out two old wanted posters from his drawer and comparing them to the two down-on-their-luck men and women in front of him.
In the past two weeks, they have witnessed too many legendary figures, but the Gild Tesoro's significance is still different.
"What a rare guest, Tesoro! You already fooled the soldiers on their mission by using the Lord Marshal's name, so why did you come to surrender?!" A naval officer rushed over upon hearing the news and couldn't help but ask.
Tesoro did not answer, but simply looked out the base window at the bustling yet peaceful town.
After losing everything, he and Baccarat wandered the New World like ghosts. They witnessed firsthand how those islands, once repeatedly plundered by pirates and left with impoverished people, were recovering at an astonishing pace under the iron-fisted rule of the Navy.
Trade routes were smooth, prices were stable, and the children wore smiles they had never seen before.
That kind of peace and tranquility was something he couldn't buy even with all the gold in the world.
Baccarat pulled her worn-out clothes tighter and said softly, "It seems our luck has run out."
She glanced at Tesoro and added, "Perhaps it's time to try a different approach and see if we can get any new luck."
"Is that so?" The naval officer smiled. "I'll be watching."
After a slight pause, the officer decisively waved his hand and shouted, "Men, take them into custody!"
With the last of the crazy pirates wiped out, the surging wave of surrenders gradually subsided, and the turmoil that had lasted for half a month finally came to an end.
A new day dawns, and the sun shines brightly.
A specially designed warship flying a naval flag broke through the clouds and slowly descended over an island encased in a giant white eggshell.
Egghead Island, Egghead.
Island of the Future.
Akira stood on the deck, looking down at the island that was full of futuristic technology.
Three people stood behind him.
Gion, draped in the Justice Cloak, rested her hand on the hilt of the Famous Sword Kompira, her expression as cool and capable as ever. As Marine Headquarters Admiral, she had been handling all naval affairs during Akira's absence, demonstrating astonishing skill and decisiveness. Many officers at Marine Headquarters firmly believed that she would be the first female Marshal in naval history.
Sentomaru carried a huge battle axe, a toothpick dangling from his mouth, looking utterly bored.
As Vegapunk's chief bodyguard, he was the guide for this trip.
The most eye-catching person was Boa Hancock, who stood next to Akira, almost touching him.
Hancock wore a white dress that was quite different from her usual style today, making her look less Haki and more gentle. But the look in her eyes as she looked at Gion was still full of undisguised hostility.
"Hmph, some clueless woman, does she really think she's the embodiment of justice just because she puts on this Justice Cloak? She just stands there like a block of wood, what an eyesore." Hancock muttered to herself in a voice only she and Gion could hear.
Gion tilted her head to meet Hancock's provocative gaze and replied calmly, "This is a naval research facility, not your Amazon Lily palace. Watch your words and actions. Also, don't forget, I'm your superior now!"
"You!" Hancock's eyebrows shot up in anger.
"Let's go!" Akira said in time to distract the two women.
Sentomaru quickly caught up with Akira as he disembarked. "Lord Marshal, Dr. Vegapunk is in the research institute, but his recent research has been a bit crazy. You'd better be prepared."
"Oh?" Akira became interested. "How crazy is it?"
"It's roughly equivalent to putting an engine on the moon—that kind of madness," Sentomaru scratched his head. "That's about it. As for the rest, I won't tell you. After all, I'm the most tight-lipped man in the world!"
Akira nodded, his expression serious, and said, "They are indeed very tight-lipped!"
The group walked through a futuristic city, with various automated robots and hovercraft moving around them, everything in perfect order.
Soon, the group of four arrived in front of a huge, eggshell-shaped white building.
This is Vegapunk's research institute.
The heavy alloy door slid open silently to both sides under Sentomaru's verification.
Behind the door was not the bright, clean, and orderly laboratory that people imagined.
It was a huge garbage dump.
Countless design drawings were piled up like mountains, various unfinished mechanical parts were scattered all over the ground, and several huge mechanical arms were swinging in the air, assembling a strange creation whose purpose was unclear.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of engine oil and metal welding.
"Ahem," Sentomaru coughed awkwardly twice, "Grandpa's been quite busy lately and hasn't had time to tidy up."
Akira paid no attention to any of this. His gaze swept past the mess in front of him and went straight to the deepest part of the laboratory.
There, two huge cylindrical culture tanks were placed.
In the very center of the cultivation tank, two figures floated silently. They were none other than Enel, the electric child that Akira had thrown to Vegapunk for experiments, and Buggy, who possessed the power of the Hobby Hobby Fruit.
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