Steam Robot - Blitz

"Thank you for the trouble."

"We each get what we need. I help you train your control over your Devil Fruit powers, and you help me create the materials I need. Where did you start having trouble understanding that booklet I gave you?"

"Uh... the first page."

Bear's voice grew quieter, becoming increasingly embarrassed.

This was just his nature; he was excessively gentle. Even if a stranger asked him to do something completely unrelated to himself, Bear would give it his all.

That booklet contained some chemistry knowledge written by Oran, specifically to help Bear better understand the composition of materials.

"Don't be embarrassed. After all, you have no foundation. That was just a test, so now I know where to start teaching you."

Bear was born into a pastor's family. He was taken away as a slave in his childhood. Being literate was already a significant improvement.

The royal palace of the Kingdom of Sorbet was not large. After a few pleasantries, Oran and his companions arrived at the kingdom's banquet hall.

Although some of the people Oran brought were rather peculiar, Bulldog didn't show any excessive shock. He was a king, after all. If he couldn't even control such a basic expression, he wouldn't have been able to sit on the throne for so many years.

"Mr. Oran, we've been expecting you. Please, everyone, have a seat."

"King Bulldog, I won't waste time with pleasantries. Do you have any further questions about the terms of the agreement?"

"No, Mr. Oran. The conditions you've proposed are very beneficial for the development of the Kingdom of Sorbet.

But as you've seen these past few days, this country is not wealthy. The Celestial Tribute alone has practically drained the national economy.

I'd like to pay a portion of the fee now and pay the rest in installments. If your designs truly prove effective, then the remaining amount can be settled quickly."

To be honest, Bulldog didn't want to do this.

There were no local research talents here, nor were there any powerful warriors. Managing to gather enough for the Celestial Tribute to prevent the country from becoming a lawless land was already Bulldog's limit.

He finally had an opportunity for technological advancement. If Oran left immediately, the Kingdom of Sorbet would lose a chance to develop.

But he dared not gamble even more. If he handed over all the money to Oran directly, and something went wrong, they wouldn't have enough for the Celestial Tribute next year.

"Of course, the Kingdom of Sorbet can pay interest, and you can also take a portion of the profits from profitable projects."

Bulldog proposed a new condition. As long as Oran wasn't just making empty promises, Oran would gain even more.

"I can accept this condition, but the specific arrangements will be according to my instructions. I don't want to encounter a situation where an amateur directs an expert."

"That goes without saying, Mr. Oran. This is the agreement drafted by the Finance Minister. Do you see any other issues?"

Oran knew Bulldog was uneasy about the technology, but that was normal. Paying the full amount upfront was the unusual situation. The two parties quickly reached an agreement. Oran solved his initial funding problem, and the Kingdom of Sorbet gained an opportunity to gamble on the future.

Both sides were generally pleased. If there was any issue, it was that Bulldog regretted letting Oran bring people to the banquet.

Aside from Oran's appetite, which was barely that of a normal person, the other three were more voracious eaters than one another. Ginny, who appeared to be the youngest, had the largest appetite, single-handedly consuming what the palace normally ate for several days.

Time began to pass gradually. During this period, Oran taught Bear mathematics, physics, and chemistry from scratch, allowing Bear to acquire a considerable amount of knowledge. This also yielded results.

Placing a piece of freshly mined iron ore in front of Bear, he could separate it and even compress and fuse elements, solving Oran's lack of equipment.

To be precise, Bear was even more useful than machines, provided he could understand the existence of the material.

The Kingdom of Sorbet also gained the beginnings of a factory, acquiring some forging and processing capabilities, and could even accept forging orders from some smaller neighboring countries.

While testing his own body, Oran also discovered changes within himself. His strength and recovery ability had significantly increased. In simple terms, his physique was becoming more akin to the natives of this world, perhaps a change brought about by traveling through space and time.

The world of Valoran enhanced spiritual power, while the world of Pirates enhanced the body.

With the initial funding provided by Bulldog, Oran also began to create some items to aid himself. Bear and Kate, among others, assisted him in this temporary workshop.

After a period of effort, a large iron shell about five meters tall began to take shape.

Brass-colored metal was adorned with gleaming screws, and pipes made of special materials were connected to its arms and torso. Two radiators on its back emitted white smoke.

As Oran filled some fuel into a hatch on the robot's chest and abdomen, the lights in the robot's head flickered on.

"Engine... activated. Ready to... depart."

"It's... it's moving! Oran, this thing is actually moving!"

Seeing the steel robot stand up on its own and even emit sounds, Ginny, who was assisting, was startled.

"I see it. Isn't that obvious? Blitz, grab that rock to your front left."

"Rock... understood..."

Whoosh!

Two streams of steam shot out from the pipes on the robot's back, and its grappling claw extended, snatching the rock. As the chain retracted, the rock was brought back.

"Master, task complete."

"Power down and enter sleep mode."

"Yes."

"System operation is basically normal. Then now... only the final step remains."

After the robot powered down, Oran reopened the robot's power compartment on its chest. A slot was precisely reserved above it.

The robot, or more accurately, the steam robot, was a disaster relief robot born in Zaun, primarily used to work in toxic environments in place of humans.

But that was merely the initial model. It had since undergone several modifications. Oran then produced a modified Hex Crystal.

This wasn't an ordinary Hex Crystal. It incorporated new technology and a new core, similar to the Seraphic Rights Chip. It served as both an energy core and a controller.

Clang!

With a loud noise, Oran firmly secured the core into the slot. The power contained within the Hex Crystal immediately surged into the robot's body through the circuits.

However, as sparks flew, the light on the robot's body gradually dimmed.

"That's about it, Kate! Aim for the core and unleash your full power."

"Meow, understood."

Zzzzt!

Current flowed along the metal casing, and the robot's eyes began to glow again. The voice was still a cold mechanical tone, but the inflection seemed to have changed somehow.

"Blitz reporting for duty."