Joining Forces Unsuccessful, Mid-Way Collapse

Chapter 28: Alliance Unformed, Mid-Journey Demise

While Oran was arranging subsequent matters, someone on MADS's ship was planning new things.

"Shiroshiroro, did you two fall into a trap set by the native hunters? You look so pathetic."

After being chased by Blitz for most of the day, Judge and Queen finally returned, only to hear a snarky voice as soon as they boarded.

A man with a greasy black mushroom haircut, a flat nose, and a pair of horns on his head was mocking the two of them.

Caesar Clown, another member of MADS, was currently MADS's moral bottom line, or more accurately, he had no bottom line, though he hadn't reached that point yet.

Of course, in terms of narcissism, he was second to none. Like Queen and Judge, Caesar also believed he was stronger than Vegapunk and looked down on everyone else.

He couldn't be happier seeing Queen and Judge in such a sorry state, but this time, Queen and Judge didn't attack him; they just snorted coldly.

"You idiot, you don't know what happened because you haven't been out all day, right?"

"Vegapunk personally invited someone else to join us. Our funding will be cut immediately."

Queen and Judge spoke their intelligence one after another, successfully making Caesar a part of the frenzy. However, upon hearing about Vegapunk's wager, Caesar became excited instead.

"So, it's a competition of achievements? Shiroshiroro, if the three of us team up, it's indeed a good idea."

No researcher minded having too much funding, and Caesar was the most extravagant in his lifestyle. A large portion of the funds he received wouldn't be used for legitimate purposes.

In the original timeline, he even brazenly tricked Big Mom for funds and then spent the money lavishly. Although it hadn't reached that point yet, the signs were already emerging.

However, the alliance of these individuals wasn't as smooth as imagined.

"Mhahaha, excellent, then let me lead you to victory!"

"Wait, Queen, why are you taking the lead? That thing is a robot; your research is completely useless. It's obvious I should lead."

"Shiroshiroro, didn't both you and Queen lose? That means you're both useless. So, me leading the team is the correct choice."

Despite forming an alliance, none of the three were convinced by the others. After a brief exchange of glances, they started infighting instead.

Vegapunk watched their struggle from a distance without intervening. He was already accustomed to such matters.

Occasional infighting didn't help him much in his research. Vegapunk now hoped to encounter someone with a higher skill level to aid his research more effectively.

The members of MADS each had their own research focus. Currently, Caesar's research leaned towards Devil Fruits, Queen focused more on chemical viruses, and Judge concentrated on weapon development.

Their research also had a common point: they all wanted to apply their inventions to weapons, which somewhat conflicted with Vegapunk's philosophy.

From Blitz's behavior patterns, Vegapunk saw more possibilities, hence his high expectations for Oran.

The next day, Queen and the other two fought all night without a clear winner, ending in a mutual destruction. They all entered a state of exhaustion.

When the agreed-upon time arrived, Oran arrived with Kate and Blitz. Ginny and Bear had also wanted to come, but Oran had assigned them to handle other matters.

Shortly after boarding, they saw the medical team that had been prepared long in advance.

"Mr. Siderial, we are ready and can cooperate with you for the surgery at any time."

Oran was the only surgeon, and the rest were merely there to pass surgical instruments and wipe sweat. For the sake of stability, Oran even performed the anesthesiologist's duties himself, as he only needed the venue and equipment.

Nodding to the nurses and doctors, Oran looked at Kate, who was behind him with a worried expression.

"Relax, just take a nap. In a few hours, you'll have a healthy body. I promise."

"Mew believe you."

Oran and Kate both changed into surgical gowns. Blitz stood guard outside the door like a security guard. The operating room's door light turned on. Vegapunk put down his research work and observed Blitz's structure outside the operating room.

"Siderial created you, is that right?"

"Yes, Master gave me everything."

"So, you are here to guard this place according to his orders?"

"Yes and no. Blitz came on his own. Kate is a friend, and Blitz is very worried about her."

The cold mechanical voice lacked emotion, but it struck Vegapunk's heart like a heavy hammer.

"A genius concept."

It wasn't a pre-programmed response but a behavior derived from its own logic. Among all the robots Vegapunk had seen, none were as human-like as Blitz.

Furthermore, from Oran's words, Blitz still had room for improvement and hadn't reached its peak stage yet.

Vegapunk said nothing more and waited with them. Before long, the operating room's door light went out, and a nurse emerged first.

"What's wrong? Did something go wrong?"

"Director Vegapunk? No problems, everything went smoothly. The biggest problem is probably that it went too smoothly."

D. Fild's connections were mainly in the underworld. You could doubt the character of the doctors and nurses he found, but you couldn't question their skills, as quacks in the underworld would truly be eliminated.

These nurses had seen their fair share of major events, yet they had never witnessed such a swift transplant surgery. From the moment the surgery began, Oran transformed, as if he had become a precision machine.

His incisions were made without hesitation or the slightest deviation. He completed the replacement in less than a fifth of the conventional surgical time, even wasting a few minutes to make the sutures look neater.

However, compared to what happened next, this was insignificant. After all the assistants left the surgery, Oran himself did not leave and instead delayed for another half an hour.

Then, Vegapunk saw someone who had just undergone open-chest surgery walk out of the operating room on their own.

"What's going on! Where's the gurney! Get back in, who told you to move like that!"

"Calm down, Director Vegapunk. Kate is my person. I care more about her condition than you do. The fact that she can walk down on her own is because her body is fine now."

The Hextech Heart itself enhances the body's recovery ability. Combined with the Mink Tribe's natural healing speed and some special therapeutic effects from Glimmer, this was the result, ultimately challenging Vegapunk's ingrained notions.

(End of Chapter)