"Godsons" and "Doctor"

A large paddle steamer was hidden in the shipyard, along with several warships Annus had seized and refitted.

The Angel Legion had sailed aboard those warships from the New World to Water 7. Everything Annus had accumulated over the years on Hachinosu was now quietly stored in the cargo holds of those vessels.

As for the paddle steamer, the word "PACIFIS" painted on its flag might not have been enough to identify it, but the "MADS" carved into its hull made its owner clear.

"Has the 'Doctor' arrived?"

"He arrived a long time ago," Diumil said with a nod. "Just a few days after we reached Water 7 and contacted the Doctor, MADS's ship arrived."

MADS was funded by Du Feld, the underground world's "Loan Shark King," and was also known as the Peace Research Institute.

Its members included scientists such as Caesar Clown, Vinsmoke Judge, and Queen, but the most important figure was Vegapunk, whom Lilith called the "Doctor."

However, despite bearing the name of peace, Vegapunk was the only member who insisted on non-military research. Even so, their technological achievements remained objects of contention among many forces.

The greatest reason was that Dr. Vegapunk's intellect far surpassed that of MADS's other members.

MADS had come to Water 7 this time mainly to accept Annus's commission and refit several warships.

As for why Annus could command these people, the reason was simple.

Besides the fact that Annus and Dr. Vegapunk were friends, the biggest reason was that Annus had once provided MADS with a massive amount of gold in funding and had been working closely with Dr. Vegapunk.

After leading Lilith and the others back to the shipyard, Diumil waited by the waterway outside for a while longer. Only after confirming that nothing was amiss did he return inside.

"You've had a hard journey. Go wash up first. Annus, the Doctor, and Rocks are all resting in the warehouse room inside," Diumil told Lilith and the others.

"Rocks?"

Everyone's expressions changed at once.

"Didn't that guy turn into a monster? He nearly killed us outside God Valley! Why did Lord Annus bring him back too?" Yale could not help saying.

"I'll explain that later. In any case, Rocks has returned to normal now..." Before Diumil could finish, Alice cut him off.

"Rocks is still alive?! Please, take me to see him!"

At that moment, Alice's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Please calm down, ma'am. You're Rocks's wife, aren't you? Rest first. I'll tell Rocks that you arrived safely."

After soothing Alice a little, Diumil had people arrange rooms for Lilith and the others.

Half an hour later, Lilith, having washed up, was led by a member of the Angel Legion to the compartment where Annus was staying, holding a pair of red-haired infants in her arms.

Unable to contain her longing, Alice had already brought Teach here.

"No matter what, thank you so much! You are our benefactor!"

While Rocks held little Teach and played with him, Alice was expressing her gratitude to Annus.

"There's no need to thank me. I only saved that guy because he helped me once..."

"Whatever your reason, thank you!"

Watching this scene, Lilith pouted in displeasure. She hurriedly hugged the red-haired twins, squeezed Alice aside, and sat down beside Annus.

"Lord Annus! These are the two people you told me to save!"

Before entering God Valley, Annus had told Lilith and Yale that there were three people they needed to rescue.

Although they had ultimately rescued six people in total, far exceeding the original plan...

The three people Annus most wanted were the three baby boys who would stand atop the tides of the next generation.

Teach, already two years old, could perhaps be called a child, but the red-haired twins before him were undoubtedly infants.

"Let me see..."

Annus took the two red-haired baby boys into his arms.

Which one was Shanks, and which one was Shamrock?

With that thought in mind, Annus searched through the infants' clothes and eventually found bracelets engraved with their names.

These were probably the last possessions Magnolia, Shanks and Shamrock's mother, had left for the two brothers.

Annus silently tucked them back beneath their clothes. He stretched out his right hand and pressed Shamrock's and Shanks's shoulders in turn, then lit a candle and took out olive oil mixed with spices to anoint the babies' foreheads.

"I anoint you as my godsons, that you may be cleansed, leave darkness behind, and enter the light."

After completing the ritual, Annus held Shanks and Shamrock in his arms and prayed silently before the burning candle.

Lilith did not interrupt throughout it all. Understanding that this was a sacred Birkan ritual, she simply watched in silence from the side.

At that moment, an enormous head poked into the compartment.

Annus blew out the candle, kissed Shanks and Shamrock on their foreheads in turn, then handed the two infants back to Lilith.

"Oh dear! It seems I came in at the wrong time?" said the big head.

The reason he was called Big Head was because he stood over two meters tall, yet his head alone was longer than the rest of his body.

From the front, his head resembled a chainsaw. From other angles, it looked more like a hot-air balloon...

But a huge head also represented immense wisdom.

The visitor was the genius who would later be known as the "World's Greatest Brain," possessing scientific capabilities five hundred years ahead of the world, born on Karakuri Island's Baldimore—

Dr. Vegapunk.

"No, Doctor, you came at exactly the right time." Annus smiled.

He rarely showed others a friendly smile, because ever since crossing over, he had been surrounded by freaks, lunatics, and perverts. The environment after joining the Rocks Pirates had been even worse.

There was naturally no need to be friendly toward lunatics and freaks, much less enemies.

Only before the few people Annus felt he could converse with did he show kindness.

For example, Harald, who possessed supreme violence yet could restrain it and yearned for peace.

For example, Vegapunk before him.

The former had earned Annus's respect through his noble character.

The latter... had earned Annus's heartfelt admiration through that genius brain.

If wisdom could be exchanged for strength, Vegapunk would undoubtedly be the strongest in the entire world.

"Then that's good. It looked like you were performing a sacred religious ritual, Annus..." Dr. Vegapunk smiled, then returned to the point. "One ship has already been refitted. Would you like to come take a look?"