"Is something wrong?"
They entered a relatively small cavern, and Crocodile was the first to ask.
At the workbench ahead, Vegapunk, his hair sticking up like a bird's nest, said nothing. The two exchanged a look, then found places to sit.
Vegapunk was always like this when he was working. Until he finished what was in front of him, he wouldn't pay you any attention unless you forced him!
After a few minutes, Vegapunk finally put down his pen, stood up straight, and stretched.
"You're here. I've made a major discovery!"
As he spoke, Vegapunk fished a little red ball from his pocket, tossed it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
It was something Caesar had developed to sharpen the mind, relieve fatigue, and replenish energy. Loa had rushed to name it the Military Rations Pill.
Vegapunk had collapsed on the third day of work. He had been so absorbed that he'd forgotten his body was nowhere near as strong as the monsters around him. His collapse had set the work back considerably.
After he got the pills, his efficiency improved. One pill cleared his head, two kept fatigue at bay, and three sent him home to sleep!
Indeed, he could take no more than three at a time. Three hours after he took the third, the effects built up by the first two would hit all at once. The resulting sedation was far more than Vegapunk could withstand.
As for whether Caesar had designed it that way on purpose, Loa didn't want to know.
Naturally, Vegapunk wanted to stay in peak condition while he worked. Whenever he felt tired, he took a pill and got back to it. After the third, he went home, buried his head under the covers, and woke up refreshed the next day!
It worked