Sengoku's exceptionally deep voice rang out in the eerily quiet basement. He had not spoken loudly, yet his voice sent echoes rolling through the room.
"Heh heh heh..."
The answer came in a slightly hoarse voice. Its owner was also the basement's nominal proprietor: Vegapunk, the Marine Headquarters scientist said to possess intellect five hundred years ahead of humanity.
Vegapunk walked over to a corner of the enormous basement, felt around in the darkness for a while, then pressed a button.
Sengoku had probably grown accustomed to Vegapunk's eccentric behavior. After all, this was a strange man whose intellect was five hundred years ahead of the world. He could hardly be judged by the standards of ordinary people.
The instant Vegapunk pressed the button, a deafening, piercing noise filled the basement. Vegapunk showed no particular reaction, but Sengoku could not help covering his ears.
Amid the shrill roar, an enormous device emerged from the darkness. Intense flames flared alongside it, illuminating the once pitch-black basement.
Had Barn been there, he would certainly have recognized the enormous device in front of Vegapunk. Well, Barn could not see, so even if he had come, he might not have recognized it. It was the very Reinforcement Machine he had spent so long tinkering with aboard Whitebeard's ship!
"Heh heh heh..."
Dr. Vegapunk continued doing things his own way. He walked behind the enormous Reinforcement Machine with tools he had produced from somewhere, removed its rear casing, and pulled out a regular hexagonal device the size of a soccer ball.
"Heh heh heh..."
Vegapunk had not answered Sengoku's question since the beginning. He had merely kept giving his trademark laugh while going about his baffling business. Now, as he played with the mysterious device as though juggling a soccer ball, he spoke his first