Nani?!
The research base housing Vegapunk was under attack?
No, they weren't just attacking—it was a direct assault to capture Vegapunk!
The Five Elders' faces darkened immediately. Without hesitation, they ordered the full deployment of all three remaining Marine Admirals. Additionally, they sent an Admiral-level powerhouse from the government's Cipher Pols to reinforce the base and ensure Vegapunk's safety.
The Five Elders understood all too well just how valuable Dr. Vegapunk was. A man whose intellect surpassed humanity by 500 years was no trivial asset. In their eyes, given enough time, Vegapunk could very well create robots strong enough to rival Marine Admirals.
For the World Government, Vegapunk's existence was far more crucial than even an Admiral. If an Admiral was lost, they could always recruit another—there were plenty of Admiral-level powerhouses scattered across the world.
But there was only one Vegapunk.
And there would never be a second.
"Did you hear that just now? Akainu seems to be under enemy control!"
"First Magellan, now Akainu. What exactly are they planning?"
"What if the other marine we just sent also end up controlled?"
"No use worrying. If they truly have the ability to control powerhouses indefinitely, then our concerns won't matter. After all, we can't have every Admiral gathered in one place at all times."
"True. No point in hesitating now."
"Still… losing Akainu, Momousagi, and Chaton is a heavy blow to the World Government's fighting force."
"Don't be so pessimistic. Their control might not be permanent. Akainu and the others could find an opportunity to break free and return."
"That's a fair point!"
"Vegapunk still has plenty of SSG / Seraphim forces stored in the base. He should be able to hold out for a while. Let's hope we're not too late."
"Speaking of which, couldn't that slick bastard Kizaru have stayed behind and fought with SSG?"
"Hah! You think that old salted fish would ever put himself in a dangerous position? He wouldn't risk his life for either the Marines or the World Government."
"Damn Marine Admirals! Every single one of them is a problem case. The fact that we ended up with these as our Admirals is infuriating!"
"It's inevitable. Anyone who stands at the pinnacle of combat power is bound to have some kind of personality."
"Honestly, though? I think Kizaru leaving was for the best. The enemy controlling Akainu probably won't dare act too recklessly in front of Vegapunk. They might hesitate, which could buy us some time."
"True. But if Kizaru had been controlled instead…"
"That would've been a disaster. It was too risky for him to stay. Now, all we can do is have our forces intercept them before it's too late!"
Inside the Research Base
Meanwhile, Akainu and his group had successfully breached the research facility. Anyone who dared resist was swiftly crushed.
Soon, they reached Vegapunk's personal laboratory.
An elderly man with a kind smile awaited them inside.
"Are you here to kill me? Or take me away?" Vegapunk asked, his tone filled with curiosity rather than fear.
Lucas emerged from his transparent state, looking directly at Vegapunk.
"We're taking you with us," Lucas replied calmly. "And of course, we won't be leaving empty-handed."
"We're also taking SSG, along with the corpses of Roger and Golden Lion Shiki."
Vegapunk's eyes narrowed as he examined Lucas closely.
"Ah… I know you."
"The so-called 'Strongest Man in the New World'—The new emperor Lucas. Is this your doing?"
Vegapunk nodded, then shifted his gaze to Akainu, who stood silently behind Lucas.
"Yes," Lucas admitted with a smirk. "But you'll soon find out that I have much more than you can imagine."
Vegapunk chuckled.
"I believe you. And I must say, I'm quite interested in you, Lucas."
"If you let me continue my research without interference, I'd be happy to work for you."
His words were spoken lightly, but there was a genuine glint of curiosity in his eyes.
Vegapunk had long been fascinated by Lucas's unique combination of Devil Fruit abilities and the extraordinary powers he possessed.
Now, seeing Lucas in person, his curiosity had only deepened.
After a brief conversation, Vegapunk didn't hesitate to switch sides. He immediately began guiding Lucas through his scientific research and revealing everything he had developed.
"This is the SSG project I've spent years perfecting. These forces were designed to replace the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Lucas raised an eyebrow as he took in the information.
Vegapunk smiled.
"Given your... relationship with the World Government, I'd advise you to take everything you can and destroy the rest before leaving."
Lucas grinned.
"Don't worry. I can take everything."
He reached into his coat, pulling out a test tube filled with a light green liquid. Inside, a single Sharingan floated in suspension.
Then, in a fluid motion, he swapped his eyes, revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Kamui!"
In an instant, a massive suction force erupted from his eyes, swallowing everything in the lab—research data, equipment, materials, even the SSG prototypes—into the dimensional space of Kamui.
Vegapunk's eyes widened in fascination.
"What… was that?"
Lucas smirked.
"Sharingan."
"Once you're in my domain, you'll get plenty of opportunities to study it."
Vegapunk chuckled.
"Heh. Is that so? Well, now I'm looking forward to it even more."
With that, everything inside the research facility had been secured.
Vegapunk adjusted his glasses, glancing at Lucas.
"We need to move quickly. This place is too close to Marine Headquarters and Mariejois."
"If not for that, the World Government never would've chosen this location as my research base. They still see me as too valuable to keep anywhere else."
Lucas laughed.
"Relax. I'll get you out of here right now."
Lucas placed his hand on Vegapunk's shoulder.
With a flash, the Flying Thunder God Technique activated, instantly teleporting them to Lucas's secret research base, where Judge, Caesar Clown, and Orochimaru were all conducting their experiments.
Of course, Lucas's clones and Senju Tobirama's clone were also present.
"Lord Lucas—Vegapunk?!"
The moment Caesar Clown saw Lucas, he hurried forward to greet him. But when his eyes landed on Vegapunk, his expression twisted in shock and disbelief.
"Caesar? Long time no see."
Vegapunk barely spared him a glance, offering only a slight nod as a greeting.
To Caesar, Vegapunk was a lifelong rival, a symbol of everything he resented.
But to Vegapunk, Caesar was nothing more than a second-rate scientist consumed by jealousy.
Vegapunk's gaze soon shifted to another familiar face.
"Judge… I didn't expect to see you here."
His expression softened as he looked at Vinsmoke Judge, someone he had once worked alongside in their youth.
"It's been a long time."
Judge met Vegapunk's eyes with a complicated expression. He never imagined they would reunite as colleagues under these circumstances.
Then, as he glanced at Lucas, a wave of unease swept through him.
Lucas had not only taken Vegapunk but had even stolen the very heart of the World Government right from under their noses.
It was terrifying.
Yet at the same time, Judge felt strangely relieved.
After all… his daughter, Reiju, had an unclear relationship with Lucas.
Thinking about that, Judge's mood lightened slightly. He even felt a little proud.
"Vegapunk? Greetings. I am Orochimaru."
For Orochimaru, this was their first meeting. He took the initiative to introduce himself with a sly smile.
"I am Senju Tobirama."
Tobirama's Shadow Clone, who was overseeing the research facility, also introduced himself.
Lucas chuckled.
"You're all scientists. Consider this a new partnership."
Then, with a smile, he turned to leave.
"If you need anything, just let my clone know."
In a flash, Lucas disappeared again with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Vegapunk's eyes narrowed as he watched Lucas's clone remain behind.
"Two Lucases?"
Then his gaze shifted to Tobirama's clone.
"And you, Tobirama—I just saw you at the World Government's research base."
His scientific mind was already racing with questions.
Orochimaru let out a chuckle.
"Let me explain."
However, he deliberately avoided mentioning the existence of an entirely different world and instead framed it as if Lucas and Tobirama came from an isolated, undiscovered country.
Vegapunk, having seen many mysterious abilities before, didn't suspect anything too far-fetched.
Instead, he categorized Chakra as a unique training method, much like the techniques seen in Wano Country, where samurai could unleash powerful attacks that mimicked Devil Fruit abilities.
In the Chat Group
Senju Tobirama: "I didn't expect capturing Vegapunk to be this easy. It was almost too easy! Group Leader, what's the plan now?"
Lucas: "The World Government's reinforcements will arrive soon. Let's fight them head-on! You've already showcased your overwhelming power—retreating now would be a waste."
Uchiha Madara: "And after we defeat them?"
Lucas: "In my opinion, this is the perfect time to debut as a pirate crew. I even have the perfect name—'The Living Dead.' What do you think?"
Namikaze Minato: "...The name fits, but it sounds… unsettling. Also, don't I need to return to the Ninja World to oversee things?"
Lucas: "No worries! The main members of the Living Dead Pirates will be Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara—they have no plans to return to the Shinobi world. The rest of you can leave whenever you want."
Whitebeard: "What about Akainu?"
Lucas: "Wherever he's needed."
Golden Lion Shiki: "Group Leader, hurry up and reincarnate me! Damn those World Government bastards for using my corpse in their experiments! I'll make them pay!"
Howard Stark: "So… the SSG project the World Government developed to replace the Seven Warlords of the Sea… it's based on cloned versions of top-tier fighters like Golden Lion Shiki?"
Senju Tobirama: "It's a weakened clone. If they hadn't weakened his cells, they wouldn't have been able to replicate a complete human."
Sebastian Shaw: "I didn't expect Vegapunk to succeed where even we failed."
Senju Tobirama: "Correction! Who says we failed? We simply never had the time. If we were given as much research time as Vegapunk, we could've solved the same problem."
Howard Stark: "That's true. We already understand the process and cloning methods—we just lacked the advanced equipment needed to make it work."
Lucas: "Exactly. No matter how powerful an individual is, they can't just force cells to regenerate into a full human body. The only thing capable of doing that is scientific technology. Specialized equipment applies controlled pressure to cells, forcing them to grow into a functional body."
Sebastian Shaw: "That's right. But with Vegapunk in our hands now—along with all his research data, raw materials, and stolen World Government equipment—we've saved ourselves decades of work in one go!"
Lucas: "Damn right! We made a huge profit this time!"
...
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