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“So, this genius you mentioned— Dr. Vegapunk— what kind of person is he really?”
On the way back to the city with the hunter Kini and his daughter, Liam tried to gather information about the top-level genius scientist in the One Piece world. Back when he transmigrated, Vegapunk had yet to reveal his face in the manga!
“Hmm…” Kini pondered. His daughter Kidman, seeing Robin’s curious glance, raised her hand and said, “Don’t look at me, I don’t know! Dr. Vegapunk left this island before I was born!”
“He left?” Robin was surprised. Liam, however, was aware. Besides being recruited by the Marines, Vegapunk also worked in the same laboratory as Vinsmoke Judge of the Germa Kingdom in North Blue, Judge being Sanji’s father and the former leader of the ruthless Germa 66 army.
From a chronological perspective…
Judge’s eldest daughter, Reiju, is 24, while Sanji and his three brothers are 21. Reiju, unlike her brothers, was not genetically modified at birth due to Judge’s research progress at the time.
Therefore, the dissolution of the laboratory between Judge and Vegapunk likely occurred between 21 and 24 years before the current manga timeline— roughly three years before the present time Liam found himself in.
After the lab’s dissolution, Vinsmoke Judge returned to the Germa Kingdom, subjected Sanji’s pregnant mother to various drugs to mutate the Lineage Factors of their four children, making them superhumans from birth, impervious to blades and bullets, and capable of breathing fire and lightning…
This was happening right now in the distant North Blue.
On the other hand, Vegapunk was likely recruited by the Marines during this period, establishing the so-called Scientific Force… Later, he conducted modifications on Kuma, a Revolutionary Army cadre disguised as a Shichibukai, creating the humanoid weapons known as Pacifistas. This was Vegapunk’s work.
Liam remembered some avid fans’ analyses suggesting Vegapunk might have been part of the Rocks Pirates… but whether that was true or not was uncertain. Kini, the local elder, probably wouldn’t know such secrets either.
“I think I can describe him this way…”
Kini finally recalled, “A man with a genius brain that no one could understand, yet willing to care for those around him, even the whole world…”
“You must have noticed that strange mountain in the distance?” He pointed in a direction.
Robin and Liam looked and indeed saw a towering, straight peak through the misty snow, with a large… ball? An ice ball, or a stone ball, on top.
“It looks strange, doesn’t it? He sympathized with the people suffering from the severe cold in this country, so he transformed the animals in the forest into labor to create this… Unfortunately, he never finished it. His frustrations were always like this… He had complete designs in his mind but was limited by the technology of the time, which was far behind his ideas… Naturally, there were also financial constraints…”
Kini chuckled, “Because he couldn’t help everyone live better lives, he cried for a long time… Heh heh heh, just seeing someone as brilliant as him show genuine emotion for us was very moving.”
‘A genius who served the people!’ Liam pondered, could Vegapunk really be, as some forum speculations suggested, a member of the Revolutionary Army?
“…” Robin was also captivated by the story of the genius and couldn’t help but ask, “So, what is that strange mountain?”
Kini replied, “Oh, back then he mentioned… it seemed to be a heating system that could warm the entire island.”
“Warm the whole island?” Robin was astonished. How many resources would that take?
No wonder the young genius was so disappointed that he cried…
Liam wondered, “Was he trying to turn this winter island into a spring island? Or even a summer island?”
Kini pondered, “Perhaps…”
Liam and Robin exchanged a glance, both simultaneously thinking about the chaotic weather they had encountered in the early stages of the Grand Line.
Every island in the Grand Line has a unique magnetic field, resulting in islands of various types— spring, summer, autumn, and winter— and forming seven different routes, making the initial segment’s climate unpredictable and complex…
If Vegapunk intended to warm up this winter island merely through heating, that would obviously be a foolish approach and wouldn’t align with the scale of the unfinished mountain project…
Could it be that he was actually trying to alter the island’s magnetic field, changing it from winter to spring?
Holding the modified dog, Kidman said dreamily, “It would be wonderful if that could happen! I’ve never been to other islands… What are spring and summer like? And autumn…”
Liam remarked, “If that’s truly the case, then he’s incredibly ambitious! I’d love to see what he’s been working on… Mister, where is his research facility located?”
“It’s over there… That’s where he lived during his youth and where his ‘self-destruct mechanism-installed research facility’ is…” Kini pointed in a direction. “But I advise you not to go there… The Marines are stationed there now! Dr. Vegapunk’s brain is considered humanity’s property…”
‘Why emphasize the self-destruct mechanism?’ Robin didn’t understand.
“Since it’s humanity’s property…” Liam grinned and gave a thumbs-up. “Then as a member of humanity, I have every right to check on my property, don’t I?”
“That makes sense…” Kidman mused.
The group arrived at the city streets, and Liam and Robin parted ways with them.
“Don’t go there!” Kini called out from behind, “And if you do go, don’t press the ‘self-destruct button’!”
Liam waved dismissively.
Kidman, holding the dog, said, “I think he’ll go… and press it…”
Kini responded, “How could he? I just warned him…”
Meanwhile, on the snow-cleared streets, Robin asked as they walked, “Are we really going?”
“Of course,” Liam replied naturally. “We came all this way; how could we not?”
“But there are Marines…”
“Who cares about them!”
Liam grabbed a handful of snow from the tavern’s entrance and smeared it on Robin’s face. “Remember to use the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) to disguise yourself… And you don’t have to look too ugly; looking pretty is also fine.”
“So cold…” Robin touched her reddened cheeks and followed him into the warm tavern.
The familiar clamor made the place feel lively and bustling with energy.
Liam scanned the room for an empty table, intending to eat heartily before ‘B.I.B.’ returned… Suddenly, his gaze froze.
Thinking he must have been mistaken, he blinked hard and stared at the purple-robed man at a table, gambling with others.
Robin, holding her face, turned back curiously, “What’s wrong?”
Liam rubbed his chin and muttered, “S, H, I, T…”
Still puzzled, Robin watched as Liam quickly asked the air beside him in a language she didn’t understand, “Is he with the Marines now? I shouldn’t be wanted yet, right?”
『There’s a possibility he was part of an official organization before becoming an Admiral…』 The stand armor replied honestly. 『You shouldn’t be on a wanted list yet…』
“Then no need to worry!” Liam declared, waving his hand. “Let’s go!”
With no empty tables, Liam and Robin moved to the bar. As they were eating, Liam noticed a flash of purple in his peripheral vision; the purple-robed man had taken a seat next to him.
“Heh heh heh… I had good luck, and won a bit,” The blind swordsman said amiably, nodding towards Liam. “Let me treat you three to a drink?”
(End Of Chapter)
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