Vegapunk's praise did not bring Taro any joy.
His face darkened. "So, those 100 pirate hearts were indeed what you wanted?"
"Weapons themselves have no good or evil!" Vegapunk sat back on the stool, his eyes flashing with a scientist's unique brilliance.
"Moreover, how much of my thoughts can you truly understand?"
"My career is only a few steps away from completion. No one can stop me!"
Thoughts? Career?
There seemed to be another meaning behind these words, an underlying depth!
Taro pondered for a long time and tentatively spoke a term, "shape memory alloy?"
Vegapunk's expression finally changed drastically. "You actually know about the Special Science Group? Who told you this?"
Vegapunk's "career" is related to SSG?
Does this unit hide a secret?
"No one told me, I guessed it myself!"
Taro's mind turned, and he shook his head. "While the combat power of the pacifist is decent, as your work, they can't be called successful."
"Its flaws are obvious: single attack methods, not intelligent enough, and average physical strength."
"So, you not only need human hearts to improve their intelligence, but you also lack a new material to strengthen their bodies."
"That is, shape memory alloy!"
Vegapunk's face became solemn. He re-examined Taro and praised,
"Taro, I've actually been watching you for a long time. I thought I had overestimated you enough, but now it seems I still severely underestimated you!"
"You, sometimes, are simply like a 'god'!"
Vegapunk's voice almost failed him at the end.
"God? Hahaha, I haven't believed in gods my whole life! Let alone treating myself as one?"
Taro laughed out loud, wagging his index finger. "I am a staunch atheist!"
"Atheist?" Vegapunk murmured, then his eyes flashed. "That's a very interesting way of putting it!"
After sighing, the doctor tilted his head, the hair near his ears fluttering slightly,
"Then, Mr. Atheist Taro, why do you know about shape memory alloy? That's the name I gave to that conceptual metal. Why do you know it?"
Taro was stunned. Has Wapol not been discovered by the World Government yet?
Holy crap, I let it slip again!
He forced himself to stay calm and said in as peaceful a tone as possible,
"There is a Devil Fruit Ability user named Wapol who can produce the shape memory alloy you need by devouring metal!"
This place shouldn't be stayed in for long. Taro prepared to slip away, turning to walk out of the passage. "As for the principle, you surely know it much better than I do!"
Vegapunk didn't stop Taro from leaving. It wasn't until Taro reached the end of the passage and the metal door was about to open that a sentence drifted from afar,
"Kuma is still that Kuma!"
Taro's figure froze. He was about to turn and ask for details, but the laboratory door had already opened, and an invisible force pushed him out.
"Access ended. Temporary visitor permissions revoked. Please leave within 10 minutes!"
A cold mechanical voice sounded, reminding Taro that his first meeting with Vegapunk was over.
"Ah, Vice Admiral Taro, you're out?" Sentomaru stood outside the door like a guard, carrying a large axe.
"Yeah." Taro nodded slightly in response.
The crisp sea breeze blew the hair on Taro's forehead, clearing his head a bit.
He suddenly realized that while in the lab, his thoughts seemed to have been led by Vegapunk.
Before entering, he had many more critical questions to ask, but he had been influenced somehow without realizing it!
The most crucial evidence was that before meeting Vegapunk, he hadn't planned on revealing the shape memory alloy!
Did the "ideas" he deliberately revealed influence my mind?
His Internal Energy flow wasn't restricted at the time. Did Vegapunk influence his thinking just through rhetoric or some psychological suggestion?
Thinking of this, Taro was shocked, and his expression turned grim.
"Taro? What's wrong?" Sentomaru asked again, seeing Taro neither responding nor moving.
Taro shook his head and let out a breath. "No, it's nothing. Let's go!"
...After Taro left, the indicator lights on many instruments in Vegapunk's lab suddenly flashed.
An optical screen rose from the ground, showing lines of text scrolling slowly.
"Subject: Taro, human individual, height 191 cm."
"Physical age: 17-23 years old (actual age cannot be determined)."
"Blood type: Unknown (rich in unknown active components)."
"Devil Fruit Ability: None."
"Other abilities: Unknown ability; Rating: Extremely dangerous."
"Brain development: 20%; Activity level: 5% (several times the normal human range)."
"..."
This was a physical examination report for Taro. After reading it word for word, Vegapunk frowned slightly and finally slid his finger over the "Permanently Delete" button.
"Deleting report..."
"Deletion complete, backup cleared!"
Vegapunk waved his hand and touched the top of the device, and the instrument quickly retracted back into the ground.
"Taro, the secrets you're hiding seem to be much more than what Aokiji found out!"
"Buzz, buzz, buzz~"
Inside the lab, a red alarm light flashed, emitting a series of buzzing sounds.
"Has Taro left? Dr. Vegapunk!" The largest screen in the lab lit up, showing five figures in black uniforms.
"Yeah." Vegapunk replied absent-mindedly.
The Gorosei on the other side were silent for a moment. The old man leaning on a short cane turned his head. "Don't you have anything to say?"
"I have nothing to say!" Vegapunk walked to the console and started adjusting the instruments,
"I kept the agreement and didn't reveal any secrets of the World Government or the Marine to him!"
The Gorosei exchanged looks. The bald old man holding a sword nodded and said deeply,
"We naturally believe you on that. What I want to know is, what did you discover about him? Is he connected to that group from over 30 years ago?"
Vegapunk focused on dripping the pale green nutrient solution from a flask into a test tube, then shook his head,
"Just a young man slightly smarter than average. Actual age between 17-23, no Devil Fruit Ability, extremely high learning capacity. Perhaps it's related to that Kingdom of Shikkearu that was destroyed 7 years ago!"
"Kingdom of Shikkearu?" The man with short blonde hair frowned. "Kuraigana Island, where 'Hawkeye' Mihawk is? Does Taro have a connection with Mihawk?"
Vegapunk's tone was calm. "His learning ability is comparable to those Baboons on the island! Other than that, I can't think of any other possibility!"
"As for what connection he has with Hawkeye, judge for yourselves!"
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.