Most of the girls were lost in their own thoughts after Ash briefly recounted the history of the Lunarian Tribe. Their imaginations ran wild.
Kirk, on the other hand, had only been interested in a bit of gossip. Once he heard enough, he vanished to continue preparing food. The Sea Kings he had hunted on the way to Wano Country were still waiting to be processed.
A quiet lull settled over the bow of the Dawn Ship.
"Hmm..."
A low voice suddenly broke the silence.
Ash and the others turned toward Sali, whom Kirk had brought back earlier and left nearby. He was now awake.
Sali pushed himself up, sat upright, and rubbed his forehead with a slight frown before looking at Ash and the group enjoying their meal.
"How long was I out?"
"Less than an hour. Don't worry, Lanchi treated you," Saff replied.
"Thank you," Sali said, nodding toward Lanchi.
"This... it was nothing!"
Lanchi, usually bold among her Skypiea companions, seemed unusually flustered.
Ash glanced toward the atrium of the Dawn Ship and said, "Eat more meat and recover your strength. Once you're ready, you can continue sparring with Kaido. There's no rush this time."
The moment Ash finished speaking, Kirk reappeared, dragging a massive tray. He had clearly noticed Sali waking up.
The tray was piled high with meat, easily several hundred catties.
"Start eating. I'll bring more if needed," Kirk said as he set the tray down and turned to leave.
"Kirk!"
Sali called out quickly. "Do you have any alcohol? It helps with circulation and reduces bruising."
Kirk rolled his eyes, then produced a barrel of wine and tossed it over.
"If you want a drink, just say it. No need for excuses. Just make sure you keep your blood moving afterward. If you go back into battle dizzy and get knocked around again, that's on you."
"Haha!"
Sali laughed, completely unfazed. He lifted the barrel and took a long swig.
Ash glanced at Kaido below, who was overwhelming multiple opponents at once, then back at Sali drinking straight from the barrel. He shook his head with a faint smile.
"That's one way to handle it..."
"What was that, Ash?" Sali asked, lowering the barrel.
"Nothing."
Ash shifted his gaze to another part of the battlefield and said, "Queen is about to lose."
Everyone followed his line of sight.
Sure enough, Queen, fully transformed into his Brachiosaurus form, was being completely suppressed by Kendy's hybrid form. His body was covered in countless small wounds, making him look as though he had been drenched in blood.
"Isn't he one of the Three All-Stars of the Beast Pirates?" Saff asked, confused. "Why does he seem so much weaker than King?"
"That's just how it is," Ash replied with a light laugh. "Queen was originally a scientist. Even though he has had the Brachiosaurus Devil Fruit for over twenty years, he mostly relies on the fruit's raw power. He hasn't fully developed it."
"His real strengths are the weapons he creates, poison gas, plague bullets, even laser weapons. If those don't work, he loses most of his advantage."
Sali watched Queen getting battered below and nodded, then frowned.
"A scientist? That guy?"
"Looks can be deceiving," Ash said. "Queen is not only a scientist, he's one of the most accomplished ones in the world. He was one of Vegapunk's early collaborators. Remember the MADS organization I mentioned before? He was part of it."
"So he really is a scientist?" Nojiko frowned.
"Yes. And about twenty years ago, he threw his ten-year-old son into the sea just to join Kaido's crew."
"That's disgusting! Dicken, hit him harder!" Nami shouted angrily.
Although Ash had saved Nami and Nojiko from Arlong much earlier than in the original timeline, their hatred for pirates had only grown stronger over time. As they sailed the seas with Ash, destroying pirate crews one after another, that resentment only deepened.
Saff gently tried to calm them.
Ash continued, "Vegapunk once said that science has no concept of good or evil."
He paused briefly.
"But I disagree. Science itself might be neutral, but scientists are not. They know exactly whether their work will help people or destroy lives."
"In my view, not a single member of MADS could be called a good person."
"They claim science is neutral, yet everything they create clearly has a purpose."
"Do you think Vegapunk didn't know how his inventions would be used? Of course he did. He just hid behind that excuse so he could keep exploring dangerous paths without restraint."
"Look at them. Vegapunk is still working with the World Government on giantification and human experimentation. Caesar Clown developed artificial Devil Fruits. Vinsmoke Judge worked on lineage factor and cloning. Queen focused on mechanical enhancements and laser weapons."
"Every one of those fields leads directly to weapons or tools of destruction."
"And where did their creations end up? Either in the hands of the World Government to control the world, with warlords like Judge to expand their influence, or pirates like Queen to strengthen their crews."
"As for anything that actually improves people's lives…"
Ash let out a faint scoff.
Robin, who had regained her usual composed and elegant demeanor, smiled slightly.
"You make a convincing argument. It's clear you don't think highly of them."
Ash glanced at her, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Robin, do you remember the two things I once told you would make you happy?"
Robin blinked, caught off guard.
Before she could respond, Ash continued.
"The first was about the Poneglyphs. I've already shown you one and told you where the others are."
"The second… is about your savior, Jaguar D. Saul."
Robin's eyes widened instantly, a spark of emotion breaking through her calm expression.
"Are we… going to see Saul next?"
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