(100 Power Stone Bonus)
Chapter 93: The Decision of the Five Elders
Yumesaki glanced briefly at Robin. Those last words felt like something he had heard somewhere before. "Please stop talking like that, Miss Nico Robin. Your phrasing sounds remarkably like a Japanese person's."
However, Vegapunk took those words completely to heart.
He reached out, shaking Robin's hand as he spoke. "It seems that, at this moment, I truly have no other choice."
Unwilling to continue assisting the World Government in their atrocities, his only remaining path was to join Yumesaki's faction.
Besides, his opponent was someone from another world; surely, such a person possessed the funds to support his research.
And so, Vegapunk officially joined the ranks.
Yumesaki and the others exhaled a collective sigh of relief. As Egghead Island slowly began to take flight, they cleared the island of all the unconscious Marines.
Senju Hashirama created a massive ship—large enough to hold every single one of them—and they were tossed onto the vessel before it was lowered to the sea below.
Transponder Snails and other various items were thrown down there as well.
Egghead Island was far too important. Yumesaki didn't want to leave anything to chance. Every uncertain factor that could potentially leak information had to be thoroughly purged.
Vegapunk proved to be a great help in this regard. Having lived here for so long, he possessed an intimate understanding of the mechanical traps and hidden surveillance systems scattered throughout the facility.
With his guidance, every variable was scrubbed clean until nothing remained.
Unless the Five Elders possessed the power of prophecy, it would be incredibly difficult for them to track down Egghead Island.
Once everything was settled, Yumesaki was just about to take a rest, but Tsunade, Tobirama, Orochimaru, and the others immediately swarmed Vegapunk to begin discussing Artificial Devil Fruits.
Vegapunk only then realized that within Yumesaki's group, there were several fellow scientists.
Particularly Orochimaru and Tobirama; when it came to human body research, they surpassed anyone in this world other than himself.
Not only could they follow his complex trains of thought, but they could even offer remarkably insightful suggestions.
This left Vegapunk feeling genuinely invigorated.
Previously, he had felt the loneliness of being a man far too brilliant for his peers. Even his old colleagues in MADS couldn't keep up with his intellect, let alone the bureaucrats of the World Government.
If there had been anyone capable of following his logic, he wouldn't have needed to create clones of himself.
Now, with these people present, he found their scientific capabilities to be exceptional.
Vegapunk immediately began brainstorming with them. This exchange lasted for several days.
As they spoke, their excitement only grew, until eventually, they marched straight into the laboratory and didn't come out again.
Yumesaki had to admit that for the sake of science, this group of people truly forgot to eat or sleep.
Still, it was a positive development.
While Vegapunk, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Hashirama were busy researching Devil Fruits, the situation across the seas shifted drastically, unfolding into a chaotic drama.
After Aokiji arrived in the Kingdom of Alabasta, he commenced the capture of Crocodile. Even though the desert was Crocodile's domain, when faced with a serious Marine Admiral like Aokiji, the Warlord was simply no match. He was frozen solid along with the surrounding sands.
Thus, Crocodile was fitted with a pair of Sea Prism Stone handcuffs and sent toward Impel Down under Aokiji's escort.
On the other hand, Kizaru, who had received orders to intercept Kaido, relied on his extraordinary mobility to constantly harass and stall the Emperor, successfully completing his mission.
The moment he heard the news that Aokiji had successfully captured Crocodile, he immediately retreated.
During those days of holding back Kaido, he had suffered quite a bit. The main issue was Kaido's absurdly thick physical defense; fighting him was truly exhausting.
Had it not been for the orders from the Five Elders, he would have fled long ago.
Only a fool would stay behind to engage in a prolonged physical brawl with Kaido.
However, when he finally managed to shake off Kaido with great effort and returned to Egghead Island, he was stunned.
Because at that location, there was no longer anything called Egghead Island—there was only a vast, endless expanse of sea.
"Are? Did I go to the wrong place?"
Kizaru looked confused. At the exact coordinates for Egghead Island, a landmass that large had simply vanished into thin air.
Kizaru pulled out a Transponder Snail and called the Five Elders. Only then did he begin to understand the situation.
While he was following the Five Elders' orders to intercept Kaido in another sea region, someone had infiltrated Egghead Island. First, the intruder used Conqueror's Haki to knock out everyone and the Transponder Snails.
Then, they threw the unconscious Marines and the Snails onto a ship.
Finally, they made off with the entirety of Egghead Island.
The operation felt completely absurd. Egghead Island wasn't a piece of cake; how could it just be taken away like that?
At that moment, a name that once carried a touch of legend surfaced in Kizaru's mind.
Golden Lion Shiki.
If there was still anyone in this world capable of carrying away Egghead Island, Golden Lion Shiki was undoubtedly one of them—and the prime suspect.
So, was the person who took Egghead Island this time Golden Lion Shiki?
Kizaru had reasons to suspect him, yet he also found it hard to believe. After all, Golden Lion Shiki was just a reckless man who spent his days talking about Roger; he looked down on everyone else.
There was no reason for him to kidnap Vegapunk.
More importantly, how would Golden Lion Shiki even know Egghead Island was there?
One must realize that the World Government had installed various obstacles to protect Egghead Island; many people were completely unaware the place even existed.
Just as Kizaru was feeling utterly bewildered, the Five Elders at the World Government were also on the verge of going mad. Particularly Saint Jaygarcia Saturn; upon hearing that Egghead Island had been taken, he nearly lost his mind.
Lest it be forgotten, he was the Warrior God of Science and Defense; Egghead Island fell directly under his jurisdiction.
The result? Egghead Island had vanished right under his nose. This was, without a doubt, a slap to his face.
The thought made Saint Saturn tremble with rage.
Furthermore, the World Government had invested in Vegapunk for over a decade. Every year, they burned through astronomical amounts of funding. Whether it was the Mother Flame, the Seraphim, or the Green Blood project, everything had reached its final stages.
Just as they were waiting a year or two more to reap the rewards, someone had suddenly made off with the island.
To whom were they supposed to demand accountability?
If this wasn't recovered, the World Government's decades of investment would vanish into thin air. No one could accept such a loss.
"Search! By any means necessary, you must find Egghead Island for me!!!"
Saint Saturn bellowed within the Five Elders' meeting room, completely disregarding his usual decorum.
Yet, no one blamed him, for the other Elders were just as inclined to curse.
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter remarked, "This incident is truly far too coincidental."
"Coincidental how?" Saint Saturn asked, still shaking with anger and not yet seeing the bigger picture.
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter continued, "Egghead Island has always been hidden and its security extremely tight. However, right after the news of the Ancient Weapon Pluton surfaced, both you and Kizaru left the island one after the other."
"The very next second, Egghead Island is taken by someone and disappears without a trace."
"Don't you think this is a bit too convenient?"
Saint Saturn, hearing Ju Peter's words, gradually began to calm down.
"What you say has merit." He also felt it was far too suspicious.
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro added, "Furthermore, regarding Crocodile looking for Pluton in Alabasta—even our World Government failed to dig it up. Why would Morgans know about it?"
"Are you suggesting Morgans is working with the person who took Egghead Island?"
"It's possible, but only a possibility. Perhaps Morgans was simply being used."
"Regardless of the truth, Egghead Island is gone. We must find it, just as Saint Saturn said, by any means necessary."
Vegapunk was too vital. Especially the projects he spearheaded; any one of them was a technology capable of changing the world. Once someone else obtained them, it would be enough to shake the very foundation of the World Government's power.
Saint Topman Warcurry spoke up, "I've already questioned the Marines who were dumped on that ship. Before they lost consciousness, there was a massive tremor on Egghead Island. Many people saw the island take flight."
"Without a doubt, this should be the work of Golden Lion Shiki."
"I don't understand why Golden Lion Shiki would want to seize Vegapunk and Egghead Island. Does he even have the funds to support Vegapunk's research?" Saint Saturn couldn't fathom Shiki's motive.
One had to understand that Vegapunk's research wasn't just expensive—it was exorbitant.
Even they, as the Five Elders, wouldn't have continued the investment if they didn't see a glimmer of hope. Vegapunk was an expert at burning through money.
"Perhaps Golden Lion Shiki is merely a middleman. The person who truly wanted to take Egghead Island and Vegapunk is someone else."
"You think Golden Lion Shiki would bow to someone else?"
Golden Lion Shiki was incredibly arrogant; aside from Rocks D. Xebec in the past, no one had been able to tame that man.
And even within the Rocks Pirates, Shiki had only yielded in name.
If that weren't the case, he wouldn't have been absent during the battle at God Valley.
"He doesn't have to bow; perhaps it's a cooperative relationship."
"If that's the case, which power do you think took Egghead Island and Vegapunk?"
"Who else but the Revolutionary Army."
In the entire world, aside from the Revolutionary Army, no one dared to openly oppose the World Government. Even the famous Four Emperors were just pirates who each occupied a corner of the New World.
In the eyes of the Five Elders, the Four Emperors were not the true threat.
The real threat was the Revolutionary Army.
"The bloodline of the D. Clan truly cannot be underestimated," Saint Marcus Mars sighed deeply. It was worth noting that the Revolutionary Army had grown right under their watch.
There was certainly a factor of negligence on their part, but Monkey D. Dragon's strength and intellect were also beyond doubt.
A fool would not be able to become the primary threat to the World Government.
"Order the Cipher Pol agents to mobilize fully. Find the Revolutionary Army's headquarters. Even if you have to dig three feet into the earth, find Vegapunk and Egghead Island for me."
"Furthermore, never lower your guard against Morgans' side. Find someone to test him, see if this man was truly used or if he's involved in this."
"Agreed."
"Right, we must give Morgans a warning."
After a series of discussions, the Five Elders reached a consensus.
This giant machine known as the World Government let out an unprecedented roar as it fully awakened.
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