The reception room at the research institute was simple but functional.
Vegapunk sat awkwardly on the sofa, his massive head, like sothing from a giant's tale, nearly scraping the ceiling. Every movent seed like a struggle against gravity and space.
"Doctor," Lu Yun couldn't help but comnt, "it's only been two years, and your head has gotten even bigger!"
"It's a real nuisance, I tell you!" Vegapunk grumbled, sticking out his tongue in a show of annoyance. However, he already had a solution brewing in his mind. "I'm planning to cut it off."
"Ah, you can cut it off?" The girl with glasses, who was assisting the doctor, stared wide-eyed.
"Of course! This whole institute was practically built to house my head. And I'm planning to create several clones too, so that scientific research won't be such a solo struggle in the future." Vegapunk revealed his grand plan without hesitation, his eyes sparkling with curiosity as he turned to Roya. "Vice Admiral Black Hair, I've heard Lu Yun ntion your unique ability. Would you mind showing it to ?"
"Sure," Roya replied casually. He drew Rain Cutter and with a swift motion, slashed his arm.
A soft, transparent light shimred from the wound. Ti seed to rewind before their very eyes. The torn flesh visibly knitted itself back together, returning to its uninjured state.
He had specifically told Lu Yun to inform Vegapunk about the power of The World, wanting to show so sincerity in exchange for the doctor's assistance.
He also desperately needed to figure out how to properly use The World.
He believed Vegapunk was trustworthy. The old man's relentless pursuit of the truth behind the Void Century would inevitably lead him into conflict with the World Governnt.
"Truly the Power of Ti!" Vegapunk exclaid, his gaze fixed on Roya's arm, practically vibrating with excitent.
Ti was the realm of gods, a concept that had fascinated and eluded countless scientists. He was no different, but he had never found even a single clue to unravel its mysteries.
His best guess was that Roya's parents or ancestors must have possessed a Ti-Ti Fruit, and the ability had been passed down through their bloodline.
The probability of such a thing was incredibly small. But from a scientific perspective, anything was possible.
Vegapunk grabbed a large pile of instrunts, turning to Roya with an almost greedy look in his eyes. "Can you do it again?"
"..."
"Too amazing! Just one more ti!"
"..."
"Again!"
"Be careful, or I'll beat you, Big Head!" Roya's face darkened. Did he think it didn't hurt to keep cutting himself open?
"Sorry, sorry!" Vegapunk apologized quickly, realizing he had gotten carried away.
Roya sighed, trying to regain his composure. "Is there a way to actively control this power?"
"I don't know yet. But if you want to control ti power to affect reality, even for a brief pause of just one second, it would likely require unimaginable amounts of energy." Vegapunk admitted, unable to give a definitive answer. He had never encountered the power of ti before, and he needed to study it thoroughly before drawing any conclusions.
"Vice Admiral Black Hair, you're here for the Devil Fruit, right?"
"That's right." Roya nodded, explaining his general idea but carefully avoiding ntioning the Rumble-Rumble Fruit specifically. If there were other top-tier fruits available, he was open to considering them.
Vegapunk pondered for a mont. "I haven't conducted any ability transfer experints yet, but it's theoretically possible. It's just a matter of investing so energy into studying it."
"Even the most special Devil Fruit, as long as you're willing to invest the funds and ti, should be reproducible."
"Oh, right, if you want a Zoan-type ability, I can help you right now. I can currently replicate Zoan Devil Fruits, and I have a massive amount of data on Zoan-type abilities on hand." Vegapunk pulled out a device that looked like a tablet and handed it to Roya. It contained a vast collection of Zoan Devil Fruit data.
Roya's eyes widened as he scrolled through the information. According to Vegapunk, he could create replicas of any of the abilities recorded on the tablet and could pick and choose as he pleased.
He had never encountered such a wealth of power!
Was this the strength of the world's greatest genius?
Devil Fruits that ordinary people would never even see in their lifeti were just toys that Vegapunk could easily obtain.
"Azure Dragon Fruit!" Roya exclaid, seeing the familiar na. "What conditions are required to create the Azure Dragon Fruit?"
"Twenty years, plus over 10 billion Berries in research and developnt funds."
"..."
Roya fell silent.
Forget it, never mind.
Vegapunk ruthlessly added, "Even ordinary Zoan-type abilities require several months and at least 100 million Berries to replicate."
"Alright," Roya said, feeling a headache coming on.
No wonder Vegapunk had such advanced technology, but the World Governnt hadn't embraced the idea of mass-producing Devil Fruits.
It was simply too ti-consuming and expensive. In comparison, manufacturing obedient Pacifistas was clearly more cost-effective, and their combat power was guaranteed.
There was also sothing else he was very concerned about.
Awakening!
If the replicas couldn't awaken, their potential would undoubtedly be greatly reduced. He needed to consider whether or not to eat the Azure Dragon Fruit at Punk Hazard.
Replicas were, after all, inferior to the originals, and he didn't know if there were other defects. He only had one opportunity in his life to eat a Devil Fruit, so he had to consider it carefully.
Roya frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Then how long would the ability transfer experint take?"
"Just a mont," Vegapunk mumbled, scribbling on a piece of paper. He quickly ca to a conclusion. "It will take about a year, plus 3 billion Berries in research and developnt funds. Sorry, I have many other scientific research projects on hand and cannot devote all my energy to this."
"I understand," Roya replied, feeling a pang of disappointnt.
It was already kind of him to help in his free ti.
If his body wasn't so special and hadn't piqued Vegapunk's interest, he probably wouldn't even bother with him.
Also, he knew scientific research was expensive, but was 3 billion Berries excessive? Where was he going to get so much money?
Make money! Make money! Make money!
Since joining the Marines, Roya had never worried about money. This was the first ti he had seriously considered earning money.
You only hate having too little money when you need it!
Roya's mind raced, and his eyes swept over Vegapunk's large head. In theory, if Vegapunk's brain were applied to business, he should be incredibly successful.
"Dr. Vegapunk, you just said you were going to cut off your head and create clones, right?"
"Yes, my head has seriously impacted my daily life." Vegapunk didn't deny it. He planned to do the separation surgery soon, and the clones were also fully cultivated and ready to be put into use at any ti.
Roya suggested, "Dr. Vegapunk, scientific research requires massive funds. Have you ever considered creating a clone specifically responsible for making money?"
"Making money?" Vegapunk was stunned for a mont. He had never thought about it. The funds for the research institute were provided by the World Governnt. Although it was still severely insufficient, he didn't need to worry about it himself.
"That makes sense," Vegapunk muttered.
If he had sufficient funds, many of his personal plans would have an opportunity to be realized. Otherwise, he would be too constrained by the World Governnt.
"There's one more thing, Dr. Vegapunk," Roya said, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know if your clones have independent thought?"
"Of course! My clones will be composed of elents from myself, and their personalities and division of labor will be different. This way, it will be easier to spark inspiration in scientific research!" Vegapunk had planned everything in advance.
Roya said aningfully, "Since they have independent thought, have you ever considered the possibility of the clones' betrayal?"
"After all, scientific research is a very dangerous thing. If you co into contact with sothing you shouldn't know, it's necessary to prepare for insurance in advance, right?"
"..."
Vegapunk stared at Roya.
This Vice Admiral Black Hair seed to know a lot.
"Thank you, I will seriously consider your suggestion, Vice Admiral Black Hair."
*
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[T/N:
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