In an instant, several figures shot into the sky like sharp blades, slicing through the air at incredible speeds. Within re monts, they had crossed thousands of ters, rapidly closing in on the white clouds suspended at an altitude of 7,000 ters.
As they neared their destination, Luffy slightly eased his montum, allowing the others to catch up.
"Olivia, are you coming up yourself, or are we using bubbles?" he asked without looking back.
"If there are bubbles, of course, we'll use them," Olivia replied without hesitation.
As she spoke, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a peculiar short rod, no thicker than a finger. Bringing one end to her lips, she blew into it with practiced ease.
A large, transparent bubble quickly expanded from the tip, swelling until it was large enough to comfortably fit several people inside. The surface shimred under the sunlight, reflecting a faint iridescence.
Luffy, without wasting any ti, took control and guided himself and the others inside.
Once secured within the bubble, he propelled it forward with a burst of energy, sending them soaring into the White Sea.
Just like the ocean below, the White Sea possessed a peculiar trait—it sapped the strength of those with special abilities, making them feel powerless in its presence.
In the past, even Luffy had found it difficult to traverse the White Sea unaided. His best options were either to remain inside a protected cabin or to rely on Olivia's barrier ability to separate them from the sea's effects.
However, things had changed ever since Vegapunk got involved.
Upon learning about this unique property of the White Sea, the genius scientist had imdiately devised a solution—an advanced bubble blower, engineered with technology similar to the coating bubbles used in Sabaody Archipelago.
Unlike standard bubbles that required specific environntal conditions, Vegapunk's invention could function outside of Sabaody as well.
As a result, Luffy and his companions could now cross the White Sea without being affected, as if they were shielded within a protective film.
The sa applied when they ascended another 3,000 ters into the White-White Sea, heading straight for Vegapunk's experintal base—the artificial island known as Egghead Island.
Egghead Island – Vegapunk's Research Base
Unlike natural islands, Egghead Island was entirely artificial—an isolated landmass that Luffy had transported from the Calm Belt using his abilities.
Though not as vast as Onigashima, the island was still sizable enough to accommodate 6,700 people at most.
Presently, its inhabitants consisted primarily of Marine personnel, Revolutionary Army mbers, and select citizens from Wano Country who had been assigned to assist with construction and infrastructure developnt.
While relatively small, the island was more than sufficient for Vegapunk, who had only recently established his operations here.
Upon landing, Luffy and his companions wasted no ti and headed straight for the island's central hub—Vegapunk's research institute.
Standing guard at the facility's entrance was Sentomaru, Vegapunk's personal bodyguard. His muscular fra was hard to miss, and despite his duty, he seed rather… relaxed.
At that mont, Sentomaru was seated outside the research institute, tending to a makeshift barbecue stall. The rich aroma of sizzling at filled the air as he leisurely flipped skewers over a small charcoal grill, casually enjoying his al.
From above, Luffy descended swiftly, landing directly in front of him without warning.
"Hey, Sentomaru! Looks like you're living the good life," Luffy greeted, his tone lighthearted as he helped himself to a freshly grilled skewer without hesitation.
Biting into the juicy at, he chewed happily, savoring the rich flavors.
The sudden appearance of Luffy and his crew startled Sentomaru for a brief mont. However, upon recognizing them, he quickly regained his composure and rolled his eyes in mild annoyance.
"Tch, you again… You here to see the doctor?" he grumbled, waving them off. "He's inside. Just go in already."
Luffy, still chewing, gave a casual nod.
"Got it. Thanks," he said, tossing the bamboo skewer into the trash can. "By the way, I'll have soone send over so of the best food from Onigashima in the future. Consider it a trade for your hospitality."
At the ntion of Onigashima's food, Sentomaru's ears perked up. The man was known for his hearty appetite, and such an offer was certainly tempting.
"Yeah? Then don't forget to send plenty of seasoning too!" he called out as Luffy walked past him. "I've been experinting with so new dishes, but I need more ingredients!"
Luffy chuckled. "No problem! Leave it to !"
As soon as they stepped into the research facility, Olivia turned to Luffy and spoke.
"I'll be heading off first," she said. "I need to finish working on the new computer system you requested. Once it's done, we'll finally be able to extract more benefits from the Celestial Dragons."
Luffy simply nodded. "Alright. Let know when it's done."
With that, Olivia separated from the group, disappearing into the corridors.
As Luffy and the others ventured deeper into the facility, they quickly realized sothing—navigating Vegapunk's research institute was no simple task.
It was almost as if they had stepped into a giant labyrinth.
"Man, this place is a real pain to get through…" Luffy muttered, glancing at the endless hallways stretching in every direction.
Perhaps due to the past attack on Punk Hazard, Vegapunk had significantly upgraded his security asures.
Now, the new research institute was designed in a maze-like structure, intentionally confusing to outsiders. Unless soone had seen the detailed layout map, getting lost was practically inevitable.
Even if an intruder sohow managed to bypass Sentomaru's guard post, they would still be trapped by the sheer complexity of the institute's endless corridors.
However, the labyrinthine design was rely one layer of security.
In addition to that, the facility was equipped with:
Surveillance Den Den Mushi monitoring every corner, ensuring zero blind spots.
Fully automated defense turrets capable of targeting and neutralizing intruders without any human intervention.
Steel-reinforced security gates, each requiring fingerprint, voice, or retinal scans for access.
Such extre precautions were unquestionably excessive—but considering Vegapunk's genius, it was hardly surprising.
"Man, if this were anyone else's lab, I would've punched them in the face already," Luffy grumbled as they continued down the maze-like corridors.
"Who the hell does he think he is? Even eting the Celestial Dragons isn't this much of a hassle!"
Of course, Vegapunk was an exception.
To Luffy, Vegapunk's importance far outweighed that of all the Celestial Dragons combined.
After enduring a tedious series of identifications and security checks, Luffy and his companions finally reached the core area of the facility.
For Violet and the others, this was nothing new. They had visited several tis before and had long since grown accustod to the excessive security asures.
However, for Gion, this was her first visit to Egghead Island, and the experience left her utterly bewildered.
Pressing a hand to her forehead, she groaned in frustration.
"Ugh… what kind of nonsense is this?! Even if I wanted to et the Five Elders, I wouldn't have to go through this much trouble!" she complained.
Hearing her words, Luffy smirked.
"Yeah," he said, stretching his arms. "Now that's the reaction I was looking for!"
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