Chapter 115: Meet Again!

Outside the door, Asa, disguised as a CP0 agent, walked unnoticed all the way to Vegapunk's laboratory.

"Sir!"

Seeing him, the masked men Sad-Faced Nass and Monkey D. Dorag immediately saluted.

"Sir?" Asa was momentarily stunned, then nodded coldly.

No wonder no one questioned him along the way—this disguise must've been that of a commanding officer.

People in high positions don't necessarily need overwhelming strength. As long as they can control their subordinates, it's enough. That's why Asa's sudden attack caught his target completely off guard and led to an effortless kill.

"I have urgent business with Vegapunk. Step aside!"

Asa lowered his voice, mimicking the raspy tone of the now-dead officer he impersonated.

Though the voice was odd, Syd Nass didn't question it. He quickly led Dorag away from the lab.

The Department of Naval Science and Technology was guarded more tightly than even Impel Down, yet Syd Nass never considered that someone might be bold enough to infiltrate—let alone that they'd skip even basic security checks.

"Has the World Government really become this corrupt?" Asa thought as he watched them leave.

In theory, anyone entering a facility this secure should undergo strict checks. Yet Asa, merely dressed as an unknown "chief," passed through without issue?

The irony wasn't lost on him—it felt like everything the lower ranks did for the upper ranks was simply taken for granted.

As the two guards walked away, Syd Nass glanced at the unusually silent Dorag and asked, "Something wrong, Dorag?"

"It's nothing… I just feel a little sad," Dorag said quietly, something heavy simmering in his chest.

"Sad? Why?" Syd Nass asked, confused beneath his mask.

Dorag didn't respond. He quickened his pace, eager to leave the area.

The seed of revolution had unknowingly been planted.

...

The laboratory door was tightly locked. Asa used the transponder snail outside the window to contact the assistant inside.

"Mr. Vegapunk, a CP0 officer requests to see you," the assistant said after ending the call.

"More research? Give him the Elephant Sword and tell him I'm tired. I don't want to see anyone," Vegapunk grumbled, waving dismissively.

His love for science stemmed from curiosity, not duty. Being confined and constantly surveilled disgusted him.

"Sir, that's not appropriate. CP0 represents the World Government's authority. If you refuse…" The assistant hesitated. While he respected Vegapunk, his allegiance remained with the government.

Vegapunk stared at him for a moment, then said, "Fine. Open the door."

The assistant complied, entering the password and unlocking the lab for Asa, who entered dressed in a white robe and mask.

"If you've got something to say, speak quickly. I want to rest."

Unfazed by the lack of respect, Asa simply chuckled and gestured for the assistant to leave.

The door closed behind them, leaving only Asa and Vegapunk in the quiet lab, surrounded by research equipment.

"Mr. Vegapunk, how forgetful you've become. It's only been a few days since we last met, and already you don't recognize me?"

Asa extended his right hand, sending out a ripple to detect surveillance. At the same time, he pulled off his mask with his left hand and smiled.

"You're… huh?" Vegapunk's eyes widened as the realization struck him. His calm demeanor shattered. "Hippolyte D. Asa?! You're actually—this bold?!"

"Hahahaha!" Asa laughed as the electromagnetic pulse wave gathered in his hand.

"No need for that!" Vegapunk said quickly. "There's no surveillance here—I already dismantled it."

Then, his eyes lit up with curiosity. "That's an electromagnetic pulse, isn't it? The same one that destroyed all the transponder snails on Level Six of Impel Down? The Thunder Fruit is truly enviable."

A micro-EMP like that causes voltage spikes that irreparably damage most electronics. Though transponder snails are living creatures that communicate via radio waves, they're still vulnerable to pulses.

"If you wanted this fruit so badly… why didn't you kill me in Impel Down?" Asa asked as the pulse faded from his hand.

If Vegapunk had asked the World Government to execute him during his capture, they wouldn't have hesitated. The Thunder Fruit would've reappeared in the sea within two years, and the government would've scoured the world to retrieve it for Vegapunk.

No one—not even Asa himself—was more suited to mastering the Thunder Fruit than Vegapunk.

As much as Asa hated to admit it, it was the truth. Vegapunk's understanding of electromagnetism was simply beyond comparison.

"You overestimate me," Vegapunk said. "The World Government may appear to value me, but in truth… they'll never allow me real power. I'm just a tool—useful, but dangerous if mishandled.

So why give me a weapon that could hurt them?"

He looked tired, almost defeated.

"So… are you trying to invest in me? Make a deal?" Asa asked after a moment of silence.

"Exactly," Vegapunk replied, rubbing his temples as he stood. "Tell me—why did you come here? If it's just to ask questions, there's no need to risk infiltrating Marineford."

"Talking to smart people really is refreshing," Asa said, clapping his hands and smiling. "I came here because I want… the method to make objects eat Paramecia-type Devil Fruits. With your intelligence, you must have developed that technology."

"Oh?" Vegapunk raised a brow in interest. "If I hadn't confirmed your disconnect from the World Government, I'd suspect you planted someone around me!"

(End Of Chapter)

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