CHAPTER 54: Secrets Behind the Curtain

"It's been a long time since we last contacted each other, Mr. Vegapunk."

Mio answered the Den Den Mushi calmly, eyes fixed on the vast, endless sea stretching out before him.

"Hehe, I should have contacted you via text, but I finally have some free time and no one's around. So, I figured I'd give you a proper call."

Vegapunk's voice came through, gentle as always. Despite now being fully aligned with the World Government, he didn't seem to mind the call.

"So, Mr. Vegapunk, do you have something to discuss?" Mio asked with a faint smile.

"Indeed, I do." Vegapunk chuckled, getting to the point. "Two things, actually. First—about the World Government. Second—about the genes you provided me earlier."

"Oh?"

Mio's eyes lit up, but he remained silent, choosing instead to listen.

In a high-security research facility located deep within the Holy Land of Marijoa, Vegapunk sat alone in a heavily guarded lab. Steam rose from a freshly brewed cup of tea in his hand as he spoke slowly.

"Only by joining the World Government can one truly understand the scope of its power."

"It sounds like you've seen some things firsthand."

"It's more than just understanding… I've witnessed it."

Vegapunk's tone turned serious. "From the moment I joined, it was like they wanted me to see their strength—maybe as a warning not to get any ideas. And frankly, it worked.

Among all the powerful figures I know—Whitebeard, the admirals—the World Government has at least five individuals not inferior to those top-tier powerhouses. And that's just what they're willing to show me. Do you think that's everything?"

"Of course not."

Mio's tone carried a sneer. "An organization that has ruled the world for 800 years… even a pig would become powerful if it had that much time to grow. And this is the World Government we're talking about. If all they had was what we can see, they'd have been toppled a long time ago."

He paused, his voice colder now.

"Think about the Rocks Pirates. Do you really believe the Navy took them down on their own? Back then, the Navy's main strength consisted of Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr… maybe Sora. That's barely enough to handle Rocks."

"Maybe Roger helped, sure," Mio continued. "But that crew? Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, Golden Lion, Wang Zhi, John, Silver Axe… All of them monsters. And that's just the ones we know about. Rocks was the true overlord of that era. No way the World Government didn't intervene."

"Exactly."

Vegapunk sipped his tea again. "Sometimes the unknown is more terrifying than what we do know. That's why I've stopped entertaining the idea of breaking away from the Government."

Mio chuckled. "So… you're scared?"

"Heh. Maybe not scared," Vegapunk replied with a soft laugh. "But there's so much left to study… I'm not interested in dying before I finish."

"Alright." Mio leaned back against the railing. "So, what else do you have to share?"

"Well…" Vegapunk's voice dropped a bit. "This might be even more shocking. Aside from the Five Elders, there seems to be another existence within the World Government—one even higher."

"Oh?"

Mio raised a brow.

"His name is Im. I haven't seen him with my own eyes, but… the higher-ups speak his name with fear and reverence. It's also rumored that he may have obtained the ultimate ability of the Ope Ope no Mi."

"…Im?"

Mio's eyes narrowed. His mind flashed back to the North Blue—a fleeting image of a figure in white robes, feminine and mysterious.

Then another thought struck him.

The ultimate power of the Operation Fruit—eternal life.

If someone had performed the eternal youth surgery, someone must have received it. And who else but this mysterious "Im"?

"The possibility is… disturbingly high," Mio muttered.

"Indeed. I doubt you'll get involved in this anytime soon, but I wanted you to know. Especially since… it seems Lord Im may be planning to leave Marijoa and head for the Grand Line."

"Tch."

Mio smirked. "Even if I ran into him, how would I know? I've never seen his face."

"Fair enough," Vegapunk chuckled.

"Now, about the gene you gave me," he continued, shifting topics. "After joining the World Government, I finally had time to study it properly. And I have to say, it's… astonishing."

Mio said nothing, but his interest was clearly piqued.

"It looks like a single person's gene, but it contains the traits of multiple species. However, these traits are forcibly suppressed, hidden beneath the surface. What's more, those combined traits give the host multi-layered biological properties.

If activated, it could produce something far beyond our expectations."

Vegapunk placed his cup down, his voice turning solemn.

"My prediction is this: if we can fully awaken and implant those traits into a living organism, we could create a being with explosive strength—multiple biological enhancements stacked into one form. But there's a catch.

It may become more beast than human, losing rational thought and becoming something primal—an uncontrollable monster."

"But," he added, "even that kind of being would be highly prized by the World Government. And I don't want that. This research… this gene… belongs to you, Mio. Not them."

Mio nodded slightly. "I appreciate that. But getting into Marijoa isn't exactly easy."

"I know," Vegapunk said softly. "Just be patient. I'll contact you again when the time is right."

Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock on his lab door.

Dong, dong, dong.

"Dr. Vegapunk, are you taking a break?" came a voice from outside.

Vegapunk's voice turned rushed.

"Let's talk again soon."

Click.

The line went dead.

Mio stared at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, deep in thought.

"No reason, huh…?"

He looked down at his palm.

"Is this the result of choosing the 'beast form' in gene fusion…?"