Chapter 367: Chapter 367: I’m Pretty Familiar with All Your Elders
Chapter 367: I’m Pretty Familiar with All Your Elders
"That’s a pity. I didn’t expect you to know Mr. Dragon."
Robin said with emotion.
Shaka shook his head:
"It’s not a pity. I am a scientist, not an arms inventor."
"Back then, Dragon had just left the Marines, and the autonomous army he founded was either fighting a war or on the way to fighting a war."
"Although I recognize his goal, our paths are different."
Shaka’s tone was flat. Even now, he was very sure that his choice back then was correct.
A poor army cannot create anything good. Any number of inventions and designs would only collect dust in the hands of the Revolutionary Army. He had already experienced this feeling of powerlessness once in his hometown of Karakuri Island.
Vegapunk did not like the World Government, but only they had enough resources to support his research and turn one fantastic invention after another into reality.
"Come with me. The main body is waiting for you in the scrap station."
Shaka turned and walked away. Luffy immediately jogged to keep up.
Nami and the others stopped where they were, looking at each other and hesitating.
Everyone knew that Vegapunk served the World Government, which meant that this was the territory of the World Government. The fact that the other knew Luffy’s father did not mean he was on their side.
In the end, it was Sanji who took the first step.
"Let’s go. If we don’t make contact, we’ll never be able to understand the other, right?"
"Mm."
Soon, the entire group followed.
"Helmet-punk, did you just say my dad was also a Marine?"
Luffy smiled and ran beside Shaka, asking curiously.
"Mm. Speaking of which, I have some connection, more or less, with many of you. Just to pass the time on the way, I’ll tell you some interesting things."
Shaka turned his head to look at Luffy and said in a relaxed tone:
"Back then, the moment Dragon joined the Marines, he showed great potential. He was also the son of the hero Garp, and was once called the future star of the Marines. The current Fleet Admiral, Akainu, was once Dragon’s subordinate."
"—Eh!"
"—Sugei!"
"That’s Akainu! A guy who’s as strong as a monster was actually Luffy’s dad’s subordinate?"
Chopper and Usopp exclaimed in surprise.
"Mm. Dragon himself possessed great strength, and his ability to command battles and lead soldiers was also outstanding. Most importantly, his style of doing things and the justice he insisted on were deeply recognized and loved by his subordinates."
Even Shaka had to praise Dragon from the bottom of his heart. Then, he turned his gaze to Sanji.
"And then there’s Black Leg Sanji. Your father, Judge, and I also know each other. We were colleagues back then."
"Ah. I heard a little about this from Franky. The MADS organization, right?"
Sanji glanced at Franky.
Franky gave a thumbs-up and grinned:
"That’s right. My bastard old man, Queen, also worked with you in MADS, Vegapunk."
"Oh? You’re Queen’s son?"
This time, it was Shaka’s turn to be surprised. He sized up Franky from top to bottom.
It was hard to guarantee just from his modified body, but that exaggerated expression, movement, and style of speaking... it was a genuine copy.
"I see. You are all really keen on modification. But Queen is not as perverted as you."
Genetically speaking, could it be that he inherited it from his mother?
Shaka rubbed his chin, thinking.
"Hahaha! Thank you for the compliment."
"No, I wasn’t praising you."
Usopp waved his hand at Franky with a speechless expression, then looked at Shaka and said with emotion:
"I really didn’t expect that the legendary genius scientist, Vegapunk, would actually know all of your fathers."
"In terms of probability, this can already be considered a miracle. But in reality..."
Shaka’s tone was flat, not changing at all because of this small probability event.
"The world is a giant, continuously operating machine. All the gears that stand out on this sea and stand at a higher position will slowly mesh together. So this is an inevitable event."
"The so-called coincidence is just because you have walked to a higher position. Think about it. If you hadn’t gone out to sea, this coincidence of you all gathering together now would not exist."
The group scratched their heads, somewhat understanding but not fully.
Scientists talk so strangely. Is it because their IQ isn’t high enough to have a normal conversation with the other?
"And Nico Robin... I was also a good friend of Dr. Clover’s. But let’s wait for the main body to talk to you about that. We’ve arrived."
With that, the group came to a black-and-blue wall. Shaka stopped and gestured to Luffy and the others:
"Go in. He’s waiting for you inside. I have to go back to the research layer first."
"Go in?"
Luffy tilted his head, staring at the wall with a puzzled expression.
"Go in where? But there’s no door here."
"This is a hologram. Don’t be deceived by your vision."
Shaka stretched his hand in. It looked as if half of his arm had been cut off by the wall, which made the group cry out in alarm.
Luffy’s curiosity was piqued. He charged at the wall with excitement.
"Hey, Luffy!"
Usopp hurriedly reached out, but he was a step too slow.
However, Luffy didn’t make any sound. His entire person just submerged into the wall.
"It seems this is indeed not a solid body."
Robin’s face was calm. She glanced at Shaka, somewhat concerned about his words, and then strode in.
Soon, the others followed suit.
After they entered, Shaka turned and left the place.
"Woooow!"
Leaving the city of flashing neon and various information screens, the scene before Luffy’s eyes was brand new.
White clouds unfurled, lazily wandering in the sapphire-blue sky. The surrounding coconut grove was full of tree shadows, enclosing a central open space.
"Don’t tell me we were tricked."
"Is Vegapunk really in a place like this?"
Nami and the others looked around. As far as the eye could see, this place was filled with scrap. All kinds of cluttered electrical components, burnt plastic, and twisted metal were piled up into mountains.
Luffy’s eyes, however, lit up, as if he had discovered some treasure. He jumped onto a mountain of garbage and began to rummage around.
"It’s so dirty! You idiot Luffy, get down quickly."
Uta walked over irritably.
Before she could grab him, Luffy had found a flashlight-like hilt and pressed it.
Swish!
A beam of purplish-red laser instantly shot out, startling the two of them.
Thump.
"So painful."
Uta even took two steps back and fell on her bottom, looking aggrieved. Looking at Luffy, she suddenly got angry.
Coming back to his senses, Luffy’s pupils constricted in shock.
"Could this be...?!"
Clang!
Luffy tried swinging it at a discarded refrigerator. The lightsaber, as if cutting tofu, directly split the refrigerator in two. The cut surface was even glowing with a scorching light.
Tadatadatada!
"Whoa—! It’s a laser sword!!"
Luffy and Chopper’s mouths hung wide open, their eyes shining with golden light in their excitement.
"Pretty amazing, Luffy. To actually be able to find such an amazing thing in a pile of junk."
Usopp couldn’t help but praise.
It’s just a laser sword. He’s not envious at all. Because he has one.
Luffy turned his head back to him, grinned, and revealed his two rows of large, white teeth, saying proudly:
"Hee hee hee! When I was a kid, Ace, Sabo, and I would often look for treasure in the Grey Terminal. My luck is pretty good, right?"
"So it’s experience. That’s really amazing."
Franky said with a smile.
It’s just a laser sword. He’s not envious either. Because he also has one.
"But speaking of which... although it’s called a scrap yard, I think many of the things here can still be used. No, I should say, they’re not broken at all."
Franky observed his surroundings and found that, apart from the laser sword in Luffy’s hand, many of the appliances here were in perfect condition.
But to say it was a warehouse... the haphazard, randomly thrown-about appearance didn’t look like one at all.
"Actually, the things here are all eliminated, failed products. The reason they haven’t been disposed of is that one day I might come up with a new idea and come back to find them for modification."
Just then, a voice came from the depths of the scrap yard. The group’s gaze was instantly drawn over.
A man in a white lab coat, with white hair and a white beard, walked out. His tongue hung out from under his broom-like mustache, and his two long, thin legs made his entire figure look like a tall wine glass.
The most eye-catching thing was the half-apple floating above his bald head, as if it were plugged into his head with a section of a tree branch, with a green leaf on it.
"Hello, members of the Straw Hat crew. My name is Vegapunk."
Vegapunk walked up to Luffy with his hands behind his back, greeting them while continuing the topic from just now:
"Like the laser sword in your hand. Although there’s no problem with its power, its light will attract mosquitoes, so I threw it here."
"It just attracts mosquitoes. That doesn’t matter, right?"
Thump, thump!
Thump, thump!
Luffy said nonchalantly, curiously staring at Vegapunk’s head. He knocked on the left side, then jumped to the right side and knocked again, frowning:
"Can I eat it?"
"How rude, you bastard! What are you complaining about? This is the smartest brain in the whole world!"
Vegapunk rolled his eyes and bared his teeth at Luffy, roaring in anger.
Luffy scratched his head awkwardly and waved his hand in apology:
"Ah, ah, sorry, Mr. Apple-head."
"Honestly... you’re nothing like Dragon. On the other hand, you’re just like your grandfather... a template carved from the same mold."
Vegapunk sighed, then pointed at the apple-head and explained to them:
"This is actually an antenna, used to receive the [Punk Records] up there. That is my real brain."
As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed at the sky. Luffy and the others followed his hand and looked up, and saw the giant purple eggshell floating above the clouds.
"That’s your brain?"
"That’s right. As my knowledge grew, my brain also kept getting bigger, and it hasn’t stopped even now. As you can see, I can’t even walk with such a big head, so..."
Vegapunk paused, blinked like a mischievous old child, and said lightly:
"I just cut it off."
"You cut it off!!"
The group, lined up, couldn’t help but roll their eyes and shout.
"Don’t say it so casually!"
"That’s a brain!"
"That’s basically a medical miracle, hey!"
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper roared respectively.
Seeing the group’s reaction, Vegapunk was very satisfied, a proud smile on his face.
"Because I am a Brain-Man who ate the Nomi Nomi no Mi, there’s no problem. My brain capacity, which can absorb knowledge infinitely, plus my genius IQ, gave birth to the strongest brain, Punk Records."
"So that one day, if I can let all of humanity share this brain, then the whole world can possess infinite knowledge, and at the same time, it can also make Punk Records grow data explosively."
"It sounds amazing, but it also makes one inexplicably terrified. It’s better if you don’t do that."
Sanji frowned, a shiver running up his spine.
"Science cannot advance if you’re timid. Well, let’s talk about this later."
After Vegapunk finished speaking, he glanced at Luffy, then turned to look at Robin.
"The survivor of Ohara, the Devil Child who seeks the truth of history, Nico Robin... and one of the inheritors of the Will of D., Straw Hat... Is it a coincidence, or the inevitable encounter of fate?"
Hearing these words, Sanji and the others immediately became vigilant.
"Come with me. I want to show you something."
Under the wary gazes of the group, Vegapunk turned and walked towards the depths of the scrap yard, his hands behind his back as he said:
"What do you think of this place? All kinds of technology, just like the future world, right?"
Before Luffy and the others could respond, Vegapunk continued on his own,
"What if I told you that this is what the world was supposed to look like? Many of the things here were invented by me with reference to the technology of 800 years ago."
"800 years ago?"
"W-wait! You’re saying these things existed that long ago?"
Usopp was astonished. He looked left and right at the various ’bizarre’ technological products around him, his face full of disbelief, just like the others.
"Eight hundred years ago..."
Hearing the keyword, Robin’s brow furrowed, and she murmured to herself.
Vegapunk seemed to have already anticipated her reaction. Without looking back, he said:
"That’s right. The Void Century. The highly advanced civilization that this world once possessed was destroyed, and along with the evidence of its existence, it was erased by the World Government."
The wind howled, bringing the coolness of the sea and dispelling the heat in the air.
Under the clear sky, a huge robot lay leaning against the ruins. Its rusty iron skin was covered with moss. Having been unmoved for a long time, it had become a ruin itself, exuding an ancient aura. The sunlight shone on it, revealing the traces of time.
The group passed several piles of scrap and finally came to this ancient giant robot. They were all shocked by this creation that fused two completely different auras: ancient and technological.
"It appeared 200 years ago, suddenly attacking the Holy Land Mary Geoise. And according to research, its existence can even be traced back 800 years."
"I’m ashamed to say, the energy source used by this robot... even with today’s technology, I cannot replicate it. In other words, the truth that the scholars of Ohara were pursuing, the highly advanced civilization of that giant kingdom that they had unearthed from countless materials..."
Vegapunk turned around and, before Robin’s astonished eyes, said with a powerful voice:
"800 years ago! It really existed!!"
Standing in front of the ancient robot, the history of the world seemed to shatter into countless fragments and flash through Robin’s mind. It was as if the air had frozen at this moment, so quiet that it was afraid to disturb her.
In other words, everyone was right.
Mother, Dr. Clover, everyone in Ohara... they had gradually approached the truth of the world.
In a daze, the sounds around her gradually became clear. The rustling of green leaves, the chirping of insects in the grass, the singing of birds in the shade of the trees...
A gentle breeze blew past, making the hem of her clothes sway. Robin just stood there, motionless, until she came back to her senses, only to find that everyone was looking at her with concern.
At some unknown point, tears had already slid down her face and wet her collar. Robin subconsciously raised her hand to wipe them, shook her head gently,
"I’m sorry. I’m fine. I’m just..."
The words reached her lips, but she didn’t know where to start. Robin just pressed her lips together tightly, her hands clenched.
Because they had gotten close to the truth of the world, they had to be completely erased.
She seemed to see Ohara in the flames again, the Tree of Knowledge being mercilessly burned by the flames, and her mother’s voice.
"We never thought of overthrowing this world, Robin. And the truth doesn’t necessarily have to be known by us. But we must protect the voices left behind by history..."
(End of Chapter)
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