As the strangers faces swimming into view came into focus, the memory returned with a jolt. He'd been kidnapped. Someone had mentioned helping him 'switch employers' right before striking him on the head, his world-renowned brain, with a club.
He was the world's greatest scientist, it didn't take long for him to piece together the situation. Someone had brazenly stolen a World Government asset right from under their noses.
'Who would dare?' he wondered. 'One of the Four Emperors? Some ambitious black market kingpin? Or... the Revolutionary Army? But why would Dragon take such a risk and why didn't he warn me?'
The implications were staggering. Were these people preparing to declare war on the world itself? Rubbing his brow, Vegapunk fixed his gaze on the young man standing before him. "Where am I?" he demanded. "And why was I abducted?"
"Abducted? Think of it as an invitation," the young man, Dante, corrected him with an easy smile. He made no effort to be coy. "And this is the 16th Branch."
"..." Vegapunk dismissed the man's shamelessness. 'An invitation? Is that what they call clubbing someone over the head now?' His scalp still throbbed from the blow. But the other part of the statement snagged his attention.
"The 16th Branch?" He looked at Dante, a flicker of confusion crossing his features. A strange, nagging sense that something about this place wasn't right. "Which is it? A territory of one of the Four Emperors? Near a Revolutionary Army base?"
"None of the above." Dante's patience seemed limitless, especially for a man trying to recruit the world's greatest scientist. His smile never wavered. "This is the 16th Branch of the Marines, in the East Blue."
However, as soon as he said it, the words hung in the air. For a moment, Vegapunk was utterly silent.
'The East Blue... Marine Branch No. 16?' His genius intellect, capable of pushing the world's technological advancements by 500 years, simply stalled. He couldn't process it.
He had assumed his captors were a global power, a Emperor's crew or the Revolutionary Army. At the very least, he'd expected some underworld figure with grand ambitions. But this? A remote Marine branch in the weakest of the four seas?
'Has my value dropped so far?' he thought, a wave of indignation rising. 'That a backwater Marine outpost thinks they can recruit me?'
He was the owner of the world's greatest mind, and his work required funding on a scale few could imagine. His expression reddened. "Stop joking," he said in flat voice. "Tell me where I really am."
"This really is the 16th Branch." Dante tugged lightly on the lapel of his Marine coat, his posture earnest. "And I am its commander, Dante."
Seeing the man's sincerity, Vegapunk was forced to accept the unbelievable truth, which only left him more baffled. He paused, trying to find a logical explanation. "This must be a front, then. Who's really behind this? You couldn't possibly risk kidnapping me from the World Government without a major power backing you."
"No." The commander shook his head without a flicker of hesitation. "The 16th Branch is just that a Marine 16th Branch. There's no one else pulling the strings."
The answer deflated Vegapunk, who had been wracking his brain for the ambitious schemer truly pulling the strings. His mouth twitched. He stared at Dante, dumbfounded. "Really?" he finally managed.
"Really!"
The confirmation sent a surge of frustrated anger through him. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" he burst out, his voice rising. "You're Marines! How dare you steal a person of interest from the World Government? What about the consequences for the innocent marines in this branch?"
"No, It was an invitation," Dante calmly stated.
"Is that really important right now?" Vegapunk shot back. "Do you know who I am? My research can't be funded by just anyone." He gave Dante an exasperated look, his long tongue slipping out for a moment in a frustrated gesture. "The 16th Marine Branch? From the East Blue? Have you no sense of scale?"
"We're aware," Dante said, snapping his fingers. Robin standing nearby stepped forward, offering Vegapunk a document with a small smile. "Our benefits package is quite generous," she said smoothly. "And as for research funds, please be assured we will do everything in our power to meet your requirements."
"My work cannot be supported by a 'mere branch'!" Vegapunk waved the document away, ignoring the offer completely. "Just send me back," he said, the frustration mounting in his voice. "I went through so much trouble to negotiate my terms with the World Government, and now this... they'll be watching my every move again. It doesn't matter. Only they have the resources to fund my research."
Hearing Vegapunk's firm refusal, Dante paused. "Is there truly no room for negotiation?"
"How could there be?" Vegapunk retorted. 'A Marine branch... Don't they know their place in the world?' "Only the World Government can facilitate my vision," he stated firmly. He sighed, a hint of pity in his tone. "Look, I'll tell them it was all a misunderstanding. I won't mention your little... incident to the Five Elde-" He clicked his tongue. "Ah, bit it again. I mean the World Government." He looked at Dante with a patronizing air. "Young man, be more careful about who you try to poach in the future."
"If you insist." To Vegapunk's surprise, the commander showed no sign of disappointment. He simply shook his head with a helpless shrug. "I suppose it was never going to be that simple." He let out a long, theatrical sigh. "In that case..."
"You're agreeing?" Vegapunk's face brightened instantly. A relieved, cheerful smile spread across his features, his tongue peeking out again. "Excellent! Send me on my way, then. I wonder how many days I've lost."
Just as he was sure the matter was settled, Dante spoke again.
"Dr. Vegapunk." His smile had returned, but now it held a sharp, knowing edge. "You wouldn't want the World Government to know about your secret research into history, would you?"
The air in the room went still. Every eye turned to Vegapunk. Researching the Void Century was a crime more severe than piracy, an offense punishable by Buster Call. The woman, Robin, and the large man beside her, Kuma, both watched him with a new, intense focus. The idea that the World Government's lead scientist would secretly defy their greatest taboo was unthinkable.
Vegapunk's cheerful demeanor vanished, replaced by a stark, cold dread. He stared at Dante, his mind racing. "How... how could you possibly know about that?" he stammered. "Did Dragon tell you?"
"How I know doesn't matter," Dante said, his smile unwavering. He held the document out to him once more. "The question is, do you agree now? As we said, the benefits are excellent. We won't interfere with any of your projects, and I can personally guarantee our full support for your inventions. No more of the World Government's restrictions."
"Full support?" A bitter smile touched Vegapunk's lips. He clasped his hands behind his back, shaking his head. "Even if you keep my secret, and even if I were to agree, you don't understand. My work cannot be supported by a small branch."
'If I had another choice, I'd have joined Dragon years ago,' Vegapunch thought grimly. 'But the Revolutionaries are barely scraping by themselves. They could never fund me.' And this place? 'A Marine branch? Forget a branch, I doubt even Marine Headquarters could afford it!'
Yet the Branch commander's smile didn't falter. "Then tell me," he asked, "what's the minimum you would need?"
Vegapunk let out a long, weary sigh, as if explaining a complex formula to a child. "At the absolute minimum... I would require ten billion Berries a year."
"Deal."
A beat of silence.
Vegapunk stared blankly at Dante.
'What?' he thought, his world-renowned brain short-circuiting for the second time that day. 'Are East Blue Marine branches really this wealthy nowadays? Was I asking too less from World Government?'
===============
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