"He and his wife lived in a gloomy, dilapidated castle. The two wolves survived by relying on each other, while their archenemy lorded over the neighboring village. Just as you said, that rival had vast territories, advanced equipment, and a state-of-the-art laboratory staffed by a top-tier team."
"And this wolf was a scientist, too, but he had nothing. No team, no fancy equipment, just a hammer and a crumbling warehouse that looked more like a junkyard."
"But he never gave in. Faced with his rival's ridicule and his own difficult circumstances, he refused to surrender. With only a hammer and his own two hands, he forged one incredible device after another. He could take scrap metal from a dumpster and shape it into any tool he needed."
Dante paused, looking at Vegapunk. "To protect his family, he slowly became a scientist worthy of respect?"
Vegapunk frowned, confused by the strange story. "Are you telling me there's a scientist that amazing out on the seas? How have I never heard of him? And wolves? Are they Zoan users or Minks?"
"None of that matters," Dante said with a sigh, shaking his head. "The point is, I've seen it happen. I thought the World's Greatest Scientist would understand what it means to pursue a dream no matter how difficult things get. But I didn't expect... well, this."
"..." Vegapunk fell silent. 'Is he trying to provoke me? I doubt the story is even real.' His scientific mind screamed that it was a trick, a simple goad. But his pride as the World's Greatest Scientist stung with shame. He had been ready to give up so easily. He let out a long sigh.
"You have a point," he conceded. "Now that I've left the World Government, I can't keep depending on them to fund my dreams. I have to stand on my own." Vegapunk glanced at the little girl who was still staring up at his enormous head. He stuck out his long tongue, clasped his hands behind his back, and offered a smile to the room. "I'll start by building some temporary medical equipment. I'm sure that will be enough to begin!"
The moment he finished speaking, the tension in the room snapped. Everyone's frozen expressions melted into wide, hopeful smiles.
Kuma, who had looked so disheartened just moments before, was suddenly filled with renewed excitement. He looked at Vegapunk, his voice trembling slightly. "I... I don't know how to thank you!"
"Don't mention it," Vegapunk replied. "Curing this child won't be simple. It's going to cost a lot of money and take a considerable amount of time."
"I-I..." Kuma was momentarily stunned, but then he took a deep, steadying breath. "Although I don't have any money on me, I'll pay whatever it costs." A gentle smile touched his lips. "As long as Bonney can be cured."
"Don't worry about it," Dante said, nodding reassuringly to Kuma before turning to Vegapunk. "The 16th Branch will cover the bill. Just tell us what you need. As long as you can cure her, it's yours."
"Boss..." Kuma murmured, deeply moved.
"You're a surprisingly kind boss! I thought you were some kind of ruthless pirate," Vegapunk remarked, studying Dante with renewed curiosity, his long tongue still lolling out. "But there's no need to question my integrity. Now that I've promised to help the kid, I'll see it through to the end. The equipment is one thing, but you won't be holding back on the funds and special materials you promised, will you?"
"Of course not," Dante assured him with a grin.
With his new boss's promise secured, Vegapunk seemed to relax a little. He immediately began shooing everyone out, explaining that he needed to completely overhaul his new 'experimental base' and prepare the equipment for the 'impolite little girl.' He gave Dante a list of materials to procure, and with that, the group stepped back outside.
Of course, Dante wasn't about to trust the old fox completely. He'd have men posted nearby, though he suspected Kuma would be visiting often enough to keep an eye on things himself. With that matter settled, his thoughts turned to the others.
Mock was already planning to take a break back on the Conomi Archipelago before heading out for his next job, the Overlord of the East Blue had a reputation to maintain.
Kuro, meanwhile, felt a wave of relief. The troublesome task was finally over. He could go back to his students. 'I wonder if those fools have been slacking off while I was gone,' he thought, a faint smile on his lips. He was starting to feel like a real instructor. 'And I still have to deal with that other lingering problem.' He figured a harsh training session would be enough to knock any strange ideas out of their heads.
After getting his next assignment from Dante, Kuro gave a calm nod, adjusted his glasses, and departed.
That left Dante and Robin, who had plenty to keep them busy. Vegapunk's arrival had been a surprise despite being planned, but his presence was a massive boon for the 16th Branch.
As of today, they had their own scientist, and not just any scientist, but the best in the world. Dante hadn't forgotten about Wapol, either. Now that the genius was in place, Wapol's unique ability could finally be put to good use. He figured Vegapunk would know exactly how to utilize him once he saw what the man could do. He would just have to send Wapol over later.
As for Robin, she was still reeling from the revelation that Vegapunk, a top World Government scientist, had been secretly researching the Poneglyphs. She was burning with questions about the history he might know, but she held her tongue. He was going to be here for a while, there was no need to rush.
She would watch and wait. It reminded her of Alabasta. After that incident, with Princess Vivi's help, she had been granted secret access to the Poneglyph hidden in the royal tomb. 'Unfortunately, it wasn't the history I was looking for,' she recalled. She had considered telling her boss about the Ancient Weapon Pluton mentioned on the stone, but Dante had dismissed it, saying it wasn't the right time. 'Compared to a legendary weapon,' she realized, 'he was far more interested in a legendary mind.'
And as the personal secretary to the commander of the 16th Branch, she knew she was about to be very, very busy.
For instance, at this very moment...
"What have you done now?" Nami stared at Dante, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You need an advance of ten billion Berries?" She planted her hands on her hips, blocking his path. "Where in the world are we supposed to get ten billion Berries?!"
"Don't we have it? What about our earnings from Alabasta..." Dante began.
"Even with that, it's not even close!" she shot back, glaring at him. She began ticking off expenses on her fingers in frustration. "We have the new cosmetics factory to set up, Marine training expenses, our cooperative agreement with Alabasta... There are so many things that need money!" Every new item on the list just gave her another headache. "And now you're just throwing money around! Where am I supposed to find ten billion Berries?!"
She looked like she wanted to grab him by the collar and scream that she quit. However, Dante already knew how to handle a furious Nami.
He simply stood up and walked over to Nami.
Just as he'd expected, her aggressive stance softened immediately, replaced by confusion. "Wh-what are you doing?" she asked, hands returning to her hips defensively. "It doesn't matter what you say, I can't just materialize the money." She let out a sigh, her anger deflating. "I don't even know what you need ten billion for. Is it really that important? Never mind..." She pursed her lips. "I'll go check the brewery's earnings for this year back on Conomi. If that's not enough, I'll have to send Mock out on a high-paying job in the Grand Line."
Dante smiled as he watched her already plotting how to raise the funds. This was why he trusted her with their finances. She could be impossibly stingy, but she never hesitated when it came to something truly important. With Nami around, he never had to worry about money.
"Thank you, Nami!"
"What are you talking about?!" she snapped, her exasperation returning. "Saying thank you won't make the money appear out of thin air! If you waste money like this again, I swear I won't forgive you. Now..." She rubbed her temples. "Let me go see where I can scrape this together."
As she turned to leave, Dante stopped her. "Hey," he said casually. "It doesn't have to be that much trouble."
She looked back at him, utterly confused. He gave her a meaningful look. "It's time to go digging at the gold mine."
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