Vegapunk let out a wry chuckle.
"I understand."
"But, may I ask your name?"
Sakazuki replied simply, "Sakazuki."
Vegapunk extended his hand.
"Vegapunk."
The two shook hands—firm, direct.
Then Vegapunk led Sakazuki through the gates. He opened the hatch, ushering all the researchers out to stand in line.
Sakazuki swept his gaze over the group, quickly picking out some familiar faces from the future—Queen, Caesar Clown, and more.
He turned to Vegapunk.
"Is this everyone?"
Vegapunk nodded.
"Some staff are still out gathering materials. But I already told them not to come back."
"Do you have personnel files?" Sakazuki asked.
"We do."
Vegapunk headed back inside, returning with a stack of documents, which he handed over.
Sakazuki flipped through them, pausing at a name.
"Vinsmoke Judge, huh…"
He tucked the files away and turned back.
"Is there a control device? Clear out those mechanical beasts in the forest."
Vegapunk nodded, pulling a multi-button remote from his pocket. With a press,
the Marines on the perimeter watched as every last glowing red eye in the forest melted away into the darkness—vanishing without a trace.
Confused murmurs rippled through the ranks.
Back at the lab, Sakazuki called out,
"Enel!"
A voice echoed from outside.
"Roger!"
CRACK!
A thunderclap split the air. In a flash of lightning, Enel appeared among the Marines, snapping off a crisp salute.
He turned to the highest-ranking officer—Titus.
"Sir! Vice Admiral Sakazuki has apprehended all suspects.
You're clear to move in and take custody."
Titus returned the salute, nodding.
"Understood."
He faced his troops.
"All units, advance into the forest! Prepare to receive the prisoners!"
A thunderous response:
"Yes, sir!!!"
Another bolt of lightning—Enel vanished, reappearing at Vegapunk's side in the lab.
—
Outside the research facility, Sakazuki and Vegapunk stood together, gazing out over the island where snow was melting away.
Vegapunk looked lost in a dream.
"It's like something out of my childhood fantasies…"
He shook himself, then glanced at Sakazuki, a nervous hope in his eyes.
"Mr. Sakazuki, is there any way to keep the island like this—warm, all year round?"
That gentle climate… It was the dream he'd buried deepest—not weapons, not monsters, not Devil Fruits, not the secrets of the world.
Just a wish that his people could feel the warmth of all four seasons.
Sakazuki met his gaze.
"Nothing could be simpler."
Vegapunk nearly blurted out his excitement, but then remembered—he was a prisoner now. He hesitated.
But Sakazuki's voice cut in, calm and steady.
"Is there a good spot to build a volcano?"
Vegapunk struggled to contain his excitement, voice trembling.
"There is!"
He pointed to the colossal, windmill-like machine half-buried in the mountainside.
"That was my old design. We tried to build it as a giant furnace to heat the whole island, but… we ran out of funds and tech.
Underneath it is a huge hollow—perfect for what you need."
Sakazuki studied the spot, then nodded.
He lifted his right hand.
The magma golden eagle—still crouched by the lab—let out a thunderous screech and took to the sky.
It shot toward the giant furnace, smashing the exposed structure clean off the mountaintop.
Then, folding its wings, it dove straight down.
BOOOOM!!!
The summit exploded, a crater hundreds of meters wide blasted open.
Within it, the magma eagle melted into a surging pool of lava, pouring down into the earth at incredible speed.
Nearly a kilometer below, the magma suddenly expanded, spreading outward in all directions.
Sakazuki appeared at the heart of the crater, plunging a hand into the molten rock.
He guided the flow, controlling the turbulence, shaping a titanic underground chamber—a triangle nearly a thousand meters deep and several kilometers long, filled with his own magma.
The power of his awakened Devil Fruit kept the lava burning, durable and potent.
This underground reservoir would provide heat for at least three centuries.
And after three hundred years?
By then, technology would surely have found new solutions.
The massive, dormant volcano began to radiate warmth.
Withdrawing his arm, Sakazuki flashed back to the lab.
He looked at Vegapunk.
"That volcano will burn for at least three hundred years.
But your kingdom will have to build a filtration system—the gases from magma are still a bit toxic."
Vegapunk was overcome with emotion.
"Thank you. Thank you! The filtration won't be a problem."
He bowed deeply to Sakazuki.
"Truly, thank you."
Sakazuki waved it off.
"No need—it was nothing."
From the distance, Marines came running in formation.
At their head, Titus snapped off a salute.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki!"
Sakazuki returned it with a simple nod, then gestured for the scientists to be taken away.
Two Marines per scientist, escorting them toward the port.
He beckoned Enel over and turned to Vegapunk.
"I have a favor to ask, Vegapunk.
Enel has always been fascinated by machines, electricity, magnetism—could you mentor him for a while?"
Vegapunk nodded immediately.
"Of course. Though… I am a prisoner now. Is that really allowed?"
Sakazuki grinned.
"Don't worry. The government won't trouble you.
A scientist like you, Vegapunk, is the future of the world."
Vegapunk let out a long breath, relief and gratitude in his eyes.
"In that case, leave it to me, Vice Admiral Sakazuki."
Sakazuki asked,
"Anything else important left in the lab? I can have people help you pack up."
Vegapunk nodded.
"Quite a lot, actually.
If you don't mind, I'll take you up on that.
And it's a perfect chance to run some tests with Enel."
Sakazuki called over five squads of Marines,
ordering them to follow Vegapunk and obey his every instruction.
At the iron gate, Titus, the branch commander of Baldimore, hesitated—wanting to speak, but holding his tongue…
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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