Punk Hazard's technology exhibition area.
Dr. Vegapunk was introducing the novel device inside a display case to Ortoren. Borsalino and Olvia stood off to the side, keeping him company. It seemed all of them had plenty of time on their hands today.
"Well then? Take a close look. Can you find any flaws?" Dr. Vegapunk said cheerfully, clearly pleased with himself.
Ortoren circled the display case several times, his eyes locked on the exhibit inside. A small bird fluttered about within the enclosure, vivid and lifelike.
Yet the bird itself was not real. It was a holographic projection.
Even so, Ortoren failed to spot the slightest imperfection, a testament to how advanced the technology truly was.
"We also have light-pressure gloves here," Dr. Vegapunk said as he spoke, handing a pair to Ortoren. "Once you put them on, light is no longer something you can only see. You can touch holographic projections as if they were solid."
After Ortoren put on the gloves, Olvia opened the display case. Ortoren reached out and touched the bird, immediately feeling a sensation as real as that of a living creature.
"What incredible technology," Ortoren said, a sharp gleam lighting up his eyes. He then turned to Borsalino. "Are there any special regulations governing this kind of technology?"
Borsalino paused, momentarily taken aback, then thought it over.
"Nothing particularly strict, as far as I know. Military technology is another matter. Any military tech on Punk Hazard, especially anything classified as Level One Confidential, needs confirmation signatures from both the Fleet Admiral and the Commander-in-Chief, along with authorization from the Five Elders, before it can be accessed. Other things like this holographic projection don't fall under those restrictions..."
"So if there are no restrictions, that means I can use it, right?" Ortoren asked, unable to hide his excitement.
"As a Navy Admiral, you don't have authority over the Science Division," Borsalino replied without hesitation. "But calling on technology that isn't under regulation is perfectly acceptable."
That was the privilege of an Admiral.
If Ortoren were only a Vice Admiral, there would be no way he could freely make use of the Science Division's assets. Vice Admirals might be high-ranking officers, but there were simply too many of them, and in terms of authority and status, they were at best on the same level as the Science Division.
An Admiral, however, was a completely different matter. They stood at the absolute top of the Navy's hierarchy.
"Excellent, excellent. Doctor, if you don't mind, I'd like to see this technology promoted more widely. You may already know that the World Government is currently preparing a neutral zone project called 'Golden City.' The plan is to work with multiple factions to create the most high-end location across all seas..." Ortoren quickly explained the situation to Dr. Vegapunk.
"And I think holographic projection could become its signature feature, something truly unique. Golden City will receive wealthy merchants and political elites from all over the world, making it an ideal starting point for this technology. If it's well received there, it might spread even further, eventually finding its way into countless homes," Ortoren said.
As a leading scientific authority, Dr. Vegapunk naturally hoped that the technologies he developed could benefit the entire world.
However, bound by the Science Division, even with the broad permissions granted to him by the World Government, he simply didn't have the means to take these technologies out and promote them on such a scale.
Hearing that Ortoren had the connections and channels to make it happen, Dr. Vegapunk was overjoyed. The two immediately hit it off.
At that moment, Ortoren once again truly felt the advantages of being a Navy Admiral. Using the World Government's funds to accomplish his own goals, lawfully securing technology and benefits for himself. If he were some insignificant pirate or nobody, could he ever enjoy treatment and advantages like these?
After finishing with the holographic projection, Ortoren shifted his focus to two new materials: island clouds and Sea Cloud.
"Lightweight, easy to manufacture, and low-cost. Those are this material's biggest advantages," Dr. Vegapunk explained. "I've been thinking that if it were applied to new forms of construction, it could trigger a revolution in the building industry. With current technology and materials, the higher a structure goes, the harder and more dangerous it becomes to build. But if this material were used instead, even though I haven't run practical tests yet, it should theoretically break through the limits of existing architecture..."
Ortoren stood to the side, carefully taking notes. He had only been thinking about using this material to connect Sky Islands, yet he had never considered how transformative it could be for construction or even manufacturing as a whole.
Breakthroughs in material technology often reshaped entire industries.
"I once had another idea," Dr. Vegapunk continued, a trace of regret in his voice. "By combining these buoyant island clouds with warship construction technology, we could break through the current speed limits of naval vessels. With the right external modifications, warships might even achieve low-altitude hovering during navigation. Unfortunately, before I could explore this direction, funding constraints forced me to stop."
"That's an excellent idea. A truly excellent one," Ortoren said with enthusiasm. "Maybe the next generation of warships should head in this direction. I want this technology too. I happen to have a world-class shipbuilding master under my command. I'll pass this technology on to him and have him help you realize this concept."
As he spoke, Ortoren eagerly wrote everything down in his notebook.
At present, Marine warships were already operating at the speed limit for ships of their size, with outstanding overall performance. Still, they had a clear limitation. Their speed only stood out among large warships, while most pirate ships were standard three-masted sailing vessels or even smaller, making them faster by comparison.
That was why naval pursuits usually relied on multiple warships working together, forming encirclements to hunt their targets.
But if warship materials underwent a fundamental change, paired with lightweight island clouds to reduce overall mass to the extreme, their speed could absolutely surpass existing limits.
Ortoren felt that this truly might be the future direction of next-generation Marine warships.
After all, he already had a mature shipyard and was producing warships himself. There was no harm in giving it a try. If it worked, it could drastically boost the combat strength of the New World Navy.
Next, Ortoren arrived at a special open plaza. The space was completely open and directly connected to the outside world. Yet despite Punk Hazard being in spring, this area felt more like late autumn. The plants, the temperature, everything made the contrast immediately apparent.
"This plaza is controlled by a device called 'Climate Conditioning,'" Dr. Vegapunk said, a hint of emotion crossing his face. "Through manual adjustments, it allows us to fully control the climate, temperature, humidity, and every other aspect of the environment here. It's a complete simulation."
After a brief pause, he continued.
"My homeland is an island perpetually covered in ice and snow. Because of the harsh natural conditions, the country could never break through its limits on development. When I was young, I imagined a climate regulation system like this and even built a massive geothermal network there. But due to funding problems, I was never able to fully solve the issue. Now, at last, I've perfected this technology."
"How large an area can it cover?" Ortoren asked with curiosity.
"It's a system made up of multiple devices," Dr. Vegapunk replied, raising an eyebrow with pride. "The coverage depends on how many units are installed. Theoretically, if deployed across an entire island, it could envelop the whole island. If deployed across an entire sea, it could cover that sea. And if deployed worldwide... you understand what I'm getting at, right?"
Ortoren listened in genuine admiration. Covering entire seas or even the whole world sounded almost delusional, but from a theoretical standpoint, this technology really could make the planet's climate controllable.
And what did that imply?
In the story, Egghead Island in the New World was enveloped by such a system. The island's climate was fully regulated, with springlike weather all year round, making it perfectly livable.
If this technology were truly spread throughout the New World, its current extreme climate conditions might become a thing of the past. The entire New World could end up as the most temperate sea of all.
Just how outrageous was that?
Of course, realistically speaking, no one would pour unimaginable amounts of money into reshaping the entire New World. That would be completely insane.
"For an island on the scale of Punk Hazard, how much funding would it take to fully deploy this technology?" Ortoren asked.
"Just over two hundred billion Bellies," Dr. Vegapunk replied without hesitation. Clearly, he had already given this serious thought.
Ortoren paused for a moment. Two hundred billion?
"Prepare a full package of this technology for me. I'm installing it in Golden City," Ortoren said decisively as he wrote another line in his notebook. "Let those tycoons experience it for themselves. Forget about transforming entire islands. Upgrading their own massive estates is well within their means. When the time comes, they'll be lining up to place orders."
After that, Dr. Vegapunk took Ortoren to see his artificial lifeforms.
Ortoren was completely stunned. Vegapunk had created a dragon.
Yes, the very same dragon that had been beheaded by Zoro in the original story.
Seeing how interested Ortoren was, Dr. Vegapunk gave him a brief explanation of the underlying concept behind the technology.
But what Vegapunk considered a "brief explanation" sounded like pure gibberish to Ortoren. He couldn't make sense of it at all. He only managed to grasp a few rough ideas, and after thinking it over, he concluded that this technology might be better considered under the category of "food reserves."
Artificial dragons were unnecessary, but large-scale artificial breeding of livestock like cattle and sheep? That had real potential.
With the mindset of "it's free anyway," Ortoren had Borsalino prepare the relevant materials for this technology as well, so he could take them with him later.
The development of the Calm Belt had already included plans to enter the food industry. To be precise, Ortoren was already taking advantage of the Calm Belt's extremely stable year-round climate, along with a steady supply of pirate-made farming tools, to mass-produce crops for sale.
Now, if this technology could be applied as well, even the meat industry would be within reach.
"The World Government is really wasting this stuff," Ortoren muttered to himself as he continued writing notes. "What's the point of making so many robots? Wouldn't it be better to turn these technologies into money?"
Short-sighted. Far too short-sighted.
Or perhaps the World Government never intended, like Dr. Vegapunk, to use science and technology to create a better world.
They only cared about using violence to suppress others and maintain their rule.
Watching Ortoren demand one thing after another, Borsalino finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Hey, what is this, you came to Punk Hazard to go shopping or something?"
"Dr. Borsalino, I am a Navy Admiral," Ortoren said as he patted Borsalino on the shoulder with a grin. "Watch your language and show some respect to your superior. This is called putting technology into practical use. It's a beneficial military-to-civilian policy. Got it?"
...
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