Vegapunk tilted his massive head to the side. Instead of being disappointed by Kael's half-assed answer, the eyes behind his lenses burned even brighter.
"'Peng' is the instantaneous release of energy. 'Duang' is the stabilized reconstruction of form. I see. So you are completing an energy jump and conversion in an extremely short time frame?"
He began interpreting it all on his own, completely sinking into his own world.
A great scholar has arisen to rationalize my nonsense.
Kael felt a little embarrassed. He had just thrown out some random sound effects, yet this guy managed to extract an entire scientific framework from them.
Seeing that the usual bluff was not going to cut it, Kael decided to change tactics and give this scientist, five hundred years ahead of his time, a little… dimensionality reduction strike.
"It is actually not that complicated," Kael cleared his throat, his expression turning unfathomably profound.
"All things are waves. They only differ in frequency and amplitude. When the 'strings' on the microscopic level vibrate in different modes, they form the particles and energies we observe. Devil Fruit abilities might just be changing how the human body resonates with those 'strings'."
He took bits and pieces of string theory and quantum mechanics he had half-heard in his previous life, wrapped them in a One Piece style worldview, and tossed them out casually.
Dragon and Mihawk stood off to the side, listening to these never-before-heard terms with very different reactions.
Mihawk's soul had already left the building.
Waves this, resonance that, salty and sweet, none of it made any sense to him, and he had no desire to make sense of it.
In his mind, there was only Rayleigh's sword path. Simple and unadorned, yet flawless and impregnable.
He replayed every detail of that duel over and over.
Compared to these hazy theories, the feeling of Yoru's weight in his hands was far more real.
That was how it was. Mihawk just needed to keep swinging his sword and pressing his basic attacks. Kael was the one who had to think about all the complicated stuff.
Dragon, on the other hand, was a completely different story.
He barely understood anything either, but watching Vegapunk grow more excited by the second, his own heart churned like a sea in a storm.
Who was Vegapunk? A genius scientist centuries ahead of the world. The very embodiment of intellect.
And even he held Kael's knowledge in such high regard. Just how terrifying was Kael's level of understanding?
This man not only possessed the power to overturn the world, he also grasped truths that even Vegapunk praised without reservation.
As expected of Big Brother Kael.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Dragon's temple. Once again, he deeply appreciated how correct his decision had been when he chose to befriend Kael.
"String theory. Quantum entanglement!" Vegapunk slapped his thigh, his massive body trembling with excitement.
"Of course. I should have thought of it. I once submitted related research proposals to the Five Elders. I believe the essence of Devil Fruits might be tied to higher-dimensional energy projections, but they rejected every single one of my proposals on the grounds that 'no short-term practical value can be expected.' Kael-san, how are you observing these 'strings'? Do you have the corresponding mathematical models?"
His questions fired out like a Gatling gun, battering Kael from all directions.
Pirate boy, stand at attention.
Crap. Oversold it.
He had meant to flex with a dimensionality drop, but the guy caught it, juggled it, and then demanded to see the derivation of the formulas.
As if he knew any mathematical models. In his previous life, he had practically needed the teacher to dredge his calculus scores up from the bottom of the ocean.
The Brain-Brain Fruit really was terrifying.
"Ahem." Kael coughed twice, forcing the smile on his face to stay put as he sharply changed the subject.
"Those are just some immature guesses. Nothing worth taking too seriously. Compared to that, you are the real genius, Doctor. The inventions you are working on to change the structure of the world and bring peace, those are far greater than any theories I can spin out of thin air."
You can poke holes in anything except a compliment.
Sure enough, when Kael praised his work, Vegapunk's excitement gradually settled into a pleased, self-satisfied look. He launched into an enthusiastic explanation of his long-term research plans.
Kael quietly let out a breath. He had finally managed to distract this living supercomputer.
While Vegapunk was busy describing his initial concept for the "Pacifista," Kael turned toward Dragon.
"Speaking of changing the world," Kael nudged Dragon with his elbow, "how are things on your end? Got the team put together?"
Dragon's expression shifted from awestruck listener to stern revolutionary in an instant.
He nodded, voice steady.
"Thanks to your guidance, the organization has taken shape. We call it the Revolutionary Army."
"Revolutionary Army, huh." Kael rolled the name around, then nodded.
Dragon's lips twisted into a faint bitter smile.
"But… there is still a long road ahead. Awakening those who are numb and asleep is harder than overthrowing any royal family. Every time we liberate a nation, we have to pour in tremendous effort to spread new ideas, to build a just order, to stop the old rot from coming back."
"Still, there is good news."
A glimmer of light passed through Dragon's eyes.
"Some kindred spirits have joined us. Bartholomew Kuma, a righteous and gentle man. And Ginny, a girl as bright as the sun. Their presence has brought new vitality to our cause."
Kael's heart stirred.
History's inertia was still incredibly strong, but because of his interference, some destinies might be veering off into new directions.
"Our current target," Dragon continued, voice turning heavy, "is the Sorbet Kingdom. The king there is cruel beyond belief. The people live in misery."
"The Sorbet Kingdom, huh…" Kael rubbed his chin.
"I have heard of it. Do you have the strength to take it?"
"We must," Dragon replied, each word rock-solid. "A single spark can ignite a prairie fire."
Looking at Dragon's face, no longer lost and uncertain but carved with resolve, Kael smiled.
He clapped Dragon's shoulder with no small amount of force.
"Do not rush. You cannot get fat in one bite. History moves in a spiral, not a straight line."
His gaze drifted past Dragon to the giants carefully carrying books, and then to the charred earth.
"What you are doing now is making that spiral turn. The process is bound to grind and creak, maybe even crack a few teeth, but the direction is right."
Kael-the-Revolutionary-Mentor logged back in.
"Someone has to do it. Right?"
Dragon nodded hard.
Kael's words always washed away the exhaustion and doubt that would occasionally rise in his heart.
The four of them talked as they walked toward the giants working at the lake.
On the opposite shore, the giants salvaging the books noticed the small group approaching.
The leader of the salvage team was Hajrudin. He set down his work and frowned.
A warrior's instinct told him that these people were dangerous.
Especially the man with the massive black blade. Even from a distance, just standing there, he exuded a sharpness that made Hajrudin feel as if he could be cut in half at any moment.
And the black-clad man at the front… his presence was even more unfathomable, like a deep, still sea.
"Everyone, be on your guard," Hajrudin warned, voice low.
He shifted his stance, ready for combat.
The air grew tense in an instant.
Dragon and Vegapunk also fell silent, turning to face the giants who were treating them like a threat.
Just then, a female giant standing beside Hajrudin, her long blond braids swaying as she leaned forward, peered carefully at Kael's group.
When her eyes landed on Kael's face, confusion flashed across her features, then transformed into pure delight.
She grabbed Hajrudin's arm to stop him and shouted in a clear, ringing voice.
"Are you… Mr. Kael?!"
Her voice trembled with excitement and uncertainty.
"Mr. Scopper Gaban talks about you all the time!"
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