From the very beginning, Raleigh had been merely a chess piece on the board.
He knew this.
Though he possessed knowledge of this world's future and its deepest secrets, his current status and strength left him vulnerable to manipulation by the true powers.
Just like that call from Kong had shown him, circumstances often developed contrary to his intentions.
The World Government pulled a string, and he danced.
Raleigh's opinions held little weight in the eyes of Headquarters' upper echelons.
They prioritized the commands of the Celestial Dragons—particularly those of the Five Elders.
"Still too weak," Raleigh murmured, staring at the ivory pawn on his chessboard. "I'll need to slack off even more diligently from now on."
It sounded like a joke, but it was a strategy. In this world, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
To survive and grow strong, he needed to appear harmless, obedient... and lazy.
Raleigh clenched his fist
Though he couldn't yet be the player moving the pieces, he could influence the game.
"Just wait," he whispered to the empty room, his eyes burning with cold ambition. "You filthy creatures cloaked in splendor... your doom will approaches."
....
"Have you lost your damn mind, Vegapunk?!"
The scream echoed off the metal walls of the laboratory.
Vinsmoke Judge, usually a man of cold calculation, was shouting undignifiedly.
His face was flushed with rage, his fists clenched at his sides.
"Something this important... and you want to hand it over to the Marines? Are you out of your fucking mind?!"
Judge pointed a trembling finger at the glowing data screens displaying complex DNA helices.
"Open your eyes and look! What is this? This is the Lineage Factor! The forbidden realm! The Blueprint of Life!"
Judge stepped closer, looming over the smaller scientist.
"With this, we can create gods! We can clone armies! We can rewrite humanity! Even if we don't give it to the Marines, there are a million other applications for it. We could rule the world!"
Naturally, Judge was extremely dissatisfied.
As one of the earliest researchers of the Lineage Factor, he had joined MADS and invested his family's fortune precisely to realize his dream: the resurrection of the Germa Empire.
Now his partner was withdrawing just like that? Surrendering their life's work to the Government? It was madness.
Vegapunk adjusted his glasses calmly.
He looked up at the furious man with a bewildered expression.
"What are you doing, Judge?" Vegapunk asked innocently. "Our research has succeeded. We have proven the theory. Why hoard it? We can proceed to the next study now."
Vegapunk's mind was already racing ahead to new ideas—energy sources, robotics, artificial intelligence.
Judge stared at him.
He realized then that they were fundamentally different creatures.
Vegapunk was a scientist; Judge was a warlord.
"No, Vegapunk," Judge said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. "I feel our ideologies have diverged. I cannot follow you down this path of submission."
Judge straightened his coat. "I need some time to cool off."
"Fine," Vegapunk shrugged, turning back to his computer. "Go and rest properly. Don't stay up too late."
Vegapunk didn't take it seriously.
He assumed Judge was just having a temper tantrum.
After all, while Judge was brilliant, Vegapunk always considered him a few steps behind.
In the coming days, Vegapunk buried himself in his work, ignoring the silence from Judge's wing of the laboratory.
....
Under the cover of night, a lone figure stood on the rotting wooden dock.
Vinsmoke Judge glared resentfully at the massive steel structure of the base in the distance.
The lights of Vegapunk's lab flickered in the dark.
"Vegapunk," Judge muttered, spitting on the ground. "You may have such noble intentions... but all I know is the survival of the fittest."
Judge pulled out a stolen nautical chart from his coat and studied it carefully under the moonlight.
He had already packed his bags with data drives containing the Lineage Factor research—specifically the parts about cloning and genetic modification.
"The Germa Kingdom is officially established from this moment!" Judge declared to the wind.
He grinned.
He had spent years in MADS, learning from the greatest mind in the world. Now, the technology in his hands was fifty years ahead of the current era.
Once he returned to the North Blue, he would be like a shark released into a pool of minnows.
He would rebuild his army.
He would mercilessly devour the flesh and blood of other kingdoms until Germa reigned supreme again.
"Farewell, Vegapunk. Enjoy your cage."
Judge boarded a small, high-speed boat he had prepared.
He started the engine and sped away into the darkness, leaving the Calm Belt behind.
Inside the underground base, Vegapunk watched Judge's departure on a security monitor.
His face was expressionless.
In fact, during their earlier argument, Vegapunk had already sensed Judge's intention to leave.
He didn't stopped him.
"He will cause chaos," Vegapunk sighed, turning off the screen. "But perhaps... that is necessary for progress."
...
A massive Marine warship sat anchored near the boundary of the windless zone.
"Garp-san! How much longer until we arrive?"
Kuzan asked anxiously, pacing around the deck.
He was still very young. None of his future lazy demeanor was visible yet. Instead, he was full of energy and fighting spirit.
He wore a simple shirt and sunglasses, his curly hair bouncing as he moved.
Following the brutal training regimen Garp had devised, Kuzan diligently completed his exercises every day—punching battleship bags, lifting cannonballs—before resting.
Garp picked his nose, looking bored.
"Navigator!" Garp shouted. "What's our position?"
A nervous navigator ran over, unfolding a large chart on the deck. He pulled out a pre-calculated formula from his pocket.
"Report, Vice Admiral Garp!" the navigator said. "We are currently traveling along the edge of the Calm Belt. Based on the positioning information and the Vivre Card data, we are thirty nautical miles away from the midpoint between Chaniaral Island and the target."
The Marines had done their homework.
Through various intelligence channels, they had concluded that Vegapunk's hidden base was part of an island chain connected to Chaniaral.
"Thirty miles," Garp grunted. "Good."
"Let's hurry up," Garp said, cracking his knuckles. "I don't have time to deal with these strange scientists. After we capture this dickhead, I still need to go to the New World to catch Roger. He's probably partying right now!"
Garp had no interest in science.
To him, Vegapunk was just a package to be picked up.
"Indeed, Garp-san!" Kuzan's eyes lit up. "I've never seen the famous Roger before. Next time you battle the Roger Pirates, you must bring me along!"
Kuzan looked at Garp with admiration.
"What would it be like to fight such a powerful figure?" Kuzan wondered. "Is he really a monster?"
Hearing this, Garp burst into hearty laughter.
"Bwahahaha!"
Garp slapped Kuzan firmly on the shoulder, nearly knocking the young man over.
"You brat! You aim high!"
Garp grinned. "Capturing someone like Roger isn't something just anyone can do. Even I have trouble with him!"
Garp's expression turned slightly more serious.
"But if you're looking to challenge the strong... the Roger Pirates do have a remarkably talented rookie named Douglas Bullet."
"Bullet?" Kuzan asked.
"Yeah. He's a monster. They say his strength is already on par with Silvers Rayleigh," Garp explained.
"So you can definitely give him a try. After all, you're both monster-level rookies."
"Understood, Garp-san!" Kuzan clenched his fists tightly. "I will definitely give it my all!"
Kuzan naturally knew about the strength of the Dark King Rayleigh.
He didn't quite believe some rookie pirate could match Rayleigh's power, but if Garp said so, he would be careful.
"Alright, Kuzan," Garp warned, seeing the boy's confidence. "Don't underestimate your opponent. The sea is vast."
"Yes, sir!"
Time passed quickly.
By evening, the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of purple and orange.
Garp's ship reached the nearest safe location to the target coordinates.
Ahead of them lay the Calm Belt—a stretch of dead-calm water infested with massive Sea Kings.
Garp stood at the railing, looking at the smooth, glass-like surface.
"Alright," Garp said, his voice serious. "We can't take the ship further. The Sea Kings will swarm us. It's up to you now, Kuzan."
Kuzan nodded. He walked to the bow of the ship. He took a deep breath, focusing his energy.
"Leave it to me."
Kuzan leaped from the deck, landing lightly on the surface of the water.
"Ice Age!"
He placed his hands on the ocean.
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
An intensely frigid chill emanated from his body.
The temperature dropped instantly and the churning seawater froze solid in a blink of an eye.
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