Pirates: From Vice Captain to Lord of the Dead

"You said you were Vegapunk?!!"

Not only Nami, but everyone except Luffy and Uta looked in disbelief when they heard the name.

Franky was full of admiration.

"Really?! That genius scientist who's five hundred years ahead of the world! I'm your fan, Vegapunk!"

"In your hometown, the Balkimos Research Institute! I saw the scientific and technological achievements you left behind there. You are truly amazing!"

Franky clenched his fists tightly, his tone becoming increasingly excited.

"There are so many inventions that could bring great convenience to our lives, but they are left there due to funding and current human technology. It's so regrettable that I want to cry!"

"Really, Iron Man Franky? I never thought that the inventions rejected by the World Government would be recognized by a pirate like you."

Shakya looked over with a relieved tone.

On this road, he met and made friends with many partners, most of whom focused on how to create more powerful weapons and how to use technology to become more powerful, but few people paid attention to these inventions that simply brought convenience to mankind.

This is true for Judge, Caesar, and Quinn as well.

Shakya put his hands in his pockets and said lightly:

"Strictly speaking, I am one of Vegapunk's clones and possess a part of his will."

"As for whether a android with the same will as the original can be considered the original, I'm afraid the outside world won't be able to give a unified answer to this question for the time being."

"Anyway, Vegapunk himself wants to see you now, or rather, you, Monkey D. Luffy."

As he said that, Shakya looked towards Luffy.

Luffy had a puzzled look on his face and pointed a finger at himself.

"Me? Do you know me?"

"I don't know him, but I know your father, Monkey D. Dragon. I almost joined the Revolutionary Army at his invitation. It's a pity."

Shakya shook his head and explained:

"Your father and his family are really too poor."

Chapter 370 I am quite familiar with the elders in your family

"That's a shame. I didn't expect you to know Mr. Dorag."

Robin sighed.

Shakya shook his head:

"It's not a pity. I'm a scientist, not a weapons inventor."

"At that time, Drago had just left the navy, and the private army he had established was either fighting or on its way to war."

"While I recognize his goals, our paths are different."

Shakya's tone was calm. Even now he was very sure that his choice back then was correct.

A poor army could not produce anything good. No matter how many inventions and designs there were, they would just be left gathering dust in the hands of the revolutionary army. He had experienced this feeling of powerlessness once in his hometown of Balkimos.

Vegapunk does not like the World Government, but they are the only ones with enough resources to support their research and turn their imaginative inventions into reality.

"Come with me, the main body is waiting for you at the abandoned station."

Shakya turned and walked away, and Luffy jogged after him.

Nami and the others stopped where they were, looking at each other in hesitation.

Everyone knows that Vegapunk serves the World Government. In other words, this is the World Government's territory. Just because he knows Luffy's father doesn't mean he is one of them.

Finally, it was Sanji who took the first step.

"Let's go. We won't be able to understand each other if we don't get in touch, right?"

"Ah."

Soon, everyone in the group followed.

"Helmet Punk, did you just say my dad was a Marine?"

Luffy smiled and ran to Shakya and asked curiously.

"Well, speaking of which, I have some connection with quite a few of you. I'll just pass the time on the way and tell you some interesting things."

Shakya turned his head and looked at Luffy, and said in a relaxed tone:

"Back when Dragon joined the Navy, he showed great potential. He was the son of the hero Garp and was once hailed as a future star by the Navy. The current Grand Admiral Akainu was Dragon's subordinate back then."

“——Hey!”

“——hiss!”

"That's Akainu! He's a monster-like guy who once worked under Luffy's father."

Chopper and Usopp exclaimed.

"Well, Dorag himself possesses formidable strength, and his ability to command operations and command soldiers is also outstanding. More importantly, his style of doing things and his insistence on justice are well-recognized and respected by his subordinates."

Shakyamuni couldn't help but admire Dragon from the bottom of his heart, and then he turned his gaze to Sanji.

"Then there's Blackfoot Sanji. Your father, Judge, and I also know each other. We used to work together."

"Ah, I heard Franky talk about this a little bit. MADS organization, right?"

Sanji glanced at Franky.

Franky gave a thumbs up and grinned:

"Yeah, my bastard dad Quinn also worked with you at MADS, Vegapunk."

"Oh? You're Quinn's son?"

Now it was Shakya's turn to be surprised, and he looked Franky up and down.

The modified body is not guaranteed to be real, but the exaggerated facial expressions, movements and speaking style can be identified as genuine at a glance.

"I see, you guys are really keen on transformation, but Quinn isn't as perverted as you."

From a genetic point of view, is it inherited from the mother?

Shakya touched his chin and thought.

"Hahahaha! Thank you for the compliment."

"No, they didn't compliment you."

Usopp waved his hand speechlessly at Franky, then looked at Shakya and said with emotion:

"I never thought that the legendary genius scientist Vegapunk actually knew the fathers of all of you."

"In theory, this is a miracle, but in reality..."

Shakya's tone was calm and did not change because of such a low-probability event.

"The world is a huge machine that keeps running. All the gears that stand out and gain a higher position in this ocean will slowly mesh together, so this is an inevitable event."

"The so-called coincidence is only because you have reached a higher position. If you hadn't gone to sea, the coincidence of being together now would no longer exist."

Everyone scratched their heads, not quite understanding what was going on.

Scientists speak so strangely. Is it because their IQ is not high enough to communicate normally with each other?

"And Nico Robin, I used to be friends with Dr. Clover, but you should wait for the main character to talk to you. We're already here."

As they spoke, they walked to a dark blue wall. Shakya stopped and gestured to Luffy and the others:

"Go in, he's waiting inside. I need to go back to the research floor first."

"Go in?"

Luffy tilted his head and stared at the wall in confusion.

"Where to go in? But there is no door here."

"This is a holographic projection. Don't be fooled by the visuals."

When Shakya put his hand in, it looked like half of his arm was cut off by the wall, which made several people scream.

Luffy was very curious and excitedly bumped into the wall.

"Hey Luffy!"

Usopp reached out hastily, but was still a step too slow.

However, Luffy didn't make any sound and his whole body sank directly into the wall.

"It seems that this is indeed not a physical entity."

Robin had a calm expression on his face. He glanced at Shakya, seemed a little concerned about what he said, and walked in.

Soon others followed suit.

After they entered, Shakya turned around and left.

"Wu-oh-oh!"

Leaving the city where neon lights flickered and various light screens were printed in the sky, Luffy saw a brand new scene.

White clouds roll in and out, lazily wandering in the sapphire blue sky. The surrounding coconut trees cast heavy shadows, enclosing an open space in the center.

"We won't be fooled."

"Is Vegapunk really in a place like this?"

Nami and the others looked around and saw that the place was full of waste, with all kinds of messy electrical components, burnt plastics, and twisted metals piled up like mountains.

Luffy's eyes lit up, and he jumped into the garbage pile and started searching around as if he had discovered some treasure.

"It's so dirty, idiot Luffy, come down quickly."

Uta walked up unhappily.

Before she could pull the other person, Luffy flipped out a flashlight-like handle and pressed it.

Swish!

A beam of purple-red laser suddenly appeared, startling the two of them.