One Piece: Marine to Warlord to Conqueror

Vegapunk stared silently at the contract that had been shoved into his hands. Behind him, the others were laughing and posing for photographs with their new recruit, as if this were some kind of celebration.

’So this is the crew,’ he thought, his mind racing to put the pieces together. ’A newly appointed Shichibukai, some upstart from the East Blue, the Devil Child herself, and two rather stoic individuals.’ The realization was enough to make Vegapunk’s tongue-lolling face turn a sickly shade of green.

The survivor of Ohara’s historians was part of this group. Here. Now, the World Government would never believe he hadn’t been digging into the Void Century. And the worst part was, he had been.

He watched, speechless, as the laughing figures prattled on about fresh starts, new ventures, and a bright future. They were telling him to accept reality.

’Accept reality?’ he fumed inwardly. ’They’re the ones who created this mess! And this man is supposed to be a Marine Captain? How can he be so brazen? He didn’t just recruit the Devil Child, he stole a top government asset right from under their noses. Are the admirals at Marine Headquarters completely blind?’

Of course, Vegapunk understood his position perfectly. He knew too much now, there was no going back. Even if he could escape, once his secret research came to light, the World Government would have him executed.

Threaten Dante with the newly revealed secrets Dante showed? The man had just laughed, said at worst he’d become a pirate, and then had the gall to invite Vegapunk to join him.

Every escape route was a dead end. Perhaps the moment he’d left Egghead, his fate had been sealed.

Vegapunk stared at Dante, defeated. With a heavy sigh, he let his long tongue hang out and scrawled his name across the document. ”You had better keep your promises,” he grumbled. ”At least,” he added, trying to find a silver lining, ”I won’t have to worry about the government finding out about my research anymore.”

”Don’t you worry,” Dante said, nodding with satisfaction as he took the signed contract. The old man looked utterly dejected, so he offered a comforting thought. ”We may just be a small branch in the East Blue for now, but our potential for growth is enormous. We have partnerships with Marine Headquarters and the World Government, business that spans the Grand Line, and outposts in the South Blue. Soon, our industries will connect all four seas.”

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. ”We even have ties to the Revolutionary Army and the underworld.”

The declaration hung in the air, instantly silencing the room.

Kuma looked at his new boss in surprise. He hadn’t known Dante had connections to the Revolutionary Army.

Kuro was still reeling from the sheer audacity of stealing a government scientist. Now this? He had seen an admiral visit, so he knew about the ties to Headquarters, but the rest... The boss had been holding so much back. It wasn’t frightening, though, it was thrilling. A man of the sea didn’t fear an ambitious leader, he feared an incompetent one. This boss was clearly destined for things that would shake the world.

Even Vegapunk, still smarting over his forced change in employment, was stunned. This small branch was involved with so many powerful forces? No wonder they had the nerve to abduct him. It hadn’t been a reckless whim, it had been a calculated move backed by absolute confidence. The thought settled some of the unease in his chest. If he were being honest, working under the World Government had always been a gilded cage. Since he was stuck here, he might as well see where this path led.

Robin, however, watched her boss with confusion while keeping her expression confident smile. ’Are our forces really that extensive?’ she wondered. As his personal secretary, she was fairly certain they weren’t, especially since she knew for a fact the boss couldn’t currently produce ten billion Berries if his life depended on it. Still, she didn’t say a word, simply offering a pleasant nod to reinforce the claim.

When he saw the Devil Child acknowledge it with a serene smile, a sliver of Vegapunk’s skepticism began to fade.

Now that the deal was done, it was time to move on.

It was a perfect storm, really. Vegapunk didn’t have a Vivre Card, if he did, he never would have risked visiting the ruins of Ohara. The World Government valued his mind, but they viewed anyone outside the Celestial Dragons as disposable, so they hadn’t bothered to track him so closely. They assumed he had no choice but to work for them, that no one would dare try to take him.

They never expected a small Marine branch from the quietest sea in the world to pull off a heist of this magnitude. And succeed.

”Alright, now that that’s settled, it’s time for me to uphold my end of the bargain,” Dante announced. He turned to Kuma with a smile. ”Bring Bonney.”

A welcoming ceremony could wait. The old man’s status was sensitive enough as it was.

Kuma, who had been standing silently in the corner, straightened up. The hope in his eyes was so intense it was almost painful to see. ”Boss,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, ”you mean...”

”That’s right. I believe Dr. Vegapunk can solve her problem,” Dante nodded. ”Bring her here so he can take a look.”

”Thank you, Boss! Thank you so much!” Kuma bowed deeply, his voice trembling with gratitude. ”Bonney and I will never forget this kindness.”

With that, he turned and flew from the island, his excitement palpable. The 16th Branch was just next door, but he couldn’t bear to wait another second.

’Bonney... can she finally be cured?’

”What illness?” Vegapunk asked, his curiosity piqued. He put his hands behind his back, adopting the air of a master technician. ”It seems you want me to treat someone? Who’s Bonney?”

”That’s right. Kuma’s daughter,” Dante confirmed. ”I promised I would help him find a cure for her.”

He’d barely finished speaking when, moments later... *WHOOSH!* A giant paw print materialized. Kuma had already returned, carrying a box, his face alight with excitement.

The group descended into a specially constructed basement. Vegapunk took one look at the bare, concrete room, his tongue lolling out in disdain. ”This is my new laboratory? How crude.”

Dante just waved a hand, reassuring him it was only temporary. He painted a grand vision of the future where Vegapunk wouldn’t be confined to one island but could renovate the entire East Blue if he wished. He told the scientist to broaden his horizons, a statement so audacious it left Vegapunk momentarily speechless.

A moment later, under Kuma’s anxious gaze, Bonney stepped out of the large box. She took one look at Vegapunk and declared, ”What a big head! And it stinks!”

A scowl entered Vegapunk’s features. ”Impudent brat,” he muttered, but still knelt to begin his examination of the curious child. Although renowned as a scientist, his medical expertise was second to none. It didn’t take him long to identify the problem.

”Sapphire Scale,” Vegapunk murmured after a moment, intrigued. ”I’m surprised you’ve managed to keep it from spreading this long.” He looked up at the anxious faces around him and nodded. ”It can be cured.”

A wave of relief washed over the room, but it was cut short.

”However...”

The single word from Vegapunk snapped everyone’s attention back to him. Kuma, who had just allowed himself a flicker of hope, felt his chest tighten. He watched the scientist, his expression taut with worry.

”Treating this disease requires technology that is far from common,” Vegapunk explained, spreading his hands. ”To be precise, we need to create and transplant new stem cells. The procedure is similar to creating a cyborg, it demands a vast array of specialized medical equipment.” He gestured at the empty basement. ”And we have absolutely nothing here. Let alone the precise instruments needed.”

The hope that had filled the room moments before evaporated. The cure was right in front of them, but they were trapped by a lack of tools.

”Is there no other way?” Dante asked.

”There is,” Vegapunk said with a helpless shrug. ”We could purchase the equipment. However, most of it is proprietary to the World Government. It’s not just about money, some materials can only be acquired by them. That’s why I joined them in the first place.” He looked at Dante pointedly. ”And I doubt you dare place an order for such rare equipment right now, do you?”

He was right. A purchase like that would bring every intelligence agency in the world down on them. Of course, Dante wasn’t nervous, he knew there was another way to cure Bonney. Still, he had to push.

”Can’t you build what you need?”

”Do you have any idea the level of expertise required for such devices?” Vegapunk retorted, his tongue flicking out in annoyance. ”I can design them, yes, but do you have a team of top-tier engineers and technicians here to help me build them?”

Dante didn’t flinch. He just shook his head with an air of profound disappointment. ”And here I thought I was recruiting the world’s greatest scientist. If this is the limit of your abilities, perhaps I shouldn’t have gone to such trouble.”

Before the enraged Vegapunk could respond, Dante sighed dramatically. He looked past the scientist, a wistful expression on his face, and spoke to the room at large.

”I know a wolf...”

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