"So that's it, it must be constrained by a high energy plasma field?"
The old man with the apple shaped head muttered to himself, his eyes lighting up with excitement as if he had just uncovered a breakthrough.
Inside the thick glass chamber, he continued adjusting controls and sketching formulas, completely immersed in his work.
Outside, agents in black suits patrolled the area at intervals. Their movements were disciplined, their presence heavy, like guards stationed around a high security prison.
Yet none of them could interfere with what was happening inside the glass chamber.
Moments later, another figure approached.
An elderly man with a burly frame and a thick coat of body hair stepped into view. A scar ran across his left cheek. His white curly hair and full beard framed a stern face. He wore a black suit over a white shirt, paired with a dark purple tie, and leaned lightly on a cane.
The moment the surrounding agents noticed him, they dropped to their knees without hesitation, pressing their foreheads to the ground.
"Saint Saturn!"
Their voices rang out in unison.
This man was Saint Saturn, one of the Five Elders, the highest authority within the World Government.
He did not spare them a glance. His eyes remained half closed as he gave a slight nod, then shifted his attention to the figure inside the glass chamber.
Watching the old man work without pause, a faint curve appeared at the corner of his lips.
"He's behaving himself. Let's hope it's not an act."
As his words faded, his body began to change.
His form twisted, expanding into a monstrous figure with eight legs and a human like upper body. A five pointed star spread across the ground beneath him, glowing with an ominous light.
Slowly, his entire body sank into the star and disappeared.
Silence followed.
Only after a long moment did the agents dare to raise their heads.
One of them exhaled sharply, his face pale. "That pressure... so this is the power of the highest authority in the world."
The others were no better off. Their clothes clung to their bodies, soaked in sweat.
Even without directing his aura at them, Saint Saturn's presence alone had been enough to make them feel like their lives could be erased at any moment.
No one spoke for a while.
It wasn't until the glowing star vanished completely that they finally relaxed, as if their lives had been returned to them.
One agent glanced toward the glass chamber. "Who exactly is that old man? Even someone like that came to see him."
"Keep your voice down."
A senior agent stepped forward, lowering his tone.
"The man inside isn't ordinary."
Curiosity spread among the group. This was Mary Geoise, where powerful figures gathered from across the world. For someone here to stand out, he had to be exceptional.
A younger agent with a mole between his brows leaned in. "Then tell us."
The others gathered closer.
The senior agent scanned the surroundings, then casually led them along their patrol route until they reached a blind spot outside the range of the surveillance Den Den Mushi.
After confirming they were alone, he finally spoke.
"You really don't recognize him? That's the World Government's chief scientist, Vegapunk."
"Nani!"
Shock spread through the group.
Vegapunk was a name surrounded by mystery. Even within the World Government, very few had ever seen him.
To most, he was little more than a rumor.
An agent frowned. "Are you sure? I heard he was some kind of giant mechanical monster, dozens of meters tall, covered in machinery and wearing a mask."
That belief wasn't uncommon. Over the years, exaggerated stories had twisted his image into something almost mythical.
The senior agent shook his head. "Rumors are just rumors."
Inside the chamber, Vegapunk appeared nothing like a monster. Aside from his long tongue and unusual head, he looked like an ordinary old man.
A quiet one, focused entirely on his work.
Inside the glass chamber, unseen by the guards, Vegapunk's expression shifted.
Worry crept across his face.
"I wonder if Rolan received the recording."
His hand moved quickly across a sheet of paper, sketching complex diagrams as he spoke to himself.
"If there's anyone in this world who can save me, it would be him."
He paused briefly, then muttered again.
"As for Nika... not reliable. He acts freely, and he's tied to Rolan anyway."
He clicked his tongue lightly.
"I just hope Atlas and the others are safe."
Vegapunk, the user of the Brain Brain Fruit, possessed the greatest brain capacity in the world. To manage it, he had separated portions of his mind into six independent satellites.
Shaka, representing good, acted as the leader.
Lilith embodied evil.
Edison handled ideas and invention.
Pythagoras focused on analysis and data.
Atlas represented rage, despite her small appearance.
York embodied greed, driven by selfish desires.
Each of them shared his intelligence.
Yet during the transfer from Egghead to Mary Geoise, he had been separated from them.
Now, he could no longer sense their presence.
"The World Government must have used something to block the connection."
His tone grew heavier.
He had no idea where they were being held, or what was being done to them.
Given the situation, the answer was obvious.
They would be used against him.
A tool to ensure his obedience, or a bargaining chip against anyone who might attempt to rescue him.
Vegapunk let out a short laugh.
"When did I start thinking like this?"
He shook his head, though the unease remained in his eyes.
"Hahaha..."
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