Shaka, the eldest of Vegapunk's satellites, stepped forward to check on the unconscious York. After confirming that she wasn't completely incapacitated, he nodded at Vegapunk.
Receiving Shaka's response, Vegapunk let out a silent sigh of relief. Losing any of the six satellites would be painful, and if York were truly gone, he and the remaining satellites would once again have to waste valuable research time on basic human necessities until a new satellite representing "desire" could be created.
...
With York taken care of, Carl began inspecting Pluton on the deck. Vegapunk and the five satellites hurried to follow, explaining its functions to him as they went.
Inside the cabin, the layout was unlike anything from this era. The projected light screen at the center alone was several generations ahead of other ships.
Vegapunk led Carl to the control panel, pointing at a nearby indentation.
"Saint Carl, please place your hand here."
Carl did as instructed. The moment his palm made contact with the indentation, the light screen flickered to life. Vegapunk stepped forward and operated the console, causing a large red button to rise from the panel.
Outside, from beneath Pluton's bow, a massive black cannon extended outward.
Inside the cabin, Vegapunk continued explaining,
"Saint Carl, I have now registered your handprint in Pluton's operating system. From this moment on, no one can activate its weapons without your authorization."
Carl grinned in satisfaction. "Not bad. Have you tested its firepower?"
Lilith, stepping forward with excitement, responded,
"Saint Carl, I have! Just one shot is enough to turn an entire island into dust!"
Rather than embodying "evil," Lilith was more accurately the manifestation of Vegapunk's violent tendencies. She was utterly fascinated by weapons.
A single shot capable of erasing an island—this level of power was akin to a nuclear weapon in this world. Even a Buster Call, with its barrage from multiple warships, had merely razed Ohara's surface rather than completely obliterating it. Pluton, however, could reduce an island to nothing but dust.
Since there weren't any uninhabited islands nearby to test its power, Carl abandoned the idea of firing a shot and instead asked about Pluton's mobility.
Vegapunk explained that Pluton's sailing speed was several times that of a standard warship. Additionally, its rear end was equipped with propulsion similar to the "Coup de Burst" on the Thousand Sunny, allowing for rapid acceleration and even aerial maneuvering.
However, in both acceleration and flight capabilities, Pluton far surpassed the Coup de Burst.
After having Vegapunk explain the rest of Pluton's features, Carl nodded in satisfaction and patted Vegapunk on the shoulder.
"Excellent. You never disappoint me, Vegapunk. I'll increase your research funding by thirty percent."
A thirty percent increase in funding was no small matter. The research budget Carl provided each year was already astronomical. An increase of this magnitude was equivalent to several years' worth of tribute from certain nations.
Vegapunk was naturally thrilled, but before he could express his gratitude, Lilith beat him to it. She bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle and exclaimed,
"Thank you so much, Saint Carl!"
Carl waved a hand dismissively. "Get up. Also, you should all focus more on research. You share the same brain, after all, so don't let internal conflicts disrupt your progress. If another incident like today's brawl occurs, I'll have the responsible party immediately scrapped. Understood?"
Shaka and the others remained composed, their personalities more reserved. Lilith, however, visibly tensed, lowering her head nervously.
Carl glanced at Lilith before continuing,
"No need to be overly concerned. As long as no one is instigating trouble, I won't punish anyone."
He then idly toyed with Pluton's control panel, a smirk gradually forming on his lips.
With both Poseidon and Pluton now in his grasp, only Uranus remained—most likely in the possession of Imu.
Even the twenty kings who formed the World Government eight hundred years ago hadn't held such immense power at the start of their reign.
Eight hundred years ago, Joy Boy lost.
And today, eight hundred years later, he would lose again.
Now, all that remained was to wait for his reappearance.
With that thought, Carl waved his hand, causing the light screen to vanish.
He turned to Vegapunk and the satellites. "You'll remain on this ship for now. Do you have enough food stored?"
Vegapunk replied, "We have some, but not much..."
"I'll have supplies delivered shortly. There's no need for concernб the area is surrounded by Marine fleets. Sakazuki and the others are nearby. If anything happens, they'll provide immediate support."
"Understood, Saint Carl. Rest assured, while I no longer have authorization to activate Pluton's weapons, I can still operate its defensive systems. With Pluton's defenses, even Joy Boy wouldn't be able to breach them easily."
"Don't get complacent. I'll also have Borsalino and Kuma stationed here. You're already acquainted with them, aren't you?"
"Ah, yes, we are..."
"What's with that tone? You don't sound thrilled about working with them."
Vegapunk quickly waved his hands. "No, no, you misunderstand, Saint Carl!"
Carl chuckled. "Do they slack off too much?"
Vegapunk blinked, curious. "Saint Carl, what does 'slacking off' mean?"
"It means they like to go off on personal trips during work hours."
"Ah... so you knew all along."
"Of course I did. I allowed it."
"I figured as much... but Admiral Borsalino and Admiral Kuma are both reliable individuals. That said, Borsalino can be a bit... unpredictable. Personally, I find Admiral Kuma to be more dependable."
Thinking of Borsalino's ever-present smirk and laid-back demeanor, Carl couldn't help but shake his head in amusement.
"Borsalino may seem lazy, but when the time comes, he's reliable. You can trust him completely."
-----------
+160 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg