A massive underground chamber made of solid rock stretched as wide as several football fields.
Aside from scattered lamps placed here and there for light, the cavern was bare.
It was obvious the place had only just been built. Nothing had been moved in, but the very existence of such a space was shocking. Nobody would have thought something like this could exist right under the government's watch.
Vegapunk sat on the ground, gently playing with a small, cybernetically modified tanuki. The creature was a failed product from a previous biological experiment. Though its body was flawed, it displayed unusual intelligence and loyalty.
Lonely as he was, the scientist had taken the time to repair its imperfect body himself. He gave the little animal a name: 'Jake.'
Its limbs, heart, and part of its head had all been replaced with mechanical parts, yet its consciousness remained intact. Still, because of its genetic defect, it was destined not to live long.
That was where the true strength of a Devil Fruit came in; the ability to alter bloodline factors in miraculous ways. For the longest time Vegapunk hadn't decided what fruit to give it. That changed today, when a new batch of materials arrived.
Drip.
A bead of magma fell from the ceiling and splattered on the ground.
Hiss!
It swelled and condensed, shaping itself into a towering human figure.
Sakazuki scanned the enormous chamber, then looked toward Vegapunk and the little tanuki.
"Not bad," he said. "In a single night you carved out a place this big. Must've eaten the Stone-Stone Fruit, huh?"
He walked over and sat down, reaching out a large hand. The tanuki didn't flinch, already familiar with him after seeing him several times on the island. Instead, it leaned into the touch, enjoying the petting.
Vegapunk chuckled. "That's right. I could never decide what fruit to let it have. But this time the material was perfect. The Stone-Stone Fruit user you wounded was too badly hurt. He 'accidentally' died. No reason to waste the fruit. Giving it to Jake was the best choice. Not only is it loyal, but the power solved its genetic defect too. More than half of its body is mechanical anyway, so there's no worry about stamina. As long as its energy holds, it can keep using its ability."
Sakazuki smiled. Another blame was pinned on him, but he didn't mind. "Usually someone who's just eaten a fruit can't carve out a chamber this size. That's impressive use of the ability. Your control over living subjects must be improving."
Vegapunk shook his head. "Not really. Lifeforms are lifeforms because they have instincts and thoughts of their own. Most animals are too dull, impossible to control completely. When they're only partly mechanical, weaker ones gain little from a Devil Fruit, and loyalty can't be guaranteed. Stronger ones, restrained by their violent instincts, can't be commanded either. And if they ate a fruit, it would only make things worse."
He tapped the tanuki's head softly. "Jake is an accident. High intelligence, complete loyalty, all thanks to a genetic mutation. If I used Lineage Factor technology to clone it, I could make more. But that would be too cruel. Creating herds of crippled creatures on purpose; it would be monstrous."
He sighed. "Full mechanical modification is also not an option. At that point they're machines, not living beings. And lifeless machines can only eat Zoan fruits. Those fruits carry the consciousness of the animal within them, allowing something that has no life to become animated.
"Like the elephant sword from before. The animal was gentle enough, but honestly, it was unnecessary. I could build a mechanical tiger and feed it a Tiger-Tiger Fruit, but what's the point? A transformed animal's attack power is still weaker than what I could achieve by attaching a couple of missiles. As for Logias and Paramecias, so far no evidence shows they contain any consciousness at all."
He took a few nuts from his pocket and fed them to the half-mechanical tanuki. "That's why I hesitated so long. Jake is unique, the only successful hybrid of its kind. Giving it a Logia or a Paramecia is the best option. This shipment of materials couldn't have come at a better time."
Sakazuki's eyes narrowed slightly. "So Devil Fruits carry consciousness. Then what about Mythical Zoans? Do the wills they hold come from the myths themselves?"
Vegapunk gave a wry smile. "That I truly don't know. Our technology isn't advanced enough yet. We can't capture or analyze the consciousness in Zoan fruits. Give it a few more years. And besides, Mythical Zoans are far too rare. The only material we've ever had was a sample of cells taken from Kaido years ago. Progress has been slow, but I expect that within a few years we can at least attempt to clone a fruit. After all, the research team isn't made of fools. They have the skill. We'll study it again when the time comes."
Sakazuki nodded slightly. "I see. Leave it at that then. Let's get to the real matter. Have you prepared the replacement parts for the Commander-in-Chief?"
Vegapunk took out a small box and handed it over. Inside, fifteen metal screws were arranged in neat rows. Along with it, he passed over a device the size of a chest, fitted with several ports and a slot that matched the screws exactly.
"All here," he explained, "From the year 1495 until now. Fifteen in total. Just slot the screws in, connect a monitor and a control pad, and you can flip through the records. Very simple. I've marked each screw. Through them you'll be able to access the Commander-in-Chief's daily routines, everything he said, everything we intercepted. You'll understand how the government runs, and even uncover secrets. Unfortunately, because the device was an internal organ replacement it only recorded audio. That makes analysis slower."
Sakazuki let out a faint grunt. "Doesn't matter. Fifteen years of audio. By the time we've listened, studied, and understood, everything will already be in place."
A strange smile tugged at his lips. "The Reverie is almost upon us. When it ends, the old man will finally step down."
Vegapunk smiled as well. "He could have stepped down anytime, but he can't let go of power. His injuries are killing him, but if he abandoned wealth and position, he might live a little longer. People are greedy. After the Reverie, give him a heavier dose. He doesn't have long anyway, and no one will notice. But… Kong is your old boss, isn't he? You'll have to face him. What will you do?"
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!