The New World.
Wild currents surged across the deep, nearly black sea, massive whirlpools spinning violently beneath the roiling surface. Thunder cracked and lightning danced across the storm-darkened sky. Sea tornadoes raged from ocean to sky, tearing through the air with relentless fury. The scene was like something out of a nightmare—pure chaos.
Suddenly, a black silhouette pierced through the thick cloud cover, breaking free from the storm's electric grip and hovering steadily in the air.
"This should be the place."
Daren narrowed his eyes, scanning the chaotic waters below.
"Now that we're here, don't you think it's time to let go?"
Still cradled in Daren's arms, Stussy shot him a glare and snapped irritably.
Daren chuckled and released his hold on her waist.
"You were the one who asked me to carry you."
Black bat-like wings sprouted from her back and fluttered gently, stirring the air as she hovered.
Stussy let out a sigh.
"Sure, my vampire form lets me fly, but only for mid-range distances… Crossing islands or sea zones takes a huge toll on stamina."
She glanced at Daren with a hint of envy.
"Not everyone gets to have a Devil Fruit that's both powerful and effortless like yours."
Daren paused.
"...Your Devil Fruit is kinda weak, huh? Seems like it doesn't do much."
He couldn't resist the jab.
Stussy rolled her eyes.
"You think everyone's walking around with an Indestructible Body?"
Her Devil Fruit was a Mythical Zoan type too. In vampire form, she gained formidable powers of seduction—through her fangs, she could inject neurotoxins and control her target's mind.
During her CP0 missions, that ability had proven practically unstoppable. Even some of the more powerful pirates had fallen for it with barely a struggle.
But against Daren and his absurdly tough body, those same powers were completely useless.
Even with Armament Haki reinforcing her fangs, she couldn't so much as scratch him.
She still grit her teeth remembering the first time she tried using her vampire bite on him—only to end up chipping a tooth.
Honestly, she still didn't know how her relationship with that bastard had ended up where it was now.
Sure, she'd bitten him—more than once, actually.
Just not in the way she'd planned.
She sighed again as she watched Daren's smug, thick-skinned face, then glanced around and frowned.
"You sure this is the right place? I don't see anything unusual."
All around them were violent storms and blinding flashes of lightning crackling through the dense cloud banks. It was the last place anyone would expect to find a research lab.
This kind of place wouldn't just be unsuitable for scientific work—it barely seemed survivable at all.
"It's definitely here... the magnetic field's all wrong."
A flicker of blue lightning danced in Daren's eyes as he focused, clearly sensing something.
"If the government really wanted to keep Vegapunk's research completely secret, hiding the base in a place like this makes perfect sense."
"The unstable magnetic field, the constant storms, the sheer danger… Nature itself becomes the best defense."
"...There!"
Suddenly, Daren's gaze sharpened and he shot forward, his body turning into a streak of black light.
Under Stussy's stunned gaze, arcs of violet electricity began crackling over his skin, surging until they wrapped his entire frame in a blazing coat of lightning.
Lightning Activity... "Lightning Armor"!
He launched himself straight into the towering sea tornadoes ahead, smashing into them like a meteor.
With a deafening boom, a gaping hole several meters wide was blasted open.
"Hurry up!"
Daren's voice echoed urgently from ahead.
Stussy didn't hesitate. With a sharp beat of her wings, she shot through the gaping hole behind him.
In the next instant, the world around her changed completely.
Through the twisting pillars of storm, she caught a glimpse of a faint white glow hidden deep within the chaos.
Then, a massive island slowly came into view before her eyes.
The entire structure looked like a colossal egg forged from metal and concrete, rising straight out of the ocean and stretching nearly into the clouds.
Floating structures surrounded the "egg," and in its center was a massive opening—hundreds of meters wide—clearly the entrance.
But the most striking feature was the semi-transparent white barrier that wrapped around the island like a soft membrane, completely sealing it off from the raging storms and icy winds outside. Inside, it was an eternal spring—lush, calm, and warm.
The contrast between inside and out was like two entirely separate worlds.
"Looks like we've got the right place."
Daren floated to Stussy's side, hovering calmly as he looked down at the enormous structure below.
"This place is like something pulled straight from science fiction. It's the embodiment of what they call 'the future of humanity.'"
"Egghead Island... Egghead," Stussy finished, her voice laced with awe.
"Come on. No time to waste."
Daren grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist again. Before she could respond, he dove downward at high speed. In the blink of an eye, they pierced through the hazy white barrier and entered the island.
Once inside, not even Daren could hide his amazement as he and Stussy looked around.
The air was pleasantly warm—about 26 degrees Celsius.
All around them stood towering cyberpunk-style buildings, sleek metal structures gleaming under artificial lights.
Colorful robots moved about on the streets, busily maintaining the island's daily functions.
Jet-like vehicles, shaped like streamlined shuttles, zipped through the sky.
Daren even spotted robots using laser swords to cut metal.
Nothing here fit the era they knew. The island's level of technology was light-years ahead of anything outside.
"This is insane..."
Daren couldn't help but mutter.
Flying vehicles, energy blades, autonomous robots, fully automated systems...
And to think—out in the world, even the Marine Headquarters, supposedly the pinnacle of technological advancement, still relied mainly on swords, guns, and cannons.
It was unthinkable what kind of shock this place would send through the world if its knowledge and technology were ever unleashed.