Chapter 402: The Strange Vegapunk
"After all, you're Rogers Daren—a monster of a man who even killed the commander of the God's Knights. Sneaking into Egghead to retrieve classified data shouldn't be that difficult for you."
Borsalino stroked the stubble on his chin with a thoughtful expression, seriously weighing the plausibility of his own story. Moments later, a satisfied grin crept onto his face, clearly pleased with how "well-arranged" it all sounded.
"Yeah, the more I think about it, the more it makes perfect sense."
Daren nodded sincerely, fully agreeing.
"With my abilities, getting through the storms and ice that surround Egghead is easy. The mechanical beasts and bio-modified creatures guarding the institute? They'd barely slow me down."
"As for how I found the hidden compartment in Room 201, Building A, second floor of the experimental wing… and how I knew the password was 9527... well, do you think that could be chalked up to luck?"
Borsalino glanced at him and smirked.
"Of course!"
"If you didn't have enough luck, you wouldn't have made it this far alive, right?"
The two locked eyes for a second, then grinned at each other in silent agreement.
Stussy, meanwhile, stood there stunned, listening to their back-and-forth.
The way they were talking… it almost sounded logical—what a load of crap!
She could hardly contain her disbelief, gaping at Daren and Borsalino.
You really think the Marine Headquarters or the World Government would buy this garbage!?
Her mouth twitched uncontrollably, and she even felt a stabbing pain in her chest.
From that point on, Stussy completely spaced out for the rest of the "tour." It was like her soul had left her body.
Daren, on the other hand, was clearly enjoying himself.
Thanks to Borsalino's guided explanation, he got a simple yet comprehensive understanding of Egghead's internal structure, troop deployment, and the cutting-edge research being conducted here.
Lineage Factor research, cloning tech, bio-modification, artificial life forms, gigantification, Seastone warships, full-island air conditioning, artificial island clouds, synthetic diamonds, Devil Fruit power-transfer mechanics, Artificial Devil Fruits, holographic projection...
All of it—technologies so advanced they'd be unthinkable anywhere else—had been realized on this egg-shaped island.
Even someone as well-informed as Daren couldn't help but be stunned. He was genuinely impressed by Vegapunk's genius.
In an era where most nations and civilians still relied on torches and oil lamps, and where flintlocks and cannons remained the standard for firearms, Vegapunk had somehow developed technologies that were centuries ahead of their time.
This tech tree wasn't just advanced—it was broken.
"So, this is the institute's core area."
Just as Daren was silently marveling at everything, Borsalino stopped in front of a rather plain-looking door.
He turned to Daren and Stussy with a smile.
"This is the office of the man known as the genius five hundred years ahead of the world—Dr. Vegapunk."
The moment he said that, Stussy instinctively held her breath, visibly unable to contain her excitement.
Finally... she was going to see Dr. Vegapunk again!
She clenched her fists tightly.
Borsalino raised his hand and gave a light knock. A low voice responded from within, and he pushed the door open.
"Dr. Vegapunk, the one you've been waiting for… I brought him."
The door creaked open, revealing a modest and slightly cluttered lab.
Gigantic machines, petri dishes, and thick piping lined the walls. Wires crisscrossed in a chaotic mess. The floor was covered with old and new design drafts. A sharp artificial scent of air freshener lingered in the room.
Daren and Stussy's eyes locked onto the figure standing at the far end of the lab.
Sparse black hair. A stained shirt. A wool sweater. Black slacks.
If you ignored his bizarre features, he'd look like a completely ordinary, somewhat disheveled old man.
But no one could ignore his features.
They were far too bizarre.
His tongue was absurdly long, sticking out of his mouth and drooping down to his stomach.
He wasn't especially tall, but his head was enormous and oddly shaped. A bare, bulbous forehead and sparse hair made it look like a giant light bulb sprouting upward.
His grotesquely oversized brain turned what should've been a man under 1.5 meters tall into someone towering well over 3 meters.
Based on looks alone, no one in their right mind would believe this creepy, cartoonishly deformed old man was the world's greatest scientific genius—Vegapunk.
But Daren recognized him immediately.
There was no mistaking it—this was definitely Vegapunk.
Because, aside from the forehead that looked like a baboon's rear end, this little old man was the spitting image of that Einstein guy from Earth's history books.
No—he didn't just look similar.
He looked exactly the same.
"Dr. Vegapunk!"
Before Daren could speak, Stussy called out excitedly from behind him.
Vegapunk turned to her, adjusted his glasses, and smiled.
"You've grown up, Stussy-chan."
"I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to notify you—there was an accident at the Punk Hazard lab."
Stussy's eyes reddened slightly. She shook her head.
"As long as you're safe, Doctor, that's all that matters."
Vegapunk chuckled, then turned his attention to Daren.
"You must be Rogers Daren. I've heard your name more times than I can count."
He extended a hand.
"I imagine Stussy-chan must have caused you quite a bit of trouble. Allow me to apologize on her behalf."
Stussy froze, her face visibly turning red.
Daren's expression twitched with mild confusion.
Why does this feel like I'm meeting the parents?
Completely ignoring Borsalino, who had plopped down nearby with his chin resting on his hand and an amused look on his face, Daren stepped forward with a polite smile and shook Vegapunk's hand.
"I should be the one saying it's an honor, Dr. Vegapunk."
He smiled.
"I've met quite a few brilliant scientists over the course of my life."
"Like Vinsmoke Judge, the former ruler of the North Blue and head of Germa 66. And Queen, the top executive of the Beasts Pirates, also known as 'The Plague.'"
"Judge's work in genetic engineering was impressive, and Queen's bio-modification research was impeccable."
"But today, here in Egghead, I've truly seen what it means to be the world's greatest scientist."