"Money!"
Nami's eyes instantly turned into Berry symbols.
"So cool!" Luffy gasped, mouth wide open.
"Ex-Execution!" Usopp and Chopper clung to each other in terror.
"Foo… I heard there are many world-class chefs there too," Sanji exhaled a smoke ring.
"But why is a pirate allowed to be a king?" At this moment, Zoro suddenly had a wild idea. "Could he be the king's bastard son who was abandoned in the East Blue, and then he became a pirate and took the country back out of revenge?"
"Amazing, Zoro!" Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp looked at Zoro with expressions of pure admiration.
Robin, Nami, and Sanji all sported rows of black lines on their foreheads, looking at Zoro as if he were an idiot.
"Hey! What's with those looks!" Zoro yelled, stamping his foot.
"Good grief, don't any of you read the newspaper?"
Robin felt a little speechless, but patiently explained, "Golden Ring Aeridar was the most prominent rookie pirate eight years ago. He defeated the former Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria, and replaced him as the new Warlord. He also worked with a Marine Admiral to kill a Great Pirate with a bounty exceeding 500 million Berries. Later, he entered the New World, directly conquered a kingdom with an extremely strong military, and became that country's king. Afterward, he developed that nation to be exceptionally prosperous and gained the support of the World Government, the Navy, and many Great Pirates, forming the current World Neutral Zone."
"Especially two years ago, that man even killed the legendary Golden Lion Shiki, who was said to rival the Pirate King. His reputation exploded, drawing countless people to flock to his forces. His influence is vast; at the very least, Crocodile had a very close working relationship with him."
"Golden Lion! Rivaled the Pirate King!" Luffy stared blankly into the distance.
"Ah! I told you that man was dangerous!" Usopp was practically wetting himself.
"So amazing!" Chopper wore a look of bewildered awe.
"I didn't expect Skypiea to also become his territory," Robin sighed, shaking her head. "However, I think we should be fine. As long as we don't intentionally cause trouble, a giant like him won't even notice us."
Just then, on the White Sea in the distance, the unfamiliar pirate ship had been destroyed. The burning wreckage was slowly sinking.
The three black wolf-headed pirate ships had also spotted the Going Merry and were slowly beginning to surround it.
"We've been spotted. What should we do?" Sanji asked.
"Don't make a move yet. Let's see what they intend to do," Nami quickly warned everyone to stay calm.
"She's right. Barring any accidents, they shouldn't attack first." Robin felt cold sweat trickle down her forehead as she looked at the dark, large-caliber cannons pointed from the enemy ships.
As the three large ships closed in to surround them, the atmosphere was taut, on the verge of explosion.
....
New World, Clifford Kingdom.
Nakor City, Palace Entertainment City.
Aeridar sat on a sofa, looking at the ordinary-looking middle-aged man before him. He scanned him up and down, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"Dr. Devin Hubert, it is truly an honor to finally meet you. The last I heard of you was eight years ago, when several pirate crews and the World Government fought bloody battles trying to capture you, only for you to slip away in the end." Aeridar smiled, raising a glass of red wine in a salute.
"I thought I was going to contact the scoundrel, Feld, but I didn't expect that idiot to send me here because of a Den Den Mushi. Is he planning to hand me over to the World Government for merit?" Hubert also scrutinized Aeridar. This was the first time he had ever met such a powerful young man, especially one whose influence was entirely self-made.
"Why would you think that, Dr. Hubert?" Aeridar raised an eyebrow. "I am eager to recruit talented individuals. I am very aware of your capabilities, and I would never dream of handing you over to anyone."
"Oh!" Hubert was a little surprised. He had assumed that the man, as a Warlord of the Sea, had gone to such lengths to acquire him only to hand him over to the World Government in exchange for greater support.
"Dr. Hubert, you must know about the SS drug, right?" Aeridar asked with a knowing smile.
"Of course I know! It's an incredibly creative and conceptual genetic drug!" Hubert's eyes shone, and he began to chatter incessantly. "I studied a dose of the SS drug. It offers a comprehensive enhancement to human strength, agility, nervous system response, and many other areas, all with zero side effects. It even has the effect of cleansing the veins, reforming the constitution, maintaining cellular vitality, and slowing down aging. While the effect is subtle, it can be taken long-term without developing resistance to its potency. Many of my thoughts align perfectly with it."
"Based on my research, it appears to be based on the genetic structure of one or more ferocious beasts, used to construct a refined, strengthening gene suitable for the human body. Furthermore, a genetic lock has been integrated, making it impossible for anyone without the 'password' to discern the structure of this enhancement gene…"
Hearing Hubert's rambling, Aeridar couldn't help but feel a little amused, but when he heard the later parts of the doctor's description, a flicker of alarm crossed his mind. He hadn't expected the man to deduce so much from just a single dose of the SS drug.
Because Aeridar had studied a considerable amount of knowledge regarding biology and genetics to understand his own abilities, and had even researched the principles behind the SS drug's creation, he knew the doctor's assertions were almost entirely correct.
"Alright, Dr. Hubert, do you know who created the SS drug?" Aeridar quickly interrupted Hubert, asking a question that countless people were curious about.
Interrupted by Aeridar, Hubert reluctantly stopped speaking, but upon hearing the man's question, his mind raced, and he blurted out, "Is it connected to you?"
"That's right, that's not incorrect at all," Aeridar grinned. "I have many first-rate scientists under my command. Do you know of Dr. Switch Dalt? The SS drug is his brainchild."
"Switch Dalt! The great biological scientist who was famous worldwide by age twenty-four!" Hubert's eyes widened. He grabbed his hair, regretting, "I should have known! There aren't many world-class scientists, and even fewer who focus on biological genetics. Only Dalt, who specializes in genetic enhancement and bio-weapons, would have the best chance of developing such a genius, side-effect-free human enhancement drug, along with the giant ferocious beasts that briefly appeared on Aznat Island! Damn it, why didn't I think of that?"
"Blast it! He succeeded, and I haven't yet! Curse it! Curse it!"
"Absolute security. Complete autonomy. More than enough research funding. And world-class scientific equipment. Dr. Dalt has even developed an advanced version of the SS drug, the XT drug!" Aeridar extended a hand in invitation with a smile. "What do you say, Dr. Hubert? Would you like to join me here?"
"Tch. Now that I'm here, is there really any chance of me leaving?" Hubert scoffed disdainfully.
"If you fail to deliver on your promises, don't blame me if I defect one day!"