"But Ozz, Vegapunk is also a scientist under the military. He cannot be tied up with your matters forever. The Government has its own plans and priorities."
On the Den Den Mushi, Saturn's face looked perfectly calm. If you met him in person, you might not read much from his expression, but through the snail's exaggerated features, those 八-shaped brows made him look especially punchable.
Anyone else would have been barked at from above. Only in front of Ozz would he use this kind of "discussion" tone.
Vegapunk's name was on Imu's list as well. The Mother Flame, a nation erasing weapon, had already drawn Imu's attention. It was another major trump card in the World Government's hand.
"Vegapunk, one of the conditions for treating him is that Kuma must abandon his self and his free will, and become a human weapon for the World Government."
Saturn turned his words toward Vegapunk and issued his order.
Hearing this, Vegapunk immediately broke into a cold sweat. Anger crept into his voice.
"But that is no different from killing him, Saturn saint!
"Is this because the other Warlords have not followed the Government's orders? If you do this, Kuma will be nothing but a robot!"
As Vegapunk protested and questioned him, Saturn's tone became hard as steel.
He would let things slide with Ozz. With Vegapunk, the Government held the initiative.
"You have no right to object. You are a scientist of the military.
"Besides, Kuma has a history of involvement with the Revolutionary Army. If the Paw Paw Fruit and his strength are ever turned against the World Government, that would be troublesome.
"By converting him into a human weapon, the World Government will gain far greater combat power…"
Knock, knock.
Saturn was getting into it now. In his mind, he was already sketching out a grand blueprint for a future scientific army made of human weapons.
At the table, Ozz had been leaning on one hand, listening with a bored, unreadable face.
Now he rapped his knuckles against the tabletop twice.
The sound was not loud, but it cut cleanly across Saturn's monologue and snapped his train of thought.
He met the eyes of the Den Den Mushi, and on the snail's face appeared a pair of scarlet pupils that were calmer than his own.
The room fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at Ozz, still seated at the table with one hand propping up his chin.
"Vegapunk has no standing to object, that is true. But I do, don't I?"
"Ozz…"
"Saturn saint, every member of the Warlords of the Sea was nominated and built up by me.
"Tell me, are you dissatisfied with the Warlords…
"Or are you dissatisfied with me?"
Ozz spoke slowly, word by word. His tone was not especially cold, but the content was terrifyingly forceful, as if the man he was addressing was not one of the highest authorities in the world, but just some ordinary old man.
"…"
This time, the one left speechless was not Vegapunk, but Saturn.
"I did not mean it that way…"
"If you are unhappy with me, I can always hand this Celestial Dragon title back.
"I can go back to being a pirate, spend my days beating up Marines and taking territory.
"But in that case, we would be enemies, would we not…
"Saturn saint."
He said it lightly, but his eyes slid sideways toward Borsalino.
The admiral, who had been enjoying the show a moment ago, felt his sleazy smile freeze on his face. A chill shot down his back.
Why was he being looked at?
He was just the messenger here. How did this suddenly involve him too?
(A helpless little laser monkey.)
"…"
The further Ozz went, the more extreme his words became. The more he spoke, the more aggressive he sounded.
Cold sweat began to bead on Saturn's forehead. He had not expected Ozz to push it this far.
When he first learned that Vegapunk intended to use Kuma as a base for a human weapon, he had been very interested in this Buccaneer warrior.
On top of that, Kuma had come to Vegapunk for help. In other words, he was the one needing something from the World Government.
That was what made Saturn entertain this idea.
Had he considered Ozz's reaction? Of course he had.
He knew Ozz had been staying on Egghead for some time now. After all, it was common knowledge that although the Warlords were nominally an official enforcement group under the Government, in reality they were Ozz's private garden.
Technically, any move against a Warlord should be run past Ozz.
But Ozz had been quiet for years. He had long since relinquished the "Emperor" title.
Testing the waters by touching a borderline case like Kuma was the perfect probe.
He had simply never expected the backlash to be this intense.
Saturn fell silent for a moment.
He imagined what would happen if Ozz truly turned against the World Government and realized exactly how bad that outcome would be.
In the end, he backed down.
"…That said, the Warlords are indeed your people.
"Just be sure not to get too close to the Revolutionary Army, Ozz.
"If that is your wish, then we will let this matter go."
It had only ever been a side move anyway.
If he pushed things to the point where there was no way to clean it up, the complaints from the other Five Elders would be manageable. What he really feared was Imu's displeasure.
With that, Saturn hung up.
Click.
As the connection cut, everyone in the lab stood dazed for a heartbeat.
They stared, wide eyed, at Ozz, who had never once treated this as anything important.
For the first time, they truly understood the weight behind the words "Black Gun."
It was hard to imagine.
If Ozz did not exist, then in the face of a Celestial Dragon, and not just any Celestial Dragon but Saturn, one of the Five Elders who held the highest power in the world…
Neither Vegapunk nor Kuma nor anyone else here would have had the slightest power to resist.
If they wanted to save Ginny and her child, they would have had to obey.
And that meant Kuma was doomed.
With a few sentences, Ozz had not only stopped a brutal human experimentation project.
He had also preserved Kuma's family, keeping them from being torn apart, allowing them to go on living together.
When he thought about how he had almost lost Ginny and Bonney forever, Kuma was overwhelmed by a rush of emotion and relief.
He laughed and cried at the same time, looking as simple and honest as ever, and bowed deeply to Ozz.
"Thank you… Ozz sir!"
Ozz did not seem particularly moved.
He had simply been unable to stand Saturn's attitude.
Anyone who rubbed him the wrong way, even Imu, would not get any face from him.
That was just the kind of freedom he moved with now.
So in the face of Kuma's tearful thanks, he only waved his hand.
"If you really want to thank me, then just help me keep an eye on things in the future.
"In places like the Sabaody Archipelago."
"Yes. I definitely will!"
Kuma soon left to check on Ginny's treatment.
That left three people in the room.
Ozz turned to look at Borsalino, his gaze obscure. The admiral was so uncomfortable under that stare that black and red sparks of Conqueror's Haki began to crackle faintly along his arms.
Borsalino hurriedly put the Den Den Mushi away, scratched the back of his head, and forced a crooked smile onto his sleazy face.
"Oh my, Ozz saint. I just remembered I have a great many duties waiting at Marineford.
"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
Ozz did not believe a single word.
That chronic slacker.
If he did not still have business to discuss with Vegapunk, there was no way he would let Borsalino walk out that easily.
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