Chapter 208: The Rocks Pirates in Action!
"Ptui ptui ptui, what the hell are these scientists doing on this island? Why is the wastewater they're dumping making my body tingle?"
"All the fish are dead."
"..."
Oss Island. Using Roger's advantage of having stayed on the island before, the Rocks Pirates, along with Roger and Rayleigh, infiltrated the island through the island's underwater drainage outlet.
"Haha, the old man was right after all. Haki is way more important than Devil Fruit abilities. How could Devil Fruit users do what we're doing now?"
Devil Fruit users were all landlubbers. Aside from a few Devil Fruits with special mechanisms, most Devil Fruit users wanting to reach the island could only rely on brute force attacks.
"But Captain Silas himself is a Devil Fruit user."
Shiki, on the side, smiled without warmth. He felt Rocks was taking a jab at him. Because he was a Devil Fruit user, he couldn't dive directly into the water and had to rely on bubble coating to wrap himself before following Rocks and the others underwater.
"Compared to Devil Fruits, the old man focuses more on Haki training. Shiki, if you want to grow to our level, you can't rely too heavily on fruit abilities!"
Ignoring Shiki's comment, Rocks casually reminded him. After all, Shiki had come to support them after listening to the old man's words. Rocks wasn't petty enough to argue with a "junior" like Shiki.
Rocks and Shiki's relationship was actually average. Shiki joined the White Wolf Pirates after the Sabaody Archipelago battle, and by that time, Rocks had already chosen to set sail.
But having the shared identity of White Wolf Pirates members, plus Shiki coming to support them after hearing Silas's words, as long as Shiki didn't anger him, in Rocks's eyes, he was an obedient underling.
And this underling was pretty strong.
The White Wolf Pirates had two generations of newcomers over the past decade. The first generation was after Silas's comeback, cultivated with Rocks as the leader, and now fully grown into pirate giants.
Whether Rocks, Newgate, or Linlin, they could all battle Admiral-level fighters and even defeat ordinary Admiral-level powerhouses. They were top-tier combatants, second only to the strongest Silas on the Marines' dangerous persons list.
The second generation were pirate supernovas led by Shiki.
Though Shiki hadn't been at sea long, because of his White Wolf Pirates identity and the battle achievements in the Country of Steel, plus recently defeating an old pirate crew in the New World, he was now also listed by the Marines as a dangerous person.
Bounty: 230 million!
Even in the Marine Staff Department's predictions, if Shiki continued growing, his threat level to Marines and the World Government might exceed even the already-famous pirates like Rocks and Newgate.
Because Shiki could fly!
Not only could Shiki fly, but he could also make all non-living matter float. Tremendous strategic value!
This time, after receiving Silas's message, Shiki flew alone from the New World to South Blue in less than three days, just in time to meet Rocks and the others preparing to infiltrate Oss Island.
Originally, Rocks and the others were struggling with how to evacuate the scientists from the island. Now they didn't need to worry.
As long as they could gather the scientists together, Shiki could casually use his fruit ability to send the entire island skyward.
Of course, they'd need to separate the scientists from the soldiers stationed on the island first.
"Don't get careless. From the intelligence Captain Silas provided, the World Government has planted at least four top-tier fighters here. Plus, those Marine officers, we absolutely can't clash with them head-on."
Patrick Redfield reminded them from the side.
He had exceptional talent in Observation Haki training. Though he didn't possess Silas's enormous sensing range, as his Observation Haki grew, very few people could hide their presence from him.
So Patrick Redfield keenly sensed several top-tier fighters hidden on the island. Besides Kong and Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, whom they'd fought before, two more top-tier fighters had appeared.
Four top-tier fighters. Even if Rocks alone handled two, and he teamed with Shiki to handle one, the remaining one could still slaughter everyone else in the pirate crew.
Not to mention the Marines also had quite a few powerful officers, with the two Marine rising stars most worthy of attention: Sengoku and Garp.
Though their strength still had a gap compared to his and Shiki, either of them would need considerable effort to take down either Marine.
And they were already short on manpower.
"Don't worry." Rocks grinned. "Our goal this time is rescuing those scientists, right? If we're lucky, by the time we get them out, that Newgate kid will arrive too."
"As long as he and I team up, who cares if they have four Marine Admirals?"
"That kid's strength isn't below mine."
Though Newgate had once been his underling following behind him, Rocks had to admit that Newgate had fully grown now.
Though they hadn't fought yet, he felt Newgate's strength, even if not equal to his, probably wasn't far behind.
"I'm just worried you'll forget our original purpose."
Patrick Redfield complained from the side. "If you hadn't kept staring at that old man last time, we'd have already rescued everyone. Why would we drag it out till now?"
"You're so nagging!"
Rocks dug in his ear, looking impatient. "Anyway, you over there, straw hat idiot, you said you know people on this island, right? Have them quickly gather everyone together."
"Who are you calling an idiot?"
"Whoever answered is the straw hat idiot."
Seeing Rocks and Roger about to fight again, Patrick Redfield and Rayleigh had to restrain their respective captains. The two exchanged glances, both seeing helplessness in the other's eyes.
Sigh. Life wasn't easy, the vice-captains sighed.
With captains like these, being second-in-command was really tough.
Fortunately, though they had conflicts, being in enemy territory, they wouldn't actually fight here.
Soon, Roger found the scientist responsible for sewage in the wastewater control room.
"Roger, didn't you leave?"
Seeing Roger, the scientist managing wastewater changed expression. "You need to leave quickly. Special agents patrolling the wastewater pipes will come soon. If you don't go now, it'll be too late later!"
Though knowing Roger was a pirate, the scientists living on Machine Island didn't discriminate much against pirates. Perhaps this was thanks to the World Government's consistent protection.
Scientists tended to be purer.
"What's too late? Uncle Atsen, I'm here to rescue you all..."
Before Roger finished, Rocks's booming voice interrupted. "Old man, the one rescuing you is my old man, White King Silas. Ever heard of him? He says you're currently creating energy for the World Government's war weapons and hopes you'll return to your own country instead of getting involved in his feud with the World Government!"
"What?"
Hearing Rocks's words, the white-bearded old man's expression changed. "That's impossible!"
He said loudly, "We're creating clean energy for this world. Once we create perfect clean energy like the sun, people won't fight over resources, and the world will become peaceful!"
"Psh!"
Hearing the old man's words, Rocks laughed outright. "The creation process produces wastewater that poisons fish to death, and you call that clean energy?"
Though Rocks lacked formal education, constantly staying with the White Wolf Pirates, he'd absorbed considerable knowledge from Silas through osmosis.
Though he didn't understand things Silas mentioned, like wind energy, ocean energy, and solar energy, he could grasp the general idea.
What was wind energy but sailing ships? If they could harness the wind that pushed sails, wouldn't that become pollution-free, clean energy?
Ocean energy and solar energy were similar.
Even with limited knowledge, Rocks knew energy that produced massive wastewater during provision definitely wasn't clean energy.
"Because this is just the beginning..."
Hearing a pirate-dressed person who looked like a savage refute his clean energy, the old man's face flushed red. "Once our research is complete, clean energy will definitely be born!"
The old man then spouted things about "wastewater isn't really wastewater, they just haven't processed it properly," "this wastewater's pollution will decrease after settling for a period," "clean energy definitely exists," and other statements that Rocks couldn't understand.
But if Silas were here, he'd realize the clean energy the old man described was extremely likely nuclear power!
Only their nuclear power research was still in early stages, and lacking theoretical knowledge, they were still groping in the dark.
In the future, a scientist born on Machine Island would research a special energy called "Mother Flame," which, after creation, would be like a sun.
However, Mother Flame was possibly controlled by nuclear fusion technology, while the Machine Island scientists were currently researching nuclear fission technology.
The gap between the two wasn't small, but purely for providing energy, either was sufficient.
If Silas weren't here, he'd be unable to sit still if he knew Machine Island scientists were actually developing nuclear fission technology.
After all, there was only one Uranus. But if the World Government mastered the technology these Machine Island scientists were researching, they might develop another world's ultimate weapon: nuclear bombs!
Though ordinary nuclear bombs didn't threaten top-tier fighters much, the prerequisite was avoiding the nuclear explosion's core blast zone.
Otherwise, even Armament Haki couldn't withstand the high temperatures and radiation at the center of a nuclear explosion!
The Machine Island scientists didn't know they were opening Pandora's box. Nuclear power in the right hands was world-benefiting technology, but in the wrong hands, it was a terrifying weapon destroying all life.
Currently, no one knows this yet.
So Rocks didn't bother arguing with them, just asking, "So will you leave with me? Or do you want to stay here and fully develop your so-called clean energy?"
"We..."
The old man was momentarily speechless. Though they were willing to work hard developing clean energy, the prerequisite was that the World Government only provide funding, not imprison them to develop energy.
Actually, quite a few Machine Island scientists already suspected whether the World Government wanted them to develop clean energy or some kind of weapon.
During research, many scientists realized that if they solved the pollution problem, the energy they were researching would definitely benefit the world.
But if they wanted to turn this technology into some destructive weapon, it might only take an instant!
"Tch, if the World Government really wanted you to research clean energy, why not somewhere else instead of locking you on this island?"
Roger's words hit Atsen's heart.
If the World Government just wanted them to research clean energy, why not somewhere else? Why make them leave home for this island?
Honestly, if not for quite a few astronomy and oceanography experts on the island, they wouldn't even know which sea region they were in.
Did researching energy require this level of secrecy? Who in this world deserved such caution from the World Government?
Vaguely knowing the real answer, Atsen hesitated no more.
"I understand. I'll contact the others, but I'm not sure I can convince everyone."
Some scientists suspected the World Government's true purpose, but many still believed in the World Government.
Otherwise, even after Silas completely occupied the New World and most New World government alliance nations switched to the White Wolf Pirates, Machine Island would still maintain its stance.
"No problem."
Hearing Atsen's words, Rocks showed a mouthful of white teeth. "You just need to figure out how to gather them together."
"Leave the rest to us!"
Convince scientists? Ridiculous. Rocks never intended to convince these scientists from the start. Why should a pirate think about such brain-taxing matters?
As long as Atsen gathered everyone together, he'd knock them all unconscious with one Conqueror's Haki blast, then have Shiki send them all skyward. Done!
He was only responsible for "rescuing" these scientists. Whether these scientists thought they needed rescuing, and how Silas would handle them after rescuing them, was Silas's business.
Honestly, Rocks had zero interest in rescuing these scientists. Fighting strong opponents after rescuing them was his real goal.
Only the first operation failed, making him lose face.
So the second time, Rocks got serious.
"Mere Marines, this time I'll definitely show you what I'm capable of!"