The steady hum of medical machinery did little to calm the storm in Kuma's chest. He stood like a statue outside the sealed medical bay, holding a gurgling Bonney in his massive arms. Dragon and Lindbergh kept their vigil with him, a silent trio waiting for news.
"The equipment is flawless," Lindbergh said, misreading the tightness in Kuma's shoulders for technical anxiety. "My work is impeccable. Ginny is going to be just fine."
Kuma didn't correct him. His gaze was fixed on the door through which Kaito would emerge. "My concern is not for your work, Lindbergh. I just wonder if Kaito will forgive me for not speaking to him all this time."
"Don't worry about that," Dragon replied, a faint smile gracing his stern features. "He was quite clear that it would all be worth it once you knew. His exact words were that he needs a personal transporter of your caliber. So be ready. He looked particularly evil when he said that."
A muscle in Kuma's cheek twitched. The involuntary spasm made Bonney giggle, her tiny hands patting his face. The sound was so pure, so out of place in the tense corridor, that Dragon and Lindbergh couldn't help but laugh with her.
"Kuma," Dragon continued, his tone softening as the laughter subsided, "the equipment can heal her, but the research Kaito stole indicates the treatment itself will be… protracted."
"How long?" Kuma's voice was low, his eyes drifting to the observation window where Ginny lay, small and still amidst the technology.
"From two to four years. Perhaps longer. We are not experts in these specific procedures. It remains experimental."
Kuma watched the slow, steady rise and fall of Ginny's chest. "That's fine. As long as it works, time is irrelevant."
Two hours slipped away before the machinery quieted and the door hissed open. Kaito emerged, wiping his hands on a cloth.
"I'm sorry, Kaito," Kuma said immediately, his voice thick with a cocktail of guilt and hope.
Kaito offered a tired but genuine smile. "No apologies needed. Consider it a little payback for your own silent generosity. But unlike you, I require payment for my services. Be ready in a week. I wish to visit the North Blue."
Kuma was taken aback. "What about Ginny's treatment?"
Lindbergh answered instead, patting a console proudly. "We haven't been idle! We're constructing a new battery capable of storing the immense power the devices need. It's all thanks to Kaito's foresight."
Kuma looked to Kaito for an explanation.
"You know I stole several research projects," Kaito said. "One was a revolutionary battery technology. The World Government couldn't mass-produce it because they lacked a sufficient power source—a problem my Devil Fruit easily solves."
"Then why not charge the batteries from the beginning?" Kuma asked, his mind, more accustomed to simple mechanics, struggling with the scale of the idea.
Kaito's smile faded. He shared a heavy look with Dragon, who stepped forward, his voice dropping into a more solemn register.
"The technology isn't new, Kuma. It's based on an ancient design. When I discussed similar concepts with Vegapunk, he said a project like this would take years to prove viable. He suggested modifying the batteries to accept a direct electrical charge, but the energy required is… staggering." Dragon's jaw tightened. "I understand now why they shelved it."
"But what worries you so much?" Kuma pressed, Bonney shifting restlessly in his arms.
"According to Vegapunk," Dragon explained, "a single, fully charged battery of this type could power a city for years. But the World Government's research directive was to find a power source to charge it. A source of that magnitude…" He trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air. "It could power the world, or it could destroy it. Vegapunk dismissed my concern. He believes a scientist's duty is to explore the unknown, consequences be damned."
Kaito broke the grim silence that followed. "Actually, this is a strategic advantage. We can deduce two things. First, the World Government likely possesses an Ancient Weapon, probably Uranus, which embodies the sky. Pluton, tied to the sea, is less likely given Mary Geoise's location. Second, if they are still searching for a power supply, it means their weapon is either dormant due to a power shortage or can only be used sparingly, perhaps only in emergencies."
Dragon's eyes lit up with realization. "The Ohara researchers believed Pluton was hidden in Wano. A Poneglyph stated the Wano royalty are tasked with guarding it, waiting for someone who will lead them after fulfilling a promise. So the weapon the Government holds must be Uranus."
Kaito looked at him, surprised. "If you knew that, why did you never consider that the World Government must possess a weapon terrifying enough to force the ancestors of other royal families into submission, even if those families had an Ancient Weapon of their own?"
Dragon shook his head, a frustrated gesture. "The information is fragmented. We know an ancient kingdom was defeated by an alliance of twenty royal families. We know the Ancient Weapons were involved, but by whom? What was the promise? Are the weapons even functional now? The circumstances are buried too deep. For all we know, Pluton needs repairs, and the 'promise' is that someone will fix it. Why else would a government with such overwhelming power need the Marines to control the seas?"
Kaito considered this and gave a slow nod. It was a logical counterpoint. He, too, had never given the idea serious credence until the day he learned of the Lulucia Kingdom's erasure from the map.
Kuma, who had been listening intently while watching over Ginny, spoke softly. "You should inform Vegapunk of our conclusions. He needs to know that his work could enable the destruction of countless lives."
Dragon nodded and turned to leave, but Kaito's voice stopped him. "Dragon, does Vegapunk have no one supervising him?"
"Not in the traditional sense. He's inspected by the Marines periodically. Why?"
"It feels… unnatural. That the World Government would leave a mind like his unmonitored."
Dragon paused. "Perhaps they need him too much to risk offending him with constant surveillance."
"Maybe," Kaito conceded, his tone doubtful. "But I wouldn't bet on it. Does he have any family? Children? Anything they could use as leverage?"
A wry smile touched Dragon's lips. "He has no one… well, that's not entirely true. He's creating satellites of himself to manage his workload."
"Satellites?"
"He claims his brain has grown too large from a lifetime of accumulated knowledge. He intends to separate his personality into different entities to share the cognitive load."
Kaito was silent for a long moment. "That sounds profoundly dangerous. And unnatural."
"I told him the same," Dragon said with a sigh. "But he doesn't listen to amateurs in neuroscience."
"The danger isn't in the neuroscience, but in the psychology," Kaito countered, his eyes sharp. "You cannot fracture a human conscience without consequences. Imagine one of these satellites is programmed with a purely 'justice' oriented nature. It is presented with a weapon that will kill thousands. But destroying it will detonate bombs implanted in ten innocent children. What does it do?"
Dragon frowned, mentally wrestling with the hypothetical, but found no easy answer.
"You see? That is a human dilemma. A full human being would struggle, torn between logic and emotion. But a fractured consciousness, limited to a single driving principle? Its judgment would be impaired. It might even conclude that the only path to true justice is to eliminate the source of such cruel dilemmas—including its other selves. And with Vegapunk's intelligence, it could probably succeed. An entity with that brainpower, gone rogue… the consequences are unthinkable."
Dragon listened in grim silence, the chilling logic of Kaito's words settling like a weight. After a moment, Kaito simply turned and left, having said his piece. The rest was up to Dragon.
Dragon watched him go, then departed himself. Kuma, with a final, lingering look at Ginny, followed with Lindbergh.
"What do you make of what he said, Dragon?" Kuma asked once they caught up.
Lindbergh chirped in, "I think he's overthinking it! They're all parts of the same person. It would be like your hand trying to kill you—it doesn't happen!"
Dragon didn't answer until they reached a private communications room. He picked up a Den Den Mushi and dialed.
"Dragon?" Vegapunk's cheerful voice crackled through the receiver. "Is there something you need?"
"No need. I just have two matters to discuss."
Dragon meticulously relayed everything: the terrifying potential of the battery technology and Kaito's stark warning about the satellites. "Vegapunk, you must see what it would mean if your dream became a reality in the World Government's hands. And I know you may dismiss the second point, but Kaito is not an alarmist. His concern seemed… profound."
Vegapunk was silent for a long time. "I see. I may have underestimated the variables. His reasoning has merit. This 'satellite' project may indeed carry unforeseen risks. I will have to devise countermeasures." There was a pause, then a spark of scientific curiosity. "Could you have him contact me? I would very much like to speak with this interesting young man."
Dragon was taken aback by the swift admission. "Vegapunk… are you saying it's possible? That your creations could turn on you?"
"Theoretically, yes," Vegapunk admitted calmly. "While their consciousness will be linked to mine, they will be complete entities with autonomous thought. The probability of a rogue event is low, but non-zero."
The casual admission shocked Dragon and the others. "Why don't you sound more concerned?" Dragon asked, incredulous.
"Because the benefits of the project far outweigh the risks. To halt progress out of fear of the future is not the path of science. Now, I must simply proceed with greater caution. Please, have him call me in a few days. I need time to formulate some initial solutions."
"I will. I don't think he'll mind."
"Excellent. Goodbye for now."
Kacha.
Vegapunk looked from the disconnected Den Den Mushi to Shaka, the first of his satellites. "What is your analysis?"
"The logical course of action is my immediate termination to eliminate the risk," Shaka stated flatly.
Vegapunk shook his head. "No. Every great invention carries risk. Our duty is to manage it. We must calculate the behavioral patterns of each potential entity and implement safeguards."
"I maintain that my initial suggestion is the most efficient," Shaka replied. "But as you wish only to control the risk, I will comply."
"Hmm. It seems we require a deeper study of human psychology. A tedious, but necessary, endeavor." And so, the two greatest intellects in the world began their new work.
---
Two days later, at Baltigo, Dragon found Kaito and relayed Vegapunk's request. Kaito, intrigued, agreed.
When the Den Den Mushi rang, its face morphing into Vegapunk's distinctive features, Kaito picked it up.
"Hello."
"Hello, young man! A pleasure to speak with you directly."
"The honor is mine."
"I've considered your concerns regarding my satellites," Vegapunk began, skipping formalities. "I have devised several potential countermeasures. If you are willing, I would like to present them."
Kaito's lips curled into a slight smile. "Oh? And what do I receive in return for this consultation?"
Vegapunk was momentarily speechless. "What would you like?"
"Something simple. Your complete research on the Den Den Mushi. Everything. Visual transmission technology, secure, wide-range broadcasting… all of it."
There was a pause on the other end. "An unusual request… but very well. I agree."
"To be clear," Kaito added, "I don't want just the finished blueprints. I want the entire research process. Every failed experiment, every hypothesis, every step."
"Yes, yes, that's fine. Now, about my precautions…"
Vegapunk detailed a series of brilliant failsafes involving hierarchical command codes, mutual oversight protocols, and emergency shutdown sequences. Kaito listened, impressed.
"Incredible," Kaito admitted after Vegapunk finished. "With those measures, I can't see a clear path for a satellite to go rogue… Wait. What about during sleep cycles? Is their consciousness still monitored when they—or you—are asleep?"
"Sleep?" Vegapunk repeated, as if considering a novel concept.
"Yes. I imagine a mind like yours might even think while sleeping."
"…A valid point. My plan was to delegate such mundane necessities to a satellite programmed with a 'Greed' persona, to handle eating and sleeping, thus freeing my primary consciousness from wasting time."
Kaito fell into a long, heavy silence. When he finally spoke, his voice was grave. "Doctor… that would almost certainly cause a disaster."
"What do you mean?"
"I consider greed to be the most powerful and pure emotion. It is, without a doubt, one of the ugliest and most important drivers in a human being. Greed for food, sleep, money, and power are just simple forms. Becoming Pirate King requires greed. Going to work every day requires greed. Sacrificing yourself for others requires greed."
"You think, 'How can this be?' right? It's simple. Going to work every day is a greed ignited by logic, love, and wisdom, making you work for your child to have a better future. Sacrificing yourself also involves greed, mixed with emotions like morality. I don't deny that sometimes I think about living like a Celestial Dragon—eating whatever I want, having any woman I desire, having the power to control Admirals. Such an easy life is a dream for many who work hard; it's perhaps why most people work hard. Greed is the ugliness of the human heart, but you shouldn't be ashamed of it; you should try to harness it as a weapon. So, uncontrolled greed is just inviting disaster."
After Kaito finished talking, silence revealed the space and everyone looked at him.
"But I don't have...."
Vegapunk said but was interrupted by Kaito before he could finish.
"It's not you anymore that we are talking about, it's the greed that wants to eat, sleep and enjoy life without anything that controls his tendencies. This a person with his core being only has only greed.
Greed for better life without having any morality, wisdom or logic. He is only filled with hunger for anything that he sees and desire.
He will absolutely sees you as an obstacle one day and without a doubt his obstacles will need to be destroyed."
Vegapunk kept silent then said.
"I will send the research results you requested soon ."