30 Years in Whitebeard’s Crew, I Became Invincible

"Let's find someone. There should be plenty of ruthless and wicked pirates or Marines here; getting a test subject shouldn't be too hard," Roy said.

Vegapunk sighed and replied, "This world certainly has no shortage of scum."

"No matter what kind of experiment it is, if it involves humans, human test subjects are inevitable. The World Government's been doing that for hundreds of years, and that idiot Saturn too," Roy said.

"Come with us," Shaka said.

"I won't be discovered by your traitor, will I? After all, you seven share a single brain," Roy asked.

"Don't worry. Our memories are stored temporarily and transmitted once a day. We can delete the relevant segments afterward," Shaka explained.

"But wouldn't that create gaps in your memory?"

"It doesn't matter. Our memory capacity is vast; losing a little won't affect anything."

"What if York finds out?"

"She won't."

"Aren't you going to deal with her? She's a traitor."

"If we act, the World Government will find out immediately and eliminate us."

"Delaying isn't a solution. How about I kill her for you? You can just say I came here specifically to do it."

"No. That would be too obvious."

You're all too smart, yet so inflexible."

Beckman may have one of the Highest IQs in the world, but when it comes to research ability, he couldn't compare to Vegapunk.

Sometimes, raw intelligence doesn't equal scientific ability. Vegapunk was beyond brilliant, yet indecisive when it came to handling people and real-world decisions.

They moved stealthily, avoiding surveillance and bypassing personnel, allowing Roy to witness many futuristic technologies.

"These inventions are fascinating. Too bad they're not what the World Government wants," Roy said, shaking his head.

"You're not wrong. The Government may not need them, but we need the Government," Shaka replied.

"Research requires not just brains but also money. Even the most skilled chef can't cook a proper meal without rice. Without the World Government, we'd have no funding, and without funding, no scientific progress. I chose to work with them back then… simply for the money," Vegapunk said.

"I suppose that makes me shallow."

"You're already remarkable. It's just a shame your ideals don't matter. The essence of humanity is resources. While you use the World Government's funding to advance your research, have you ever considered where that money comes from? It's plundered using the very weapons you developed."

"Every weapons researcher hopes their creations won't be used for war, yet they forget that many great scientific advancements meant to benefit humanity were originally developed for warfare. Military technology repurposed for civilian use."

"Don't torment yourself over the deaths caused by your inventions. The problem isn't the research, it's the people who wield it." Roy said, hands behind his head, glancing around.

Vegapunk and Shaka said nothing. Roy was right. They had no argument.

They knew better than anyone what the World Government's true intentions were.

And Vegapunk's proudest invention hadn't even appeared yet.

"By the way… how's your research on the Mother Flame coming along?" Roy asked.

"…How do you know about that?" Both Vegapunk and Shaka turned, eyes locked on Roy.

"Seems you've kept it well hidden. Too bad you haven't realized, once Mother Flame is complete, it'll become a permanent power source for certain weapons," Roy said, spreading his hands.

The concept was like nuclear energy, the most efficient power source in the world, yet also the most dangerous weapon.

One thought leads to salvation, another to annihilation. That's the essence of nuclear power.

The Mother Flame, paired with Vegapunk's genius… anyone could guess what it really was.

If it fell into the hands of the Celestial Dragons, it would inevitably become a weapon. Vegapunk wanted to benefit humanity, but unless everyone had access to it, it would simply become a tool for world domination.

And in one side's hands, it would only fuel control and destruction.

"Did you plant a spy here?" Shaka asked warily.

"No. I just know certain things about the future," Roy replied.

"You know the future?!" Vegapunk and Shaka stared at him in disbelief.

"Yeah. Is that so strange? Even though I've altered much of this world's trajectory, some futures remain set in stone. Like Mother Flame, which you've been researching for a long time. Or that robot lying over there, I know exactly what it is and where it came from."

"If you can see the future... what happens?" Shaka asked.

"My knowledge is limited. As for the future? You'll die," Roy grinned.

"I'm already old. Dying isn't surprising. What I want to know is, what happens to the Mother Flame after I die?" Vegapunk asked.

"…It's already been stolen, hasn't it?" Roy asked.

"…How do you know that?" Shaka gasped.

"Looks like I'm already too late," Roy muttered.

"The Mother Flame is clean energy, capable of continuously powering the Celestial Dragons' greatest treasure, their so-called National Treasure. That thing possesses cataclysmic destructive force. I strongly suspect it was responsible for the sea level rise a thousand years ago."

"Once its energy was depleted, the Celestial Dragons rarely used it. But now, with Mother Flame, they can easily reactivate it. Who knows what the world will become? Even I don't."

"What... is the Celestial Dragons' National Treasure?" Vegapunk asked..

"You still need to ask? One of the Ancient Weapons, Uranus. A ship, but not an ordinary one. A spaceship, the vessel that brought the Moon civilization to this planet."

Human wars revolved around resources. When the Moon People arrived on this planet, the conflict became about survival.

The Void Century's war was between the Celestial Dragons and Joy Boy.

But the older war, the one before that, was between humanity and the Moon civilization.

The Moon People came to this planet seeking resources. Their civilization was more advanced, bringing both knowledge and war.

Just look at Skypiea: a war that lasted hundreds of years… over one piece of land.

"You researched the Mother Flame for the good of the world."

"I know. You definitely didn't do it for yourselves, but for the world."

"But have you ever thought about this…? Do those monsters care about the world? Would they?"

.....

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

[email protected]/DaoistJinzu