"Whoa!!!"
"These demonic wings and that tail… they're actually kind of special!!!"
Ignoring the cold, glaring eyes fixed on him, Orin curiously reached out to touch them, moving with complete ease as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
As for Lili, at this point in time, she was nothing more than a monarch—a ruler of a nation—still far from the transcendent being who, centuries later, would look down upon all creation with eight hundred years of supremacy behind her.
Even with her pride, she was helpless before Orin, who cared for nothing but amusement and possessed both an unfathomable Devil Fruit ability and a Conqueror's Haki not inferior to her own.
Orin wasn't worried that Lili would suddenly turn hostile toward him either.
After all, the gap in power between the Twenty Nations and the Great Kingdom wasn't yet insurmountable. The future of the world was still uncertain.
As a "King of Mystery" capable of tipping the scales of war, Orin was a figure far too valuable to alienate. Lili knew very well how to weigh such matters.
Of course, Orin wouldn't go too far either—he currently favored the Twenty Kings' side.
After briefly teasing Lili, he chuckled, stepped aside, and went over to introduce himself to King Donquixote.
Though he had neither territory nor army of his own, Orin fit right in among the Twenty Kings—the leaders of their age.
His strength, bearing, and striking appearance made him seem more kingly than any of them, so no one could feel hostility toward him.
Even Lili—the ambitious "demon" with her lofty self-image—regarded Orin with both respect and wariness.
And Orin, of course, noticed that look. He too was curious about her mysterious powers.
Possession. Long-range teleportation. Demon transformation. Immortality…
If Orin was a "mechanical anomaly," then Lili was a multi-type bug in human form.
Sensing Orin's eyes on her, Lili's expression darkened slightly.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
...
"Are you sure this is okay?"
Vegapunk looked uneasily at the scene before him—Bonney sobbing uncontrollably as Ginny held her tightly, dragging her onto the ship despite her cries for her father. Tears streamed down Ginny's own face as well.
Vegapunk turned to the tall figure standing beside him, patting the man's leg softly as he spoke.
And Kuma, gazing after the ship that carried away the mother and daughter, forced a smile, though his tears betrayed him.
Watching the vessel's silhouette fade into the distance, he finally murmured,
"It's fine. If not for Orin-sama, I never would've gotten the chance to see them again in this lifetime. So… it's all worth it."
Vegapunk fell silent.
Seeing Kuma's tear-streaked face, he could only sigh and shake his head as he turned back.
"If that's how you feel, then come with me, Kuma."
The giant man turned around and followed him.
"Understood, Dr. Vegapunk."
The pair—one massive, one small—walked toward a concealed passage on Egghead Island. It was a secret tunnel leading underground to a hidden coastline, where a submarine awaited their arrival.
They gradually disappeared from sight, unaware that a figure dressed in white stood behind a nearby structure, watching the departing ship and the two men, lost deep in thought.
...
"Dr. Vegapunk, what is this?"
After descending through the hidden shaft beneath the lab, they finally boarded a secret submarine. The entire process left Kuma astonished.
"Don't worry, this is all Orin-sama's arrangement."
Vegapunk was completely at ease. Thanks to Orin's backing, he enjoyed several "vacation periods" each month—time he used to travel aboard this seastone-built submarine to a secret research facility.
The World Government never questioned him. First, because of the respect owed to Orin-sama, and second, because they had no idea just how dangerous the experiment Vegapunk was conducting for him truly was.
"Dr. Vegapunk!!!"
The man greeting them was one of the subordinates of the "Sea Transport King" Umit. Seeing an unfamiliar, towering figure beside Vegapunk, he instantly broke into a nervous sweat, his guard up.
Ever since receiving Pure Gold, Umit had become a devoted follower of Orin—the man who had granted him eternal life.
Though Umit knew only fragments of Orin's experiments, he never hesitated to give full support.
His men, knowing their boss's stance, dared not take this lightly either.
"Oh!!! I almost forgot to tell you—this is one of the Shichibukai, Kuma. He's here to assist me with my experiment."
After Vegapunk's quick explanation, he led Kuma into the submarine.
The subordinate didn't dare to interfere—he'd heard the rumors. That Shichibukai, Kuma, and his own boss, the Sea Transport King, shared the same master. Crossing paths with him meant you stepped aside, not blocked his way.
Still…
Watching the stern-faced giant with glasses and an overwhelmingly muscular build, the subordinate couldn't help but swallow hard.
So this was one of the Shichibukai?
The submarine soon started up and headed in a specific direction.
After a long voyage and a gentle tremor, they finally saw daylight again.
Before them lay a wild, uninhabited island.
"This is..."
Kuma began to speak, but Vegapunk raised a finger to his lips, motioning for silence.
"..."
After passing through numerous hidden and overt security checkpoints, they finally entered a vast mountain hollow—transformed into a massive underground complex bustling with researchers.
"Dr. Vegapunk!!!"
"You're finally here!!!"
The scientists greeted him warmly, and Kuma, not knowing what to say, simply followed quietly behind.
Eventually, they reached the innermost chamber—a colossal laboratory whose ceiling stretched out of sight.
Perhaps the entire mountain had been hollowed out just to make room for it.
Kuma thought so silently, his gaze drifting to the center of the lab—the most eye-catching spot. As he stepped forward out of curiosity—
Suddenly, several darts sliced through the air, embedding themselves in the floor at his feet.
"Whoa!!!"
Kuma jumped back, startled, looking around to find the source of the attack.
But Vegapunk didn't seem surprised. He simply waved his hand.
"No need to be so nervous. That's not an enemy—just bear with it."
As his words fell—
A beautiful woman appeared, her brown skin gleaming, black wings spread behind her, flames dancing across her body.
A bewitching, flame-winged beauty.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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