"This is absolutely a stroke of genius."
Vegapunk's breath was hot, his eyes shining, yet he looked at Beltz with a hint of wariness. "If your side can produce such incredible research, why do you insist on having me help?"
"Because it's not just about you helping me, but me helping you as well," Beltz said softly. "?" Vegapunk froze, somewhat puzzled. "Helping me?"
"Indeed. Have you never thought, even for a day, that the world shouldn't be like this? That your own abilities and wisdom could go even further?"
Beltz stood up, meeting Vegapunk's gaze. His voice pierced directly into the depths of Vegapunk's soul.
"Come with me. If you do, I'll show you a landscape completely different from the present, and let you enter an entirely new realm."
"A completely new... realm?"
"Yes. For the world's greatest scientist to be confined to such a small patch of land, don't you think—"
"—it's too pitiful?"
Vegapunk's pupils dilated, and a few drops of cold sweat even trickled down his forehead.
No one had ever called him pitiful before.
This guy...
Just who is he?
However, it was undeniable that an impulse was indeed surging within his heart.
Follow him!
If he followed him, perhaps he could see many things he couldn't have imagined in the past.
"I—"
Before Vegapunk even realized it, those words had already left his mouth.
"I'll go with you."
"I look forward to a pleasant cooperation, Dr. Vegapunk," Beltz smiled. "Now, let's leave."
"Wait!"
Vegapunk hurriedly said, "Are you just going to leave like this? There are quite a few of Lu Feld's men outside. I don't know how you got in, but Lu Feld won't let me leave so easily."
"Don't worry, Doctor. Ants cannot see dragons." Beltz opened the door and walked out quite openly.
Lu Feld's guards were standing right outside the door, yet they seemed to ignore him entirely.
Is it a Devil Fruit ability?
Seeing this bizarre scene, Vegapunk couldn't help but be surprised.
What Devil Fruit is this?
Vegapunk was someone who had read the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, but for a moment, he couldn't think of which Devil Fruit Beltz was using.
Meanwhile, Beltz stood in the crowded corridor, completely unconcerned by the others, waiting for him at the doorway.
"W-Wait for me!"
Vegapunk hurriedly packed up the things he wanted to take with him.
Well, he would just go with him!
Although he had considered the World Government before, to be honest, he hadn't made up his mind.
After all, they all knew exactly what kind of lot the World Government was.
So, while the World Government wasn't a good comparison yet, between Lu Feld and Beltz, he felt that following Beltz would be the right choice.
At the very least, Beltz was currently richer than Lu Feld!
Vegapunk didn't take too many things; he only packed the inspirations he had come up with during the few days of the meeting into a bundle, then quickly followed Beltz out.
The guards, who were originally there to both protect and watch him, completely ignored him at this moment as well. He and Beltz walked out of the building as openly as if they were invisible!
"What kind of Devil Fruit ability is this? I recall it being said that you could turn into a dragon? You ate the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan Type, Azure Dragon Model, right?"
Vegapunk had doubts in his heart, so he asked directly. "This isn't a Devil Fruit ability, but a 'Schrift.' You'll find out in the future."
After leading Vegapunk out, Beltz took him to the hotel where he and Rukia had been staying. He opened the door but didn't see Rukia.
"Are you still staying here?" Seeing that Beltz had actually gone to a hotel, Vegapunk said, "Once Lu Feld discovers I'm missing, he will definitely conduct a massive search."
"Well, I still have one thing to take care of. Once that's done, I'll take you to Wano."
"Wano?" Vegapunk was puzzled again. "What are you going to the Land of Samurai for?"
"Because the legendary ancient weapons are there."
"ancient weapons?!" Vegapunk's eyes widened again. In the short time he had been in contact with Beltz, he had already been surprised beyond measure.
What nonsense is this guy talking about?
But seeing Beltz's certain expression, it didn't seem like he was lying.
Wait, the Beltz introduced by Dr. Clover, could it be—"
Is this guy also researching the Void Century?
His heart throbbed wildly.
Researching the Void Century was a crime among crimes. This guy really was bold and unafraid of death.
However, precisely because of this, following this guy might truly allow him to witness a landscape different from the past.
"By the way, you'd better make a list of the things you need during this time. On the way to Wano, we'll try to buy as much as possible."
Beltz was carrying some money with him.
He had opened up a space within his own shadow and stuffed those treasure chests inside.
However, the difficulty of opening a space in a building versus in a human body's shadow was entirely different.
He had only started this operation after obtaining his Schrift and becoming part of the Sternritter.
The space in his shadow was currently only about the size of a storage box. Hiding things normally was fine, but fitting a person would be a bit difficult.
That was why he hadn't hidden Vegapunk in his shadow, but only packed some gold, silver, and treasures.
He had about twenty billion berries in his shadow, which should be enough for Vegapunk's initial startup capital.
He told Vegapunk to stay at the hotel first while he went to find Rukia and Golden Lion Shiki.
After all, they would be leaving after finding Golden Lion Shiki, so he had to tell Rukia first.
Rukia was strolling through the streets. Looking at the scenery so different from Soul Society, she was somewhat reluctant to leave.
"When there's time, I'll take you to even more interesting places."
Seeing Rukia like this, Beltz walked over and spoke.
Rukia was startled and jumped, only breathing a sigh of relief when she turned around and saw it was Beltz.
"Are you a cat? How can you walk without making a sound?"
Rukia patted her chest and added, "Is your business finished?"
"One more thing to go. Once that's over, we'll leave immediately."
Beltz said solemnly, "Come, just looking at this bright side isn't enough. I'll take you to witness the darkness of this world."
"Darkness?"
Rukia followed Beltz as he walked in the opposite direction.
Beltz had already sensed Golden Lion Shiki's presence earlier.
In terms of sensing presence, One Piece couldn't compare to the world of Bleach.
Although the world of Bleach also had something like Observation Haki, that was mainly for application in battle.
But Reiatsu sensing in the world of Bleach was a specialized ability for locating people.
Especially for Quincies who were skilled in Reishi manipulation, their sensing of Reiatsu was even stronger.
Golden Lion Shiki's presence was so powerful and obvious that Beltz could feel it even from a great distance.
Golden Lion Shiki hadn't actually made a name for that nickname yet; currently, people more often called him 'Underworld Shiki'.
For 'Underworld Shiki' to have this title, he naturally had an inseparable connection with the Underworld.
In this Lawless Zone, many industries were related to the Underworld, so it wasn't strange for Shiki to appear in the Lawless Zone of Sabaody.
And so, Beltz led Rukia into this area.
"Who are we looking for?"
Seeing that the scenery in this area was completely different from the previous Bubble Park, Rukia said, "This place gives me a—"
"—very uncomfortable feeling."
"It's right to feel uncomfortable. Look ahead."
?
Rukia looked ahead. At first, it was just a normal street, but she soon saw the crowd ahead quickly scattering, lining up on both sides, and then kneeling down!
"What are they doing?"
"A World Noble is coming," Beltz said. "World Noble?" Rukia frowned, but soon understood.
Nobles also existed in Soul Society; she herself was the adopted child of the Kuchiki family, one of the Five Great Noble Families standing at the peak of all nobility.
The Five Great Noble Families held a transcendent status in Soul Society, and ordinary Shinigami didn't even have the qualification to contact them.
To have normal contact with the Five Great Noble Families, one had to at least be an adjutant.
It seemed the nobles of this world were even more arrogant, even demanding that others kneel in worship.
And what surprised her was yet to come. She saw a man slowly appear, crawling on all fours. The man was covered in wounds, but he was still struggling to crawl on the ground.
And on top of his body, there was actually another person!
This person had something like a fishbowl on his head and was exceptionally hideous. He was riding as if on a horse, even using a leash to tether the man beneath him!
He was actually using a human being as a mount?!
And there were many people in black around them, acting like his guards!
Rukia was shocked. "He, what is he doing?!"
"That is a Celestial Dragon and his slave."
Beltz said softly, "The power of the World Nobles in this world is just that immense. Let's avoid them for now."
Beltz pulled Rukia into a side alley. Leaning into the shadows, he said, "The man beneath him is his slave. Although the slave trade is nominally prohibited, as World Nobles, they can stand above all laws. Forget about buying slaves; even if they kill someone, they don't need to take any responsibility."
"This, this is too much." Rukia found it somewhat hard to accept. Although the nobles of the world of Bleach were already quite rampant, compared to the Celestial Dragon before her, they were simply like gentle little lambs!
This world actually had such unreasonable World Nobles?!
And even had slaves!
Killing without breaking the law?!
☰