Kael's gaze moved away from old Vegapunk and landed on Mihawk, who was leaning against a tree trunk like everything had nothing to do with him.
"Since the boss has already made his contribution, the subordinate cannot just stand there doing nothing, right?"
Kael's face wore a gentle, harmless smile as he walked toward Mihawk.
Mihawk's sharp hawk eyes opened, and the corner of his eye twitched very slightly.
From that smile, he read one thing.
Bad intentions.
"Relax, little hawk." Kael patted his shoulder like an old friend. "Just one drop. Quick. Does not hurt."
Mihawk: "…"
He did not resist, but that cold, handsome face of his now held a very clear, very silent resentment.
Kael ignored the accusing look in his eyes. His movements were clean and efficient as he drew a single drop of blood, lifting it into the air in the same floating bead as before and handing it to the already eager Vegapunk.
"Here you go, Doctor. This one as well."
Vegapunk took the second test tube, and a stream of data-like light flickered behind his lenses.
"Mr. Mihawk's bloodline factor… his dynamic vision and swordsmanship talent, if combined with Lunarian genetics… incredible. This would be a perfect swordsman."
Watching the scientist sink into another wave of mad imagination, Kael nodded, very satisfied.
"Right, old Veg. I have another antique here and I would like you to give it a little makeover."
As he spoke, Kael's right hand moved to his waist and formed a motion like drawing a gun.
The air around his hand twisted with rippling light, like shattered mirrors rearranging themselves. When the distortion faded, a gorgeously crafted flintlock pistol appeared in his hand.
The body of the gun was carved from gold and ivory, etched with intricate patterns.
It was none other than Roger's pistol, "Ace".
"This gun followed Roger." Kael weighed it in his hand, sounding a little disgusted. "But in his hands, most of the time it was just a glorified lighter. Occasionally, he used it to shoot some unlucky seagull for roast bird."
In this world ruled by blades, firearms really were in an awkward position.
Vegapunk adjusted his glasses. He recognized the historical value of the gun at a glance, but what really interested him was Kael's idea.
"If possible, I want to change how it fires. For example… electromagnetic launch or something. My ability happens to be perfect for that."
Kael laid out his thought, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Special seastone bullets, wrapped in advanced Haki, then accelerated to ridiculous speeds via an electromagnetic rail… Think you can react to that, my dear logia bros?
A happy expression crept onto his face.
No moving, Devil Fruit users.
Too tired of chasing people down with a blade? Just lock onto some unlucky soul's aura from a hundred kilometers away, then… pew.
One seastone sniper shot later, and no matter what kind of logia or mythical zoan you are, you will be dazed.
Being a sneaky bastard is much more efficient than sprinting around with a sword all day.
"Electromagnetic launch. Subarashii!" Vegapunk got even more excited than Kael. His massive head leaned in.
"That idea is brilliant. We can install a miniature Ark Maxim energy core, then integrate an adaptive trajectory prediction system, use beta particles for energy amplification, and perhaps even…"
A string of terms Kael did not understand poured out of Vegapunk's mouth.
"Ah… ahaha." Kael quickly raised his hand to cut him off. "Doctor, everything you said is correct. That was exactly what I was thinking. Anyway, as long as you are the one handling it, I am at ease. Just make it as strong as possible and as effortless as possible."
Pretend to understand and kick the ball to the professional. This was Kael's signature play.
Vegapunk's excitement cooled slightly. He pushed up his glasses, a trace of difficulty appearing on his face.
"However, Kael-san… Whether it is developing the clones or fully modifying this weapon, both require enormous funding and a completely independent laboratory. The budget the World Government allocates to me… you know how many eyes are on that money."
The air quieted.
This was reality. No matter how great the vision, it still needed money as the foundation.
Even the best cook cannot make a meal without rice. With rice though, a clever cook can make miracles.
Dragon opened his mouth, then closed it again.
The Revolutionary Army itself was scraping by, barely surviving. There was no way they could fund research of this scale.
Kael, however, fell silent for a moment, and an image of Karon's sharp jawline flashed through his mind, along with that stack of financial statements as thick as a brick.
The entertainment and gambling rings in Sabaody's underworld, funeral services, special "hospitality" businesses, transport agencies, arms brokerage… That business prodigy Karon had already turned these grey industries into a terrifying money-printing machine.
Every day, astronomical amounts of berries flowed into Kael's vault.
Thinking of this, the corner of Kael's mouth curved into a subtle smile.
He lifted his head, looked first at the hopeful Vegapunk, then at Dragon, who clearly felt torn.
"Money?"
He uttered the word lightly, as if it was nothing but a breeze.
"Money is the easiest problem to solve in this world."
He mimicked a certain entrepreneur from his previous life, spread his hands, and put on a sincere expression.
"I am actually… not that interested in berries."
Vegapunk: "?"
Dragon: "?"
Mihawk's hand, which had been quietly wiping his black sword, paused for half a second.
"Doctor, just focus on your research." Kael's tone turned grand and bold, like the protagonist of some rich-tycoon story.
"Laboratory, equipment, materials, personnel… all expenses, I will cover them. I will have my steward open you an account with no limit. All you need to do is turn those ideas into reality."
When he finished, he turned to Dragon, who had remained silent the whole time.
"And you too, little Dragon."
Dragon's head snapped up, his eyes full of disbelief.
"Revolution is not a dinner party. Without money, you cannot take a single step." Kael met his gaze, eyes calm.
"Awakening the people, building bases, buying weapons, gathering intelligence, which one of those does not cost money?"
"What you are doing now is the most expensive, and also the greatest cause in the world."
"So do not be polite with me."
Kael's voice echoed across the ruins around the lake, clear and steady.
"Name your price. I am investing in your revolution."
On the opposite shore, the giants were still hauling books from the lake, while a deal that could change the future of the world was quietly sealed in just a few casual lines of conversation.
Dragon's heart was pounding. He stared at Kael's easy smile and, for a moment, could not find the words to respond.
Just like that, a pirate whose name shook the Grand Line casually cemented a partnership with the leader of the Revolutionary Army and the world's greatest scientist.
Of course, no matter how hard Karon squeezed his numbers, the output from that tiny patch of Sabaody soil would eventually hit a ceiling.
It was time to expand.
Karon was already overseeing countless fronts and could not be everywhere at once. Besides, his own style leaned toward being the clean "white glove".
So where could they find the perfect "black glove", someone born to rule the grey and black markets of the underworld?
Ah, what a hard riddle.
Right, Doffy?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to add this story to your Library, drop a review, and leave a Power Stone if you enjoyed it!
If you're itching to see what happens next, check out the advanced chapters on my Patron!
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"