On the shores of Réunion Island, gentle waves lapped at the coast. Leo stood in the sea, water slowly rising around him, while Dr. Vegapunk stood on the beach, holding a notebook and stopwatch, taking notes.
The water receded from Leo's body, revealing the black-gray armor encasing him from head to toe—his personal weapon: Sea-Prism Stone Mecha Type 1.
"After 35 seconds, the transformation speed increases by 20%. Ready? Let's test the energy system first," Vegapunk shouted to Leo in the distance.
The mecha raised its arm, and a loud splash erupted as water sprayed from beneath its feet. A powerful thrust propelled the Sea-Prism Stone Mecha like a streak of black lightning, its speed far surpassing the Navy's Sixth-Generation "Razor" model.
The armored man kicked off the water alternately with his legs, each step sending splashes flying. In the blink of an eye, he had traversed more than ten nautical miles. As he prepared to return to the shore, Leo's speed gradually slowed, finally coming to a stable stop in front of Vegapunk.
"Not bad—45 meters per second, nearly equivalent to a level 15 wind. Ordinary people would find it impossible to track your movements with the naked eye. Even those with Observation Haki would struggle to perceive your reactions. Next, we'll test your weapon."
Leo nodded slightly, raising his right hand and pointing toward the distant sea. A cross-shaped emitter in his palm glowed. After charging for five seconds, a beam as thick as a baby's arm shot out. The blue laser vaporized the water along its path and struck a small boat a kilometer away.
Upon impact, a shockwave radiated outward, and a crater over 50 meters wide formed in the sea. All the water inside had evaporated, and the boat was reduced to ashes.
Vegapunk recorded the weapon's power on his paper, then heard Leo say, "Doctor, find somewhere to hide. I want to test my new ability."
Leo raised both hands, forming a massive water sphere over 20 meters in diameter, hollow in the center. He compressed the sphere, and his Sea-Prism Stone armor gradually vanished. Concentrating all the Sea-Prism Stone factors into the sphere, he increased the water's density, ensuring no air could escape.
The sphere was compressed to fit between his palms, emitting a dazzling blue glow. Leo's new skill mimicked the impact force of a bear, based on compressed-air explosions.
A small blue water sphere flew from his palm, drifting away. Two nautical miles later, it brightened intensely, blinding everything in Leo's line of sight.
Another loud explosion followed, the shockwave pushing seawater toward Réunion Island's beach. The blast lasted ten seconds before gradually dissipating.
After a brief moment of blindness, Leo opened his eyes to a shocking sight. The nearby shallow coast had been devastated, and it took time for the sea to return to its normal level. Trees were blown in all directions, and even smaller rocks were shattered. Leo inhaled sharply, unable to hide his awe—this was terrifying.
Meanwhile, Vegapunk emerged from behind a distant reef, spitting out sand and cursing, "Ugh, what are you doing, you little brat?"
"Don't get obsessed with high-damage weapons. We must respect life more," Vegapunk scolded Leo.
…
Leo had been at MADS for nearly a year. Vegapunk had even celebrated Leo's 11th birthday with him, gifting him a Porcupine Gun. Leo had long wanted it, and now he happily strapped it to his waist alongside Susanna's dagger.
After his birthday, life returned to normal. Even with the success of the Sea-Prism Stone armor experiment, Leo continued his daily water-control training. He was determined to master instant Sea-Prism Stone conversion.
During this period, all of Leo's work revolved around Vegapunk and Judge, as their research on bloodline factors was nearing completion.
But as the project neared its end, Leo grew increasingly uneasy. In the original timeline, MADS was declared illegal by the World Government due to its completion of bloodline-limit research. Vegapunk would become a government prisoner, forced to work for them and lose all personal freedom.
Leo, having already regarded Vegapunk as his teacher, could not bear to see him face such a fate. Secretly, he constructed a small submarine. Using the submarine and his Devil Fruit powers, he was confident he could escape with Vegapunk.
Later, Leo noticed Stussy's movements had become mysterious. Fearing she might be a World Government spy, he decided he could not wait any longer and approached Vegapunk in secret.
"Doctor, I need to discuss something important with you."
Vegapunk didn't even look up, continuing his experiment. "What can you do? Have you finished today's homework?"
"Doctor, do you know Stussy? I feel something is off about her."
"She's always been like that. Don't worry about her," Vegapunk replied casually.
Leo, determined, pressed further: "Doctor, Stussy may be a CP0 agent. She might be waiting for you to complete the bloodline-limit research so she can seize it. It's too dangerous for you to stay here. I've secretly built a small submarine. We can escape before she finds us."
Vegapunk continued his experiments for a while before finally saying: "You're not easily fooled, are you? Never mind. Those things don't matter. I will never leave. Don't think bloodline factors are simple. The current progress is just the tip of the iceberg. Only that fool Judge believes this is all about bloodline factors. I suspect Stussy works for the government. Haha, even if they capture me, so what? They can't kill me—they'll need me to keep developing technology, which I can use to my advantage."
Leo was stunned: "Doctor, you don't have to give up your freedom to continue your research. I—"
"Don't bother. Being caught by the World Government was part of my plan long ago. Without a world-class team, my dream could never succeed."
"You better think about retreating, kid. You were just a minor character, but now you've developed laser weapons and WMDs—that's why Stussy wants you."
Vegapunk sighed: "The first stage of the bloodline-factor experiment is nearly complete. You'll stay with me during this time. Any ship within 200 nautical miles cannot escape my surveillance. If the government attacks MADS, I'll send you away."
Leo watched Vegapunk busily at work, speechless. Even now, the doctor thought of him, and Leo was deeply moved.
Finally, the bloodline-limit transfer experiment reached its last stage. The group gathered in Vegapunk's lab, staring at a blue Devil Fruit. Unlike normal fruits, this one's cloud-like patterns marked it as special.
In front of everyone, Vegapunk fed the artificial Devil Fruit to a small mouse. Moments later, wings sprouted from its back.
"Hahaha! It's finally complete!" Judge laughed maniacally, his ambitions realized.
Caesar and Queen were astonished by the experiment's success. Caesar eagerly wanted Vegapunk's notes, while Stussy quietly reached behind her back. Each had their own secret motives.
"Currently, the experimental subject isn't stable enough. We need to observe it for a week. If it survives without collapsing and can use Devil Fruit powers, the bloodline-limit transfer experiment is a success. Everyone, please be patient," Vegapunk concluded.
Everyone agreed and left the lab. But Leo had already noticed that each person's intentions were different.
Afterward, Vegapunk grabbed Leo's sleeve and led him to the inner warehouse. Once inside, a steel door closed behind them.
"Listen carefully, kid. There's a passage leading to the sea floor. You can use your little toy to escape. You have four hours at most. Avoid any World Government ships, and you'll be free. Don't thank me—consider it repayment for all you've done for Baltimore."
"That box over there is also a gift. If you have the chance, build a real robot yourself. Don't always rely on your Devil Fruit powers—that's not cool, you know?" Vegapunk said, opening the warehouse door and walking away without looking back.
The door slowly closed. Leo stared at Vegapunk's back and bowed deeply. "Teacher, take care. I swear I will set you free. I promise!"
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