Chapter 174: Buckingham, Swift Departure and Third Side
Chapter 174: Buckingham, Swift Departure and Third Side
_________ POV Narration _________
"While Shaka is handling that, I do have a few questions for you..." Enel said as he clapped his hands with a smile on his face.
"... Well, I guess we do still have a few minutes," Vegapunk said as he rubbed his moustache for a few seconds.
"It's in relation to the person called 'Stussy'. I believe she was the Queen of the Pleasure District a while back..."
"Hmm... A government agent. What of her?" Vegapunk seemed to raise an eyebrow, looking a bit confused.
"She was the one to direct me to you... I also couldn't help but hear about yet another 'Stussy' that used to work with you, a former member of the Rocks Crew..."
Enel quickly got to the point, wanting to at least get some answers before having to fly away.
"... So she sent you here? I guess she didn't get around to telling me... Not that contact between us is all that convenient." Vegapunk slowly shook his head before looking Enel in the eye.
"..." Enel just raised an eyebrow when hearing that. 'So it this 'Stussy' also an ally?'
"Stussy, the government agent currently supervising Warlord Buggy is an ally of mine." Vegapunk nodded as if he had heard Enel's thoughts.
"To be more exact, the Stussy you spoke to is the clone of 'Buckingham Stussy', the member of the former Rocks Pirates."
"So she's a clone you created?..." Vegapunk's answers only seemed to raise more questions for the Lightning Emperor.
"Well, I wasn't alone, she was created by the MADS, and is the first successful clone ever created." The main body of Vegapunk didn't seem to want to hold out on any details.
He explained in rather quick terms that 'Stussy' masquerading as a government agent was the masterpiece of the MADS, and that it had helped them perfect their research into cloning.
Buckingham Stussy herself was interested in cloning technology for her own reasons though, unfortunately, Vegapunk didn't know what her reasons were...
But he was able to confirm that Stussy was indeed obsessed with Whitebeard, even raising an eyebrow when hearing Enel mention that.
"Obsessed would be putting it lightly... She was beyond insane when it came to that man, and he barely paid her any attention..." Vegapunk chuckled a bit when remembering that.
"That's a bit odd... Whitebeard was always searching for a family, wouldn't he be interested in starting his own?" Enel also smiled a bit as he spoke out, remembering the dream of Edward Newgate, a dream that had nothing to do at all with piracy.
It was the simple dream of a man with a rocky start and a big heart. And he had already achieved it, creating a large family, possibly the largest in the world, yet filled with love and care.
"Hmm... I don't know much about Whitebeard personally... But I do know that he never considered any of the former Rocks Members people he wanted near his crew, which he views as his family.
I'm sure there were exceptions, but Stussy was not one of them..."
Vegapunk rubbed his chin as he tried to search his memory for any other details he may have missed out.
Alas, there wasn't much else he could add, as he hadn't seen Stussy in decades.
"That's about all I can tell you really... Regarding Whitebeard and Stussy, you may want to ask them about it personally.
And in regards to cloning, I know that Vinsmoke has used cloning technology further in creating an army, I don't know much about the whereabouts of the other members of the MADS..."
Vegapunk ended up sighing as he finished talking about that subject.
"That's fine... Still find it difficult to understand how you managed to make Stussy's clone into an agent. Wouldn't she be well known if she was part of the rocks pirates?"
Enel still seemed to have quite a few questions for the old man.
"... You'd be surprised just how many former members of the Rocks are still going around in the world.
It was a rather large crew if you count the number of pirates that Xebec had subjugated, it was a grand fleet, unmatched at the time." Vegapunk simply shook his head.
It was impossible for the government to keep track of all of the members of the Rocks Pirates, they only remembered the ones that had fought alongside Xebec, or the strongest members of the crew.
People that didn't participate in fighting often were simply forgotten after their records were erased from history.
The government didn't even put that much of an emphasis on them, as they failed to perceive them as threats.
The more Enel thought about it, the more it made sense. It was yet another example of their negligence.
Just like how they had failed to kill Francisco and had forgotten him in the depths of Impel Down. Or how they had failed to kill many of the people trapped in the lowest levels of Impel Down...
'I guess Kureha and Stussy being able to live normally shouldn't be all that surprising when you put it like that...'
"I understand, so you're saying some people slipped through the cracks... I appreciate the information, I'll also have to look into it at some point."
Enel then slowly stood up, as he felt Shaka already finishing up 'packaging' the container that held Kuma's memories.
Vegapunk's main body just nodded before Enel turned around and started leaving towards the container.
Before he left, he stopped and looked back, tilting his head slightly as he did so.
"One last question..." The Emperor's voice sounded calm, but also curious.
"Have you also been researching cloning? I can sense a few interesting things on this island..."
Vegapunk narrowed his eyes and looked at the emperor with a calm smile on his lips.
"Of course... My main project right now is related to cloning... I'm sure you will find it intriguing as well." The Scientist chuckled a bit as he didn't bother to hold any details back.
Enel didn't know much about what Vegapunk was researching, he thought the mad scientist would still be perfecting the Pacifistas at that stage, but it seemed like he had other plans.
He sensed many different things on Eggshell Island, he could feel many containers with many 'embryos' in them.
'If I were to wager a guess... He's cloning powerful people. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what exactly he has in mind.
Knowing he is not loyal to the World Government already gives me enough assurance.'
"Got it... I'll be looking forward to it." Enel nodded before turning into a flash of lightning and disappearing from the room.
Enel's next interaction with Shaka was not that long either, it was just the Sattelite informing him of how to transport the container safely, and giving him some information on how Kuma's fruit worked.
Shaka did make sure to give Enel a piece of advice, or a warning...
"Keep in mind... Kuma right now is a shell of his former self. You will force his memories back into him, and with that, you will also force all of his pain and hardship back into him.
It will be like torture, for him to relieve all of the hardship and pain he had gone through all in one moment."
Enel scowled a bit when hearing that. 'So it's not going to be that simple, huh?'
"But..." Shaka continued, turning and looking up at Enel's face. "Kuma is strong, if there's anyone out there strong enough to overcome this then it is him... I hope to hear only good things from you."
Enel ended up just nodding and leaving quickly, turning his ship into a large warship, and carrying the container within layers of Aluminum and the other materials that had been moulded into his staff.
His ship flew quickly leaving the range of Eggshell Island just as the lights and mechanisms on the island seemed to start working once more.
'The World Government will definitely have their suspicions about this meeting... Especially since I approached the island carelessly at first.
But there's not much they can do, Vegapunk is far too valuable for them to discard anyway.'
The Emperor ended up just shaking his head and looking at the horizon.
"Another Journey huh... At least I got to sleep a bit before starting it..."
And just like that, Enel had started his journey back to the Sky Islands, flying far above the clouds.
While he flew... Not that far from him someone else was having a bit of trouble...
Kaido, the large Dragon Emperor had just arrived back to Wano, sporting a new set of scars that seemed to scare his subordinates.
He was mad both at himself and at how things had developed.
Kaido at some points thought that only the likes of Joyboy would be able to kill him... But now the world had shifted. Things had changed.
But there was no time for contemplation and complaints. Kaido was now faced with a rather existential crisis.
'A war is nigh. It doesn't seem to be an equal war...
I just can't wrap my mind around the World Government contending with the Army that Enel has gathered already... It honestly makes the Rocks Pirates of old look like an insignificant threat...'
Kaido knew that he only had so many choices left. He could either choose to join a side of the war. The only viable side for him to choose would be Enel's... But he didn't want that.
Thankfully there was the option of creating his own side, a third party that could join the war later, and reap the benefits.
And he knew just the people to ask... Well, he had plenty of options to choose from, but he decided to take a rather interesting approach.
"King... Queen..." The Emperor called out to his two most trusted men. The only two living members of the 'Three Stars'.
The two men bowed slightly as they entered the room, showing their respect for the presence of the emperor that had reduced them from the Sky Islands.
"I want the two of you to contact several people... Including Red Haired Shanks, Whitebeard and Big Mom... It is time we unified the New World..."
The two men bowed once more.
"Of course, Lord Kaido... We will see to it right away."
'It's about time someone else shakes up the scenery... If the other emperors come together, then we will be able to subjugate all of the other pirates in the new world quickly.'
Kaido quickly planned out his journey, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that there was a high chance the other emperors already had their own plans.
He also knew that Whitebeard was likely already working with Enel. And he also had his suspicions about Big Mom... But he had to take his chances.
'Worst case scenario... I will have to personally sail the seas and unite the Pirates of the New World under my mantle...
If I can't get the other Emperors to join me then I'll at least make sure they won't oppose me...'
The Dragon Emperor cackled madly as he picked up a barrel of Sake and started ordering his men to look into different pirate crews and organisations.
'The sooner I start the better... I won't be the one left in the dust in this race... Even if I die... I'd much rather die gloriously in the war, fighting for myself and no one else...'
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Hope you liked the chapter!
Sorry about yesterday again. Honestly, I thought that having more free time would allow me to write more, but I guess creativity and inspiration replenish slowly :))
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