Pirate: My Piltover technology is far ahead!

Chapter 24 Mental Victory and Conditions

"Mr. Siddi Lier, as the director of the MADS Institute, I formally invite you to join us. I believe that the environment in this country will only limit your talents. Only by stepping out of these limitations can you better realize your ambitions."

Vegapunk extended the invitation very sincerely, but as he spoke, his tongue drooped down like a tie. Besides his unusually large head, his long tongue was also a distinctive feature.

Vegapunk is currently in his prime, and his tongue can still retract when he's not speaking. But when he gets older, his tongue will truly become an external ornament, just like a tie.

At this time, there were few people on the beach of the Kingdom of Sorbe. The local residents had long since gone home to rest. The sounds carried far in the quiet sea breeze, and Judge and Quinn, exhausted and lying on the beach, were no exception.

Upon hearing Vegapunk's words, before Oran could say anything, the two of them jumped up first.

"Vegapunk! What are you talking about?! You actually invited him?"

"That robot just beat us up, didn't you see?"

The resentment within them seemed to have restored their strength, but Vegapunk paid no attention to it.

"Doesn't this further demonstrate that Sidi Lir's technology is superior to yours?"

MADS does not explicitly prohibit internal competition, but the comparison method relies on one's own technological products, and winning can prove that one's technology is superior.

Judge and Queen have often fought, but this time they were both taken down by Blitz.

Vegapunk's words struck them like a hammer blow; what they found most unacceptable was admitting that their skills were inferior to others.

"If you're not satisfied, then build one just like it. If you can do it, I'll give you a share of my research funding. Want to give it a try?"

Du Field's sponsorship is substantial, but the total amount is fixed and no additional money is given as the number of people increases. Therefore, in essence, the fewer people there are in the institute, the more funds they can personally access.

It doesn't matter to ordinary researchers; those people are just assistants and can't touch their funds. But Vegapunk personally invited him to join, which clearly shows that he values ​​the other's abilities. If Oran officially joins, a portion of their operating funds will definitely be taken away.

That's why they used this method to oppose it, but Vegapunk's reasons left them with nothing to say.

"Vegapunk, remember that: there are two of us!"

After a moment of negativity, Quinn seemed to have thought of something and then looked at Judge beside him.

"Judge, let's team up first. If we join forces, we're sure to surpass these guys. We'll split the budget in half!"

"I agree. Let's join forces first. Let's start now. If all else fails, we can bring Caesar into the mix too."

"Hahaha, you're quite clever now. Even though that piece of trash Caesar will take a share, as long as we can defeat Vegapunk and the guy he's got his eye on, it'll all be worth it!"

The two supported each other as they walked towards MADS' research ship, laughing loudly.

Judge and Queen have even convinced themselves on a mental level, and judging from their current performance, they seem to have already won.

"Blitz, I think we should find a chance to beat them up again. They haven't learned their lesson at all."

This guy actually thinks he's better than Oran.

"Blitz agrees with you, but that needs to be justified."

Kate and Blitz, who were smoking fish not far away, witnessed all of this and even began to plan their next move. Meanwhile, Vegapunk's eyes were also fixed on Blitz.

This robot, which so closely resembles human thinking, made him increasingly curious.

"Well, Mr. Siddiel Oran, I'm very serious."

"What can I gain by joining you?"

Oran was not opposed to joining the research group, as it would be of great help to him. The readily available high-quality ships and the research assistants with qualified basic knowledge were already a great help.

Moreover, MADS' research projects involve one of the most mysterious things on the sea - lineage factors.

Now that they've come to this vast ocean, Oran certainly won't give up on researching these kinds of things. It's always better to have something to learn from than to start from scratch.

"We can explore new ideas together regarding funding, materials, and equipment. Your robot seems to have a very ingenious way of being powered. What if we could scale it up?"

The organization's goal is to contribute to peace. The world's conflicts originate from the struggle for resources. So, if there were an endless source of energy, would people be able to put aside their conflicts?

Ah, I've said too much without realizing it. This is my personal goal, so please don't mind it.

"It's a good goal, but not very realistic. Human ambitions can expand infinitely. Once you start, you won't stop. Even if you create this energy for the world, someone else will have even bigger ambitions."

"How will you know if it's right or wrong if you don't try?"

Neither Oran nor Vegapunk criticized the other's ideas; they simply offered suggestions from their personal perspectives because they both knew that it was a difference in ideology.

Vegapunk offered all the conditions that Oran needed. The Sorbet Kingdom could not provide Oran with huge sums of money, nor did it have the means to find research materials. Devil Fruits may seem common, but they are quite rare in the context of the entire ocean.

Even unknown Devil Fruits with unclear names can fetch at least 100 million Berries, and only powerful forces can possess them.

Although he had considered joining, Vegapunk took the initiative to extend an invitation, and Oran also planned to take this opportunity to offer more conditions.

"No one else can interfere with my research; I need an independent research lab and sufficient funding."

"That's only natural. The robots you've built have already demonstrated your skill level, but the specific amount will depend on the donors."

Vegapunk considered this a trivial matter, rather than a reasonable demand.

"Secondly, I need Devil Fruits for research purposes, any type."

The Kingdom of Sorbe has no way to find it, but Oran believes MADS has the means to do so.

"This is one of our research projects, and it's not a problem. However, if you want to use a single fruit, we need to discuss the situation together, since this kind of resource is not abundant."

Vegapunk agreed to both conditions without much thought, or rather, in Vegapunk's view, they were not difficult conditions at all.

"There's one last thing, I need an operating room."

An operating room that meets hygiene standards, is fully equipped, and has sufficient medical staff.

(End of this chapter)