Pirate: My Piltover technology is far ahead!

Chapter 401 The Scammed Middle-Aged and Elderly Women, Vegapunk in Action

After his escape, Caesar began his life of wandering.

A bounty of 300 million Berries is a rare sight even in the pirate world. In Morgans' report, he is described as a "weak scientist," so naturally many people are eyeing Caesar's head.

Some wanted his head for the bounty, while others coveted the wisdom within Caesar's mind.

In the original timeline, he would have been taken away by Doflamingo to help him produce artificial Devil Fruits.

Although it's a low-grade item, it's still the only thing resembling a Zoan-type Devil Fruit that can be found on the high seas.

Doflamingo also successfully made contact with Kaido using those items.

Doflamingo's status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea provided him with protection. Caesar helped Doflamingo make money and, incidentally, swindled money from others. The two of them successfully colluded.

Everything is different now. Doflamingo has long since gone on his journey to the underworld, and Caesar is now alone in exile in the New World.

It was dangerous here, but the World Government and the Navy had far fewer henchmen, which allowed Caesar to survive.

Logia-type Devil Fruit users aren't invincible in the New World, but thanks to the Gas-Gas Fruit's ability to fly, Caesar is relatively safe, though this safety doesn't last long.

"Caesar Courant, I've been looking for you for a long time. My mother ordered me to 'invite' you to see her. Please cooperate with me and don't put me in a difficult position."

"What Caesar Courant? Who is Caesar Courant? You've got the wrong person. I'm not Caesar Courant."

Hearing someone call his name from behind, Caesar Cullen didn't even turn his head, immediately transforming into his elemental form and flying into the air.

But before he could fly two meters, his face made intimate contact with the ground.

"I said your mother wants to see you, Caesar Courant, and you have no right to refuse."

After being pulled back to the ground, a heavy boot landed ruthlessly on Caesar's back, its powerful aura making it impossible for him to shake off.

"Ahem, I had too much to drink earlier. Now I remember, I am indeed Caesar Courland. May I ask what brings you here?"

"That's Mom's business. All I need to do is take you there."

Aside from swindling funding, Caesar's greatest characteristic was his ability to bend and stretch, or to put it bluntly, shamelessness, and a fierce exterior but a cowardly heart.

They usually act all high and mighty, but they turn into spineless cowards the moment danger strikes.

Especially after seeing that the person who captured him was Katakuri of the Big Mom Pirates, he immediately lost all thought of escaping.

Katakuri is now the second-in-command of the Big Mom Pirates, a crew known to everyone in the New World, alongside Marco.

Like the others, they were all the right-hand men of the Four Emperors, so Caesar naturally recognized them.

Aside from his tendency to overestimate his abilities, he is still quite intelligent.

However, Katakuri only invited him over without saying what he was going to do, which made Caesar very nervous and he didn't sleep well for several days.

"Well, well, Caesar Courland, I've been waiting for you for a long time. Did you have a pleasant journey?"

On Whole Cake Island, Charlotte Linlin sat on a throne made of cookies and candies. Compared to Katakuri, who had gone to fetch people, Charlotte Linlin was quite polite. During this time, a teapot even came over to pour tea for Caesar.

"It's...okay. May I ask what you want to see me about?"

Caesar took a cautious sip of his black tea, but still managed to ask the most crucial question. Even though Charlotte Linlin looked like a harmless old woman, Caesar knew her true nature.

Because of her wrath, many islands and forces have been destroyed, and the families of those who refuse her tea party invitation will also suffer misfortune. If you offend Charlotte Linlin, there is no hope of salvation.

"Don't be nervous. I heard you were a researcher at MADS, or even a core member?"

"Yes, and my abilities are second to none! If it weren't for the uneven distribution of resources, my achievements would be no less than those of Sidil and Vegapunk! They were just riding the wave of opportunity."

With such ample funding, my research will only become more impressive!

Hearing this, Caesar suddenly felt confident. Charlotte Linlin's words made it clear that she didn't want Caesar's head, but only his knowledge.

"Oh, really? Then turning ordinary people into giants must be a piece of cake for you."

"Of course... um... what did you say?"

Caesar scratched his ear, as if he thought he was hallucinating.

"I want to create my own race of giants in the world, and therefore I need your knowledge to help me accomplish this."

"That's really the right person. Actually, back in Punk Hazard, I was in charge of the project about the ancient giants."

You must have heard of the giant weapon in Sidiriel's hands. To be honest, that thing was originally a modified version of the ancient giants.

However, he didn't have the ability to replicate the ancient giants, so I had to take charge of this matter.

There were already quite a few finished products back then, and they've all been sold to Kaido. You can check it yourself if you don't believe me.

Caesar believed he had gained a position of equal exchange, and he became bolder in his speech. What he knew in the past became new bargaining chips for Caesar to deceive others.

Yes, Caesar is now figuring out how to commit fraud.

Fraud is a despicable word.

On this vast ocean, fraud is hardly a noteworthy event. Compared to things like war and pirate raids, swindling money is rather insignificant.

However, they don't just swindle money; they also take other people's lives and freedom.

Some of the reasons given for scams sound so outrageous that they're like the resurrection of Qin Shi Huang, making them seem obviously fake.

However, these scams always have a chance to succeed.

Because the first step some scammers take is to use somewhat exaggerated logic to exclude normal people.

Those who are willing to believe their nonsense are the targets of scams, and some of them even offer themselves up to them.

Just when Caesar was worried about running out of funds to swindle, Charlotte Linlin came knocking on his door, which was undoubtedly a great thing for him.

This is one of the reasons why Katakuri was so impolite before.

Since Charlotte Linlin issued this order, Katakuri has actually spoken with Lyriana by phone.

The answer was that such technology does not exist.

Therefore, Katakuri didn't really believe that Caesar Clown could do this.

Charlotte Linlin, however, refused to listen, her obsession with the giants having a profound impact on her, and she wouldn't heed even the advice of professionals.

Ultimately, Charlotte Linlin avoided all the right paths and ended up being scammed.

In Katakuri's eyes, Charlotte Linlin was like a mother who insisted on buying health supplements and ordered him to bring the person selling them back.

Katakuri couldn't stop Charlotte Linlin, so naturally he couldn't give Caesar a friendly look.

Charlotte Linlin believes that everyone has their own strengths, and if Caesar can do it, wouldn't his dream come true?

"So you were able to create a new race of giants, is that right?"

"Yes, but Punk Hazard was completely destroyed in the explosion, and its research data and other materials were burned to ashes."

I need a laboratory of the same size as Punk Hazard and sufficient funding, so that it will take about ten years to succeed...

"I'll figure out the lab problems, but I can't wait that long. I'll give you five years at most. If you haven't achieved anything by then, or if I find out you're lying to me..."

You will then understand that death is merely the simplest punishment! Caesar Courant!

A terrifying aura suddenly emanated from Charlotte Linlin's body, almost scaring Caesar Cullen out of his wits. But having already fooled him to this extent, Caesar had no way out and could only bite the bullet and continue the conversation.

"Labors of that size are hard to find; substandard labs won't do."

This was the perfect time for Caesar to time his attack; he was determined not to let Charlotte Linlin resolve the lab issues so quickly.

As Caesar's grand scheme of deception began, news of Punk Hazard's destruction also spread. Judge ignored this and instead began to lead his growing children into a mercenary business.

As Reiju and the others grew older, Germa's power began to revive. Although it lagged behind in the New World, it remained a top-tier force outside of it.

Quinn expressed skepticism, believing there was a high probability that Caesar had embezzled too much money and deliberately bombed the place to prevent evidence collection.

As for being wanted, that's a "minor matter".

Blowing up the lab would earn him a 300 million Berry bounty, and if his embezzlement of funds were exposed, he might be executed on the spot.

Vegapunk, who had experienced all that on the island, was indifferent to the matter. Instead, he summoned Oran, who was originally on Firefly Island, to the Eighth Research Institute of the Naval Science Class.

As the most powerful violent organization on the high seas, the Navy possesses numerous research institutes, and apart from Punk Hazard, the Eighth Research Institute has the best facilities.

According to the original timeline, this place will have a new name in the future, Egherd, which is Egghead Island, but it is not that special country yet.

The ordinary experimental personnel who were originally here have been evacuated. After all, the agreement that Vegapunk was incorporated into the organization included a certain degree of autonomy. After this island was allocated to him, it naturally had to be rebuilt before it could be put into use.

Only a small number of equipment maintenance personnel remain on the island, while Sentomaru stands outside the door with Kate as a bodyguard.

"So Vegapunk is on good terms with Borsalino now?"

"They're very good friends, it's not a secret, that's why I'm telling you. I'm the most discreet man in the world!"

"Okay, fine, I won't ask anymore."

Since there was nothing left to ask, Sentomaru, who was known as the world's most discreet man, had revealed everything he knew in just over ten minutes, even mentioning that Kizaru liked to eat ginger slices with his miso ramen.

Meanwhile, Oran, inside the house, raised his hand to signal Vegapunk, then took out the Probe Fruit. After being catalyzed by the alchemical potion, the fruit became much larger than the original, and its spread range was also much greater.

With a slight exertion of force from Oran's palm, the enormous fruit burst like a balloon, instantly filling the entire room with mysterious powder, which also adhered to some inconspicuous spots.

"Punk, your 'experiment' still isn't thorough enough. If you keep doing it like this, won't it explode again? You don't want to say goodbye to this new lab, do you?"

"Looks like I've been too busy lately, I even made such a small mistake..."

Looking at the few listening Den Den Mushi hidden in an inconspicuous place, Vegapunk understood what Oran meant.

Unlike Punk Hazard, this place was completely under the control of the World Government just a day before, and there are many places that have not been cleaned up. The listening devices left by the World Government are one example.

If some things are accidentally leaked out, then things could get complicated.

Afterwards, Oran and Vegapunk chatted about some trivial matters before finding a safe place.

If there's a sudden silence, it's a clear indication that we've discovered your listening device.

Instead of doing that, it would be better to leave new equipment nearby and see who comes to retrieve it. That way, we can find the agents on the island.

Once they were in a safe location, Oran and Vegapunk began their formal conversation.

"The facilities here are quite complete, but it won't be easy to keep this place clean."

"Take it slow. Punk Hazard is ruined now. Cleaning up the poison gas and rebuilding will take a long time. The cost of repairing it is less than moving it to a new place."

That place was too close to the Red Line; coming here is just right.

"So what did you specifically call me over for? It's not to help you find a Den Den Mushi, is it?"

"Of course not. As you know, I am a user of the Brain-Brain Fruit. The more knowledge I memorize, the bigger my head becomes."

Vegapunk pointed to his head, which had grown exponentially since MADS disbanded.

"No matter how many assistants I have, they can't solve my problems; their skills are simply not enough to help me..."

"You're too much of a perfectionist. Your technology is simply not suitable for mass production. No one but you can fix those things."

"I know, so I need more of myself to help me."

Furthermore, I have a plan to share my knowledge with everyone free of charge so that people can make better progress, but this requires some modifications to my brain first.

Oran, you are the best surgeon I know, and the neural interface technology for prosthetics is exactly what I need. I hope you can help me complete my Punk Records project.

The Punk Records, or more bluntly, an external brain, are Vegapunk's plans to separate his massive head into an independent entity, connected to his body via antenna data.

At the same time, he created clones with the same abilities as himself. Vegapunk originally planned to start this a few years later, but now that Oran can help him, Vegapunk is about to begin a new operation.