Growth

Encounter with the Straw Hat Crew is commonplace, but it ended safely. After all, I have no intention of being hostile, so there can be no hostile outcome.

The Straw Hat Crew is fundamentally good people, and they are not the kind of individuals who actively pick fights with the World Government.

I safely delivered Uta's letter, and in addition, I obtained the Rumble Ball that I had wanted. While in the original work, the comical and cute aspects are emphasized, I genuinely believe that Chopper is a genius.

Not only did he create the Rumble Ball, which allows six transformations, on his own, but two years later, he can transform into six stages without the Rumble Ball and even customize each transformation according to the purpose.

Furthermore, he managed to heal Zoro, who had spilled so much blood on Thriller Bark, enough in one day that he could drink alcohol. He makes a vaccine from what he has on hand for an unknown virus. He brought Zoro, who was nearly dead after facing Kaido, to the point where he can fight against King in a short amount of time... It's an endless list of accomplishments.

Well, in exchange for receiving the Rumble Ball, I had to figure out what to do about Chopper's bounty, but this is not a problem either.

There are various theories as to why Chopper's bounty is low, and I don't know the exact reasons since the issuance of wanted posters is under a completely different department. But the most likely reason, in my opinion, is that they fear people might present just an ordinary animal pretending to be Chopper, so they keep the bounty low.

In fact, Bepo had a bounty of only 500 Berries, so I think the credibility is high... But I'm not worried about Chopper.

Bepo is still understandable. He looks and has the body of a polar bear, so if they put a high bounty on him, someone might present a dead polar bear pretending to be Bepo.

However, regarding Chopper's wanted poster, if someone were to hunt a reindeer or a raccoon dog after seeing that picture and bring it, I would doubt their eyes and sanity. If the picture showed his reindeer form, maybe, but in that form, he just looks like a "strange-looking creature."

It's highly unlikely that anyone seeing that for the first time could identify it as a reindeer, and though some might mistake him for a raccoon dog... he doesn't resemble one either.

So even if they raise the bounty, it's almost impossible for someone to bring a similar animal, and that shouldn't be a problem. If it ever becomes an issue, they could use photos of his human-sized form or his Monster Point form later on... Also, considering my position, I believe I could push for a change in the bounty even if it's a bit forced.

While contemplating such matters, I sighed at the enormous object sitting in front of me.

"... So, what is this?"

"A new model Pacifista. It's called 'PX-PE'!"

"PE?"

"Panda Edition--- Ah, never mind!"

As I exchanged Iron Claw strikes with Liris, I looked at the Pacifista that resembled Bartholomew Kuma but had panda-like coloring.

A bear that looks like a panda... I can't help but be amazed, but there's something even more curious.

Of course, I apologize for the previous mix-up. Here's the translation of the passage without any Japanese phrases:

"So, what's the reason for having that PX-PE thing placed in the basement of my house?"

"Well, before that, could you let go of me first? Geez... Alright, before I explain, let me just say this! Well... it's not really a big deal, you know. Shaka was just getting so annoying. He kept on about me doing things on my own and not coming back to Egghead's place to sync up. Every time we communicated, he would nag and complain."

"...That's an irrefutable argument."

"Well, he was being so bothersome that I decided not to go back. But I promised to continue my research properly here. So, I asked him to send over the materials I needed for my ongoing research, and that's how I ended up creating this PX-PE!"

I sighed as I watched Lilith, who had her head grabbed by me, trying to act smug. Indeed, she had taught me the previous method of body modification and had provided a bit of my and Pochi's cells. After that, she never returned to Egghead's place and stayed here all along.

Vegapunk's satellite synchronizes experiences once a day, but... dealing with the massive data of an individual's daily experiences in terms of sending and receiving seems to have its distance limitations. So, she has been lingering here without synchronizing with the other satellites, showing the extent of Shaka's struggles.

"So, is that why you've been working on this research, the PX-PE?"

"Exactly! This PX-PE is an enhanced version of the conventional Pacifista, with combat capabilities over five times that of a regular Pacifista! Well, the production cost is seven times higher, so it's designed for dealing with formidable enemies that Pacifista can't handle."

"I see, conceptually it makes sense."

"We've thoroughly increased its strength and power, focusing on close combat without incorporating laser weapons and such. Well, for long-range attacks, we can rely on other Pacifista for support."

Certainly, conceptually it's correct to have the enhanced version provide backup to handle opponents that the regular Pacifista can't defeat. While I can't wrap my head around the panda coloring, I suppose that's fine.

"So, you've been working on this here?"

"Well, it was already close to completion originally, but the final touches took some time."

"Final touches?"

"...I was struggling with the ratio of black and white colors."

"Still the same incomprehensible perfectionist, I see. Well, that's fine, but did you call me here just to show me this?"

Knowing Lilith's quirks, I can understand her agonizing over the panda color scheme. However, leaving that aside, I wonder why she wanted me to see this?

Pacifista is a weapon deployed by the Navy, not the Cipher Pol, so there's no real reason to present it to me.

"No, I wanted you to participate in a little strength test... Oh, wait, not that! This thing is seriously expensive, you know! Don't break it, please!"

Releasing Lilith's grasp on my head, she approached a monitor in the laboratory and operated something. The wall slid open, revealing several plate-like objects.

... This Lilith really does whatever she pleases, modifying people's basements as she likes.

"...These plates... well, I'm planning to use them for the new type of armor, but I need various data. First, I want you to break the first plate. The second one should be dented to a certain degree, and the third one should remain intact... Pandas have perfect control over their strength, so you should be able to do it, right?"

"Hmm... well, I guess that's fine."

Taking advantage of Lilith's presence in Enies Lobby, I've had her involved in various research projects, so fulfilling this request isn't really an issue.

I stood in front of the first plate. It was quite thick and felt pretty hard even with a light touch.

"Do you have any specifications for how to break it?"

"I'd prefer you not to obliterate it completely. Apart from that, there are no specific requirements."

"I see, then this should do... Strike!"

As I muttered those words and swung my arm, a large circular hole appeared in the plate right in front of me.

"Is that a panda? What's with that amazing move? A new technique!?"

"No, the Rokushiki: Hakkyokuken is on a larger scale and not suitable for single targets. The Shigan is more suitable for assassination, but it's less effective unless you accurately hit a vital point. This technique is for dealing with opponents head-on, in a rough and reliable manner."

"Please explain in detail!"

"It's not that complicated, you know? It's an application of Shigan, using a punch to fire a move called 'Jugon' with added rotation to enhance penetration power."

"I see, I'm starting to see where this is going, but does that mean..."

"In simple terms, it's just a Corkscrew Punch."

"...Are you telling me you can do something like this with just a punch? Seriously, you're practically a walking arsenal..."

While Lilith, who was gathering data with an excited look, continued to talk in a somewhat exasperated manner, I went along with the experiments to some extent, fulfilling her request for a while.

***

After the experiment ended, as I watched Lillith heading towards the monitor, her communication device signaled an incoming call. While inputting data, Lillith began the communication.

"What is it, Shaka! No matter how many times you say it, I won't return. My mind is all about pandas now! I've sent the research results, and I must have sent the materials too... What? Soga Edison? Annoying hyenas! They're my pandas! Be satisfied with the materials alone! Besides... Oh, panda, what are you doing!?"

...What kind of conversation is this? Watching Lillith shouting into the communication device, I took the device from her hand and put it to my ear.

"Shaka, can you hear me? It's me."

"Ah, Spandam... Sorry for the trouble caused by Bad Lillith."

"No, that's fine, but... If synchronization is necessary, should I forcibly bring her over there?"

"...Once a month should be fine. It would be helpful if you could synchronize her."

"Understood. Let's do that. Seems like you're having quite a handful."

I had been to Punk Hazard myself, so I was familiar with Shaka. While I mostly talked with Lillith, I hadn't directly met the other satellites...

"Indeed, she's quite a handful, but it can't be denied that Bad Lillith is undergoing the most interesting transformation among us. By interacting with you, her thought process seems to be changing considerably. Her spontaneous actions have increased since before, and compared to other satellites, her creativity and development capabilities have grown remarkably. Her research achievements are overwhelming, making it hard to complain. It's quite intriguing to see Bad Lillith not just as a satellite but as a scientist named Lillith who is evolving. While I can't let her do as she pleases due to our positions, both myself and Stella, as the core, have high expectations for Lillith's future."

The slightly hushed tone was probably to prevent Lillith nearby from hearing. If she heard, she might take it as an opportunity to do as she pleased. It's somewhat like a parental perspective... Well, in a way, Vegapunk could be considered Lillith's parent...

As I pondered these things, Shaka's voice on the other end of the communication device quietly spoke.

"...Spandam. I hope... that the day doesn't come when you consider the world as an enemy..."

"It's your prerogative to hope. Do as you like."

"Ah, then I'll leave Bad Lillith in your care."

With that, the communication ended. A day when I see the world as an enemy... It's one of the two possible futures that might come to me... Well, let's see how things unfold.

***

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