Chapter 30: Profitable partners deserve high appraisal
In the first half of the Grand Line, on a certain island, there was a Marine-owned research facility. In the reception room of that facility sat Vegapunk, said to possess the world's greatest intellect... too much of a genius to manage his time and workload alone, so he divided himself into six cat satellites, one of which was the PUNK-02, also known as Evil Lilith, Vegapunk himself.
She muttered in frustration.
"It's true that they pay the amount we requested promptly, and it's commendable that they don't bother with useless price negotiations. They make for good trading partners... However, no matter how much they claim to be in need of a perennial research budget, I, too, have my scientific pride. It's irritating to see my creations being destroyed over and over again. How can they be torn apart in regular usage? What do they think its strength is? It shouldn't even get pierced by bullets! They must be conducting absurd durability tests and having fun with it!"
As she grumbled, Vegapunk, with evident dissatisfaction, left the guards assigned to protect her at a loss for words.
Indeed, it was true. She... Vegapunk was an incredibly important figure, and they couldn't risk upsetting her. However, the upcoming visitor was the top executive of Enies Lobby, holding a considerable position. It was difficult to agree with her statement.
As a result, they could only give vague responses, which only further irritated Lilith.
"Shaka said we can just leave them be... but no, that won't do. I'll voice my complaint. Well, I'll keep it modest since we don't want to end the deal over this..."
Although she was annoyed, she recognized that the other party was a good trading partner, so she intended to express her grievances in a mild manner.
"Well, let's start with a bang when we meet."
As they were discussing, it seemed that their guest had arrived, and the Marines looked tense, mainly concerned about Vegapunk's attitude towards the visitor.
Indeed, they didn't expect her to become violent, but they hoped she wouldn't engage in any kind of conflict with such an important figure in the World Government.
Shortly after, they were guided to the room, and a man dressed in a black suit with black around his eyes and nose... Spandam, the Commander-in-Chief of CP9, arrived.
With a composed demeanor and sharp eyes that intimidated the Marines, Spandam sat across from Lilith. As everyone focused on Lilith's first words, she...
"...I apologize for calling you here so suddenly."
He internally thought, "She apologized so sincerely?!"
In a complete 180-degree turn from her previous frustration, she bowed deeply with both hands on the desk. The sudden change caught the Marines off guard, and they couldn't help but exclaim.
"U-Um... Dr. Vegapunk? I was planning to start with a bang..."
"Are you an idiot?! If you see someone like him and say such lines, it's creepy... What kind of monster is this!? Is he even human? No, this can't be real. How could something this abnormal..."
Clearly, Lilith saw Spandam's peculiarity at a glance. Even her genius mind couldn't comprehend the process that led to his current state, but she immediately understood that the being in front of her was an extraordinary monster born from extreme evolution.
"Dr. Vegapunk... Nice to meet you. I'm Spandam, the CP9 Commander-in-Chief. We don't have to be too formal since this isn't a work-related meeting. How does that sound?"
"Ah, yes, understood. I am Vegapunk... well, one of the cat satellites. My individual name is Evil Lilith. Call me whatever you like. I apologize again for summoning you here today."
"No, it's fine. You always provide us with excellent products, and we appreciate it... So, what did you want to talk about this time?"
"...Originally, I intended to express my grievances about the handling of the suits... but seeing is believing, as they say. So, this level of strength isn't enough, huh?"
"Yes."
"It feels like my brain is about to explode, but indeed, even from my perspective, that suit lacks strength... What an existence..."
After muttering, Lilith fell silent, her face lowered, and she trembled. Worried, the nearby Marines approached her, but the moment they did, she stood up and yelled,
"Aaaahhh! Damn it! This is hell!"
"D-Doctor?"
"To have such an opponent in front of me... an existence so fascinating that my saliva won't stop flowing... I want to study him!! I want skin cells, hair, body fluids... I want them all... but it's useless. He's the type that extremely hates intrusions into his territory! If I step in, I'll be killed. Even if I use all my forces, it won't take three minutes for the main body, Stella, to wipe us all out... To have such a captivating opponent before me, yet my hands are tied! It's like living in hell!!"
Vegapunk is, in a way, a madman... an existence that can be called a "mad scientist." Therefore, upon seeing Spandam, she understood his nature.
Although she desperately wanted to study him, she also realized that if she reached out to do so, she would be killed instantly, leaving her at a loss.
In front of Spandam's somewhat exasperated gaze, as if saying, "Indeed, she's a troublesome one," Lilith writhed for a while before suddenly stopping.
"...I guess there's no other way. Let's go with Plan B."
However, geniuses also need the ability to switch gears quickly. They acknowledge impossibility and try a different approach. Trial and error is the essence of science.
"...Plan B?"
"Yes. I will prioritize any requests from you in the future and try to fulfill your demands to the best of my abilities. The payment can be kept to a minimum... I want to study you, but if I directly ask, you'll just kill me. So, let's start by building a foundation of trust between us."
"Hmm..."
"And once I gain a certain level of your trust, I'll ask for your cooperation in experiments. Of course, I'll explain all the details beforehand, and if you're not satisfied, I won't force anything. You only need to cooperate when you feel like it's okay to do so... How about it?"
Upon hearing Lilith's words, Spandam showed an impressed expression. Truly deserving of being called a genius, Lilith instantly understood that demonstrating her usefulness to Spandam was the most effective approach.
That was the right answer. Spandam is relatively tolerant of those he acknowledges as beneficial to him. If Lilith can firmly gauge the line she shouldn't cross, she might be able to get some concessions.
"...Can you create a suit with three times the current strength?"
"If it's about three times the current strength, I can do it in 10 days. Beyond that, I'll need a bit more time."
"I see... If you can create a suit with three times the current strength in five days, I might be willing to cooperate a little. I have a day off today, and I have some spare time."
"Huh? Really!? Got it! Leave it to me!! I'll put all my Navy work on hold and get right to it!!"
"Wait, Doctor!?"
"Ahh, it can't be helped. I'm so obsessed with this guy that I can't think of anything else! I won't be able to focus on anything else!!"
Seeing Lilith unabashedly declare that she would put her Navy work on hold, Spandam had a slightly bewildered expression but also thought, "Well, this might be beneficial in its own way." He gave her a reasonably high evaluation considering it was coming from him.
***
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