Chapter 24

"Mr. Cidriel, as the head of the MADS research institute, I formally invite you to join us. I believe the environment in this country will only limit your talents. Stepping out of these constraints will better allow you to achieve your aspirations."

Vegapunk's invitation was sincere, though as he spoke, his tongue dangled down like a tie—a unique trait of his, along with his extraordinarily large head.

Currently in his prime, Vegapunk could still retract his tongue when not speaking. However, as he aged, his tongue would become more like an external accessory, akin to a necktie.

At this time, the beach of the Sorbet Kingdom was quiet. The local residents had already gone home to rest. In the silent sea breeze, voices carried far, reaching even Judge and Quinn, who were lying exhausted on the sand.

Hearing Vegapunk's words, Orlan hadn't yet responded, but the two of them jumped up in protest.

"Vegapunk! What are you saying?! You're inviting him?"

"Didn't you see that robot just beat us up!"

Their resentment seemed to have given them renewed energy, but Vegapunk remained unfazed.

"Doesn't that just further demonstrate that Sidereal's technology is superior to yours?"

MADS didn't have explicit prohibitions against internal conflicts, but the preferred method of resolving disputes was through the products of their own technologies. Winning in such a manner would showcase superior technology.

Judge and Quinn often squabbled among themselves, but this time they had been taken down together by Blitzcrank.

Vegapunk's words hit them like a sledgehammer. What they found hardest to accept was acknowledging that someone else's technology was better than theirs.

"If you two are dissatisfied, why don't you try building something similar? If you can, I'll share part of my research funds with you. Want to give it a try?"

Du Feld's sponsorship was substantial, but it had a fixed limit. More members wouldn't result in extra funding. Essentially, the fewer people in the institute, the more funds each could use.

Ordinary researchers were irrelevant in this regard; they were merely assistants and couldn't affect the funds. However, since Vegapunk personally invited Orlan, it was clear he valued Orlan's abilities. If Orlan officially joined, their operational funds would be divided.

Hence, they opposed this through such means, but Vegapunk's reasoning left them with nothing to counter.

"Vegapunk, remember what you said. We have two people!"

After a moment of despondency, Quinn seemed to have thought of something and looked at Judge.

"Judge, let's team up. If we join forces, we can definitely surpass these guys. Then we can split the funds evenly!"

"I agree. Let's team up for now. If necessary, we can even bring in Caesar."

"Ha ha ha! You're finally showing some sense. Although Caesar is a waste and will take a portion, as long as we can defeat Vegapunk and his chosen one, it will be worth it!"

Supporting each other, they laughed and headed back towards the MADS research ship.

Judge and Quinn seemed to have convinced themselves mentally, behaving as though they had already won.

"Blitzcrank, I think we should find another opportunity to beat them up again. They clearly haven't learned their lesson. These guys actually think they're better than Orlan."

"Blitzcrank agrees with your view, but it needs a reason."

Kate and Blitzcrank, who were curing fish nearby, witnessed the entire scene and began plotting their next move. Meanwhile, Vegapunk's attention remained fixed on Blitzcrank.

The highly human-like thought processes of the robot made him even more curious.

"So, what do you say, Mr. Cidriel? I am very serious about this invitation."

"Joining you... what do I get in return?"

Orlan didn't oppose joining this research group. It would benefit him significantly, providing a ready-made, high-quality ship and assistants with basic knowledge. These alone would be of great help.

Moreover, MADS's projects involved one of the most mysterious elements in the sea: bloodline factors.

Since he was already in this sea, Orlan certainly wouldn't forgo research on such things. Starting from scratch was unnecessary when he could borrow from existing research.

"Funding, materials, equipment. We can also explore new ideas together. Your robot seems to have a unique power source. What if we could scale it up? Our organization's goal is to contribute to peace. Conflicts arise from resource disputes. If there were a limitless energy source, wouldn't that bring peace? Ah, I've said too much. That's my personal goal. Don't mind it."

"Not a bad goal, but unrealistic. Human ambition will always expand infinitely. Once it starts, it won't stop. Even if you create such an energy source for the world, someone will develop even greater ambitions."

"If we don't try, how will we know if it's right or wrong?"

Neither Orlan nor Vegapunk criticized the other's ideas, merely offering suggestions from their perspectives. They both understood that this was a matter of differing philosophies.

The conditions Vegapunk offered were precisely what Orlan needed. The Sorbet Kingdom couldn't provide large sums of money nor access to research materials. Devil Fruits seemed common but were quite rare when considering the entire sea.

Even unknown Devil Fruits, with unclear names, could sell for at least 100 million Berries, typically owned by major powers.

Although Orlan was inclined to join, since Vegapunk made the invitation, he decided to negotiate further conditions.

"Others cannot interfere with my research. I need an independent laboratory and sufficient funds."

"That's only reasonable. Your robot has already proven your skill. However, the exact amount will depend on our sponsor's situation."

To Vegapunk, this request wasn't demanding; it was quite reasonable.

"Second, I need Devil Fruits for research purposes, any kind will do."

While the Sorbet Kingdom lacked channels, Orlan believed MADS had access to such resources.

"That's one of our research projects. Not an issue. However, if you want to use a fruit independently, we'll need to discuss it, given their rarity."

Vegapunk agreed to these two conditions without much thought, as they weren't difficult to fulfill in his view.

"One last thing, I need an operating room. A clean, well-equipped room with ample medical staff."

(End of Chapter)