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The research division was a wasteland, littered with the bodies of unconscious soldiers.
Arthur and Vegapunk stepped over them, walking out of the facility unscathed.
Arthur said, suddenly grabbing Vegapunk's body. A solid plate of iron rapidly formed beneath their feet.
Propelled by electromagnetic force, the two of them shot towards the [Thor]—which hovered in the sky above the Whirlpool Triangle.
Meanwhile, the chaos at Marine Headquarters raged on. The bodies of soldiers piled up like mountains as the clash between the Golden Lion, Garp, and Sengoku grew ever more violent.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER THERE??" Vegapunk asked, embracing the open sky and taking a deep, cleansing breath.
"Nothing much. Just a legendary pirate going berserk and attacking Marine Headquarters for the sake of a rival he respects..." Arthur said nonchalantly as they flew at incredible speed through the Gates of Justice.
"Did you orchestrate this?" Vegapunk asked.
Was he some kind of prophet? How could he have known over a year ago that Marine Headquarters would fall into chaos?
Now that he was free, Vegapunk's insatiable curiosity immediately flared up.
"It was destiny." Arthur glanced from a great distance at the Golden Lion, who was unleashing his full power.
Once Roger surrendered, the crazed Golden Lion was guaranteed to go on a rampage. And Roger's plan required him to surrender. Therefore, it was all preordained.
"Destiny, you say?" Vegapunk was noticeably more talkative now that he was out of Marine Headquarters.
Perhaps it had been a very long time since he'd had such a relaxed and pleasant conversation with someone.
"This is the feeling of freedom... It's... MAGNIFICENT!!"
Freedom is a poison. Once it seeps into your bones, it's impossible to quit. Anyone who has tasted it becomes obsessed.
"No, you haven't obtained complete freedom," Arthur said, throwing a bucket of cold water on Vegapunk's excitement.
"From now on... you will be a member of my Thunder God Pirates. Until the day you die—"
"Hahaha, after being a lapdog for the World Government for so long, being a pirate seems like a fine choice. Tell me, Captain Arthur, will you force me to conduct research?"
"No," Arthur said, pursing his lips dismissively.
"Then that's it... This is the freedom I want!" Vegapunk roared with laughter.
There are two kinds of freedom in this world.
One is absolute, without any restrictions.
The other is the freedom you define for yourself. Without a doubt, the freedom Vegapunk desired was the freedom to research without being coerced by anyone.
Flying on the iron plate, they quickly approached the [Thor].
Vegapunk's eyes suddenly lit up, his gaze fixed intensely on the golden ship hovering in the sky.
"Is that... your ship? A flying ship??"
"My vessel—the [Thor]," Arthur nodded. He was, of course, incredibly satisfied with it.
"A flying ship?? What's its power source?? Don't tell me it's electric drive?? That would indeed be the most suitable vessel for you!" Vegapunk flashed into the pavilion, stroking the crystal-ball-like batteries.
"But... this kind of technology hasn't appeared on the seas yet, has it?? The Air Force flight suits used by the World Government were developed by me. Even the Vinsmoke Family's science and technology corps hasn't developed flight technology yet. Where did you get this??" Vegapunk's research addiction was kicking in.
"I got the blueprints from Skypiea and had the Skypieans build it for me. If I'm not mistaken, this technology comes from... the moon," Arthur said, settling into his recliner and lying down lazily.
Beneath his greatcoat, currents of electricity jumped through his muscles, strengthening his physique bit by bit.
"Lunar technology?? So that's how it is. The legendary island of Skypiea really exists?? What's the principle?? How can it float in the sky without falling, and still support life??"
His questions came out like a machine gun, making Arthur's head feel like it was about to explode.
"Enough... You'll have plenty of time to study these things later. Right now, you're coming with me to pick someone up!"
"My apologies. I just got out and saw something interesting. My curiosity got the better of me," Vegapunk said with a faint smile, returning to his usual calm and composed self.
"But speaking of which, why did you use a metal like gold to build the ship?" In his view, with such advanced blueprints, better materials should have been used.
The hardness of gold was really not that high.
"Because besides gold, Skypiea only has dirt, trees, and clouds. Am I supposed to use wood that shatters with a single touch?" Arthur waved his hand, signaling him to stop his incessant questions.
This insatiable curiosity, combined with a sharp and flexible mind, this desire to understand everything—this is what created the scientist five hundred years ahead of his time.
The battle at Marine Headquarters had only just begun.
It would likely last for five days and five nights.
The soldiers at Marineford were in extreme danger. A single careless moment could get them killed by the violent aftershocks.
Arthur's Observation Haki monitored the entire island, but he couldn't find any trace of Jessica. Perhaps she was still at Marine Headquarters but wasn't speaking, which was why he couldn't "see" her.
However, he knew Jessica's parents were head chefs in the headquarters' cafeteria. People with connections were often less likely to get into trouble, so he wasn't too worried.
Arthur now wanted to go to Impel Down to retrieve Shiryu. After seeing Roger off, he would begin to take over the territories left behind by Roger and the Golden Lion.
Although he lacked the manpower and might not be able to take everything, he could at least secure a foothold and then slowly recruit people to gradually expand.
One could imagine that the New World would continue to be in turmoil. Powerhouses would emerge one after another, and the disappearance of two legendary pirates would only intensify the struggle for supremacy.
Whitebeard certainly had no interest in territory, but "Hundred Beasts" Kaido and "Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin would definitely send their subordinates to fight for it. They might have already started.
The only person Arthur had at his disposal right now was Shiryu. He was at a clear disadvantage in terms of numbers, a huge handicap.
"How can I recruit a group of powerful subordinates in a short amount of time?" Arthur muttered to himself with a frown.
"Weren't you going to Impel Down to pick someone up? The pirates in there, if you let them out, they'll immediately become a powerful fighting force!" Hearing his muttering, Vegapunk looked up from his tinkering with the [Thor]'s controls and said.
"If they don't submit to you, just beat them until they do..."
"Hm?" Arthur's eyes lit up. He instantly felt this was an excellent idea. He had almost been stuck in a dead end.
He had cellmates in the great prison who had shared meals with him, and enemies he had defeated. Those he had beaten already had a perfect understanding of his strength.
The possibility of recruiting them was quite high.
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