Chapter 302 - 302: Landing on Egghead Island

Upon hearing Hera's words, Kizaru pondered for a moment before turning into a flash of light. "Do as you please. I'm not here today."

Hera watched as Kizaru sped away, instantly rendered speechless. With a wave of her hand, she opened a portal and pulled Kizaru back.

"Stop, stop, stop! Is this really necessary? You're an Admiral, you know."

Kizaru raised his hands, saying with a helpless expression, "I just want to coast through and collect my paycheck. Besides, I can't stop you, and you wouldn't do anything to Vegapunk anyway."

Hera nodded. "You're quite right, but you're coming with me. We're heading to Marineford."

Kizaru froze for a moment, only then realizing that Hera was serious this time.

His expression turned serious for an instant before quickly relaxing again. "Alright, alright, fine, I'll go with you. Honestly, young people these days have absolutely no respect for their elders."

He then sat back down on his original lounge chair, covered his face with the newspaper again, and began to rest. "I'll wait here for you. Remember to call me when you're leaving."

Seeing Kizaru like this, it was Hera's turn to be unable to accept it. She walked over and lifted the newspaper from his face.

"Aren't you even a little curious about why I'm taking you all? You're just accepting it like this?"

Kizaru glanced at Hera as if he were looking at some monumental trouble, then sighed. "We're heading back to Marineford anyway. If there's any real trouble, that's for Fleet Admiral Sengoku to worry about."

"Besides, I can't stop you, and I don't want to stop whatever you're planning to do next. Why ask so many questions? Knowing more isn't exactly a good thing."

"Since that's the case, why should I ask so much? The more you know, the more work you have to do."

Hera watched the lazy Kizaru, feeling her teeth itch with annoyance. She had spent forever thinking of ways to persuade him, only for none of it to be necessary, leaving her with a feeling of pent-up frustration.

But soon, her eyes darted around, and she said to Kizaru:

"Since you don't want to know, I'm going to tell you anyway. Truth be told, after I take Vegapunk, I'm going to lead the Marines to settle the score with the World Government, and you're joining in."

Then, without caring whether Kizaru heard her or not, she turned and left with the others.

A rare look of worry appeared on Kizaru's face beneath the newspaper. "This is really something. Young people these days are truly bold."

"Well then, now that I know this, what should I do? Should I leave now, or get on this ship?"

A gentle breeze blew past, and Kizaru fell into deep thought.

Using her Observation Haki, Hera quickly located the laboratory where Vegapunk was.

The group from the Argo gazed at the various decorations on Egghead Island, which were filled with a futuristic technological feel, and all exclaimed in wonder.

Vegapunk's image appeared on the island's largest television screen, looking at Hera and the others.

"Oh, it's Hera. Come in, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Hera nodded, left behind the other members who were still playing with the various facilities on Egghead Island, and walked alone into the corridor, finding Vegapunk, who was packing up his things.

"You arrived a little faster than I predicted. Wait a moment, I'll be finished packing soon."

Vegapunk didn't even lift his eyelids when he saw Hera arrive, continuing to pack the things he needed to take with him.

Hera nodded, watching the busy Vegapunk, and asked with some curiosity, "How did you know I would come looking for you?"

Vegapunk explained while operating a mechanical arm. "Quickly open that space of yours; all of this needs to be taken."

"I saw the news about Luffy awakening Gear 5. That form is undoubtedly the form of the Sun God Nika. I still have enough discernment for that."

"After that, I knew you would definitely take me away; I just didn't expect it to be this soon."

Hera nodded, and the City of Devouring Time began to swallow up the various items in Vegapunk's warehouse.

Vegapunk continued, "But leaving with you is fine. The World Government would only use my research for war. On your side, I can conduct my research better."

Hera retorted, "Didn't Dragon also invite you? If that's the case, why did you refuse him?"

"His Revolutionary Army is too poor. Isn't Gold Emperor your subordinate? He can barely manage to cover my research expenses."

Then, as if remembering something, he handed Hera four life cards. "Alright, these are the life cards for the locations of those people in the Underworld. You should find these useful."

Hera nodded and put the four life cards away. "Thanks, these are indeed useful to me."

After the World Government falls, Hera plans to give the Marines the ability to be self-sufficient, and starting with warehousing and shipping is the fastest way.

After all, as the largest violent group on the sea, the fact that the two highly profitable channels of transportation and warehousing are controlled by two Underworld forces is, in Hera's view, truly inappropriate.

In Hera's view, these people like the Storage King Giberson and the Shipping King Umit are just earning money that the Marines should be earning. It's reasonable to make them pay it back now, right?

"Where is Stussy? Why isn't she by your side? Call her back, too; you don't need her anymore, right?"

Vegapunk thought for a moment and said, "Oh, her? Right, she's preparing to gather those four people together again, so we won't have to run back and forth."

"She said she previously used your name to swindle a large sum of funds from them, and now she's paying them back. Considering she's helping you save time, spare her this once."

Then, he dug out an encrypted transponder snail and handed it to Hera. "This is her contact number; you can just contact her directly."

Hera took the transponder snail handed over by Vegapunk. "Sigh, am I really that brutal in her eyes?"

Vegapunk looked at Hera; his brilliant brain couldn't quite figure out why someone who had slaughtered the entire Recommended Town would think she wasn't brutal.

However, he didn't point this out, only saying, "Perhaps it's because her prototype was killed by you, so she's a bit afraid of you."

Hera thought about it, and it seemed true; Stussy's prototype, Miss Buckingham Stussy, died at her hands. "I see, then that's not strange at all."

Vegapunk continued to put things into Hera's City of Devouring Time. Several of Hera's clones jumped out of the City of Devouring Time to help Vegapunk store various instruments.

Seeing that Hera's clones could actually open the City of Devouring Time, Vegapunk's eyes lit up. "Is this clone of yours a new ability? Can you give me one?"

Hera nodded. "Although these are my clones, they all have self-awareness. If you can convince them to go with you, I don't mind."

------------------------

I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.

Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.

It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?

[email protected]/SolyuraMT

"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"