"I am doing this for our Polaris, not just to satisfy my curiosity." After repeating this to himself twice, Gray looked up at Gilbert Garland, embodying the image of a conceited scientist. "Lead the way. I want to see what kind of amazing technology your Navy has mastered."
Seeing Gray's demeanor, Gilbert Garland wasn't annoyed; instead, he grew even happier. That's the taste!
"Please follow us!" Waving his hand to signal two Marine soldiers to lead, Gilbert Garland personally escorted Gray towards the coast.
"Don't worry, these pirates will be caught soon. If you're lucky, you might even see them on the warship again." Noticing that Gray's eyes were fixed on the two ongoing battles, Gilbert Garland spoke to reassure him. Don't scare away the scientist we found with such difficulty.
"I know." After glancing at Law, who was battling with Bepo, Gray turned to look at Nia, who was relatively closer. "Come on! Purple-haired girl!" Gray suddenly cheered, his voice directed at those in the fight.
Gilbert Garland glanced at Nia, who was wearing an orange tracksuit, then looked at Neo, who was 80% similar to her and clad in a dark suit, shaking his head slightly. He is indeed a scientist who focuses on scientific research; he can't even identify gender. Though Mr. Neo was indeed a little too handsome.
"Dr. Thomas, you are mistaken! Although they look alike, Mr. Ernest is a man."
"Ahahaha? I didn't even notice that." Gray laughed and blinked rapidly when Nia's eyes met his. You should have noticed me. Remember to save me next time! Gray was hinting wildly.
"Are your eyes a bit sore, Dr. Thomas?" Gilbert Garland didn't think much of it. "Maybe he was blinded by the dust they raised. Let's leave quickly." He led Gray away from the battlefield and towards the north coast where the warship was docked.
Got caught? After receiving Gray's conveyed message, Nia pondered. However, he didn't look like he was arrested, but rather like he was invited. Looking at Gray, who was leading the way with others accompanying and escorting him from behind, Nia felt something strange. Did the Navy misunderstand something?
"You're still distracted during the battle!" Neo swiftly closed the distance to Nia, clasping his hands together in a calyx shape before her. As Armament Haki wrapped around his palms, Neo's arms shook violently, and a powerful impact erupted, sending Nia flying. "Use your body to feel the power of Armament Haki!"
This little devil isn't cute at all now! Looking at her brother, who seemed both familiar and unfamiliar, Nia pursed her lips, a strange mixture of relief and bitterness welling up inside her. But now is not the time to think about these things!
After calming herself, Nia flipped in the air and landed lightly on the ground. Then she pushed off with her legs, launching herself forward, and swung her clenched fists fiercely at Neo.
I have been able to master the power of the Devil Fruit relatively well, and I don't feel as bloodthirsty as before in battle. The next step is to consider how to fully utilize the power of the Devil Fruit and quickly master the combat techniques known as the "Six Powers" of the Navy.
Aboard the Warship
"This is our warship! It combines the most advanced technology and the most powerful firepower of the Navy!"
Looking at the colossal vessel before him, Gray's body trembled slightly. This is the battleship he wanted to build! It was clearly different from the naval warships he had seen before; its sheer size alone was enough to dwarf them. Not to mention the densely packed guns on the hull. If this terrifying warship were to unleash its full firepower, it would probably be enough to completely destroy a small island.
Seeing Gray trembling with excitement, Gilbert Garland smiled slightly, feeling that everything was under control. "Let me show you around next."
"Let's go!" Gray nodded quickly and impatiently followed the captain onto the warship.
Gilbert Garland diligently took Gray around the warship, introducing its firepower to Gray with a mix of exaggeration and pride.
"This is the core power area of the warship, and it is also an important support for our warship to pass through the Calm Belt!" Finally, leading Gray down to a lower deck, Gilbert Garland pointed to a door and addressed Gray.
Along the way, Gray had been completely mesmerized by the warship's powerful firepower, and only then did he suddenly recall the secret he originally wanted to uncover.
"Don't let anyone come in here casually, Captain Gilbert Garland!" A strong middle-aged man in dark blue work clothes was sitting at the door. When he saw the two approaching, he spoke to Gilbert Garland without any politeness.
"It's okay, Mr. Luca! Dr. Thomas is a scientist and has decided to join us." Gilbert Garland stared at Gray closely while speaking, and was overjoyed when he saw that Gray did not refute him but nodded slightly. It's settled, there's hope for promotion!
"A scientist?" Luca looked at Gray suspiciously. With messy hair, sloppy clothes, and dark circles under his eyes, he certainly looked the part. However, we still need to confirm whether it's true or not. Thinking this, Luca casually pulled out two sheets of paper from the pile under his rear and handed them to Gray. "So, what do you think is drawn on this blueprint?"
"Um?" Gray took the blueprint from Luca and frowned slightly.
"Dr. Thomas, Mr. Luca didn't mean to make things difficult for you." Seeing Gray's reaction, Gilbert Garland quickly spoke up to make amends, fearing it might affect his promotion plans. "Mr. Luca is the ship's mechanic expert. During the voyage, the warship is maintained and repaired by the mechanic team led by him. This is a very important core power area, so Mr. Luca..."
Gray reached out his hand, stopping Gilbert Garland's chatter. "What an amazing design. The power is increased by turbocharging. With the same consumption, it can generate more than three times the original power! This makes sense. Otherwise, it would be impossible to drive such a huge warship to traverse the sea freely with only traditional power designs."
"Can you understand?!" Seeing that Gray had only glanced at it twice and then explained the relevant power working principle, Luca's face changed slightly, and he stood up quickly, instinctively using honorifics.
"Anything else?" Not paying attention to the other party's change in attitude, Gray reached out his hand very naturally.
"They are all here!" He moved a stool over for Gray to sit on and then placed all the relevant blueprints next to Gray. Luca's attitude was even more respectful than Gilbert Garland's.
He was 42 years old this year and had been in charge of warship maintenance in the Navy for 20 years. However, rather than simply doing mechanical repairs, he yearned to be involved in research, development, and design! Gilbert Garland wasn't the only one who wanted to improve! He, Luca, also wanted to advance!