"Huh?!" Vegapunk stiffened, his booming voice cutting short as he sensed the sudden tension.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku?! What in the world is going on?!"
Sengoku merely shot him a grim look.
"Open your eyes, Vegapunk, and behold Leon latest invention."
"Latest invention?" Vegapunk blinked in genuine confusion, his gaze sweeping at the bustling Marine Headquarters.
"Where? I see nothing new!"
Sengoku turned and give a subtle nod to Kizaru.
"Borsalino. Go on, get the door and pick any random location."
"Understood, Fleet Admiral," Kizaru replied lazily.
From their vantage point, they watched as the Light Man slowly walked towards a vibrant pink door.
"Huh? Is this Leon's new invention?" Vegapunk frowned, utterly perplexed.
Just a door? What could a mere door possibly do?
He watched in baffled silence as Kizaru casually slid a hand into his pocket while also casually twisting the doorknob with his other hand...
The next moment, the door swung open.
Kizaru, with his usual slow pace, stepped through.
"The door... it opened..." Doflamingo, observing from afar, instinctively held his breath, terrified of missing even a flicker of detail.
Dr. Vegapunk, however, looked utterly lost.
He couldn't fathom what the Admiral was doing.
He was just... walking through a doorway...
Wait?!
"Hold on! Kizaru... he's GONE?!" Dr. Vegapunk was struck dumb, his face contorted in disbelief.
What in the seven seas just happened?!
Did Kizaru turn invisible?
But it wasn't just him—the instant Kizaru passed through, the pink door itself vanished into thin air!
"What in the world is going on?! How did Admiral Kizaru just vanish like that?!"
Not only Dr. Vegapunk, but the entire force of 50,000 elite Marines, along with every Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral present, erupted in a chorus of shocked murmurs.
Not far off, Doflamingo's heart hammered against his ribs.
"Exactly! A door that can take you anywhere!"
Doflamingo felt a bit dizzy and a mix of exhilaration, and stark terror.
He was thrilled to witness such mind-bending technology firsthand, yet the very thought of it in the Marines' hands made his blood run cold!
On his side, the other Warlords exchanged wide-eyed glances.
Their faces were a mask of shock, pupils trembling violently.
They couldn't believe it!
The door was exactly as Doflamingo had described!
"Up there!" Hawkeye's calm, piercing voice cut through the stunned silence.
Every head snapped upwards in unison!
There, high atop the Marine Headquarters building, right beside the majestic, fluttering Marine flag, a pink door had materialized out of nowhere, slowly swinging open.
And from within, Admiral Kizaru stepped out.
Following the collective gaze, Dr. Vegapunk finally spotted Kizaru.
The realization hit him like a cannonball!
His eyes widened to saucers, a gasp escaping his lips as he finally understood.
This door... it could instantly tear through space, allowing anyone to cross vast distances in a single step!
"This is WARP TECHNOLOGY!" Dr. Vegapunk couldn't help but shout, his face was full of disbelief.
"How?! How could such advanced technology exist in this era?! This... this defies all science logic!" He shook his head wildly, as if he'd just witnessed a ghost.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I demand a thorough inspection on that door!"
Sengoku frowned, but a corner of his lips twitched.
He nodded. "Make it quick, Vegapunk. Time is short."
"Yes, sir!"
Dr. Vegapunk scrambled forward, practically tripping over himself towards another pink door.
Suppressing a tremor of barely contained excitement, he reached out with trembling hands towards the Anywhere Door!
"This material... it feels like the most ordinary timber!" he muttered, his expert fingers probing the surface.
"Wait, there's circuit here... but... huh?! How can such simple wiring possibly warp space and traverse dimensions?! IMPOSSIBLE! This can't be... this... this is beyond reason!"
Dr. Vegapunk face was a storm of disbelief as he shook his head again and again.
He was horrified.
No matter how closely he observed, no matter how intensely he searched, he couldn't grasp how this door, capable of instantly traversing space, actually worked.
What was its fundamental principle?
How did the meager energy supplied tear through the very fabric of space?
How could such common materials be used to forge such a miracle?
Countless, unanswerable questions swirled in his mind, threatening to drown his scientific sanity.
In an instant, he seemed to lose all rational thought, standing frozen and was utterly speechless...
"Vegapunk," Akainu's voice cut through the air, cold as an arctic gale.
"Compared to Leon... you've fallen behind."
Even under the intense scrutiny of the crowd, the Admiral words held not a trace of sympathy.
Sengoku sighed, a heavy weight in his voice.
"Indeed, Vegapunk. The gap between you and Leon's is simply too vast." He paused, letting the words sink in.
"And don't forget, Leon is only eight years old this year!"
At those words, Vegapunk's body trembled uncontrollably.
'Eight years old... it was true'.
An eight-year-old child had already invented Seraphim, creations even more terrifying than his Pacifistas!
And with the latest improvements, they'd even developed Admiral-class Seraphim!
Now, this child had created a miraculous artifact, capable of traversing space at will!
And what about him?
This "Anywhere Door" was merely a side-project of Leon's.
In comparison... he was truly pathetic!
He, the renowned world's top scientist!
How could he possibly bear such a title under these crushing evidence?
Vegapunk bitter smile was a mask of despair.
He had a chilling premonition that, from this day forward, he would be left utterly in Leon's dust.
Sigh... perhaps this old man has truly grown too old!
Vegapunk let out another weary sigh, turning to Sengoku, clinging to one last shred of desperate hope.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, may I... may I take one back for research...?"
Before he could even finish, Sengoku shook his head, his gaze hard.
"No need. We'll discuss it later. For now, there are only two doors available, and both will be deployed in battle."
Hearing this, Vegapunk could only nod, his shoulders slumping.
"Very well then..."
Sengoku hummed in acknowledgment, his voice growing stern.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, then let's proceed. Our campaign against the Yonko's... is about to begin."
"Yes..." Vegapunk nodded, a hollow echo in his voice. "May the gods bless your triumphant return!"
With a heavy heart, Vegapunk turned and walked away.
Sengoku then turn away to address the assembled Marine force.
Taking a deep, resolute breath, he roared,
"Everyone, prepare for battle!" His voice boomed across the plaza, filled with the unwavering spirit of justice.
"The military marches to strike down evil starts now! MOVE OUT!!"
Following the Fleet Admiral's thunderous orders, two scouts, their faces grim with determination, opened the two Anywhere Doors!
For this critical operation, the entire Marine force would be transported directly to the enemy's stronghold through these miraculous doors, catching their opponents completely off guard!
As both Anywhere Doors swung open simultaneously, countless Marines gasped, their eyes widening at the incredible sight within.
Through each door, the environment displayed was none other than the very heart of the Big Mom Pirates' territory—Whole Cake Island!
"Form two lines and proceed through the doors in an orderly, rapid fashion! EXECUTE IMMEDIATELY!" Sengoku's voice was a roar of command.
Under the unwavering leadership of the various Rear Admirals and Vice Admirals, the Marines surged forward, swiftly passing through the doors.
Those who crossed over emerged on the other side, gaping in utter astonishment at their new, hostile surroundings.
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