Although Egghead Island was no longer under the World Government's control, Dr. Vegapunk hadn't fallen out with the Marines yet.
Different matters are different.
Because of this, there were still some Marine battleships stationed outside the island.
After all, their Admiral Akainu was currently on Egghead Island 'receiving treatment'.
Of course, Stussy knew her identity was special, so she deliberately took the route past the modified sea beasts and took the capsule express through underground passages.
The Marines wouldn't even catch a glimpse of her shadow.
Putting aside the betraying Vegapunk clone for now, Stussy's mind was completely occupied by the child named 'Adam'.
The child belonging to her and Naruto.
Due to her clone physique, Stussy couldn't bear children.
...In fact, this was also one of the principles set by Dr. Vegapunk from the very beginning. In other words, he intentionally designed it this way.
The reason was simple.
Clones were products of genetic replication from a 'maternal' source. If they were allowed to reproduce, it could easily cause the next generation's genes to 'deteriorate'.
The resulting offspring would likely have intellectual or physical problems, not to mention things like short lifespans or mutation diseases.
Therefore, if they truly wanted to create a next generation, they could only do so through 'experimental' means, using gene modification technology to perfect the offspring and ensure its healthy birth.
Led by Shaka, Stussy walked through corridors filled with various machines, heading to the deeper-level biological laboratory.
Here, she also met the other 'Vegapunk clones'.
"Yo, Stussy!"
This person's attitude toward Stussy was very friendly.
"Ara, Lilith. Not out 'hunting' today?"
Stussy smiled and gave Lilith a light hug, then teased her.
The young woman before her, wearing a purple jacket, with short blonde hair and an explosive figure, was Vegapunk's second clone, Lilith, who inherited 'evil'.
Because of the inherited personality, Lilith had a bad temper, acted recklessly, and often went alone to the outskirts of Egghead Island to plunder those who intruded without permission, thereby obtaining more experimental funds.
There's no other way… the World Government's people were only generous when they needed something.
If it was for Dr. Vegapunk's own research, they wouldn't give an extra cent.
So Lilith's 'hunting' behavior was tacitly allowed.
"Don't mention it. Now that the World Government is gone, the Marines are afraid we'll get retaliated against. They start setting up defenses dozens of nautical miles out. This old man can't find any prey at all."
Though a young woman, she called herself 'old man', which sounded quite odd.
But both Shaka and Stussy were used to it.
"Hehe... it's fine. Your funds should now be provided by the Marines. I think once they stabilize, you won't need to worry about funding anymore."
Just as Stussy said, the disappearance of the World Government did cause chaos on the seas for a while. The Marines put in a lot of effort to quell the unrest and re-establish stability.
The cost was the contraction of their forces and the dispersal of their military power.
But all this wasn't without reward.
Many former World Government-affiliated kingdoms, after a period of chaos, decisively chose to contact the new Marine government.
They still hoped the Marines could provide protection as before.
Of course, as 'compensation', they wouldn't let the Marines work for free either.
After discussions, the Marine Fleet Admiral, Sengoku and other high-ranking officials decided to accept the proposal.
Of course, the form was slightly different from before.
At the very least, it was less likely for those kingdom nobles to casually order the Marines around as before. The positions of the two sides had switched.
And with one layer of exploitation after another… the World Government, the Heavenly Tribute, the Celestial Dragons gone, the Marines' hands were also much less tight.
Naturally, Egghead Island would soon receive a new influx of funds.
The high-ranking Marines weren't that short-sighted, and they knew well the advantages technological superiority could bring.
"Hmm... I hope so."
Lilith jumped up from her chair, then hopped around in front of Stussy like a little deer.
"By the way, Stussy, you're here for that, that..."
Saying so, she pointed two index fingers at Stussy's belly.
To this, Stussy just smiled faintly, not explaining too much.
Towards the other 'Vegapunk clones', also creations of Dr. Vegapunk, Stussy had a natural affinity.
Here, she didn't need to pretend to be the [Queen of Pleasure Island] or the [CP0 Senior Agent].
"Then let this old man take you there!"
Seeing Stussy's smile, Lilith immediately patted her chest, then waved at Shaka.
"As for you, go do whatever you need to. Shoo, shoo..."
Hearing this, Shaka tilted his head helplessly, the exasperated expression seemingly able to show through his mask.
But in the end, he didn't say anything, letting Lilith do as she pleased.
As the 'elder brother', giving in to the 'younger sister' was only right.
Under Lilith's lead, Stussy passed rows of incubators containing [Pacifistas] and finally stopped in front of a glass capsule surrounded by more complex machinery.
Inside was one of the three Marine Admirals, [Akainu] Sakazuki.
Of course, he looked quite miserable at the moment.
Less than 50% of his body remained, and more than half had been replaced by mechanical apparatus, looking not much better than the surrounding Pacifistas.
In fact, if there had been a choice, the Marines wouldn't have let Akainu undergo such modification.
But there was no other way… if not like this, Akainu wouldn't have survived at all.
"Will he be able to wake up?"
Stussy had no favorable feelings towards Akainu.
Someone like her was destined to be his enemy, and his eyes couldn't tolerate sand.
"Don't know. It's uncertain."
Hearing Lilith's words, Stussy nodded noncommittally, then continued deeper.
When she reached the lowest level of the laboratory, what she saw were four glass incubators.
And a red-nosed, long-tongued, white-haired old man in a lab coat.
This old man with a pointed head modified with an apple-like cap was the world's smartest scientist… Dr. Vegapunk!
"Oh! You're here, Stussy!"
Actually, through the antenna on his head shaped like an apple, Vegapunk had known about Stussy's arrival as soon as she set foot on Egghead Island.
Similarly, he also learned Stussy's purpose from Shaka.
"Dr. Vegapunk, I'm back."
Looking at her creator, a most sincere smile appeared on Stussy's face.
"You came at the right time. Actually, even if you hadn't come, I planned to contact you soon."
Saying so, Vegapunk walked past the three glass incubators beside him.
Inside were three small bodies.
They all had wings on their backs and white hair, looking somewhat similar to the Beast Pirates' top executive, King the Conflagration.
And indeed, they were similar.
These three were the latest cyborgs created using King's Lunarian bloodline and the genes of the Warlords… [Seraphim].
The three inside the incubators were codenamed [S-Snake], [S-Hawk], and [S-Shark]. Their genes came from Hancock, Mihawk, and Jinbei respectively.
It's just unknown whether they knew their genes had been extracted.
These experimental subjects also had a special device implanted in their arms called [Green Blood].
This device could actually grant the experimental subjects powers nearly equivalent to those of Devil Fruits.
It was clear that Vegapunk's research progress on Devil Fruit's lineage factors far surpassed that of Caesar Clown and Vinsmoke Judge.
In the last incubator was a completely different body.
He had no wings, no Green Blood.
He only had a small body like an ordinary baby, and the highly recognizable two mustache-like birthmarks on his face.
Vegapunk's gaze at him was full of admiration for a 'perfect creation'.
Different from him, Stussy gently stroked the cold glass column with her fingers, her eyes for the first time revealing an expression of extreme tenderness and motherly love.
This was... her and Naruto's child.
Adam.