"Thank you for your trouble."
"It's a fair exchange. I'll help you train your control over your Devil Fruit abilities, and you'll assist me in creating the materials I need. Where in that booklet I gave you do you start losing track?"
"Um... the first page."
Kuma's voice grew quieter, laced with growing embarrassment.
That was just his nature—overly gentle, even with strangers asking for favors unrelated to him. Kuma would still give it his all.
The booklet was a compilation of chemical knowledge penned by Oran, designed to help Kuma better grasp the composition of matter.
"No need to feel embarrassed. You lack the basics, after all—this was just a test to see where to start teaching you."
Kuma had been born into a family of priests, captured as a child and enslaved. Being literate was already a remarkable achievement.
The palace of the Sorbet Kingdom wasn't grand in scale. After a bit of casual chatter, Oran and his group arrived at the banquet hall.
Though the people Oran brought were a motley crew of oddities, King Bulldog showed no overt shock. He was a king, after all; failing to control his expressions would have cost him the throne long ago.
"Mr. Oran, we've been awaiting you. Please, everyone, take your seats."
"King Bulldog, I'll skip the pleasantries. Do you have any questions about the terms of the agreement?"
"None at all, Mr. Oran. The conditions you've proposed are highly beneficial for the Sorbet Kingdom's development.
But as you've seen these past days, this nation isn't wealthy. Just the Celestial Tribute alone has nearly drained our economy dry.
I'd like to pay a portion upfront, with the rest in installments. If your designs prove effective, we can quickly make up the difference."
Truth be told, Bulldog didn't want to resort to this.
The kingdom lacked native researchers or powerful warriors. Scraping together the Celestial Tribute to avoid becoming a lawless haven was already Bulldog's limit.
This was a rare chance for technological advancement. If Oran simply left, the Sorbet Kingdom would lose a vital opportunity for growth.
Yet he dared not gamble everything. Handing over the full sum upfront—if something went wrong—would leave them short for next year's tribute.
"Of course, the Sorbet Kingdom can pay interest, and you can take a share of the profits from the ventures."
Bulldog proposed a new condition. As long as Oran wasn't spinning empty promises, his gains would only multiply.
"I can accept that, but the specifics must follow my arrangements. I don't want outsiders meddling in expert matters."
"Naturally, Mr. Oran. Here's the agreement drafted by the finance minister—see if there are any issues."
Oran knew Bulldog's hesitation stemmed from doubts about the technology, but that was fair. Full upfront payment was the rarity. They soon sealed the deal: Oran secured his startup funds, and the Sorbet Kingdom gained a bet on the future.
Both sides were largely satisfied. If there was any regret, it was Bulldog's for allowing Oran to bring his companions to the feast.
Aside from Oran's appetite, which was passably normal, the other three ate like beasts. Ginny, the smallest in appearance, devoured the most, single-handedly wiping out several days' worth of palace rations.
Time marched on steadily. During this period, Oran tutored Kuma from the ground up in math, physics, and chemistry, equipping him with substantial knowledge—and yielding tangible results.
Place a freshly mined iron ore before Kuma, and he could separate its components or compress and fuse elements, compensating for Oran's lack of equipment.
In truth, Kuma outperformed any machine—provided he understood the substance in question.
Within the Sorbet Kingdom, a factory prototype emerged, boasting forging and processing capabilities, even handling orders from neighboring small nations.
Through tests on his own body, Oran discovered changes: enhanced strength and recovery, his physique aligning more with this world's natives. Perhaps a byproduct of crossing dimensions.
The world of Valoran had bolstered his spirit; the world of pirates, his body.
With Bulldog's initial funding, Oran began crafting tools to aid himself. Kuma, Kate, and the others lent hands in this makeshift workshop.
After a stretch of hard work, a roughly five-meter-tall iron behemoth took shape.
Brass-hued metal gleamed with prominent screws. Specialized pipes linked its arms and torso, while dual exhaust vents on its back billowed white steam.
As Oran loaded fuel into the machine's chest hatch, its eyes ignited with light.
"Engine activated. Ready for deployment."
"It moved! Oran, this thing actually moved!"
Watching the steel construct rise on its own and even speak, Ginny—who'd been assisting—jumped in shock.
"I see that. Isn't it obvious? Blitzcrank, grab that rock to your left front."
"Rock. Understood."
Whoosh!
Steam jetted from the pipes on its back, extending the hook from its hand. It seized the rock firmly, retracting the chain to bring it back.
"Master, task complete."
"Power down and standby."
"Affirmative."
"System operations nominal. Now for the final step."
With the robot shut down, Oran reopened its chest power chamber, where a slot awaited above.
The robot—more precisely, the steam robot—was a disaster-relief model born in Zaun, meant to replace humans in toxic environments.
But that was the original design. This one had undergone multiple upgrades. Oran then produced a modified Hextech crystal.
Not an ordinary one, but infused with new tech, incorporating a core akin to the Seraphim Rights chip—it served as both power source and controller.
Clang!
A resounding thud as Oran secured the core in the slot. The Hextech crystal's energy surged through the circuits into the robot's frame.
Yet amid sparking electricity, the lights on the robot dimmed.
"That's about right. Kate! Target the core—full discharge."
"Meow, got it."
Zzzap!
Current raced across the metal shell. The robot's eyes flickered back to life. Still a cold mechanical tone, but the inflection held a subtle shift.
"Blitzcrank, reporting for duty."
(End of Chapter)