"Well, this is a good thing, so I'll accept it without hesitation," Luffy said as he took the Den Den Mushi from Vegapunk. With care, he tucked it close to his body, treating it like a treasure.
Vegapunk was indeed the last piece of the puzzle in Luffy's grand plan. With his technological expertise, Wano Country entered a new era of rapid development almost instantly.
The very next day, Vegapunk made an announcement that shocked everyone: the first fully functional computer had been successfully produced. Not only that, but he had already set up a simple automated production line capable of manufacturing hundreds of computers per day.
Luffy was stunned by the sheer efficiency of the scientist. Wasting no time, he personally inspected the computers.
The first batch was immediately snapped up by the Marines of the G66 branch. When Luffy tried one himself, he was amazed to find that Vegapunk had shared almost all the knowledge stored in Punk Records on the computers.
Realizing the potential risks, Luffy quickly stepped in. "Doctor," he said, his tone serious, "this is incredible, but you need to hold back a bit. Some of this knowledge could cause massive problems if it falls into the wrong hands."
Luffy suggested limiting the available knowledge to commonly used, non-dangerous information. For anything more advanced, he proposed creating a professional online platform where users would need to pass rigorous screening before gaining access.
Vegapunk agreed and promptly adjusted the Punk Records system, modifying the programs to meet Luffy's requirements. After another round of testing, the computers were deemed safe for public distribution.
Satisfied, Luffy decided to use the computers as the main product for future releases.
To promote the computers, Luffy approached Morgans once again. Despite the advent of the internet being on the horizon, the power of print media was still unparalleled. However, Luffy hadn't forgotten the times when Morgans had charged exorbitant fees for publicity.
When my computers dominate the market and the internet takes over, Morgans will have to pay for underestimating me, Luffy thought with a sly grin.
In addition to the computers, Vegapunk shared various other technologies—many of which were quirky and seemingly useless. But one invention caught Luffy's attention and left him both surprised and confused.
"Soil improvement? But… why would anyone want to turn fertile farmland into saline-alkali land? Did you make a mistake?" Luffy asked, baffled.
He had heard of transforming barren saline-alkali land into fertile farmland, but this was the first time he'd come across a process that reversed it.
Later that day, Luffy used his anti-spy Den Den Mushi to call Vegapunk. "Doctor, this research of yours—it's completely backward! Why would you even develop something like this?"
Vegapunk, who was taking a rare break and eating fast food in his laboratory, paused thoughtfully. After searching through Punk Records for the relevant data, he finally recalled the origin of the technology.
"No, no, it's not what you think," Vegapunk explained. "This wasn't about turning fertile land into saline-alkali land on purpose. You know how rare seastone is, right? Outside of Wano Country, it's almost nonexistent. The government once tasked me with trying to artificially synthesize something similar to seastone. I was intrigued and took on the project."
He sighed and continued, "Unfortunately, my experiments failed repeatedly. Then, after the government struck a deal with Kaido and secured a steady supply of seastone, the research was deemed unnecessary, so I abandoned it. This technology you're referring to was actually a side effect of those experiments. I wanted to transform land to mimic seastone properties, but… well, things didn't go as planned."
Luffy was left speechless. He hadn't expected such an explanation. The technology's origins were far removed from what he had imagined.
But rather than dwell on past mistakes, Luffy saw an opportunity. "Doctor," he said, leaning forward, "since you've managed to turn land into saline-alkali terrain, can you reverse the process? Could you transform saline-alkali land into fertile farmland or improve soil quality to make barren land suitable for farming?"
Vegapunk rubbed his chin in thought. After a moment, he nodded. "I haven't researched that specifically, but it should be much easier than trying to replicate seastone. I'd need some time to study it, but I'm confident it can be done."
Luffy clenched his fists, his excitement palpable. "That's fantastic! If you can pull this off, it'll change everything for Wano Country and beyond!"
Encouraged, Luffy pushed further. "Doctor, what about improving crop varieties? Could you develop a way to increase the yield of rice, wheat, and other staples—maybe even double it?"
Vegapunk leaned back and smiled. "That's a more complex challenge. Crop improvement requires careful cultivation and time. But it's not impossible. With enough effort, I believe it can be achieved."
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