"What is your name?" Vegapunk asked Mio with a smile.
"Kurokawa Mio." Mio also responded with a smile.
"Then Mr. Mio, let's have a cup of black tea."
Vegapunk picked up the black tea next to him, and poured himself and Mio a cup, and looked at Erica.
"Does this lady need a cup? Although it's not a very good black tea, it's still delicious."
Hearing this, Erica shook her head.
Vegapunk shrugged, and took the teacup and handed it to Mio.
He also took a sip of teac and said with a smile, "Mr. Mio, is there anything you want from me?"
Vegapunk did not appear to be too nervous in the face of Mio, and he was even very calm, even though Erica had just shown her combat effectiveness.
"Of course, I have heard of Mr.Vegapunk's wisdom, and it may be a bit tacky to say it, but I am indeed here to make you my friend."
"After all, I think the World government has noticed your existence, right? If I don't establish a friendship with you now, I may not have this chance in the future. I also have some good news for you." Mio said with a smile.
"Mr. Mio is really straightforward." Such directness made Vegapunk have a good impression of Mio.
Smiling, Vegapunk looked at the equipment in the basement and said, "You're right, the World government has indeed noticed me, but I have been resisting joining the World government before."
"So now?" Mio asked curiously.
"Now?" Vegapunk shrugged. "Of course I have to join, I don't have a choice, do I?"
With Vegapunk's wisdom, how could he not know how valuable he was?
Therefore, it was also clear that the World government was bound to get him, and if they failed to obtain him, they would destroy him without hesitation.
He does not have the ability to deal with the World government.
If he wants to continue researching what he wants, he can only join the World government.
"That's what I think as well."
Mio nodded, and then asked curiously, "If I remember correctly, Mr. Judge just now should be the king of Germa Kingdom, right?"
"Yes."
Vegapunk nodded and said with a smile, "Mr. Judge conducted a research with me before. He came just now to invite me to help Germa Kingdom develop weapons, but I refused."
As he said, Vegapunk shrugged and he looked helpless.
"To be honest, you may not know this. Although I have a little interest in developing weapons, I am not very interested, because in my opinion, developing weapons is too boring."
"What I am most interested in at the moment is lineage factor which is a really fascinating thing."
"By the way, Mr. Mio may not know what Lineage factor is. Lineage factor can be called a life design diagram."
"You can think of it as a gene-like existence, and lineage factor can change genes."
"Not only that, it can also be used to study Devil Fruit, or even clone Devil Fruit's abilities, but this may take a long time to achieve."
When the topic was lineage factor, Vegapunk had a crazy look in his eyes. He told Mio all his knowledge of lineage factor.
Perhaps because he was a scientific researcher, he wanted to tell others about the great discoveries he had made, in order to satisfy his little vanity.
Vegapunk may only want to show off the results in this area, and other things may not be worth showing off for him.
Mio was naturally aware of the lineage factor, but at this time he pretended not to know.
After listening to Vegapunk's words, Mio asked with a smile, "Mr. Vegapunk, are you interested in genes?"
"Of course."
Vegapunk nodded without hesitation, excitedly, "Although I am a researcher, I have no resistance to power, and even my research is related to the development of my own power."
"And genes are undoubtedly a good research direction, and it is precisely because of this that I discovered the existence of lineage Factor."
"Then I think we might be able to be friends."
Mio smiled slightly, and then after thinking about it, he thought that he didn't seem to have said enough.
So, he added, "Friendship maintained by 'interest'."
"Oh?" Upon hearing these words, a strange expression appeared in Vegapunk's eyes, and then it soon disappeared.
Friend?
"Do you want me to become your intelligence spy in the World government after joining the World government?" Vegapunk asked.
From his point of view, the friendship mentioned by Mio was nothing more than this.
"Almost." Mio nodded slightly.
He not only wanted Vegapunk to become his intelligence spy in the World government, he also wanted Vegapunk to develop something for him in the future.
"Aren't you afraid that I will refuse?" Vegapunk asked curiously.
Mio's face was calm, as if he was certain that he would agree.
"I believe Mr. Vegapunk will agree." A confident smile appeared on Mio's face.
Perhaps he would not have been so sure before, but the conversation with Vegapunk just now gave him this confidence.
With that, Mio took off Erica's hat. Erica's face was revealed before Vegapunk's eyes.
Looking at Erica, Vegapunk was taken aback for a moment, but then he set his eyes on the tentacles on Erica's forehead.
"This is... Devil fruit ability?"
"No." Mio shook his head. "Erica has not eaten a Devil fruit."
"How is this possible? Is she a special race?" Vegapunk asked in surprise.
Without the tentacles on the forehead, Erica would look exactly like a human being.
"I'll tell you this, Erica is an upgraded ant, but because of some special reasons of mine, she became a human."
"At the same time, she can talk to ants, and even manipulate them. You can think of this as my Devil Fruit ability." Mio explained.
Upon hearing this, Vegapunk suddenly sighed, and his eyes glistened.
"Can you give me a drop of her blood? I want to see what this lady's genes are like, maybe it can bring me some unexpected surprises."
After he had just finished speaking, Vegapunk suddenly came back to his senses.
He looked at Mio with a dazed expression, and then said, "So that's it. You are right, I really won't refuse you."
He understood why Mio was sure that he wouldn't rejecting him.
Facing the peculiar existence of Erica, he really couldn't refuse, and even couldn't wait to get a drop of Erica's blood to study Erica's genes.
"It looks like Mr. Vegapunk has agreed?" Mio chuckled lightly.
"Yes." Vegapunk nodded without hesitation.
He said sincerely, "But I hope that in the future, I can study other genes that are as strange as this lady's. If Mr. Mio agrees, I don't mind helping Mr. Mio get the information he wants in the future."
"Okay." Hearing this, Mio couldn't help raising the corners of his mouth, showing a smile.
"Since Mr. Vegapunk has agreed, then I don't mind giving Mr. Vegapunk another good news."
"Oh? Please speak." Vegapunk looked at Mio with interest.
"If there is a chance in the future, I think I can bring a drop of Poseidon's blood to Mr. Vegapunk. I am talking about one of the Ancient Weapons."
***
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