After the live demonstration, there were no major surprises for Claudius.
The PX-Pacifistas performed exactly as he had expected.
They fired laser beams, their defenses remained intact against cannon fire, and their speed was impressive.
As war machines, once mass-produced, they could drastically alter the balance of power in the world.
In the original timeline, the Marines had indeed managed to mass-produce them.
However, due to their high cost and the corruption of the World Government, full-scale production had been halted after only a few hundred units.
While this elite force was powerful, it was not enough to fundamentally change the world.
But now, things were different.
If they tightened their budget, they could still afford large-scale production of PX-Pacifistas.
And ultimately, investing in them would yield long-term benefits.
With PX-Pacifistas reducing chaos at sea and suppressing pirate threats, global trade would thrive.
And with economic growth, the World Government would reap massive profits.
After personally witnessing their effectiveness, Claudius did not hesitate to approve mass production.
"In my opinion, we should start with some test deployments—put PX-Pacifistas on display for the royal families of allied nations.
Let them witness their power firsthand.
If we position the PX-Pacifistas as a product that can be sold to these nations, we can shift part of the costs onto them—or even turn a profit.
By the way, just how expensive are these things?" Claudius asked, sitting in the research base's office with a group of high-ranking officials.
Sipping his tea, he waited for a response.
Dr. Vegapunk answered quickly, "The cost remains quite high. Each one is more expensive than a Marine warship."
Sakazuki added in a serious tone, "The base cost is around 300 million Berries."
"Three hundred million, huh?" Claudius rubbed his chin in thought.
"Well, if they're effective, we could sell them to allied nations for 500 million Berries each—to be used for defense against pirates and external threats."
Claudius had already cut down most of the Heavenly Tribute and significantly reduced taxes.
There was no way he would gift these nations advanced war machines for free.
If they wanted them, they'd have to pay up.
"Wouldn't it be risky to sell these weapons to allied nations?" Sengoku asked hesitantly.
"What if they misuse them—say, to invade their neighbors?"
The others nodded. It was a valid concern.
Dr. Vegapunk, however, had an immediate solution.
"We can program the PX-Pacifistas to only target enemies designated by the World Government—such as pirates, criminals, and other marked threats.
The core technology remains in our hands, meaning they won't be able to alter the programming."
Hearing this, Claudius nodded. "Alright, then let's change the model, leasing instead of selling.
500 million Berries for a three-year lease.
At the end of the term, the World Government retains the right to reclaim them.
If necessary, we can allow renewals.
If we do take them back, we return part of the money."
"This way, it also strengthens the World Government's hold over allied nations," he added.
"500 million for three years?" Gion blinked in surprise.
She wasn't sure whether this was a fair deal or outright extortion.
On one hand, it seemed worth it. But on the other, would these nations really accept such conditions?
For larger countries, a single PX-Pacifista wouldn't be enough.
Wouldn't they need at least three or more?
At that rate, the cost per year didn't seem too outrageous.
Then it hit her—the money wasn't the point.
Claudius wasn't doing this for profit.
He was creating dependence.
By making these nations rely on the World Government for security, their influence would deepen over time.
The rental fees were just a side benefit, a way to recover costs and make a little extra on the side.
If Tesoro were here, he'd probably be celebrating—after all, this plan shifted some of the financial burden away from the World Government while still generating revenue.
"Will they actually rent them?" Sakazuki asked after a moment of silence.
"We'll start by conducting test deployments and quietly arranging for a few key allied nations—ones close to the World Government—to lead the way," Claudius explained.
"Once they see the benefits, others will naturally follow.
I don't foresee any major issues."
Sengoku considered this and nodded. It made sense. The others had no further objections.
With that, Claudius wrapped up the discussion.
From here, it would be up to the Marines to work out the specifics.
After all, if he micromanaged everything, what was the point of having subordinates?
With that topic settled, he shifted his attention back to Dr. Vegapunk.
While Claudius wasn't particularly interested in the technical aspects of science, he did want to establish a stronger relationship with Vegapunk.
After all, in the past, the World Government had essentially kidnapped the scientist and forced him into service.
It was hard to say whether Vegapunk still held a grudge.
And the last thing Claudius wanted was for his newly reformed government to inherit the sins of the old one.
What he didn't know was that, back when Vegapunk was first brought in, he had resented the World Government.
However, he later came to realize the benefits of working for them.
Before, when working independently, he had always been short on funding and manpower.
But under the World Government?
He had unlimited resources.
The only drawback was that he couldn't freely choose his research topics.
Of course, he had made some secret connections with the Revolutionary Army, just in case.
But ever since Claudius took power, he had noticed clear changes.
The government had become far less oppressive.
His personal freedom had increased, and he had more say in his research direction.
This gave him hope that, in a few more years, he might have the freedom to choose his own projects entirely.
And that was exactly what Claudius had in mind.
Right now, given the state of the world, Vegapunk had to focus on strengthening the government's military power.
But once the Great Pirate Era was dealt with and global stability was restored?
Then, Vegapunk could pursue whatever he wanted.
Not knowing what else to discuss, Claudius vaguely recalled something called "lineage factors"—something that sounded really advanced—so he casually brought it up.
To his surprise, Vegapunk's eyes immediately lit up.
The scientist launched into an enthusiastic lecture, talking about "lineage factors" and how they were the "building blocks of all life."
Claudius quickly realized he was in over his head.
He barely understood a word.
Still, he nodded along, pretending to listen.
Meanwhile, Vegapunk passionately criticized Judge Vinsmoke.
"That fool completely misused lineage factors! He only grasped the surface-level applications, then wasted them on cloning and genetic modifications. That's not what science is about!"
"Uh, yeah, totally," Claudius agreed quickly.
Then, shifting gears, Vegapunk suddenly said,
"By the way, Your Highness, are you actually interested in this field?
Because, to be honest, PX-Pacifista development is nearly complete.
I'm about to take on a new project."
Now this caught Claudius' interest.
Finally, something he could understand.
"Oh? That's great news. What's the topic, Doctor?"
Vegapunk smiled.
"I understand that, given the current state of the world, my research must serve the government's needs.
So I've chosen a project that aligns with both my duty and my passion—advancing our power systems.
Our current energy technology is severely outdated."
Claudius' eyes lit up.
Energy was the foundation of technological progress.
Of course he understood its importance.
He grinned.
"Well, Doctor, that's perfect.
Because there's actually something else I wanted to discuss with you."
(To be continued.)
***
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