"That's great."
Hearing that Vegapunk was going to join, Bartholomew Kuma was the happiest.
As the prototype, Kuma naturally knew what Vegapunk was researching.
If it succeeded, it would be mass-producible Shichibukai, and Shichibukai with special racial characteristics.
With such powerful weaponry, their team would become even stronger.
"If Dragon knew, he'd surely be very happy too!"
Bartholomew Kuma looked at Vegapunk, his face filled with joy.
Kong Tai was noncommittal about Vegapunk's desire to join.
In fact, it was enough for their group to go to Mary Geoise.
For Im, who could control the Celestial Dragons, no matter how many people went, it would be futile. Just like him now, even if the Four Emperors and the three Marine Admirals all came, they would be mere targets in front of him.
After signing an equal contract with the Other Shore, he could clearly feel his body growing, as if stimulated by something, growing at a faster rate than ever before.
His domain had also expanded by more than three times during this period.
If his intuition was correct, within a month at most, he would reach the 'infant stage' of a 'god' as described by the Other Shore.
That is, the domain of a god, a true god's domain.
At that time, he didn't know what the difference would be between him and the 'infant stage' mentioned by the Other Shore, but he had a feeling that he... he would likely be much stronger than the infant stage!
Therefore, even if Im was an old god, an old god who came to this world from another world, he could still make him a god of death, a god who was thoroughly dead.
"However, one thing still requires Dragon's support."
"What is it?"
"That's research funding," Vegapunk said, scratching his head sheepishly as he looked at Bartholomew Kuma.
"To speed up the progress, a lot of experiments need to be done, and experiments mean money."
"I wonder if Dragon can support it."
"Uh..."
Bartholomew Kuma looked at Vegapunk, slightly speechless, then shrugged helplessly, "If he could support it, he wouldn't be Dragon, nor the Revolutionary Army."
"You also know that unlike the World Government, the Revolutionary Army doesn't collect any money even after liberating a country. Since its inception, the Revolutionary Army's military expenses have been solely from donations by the people of various countries, as well as from cadres adventuring and defeating pirates."
"This money is not even enough to maintain the Revolutionary Army's logistics, so it's impossible to support the Doctor."
"Then..."
Vegapunk certainly knew the real situation of the Revolutionary Army; otherwise, he wouldn't have joined the World Government.
But he truly wanted to contribute to overthrowing the Celestial Dragon's rule and the World Government.
Without funds, it was difficult.
It wasn't impossible, which was to ask the World Government for it.
As long as he asked, and truly focused his energy on the weapons the World Government wanted, he believed that no matter how much money it was, the World Government would provide it.
However, this also came with a hidden danger: the World Government would definitely know about the manufactured machines and their progress.
Since they knew, they would demand the highest level of authority.
Therefore, for this reason alone, he couldn't possibly ask the World Government.
It wouldn't be good if, upon reaching Mary Geoise, all the machine weapons rebelled and turned their guns on their own people.
"Money... are you short of money, Doctor?"
Seeing Bartholomew Kuma and Vegapunk worried, Kong Tai asked curiously.
"Yes! Very short."
Vegapunk nodded, "Research always involves countless failures, and failure means everything done must be redone. This constant cycle is actually the consumption of money."
"Then, see if this is enough," Kong Tai said, waving his hand towards the empty space in the middle of the laboratory.
A wad of paper flew from his hand, suspended in the air, and then rapidly enlarged.
Bang——!
It landed on the open space.
"This, this, this, this is..."
Even with the knowledge of Bartholomew Kuma and Vegapunk, they were stunned by the scene before them.
It was stacks of neatly folded Beri, piled there, forming a small mountain.
They hadn't seen money before. The money Vegapunk had used in the past decade or so since joining the World Government was certainly no less than this small mountain, but the visual impact of so much money piled together at once left him dumbfounded.
"This is ten billion," Kong Tai turned to look at the two stunned figures, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "I wonder if it's enough."
"Enough, enough."
Vegapunk snapped back to reality and quickly replied.
Then he counted on his fingers, "Experiments cost five billion, finished products cost five billion, it's completely enough."
"Is it really enough?" Kong Tai looked at Vegapunk, "Actually, money, for me, is like waste paper."
"Uh..."
Both Bartholomew Kuma and Vegapunk were speechless at Kong Tai's ostentatious display of wealth.
In this world, besides the World Government, no one dared to say such a thing.
"I don't believe you," seeing their clearly disbelieving expressions, Kong Tai's lips curled up, and he waved his right hand again.
Bang——!
Another ten billion.
Then he waved again.
Bang——!
Another ten billion.
He waved again.
Bang bang bang!!
In a short while, the laboratory, which was not small in area, was piled high with Beri.
"It's fake, right!"
The two of them stared dumbfounded at the small mountains built of Beri before them, their minds shaken.
"Did you rob the World Bank's printing press?"
Vegapunk looked at Kong Tai, the first thing he thought of was the printing press; otherwise, how could he explain Kong Tai's ability to produce so much Beri at once.
This money could not only create the weapons the World Government wanted but also realize many of the ideas in his mind.
With this money, he would never have to worry about money again.
"World Bank?"
Kong Tai heard of a new power, one that did not appear in the original story.
He looked at Vegapunk in confusion, "What is the World Bank?"
"Uh..."
Vegapunk looked at Kong Tai, his mouth twitching.
"You have so much Beri, and you don't even know about the World Bank."
"Never heard of it."
Kong Tai replied truthfully.
Vegapunk's face showed a hint of realization after considering Kong Tai's identity, and then he said, "That's true. With your status, you wouldn't pay attention to such things, as most people in this world don't know about the World Bank."
Speaking of which, Vegapunk straightened his body and explained, "I don't know exactly when the World Bank was established, after all, I am just a scientist, not a historian."
"I only know that it is a banking institution jointly established and maintained by all the kingdoms of the world, and it holds the printing technology for Beri."
"Of course, it's not printed randomly, but printed according to the world's gold production investigated by the bank and distributed to all countries in the world. This is jointly supervised by all countries in the world, which is why Beri has become the world's currency."
"Even the World Government cannot change this point."
"Is that so!" Kong Tai nodded, indicating that he understood.
So this was how Beri was produced in this world; he thought it was printed by the World Government.