Chapter 178: The Eccentric Scientist

Chapter 178: The Eccentric Scientist

~ Support & Read 15 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon!

<><><><>

A Noitem remnant led Noir to a sheltered corner of the base.

A nondescript building stood there, its scale reminiscent of a large chemical plant from Noir's previous life.

The guide knocked twice on the door. Noir expected it to open automatically, as others had, but instead, it creaked open manually.

A nervous-looking man emerged, bowing deeply to Noir. "Your Highness," he said, "The Scientist is in the laboratory. Please follow me."

A high-tech automated entrance to the base, but a manually operated door here?

Noir was slightly bemused but followed the man inside.

The interior of the "factory" was disappointing. Instead of advanced technology, Noir saw only an array of greasy machinery and scattered parts.

The impressive facade of the base seemed to have vanished.

This eccentric scientist is probably some grimy, unhygienic brute, Noir thought to himself.

The guide led him to an office within the factory and knocked hesitantly. "Doctor ( alias for scientists too )" he announced, "His Highness wishes to see you."

...

Silence. The air grew still.

Noir raised an eyebrow. No response? Lost in research, or intentionally ignoring me?

Patience is key when dealing with eccentric geniuses.

Noir stepped forward and knocked himself. "It's Noir," he said. "May I come in?"

Finally, there was a response – a flurry of chaotic noises from within, as if something had been knocked over. Then, a surprisingly loud explosion!

Noir smirked, casually disabled the lock with a flick of his wrist, and pushed the door open.

"What the?!"

A dark mass hurtled towards him, burying him and his companions under a pile of debris.

Noir struggled out of the junk heap, staring in disbelief at the chaotic state of the room. Was this a landfill?

Even for an eccentric scientist, this was excessive.

The spacious room was overflowing with clutter, leaving barely any space to stand.

Kuri shook her head eagerly, like a child showing off a new toy. "Of course, Your Highness! It's my greatest invention!"

She led Noir out of the cluttered office to a slightly cleaner area where the combat armor was displayed.

It was a towering suit of heavy armor, reaching Noir's height. He tapped on it curiously. The material was incredibly durable. Even with Haki, it would take several powerful blows to break through.

"What does it do?" Noir asked. If it was for combat, it must have offensive capabilities.

Kuri beamed, her nose practically touching the ceiling. She pressed several buttons on the armor's hand, and the suit whirred to life, various weapons extending from its surface.

While impressive-looking, the weaponry – hand-mounted machine guns, shoulder cannons – was nothing new to Noir, a man from another world.

But in this world, it was revolutionary. Ignoring the user's skill and experience, the armor's firepower rivaled that of Franky's cyborg modifications.

However, this was only comparable to Franky from two years ago. After gaining access to Vegapunk's research, Franky had become a walking arsenal.

Kuri was just a child. Comparing her to the monstrous genius of Vegapunk was unfair.

Besides, Noir didn't need Kuri to be centuries ahead of her time. Her current skills were impressive enough.

Seeing Noir's indifferent reaction, Kuri's cheerful expression faltered. "Isn't it amazing?" she asked, her voice filled with disappointment. "I think it's pretty good..."

Noir knelt down, meeting the little girl's gaze. Even then, he still towered over her.

He gently patted her head. "You've done a great job, Kuri. But you could do even better."

Kuri looked up at him skeptically. Even better?

That was a novel concept...

As a child prodigy, Kuri had displayed extraordinary talent from a young age, quickly becoming a key figure among the Noitem remnants.

Her inventions were always praised as the best, leading her to believe they were...

Knowing she was unconvinced, Noir smiled and pulled out a dusty stack of blueprints from his dimensional storage.

Time to dazzle the little scientist.

...

Support & Read 15 Advanced Chapters. Ahead of the rest!

/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)

Apply this discount code : C8BD2

There is 9 Exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon!