Personally, I believe that the enjoyment of alcohol varies from person to person, but for me, I prefer to drink quietly and slowly. I generally have my evening drinks on days off when I don't have to worry about time, savoring the luxury of being able to enjoy it at my own pace.
Whiskey isn't just about taste and aroma; it's an experience that engages all five senses, including visual contrast with the color and ice, auditory sensations from the clear sound of ice touching the glass, and tactile sensations of the temperature felt in the hand holding the glass.
This time, I've placed a large ice cube in the glass. The moment when I pour my favorite whiskey into a glass filled with ice from a winter island in the Grand Line, known for its transparent clarity, is truly priceless...
"This kind of tyranny is absolutely unacceptable! This is equivalent to the suppression of science by authority... adadadadada?!"
I interrupt the blissful moment as I lift the intruder's head with an Iron Claw and toss them over the table onto the opposite sofa. Confronted by someone who barged in uninvited during my leisurely drinking time and started shouting, a gentle response is quite generous.
"... Hmm, the taste of this ham is quite good."
"Ah, yes, it's been aged quite well. I'm glad the captain likes it."
"Come on, at least react a bit, won't you!?"
I pick up the snack prepared by Pochi and take a sip of whiskey. Pochi excels at making dishes that suit my taste perfectly, so the snacks are equally delightful.
The only thing left to ruin this moment is the annoying presence across from me, but...
"... Rather than interrupting my evening drink and just not crushing your head, I'm being pretty lenient."
"... Panda... I brought souvenirs, so please listen to me."
"... Hmm."
As I confirm the item that Lillith offers, it turns out to be whiskey. Ah, a 17-year-old one... a fantastic choice. It's common sense, but just like with wine, whiskey also comes in different age variations.
While 12-year-old ones are more commonly available in the market, in my opinion, 12 years is a bit too young. The smooth, distinctive taste of whiskey tends to emerge around the 17-year mark, and that's when whiskey gains a deeper complexity. This 17-year mark hits a delicate balance of mellowness and depth that isn't quite present in even 20-year-old ones.
Personally, I consider 17-year-old whiskey to be the pinnacle. Indeed, Lillith seems to understand my preferences quite well.
"Pochi, prepare a glass for Lillith too."
"Understood."
With this whiskey, Lillith's fate is sealed. I don't know the details of the complaint, but I'll entertain it. Let's finish this glass and move on to the whiskey.
Indeed, a 17-year-old one, it has a wonderful aroma. If it's from the West Blue, then on the rocks it is. One of the advantages of drinking whiskey on the rocks is that the taste changes as the ice melts, allowing you to enjoy different snacks to complement the changing flavor.
As I enjoy the whiskey, Pochi brings a glass for herself and her own drink, then takes a seat. Pochi usually joins me for evening drinks... well, she can only drink cocktails due to her childish palate, so she's made herself a cocktail instead of whiskey.
Lillith, on the other hand, can drink anything but only in small amounts each time. Apparently, she dislikes being even slightly impaired in her thinking due to alcohol.
"... So, Lillith, what's bothering you?"
As I adopt a listening posture, Pochi, who has taken a seat, begins to speak. Seeing my attitude, Lillith clenches her fist and opens her mouth with an annoyed expression.
"I have never felt the upper echelons' lack of understanding and tyranny as strongly as I have this time!"
"... Cut to the chase and tell me the details."
"Panda is being cold... Well, in short, there was a project to resurrect an extinct bird using its genetic factors. However, this bird was originally extremely rare... There were no complete genetic factors remaining, so they attempted to recreate it using fragments of the remaining genetic factors and genetic factors from closely related bird species."
Getting a sense that the feedback might become quite long, I swiftly steer the conversation back on track.
In a nutshell, it seems there was a project to revive dinosaurs from fossils, or something along those lines.
"It was a project that took seven years, but unfortunately, the results were a failure. As expected, the recreated genetic factors couldn't produce the same bird, and what was created was a different creature that resembled but was fundamentally different from the original bird."
I see, I can already anticipate where this conversation is heading. Lillith has now clearly stated that the project was a failure. And now, applying the impressions of the upper echelons' lack of understanding and tyranny she mentioned earlier... well, it's safe to assume that's what this is about.
"Yet, the higher-ups considered this failure a 'success'! Not just them, most of the members of the chemistry department also labeled it a success. Can you believe such humiliation? Calling a failure a success..."
"Um, well... How much of a difference was there, in reality, between the original and the recreated bird?"
"Take a look at this! This one is a photo of the original bird, and the one with ten individuals is the bird created through the project!"
"..."
Excitedly, Lillith presents a photo, and Pochi looks at it with an obviously troubled expression, shifting her gaze between the two photos. Given that she's generally a people-pleaser, she probably wants to agree with Lillith's anger in some way, but the current situation...
"... I'm sorry, Lillith. I can't really discern the difference."
"What!? H-How can... How can you not see the... There's such a huge difference! The same bird, but..."
"P-Panda..."
Lillith, shocked by Pochi's words, approaches me with a photo in hand, her eyes teary. I momentarily pause the hand reaching for a snack and glance at the photo.
"The way the feathers grow is subtly different. The 10 newer ones have the same pattern of feather growth, while the older photo is different. It's definitely not an individual difference; it's clearly due to the shifted genetic factors in the process of regeneration. In that sense, you could even say they're similar yet fundamentally different species."
"...Panda, I love you. Isn't that right?! You see, right? This is already a completely different species! Right?!"
"Indeed, they are different, but expecting someone outside the field to notice such nuances is quite unreasonable."
"Ugh, grrr... Genius, it seems, is never understood by the world... "
Lillith, or rather, Vega Punk, seems to be a perfectionist, someone who attributes failures to even the most inconsequential details that most people wouldn't care about.
In this case, the birds are 99% reproduced. However, the only difference lies in the angle at which the feathers grow—just a few degrees off. Only a true expert on this bird or someone like me with enhanced vision and cognitive abilities would be able to notice. For anyone else, it's virtually impossible.
The higher-ups likely didn't have any malicious intent and probably judged that the reproduction was fine without any problems. But the stubborn genius can't accept even a 1% difference and has come to complain... it's a reason even more trivial than I imagined.
"Darn it, the world is always harsh on geniuses. There's never enough funding or time to bring all the overflowing ideas to fruition. While working on one, five new ideas pop up... sigh, it's quite frustrating."
"Though, if you let go of those excessively meticulous obsessions, you might have more room to work within... well, I suppose that's how scientists are."
Fully immersed in complaining mode, Lillith continues to voice her dissatisfaction with research and such. Pochi, who's quite diligent, is genuinely listening to Lillith's words, but it seems she only grasps about half of the content, as if a bunch of question marks is floating above her head.
After a while of venting, Lillith suddenly falls silent, and with a glance in my direction, she speaks up.
"Hey, Panda. Do you think seeking knowledge about something that's forbidden is a sin?"
"It's not curiosity but the law that determines whether it's a sin or not. If the law designates it as a crime, then it is one. If you're aware of that and still pursue it, you should be prepared for the consequences."
"Seeking... I didn't mean that."
"Anyone who would stop at being told not to pursue something probably wouldn't break the law to seek it in the first place."
Indirectly, Lillith is likely referring to the incident on Ohara. After all, it seems there was some interaction between Doctor Clover and Vegapunk.
Come to think of it, Ohara's records were in Elbaf, right?... If we're really going to search for the One Piece, then I should start by going to Elbaf and learning to read ancient texts.
"For instance, Panda, let's say there's something you really want to know, and pursuing that knowledge is forbidden by the world. What would you do?"
"What would I do? Is there a reason for me to stop?"
"What if the entire world tried to stop you?"
"Then the world would crumble."
"Heh, hahaha... Indeed, I could see you saying that."
Amidst laughter, Lillith takes a sip of her drink and then stares intently at the now-empty glass, lost in thought. After a while, just as I was considering ending my evening drink with the glass in my hand, I hear a murmured voice.
"Hey, Panda. If, if I were... hypothetically... to pursue knowledge even if it meant breaking the law, and if the World Government decided to erase me... would you... would you kill me?"
"Is this a hypothetical situation where I receive an order to eliminate you?"
"... Yeah."
Well, in the actual story, CP0 had received orders regarding this. But what was a bit surprising is that she brought this up to me.
She probably had been contemplating various things during the prolonged silence... although she's being vague, the way she's phrasing it is akin to confessing that she's involved in something taboo.
Looking at Lillith, who's now staring directly at me with a gaze that seems prepared even for the possibility of being killed here, I offer a slight smile, take a sip of whiskey, and reply.
"... I'll give you a phrase that could become your 'Joker.' But if you ever mention this to anyone else, I'll kill you."
"Huh? Uh, okay?"
"... 'I swear to create a device that will allow travel to different worlds and higher planes, someday without fail'... If you say this, even if the entire world becomes your enemy, you might survive."
"What... What do you mean? Different worlds? Higher planes? Is that what you desire?"
"Who knows? I don't plan to tell you anything beyond this... well, keep it somewhere in the back of your mind."
For instance, in a world where a treasure like the Eternal Pose doesn't exist. If there's a possibility for someone like Lillith... Vegapunk, who currently exists, to create something that could fulfill my greatest desire without me having to become all-powerful like a god, then that's a significant value for me.
Thinking about such matters, I offer a light smile and then gently pat Pochi's head, who's still struggling to comprehend the conversation and has a multitude of question marks hovering over her head.
***
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