Eiji walked out of a building with futuristic architecture, no longer in Stealth mode as he had changed his clothes.
Now, he was wearing a black robe made of elastic material that provided maximum freedom of movement without sacrificing comfort. He also wore boots and a device resembling headphones in his right ear.
To avoid being easily recognized, he also donned a hat and sunglasses to disguise his face.
"Either my disguise is perfect, or the people here don't care about what's happening outside, so they don't recognize me."
Blending in with other pedestrians, Eiji realized that no one was paying him any special attention. At most, women would secretly glance at him because of his handsome face, and that was all.
There were no ordinary people in Egghead; its workers were top scientists gathered by the World Government to assist Vegapunk in his research. In other words, the women here were more interested in knowledge than romance, unlike most women.
"The only reason I don't sense any life aura or emotions is because these holograms are so realistic."
Eiji marveled at the incredible hologram technology he observed.
Egghead displayed various holograms depicting things like humans, food, aliens, and giant robots. All the holograms were a feast for the eyes for someone seeing them for the first time, like Eiji himself.
However, the workers were so accustomed to the holographic shows that they didn't even glance at them and were busy with their own tasks.
"Oh, what's that?"
While admiring the advanced technology, Eiji noticed a man taking a hamburger and soda from a machine. Curious, he approached and saw illustrations of various types of food on the machine.
"I see. This is an vending machine that produces food. Compared to vending machine in Japan that only sell finished products, this one cooks the food directly."
Earlier, Eiji had noticed steam rising from the man's hamburger, indicating that it had just been cooked.
"In terms of efficiency and technology, this vending machine is more advanced than any vending machine on Earth. But... how does it taste? Can food cooked by a machine match the quality of human-cooked meals? Let's try."
Coincidentally, Eiji was hungry, and now, seeing the menu displaying many 21st-century foods, he was eager to try it.
"Hmm... I'll choose this."
Even though it was his first time using the Automatic Cooking Machine, Eiji had no trouble with it. The operation wasn't much different from traditional vending machines.
A minute later, the Automatic Cooking Machine produced a large pizza box and a bottle of orange-flavored soda.
"So fast! This is even quicker than a restaurant. Impressive."
Eiji couldn't help but praise it. If he could, he would have secretly stored the Automatic Cooking Machine in his Storage Ring, but it was connected to the building behind it.
He then sat down on an empty chair, his nimble fingers opening the pizza box, and instantly, the aroma of melting cheese and sweet tomato sauce wafted from the still-warm pizza.
In front of him, the pizza looked perfect. A layer of melted cheese covered every slice of meat and fresh vegetables. On top, a sprinkle of oregano and dried chili added a finishing touch that made the pizza look incredibly appetizing.
"Not bad. Just its appearance is mouthwatering; now let's test the taste."
Eiji took the first slice.
As the first bite entered his mouth, a rich blend of flavors filled his tongue. Soft cheese, savory meat, and crispy crust—all came together perfectly.
"Delicious. It's hard to believe this pizza was made in just a minute. The taste rivals that of pizzas made by top global chains."
Eiji devoured the eight slices of pizza, but it still wasn't enough. He was still hungry, so he got a few more dishes from the Automatic Cooking Machine.
Since he started training in Haki, he found that his metabolism worked faster and required more nutrients. It's no wonder he now considered himself a foodie.
Since there were no negative effects from his increased appetite, Eiji didn't worry too much about the change. Compared to himself, his appetite was still small compared to the locals of the One Piece world, who were famous for eating dozens of plates in a single meal.
"Huft... I'm full..."
Relaxing in his chair, Eiji patted his flat stomach despite having eaten so much.
After lunch, people tend to get lazier or sleepy. That's what he felt now; he was too lazy to search for Vegapunk.
"I'll take a short break, let the food in my stomach digest first. After all, I'm not in a hurry; Vegapunk should be there."
Eiji looked up while speaking confidently.
Above Egghead was an artificial cloud island, like Sky Island. He speculated that Vegapunk was conducting research there.
There were many glass tubes scattered throughout the city, connecting to the artificial cloud island.
Occasionally, capsules were seen shooting through the glass tubes at speeds invisible to the naked eye. With his Six Eyes, Eiji could see people inside the capsules.
In short, the glass tubes were roads, and the capsules were public transport vehicles. This was how people in Egghead got around.
"No wonder Vegapunk joined the World Government. No other faction could fund his research. If other factions tried, they'd go bankrupt before the research was completed. Wouldn't you agree, robot?" Eiji asked the figure standing behind him.
The Six Eyes allowed him to see 360 degrees, similar to the Byakugan in the Naruto universe. So he didn't need to turn around to realize that 'someone' had silently approached him.
"Your guess is accurate. There are several reasons why Stella decided to join the World Government. The first is because the World Government can fund his projects. Some might say it's unethical to work for a corrupt organization like the World Government, but Stella has always been a pragmatist."
"The most important thing for him is to continue his research and realize his vision. To achieve that, the most logical step was to join the wealthy World Government, not an organization lacking funds. Of course, that doesn't mean Stella agrees with the World Government's heinous actions. However, joining them was the only way he could freely create every revolutionary invention that constantly grows in his genius mind."
"Another reason Stella agreed to join the World Government is that he truly believes there are still good and honorable Marines."
Hearing the other party's long narration, Eiji's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"You seem to know Vegapunk very well. Who exactly are you?"