The two yellow-haired individuals were of different heights. The taller one had yellow hair extending toward his neck like a mane, adorned with earrings and heavy purple lipstick.
He was Queen, the future All-Star of the Beasts Pirates, known for his singing, dancing, and rapping talents.
The shorter one's hair was clearly styled with gel, but whether due to the sea breeze's humidity or his gloomy expression, it resembled a succulent plant.
He was Vinsmoke Judge, the future leader of Germa 66.
They shared one thing in common now—youth.
Both were seventeen or eighteen, having joined MADS as prodigious young talents.
Their drive stemmed from ambition or the allure of money. These individuals might lack the ethics of true researchers, but they possessed genuine technical skills. As long as they weren't compared to Vegapunk, they excelled in certain areas.
This also led to another trait—arrogance.
At their young, spirited age, neither was willing to be subordinate, one reason they resented Vegapunk's leadership.
But their defiance was only verbal. After all, Du Feld, the financial backer of MADS, trusted Vegapunk.
Du Feld wasn't the strongest in the underworld, but he was currently the richest. Offending this patron would make finding new sponsors difficult.
"No way. How could a backwater like this have a fully automated robot? It's got to be a fake. Judge, your eye for detail is pretty mediocre."
Though they verbally disrespected Vegapunk, they had some real skills and could recognize technological disparities.
Queen couldn't accept that a place this remote would harbor someone with superior technology, so he dismissed it outright.
"It's obviously just a hollow shell. You can't even tell that much."
Right after Queen spoke, Blitzcrank fired its grappling claw again, catching another fish.
"Hahaha, looks like your eyesight's even worse. You can't even tell what's real or fake anymore."
Their fragile alliance against Vegapunk crumbled instantly, and they were on the verge of fighting. But at that moment, the MADS ship docked, halting their dispute.
Long voyages at sea were far from pleasant, even with a ship backed by substantial technology and funds. The crew cherished shore time.
While the ship resupplied, the crew indulged themselves. Locals generally welcomed these sailors, who were major spenders on the seas.
However, Queen and Judge didn't completely relent. Their curiosity about Blitzcrank hadn't faded. After the ship docked, they headed toward Blitzcrank's location, intent on inspecting it up close to determine what it was.
"That thing on its head is a mink, right? Didn't expect to see a mink in the South Blue. Could she have made this robot?"
"No way. A kid like that couldn't possibly have that skill. I bet there's someone hiding inside that metal shell."
Blitzcrank and Kate were fishing not far from the port, so Queen and Judge reached them quickly. But the closer they got, the more uneasy they felt.
Blitzcrank not only caught fish with its grappling claw but also communicated with Kate. Neither Queen nor Judge had the capability to create such a machine.
"Who'd hide in a metal shell to catch fish for fun? Just to entertain kids?"
Judge dismissed Queen's logic, opposing for the sake of opposition. But Queen didn't argue further and instead strode boldly toward Blitzcrank.
"Hey! Little kitty! Did you make this metal heap?"
Kate narrowed her eyes at Queen. She disliked being called "little kitty"—it's how the Celestial Dragons used to address her. But things were different now, and she wasn't so impulsive as to lose control over a single word.
Blitzcrank didn't mind being called a metal heap but fixed its gaze on Queen and Judge.
One wielded a knife, the other carried a gun, and their yellow hair and thug-like attire made them look far from trustworthy.
"Who are you two? What do you want?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. This guy might not look like much, but we're scientists dedicated to peace research. We saw this robot from the ship and got curious, so we came to take a look."
Judge explained their intentions, taking a jab at Queen in the process, though it was pointless.
"Meow doesn't think you look like good people either."
"Muhahaha! Judge, you hear that? Even a little kitty can see what kind of guy you are. My dashing appearance just inspires trust."
"No, meow doesn't trust you either."
Gloomy guy and narcissist—Kate had already labeled them in her mind.
"Blitzcrank isn't a metal heap. Blitzcrank is a robot, the Master's creation."
Blitzcrank's logic was still evolving. Seeing these people doubt its authenticity, it opened its chest compartment, revealing the steam engine and core, proving its nature.
"It's actually a robot. But this power system feels kind of low-tech. Steam can't possibly sustain long-term operation.
If I were to make it, I'd improve it like this, tweak these parts, and remove the redundant voice module…"
Queen instinctively began critiquing Blitzcrank, offering a few improvement suggestions.
In summary: I couldn't build this, but I, Queen, am still superior.
Judge occasionally chimed in, as he always believed himself better than Queen. Hyping Queen up in front of outsiders indirectly elevated himself. But neither noticed that Blitzcrank's frame was starting to act off.
Especially after they mentioned wanting to dismantle Blitzcrank for study, its mechanical fists rose.
"The Master's design is perfect. Blitzcrank is not your toy. Blitzcrank is very angry."
"Muhahaha, Judge, you hear that? A machine saying it's angry. What kind of fool adds useless words like that to a robot? To scare people?"
"Queen, I'm starting to think this metal heap is serious!"
Judge stepped back, sensing something bad, while Queen's remarks about Oran seemed to fully enrage the newly born Blitzcrank.
Blitzcrank raised both arms, placing Kate on the ground. A surge of steam burst from its back, electricity crackling across its shell. The once-stationary robot charged forward like a tank.
Under overdrive, Blitzcrank's speed spiked, its charged fist swinging straight at Queen.
"Blitzcrank demands an apology!"