WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dr. Stone Chapter 230, by Boichi, Riichiro Inagaki, Caleb Cook and Steve Dutro.
During his bizarre mission on the lunar surface, Senku and his allies, Stanley Snyder and Kohaku, face Why-Man directly: a hive-minded AI of thousands of Medusa devices, all in a pile on the moon's surface. Senku, as a young man of science, must somehow defeat this mechanical foe on its own terms.
Senku learns that Why-Man uses the certification beams to force eternal life on humanity, seeing the healing effects of "Dr. Stone" as a generous gift. Senku disagrees, and he's ready to lecture Why-Man on why exactly the Medusas' past actions were wrong. This time, Senku will save the day with words alone, and he's certainly done it before.
When Ishigami Senku Refuses Why-Man's Best Offer
So far, Senku's party and Why-Man have not traded any blows on the lunar surface, nor do they need to. Instead, Senku listens as the Why-Man AI explains its plan for humanity: to create a symbiotic relationship between itself and the human race for mutual benefits -- or rather, Why-Man believes that the benefits are mutual when in reality, Why-Man is more like the Machine overlords in The Matrix, using humans as fuel and cattle while humanity is trapped in a deathless prison.
Senku, as a true shonen protagonist, can't accept that. In his eyes, humanity must succeed or fail on its own, even if the human race risks extinction. True shonen heroes know that the only worthwhile future is one that humanity makes for itself, with hard work and hope to guide them. A deathless, machine-like future is no future at all.
Senku doesn't even consider accepting Why-Man's proposal, and in Chapter 230, he defies the hive-minded AI and explains that he wants to negotiate with it instead. Senku didn't come this far just to destroy things -- he wants to use every resource on hand to make a better future and benefit humanity, and even Why-Man could be involved somehow.
It's not yet clear what Senku plans to do with his hive-minded foe, but knowing him, it must be big. Why-Man altered the course of history with its initial certification beams in the 21st century, and now, Senku's negotiations may change the course of both humanity and the Medusas once again, without firing a single shot. Senku has bright ideas, and he's ready to share them -- if anyone will listen.
The Power Of Senku's Diplomacy In Dr. Stone
Senku and Why-Man are beginning the final discussion for humanity's future up there on the Moon, but this is nothing unusual -- in fact, this is business as usual for Senku. His allies are often dazzled by his many ingenious contraptions and medicines, and it's tempting to think that science alone will save humanity. After all, Senku himself once proclaimed that science will restore humanity, and he may be right. But science alone won't get the job done. This lunar mission, and many prior events in Dr. Stone, prove that Senku's science only works when it's partnered with diplomacy, Senku's second-best weapon.
It's true that Senku has limited charisma as a person, and he struggles to make emotional connections with others, which has cost him in the past. He even alienates people with his unique mindset, such as when Shishio Tsukasa turned on him early in the show, but Senku has overcome that particular problem since then. Even without charisma and strong empathy, Senku can use diplomacy, backed up by science and sheer optimism, to win over his foes and convince them to not just surrender to him, but join him.
For Senku, it's not enough to eliminate the Empire of Might or the Petrification Kingdom and thus remove those threats to his own Kingdom of Science. Senku needs shonen-style allies and assistants, and with diplomacy, he has won over everyone from Chrome and the village chief to Tsukasa and even Dr. Xeno himself.
Senku puts science first, but even he knows that he must make his mission and his science attractive to other people, or it's all for nothing. Despite his aloof attitude, Senku is a people person in his own way, and he knows better than to underestimate the power of human thought. Now it may help him win his final battle, and against a foe that's not even remotely human.
