When the Orcas arrived near the ruined laboratory, they found a large group of people already gathered around the entrance. Kaya and Chloris were busily moving between groups of children, administering healing light to ease their lingering weakness and helping them recover from the terrifying ordeal.
Moris, meanwhile, was circling among the other freed victims—the satyrs and centaurs—checking their pulses, breathing, and physical conditions to ensure no trace of poison remained in their systems.
The atmosphere was calm but heavy, filled with quiet murmurs and occasional sniffles from the children. Many of the former captives still looked disoriented, their expressions a mix of relief and uncertainty.
"Where is Zino?" Alvida asked, scanning the area for their captain.
"He's inside the lab," Moris replied without looking up. "He went in to clear the remaining poison gas. Said it's still dangerous in there."
That caught the attention of a few curious members of the crew. Sanji squinted at the looming structure.
"Let's go check it out," he said.
Gin and Galdino nodded silently, the three of them heading toward the cracked entrance. However, just as they approached, Brownbeard and several of his still-recovering subordinates moved to block their way, forming a living barrier.
"Sorry, you can't enter," Brownbeard said firmly, crossing his bulky arms over his chest.
"What the—? Why are you blocking the way?" Gin frowned, clearly annoyed.
"Master Zino gave strict orders. No unauthorized people inside," Brownbeard said without flinching. "He said it's for your safety. If anyone else gets poisoned, we'll be the ones blamed."
"He's right," Chloris added from nearby. "Zino's still working in there. It's better you don't risk going inside."
Sanji clicked his tongue in annoyance but didn't push the matter further. "Alright, we'll wait," he muttered.
Instead, he looked around at the ragged group gathered outside—the weak and recovering satyrs, the unsure centaurs, and the scared children. They were safe, but clearly hungry, exhausted, and unsure of what came next.
"These people… they look like they haven't eaten in days," Sanji muttered.
A thought crossed his mind, and he turned sharply. "I'll go cook something for them."
He started walking back toward the Great White without waiting for a response. "Usopp, come with me. We'll bring some food here."
"Wait," Usopp called after him. "Why don't we just bring them to the ship? That way we won't have to carry trays of food back and forth."
Alvida nodded in agreement. "Usopp has a point. If another wave of poison comes out, we don't want to be stuck out here with a bunch of half-recovered people."
"But what about Captain Zino?" Mikita asked, glancing toward the lab.
Alvida gave her a side glance. "Worried about him?"
"No," Mikita quickly replied. "Just saying—if we move these people and he comes out looking for them, it might confuse him."
"He'll figure it out. Besides, Zino's not the type to get mad about something like this," Alvida said with a shrug.
Sanji looked back at the crowd. Many of the people—especially the children—watched the crew with hesitant eyes. Gratitude was there, but also fear. Fear of what came next. The children had been kidnapped and used in experiments by Caesar, and most of the satyrs and centaurs were former pirates or mercenaries enslaved and forced into labor or subjected to human-animal hybrid tests.
Now that Caesar was gone, and his lab destroyed, they had no direction—no place to return to.
Sanji sighed, then stepped forward and addressed them all. "Alright, listen up," he said firmly. "I don't like dealing with weird half-animal guys, and noisy kids aren't my thing either. But Captain Zino risked a lot to save you all. It wouldn't feel right to just leave you stranded here."
He gestured toward the distant shore. "Follow us to the beach. We've got a ship there. We'll feed you and give you a place to rest. After that… we'll figure out the rest."
The group hesitated for a moment, but Sanji's firm tone and the crew's presence gave them some courage. Slowly, they began to follow.
And so, the rescued group—children, hybrids, and former captives alike—started making their way toward the shore, escorted by members of the Orca crew. It was only a small step forward, but for many of them, it was the first taste of freedom and safety they had felt in a long time.
...
Inside the depths of the laboratory, Zino moved silently, his body still faintly crackling with residual sparks of lightning. The air was heavy with the stale scent of chemicals and scorched metal. While his initial intention had been to completely destroy the lab, the System advised him otherwise.
[Suggestion: Record all data within the laboratory. Some information may prove useful in future developments.]
Taking the advice seriously, Zino shifted his plan. Instead of wrecking the place, he began scanning and recording everything he could find, especially any data the System flagged as valuable.
Starting from the top floor, Section A—near the entrance—he combed through the storage terminals and locked cabinets. Most of the files here were basic: encrypted door codes, defensive turret placements, and structural blueprints of the facility.
"Nothing special here," Zino muttered, waving off the files as the System pinged them one by one.
[Data recorded.]
He moved on to Section B, the Central Hub and General Research Area. This was where most of the core scientific data was stored. Zino walked among shattered glass, broken vials, and scorched screens, his senses on alert for traps or lingering gas. Suddenly, the System pinged again.
[Detected Data: Blueprint of NHC10 - Caesar's formula for the highly toxic gas weapon. Would you like to record it?]
Zino frowned. "No. Just ignore this poison."
He dismissed the data with a wave. Poison wasn't compatible with his element. He had no interest in it, and even less respect for Caesar's obsession with toxins.
Further into the section, another notification appeared.
[Detected Data: Genetic Gigantification via Lineage Factor Application – Research on expanding the 'Growth Ceiling' of the human genome. Record?]
Zino stopped. He remembered the giant children they had saved. "This must be what caused their condition," he muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"What's the practical use of this data if we extract it?" he asked.
[The data can be used to gigantify individuals. However, the side effect is fatal—subjects die within five years.]
Zino scoffed. "Then that's just garbage."
[Not necessarily. If the experiment is repeated and refined, the flaw—the lethal side effect—can be eliminated. I can improve the formula far better than Caesar ever could.] The System's tone held disdain.
"I'm not going to do cruel experiments on kids," Zino said, his voice firm.
[That's not required. You can test on animals or willing subjects. With your crew's healers, even failed experiments can be stabilized. The ethical risk is low.]
Zino paused. The System had a point. It wasn't about copying Caesar—it was about understanding what had been done and improving it responsibly. "Fine," he said after a moment. "Record the data."
[Data recorded.]
Leaving the central section behind, he descended to Section C—Caesar's private laboratory and quarters. This area was more secure, and clearly where Caesar conducted his most secretive work. Zino stepped over piles of scattered documents and burnt instruments.
Most of the data here focused on poisons—new strains, failed versions, and variations of Shinokuni. However, what caught Zino's attention was a set of files tucked into a locked safe behind a wall panel. He blasted it open with a burst of precise lightning and retrieved the documents.
[Detected Data: Building-wide Destruction Mechanism Protocols. Emergency Detonation Sequence located.]
[Detected Data: Caesar's confidential dealings with Emperor Kaido and Big Mom. Includes shipment records, weapon development notes, and payment logs.]
"These maybe useful somehow," Zino thought for a bit, then said, "Save the data."
[Data saved.]
In Section D of the laboratory, Zino arrived at what appeared to be the heart of Caesar's scientific madness—the core lab for SAD production. The sterile air was thick with chemical residue and the acrid smell of industrial processing.
Massive vats lined the walls, their insides stained green, and long metal pipes ran through the ceiling like the arteries of a massive beast.
As he stepped in, the System immediately scanned the area and pinged.
[Detected Data:
- Lineage Factor Extraction: The "Blueprints of Life"—data detailing methods for extracting and synthesizing the Lineage Factor from various animal species.
- SAD Chemical Formula: The highly classified recipe for SAD, the green chemical compound essential for producing SMILE artificial devil fruits.
- Industrial Blueprints: Technical schematics for constructing the metallic vats and large-scale processing equipment necessary for SAD production.
Would you like to record this data?]
Zino narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "This must be the data Caesar used to create those fake Zoan devil fruits, right?"
[To be precise, this data is used in producing SMILE—artificial Zoan-type devil fruits. However, the process is flawed. Current data shows a 10% success rate, with 90% failure. Most failures result in users being permanently deformed—stuck with uncontrollable animal traits.]
"That's too high of a failure rate," Zino muttered. "But what if we improve it? Can you refine this process? Make the success rate higher… or better, make it as close to real devil fruits as possible?"
[With sufficient experimentation, yes. Given time and enough test subjects or simulations, I can develop a more advanced process and potentially craft perfected artificial devil fruits.]
Zino gave a firm nod. "Alright then. Save all of it."
[Data successfully recorded.]
He moved further through the lab, taking in the complexity of Caesar's work. The place may have been twisted, but the scale of research was undeniably impressive.
[Additional Data Found:
- Animation Protocol: Practical application of the technique used to "feed" devil fruits to objects, granting them pseudo-life.]
Zino raised his eyebrows in interest. "Now that is interesting. Save that too."
[Data saved.]
Just then, the System highlighted a secured section in the corner—a reinforced, chilled containment unit.
[That locked container kept several devil fruits.]
Zino's expression shifted to mild surprise, followed by satisfaction. "Oh? That's a good one. Let me just store it now and check them back later at the ship."
With a gesture of his hand, he stored the entire fridge into his inventory space. Whatever fruits lay inside, they'd be safer inspected later.
Once the system finished saving all accessible data, Zino started walking toward Section R—the final part of the lab. But before he could reach it, another notification popped up.
[Notice: After scanning all sections of the laboratory, System determines the entire facility can be usee in the System. Would you like to integrate this whole laboratory into the System's internal domain?]
Zino blinked in surprise. "Wait, you can can store the entire lab?"
[Yes. I recommend this action. Integration will allow you to run simulated experiments and reproduce any scientific process carried out here—safely, and with greater control.]
"Taking the whole lab into the system space…" Zino looked back at the vast structure, stunned. "That's incredible. Yeah. Do it."
[Confirmed. Please exit the laboratory. If you remain during the process, system instability or spatial glitches may occur.]
Zino rolled his eyes and sighed. "Of course, there's always a catch."
With a final glance toward Section R—which he guessed he'd get to see in the integrated version—he vanished in a flash of purple lightning, exiting the building.
The moment he left, the System activated. A massive portal opened in the sky above the lab, forming a swirling vortex of energy. The entire building began to glow faintly, and piece by piece, the laboratory was pulled into the System's domain—vats, data cores, walls, and all.
When it was done, nothing remained but a large hole in it's place.