Branch 157, Naval Hospital.
Zoro awoke in a hospital bed.
His eyes blinked open, still a bit hazy, but his memories soon returned.
Right—after relentless effort, and after absorbing a vast amount of knowledge from the Academy, he had finally...
Unleashed his very first Flying Slash.
According to what Luo Lan had told him before, learning to cut steel meant one had half a foot in the realm of a Swordmaster—but mastering the Flying Slash?
That meant he had stepped fully into that realm.
Zoro clenched his fist, face filled with excitement.
He wanted to draw his sword immediately and slash a few dozen times to feel that soaring power again.
But—
Where was this place?
He glanced around, finally registering his surroundings.
And the next moment, he realized something even more serious.
Forget where he was—where were his swords?
Just then, the door to the room opened. In walked one of the Academy instructors.
Zoro recognized him—he was the instructor responsible for the swordsmanship course.
"You're awake? Good. Then I'll relay the Captain's orders."
"Due to Roronoa Zoro releasing a Flying Slash inside the Academy library, causing significant damage to facilities and countless books, the Captain has ordered your weapons confiscated for three days as punishment."
"Yep—your three swords."
"Come see me in three days to get them back. That's all."
With that, the instructor left the room.
Leaving Zoro behind, dumbfounded in the wind.
---
Zoro wasn't the only one making remarkable progress.
Everyone who passed the entrance exam and entered the Navy Academy had undergone immense growth.
Take Merry, for example. Through structured courses, he had acquired advanced knowledge of ship design—far ahead of the current era.
Even the instructors praised him, saying he was destined to become one of the greatest shipwrights in history.
Then there was Nojiko, who specialized in firearms at the Academy.
Not cold weapons, but hot weapons—pistols, rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles—you name it.
In a short span of time, her marksmanship and melee combat skills tailored to different firearms had improved tremendously.
To Luo Lan's surprise, Nojiko's talent in shooting... might even rival Usopp's.
In fact, when it came to overall combat capability, Nojiko might even surpass him.
Though both studied under the same discipline at the Academy, Usopp had absolutely no aptitude for the close-combat techniques paired with firearms.
All his talent was invested purely in shooting.
As a result, while their marksmanship was similar, in terms of physical combat?
Nojiko could take on a hundred Usopps.
In a head-to-head duel, Usopp would be utterly crushed.
It was a delightful surprise.
And the surprises didn't end at the Academy.
Back at the research division, Seras brought even more astonishing news.
---
"Captain, Kaya's genetic talent is downright terrifying!"
"Terrifying?"
That word certainly caught Luo Lan's attention.
Especially coming from Seras—an S-class scientist—anything he described as terrifying...
Meant it had to be truly extraordinary.
"Yes, terrifying. No exaggeration!"
"It's only been a little over a month, but when it comes to genetics, Kaya is now the second most authoritative person in the entire science division—after me!"
"Isn't that terrifying?"
"But that's not even the best part. Today, Kaya came up with a brand-new theoretical model. If it proves valid..."
"I believe we could use it to unlock your second gene lock, Captain!"
---
If Seras had come up and told Luo Lan he had found a way to unlock the second gene lock himself, Luo Lan wouldn't have been surprised.
According to system ratings, Seras was on par with Vegapunk.
But Kaya?
She'd only been in the science division for just over thirty days.
And now she was already the second-highest authority in genetic science?
Seras had made it clear—excluding himself, Kaya now was the authority.
That basically made her the second in command!
How was that not outrageous?
First Nojiko, and now Kaya.
It was becoming clear that these once-sidelined characters from the original story were far from ordinary.
In fact, they might even surpass the original main cast!
That got Luo Lan thinking—maybe those other minor characters who had screen time but never joined the main crew...
Could hold just as many surprises.
"Seras, how long until we get results?"
"Verification should take around ten days. If the theory holds, we'll begin deeper experimentation. Best case, ten days to half a month. Worst case, a year or more. Scientific research takes time—"
"I understand."
Luo Lan nodded.
Even though he wasn't a scientist, he understood that breakthroughs couldn't be rushed.
He had only asked out of habit.
Still, the prospect of unlocking a second gene lock intrigued him.
According to Seras, the first gene lock removed the limits on Luo Lan's physical growth, allowing his body to evolve freely.
The second gene lock... must go even deeper.
Could it be, as many in his past life speculated, that it might grant him unique abilities?
If so, that would certainly make up for his inability to consume a Devil Fruit.
He couldn't help but look forward to it.
And at the same time, he gave himself a silent thumbs up.
Bringing Kaya into the fold had been one of his wisest decisions yet.
---
The Next Day
Luo Lan arrived at the underground research facility.
He lay down on the test platform, as planned with Seras the day before.
Rather than wait endlessly for some unknown trigger, he decided—
Why not create the trigger through science?
"Captain, are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"If it fails, it could cause serious psychological trauma!"
Seras had finished preparing all the equipment.
He looked at Luo Lan, whose head was now enclosed in a strange device, still with some hesitation.
After all, this experiment was effectively mental self-torture!
"Don't worry. I'm not that fragile."
"Well… alright then."
Seeing that Luo Lan remained resolute, Seras nodded.
He pressed a button.
Within seconds, Luo Lan's consciousness began to fade—
Until he lost it completely.
When the light returned, Luo Lan found himself...
In an unfamiliar place.
A giant birdcage enclosed the entire area.
Confused, he walked forward.
Eventually, he saw two men.
One lay on the ground, gravely wounded. The other pointed a pistol at him.
Suddenly, fragments of memory surged back—Luo Lan recognized them both.
"No!!"
Bang!
It was too late.
The scene abruptly shifted.
Like a rewind of time, Luo Lan once again stood beneath the birdcage.
His newly awakened memories vanished again.
Once more, he stood there, disoriented...
Staring into the unknown.
---
A/N: If you want an early updates, you can visit my Ko-Fi as I update there much early.
Currently at Chapter 98 for free chapters on my Ko-Fi and at Chapter 330 for advance chapters.
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27