Approach
The Heaven's Embrace cut through the mist like a blade through silk.The sea around them was eerily calm, unnaturally so. No waves, no wind — just an endless expanse of glassy water reflecting the pale moon above.
Lilith's fingers danced over a floating control panel. "Coordinates match. If the data's right, the facility is underground, powered by a geothermal core. Above ground… nothing but this fog."
Robin frowned. "You've been here?"
Lilith's voice dropped. "Once. As a child, before I joined Vegapunk's lab. I was told to never speak of it again."
Vegito's tail flicked. "Bet they'll regret that."
Descent
Lilith activated a submersible cloak, and the Embrace dove beneath the still waters. Below, massive metal shutters covered a sunken dock — emblazoned with the mark of the World Government.
Reiju whistled. "Hidden in plain sight."
Bell-mère adjusted her rifle. "Hidden until now."
Vegito floated up from the deck, aura faintly glowing. "We're going in loud."
The Breach
With a single motion, Vegito punched forward. The water around his fist parted like curtains as a shockwave blasted the shutters inward. Metal screeched, alarms howled, and the dock's floodgates imploded in a storm of bubbles.
The crew surged in behind him, weapons ready.
Inside the Facility
The corridors were long, sterile, and cold — lit only by flickering red emergency strips. Cells lined the walls, their transparent doors showing shadowy figures within.
Carrot's nose twitched. "I smell fear."
Wanda nodded grimly. "And blood."
Robin stopped at the first cell, her eyes widening. Inside was a young woman with snow-white hair and scaled patches along her arms, her expression a mix of exhaustion and defiance.
The label on the cell read: PROJECT SIREN-09.
Freeing the "Failures"
Lilith hacked the locks. "These aren't failures — they're people."
The crew fanned out, releasing captives:
A catlike girl with retractable claws and prehensile tail.
A tall, armored woman with crystal growing from her skin.
A frail-looking girl whose eyes glowed faintly red, muttering in an unknown language.
Reiju offered them water and blankets as Bell-mère covered the exits.
Government Counterstrike
A squad of CP0 agents appeared at the far end of the corridor. Their leader stepped forward, voice cold. "Return the assets, or we erase them."
Vegito didn't slow his stride. "Try."
They attacked in a flash — silent, precise, deadly. Vegito's response was faster: a single burst of movement, a sweeping backhand. The entire squad hit the wall hard enough to leave cracks before sliding unconscious to the floor.
Carrot blinked. "Okay, that was… hot."
The Lab Core
In the heart of the facility, they found a chamber filled with stasis tanks. Strange, half-finished humanoid figures floated within, tubes and wires snaking into their bodies.
Lilith's face hardened. "They were building replacements. Assassins, spies… some modeled after current pirates."
Nami scanned the tanks. "That one looks like… Robin."
Robin's expression didn't change, but her fists clenched.
Vegito tapped the glass, shattering it instantly. "Not anymore."
New Recruits
The rescued women, once they realized Vegito wasn't another handler, began to relax. One — the white-haired Siren-09 — stepped forward. "If you'll have us… we'll follow you anywhere. Just keep us out of their cages."
Vegito smiled. "You're free now. And yeah — I could use a few more sisters-in-arms."
Reiju smirked. "Looks like the harem just expanded."
Extraction
The Heaven's Embrace blasted out of the submerged dock, water streaming from its gleaming hull. Behind them, the facility collapsed in on itself as Lilith triggered a reactor overload.
Below the waves, the last remnants of the island-that-wasn't sank into the abyss.
Cutaway – Marine HQ
Sengoku slammed a file shut. "Another facility gone. Do the Elders realize that every strike against him just hands him more power?"
Garp laughed, tossing peanuts into his mouth. "Oh, they realize. They just can't stop themselves."
Cutaway – Holy Land
Saint Topman Warcury's voice thundered. "He took classified projects. Women altered with abilities we've never field-tested!"
Imu's shadowy form didn't move. "Then he will field-test them against us. And in doing so… we will learn his true limits."
On the Embrace – That Night
The rescued women were given quarters in the Realm for safety. Carrot and Tristan dragged the catlike girl into a game of "tail tag," which devolved into chaos in under a minute.
Bell-mère leaned against the rail, cigarette glowing. "You just painted another target on us, you know."
Vegito smirked. "The bigger the target, the harder they miss."
Lilith approached, holding a datapad. "Next stop — I've got a lead on a Poneglyph location they think no one alive knows about."
Robin looked up from her tea. "Where?"
Lilith grinned. "A Marine vault on an island guarded by three Vice Admirals. And one of them's dying to meet you."
Vegito's smile turned razor-sharp. "Then let's not keep them waiting."
[World State Updated]
Crew: Rescued "failed experiment" women — several show potential for recruitment.
Government: CP0 humiliated again; another secret project destroyed.
Foreshadowing: Next arc — Marine vault raid for hidden Poneglyph.