CHAPTER 16 — The Birth of a Little Laboratory
(14 April, S.C. 1510)
The shed creaked as Ren pushed the door open. Sunlight filtered through the cracked roof, illuminating dust that danced lazily in the air. It smelled faintly of old wood, rain, and… possibilities.
Ren stood in the doorway holding a basket full of yesterday's discoveries:
iron-bearing stones
antiseptic leaves
blue moss
sealing powder
small pieces of driftwood
and an idea
Today, this messy, forgotten shed would become something more—
his first laboratory.
---
Makino's Warning
Makino leaned against the fence, watching him with crossed arms and an amused smile.
"So, you're turning the shed into a… what did you call it?"
Ren puffed his chest slightly. "A lab."
"Mm." Makino nodded slowly. "And what does a lab do?"
"Experiment."
Makino stared. "Please don't explode."
Ren nodded confidently. "If anything explodes, I'll be outside."
Makino pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ren. That's not comforting."
Luffy burst out of the bar carrying a wooden spoon.
"REN IS MAKING EXPLOSIONS?! I WANT TO SEE!"
Ren panicked. "NO explosions. None!"
Kiro jogged over. "If the shed burns, I'm telling everyone it was Ren."
Makino sighed. "That part is probably true."
Ren groaned. "Why is no one taking me seriously?"
Makino touched his head gently.
"I am. Just… be careful. You're important to us, okay?"
Ren felt his cheeks warm.
"…I will."
---
Setting Up the Shed
Ren cleared the dusty floor first.
Then he moved aside broken crates and stacked wooden planks neatly.
He cleaned so thoroughly that even Luffy said:
"REN, YOU'RE LIKE A CLEANING MONSTER!"
Ren scowled. "This is science, Luffy."
"It smells like sweeping!"
Kiro peeked in. "Wow. It almost looks like someone lives here."
Ren deadpanned. "I live here."
"Oh… right."
Ren set down:
a flat rock as a work surface
a small metal bowl
his notebook
his plant samples
the ore
empty bottles from Makino
sticks to burn
a clay cup for water
He stood back and admired it.
This wasn't a real lab.
No furnace.
No chemicals.
No fancy tools.
But it was his.
His own space.
His own creation.
His first step toward a dream he didn't even fully understand yet.
---
Experiment 1: Heating Iron Ore
Ren placed the metal bowl over a small, controlled fire he built in a stone ring.
Kiro and Luffy sat at a "safe" distance—
which for Luffy meant Makino tied him to a post with rope.
Ren heated a crushed iron-bearing rock.
Minutes passed.
The bowl grew hotter.
The crushed ore darkened.
Nothing exploded.
Kiro applauded dramatically. "Amazing."
Ren rolled his eyes. "It's basic heating."
Makino appeared with a bucket of water. "For emergencies," she said.
"There won't be emergencies," Ren insisted.
Luffy yelled, "CAN I BE THE EMERGENCY?!"
"NO!"
When the ore cooled, Ren scraped the darker portions.
Not pure metal.
Not even smelted.
But a slight change in color told him something important:
Heat could change materials here.
He wrote in his notebook:
> "Ore reacts to heat. Maybe higher temperatures will extract more. Need better fire."
---
Experiment 2: Leaf Gel Extract
Ren crushed antiseptic leaves with a stone, adding water gradually.
A small amount of green gel formed.
He smeared it on a small cut on his arm.
Kiro jumped. "Where did you get that cut?!"
Ren blinked. "I made it."
Kiro and Makino shouted together:
"WHY?!"
Ren flinched. "It's for science."
Makino slapped her forehead. "Scientists don't stab themselves, Ren."
Luffy added proudly, "I stabbed myself once!"
Makino glared. "Luffy, NO."
Ren focused on the reaction.
The gel cooled the cut.
The burning pain faded.
The bleeding slowed.
It worked.
He wrote:
> "Leaf gel reduces pain + helps wounds."
Makino peeked at the notebook.
"That's useful," she said softly. "You're helping yourself… and maybe the village, too."
Ren looked touched.
"…Maybe."
---
Experiment 3: Sealing Paste
Ren mixed the brown powder with water.
It formed the strong, quick-drying paste again.
He pressed it into a crack in the shed wall.
Luffy tried touching it and got his finger stuck.
Ren yelled, "LUFFY STOP TOUCHING EVERYTHING!"
Makino arrived with a knife and freed him.
Kiro inspected the hardened paste.
"This could fix boats, nets, houses…"
Ren blinked.
"…Really?"
Kiro nodded. "This stuff is strong."
Ren felt pride flicker in his chest.
A sealant.
From dirt and dry plants.
He wrote:
> "Brown powder = natural glue. Collect more. Useful."
---
The First Accident (Small)
Ren decided to test heating the paste.
"Maybe heat changes it too."
He placed a small bit of dried paste in the bowl over the fire.
It blackened…
Then caught fire.
WHOOSH!
Ren jumped back.
Kiro screamed.
Luffy cheered.
Makino sprinted with the bucket.
She dumped water on the bowl.
Steam sizzled violently.
Ren coughed. "Note to self—never heat the paste."
Makino glared. "Ren, what did I say about explosions?"
Ren whispered, "…No explosions."
"Exactly."
Kiro snorted. "That was kind of cool, though."
Makino shot him a glare.
---
Naming the Lab
By sunset, Ren sat at his small stone table, writing in his notebook.
Makino stepped inside quietly.
"This place looks nice now."
Ren smiled shyly. "It's my… lab."
Makino nodded. "Then give it a name."
"A name?"
"Every important place deserves one."
Luffy burst in suddenly. "CALL IT FIRE HOUSE!"
Makino groaned. "Absolutely not."
Ren thought for a long moment.
Then he wrote on a small scrap of wood:
"The Little Shed Lab"
Simple.
Humble.
His.
Makino smiled warmly. "Perfect."
---
Nightfall — The Scientist Is Born
That night, Ren sat by the flickering lamp in his shed, notebook open.
He wrote:
Today was the start.
Not just experiments.
But understanding.
Learning.
Creating.
Becoming someone new.
He touched the iron ore gently.
"…I'll figure out this world," he whispered to himself.
"One discovery at a time."
The waves crashed softly nearby.
Wind brushed through the cracks in the shed.
And in the small village of Dawn Island—
a young scientist took his first true steps.
---
End of Chapter 16