CHAPTER 39 — Beneath Skin and Bone
📅 20 June, S.C. 1510
👦 Ren — 7
📍 Ren's Workshop → Foosha Beach → Forest Edge
Rain had fallen all night, leaving the morning air cool and fresh.
Ren stood at his workbench, staring at a fish he had caught earlier — scales shimmering in the dim lamplight.
It wasn't the first time he studied an animal,
but today felt different.
Today he wanted answers.
Zemo sat beside him, eyes half-closed but alert, watching every movement.
Ren touched the fish's side gently.
"…Your body tells a story. I want to learn it."
Luffy peeked over the table.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! ARE YOU TAKING ITS TREASURE?!"
Ren sighed.
"Fish don't have treasure."
Kiro smacked Luffy lightly.
"Not everything is treasure."
"But BOATS have treasure—"
"This is a fish."
Zemo rolled his eyes — actual attitude.
Makino entered with a basket of clean cloths.
"I… don't want to know what's happening here," she said softly.
Ren smiled faintly.
"It's just anatomy."
Makino blinked.
"You say that like you're not holding a knife."
PART 1 — THE FIRST CUT
Ren used a small sharpened shell — his improvised scalpel.
He took a deep breath.
Steady.
The first cut was slow, careful.
Zemo's ears twitched at the sound.
Ren whispered observations:
"Layer one… scales. Smooth defense."
"Layer two… fatty tissue."
"Layer three… muscle fibers. Parallel alignment."
Makino winced.
"Ren… be gentle."
"I am."
Kiro leaned closer, fascinated despite himself.
"What is all that… stuff?"
Ren pointed.
"Muscle tissue. Bone. Ligaments. These tell how an animal moves."
Luffy gagged dramatically.
"IT'S SQUISHY— I HATE IT—"
Zemo nudged Luffy away with his paw.
Ren continued.
"This muscle connects to the spine… and this one controls the tail."
Makino's voice softened.
"You're really serious about this."
Ren nodded, not looking away.
"If I understand how animals work…
I can understand how Zemo works."
Zemo placed his head on Ren's shoulder.
Makino smiled warmly.
"You're doing this for him."
Ren didn't deny it.
PART 2 — MAKING PRIMITIVE TOOLS
After cleaning the table, Ren scribbled rapidly in his notebook.
Problem: I lack proper tools.
Solution: Create simple dissection & measurement instruments.
He took out:
bamboo strips
polished glass pieces
charcoal
wooden sticks
rope
old cloth
Kiro raised an eyebrow.
"What are you making now?"
"Tools."
Luffy whispered,
"WEAPONS?!"
"No."
Luffy pouted.
Ren tied a piece of polished glass into a wooden frame.
"A magnifier," he explained.
He rubbed charcoal dust on a bamboo strip.
"Muscle measurement scale."
He carved lines on a wooden stick.
"Length ruler."
He hammered two nails into a circular piece of wood.
"Bone clamp."
Kiro blinked.
"You're making all this… from junk?"
Ren shrugged.
"It works."
Zemo barked softly, approving.
Makino folded her arms, impressed.
"You're turning into a proper scientist."
Ren paused.
Scientist.
He liked the sound of that.
PART 3 — A STEP DEEPER INTO BIOLOGY
Ren sat with his new tools and a second fish.
He measured bone thickness with the clamp.
He examined the fin under the magnifier.
He compared lung size.
He drew diagrams with remarkable focus.
Spine curved like this.
Muscles attach here…
Tail control nerve goes this direction…
Heart is small but beats fast…
Zemo watched every movement, tilting his head.
Ren touched Zemo's chest lightly.
"Your bones… your muscles… I want to understand yours too."
Zemo didn't move away.
Kiro whispered,
"He trusts you completely."
Ren nodded.
"And I trust him."
PART 4 — THE COMPARISON
Ren moved his hands gently over Zemo's body:
neck
shoulders
ribs
back
hind legs
Zemo allowed everything—
still, patient, cooperative.
Ren murmured:
"Bone density… higher than the fish.
Muscles… tighter.
Nerves… extremely sensitive.
Reflex points… sharper."
He paused.
"But your ribs are shaped differently."
Zemo whined softly.
Ren soothed him.
"It's okay. I'm not hurting you."
Kiro leaned closer.
"Different how?"
Ren tapped his notebook.
"Most animals have rib curves like this—"
He drew a normal rib structure.
"Zemo's ribs curve more inward.
A protective evolutionary trait."
Makino blinked.
"What does that mean?"
Ren looked at her.
"It means whatever species Zemo is…
they were built to survive stronger predators than Ridgeback Boars."
Everyone fell silent.
Luffy whispered,
"…Zemo is a SUPERWOLF?!"
Kiro smacked him.
"He's not a superwolf—"
Ren murmured quietly,
"…Maybe he is."
Zemo puffed up proudly.
PART 5 — AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY
Ren studied the fish heart carefully.
Tiny.
Simple.
Slow.
Then he gently placed his hand on Zemo's chest.
Zemo's heartbeat—
thump-thump-thump
Fast.
Strong.
Rhythmic.
Powerful.
Ren's eyes widened.
Kiro asked,
"What now?"
Ren whispered:
"Zemo's heart beats faster than a normal animal…
but his breathing stays calm."
Makino frowned gently.
"What does that mean?"
Ren's voice trembled with excitement.
"It means Zemo has more energy output than typical creatures.
His biology is… extraordinary."
Zemo's ears perked.
Luffy gasped.
"HE REALLY IS A SUPERWOLF!!"
Kiro sighed.
"I guess… maybe."
Ren's mind raced.
If Zemo's body could adapt like this…
heal like this…
move like this…
sense danger like this…
Then Zemo held the key to understanding enhanced biology.
Ren whispered,
"…You're special."
Zemo licked his cheek softly.
PART 6 — NIGHT THOUGHTS
That night, Ren wrote:
Biology Study — Stage 1:
• Dissected fish for baseline anatomy
• Created primitive tools
• Mapped muscle and nerve pathways
• Compared animal biology to Zemo's
Key Discovery:
Zemo's physiology is… superior.
Not normal. Not random.
Evolved for something more.
Ren paused.
He closed the notebook and looked at Zemo asleep beside him.
"…I'll understand you fully one day."
Zemo opened one eye and pressed his head against Ren's hand.
Ren smiled softly.
"We'll grow together."
Outside, the forest rustled gently.
The world was growing wider.
And Ren's journey into science had truly begun.
END OF CHAPTER 39