The Child in the Cold Storage Room

Bonney's hand was stuck in the crack of the Cold Storage Room door, and the cold air seeped out through her fingers.

She turned around and saw the small black plaque at Ge Lan's feet, and her face darkened.

What is that?

Mia glanced at it and took half a step back.

"Manual Sealing Key."

Sabo's flames pressed against one end of the water pipe.

"You even installed silencers on the emergency exits?"

Ge Lan rubbed his foot on the small card.

"The Medical Department doesn't have emergency exits, only treatment exits."

The bear walked forward.

Give it to me.

Ge Lan raised his sword.

"Come over."

Shanks' voice came from the Sky Screen.

"Ge Lan, you will not receive any new orders from the Throne. Every step you take will be attributed to you."

Ge Lan looked up at the Sky Screen.

So what?

Shanks said.

"Your last name is Figarland."

Ge Lan's expression changed.

"Red-Hair, you have no right to lecture me."

Blood dripped from Shanks' hand onto the deck.

"I'm not lecturing you, I'm reminding you, when the Sky Screen flips to the family page, don't say you were just following orders."

Ge Lan tightened his grip on the sword.

Benn Beckman said in a low voice.

"Boss, we don't have much time left for disruption."

The Sky Screen provided a clue.

[Side command chain interference remaining: 1 minute 52 seconds.]

Bonney reached through the crack in the door and pulled hard to pull it out.

"Did you hear that, you people inside? Come closer to the door!"

A weak response came from the Cold Storage Room.

"The door won't open; it's locked from the inside."

Mia cried out.

"Dr. Kaven, is that you?"

The man inside coughed twice.

"Mia? Why haven't you run away yet?"

Mia hugged the file even tighter.

"I've brought men to rescue you."

Bonney turned her head.

How many people are inside?

Dr. Kaven said.

"Three: me, Dr. Eve, and the baby."

Another woman's voice came through the crack in the door.

"The child can't walk too fast; she's connected to a cooling tube."

Vegapunk connects to Future Island.

"Do not forcibly pull out the cooling pipe; close the internal valve first."

Bonney asked urgently.

Where is the internal valve?

Dr. Eve said.

"It's by the wall, but it requires external manual unlocking."

Everyone looked at the small black sign at Ge Lan's feet.

Ge Lan pointed the tip of his sword at the small card.

"If you come any closer, I'll destroy it."

Sabo took a step forward.

"If you dare to destroy this, the Sky Screen will record that you personally killed three witnesses."

Ge Lan said.

The Holy Knights don't care.

The bear looked at him.

"You care."

Ge Lan sneered.

What makes you say that?

Xiong pointed to his wrist.

"You could have just crushed it."

Ge Lan's feet did not move.

Bonney looked at him.

"You want to wait for communications to be restored, then have the Throne give the order for you, so you can say you weren't the one who chose him."

Ge Lan's temple twitched.

"Shut up."

Shanks looked up.

"You were right."

Ge Lan raised his sword and thrust it at Bonney.

Sabo blocked the sword, and flames swirled around the edge of the blade.

You're still stalling for time.

The indicator light on the Sky Screen turned red.

[Interference remaining: 1 minute.]

The bear took a half step forward, its palm aimed at Ge Lan's chest.

Ge Lan blocked with his sword, but the ball of flesh impacted the blade, pushing him away from his center of gravity.

Sabo swept the water pipe out from below.

The small black sign was shaken off the ground.

Bonney lunged at her.

Ge Lan reached out to grab it.

A huge, fleshy ball of flesh blocked his way between him and Bonney.

"That's what the bear said."

You can't reach her.

Bonney grabbed the small card and rushed back to the door of the Cold Storage Room.

How do I use it?

Mia placed the file at her feet and helped her align it with the groove on the side of the door.

"Insert it, reverse the direction by two spaces, then press confirm."

Bonney inserts the small card.

The sound of the door unlocking came from inside.

[Manually close the lock/lock.]

[The internal cooling valve can be closed.]

"Eve shouted."

"Kaven, catch the child!"

The Cold Storage Room door is fully open.

The white mist dissipated, revealing a petite girl sitting on the edge of a metal bed, her arms wrapped in transparent tubes, and her face marked with pale blue scales.

Bonney paused when she saw the patch of blue.

The girl looked up at her.

"Sister, are you also blue?"

Bonney went in and knelt down in front of her.

"I used to be."

The girl asked.

Will it hurt?

Bonney looked at the tubing in her arm.

"Meeting."

The girl looked down and touched her arm.

"I won't cry. Dr. Eve said crying takes energy."

Bonney's tears welled up in her eyes, but she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

You can cry.

Dr. Eve turned off the valve by the wall.

"The cooling system has stopped, but she can't be exposed to heat."

Vegapunk shouted.

"Bonney, stick the Locator on the child's back. The bear can use its paws to move it, but be gentle."

The bear stood at the door.

"I'll do it."

The golden markings on Ge Lan's body began to darken.

[Interference remaining: 20 seconds.]

Sabo stepped aside to block Ge Lan.

"Mr. Xiong, hurry!"

Ge Lan looked down and his fingers touched another short token on his side.

Shanks saw the movement and spoke.

"Ge Lan, don't touch it."

Ge Lan held the short order in his hand.

"The interference has ended."

Sky Screen notice.

[Side command chain interference ended.]

The Den Den Mushi next to Ge Lan's ear resumed its sound.

An aged voice came from inside.

"Executor Ge Lan, immediately remove all living witnesses from the Medical Department's underground Cold Storage Room."

Bonney picked up the girl, turned around, and shouted angrily.

"Sky Screen, record!"

[Throne Communications Capture.]

[Order to remove all living witnesses from the Medical Department's underground Cold Storage Room.]

[Publisher: Holy Land Holy Knights Communications]

Ge Lan raised his sword.

"So what if it's recorded?"

Shanks' Red-Hair was blown to his shoulder by the wind as he handed the metal plate to Benn Beckman.

Can we interfere any further?

Benn Beckman looked at the pattern.

"If you try one more time, your hand might be useless for days."

Shanks said.

"Only a few days."

Benn Beckman frowned.

"That's not a good idea."

Shanks said.

"Then give me a good idea."

Luffy's voice came from the underground passage.

Shanks, no need!

Soma was cornered against the wall by Zoro and Sanji, but was still trying to break through to the exit.

Looking at Ge Lan, who was raising his sword in the Sky Screen, Luffy suddenly pressed his Straw Hat to his chest.

"Sky Screen, isn't there that Old Days Index in the Straw Hat too?"

Robin immediately looked at him.

"Luffy, are you trying to interfere with the Throne Communications using Inner Compartment hidden message?"

Nami exclaimed.

"Won't that allow the Holy Land to lock onto us?"

Luffy said.

They already know I'm here.

The Sky Screen responds.

[Straw Hat Interlayer Old Days Index Segment detected.]

[Can resonate briefly with Red-Hair Segment.]

[Purpose: To extend the Throne Communications jamming by thirty seconds.]

[The cost: the location of the Straw Hat's Inner Compartment is revealed for thirty seconds.]

Usopp shouted.

What can you do in thirty seconds?

Bonney held the girl and looked at the bear.

"That's enough for Dad to take us away."

Luffy up.

"Public."

Nami raised her hand to her forehead.

"You bastard."

Robin pressed confirm.

"The Straw Hat Pirates will share the responsibility."

Sky Screen Golden Light fell upon Luffy's Straw Hat.

Shanks looked at the screen and said softly.

"Captain Roger, that hat of yours is sure to cause trouble."

Ge Lan's Den Den Mushi went silent again.

He was a beat too slow in raising his sword.

The bear opened its paws.

"Everyone, move closer."

Dr. Kaven helped Eve up, Mia picked up the file, and Sabo held Mia with one hand and pressed down on Bonney's shoulder with the other.

Bonney held the girl protectively in her arms.

The girl asked in a low voice.

Will it hurt?

The bear looked at her.

"It can fly."

The girl blinked.

I've never flown.

Bonney said.

You've come out on top this time.

The paw-shaped paw pad lights up.

Ge Lan rushed up.

"Leave!"

Sabo unleashed a burst of flames to block the sword's edge.

The bear gently patted him.

The figures of the group disappeared from the doorway of the Cold Storage Room.

Ge Lan's sword slashed through the air, striking the metal bed instead.

The golden lettering on the Sky Screen descended.

[The Medical Department successfully transferred a hidden witness.]

[Relocation landing point: outer Scrap Platform of the Holy Land.]

[Warning, Ge Lan is in pursuit.]

On the outer Scrap Platform of the Holy Land, Bonney landed with the girl in her arms, slipped, and was caught by Sabo.

Mia slammed her hand on the file and immediately covered it up.

Dr. Kaven supported Eve, whose face still bore traces of frostbite.

The girl looked up at the sky.

"Sister, there's light here."

Bonney draped her coat over her head.

Don't stay in the sun for too long.

Sabo looked towards the end of the platform.

Where is the covert operation?

A hidden door opened from behind the wall of scrap.

Revolutionary Army members peeked out.

"This way."

Xiong stood at the edge of the platform, looking back at the Medical Department.

Ge Lan emerged from the upper passage, his white cloak charred black by the fire.

A new command came through his Den Den Mushi.

"Ge Lan, shift your focus; prioritize retrieving the underage adaptation samples."

The girl grabbed Bonney's clothes.

Are they talking about me?

Bonney hugged her tightly.

"You are no longer allowed to call yourself a sample."

Ge Lan raised his sword.

"Hand it over."

The bear took a step forward.

"I won't pay."

Suddenly, new red characters lit up the Sky Screen.

[Underage experiment survivor profile detected.]

[Name field has been deleted.]

[Does the individual need to re-register their name?]

The girl looked up at Bonney.

Can I have a name?

Bonney crouched down and looked at her.

"Of course, what's your name?"

The girl looked at Dr. Eve.

Dr. Eve wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.

She always called herself Little Seventeen because all that was left in her file was her number.

Bonney looked at the girl.

"Then change it now."

The girl thought about it for a long time.

I want to be called Lumi.

Bonney nodded.

Okay, Lumi.

The golden lettering on the Sky Screen descended.

[Lumi, a survivor of underage experiments.]

[Name restoration.]

Ge Lan's face darkened at that moment.

"Restoring one's name is an act of rebellion."

Bonney stood up.

"Then I'll betray you to the very end today."