Marine Science Unit.
A roughly humanoid creature, but in appearance an utter monster, like an octopus standing upright, lay quietly on a cold operating table.
Countless wires connected to its head, linking it to the research equipment beside it.
"What exactly is going on?"
Caesar, dressed in a white lab coat, stood before the equipment and stared at the patterns on the screen with a baffled expression. "There shouldn't be anything wrong. So why is this guy so brainless?"
Continuous experiments should have gathered enough data by now. Why were there still missing parts?
It was enough to give anyone a headache.
"Momousagi is already on a ship headed here."
Behind him, a figure cloaked in white robes slowly approached. "She'll arrive within a day at most."
"Wonderful!!"
Caesar immediately began dancing with excitement. "Now there definitely won't be any problems! I'm about to create technology that surpasses that Vegapunk!"
"It had better be."
The white figure's tone was flat. "The Five Elders do not wish to receive a failed result."
"How could a genius like me possibly fail!"
Caesar's lower body turned into gas, and he floated into the air. "Shurororororo! Success is the only possible outcome!"
"But you'd better protect me properly!" Caesar looked down at the white figure from above. "Momousagi isn't like those other pieces of trash. If she starts rampaging, I'll be in danger!"
"Rest assured."
The white figure remained perfectly calm, even though the opponent he might soon face was a candidate Admiral from Navy Headquarters. "The Five Elders sent me here precisely for this."
"Shurororororo!! Then there's no problem!!"
Caesar flew wildly around the room in excitement. "Vegapunk! Just wait, I'll surpass you soon!"
What no one noticed was that, for an instant, a spark of awareness seemed to appear in the lifeless