Clifford Kingdom.
5,000 meters above the Royal Capital, Nakor — Alvis Island.
Wisps of dark smoke curled into the sky. Charred craters and deep fissures scarred the landscape, and a massive section of the buildings within the Research Center had been reduced to rubble. Dilapidated structures were visible at every turn; dozens of sentry towers and artillery batteries had been completely leveled.
A large number of personnel moved back and forth, clearing away debris and stone, desperately trying to repair the roads and infrastructure.
Since Aeridar had transported Alvis Island into the sky, the original sea-level harbors had become obsolete. A section of the land-based port had been converted into an Aero-Port for airships and vessels.
A massive shadow suddenly blanketed the ground as a giant black ship slowly descended from the heavens.
"Attention! Attention! The Chris is returning to port!"
"Clear the ground! Make room!"
Personnel on the ground waved signal flags, directing others to clear the landing zone.
THUD!
The ground trembled as the gargantuan Chris made a steady landing on a vacant lot in the Aero-Port.
"The damage is extensive," Aeridar remarked darkly from the deck. From his vantage point in the sky, he had seen the entirety of Alvis Island; at least twenty percent of the buildings were destroyed, and nearly half of the defensive fortifications were in ruins.
It was clear that the Revolutionary Army and the Neo Marines had deployed a staggering amount of combat power. Otherwise, they could never have caused such devastation.
"Captain!"
As Aeridar and his group disembarked, Dorot Otto stood waiting by the stairs, clutching one of his arms.
Aeridar scanned Otto, his brow furrowing. "With your physical constitution and regenerative abilities, your arm still hasn't healed?"
"My left arm was completely shredded. It'll take a few more days to fully recover," Otto replied, his expression grim.
Aeridar nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he didn't press further. "Where is Arlan?"
"He's down below coordinating with the security forces to recapture the escaped experimental creatures," Otto answered.
"How did you let this happen? You let the Revolutionary Army and those Neo Marine nobodies hit us right where it hurts!" Enel snapped, his voice thick with dissatisfaction.
Having been with the Chris Pirates for years, Enel felt the weight of this failure personally, and his heart burned with rage.
"With this island's fortifications and defensive strength, even with a mole, a surprise attack shouldn't have caused damage this severe," Mina noted, her brow furrowed in thought. "I saw from above, at least forty-five percent of the defenses were neutralized. What exactly happened?"
"To be honest, we were negligent," Otto admitted shamefully. "We've been safe for too long. Coupled with our unique location in the sky, many people didn't react in time when the attack hit. A lot of the defense mechanisms weren't even activated."
Ever since the Alvis Island Research Center was established, the only breach had been years ago by CP0. After Aeridar moved the entire island into the sky, it had become an impregnable fortress.
When the attack began, the security forces outside the initial strike zone thought it was just a containment breach in the labs, that an experimental subject had escaped and caused a minor commotion, so they didn't take it seriously at first.
"Forget it. What's done is done. Explanations won't change anything; just remember this lesson," Aeridar said. Hearing Otto's words, he understood the root cause of the heavy losses and decided not to scold him further.
Soon, the group left the Aero-Port and entered the main hall of the Research Center.
ROAR!
The moment they stepped through the doors, they were met with absolute chaos. In the middle of the already wrecked hall, a pitch-black giant ape, seven or eight meters tall, was struggling against several chains as thick as a man's arm. It thrashed and roared, its fists pounding the smooth marble floor into a mess of craters and flying debris.
"More men! Get it under control, now!"
"Don't let go! Get more chains!"
"Where are the others? Haven't the sedatives arrived yet?!"
A dozen burly men gripped the chains with all their might, their faces flushed red and veins bulging from their foreheads. The heavy metal chains were pulled taut, emitting a groaning sound as if they were on the verge of snapping.
"Damn, a B-Class subject, a Berserk Ape. How did it get all the way here?" Otto was taken aback by the sight of the beast.
Bzzzt... Crackle!
"Useless. You can't even keep a handle on a beast," Enel snorted coldly, lightning beginning to surge around his body.
"Wait. Do you want to fry the guards too?" Aeridar reached out, stopping the restless Enel.
If Enel unleashed a bolt of lightning, it would certainly drop the ape, but the current would travel through the metal chains and kill every man holding them.
"Tch." Enel clicked his tongue, and the lightning subsided.
Wrrr—!
The air trembled. An incredibly domineering, surging aura erupted from Aeridar, and for a moment, the world seemed to turn gray.
The thrashing, roaring Berserk Ape suddenly stiffened. Its eyes rolled back into its head, and it collapsed backward, falling into a dead faint instantly.
"What... what happened?"
"Is it unconscious? Or dead?"
"Some of these subjects are smart; they play dead. Stay sharp!"
The sudden collapse of the ape startled the men, but they still refused to let go of the chains, fearing the beast might wake up and break free.
"It's alright. It's out cold. Get the sedatives ready and transport it back to its cage," Otto commanded.
"Captain Otto!"
"The Captain is here too!"
"And Enel-sama and Mina-sama!"
"That was definitely the Captain's Conqueror's Haki! Incredible!"
Upon seeing Aeridar and the others, the men cheered, their spirits lifting instantly. In their eyes, as long as Aeridar was present, any problem could be solved.
"You've worked hard. Carry on," Aeridar said, forcing a small smile and a nod. To his own brothers, he always showed his warmer side.
Leaving the Berserk Ape behind, the group continued deeper into the facility.
Along the way, the scars of battle were everywhere; bloodstains and corpses that had yet to be cleared. They encountered several more experimental subjects, some contained and some still loose; it was these escapees that had caused a second wave of damage throughout the Research Center.
"The idea to release these creatures... that must have come from the mole as well," Aeridar said, his expression icy. "Have you identified them yet?"
"We're still screening everyone. Millie's ability can't see into people's thoughts, and there are too many secrets here to bring in outside help," Otto shook his head. "However, the mole might not be high-ranking. Many cages were opened, including those for creatures that were already under our control. That suggests the traitor didn't actually know which ones were neutralized and which weren't."
"That means the mole's rank might not be high, but their position must be critical," Mina deduced, hitting the nail on the head. "Otherwise, they wouldn't have had access to the airship blueprints or the location of the cold storage, let alone the keys."
"No... the cold storage keys were never missing," Otto said solemnly. "There are three keys. Aside from the one I carry, the other two are kept in a specialized safe. Only myself and the doctors know where that safe is, and only we have the authorization to open it."
"Those three keys are all accounted for. However... inside the cold storage lock, we found a fourth key."