The secret laboratory on Ambury Island was in chaos. For years, the North Blue had been kept in a state of unprecedented peace, all thanks to the overwhelming power and influence of a man named Takero. This long period of stability had made the island's defenders complacent. The security at this facility, which should have been one of the most protected places in the sea, was surprisingly weak.
Making matters worse for them, the intruders were the elite agents of CP9.
Rob Lucci and his team moved with terrifying speed. They operated like perfect assassins, silently eliminating every guard and hidden sentry on the lab's perimeter. Once the outer defenses were gone, they stormed the main building with unstoppable force. The researchers and security staff inside were no match for these government "superhumans," who had endured the world's most brutal training since they were children.
Soon, the entire above-ground section of the facility was under their control. The scientists, all dressed in white lab coats, were herded into the central hall and held at gunpoint by CP9 agents. Despite their fear, a stubborn pride was still visible on their faces.
Lucci's hawk-like eyes scanned the captured scientists. He turned to an agent who was sorting through a pile of research papers. "What have you found?" he asked, his voice flat and cold.
The agent shook his head. "Nothing yet, sir. We've only found documents about the mass production of 'Omni-Capsules' and some standard research on genetic modification. It's advanced, but it's not what we're looking for."
Lucci's brow furrowed slightly. "Search again. Be more thorough," he ordered. "There have to be deeper secrets here."
"Yes, sir!" the agent replied before returning to his task.
Lucci's attention then turned to an old man who seemed to be the lead scientist. He had been keeping a close eye on him from the start. "I have a question for you," Lucci said, his voice completely empty of emotion. "What exactly is Takero having you research in this place?"
The chief scientist, though held firmly by two agents, showed no sign of fear. "Heh heh…" He looked up at Lucci with a sneer. "When Lord Takero gets back, I can't wait to see if you dogs from the World Government are still acting so arrogant."
A flicker of killing intent crossed Lucci's normally icy face. He was about to respond when another CP9 agent rushed over from a corner of the room.
"Sir! Lord Lucci!" the agent reported, his voice filled with excitement. "We've found it! There's an extremely well-hidden secret passage over here!"
Lucci's eyes lit up immediately. "Show me."
"Right away, sir!"
The passage was hidden behind a large bookshelf and led deep underground. Following the seemingly bottomless staircase, they emerged into a vast, futuristic space. The moment he saw what was in front of him, even a man as composed as Rob Lucci couldn't hide his shock. For the first time, his face showed an expression of pure disbelief.
The enormous underground laboratory was filled with hundreds of massive cultivation tanks. Each one was filled with a pale green nutrient solution, and they were all arranged in dense, perfect rows.
Lucci walked slowly toward one of the tanks. He peered through the thick glass at the figure floating silently inside, and his expression froze. Suspended within the tank was a person wearing a breathing mask, with tubes connected all over their body. The person's appearance was unmistakable. The spiky, hedgehog-like black hair, the face that was still developing but already showed a clear resemblance… and the dark brown tail curled up behind their back.
He looked almost exactly like the man known as "Strange Tail" Takero.
*Artificial humans? Clones?*
Several terrifying thoughts, each one powerful enough to shake the foundations of the World Government, flashed through Lucci's mind. He quickly looked up at the endless rows of cultivation tanks surrounding him and murmured to himself, "Could it be… that all of these tanks contain…?"
He didn't dare to complete the thought. He knew that if the beings growing in these tanks had even a tenth of the power of the monster named Takero, then the world was in serious trouble. Wasting no more time, he used a secure, high-level encrypted line to contact the supreme commander of this operation, who was far away in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
When Saint Jaygarcia Saturn finished listening to Lucci's frantic report, a long silence filled the Chamber of Authority.
*'Just as I thought,'* Saturn's eyes gleamed with a cold, almost fanatical light. *'That boy was never normal. I didn't expect he was secretly working on a project of this scale.'*
Lucci's voice crackled through the Den Den Mushi. "Sir! Should we destroy this entire facility immediately?"
Saturn paused for a moment before replying in a slow, commanding tone that left no room for argument. "...No. There's no need for that."
Lucci started to ask another question, but Saturn cut him off. "Lucci, you and your team will eliminate all remaining resistance on the island. After that, prepare for my arrival."
"...I am coming down there myself."
"What?!" For the first time, Lucci's perpetually cold expression shattered into one of complete astonishment. "Sir! You… you're coming here personally?"
Saturn offered no further explanation. He simply told Lucci to hurry up before ending the call.
Back in Mary Geoise, the other members of the Five Elders were discussing the incredible discovery.
"This technology… the ability to perfectly clone powerful individuals…" Saturn said as he slowly rose from his seat. "It is very likely the lost, forbidden science of the Great Ancient Kingdom."
"I will go there myself," he declared.
"Is that really necessary, Saturn?" one of the other Elders asked.
"Yes!" Saturn's eyes shone with an intensity they had never seen before. "This technology can create monsters like 'Strange Tail' Takero, and it seems they can be mass-produced! If the World Government can get its hands on this power… then the future of these seas will be under our control forever. We can finally achieve true, lasting peace!"
After hearing his reasoning, the other Elders all nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, back at the laboratory on Ambury Island, Lucci was directing his agents to clear the area and make the final preparations for the arrival of one of the world's "Gods." Suddenly, a sharp scream echoed from the lab's entrance.
Lucci's eyes narrowed instantly. "Reinforcements… so they've finally arrived."
He turned to his agents and gave his final order. "Everyone, prepare for battle! No matter what happens, we must hold this facility until Lord Saturn arrives!"
But before he could even finish his sentence, a clear voice shouted from the shattered doorway.
"Snow Rabbit!"
Several giant rabbits made of solid ice and snow charged into the room, moving like fearless suicide bombers. As Lucci prepared to dodge the attack, another voice called out.
"Seis Fleur: Clutch!"
In an instant, six jade-white arms sprouted from Lucci's own body and from the shadows at his feet. They wrapped around his limbs like ghostly hands from hell, locking him firmly in place before he could react.
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