Chapter 4
16 years after Gol D. Roger's execution
Two days ago I had been a gladiator in a colosseum, yesterday I had nearly jumped right into the maw of a huge squid, and now I was taking a tiny blue dragon for a walk through a government facility in a slightly too short suit.
Go figure!
It seemed like I managed to stumble into some kind of emergency exit given, that the corridor I was currently strolling through was pretty much barren and I have yet to see a junction or even a room.
Enjoying the calm before the inevitable storm I took the chance to inspect my current companion, that was happily trotting before me on his leash a bit more closely.
Dopey eyes, disproportionately big fangs, but a set of wings and…fuck it.
That's a proper dragon, if ever I saw one.
What caught my eye finally was the little number '14' painted at the base of its tail.
"So, you are the fourteenth dragon on this island?" I asked halfheartedly, not really caring, but this was the first creature in two years, that wasn't actively attacking me.
"Ruff!" It barked enthusiastically, not breaking stride or even deigning to look at me.
"I see." Yeah, that's what I thought, we weren't going to be great conversationalists, me and my new best friend, but that was fine, because up ahead I saw the corridor end.
Stopping rather abruptly to the annoyance of the little monster, given the way it scowled at me, I tried to shake off the last jitters.
No need to freak out, just had to act like in a Marine base, when you wanted to avoid extra work.
Back straight, shoulders apart, and walk with purpose, I just had to look like I was currently going somewhere to do something very important.
"Let's go, buddy." I resumed my now brisk pace, satisfied with my whole 'busy' countenance and was about to step out of the corridor when I did a quick check with my observation Haki.
Nobody, but not nothing too my chagrin. There was something stuck in the upper right corner of the room just below the ceiling, and I had a pretty good idea what it was.
Coast reasonably clear I walked into a junction decked out in the same pristine steel plates and artificial lighting as the corridor I just left and instantly spotted the little Den Den Mushi out of the corner of my eye.
Lips already pursed by my 'purposeful' disposition my annoyance was safely hidden, but now I didn't want to break my stride, because the last thing I wanted now was to give off even a whiff of something suspect.
Eyes quickly scanning the room I spotted three corridors, left, right and center, each with a sign above.
First-, Second- and Third Research Institutes.
I was just about to turn right towards the Third Research Institutes when suddenly…
"Shurororororo"
When what I guessed to be laughter echoed loudly from that direction.
'Nope!' That definietly sounded like crazy-people laughter, and that was a hard pass for me, so without further ado I aborted my first choice and went straight ahead towards the corridor, that read Second Research Station.
A comparatively short walk later I was already beginning to regret my choice when a soft bend in the corridor gradually revealed a door.
A closed door…with a watchful Den Den Mushi stuck above.
Swallowing the tiny tinge of nervousness, that revealed itself at the sight of the obstacle, I began to rummage around my recently acquired suit, pretending to look like I knew what I was looking for, in the hopes of finding something, that could give me a hint on how to open the passageway.
All the while I subtly scanned the door and the surrounding corridor for something akin to a keyhole without breaking my stride.
Increasingly desperate I nearly stood in front of the featureless door, when a soft ping chimed from somewhere.
"Welcome Number 14." A heavily synthesized, but definitely female voice spoke from directly above me. Slightly startled I couldn't help but look up at the Den Den Mushi, which upon closer inspection didn't look quite right.
"Ruff!" My little companion, that had been trotting happily in front of me the whole time, replied somewhat disinterested and kept on heading towards the closed door,…which suddenly whooshed open and disappeared into the wall.
All the while the little blue dragon simply kept on walking, which was fortunate, because it dragged me along and kept me from goggling at the sight, that revealed itself.
The corridor, still the same pristine steel, had widened but now the walls were lined with half a dozen doors, just like the one I just stepped through. Doors that opened and closed seemingly automatically at a rapid pace, because dozens of men in white lab coats kept rushing from one side to the other.
Frameless windows covered the spaces between the doors, and I could get a perfect glimpse into the various brightly lit and spotlessly clean open space laboratories to my left and right, that were filled to the brim with busy men and outlandish tech and machinery.
Doing my best to look disinterested I kept on walking and was relieved to note that Number 14 apparently had the same idea.
'Lineage Factor' a sign hanging overhead read in bold red letters, which told me exactly nothing.
Let's just keep going, I thought uneasily, this all looked way above my non-existent paygrade.
Strolling along, the style of the corridor didn't change, the action behind windows every so often did, however.
An office with dozens of smartly dressed people doing paperwork, something that strongly resembled a standard Marine mess hall, and more laboratories in various shapes and sizes.
Gaze sweeping from side to side I luckily noticed what seemed to be the end of this particular corridor given the set of stairs and the elevator up ahead, accompanied by a little sign, that made me slightly uneasy when I spotted it. Up for sleeping quarters, down for prisoner cells.
It wasn't so much the thought of getting locked up again, well, not completely, to be honest, but more the realization that I was walking towards a dead end so to speak. Neither a prison nor a bunch of bedrooms tended to have log poses lying around, which were the entire reason for venturing into this hornet's nest.
Lips pursed and pace slightly slowed down, my eyes were back on surveying the rooms around me and finally landed on darkened laboratory, that looked and felt empty.
I couldn't help but sigh in relief, I needed a minute, just a few moments to calmly think things through.
An inconspicuous look over my shoulder just to make sure nobody was focusing on me and I unhurriedly stepped towards the door, which smoothly opened on its own.
'Thank God!'
Another step into the comparatively small laboratory and I felt the door close behind my back with a soft whoosh.
"Ruff!"
I almost stumbled right back out of the door in fright as my little winged companion, that had been quiet for some time now, suddenly barked loudly right in front me.
Almost forgot the little thing.
Meeting its dopey expression with an uncomprehending one of my own I cocked my head in question, which it funnily enough mirrored.
"What?" I asked and instantly regretted, because not a heartbeat later the room lit up like Marine Base G-8 at night.
Freezing on the spot, desperately hoping nobody would question the sudden activity in here, my eyes were free to wander and finally landed on a big sign just above an entire wall full of some kind of machinery.
Blinking red and green lights, small whirring fans, roughly a billion buttons, and weird disks spinning back and forth.
'Optics and AI – Vegapunk'
"Oh no…no, no, no, not good!" I grimaced in abject horror and despair. Freaking Vegapunk of all people was on this fucking island?!
The man was a V…V…VIP in the eyes of the World Government, and I just waltzed into his workplace.
'Calm down…just…let's just calm d…'
"Ruff!" Another impossibly loud bark made me nearly piss my pants and punt the little fucker across the room…very nearly.
I shook my head in exasperation, which made me involuntarily come face to face with the weirdest Den Den Mushi I have ever seen perched on a shelf directly opposite the crazy tech wall.
Deathly white, a bunch of wires sticking out the side of its shell, and two unfocused almost vacant red eyes.
Eyes, that suddenly began to glow.
Swallowing my trepidation, I took a hesitant step away, but kept my eyes on it in case of surprises. I watched as the right eye suddenly began to move up and down while the left went side to side, worst of all I quite suddenly had the uneasy notion, that this thing's focus and red glowing eyes were squarely on me now.
Multiple things happened at once.
A large part of the wall opposite the entrance suddenly jumped to life and revealed itself to be an enormous screen. What I thought was just a blank wall moments before suddenly depicted a very detailed picture of myself.
Caught flatfooted for a second, mind weirdly blank, I couldn't help but rate the picture a solid 7 out of 10 as far as mugshots went. Slightly confused and worried expression but decent enough, I reckoned.
While my head was admiring myself the same weird feminine voice from the door at the entrance suddenly spoke here.
"Searching…searching…searching…"
'What?'
Suddenly, the machinery to my right, that apparently had been dormant despite the blinking and whirring, stepped up a notch and I was momentarily overwhelmed by the flurry of activity.
My picture on the screen suddenly shrunk to half its size while the other half was taken up by what looked like thousands of wanted posters flickering through at a breakneck speed.
Until it suddenly stopped, and I was face to face with a picture of myself as a kid, barely a teen.
"Processing…processing…" Again, the lady's synthetic voice spoke clearly while the wall did its thing, and I could only watch dumbstruck.
Red dots appeared over my picture and the wanted poster.
"Match found!"
"Water Strider Becker, Eight Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero Berry!" The tech-lady went on as both my new and old photo further shrunk on the screen to reveal a list of my 'crimes'.
Government Property
Theft of intellectual property
Theft of Government Property
Resisting arrest
Infiltration
Trespassing on Government Property
Some flowery language to describe an escaped slave, that managed to somehow work for the Marines without them knowing it, but strangely accurate, I had to admit.
'Theft of intellectual property?' I wondered as the wall next to me kept on beavering away merrily.
'The Rokushiki maybe?'
My musing regarding my résumé were cut short, however, as my female friend piped up again.
"Subject not registered…subject not registered…"
That…didn't sound good, I thought as I felt my heart begin to sink, which was only made worse when…
"Intruder…Intruder…Intruder…Intruder…"
All hell broke loose.
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For reference: 22 years after Gol D. Roger's execution Luffy leaves Foosha Village
Plus a quick reminder, Becker is currently 18, he was born two years before Roger's execution.
Ps. I'm a bit of an attention whore so I would really appreciate some feedback.
What I lack in sheer writing capabilities and word count I try to make up for with 'unique' or unusual settings. I hope you enjoy it.