"What are you doing? Where is this?!"
"Let me out! I want to go back to the Starvation Hell! Take me back!!"
Inside a specially made steel cell, three burly men, each about 1.8 meters tall and shirtless, were shackled to an iron chair with Seastone handcuffs and leg irons. Around their necks were Bomb Collars.
In such a situation, it was impossible not to panic. The man sitting on the far left had already regretted agreeing to come out for a full meal. He was now terrified, desperately pleading and struggling, making a lot of noise compared to the two silent men beside him.
Outside the cell, Dr. Fritz stood next to Senior Manager Addison, listening to his introduction. Behind them were two researchers and two men in black.
"Mike Fossen, former bounty of 51 million Beli, prisoner of the Starvation Hell on the third underground level of Impel Down. Skilled in wrestling and combat, he initially awakened Armament Haki during a battle with rival pirates. Not long after, while still injured, he encountered a Navy ship from the G-4 Branch and was captured."
Senior Manager Addison then turned his gaze to the prisoner in the middle and said, "Hawthorne, former bounty of 33 million Beli, prisoner of the Beast Hell on the second underground level of Impel Down. A user of the Zoan-type Rat-Rat Fruit, Model: Kangaroo."
After a pause, he looked deeply at the test subject on the far right, the only one not wearing a prison uniform but dressed in simple white pants, and then continued his introduction.
"Steve Gus, member of CP7, responsible for base security. Proficient in Tekkai of the Six Styles, he has initially mastered Life Return, giving him strong control over his muscles, blood vessels, and blood, allowing him to quickly stop bleeding from wounds. He was also the first person to test the aggressiveness of the Kabane."
Dr. Fritz was momentarily puzzled and asked, "Why would he do that? If he wanted the enhanced power of the Kabane Virus, he could have waited until the research was more mature."
"Gus's younger brother joined one of the five major underworld families in the West Blue two years ago. Yesterday, while escorting a shipment of weapons through Reverse Mountain, he was arrested by the Navy from the G-0 Branch and is being taken to Enies Lobby to await trial."
"After receiving the news, he volunteered to become a test subject for the Biochemical Research Institute in order to save his brother. He said that if he succeeded, he would continue to serve the World Government. If he failed, he would have no regrets, only hoping to give his brother a free and peaceful life."
Senior Manager Addison explained the background emotionlessly. After listening, Dr. Fritz remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
"I understand. I will arrange for him to be the last one to be injected with the Kabane Virus. Let's see how the first two test subjects fare first."
"Then we leave it to you."
Dr. Fritz nodded and then signaled the waiting researchers to begin the experiment. One of them carried a small box into the cell, followed by the two men in black.
"No, don't come near me! What are you doing? Ah, what are you doing? Get away from me!!"
Mike Fossen's face turned even more panicked as he saw three expressionless figures—one in white and two in black—enter the room. No matter how much he struggled, the restraints on his body held him firmly in place on the chair.
The biochemical researcher in a white lab coat ignored his curses and pleas for mercy, skillfully pulling out a syringe filled with a glowing blue liquid from a case. Amidst Mike's piercing screams, the researcher plunged the needle into his chest.
Meanwhile, the two others who were about to face the same fate turned pale as they witnessed the scene.
When the syringe was pulled out of Mike Fossen's body, the skin on his chest began to rapidly darken and turn purple. The affected veins started to emit a faint blue glow, spreading like a luminous spiderweb.
Soon, the virus took over his heart, and the skin on his chest could no longer conceal the blue light emanating from within.
"What... what is this?!" he cried out in terror, watching as a blue glow crawled up his left carotid artery. The virus's progression was neither fast nor slow, giving him enough time to fully observe the process.
"Ugh!!"
As the blue light invaded Mike Fossen's brain, a small patch of blue light appeared in his head. His pupils glowed blue, while the whites of his eyes turned black, making him look utterly terrifying.
"Hmm?"
What intrigued Dr. Fritz was that the blue light in Mike's pupils was unstable, flickering on and off. His expression kept shifting between ferocity and agony.
"Just as I suspected," Dr. Fritz mused. "When a person's willpower is strong enough to awaken Haki, they can resist the Kabane Virus's invasion of the brain to some extent. I wonder if this guy can hold out."
The head of the biochemical research institute was eagerly hoping for a positive outcome. Unfortunately, things didn't seem to be going as smoothly as he had hoped.
"Ughhh~~~"
Mike Fossen lasted just over five minutes before the blue light in his pupils stabilized completely. He had now fully transformed into a Kabane.
The sudden surge in strength caused the iron chair beneath him to creak and crack, with fine fissures beginning to appear. Fortunately, the Seastone chains binding his hands and feet were sturdy enough to hold him.
"His Haki aura has grown significantly stronger!" one of the black-clad men in the cell remarked in a low voice, sharing his observation.
"Hahaha, I knew it! This thing enhances mental power!" Dr. Fritz laughed heartily, then waved his hand impatiently. "Alright, finish him off. Prepare for the next test!"
"Yes."
The black-clad man who had spoken walked up to Mike Fossen and extended his right index finger. Using the hardening technique of Armament Haki, he coated his finger with a dark sheen. In an instant, his finger turned into a blur as he struck the now-steel-like, glowing Heart Membrane of the Kabane.
Clang!
Unfortunately, the first strike failed to penetrate its defense. Unfazed, the man continued to rapidly execute 'Shigan,' targeting the same spot with a series of consecutive attacks.
Thud—
Suddenly, a sound similar to tempered glass being pierced rang out, followed by a spray of scorching hot blood gushing from the wound. The crimson liquid stained the black suit and white shirt of the man in black, emitting wisps of warm smoke. However, he paid no attention to this, turning instead to face Addison and the others outside.
"Report: My Shigan, enhanced with Armament Haki, needs to hit the same spot five times consecutively to pierce its heart!"
"Record that."
"Yes!"
The researcher standing behind Dr. Fritz immediately picked up a pen and began jotting down the information.
Meanwhile.
The body of Mike Furson, lying nearby, had not yet cooled. Inside the cell, a researcher took another syringe from a box and approached Hawthorne.
"Amitabha."
Although Hawthorne still showed signs of nervousness, he quickly regained his composure after chanting these four words with his eyes closed.
However, those who had long been immersed in biochemical research had hardened their hearts through years of exposure to gore and blood. They were utterly unaffected by this Buddhist chant. Without hesitation, the researcher plunged the syringe into Hawthorne's chest and injected the Kabane Virus.
Don't ask why a kangaroo is the Rat-Rat Fruit or why a giraffe is the Ox-Ox Fruit. Where is the logic in that?