Brie Larvan

Arthur stepped into the laboratory space. Koko followed closely, her mischievous eyes darting from one already-placed piece of sophisticated equipment to another.

The first task was establishing the foundational infrastructure.

Sturdy shelving units were lined against the walls to support heavy scientific equipment. Drawer units were positioned beneath work surfaces, each labeled with attention to detail. Chemical-resistant gloves were then hung neatly on specialized hooks alongside the white lab coats arranged in a closet.

"What does this do, daddy?" Koko asked, pointing at the electron microscope.

Arthur's response was calm and educational: "It allows us to see things far too small for certain eyes to detect…"

"Can I look?" she asked in wonder.

"Not yet," he said, carefully removing the instrument from its protective packaging and positioning it on a designated workstation. "Later…"

"Awe!" she pouted. "Fine…!"

Now the massive freezing container demanded his special attention. Nearly the size of a small room, it looked to have been quite complex for the construction crew to install.

Arthur had disguised it as some giant refrigerator in his blueprints.

He checked the temperature gauge, monitoring its descent to the extremely low point he required. This wasn't a standard freezer, but a preservation unit capable of maintaining biological specimens in perfect condition—rare samples, sensitive compounds, and, more importantly, dead bodies.

All of it could be stored here indefinitely.

The centrifuge caught Koko's attention next. Its design fascinated her.

"What makes this spinny thing work?" she asked, watching Arthur connect its power supply.

"It separates liquids of different densities," he explained.

"How?" she genuinely wondered.

"By spinning something so fast that heavier particles sink while lighter ones rise to the top, and it's called a centrifuge."

"You look like a centrifuge!" she laughed.

Ignoring the comment, he continued to work with reverence.

The spectrophotometer received special care as he ran preliminary calibration tests. This device would be instrumental in analyzing molecular compositions, a critical tool for his upcoming research.

Koko explored the glassware with childlike excitement.

"Look at all these pretty tubes!" she exclaimed, examining the collection of beakers, flasks, and test tubes.

Arthur systematically arranged them in designated racks. Each piece of glassware was pristine, carefully selected for specific purposes—some for chemical reactions, others for precise measurements.

The fume hoods represented a critical safety feature. He positioned them perfectly to ensure maximum protection when working with potentially dangerous chemicals.

Nearby, eyewash stations and safety showers stood ready. He might not ever use them, though, since he had medical techniques in case of emergencies.

As he worked, he activated the Lab Information Management System (LIMS) software on a white pillar that looked more akin to an ENIAC or a Manchester Baby. It ran extremely slowly, but it ran nonetheless.

Next, he checked the incubators. These would be used for temperature controls on delicate biological samples. Adjacent autoclaves stood prepared to sterilize equipment, maintaining a contamination-free environment.

Koko's curiosity never faltered as she watched him carefully arrange chemical reagents, asking, "Why are some cabinets locked?"

"Some chemicals are too dangerous," he patiently explained. They were really meant to prevent her from accidentally making contact with them or mixing them when he wasn't there to monitor her. "Make sure you don't ever open it."

"Okay, daddy!"

The biohazard and hazardous waste containers were then positioned in their rightful area. Magnetic stirrers found their place on work surfaces, ready to mix solutions. Analytical balances sat on anti-vibration tables, ensuring the most accurate measurements possible.

The pH meters were correctly calibrated, while the analytical equipment sat there untouched, waiting for their moment.

To say Arthur didn't know what he was doing was a vast understatement. Every action had its purpose, and every tool was placed correctly.

"Are we done yet, daddy?" Koko asked while her legs swung from a laboratory stool.

Arthur paused, surveying the room. Every instrument, every safety feature had been carefully considered and implemented.

The wind turbines outside provided sustainable energy, while the irrigation system ensured a constant water supply. The plaza surrounding the laboratory had been transformed into a carefully designed ecosystem that supported his scientific endeavours.

"Almost…" he answered.

She watched him with curiosity, not fully understanding the complexity of what he was creating. But she recognized the passion driving his work.

"Are we done now, daddy?" she asked again.

Arthur continued organizing things, correcting her: "Not done, but ready to begin."

When he was finally finished, it was time to triple-check his work to ensure absolute perfection.

The laboratory looked great—a bridge between the known and the unknown. Outside, the plaza's fountain streamed water through the pipes smoothly, the wind turbines turned gently against the wind, and the seeds were already beginning to germinate.

Sun Stream Plaza was up and running.

Some time later.

Arthur was casually walking along the dirt. His face was concealed under a hood as he approached a weathered building. Right now, he was in none other than the Water Country's collection office.

It had been some time since he had been here. And his target, the morgue woman, just so happened to be inside. He could sense her presence within.

The woman was like a creature of habit. She spent her days surrounded by the grotesque macabre of corpses. Despite not being a significant character in this world, her routine was predictable: take in corpses and hand over the money after examining them.

Why Arthur was here was that this character was an unknown—the perfect means to an end.

He didn't bother with the secret entrance, opting for a more direct approach by slipping inside the room filled with the stench of decay.

The woman was hunched over a metal table. She was muttering to herself while holding a scalpel. A corpse, cold and lifeless, lay before her.

Her attention was so focused on her task that she didn't notice Arthur's presence. He stood in the shadows, observing her with a keen eye.

Her work was quite fascinating, clearly driven by a morbid curiosity for the dead. Had she been a medical ninja, she might have been on par with characters like Tsunade or Kabuto.

By the time that she noticed Arthur at the side of her peripheral, she freaked out.

"What the heck are you doing here?!" she yelled, dropping her scalpel.

Arthur ignored her question. Instead of answering, he walked forward and picked up her scalpel. Handing it to her, he said, "Your dealings here are wasteful… Tell me, woman, what is your name?"

The woman was just as keen; she recognized his voice.

"You're that guy who brought in Zabuza Momochi, aren't you?" she asked, taking the scalpel from his hand. Then she adjusted her glasses with a wary expression. "Why do you want to know my name?"

"I'm curious," he replied, stepping back a little.

She hesitated, then spoke, "It's Brie… Brie Larvan."

"Brie Larvan," he repeated. "I know a lot about you, Brie."

Her eyes narrowed as she asked, "How could you possibly know anything about me? I'm a nobody, a woman who works in a backwater collection office."

"That so?" he said.

In truth, he only knew what was written in her hidden files down in the basement. Him asking her for her name was a test to see how she would respond.

Because she answered him and did so truthfully, he removed his hood.

The room became silent for a moment. Then she asked, "A transformation?"

"No," he answered, returning his tone to normal. "This is my real appearance."

Brie's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. She had never imagined that the mysterious bounty hunter, the man who had brought her Zabuza Momochi, was just a kid!

"I'd like to hire you," Arthur said.

Her eyebrows shot up. "Hire me? For what?"

"I'd like you to help me with a project," he replied. "A project involving a dead body."

"A dead body?" she asked, her interest piqued. "How old is this corpse?"

"Over ten years," he answered. "And it's not as common as you might think."

"Ha!" she laughed. "Ten years? What, do you think I'm some kind of necromancer or something?"

Arthur refrained from showing any signs of emotion as he answered, "All you'll be doing is altering its appearance…"

Her expression turned serious.

"Altering the appearance of a decade-old corpse?" she repeated. "That's no easy feat, even for someone with my skills."

This was true in many ways. To do something like that would require advanced techniques and specialized equipment—the exact things Arthur had at his disposal.

"Not with the equipment I have," he countered.

Now she seemed quite intrigued. Scientists like her loved impossible tasks to push their boundaries.

"And the payment?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"We'll discuss that afterwards," he said.

"Wait a minute," she suddenly said, adjusting her glasses. "That's not how negotiations work."

But her protest was weak as Arthur had already begun walking toward the exit. He knew exactly what was going to happen next.

"Wait!" she quickly added. "I was just kidding; I'm absolutely interested in your project."

'That's more like it…'

Her sudden enthusiasm wasn't lost on him. She was a scientist first, an opportunist second. The chance to work on something potentially groundbreaking outweighed any financial considerations.

What truly intrigued her wasn't just the technical challenge but Arthur himself. He was an enigma—bounty hunters weren't scientists, nor had ninjas ever approached her with tasks like this before.

"When do we start?" she asked, already mentally cataloguing the specialized equipment she'd need.

Arthur's response was simple: "Immediately."

Little did she know, she was about to become a crucial piece in Arthur's grand design, a recruit whose skills would prove invaluable in the experiments to come.

As she followed after him, she suddenly found her vision shift. She had arrived at a giant complex that housed high-end boutiques. Her eyes immediately caught the massive sign—Sun Stream Plaza.

Everything here looked beautiful. The intertwining trails were punctuated with greenery and lively colours. Even the gentle rush of water pouring from the fountain at its center was one to marvel at. It was a place of exquisiteness—the kind of prettiness that could stir the soul.

Arthur was standing right behind her. This was the first time someone outside the jungle was witnessing the finished product. Her awed expression alone was enough to tell him all that he needed to know—this place was simply jaw-dropping.

Brie turned around, shocked to see Arthur's presence. He looked a lot different. It was, after all, her first time seeing him in natural light.

Rather than ask how they arrived here, she expressed her thoughts, saying, "This place… It's crazy!"

She spun around, taking in every detail, from the flower beds to the artistry dotting the landscape. Then, she paused abruptly, narrowing her eyes at a plaque that stood near the fountain.

"Wait a minute! Sun Stream Plaza—wasn't this in the news recently? It was some big scandal funded by lord John Belfort!" She turned to face Arthur with an incredulous expression. "You're… linked to him, aren't you?"

Arthur maintained his calm façade. There was no point in revealing his identity as John Belfort now, not when the timing was so delicate. Instead, he remained silent and simply allowed Brie to savour her moment.

Her excitement only grew.

"You'd be surprised how much business I've been getting since he came onto the scene," she confessed. "The bounties—so many criminals being put up for capture! I was actually thinking about opening a second collection office alongside the original!"

Suddenly, a small blur darted past them. Then, a brown furry creature landed squarely on Brie's head.

"Surprise!" Koko chirped. "You're not playing favourites again, are ya, daddy?!"

Brie yelped, startled, her hands instinctively reaching up to steady the small creature. "What in blazes—?!"

The suddenness of it all turned into a delightful wrestling match, with Koko pulling at Brie's hair. The little girl gleefully chimed, "I'll have you know that I'm daddy's favourite!"