Chapter 293: The New Seven Warlords – A Child’s Request

"It's so cold,"

Even though Nami's clothes didn't become more revealing after joining Roman, and she still had to maintain her image while at the Marine base, her outfit was still similar to what she wore in East Blue—just a simple T-shirt. So,

"Chopper, take off your fur and let me wear it."

"Okay,"

Honest Chopper nodded, but a second later, he became furious!

"Can I take off my fur?!" 

"Being strong means training in both winter and summer." Roman from The White Knight said while walking, "But, I'll help Nami get stronger."

*Snap!*

With a snap of Roman's fingers, a few sheets of white paper flew and landed on Nami, forming a lifelike fur coat.

"Even though the material is paper, I've added a bit of heat to it, just above body temperature. It's perfect for this icy weather."

"Hmph, I guess you have some conscience." 

As Roman and Nami were 'interacting,' the others were nearby:

"Wow, I'm so cold, I've got goosebumps! — Even though I don't have skin anymore."

"Even my cold steel body feels super cold…"

While Brook and Franky were complaining, Sanji calmly took a drag from his cigarette.

"Helping ladies is the duty of a gentleman! Franky, how's the 'air composition meter' working?"

"Hmm, be careful, there are trace amounts of toxins in the air."

After Roman's reminder, Franky immediately started making a brick-sized instrument in his workshop, carefully measuring the air content.

"Of course, with our physical abilities, this little bit of toxin won't even make us uncomfortable."

"Anyway, better safe than sorry."

Roman, wearing The White Knight armor, stepped ahead into the wind, ready to take the brunt of any problems with the air. Otherwise, everyone might end up getting knocked out by some trick that sucked away their oxygen. 

"These buildings… they have the style of Marine research labs."

As the group approached a building covered in snow, Franky frowned at the stark, rigid design and all the government-like abbreviations used in the architecture.

"Looks like we've come to a secret Marine research base—although it seems abandoned."

"Whether it's abandoned or not, we won't know until we go inside."

The White Knight stepped forward, placing his gauntlet on the wall and giving the steel structure a gentle push.

*Creeeak,*

The steel wall slid open like a door. When it comes to Devil Fruits, sometimes technology is completely useless.

"Let's go, the adventure in this mysterious abandoned lab officially begins."

Roman pointed into the dark door,

"For the sake of 'adventure,' I won't explain the enemies we might face."

?!

"You just said 'enemies'! This isn't an abandoned lab, is it?!"

Chopper was so angry his antlers and hat flew off.

"We're not Luffy. Please Roman, give us some idea of what enemies we'll face~~ It would be better if you could take them all out beforehand!"

"Alright, everyone's on board. Let's go—"

The White Knight stepped boldly into the steel door, and the others eagerly followed. Chopper, however, could only silently shed a tear. Without Usopp and with Nami having changed, the once fearsome Straw Hat trio now felt incomplete, leaving just the little reindeer all alone.

*Clank,*

With Sanji, Franky, Brook, and Chopper entering one by one, the metal door shut behind them, leaving no gap. Devil Fruits are truly the kind of thing that makes scientists scratch their heads!

After about ten minutes, at the main entrance of the base, 

A warship was breaking through the ice, and the large 'G-5' insignia on it showed that the ship belonged to the infamous 'G-5' branch of the Marines. 

The G-5 branch is a Marine unit that operates in the New World. Due to the intense combat pressure and the complex makeup of its members, it's known as the 'rogue army.' Torturing pirates is just another day at work for them, and the higher-ups in the Marines turn a blind eye, because: 

A military unit that deals with death daily is either extremely lenient or extremely strict!

"Vice Admiral Smoker, the abandoned lab is just ahead." 

Smoker, who had been eavesdropping on Luffy's conversation, was chasing after them, single-mindedly trying to catch the Straw Hat crew. But he was about to face: 

A triple kneel in one day! 

So, it's impressive that Smoker, with his Devil Fruit powers, can still be turned into a 'debuff.'

"Take a good look," 

Although Smoker's Devil Fruit powers are still underdeveloped, he has the experience and sharp eyes.

"Didn't you notice those icebergs blocking the river earlier? Their smooth cut surfaces, the number of them... clearly done by someone!" 

"Look at this," 

Smoker pointed at the clean entrance. Although it had been cleaned to cover up, traces of animal footprints could still be seen on the ground.

"Someone used animals to transport goods in large amounts."

Bang! 

Just as 'Detective' Smoker was making his observations, the large lab door slowly opened, and a tall figure holding a long knife stepped out. 

"Personally visiting my villa... what brings you here?" 

The man wore a furry winter hat with a leopard-print design, had distinctive black bags under his eyes, gold earrings on both ears, a sexy little beard on his chin, and a long black coat that reached his knees. He leaned against the doorframe.

"Trafalgar Law!?" 

"The Seven Warlords of the Sea—Death Surgeon—" 

"Bounty: 440 million Berries..." 

In an instant, the Marines all took a step back in fear! But Smoker stood unmoved. 

"This is a 'forbidden zone' that even the World Government personnel are prohibited from entering. Why are you here?" 

Smoker's question was met with a calm smile from Law. 

"Same to you," 

Implying, didn't you also break in?

—————— 

"It's obvious that this lab has been in use all along." 

There were pipes everywhere, bright white lights, metallic corridors, and various abbreviated slogans... 

Roman, wearing The White Knight's armor, led the second squad of the Straw Hat crew through the bright lab. They wandered to a large door.

"Cookie house? This…" 

The 'kindergarten' style name didn't seem to fit with the high-tech secretive setting. 

"Roman." 

Nami raised her chin slightly, and The White Knight conjured a white piece of paper in his palm, folding it into the shape of a key. Then: 

Click. 

"Could this be a food storage area?" 

As the door opened, the sound of their conversation filled the room. 

"Who knows? Maybe it's a 'kindergarten,' who can say—?!" 

Thud, 

A cigarette dropped in mid-air, and Sanji caught it before it hit the ground, quickly putting it back in his mouth. His expression, however, still showed shock. 

"It really is a kindergarten…" 

Toys, soccer balls, puzzles, and walls painted with beautiful mountains, rivers, cartoon characters, and hanging animal models from the ceiling. The room was filled with… children of different sizes. 

Yes, while most of the kids looked to be around three to seven or eight years old, their height was exaggerated. 

"What's going on? These kids?" 

"Could they be children of giants—" 

"No, their heights…" 

Some were as tall as five or six meters, others were about two meters tall, as if they were children magnified to different sizes!

"Who are you?"

"Strangers—"

Although the group of children was large in size, they were still just normal kids, so they were startled when they saw Roman and the others. Then:

"Wow! A robot!!"

"And an armored knight…"

"Raccoon!"

In the next second, the children were all drawn to Franky, Roman, and Chopper in the group.

"Robot! Robot!"

"Armored knight! Armored knight!!"

...

"You guys seem to be pretty popular with kids,"

Roman, from The White Knight, squinted his eyes at Nami's comment and used his Observation Haki to scan the group of children. —Good, they all seem healthy, so...

"Wow!! A skeleton man—"

"So scary, it's a skeleton!"

As soon as the children noticed Brook, they were so scared they started crying out, causing the other children to panic and run. The loud thuds of their footsteps filled the room!

"Hey, hey, don't panic, kids."

"Ahh! The skeleton is talking!!"

Facing the even more surprised and giant children, Brook elegantly took out his violin.

"Sorry if I scared you."

"Let me play a song for you."

As the soft and simple melody filled the room, it brought carefree beats, warm jingles, and gentle vocals:

The violin's sound alternated between lively and joyful, like carefree children playing and chasing; at times, it was soft and melancholic, like an elderly mother calling her long-lost child; and sometimes it was bright and clear, like a gentle breeze brushing through a lush bamboo forest...

"Wow, so amazing—"

"It's the skeleton who plays the violin!"

"That's a violin, it's played, not just..."

As the melody filled with Brook's gentle soul echoed through the room, the children who had been panicking moments ago immediately quieted down. Their innocent eyes sparkled as they watched Brook. At this moment, the fact that he was a skeleton didn't matter anymore; what mattered was:

"Mom,"

"I miss my parents too~~"

"Wow, I haven't seen them in so long…"

"Hey, hey, kids, don't cry~"

Unexpectedly, Brook's performance of "Smiling Crescent Moon" had made the huge children cry. While Brook was flustered trying to comfort the kids, a group of armed personnel wearing full-body protective suits, carrying oxygen tanks and guns, burst in.

"Who are you?!"

"Daring to intrude on the 'Master's' territory, you're asking for death!"

Facing this obviously 'official armed force,' the Straw Hat crew usually preferred to avoid confrontation. —Not that they couldn't fight back, but these kinds of people usually represented 'nations,' 'governments,' or the 'Marine,' and generally stood for 'justice.'

In short, they represented 'authority.'

"Tsk, everyone, let's go!" 

"Fighting here will endanger the kids…"

"Big sister, you came from outside the island, right?"

Just as 'Straw Hat Crew Second Team' was about to leave, a tall little girl bravely stood up and blocked Nami's path.

"Please save us!"

"We want to go home, our 'illness' is cured!"

"We can barely remember what our parents even look like anymore—Big sister, please help us?"

?!

"Huh? Isn't this a kindergarten?"

"Why can't you see your parents...?"

...

"Roman, I want to help them."

Nami, who was originally preparing to leave, turned decisively and faced the armed personnel in biochemical suits.

Nami couldn't stand seeing children cry, as her mother Bellemere's death was the greatest regret in her heart.

"Alright,"

Roman from The White Knight stepped forward and clapped his hands.

Whoosh, 

countless white doves flew out from The White Knight, flapping their wings and flying around the room like white clouds, instantly catching the children's attention.

"Doves, doves~~"

"So pretty!"

Then, for the armed personnel in biochemical suits:

"Summoning pigeons out of thin air? Must be a Devil Fruit user..."

"Could it be!?"

"It's the 'White Dove' ahhhh!"

"Run—"

But before they could turn to flee, pigeons began swooping down! Of course, Roman wouldn't make a bloody mess in front of the kids, so:

The white pigeons, upon colliding with the armed personnel, suddenly spread out into sheets of white paper, which then covered them! A few pigeons were enough to cover one person entirely in a blanket of white.

As the white paper twisted and changed color, it turned into the same shade as their biohazard suits, as if nothing had happened. But:

All the armed personnel who had tried to escape stopped in their tracks, then turned around in unison to face The White Knight, like loyal soldiers.

"Paper Dance - Puppet Show!"

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