Chapter 18 – Fall Into Chaos

The underground lab's silence was broken only by the low hum of ancient generators and the occasional hiss of steam from broken pipes. The Straw Hats stood around a central console deep within the facility, its surface glowing faintly with unknown energy.

"This console's hooked into something bigger," Franky said, brushing dust from the buttons. "Whatever it does, it runs deep."

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't press anything," Nami warned, hands on her hips.

"I just wanna see if it's SUPER enough to reboot," Franky muttered.

"Franky, don't—" Robin began, but it was too late.

Franky's finger tapped a bright blue rune.

The floor shook beneath them. Lights flickered. A low mechanical groan echoed through the chamber.

"Oh no..." Usopp whimpered.

"Oops," Franky said. "That may have been the wrong button."

Suddenly, with a loud CLANK, a section of the floor vanished beneath Luffy.

"WAAAH!" Luffy shouted as he dropped out of sight.

Panels all over the chamber began retracting. The floor beneath each crew member disappeared, one after another.

"What the—FRANKY!!" Nami screamed as she fell.

"This is why I hate labs!" Chopper cried.

Zoro unsheathed a sword mid-fall. "Tch. Typical."

Sanji twisted midair. "Nami-swaaaaan!"

"Yohoho! That's quite the drop!" Brook called.

"Oh no—AHHH!" Usopp yelled.

Robin crossed her arms calmly as summoned hands slowed her fall.

Luffy landed in a circular room with stone walls and a massive, unlit symbol carved into the center.

"Whoa... looks ancient," he said, stretching. "Looks boring too. Anyone got meat?"

He wandered aimlessly, calling out. "Helloooo? Robin? Zoro?"

Zoro landed on his feet, swords ready.

The corridor he stood in was long and dim, lined with broken lights.

"Another maze? This place loves splitting us up."

He picked a direction and walked.

"Better not be any moving walls this time."

Nami crashed onto an old file cabinet, groaning.

"Ugh... gross."

She got up, brushing off dust. The room looked like a forgotten record chamber.

She flicked her clima-tact for light. Folders marked with Marine codes and ciphered dates caught her attention.

"What were they doing down here...?"

Sanji landed hard in what looked like an old cafeteria.

He stood, eyes darting around.

"Nami-swan? Robin-chwan!? Are you here?"

He kicked a rusted tray in frustration.

"If they're hurt, I'm kicking whoever designed this place into the sea."

Robin floated down gently, arms helping her land in a massive room filled with sealed books.

She raised an eyebrow. "This... feels sacred."

The air buzzed with an old energy. The walls bore ancient scripts.

"Pre–Void Century? No... something even older."

Chopper landed in a room filled with broken medical equipment.

"Eeep! Why always this kind of place?"

He sniffed the air. "Chemicals... and something rotting."

He crept to a terminal and tapped a button. A file loaded: Subject 004 – Lineage Factor Overload.

"What were they making down here...?"

Usopp fell onto a pile of loose metal wiring.

"AAAAH—!" he groaned, slowly rising. "Okay... still alive. Sort of."

He reached for his slingshot, hearing a slow scraping sound.

"Nope. Not staying here. Time to move!"

Brook phased into a dusty hallway filled with mirrors.

"Yohoho? A mirror maze? Not great for someone with no reflection!"

He glanced left and right. "Did that one just move?"

Back in the now-empty main chamber, the floor resealed with a hiss.

Up above, Kael and a cloaked figure watched the screens.

"They've been scattered," the figure said. "Perfect."

Kael's expression remained unreadable.

"They'll survive. But now... let's see what secrets this place tells them."