The Black Submersible Warship sailed across the sea for several days before finally arriving at Brian's new destination: Poison Mist Island.
Even before approaching the island, one could clearly sense the drastic changes in the surrounding climate and environment.
From a distance, the island was enveloped in a thick, toxic purple mist, situated at the center of an area with extremely harsh weather. Even the sea surface near the island was littered with wreckage emitting a chemical, corrosive odor.
The entire island appeared sickly gray and twisted, with vegetation and reefs bearing signs of scorching and corrosion.
"The air here is saturated with potent chemical toxins, Master," said the Poison Lizard Girl, Aola, standing on the deck. Her already purple scales began to shimmer faintly, appearing eerie and possessing an inexplicable allure.
As a Beast Girl who commanded toxins, Aola was highly sensitive to the presence of poisonous gases. To her, such an environment evoked only one feeling: she was truly home!!!
"Indeed. Moreover, the life signs on the island are chaotic and frenzied, filled with unnatural conflict and suffering."
Brian had already scanned the island's situation through the mist using his Haki. There lay an abandoned research facility and many powerful yet deformed Artificial Lifeforms.
He deduced that this was a failed scientific experiment base, likely abandoned after some mad scientist conducted illegal biological experiments in the New World and met with an accident.
"How fascinating. The New World truly has everything," Brian remarked, a hint of excitement curling at the corner of his mouth. "Places like these often yield the most interesting 'defective products' and experimental subjects."
"And there's an even bigger surprise waiting on this island," Brian added, his smile deepening meaningfully.
For this landing, Brian adjusted the team slightly, bringing only Berlos and the poison-attribute Poison Lizard Girl, Aola, while the others remained on the warship as usual.
Upon setting foot on the island, a pungent mix of chemical odors and the scent of blood assaulted them. Instantly, a ring of flames erupted around Berlos, enveloping her and isolating the toxic mist. The island's atmosphere made her extremely uncomfortable.
Aola, however, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, drawing the poisonous gas into her body, feeling as if she were ascending to heaven.
"The lifeforms here have been twisted. They don't resemble beasts; they're more like manipulated puppets," Berlos said warily, eyeing a group of deformed creatures that had appeared.
Brian nodded, paying little attention to the peripheral deformed creatures, and headed straight for the corroded research facility in the island's interior. In a clearing at the center of the facility, they witnessed a battle unfolding.
A group of "artificial creatures" stitched together from various animal and human limbs were besieging an isolated, helpless figure. These Stitched Monsters possessed formidable strength, but their movements were stiff, their eyes vacant, each attack driven by pure destructive desire.
Brian's gaze locked onto the female figure under siege.
It was a very unique life form. She had a pair of long, powerful legs and upright, alert white rabbit ears. Her entire body was taut with muscle, every leap and dodge swift as lightning.
Her fur carried a strange silvery-white hue, and her arms occasionally flickered with blue electric currents—a distinctive ability of the Mink Tribe, which had also appeared in the original work.
At this moment, relying on astonishing speed and agility, along with the electric shocks that erupted from her body's surface, she was engaged in a desperate struggle against the Stitched Monsters surrounding her.
Already battered and bruised, her silvery-white fur stained with blood and corrosive fluids, her stamina nearly depleted, yet her eyes still burned with unyielding fighting spirit and despair. She used the electric currents on her arms to barely support her body, refusing to fall.
"A rabbit Mink Tribe member?!" Brian murmured to himself, his eyes filled with interest.
"Very interesting." Brian halted his steps and commanded the two Beast Girls beside him, "Clear away all the troublesome trash. Be careful not to harm that rabbit Mink Tribe member. Bring her to me intact and unharmed."
"As you command, Master!"
The battle erupted in an instant.
Berlos, who had long been unable to hold back, charged into the swarm of Stitched Monsters like a blazing fireball, his entire body engulfed in scorching flames.
Fire had an extremely potent suppressive effect on these monsters pieced together from various biological tissues, instantly igniting and carbonizing them, emitting a nauseating smell of char.
Aola released a wave of poisonous gas, only to find it useless against these creatures. She then switched to attacking with her serpent tail, though the efficiency was much slower.
But with Berlos present, it hardly mattered. Under his onslaught, the battle quickly reached its conclusion.
In less than five minutes, under Berlos's frenzied assault, all the troublesome Stitched Monsters were completely eradicated.
The rabbit Mink Tribe woman, exhausted and weakened from excessive blood loss, collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. She watched these sudden "saviors" with wary eyes.
Brian slowly walked up to her, looking down at her weary, vigilant red eyes. Her rabbit ears drooped slightly from weakness, appearing somewhat pitiful.
"State your name, woman of the Mink Tribe."
"My name is Linglong. I am a failed product of Genetic Enhancement Modification performed on me while still in the womb, imprisoned on this island for endless combat experiments." Linglong's voice carried a trace of sorrow. "If... if I fight for you, can you grant me freedom? Give me a place... a place where I can truly belong."
Through Linglong's account, Brian learned of her origins.
She was indeed a member of the Mink Tribe, but even before birth, she had been taken by the island's mad scientists for genetic modification. Unexpectedly, the procedure was not successful after her birth.
Furious, the scientists directly imprisoned Linglong on the island, never allowing her to leave, forcing her into constant battle, battle—
Brian extended his hand with an air of absolute possession and desire for dominance. His palm was broad and powerful, radiating an irresistible sense of oppression.
"Freedom? What I offer you is something far greater than freedom—power, the right to survive, and a stage where you can fully unleash your talents," Brian said coldly.
"You will be reborn within my legion, and your strength will be utilized to its fullest potential. Tell me, Linglong, do you accept my dominion?"
Linglong gazed into Brian's deep, confident eyes and felt the terrifying yet perfectly synchronized power emanating from the two Beast Girls around her. She knew resistance was futile.
Abandoned, experimented on, imprisoned—this was the only path to survival the New World had offered her. A powerful ruler, at the very least, could give her a clear purpose to live for.
She reached out and placed her hand in Brian's palm. Her fingertips carried a faint electric current, but it no longer held any hostility.
"I accept," Linglong said, her voice carrying the resilience of the Mink Tribe and the unyielding spirit of a warrior. "I will fight for you, Master. Everything I am belongs to you."
"Excellent," Brian replied with a satisfied smile. "Welcome to my Beast Girl Legion."
He personally escorted Linglong back to the warship for emergency treatment and systematic registration.
As a member of the Mink Tribe, she represented a new experiment for him after Otohime. Transforming this world's unique races into his own Beast Girl Legion was bound to be an extraordinary endeavor.
However, a talent like Linglong would require a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit for her transformation.
In the blink of an eye, his shortage of Devil Fruits had grown by one—and another Mythical Zoan at that. It was a bittersweet dilemma.
After scouring the island and finding nothing of value, Brian regretfully departed with his subordinates.
The mad scientist Linglong had mentioned had long since abandoned the island. All the equipment there was useless, devoid of any worth—truly a pity.
Under the cover of night, the Black Submersible Warship descended once more into the deep sea, continuing its secretive journey.