Chapter 150 — The Gene Bank Begins
S.C. 1511 — Early March
Foosha Village — Underground Lab
The new morning light filtered weakly through Ren's small window as he arranged three empty clay jars on his lab table. Beside them lay:
thin parchment tags
charcoal sticks
cork stoppers
carefully folded cloth squares
three vials of distilled alcohol
Zemo watched from his usual stool, tail tapping the floor, ears sharp.
Ren tied his hair back and exhaled slowly.
"Today we start something important," he murmured.
Kiro slipped into the lab, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"You said we're doing some 'collection work' today?"
Ren nodded.
"A gene bank."
Kiro blinked. "Gene… what?"
"A collection of biological samples," Ren explained, "from plants, insects, fish… anything valuable. Stored safely for future study."
Kiro scratched his cheek. "So… jars of stuff?"
Ren sighed.
"…Yes."
Step 1 — Setting Up the Storage Wall
In a corner of the lab, Ren had carved a shallow set of shelves into the stone wall days earlier.
Now he placed the clay jars neatly inside:
Clay Jar 1 — Leaves
Jar 2 — Seeds
Jar 3 — Fish scale samples
Jar 4 — Insect parts
Jar 5 — Wood shavings
Zemo sat beside the shelf as if guarding it.
Kiro raised an eyebrow.
"You sure this isn't just a fancy pantry?"
Ren ignored the joke and continued working.
Step 2 — Collecting the First Samples
Ren lifted his wooden kit and handed another to Kiro.
"We'll start with the easy ones. Leaves, seeds, insects."
Kiro nodded. "Foosha forest?"
"Foosha forest."
Zemo jumped off the stool instantly, barking sharply.
Ren smirked. "Yes, you're leading."
They headed out.
Foosha Forest — Early Collection
The forest was alive with quiet noise—rustling leaves, chirping birds, distant waves hitting rocks.
Ren crouched beside a patch of low shrubs.
"These leaves," he said, pointing, "are good for comparing growth between normal and catalyst-treated plants."
He clipped a few and placed them in his jar.
Kiro poked a branch. "These too?"
"No. Those irritate the skin."
Kiro jerked his hand back. "Right."
Zemo suddenly darted into the bushes—
rustle rustle
—and came back with something in his mouth.
A small twig.
Ren looked unimpressed.
"Not helpful."
Zemo growled softly but stayed close.
Seeds, Bark, and Insects
They moved deeper.
Ren collected:
acorn-like forest seeds
dried bark samples
a few dried sticks from naturally fallen branches
two beetle shells
a dead moth Kiro found stuck to a leaf
Kiro wrinkled his nose. "Do we really need bugs?"
"Yes."
"You enjoy this?"
"No."
Zemo nosed a mound of dirt, then dug briefly and barked twice.
Ren looked down.
A small clump of fungus.
"Good work," Ren said, collecting the sample.
Zemo's chest puffed proudly.
Step 3 — Fish Samples at the Creek
They next walked to the creek mouth where Ren's old traps had once been set.
Kiro held a small bucket while Ren scooped:
fish scales
bits of fish bone
dried algae
water samples
Kiro gagged. "Smells worse than last time."
Ren calmly sealed the jars.
"This will help compare marine biology with land samples."
Zemo dipped a paw in the water and shook it vigorously at Kiro.
Kiro jumped back.
"HEY!"
Ren chuckled quietly.
Back at the Lab — Organizing the Bank
Inside the underground lab again, Ren washed each sample with distilled alcohol, dried them with soft cloth, then placed them inside labeled jars.
Every jar got:
sample
parchment tag
date
location note
Zemo lay beside the table, watching Ren's meticulous movements.
Kiro frowned. "You really want to store… all this? Forever?"
Ren nodded.
"A proper gene bank allows us to understand how plants and animals evolve."
Kiro blinked slowly.
"You lost me again."
Ren paused, searching for a simpler explanation.
"If something valuable disappears," he said, "we'll still have its information."
Kiro nodded slowly.
"Like… saving seeds for hard times?"
"Yes," Ren replied. "Exactly that."
Beginning of an Archive
Ren arranged the jars neatly on the newly carved shelf:
Row 1 — Plants
Row 2 — Seeds
Row 3 — Insects
Row 4 — Water and fish samples
Four rows.
Four neat beginnings.
"It's small now," Ren murmured, "but it will grow."
Zemo sat upright, tail wagging once.
Kiro leaned against the wall.
"It's… kind of cool," he admitted.
Ren looked up in surprise.
Kiro shrugged. "I mean, I don't get half of it, but… this looks important."
Ren smiled faintly.
"It is."
Evening — Foosha Village Interactions
Later that evening, Ren carried two jars of harmless seeds and leaves to Makino's bar.
Makino took one look and sighed.
"More plants?"
Ren nodded. "Part of a project."
Makino smiled warmly. "Then I'll find you more storage boxes later."
Luffy, sitting at the counter eating meat, pointed dramatically.
"Ren! Are those snacks?!"
"They are not edible."
Luffy slumped in disappointment.
Zemo barked as if mocking him.
Night — First Archive Entry
Back home, Ren updated his notebook:
Gene Bank — Day 1
Collected: 23 samples
Categories: 4
Stability: good
Next goals:
— begin sample comparisons
— expand forest sample count
— add marine samples
He placed the notebook away.
The gene bank wasn't grand.
But it was useful.
A quiet foundation for future progress.
Zemo curled against his leg, warm and steady.
Ren whispered:
"Tomorrow, we organize the microscope tests."
Zemo thumped his tail gently.
End of Chapter 150