"Uta, why do you look like that?!"
For one terrifying instant, Cain's heart nearly leapt out of his chest.
At first glance, he had genuinely thought the World Government had somehow gone behind everyone's backs and forced Vegapunk to create a Seraphim based on Uta, perhaps as some absurd countermeasure against the Sing-Sing Fruit.
The thought barely made it halfway through his mind before he crushed it himself.
'No way. That would be ridiculous.'
"I just asked Bonney to make me younger," Uta explained. "The flame, the wings, all of that—I made those with my own ability."
She tugged lightly at the collar of her little white outfit and looked up at him with a grin.
"You've been turning into little Cain and keeping me company lately, right? So I thought I'd return the favor and let you see little Uta for once."
Her tiny black wings fluttered behind her.
"And honestly, I think the Seraphim look is pretty cute."
Cain stared.
He swallowed.
Cute was an understatement.
The tiny Uta standing in front of him had warm brown skin, white hair, little black wings, and a flame flickering behind her head just like the Seraphim nearby.
She looked so small and light that it felt as though one strong gust of wind could knock her over.
Seeing Cain stare so intensely, Uta suddenly became self-conscious. Her cheeks reddened and she adjusted her outfit.
"Stop staring at me like that! Even I get embarrassed, you know!"
Cain immediately spun around and covered his mouth.
His thoughts dissolved into complete chaos.
'This is way too cute.'
He had seen Uta as a child before, of course. They had spent their childhood together, and Bonney had even transformed her a few days ago.
But dressed up like a tiny Seraphim, she somehow looked completely different.
Cain desperately reminded himself that this was merely adorable nostalgia and absolutely nothing more.
Then Uta called from behind him.
"Cain, turn around."
Cain glanced back.
Little Uta had both arms stretched toward him.
"Come on. Hug!"
"…Coming!"
Cain abandoned every shred of resistance immediately.
He crouched down, wrapped both arms around her, and pulled her close.
She fit perfectly inside his embrace—small, warm, and soft enough to stir up memories he hadn't thought about in years.
Cain rubbed his cheek gently against hers.
Uta happily pressed back against him.
"Cain's warm."
"So are you."
They stayed like that for a while.
Then both of them suddenly felt a strange chill run up their backs.
Not because of the temperature.
All around them stood rows of dormant Seraphim, their blank eyes open and staring forward without moving.
Being surrounded by so many motionless figures while trying to enjoy a warm reunion suddenly made the whole room feel unsettling.
"Uh… Cain?"
Uta glanced around.
"Let's get out of here. This place is creepy."
Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Cain's collar, climbed onto him in a few quick motions, and settled onto his shoulders.
"Heave-ho! I'm up!"
Then she pointed forward dramatically.
"Cain! Go, go, go!"
Cain suppressed a laugh and stood.
He looked up at Uta perched above him, her little legs swinging on either side of his neck, then started walking.
They chatted as they went.
"So, Cain, what do you think of this version of me?"
"You're really cute."
"Only cute?"
Uta kicked her legs playfully like an actual child.
"Well, not only—hey, stop moving so much! You're going to fall!"
"I won't! Walk faster, I want some wind!"
Cain sped up.
"Whoa, wait! Too fast, too fast! Slow down or my skirt's going to fly everywhere!"
Cain immediately slowed to a much more sensible pace.
…
BOOM!!
A violent explosion suddenly shook another section of the facility.
York had been sleeping soundly on an inflatable mattress floating in the middle of a pool when the blast nearly launched her straight into the air.
Before she could react—
the world spun.
Her head separated cleanly from her body, tumbled several times through the air, and landed neatly in someone's hand.
"Attack! We're under attack! Somebody get over here!"
York barely managed to shout before the headset linking her to the other Satellites was crushed in Cain's hand.
Only then did she get a good look at her attacker.
"Oh…"
York forced an awkward smile.
"It's you, Cain."
Her eyes shifted upward.
"Why did you suddenly attack me? And wait—is that a Seraphim sitting on your head?!"
"You mean Uta?"
Cain smiled strangely.
"No, obviously not."
"As for why I attacked you…"
He casually picked up a shopping bag lying nearby.
"I heard Satellite bodies can be taken apart and put back together, so I figured I'd test how sturdy you were."
Then he dropped York's head into the bag.
"Don't worry. They'll put you back together later."
"But first, I'm taking you to meet someone."
"Wait! Hold on!"
Cain ignored her protests, pulled the bag shut, and carried it away.
Uta remained perched on his shoulders throughout the entire process.
She had extended the projected white dress a little with her ability so it was more practical for riding around on Cain's shoulders.
Now she leaned forward, gripping strands of his pink hair with both hands as she peeked curiously into the shopping bag.
A severed talking head being carried around inside a shopping bag was undeniably bizarre.
But Cain and Uta didn't get far before both of them sensed something was wrong.
The ambient sounds around them began disappearing.
One layer at a time.
Machinery.
Footsteps.
Distant voices.
Everything faded until the surrounding area became unnaturally silent.
Then—
an alarm screamed across the facility.
…
Half a minute earlier, inside the main control room—
"What?! York was attacked?!"
Shaka, Vegapunk's Satellite representing Good, had just received York's emergency distress signal.
The other Satellites received the same warning almost simultaneously, and their expressions immediately changed.
Shaka moved first.
His fingers flew across the control panel and pulled up the surveillance feed for York's location.
Cain and Uta quickly appeared on the screen.
But the Satellites' attention immediately locked onto the small figure riding on Cain's shoulders.
White dress.
Dark skin.
Black wings.
A flame burning behind her head.
The silhouette was unmistakable.
A Seraphim.
"Damn it…"
Shaka's pupils contracted.
"Has the Seraphim project been exposed?"
He stared closely at Uta's small figure.
"That should be S-Snake."
Then something else caught his attention.
"And those clothes…"
The World Government had classified the entire Seraphim development program at the highest level.
Now an unidentified intruder had apparently infiltrated Egghead—
and was kidnapping S-Snake.
They couldn't allow that.
Worse, the surveillance feed could barely capture Cain and Uta's faces.
That was because the Egghead clothing they wore incorporated newly developed materials designed to interfere with the visual transmission signals used by Den Den Mushi.
Uta's current Seraphim appearance—the white dress, wings, and flame—was merely a projection generated through her ability. Her fitted Egghead outfit underneath had automatically adjusted to her smaller body, but the projection covered it completely.
The interference obscured their facial details.
Yet the unmistakable Seraphim-like outline remained perfectly visible.
Every Satellite had participated in developing that anti-surveillance fabric.
They knew exactly how effective it was.
But the finished material had been controlled exclusively by the main Vegapunk.
The Satellites hadn't known where the final batch had gone or what project it had been assigned to.
And now—
that material was being worn by apparent intruders.
There was only one conclusion Shaka could draw.
"The Stella may have been compromised as well."
His voice became grave.
He slammed a hand onto the control panel.
"Emergency evacuation for all personnel!"
"Deploy every new-model Pacifista!"
"Stop that intruder at all costs!"
"And recover S-Snake!"
"The Seraphim cannot be exposed yet!"
The other Satellites exchanged looks through their screens.
None hesitated for long.
They immediately began issuing their own orders.
Vegapunk had deliberately kept Cain and Kuma's arrival secret from the Satellites.
So none of them understood what was actually happening.
And since Vegapunk had lacked concrete proof of York's betrayal until very recently, he also hadn't warned the others that she might be a traitor.
As far as they knew—
York was still trustworthy.
And just like that—
the misunderstanding became complete.
The next instant, warning sirens erupted across all of Egghead.
Red emergency lights ignited along the outer walls of research sectors, storage zones, and unused corridors.
Massive security gates slammed down one after another, cutting formerly interconnected passages into dead ends.
From hangars across the island, new-model Pacifistas marched out in disciplined formations and converged on Cain's position.
Just as Garp had once been mistaken for a kidnapper and chased all over Wano—
Cain had now somehow been branded a Seraphim trafficker.
And the full technological military strength of Egghead was mobilizing to hunt him down.
Worse still—
the Marines who had come searching for Vegapunk were swept into the chaos too.
"Something's wrong on Egghead!"
"Quick! Notify the World Government!"
"We need to contact Dr. Vegapunk and get Admiral Kizaru rescued!"
"He's still inside that Sea Beast's stomach! There could be seawater in there—if we wait too long, the Admiral might—!"
"Everyone move!"
"Split into teams and follow your assignments!"
"Come with me to evacuate the research personnel!"
"Move, move, move!"