High above the clouds, thousands of meters in the air.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions sounded as shockwaves collided again and again.
Weevil's dull expression twisted with rage and madness as he roared, "Damn bug! Where is this place?! Where's Mama?! Ahhhh!!!"
He raised his naginata high and swung down toward Soter.
Buzz!
For an instant, the world lagged before a massive slash tore through the air, cutting everything in its path toward Soter.
Soter swept his arm.
Countless fragments from the shattered warship gathered and reassembled, forming a towering fist several meters high. His other hand pressed against it.
A dense layer of Armament Haki coated the fist, turning it pitch black. With a violent thrust, the enormous fist shot forward like a rocket, wrapped in air pressure, and clashed with the flying slash.
BOOM!
A mushroom cloud bloomed in the sky. The warship was completely obliterated by the immense shockwave.
Weevil lost his footing and plummeted through the air.
The fragments of the destroyed warship reassembled once more, shaping into a gigantic arrow infused with Haki, like a black meteor streaking down toward Weevil.
Veins bulged on Weevil's arm as he swung his blade at the incoming arrow.
A thunderclap split the heavens. Even though the massive arrow was reinforced with Armament Haki, cracks began to spread across its surface.
Still, its downward force pressed Weevil harder, doubling his falling speed. The arrow drove him toward the sea like a comet.
Soter appeared below at some point, eyes narrowed. Dark, flowing Armament Haki wrapped around his arm as he locked onto his target. The muscles on his right arm bulged and he swung upward at Weevil's lower spine.
Crack!
The sound was sharp and clear. He could feel Weevil's spine snap, though not completely.
Because the brute's body didn't bend from the inertia or the impact. Instead, he twisted midair in fury and swung his naginata back at Soter.
The purple-haired youth's pupils contracted. He darted backward in a burst, astonished.
What the hell is this guy's body made of?
That blow, delivered upward while Weevil was being crushed downward by a giant arrow, should have broken anyone's spine completely. Yet he'd taken it head-on and still had enough strength to counterattack.
It was insane.
Soter's brows furrowed as he watched the furious brute. He'd heard stories of pirates born with monstrous physical strength, but seeing it firsthand was another matter.
Weevil glared at him from afar, unable to reach him. Enraged, he grabbed the enormous arrow still pressing him down and turned it toward Soter.
"Ahhhhhh!!!"
BOOM!
The massive arrow, once under Soter's control, suddenly broke free of his power and shot toward him.
Soter's mouth twitched. He pushed his hand forward.
Crash!
The black arrow burst apart into numerous shards, scattering harmlessly through the air. He then flipped his palm, and the shards reformed into four enormous hands that lunged for Weevil. Soter followed close behind.
The four hands approached from every direction and slammed together, locking tightly around Weevil's body. Booming echoes filled the sky as the hands compressed inward, restraining him completely.
Before he could use his immense strength to break free, a faint slicing sound cut through the air, and an overwhelming sense of danger pierced Weevil's instincts.
A violent explosion erupted from within the grasping hands, engulfing the sky in light and fire.
Weevil tried to raise his hands toward his head, but Soter appeared in front of him and forced his arms apart.
Swish! Swish!
Darkness swallowed Weevil's world as two iron spikes, coated in Armament Haki, shot from Soter's control straight through his eyes, piercing deep into his brain before vanishing from sight.
The four huge hands that restrained him began to crumble, but it was already too late.
Soter appeared above him, pressing a palm to his head.
"Crush."
The two iron spikes buried in Weevil's skull shattered into countless fragments that spun rapidly, grinding together inside his brain.
A few guttural screams echoed through the sky before Weevil's body went limp, lifeless. Blood and brain matter seeped from his eye sockets, nostrils, and mouth, mingled with fine traces of iron dust.
Soter slowly released his hand and exhaled. "So that was… this guy's ability, huh."
He recalled the burst of power Weevil had unleashed just before dying, then grabbed him by the shoulder and started descending toward the sea.
* * *
Below, on the pirate ship, Zephyr looked up and smiled as his son landed with Weevil's body in hand. "Finished?"
Soter let out a long breath. "Yeah… took a bit of trickery. That guy's physique was absurd. Let's hand him over to Enel; he'll make good use of him for research. Definitely premium material."
Thinking back to the battle, he couldn't help but grimace. That kind of body was unnatural. The impact from earlier should have crippled or killed nearly anyone. Ninety-nine percent of people would've been paralyzed instantly, or worse. Yet that freak not only survived, he managed to twist his body and strike back.
Zephyr nodded, a bit intrigued. "Oh? Tell me about the fight when we get back."
"Mhm," Soter replied. "Should we call for regroup?"
They didn't have much choice. Two warships had been destroyed, which meant half of their supplies were gone.
Zephyr glanced toward the distant warship, where the trainees were cheering in relief.
"Hmph. Regroup, yes, but tell them they're not graduating yet. We'll drill them another half month when we return. Scare them a little. And make sure they keep their mouths shut. They need this lesson burned into their heads, so they won't repeat such rookie mistakes."
Soter gave a helpless smile. "Aye, aye."
The pirate ship beneath their feet lifted off the water, gliding back toward the main fleet.
* * *
New World. Egghead Island. Early morning.
The sun had yet to rise, but the horizon was faintly glowing. Thick fog blanketed the sea around the island.
Enel stood alone aboard a warship loaded with treasures and rare goods, guiding it to a designated point near Egghead.
As soon as he arrived, the surface of the sea began bubbling.
Moments later, a giant robot emerged from beneath the waves, nodding at him. Its chest opened, releasing swarms of smaller robots that started hauling the treasure away.
Bored, Enel yawned and let his Observation Haki spread freely across the sea, until something unusual caught his attention.
"Hm? What's that…"
Far beyond the mist, on the open sea, a vessel bearing the flag of the Sorbet Kingdom was sailing, escorted by a government ship.
"The old hag from Sorbet Kingdom…"
He remembered her. During the purge operation, he'd discovered that Dragon and Sorbet's king, Bartholomew Kuma, were connected. Enel had since recorded the electromagnetic signatures of all Sorbet royals.
Each one he'd marked possessed a distinct electromagnetic field that shone in his Observation Haki like a blazing sun.
The "old hag" he mentioned was the Sorbet Queen Dowager, Conney.
He muttered, "Out traveling with her granddaughter, I see …"
He withdrew his Haki. While the matter was trivial, he decided it was worth reporting to Sakazuki later.
After all, traveling from the South Blue all the way to the New World was… rather suspicious.
Purururu~ Purururu~
The sound of Den Den Mushi rang out.
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