A bolt of lightning flashed over, materializing into Enel. He cackled, "Give me another year or two, and I'll completely surpass you guys! The position of First Division Commander will definitely be between me and Uncle Oars!"
Over the past three years, Enel had grown much taller. He now wielded a custom-made golden staff and, just like in the original story, bore four large drums on his back, each adorned with three tomoe. These were his Thunder Drums, crafted from Skypea's lightning stones and an extremely rare material from the sky islands known as Thunder Shells, capable of storing electricity. A strike of his golden staff on these drums could unleash astonishing thunder. Enel spent his downtime continuously charging them.
"You little brat, you're asking for another beating!" Riki's expression soured instantly, and he threw a punch at Enel. Enel transformed into a streak of lightning, effortlessly dodging Riki's fist.
"Can't hit me, can't hit me! My lightning speed is second only to the speed of light! I'm not the Enel you can just whale on anymore!" Enel declared, hands on his hips, letting out a comically exaggerated laugh.
Riki, infuriated, unleashed a blast of high-pressure air and charged towards Enel. Enel, as lightning, zipped and darted all over the airship.
"This kid is as slippery as that Marine Admiral Kizaru. Even I have a hard time catching him now. Give him a bit more refinement, and he might actually surpass us," Moria remarked with a sigh.
Modi watched the bickering pair with a helpless smile, then called out to the figures below, "Oars! Stop fighting! Bege has something important and needs us over there!"
On the small island below, two colossal figures were locked in combat. One was a monster with the body of a bear and octopus tentacles for legs; the other was Little Oars Jr. in his beast-man form.
Little Oars Jr. sent the bear-octopus monster flying back with a single punch. The enraged creature immediately charged back.
"Bege's calling for me! No more playing with you!" Little Oars Jr. laughed heartily. His giant fist, now coated in Armament Haki, slammed into the bear-octopus monster, sending it soaring a thousand meters away, nearly tumbling off the edge of the sky island.
Little Oars Jr. bent his knees and then launched himself skyward. In mid-air, his form shifted, transforming into a gigantic eagle fifty to sixty meters tall, its outstretched wings spanning a breathtaking hundred meters.
This was the Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle, a creature from ancient times that preyed on dragons.
"Gentlemen, I'll be on my way!" With those words, Little Oars Jr. flapped his mighty wings and departed, instantly covering over a hundred meters and disappearing into the clouds within seconds.
"Should've known to ask Oars to fly us over," Moria slapped his thigh, his voice filled with envy for Oars Jr.'s flying ability.
"Let's get going too. Don't keep Bege waiting," Modi instructed his men to start the airship and head towards Appayado.
On the fourth level of Appayado's Giant Jack, Bege was already waiting. He smoked a cigar, his expression unreadable. Ben Kosa and several scientists were examining Weevil, who, with his simple-minded nature, passively allowed them to prod and poke him.
Suddenly, a dark cloud appeared in the sky. Bege looked up and saw the giant eagle.
The eagle circled and landed, transforming back into Little Oars Jr.
"Oars, come, sit." A rare smile broke through Bege's usually expressionless face as he gestured for Little Oars Jr. to sit beside him.
Little Oars Jr. didn't stand on ceremony and plopped down next to Bege. Looking at Weevil on the operating table, he asked in a low voice, "Is this really going to be okay? Maybe we should use another one of the men instead?"
Bege shook his head silently. "This experiment has already succeeded multiple times. We've conducted it on monsters and prisoners hundreds of times. The technique is mature. Sam has already successfully fused with Bisacchi Born and acquired his Sulfur-Sulfur Fruit. Don't worry, Weevil will be fine."
Little Oars Jr. nodded. Although he knew about Ben Kosa's experiments, he wasn't privy to many details. He had spent the last three years training relentlessly, paying little attention to the results of Ben Kosa's work. Hearing Bege's reassurance, he felt more at ease.
After a short wait, the airship arrived, and Moria and the others disembarked.
All the high-ranking officers and trusted men of the Fire Tank Pirates gathered, surrounding the experimental site. Every face was grave, for the subject of this experiment was Weevil.
Ben Kosa approached Bege, his expression solemn. "Bege, the experiment can begin."
Bege silently walked over to Weevil, patted his head, and said in a deep voice, "Weevil, you're my little brother. You can't lose to Risen's soul, understand? Otherwise, I'll be very angry."
"Brother, don't worry! I won't lose!" Weevil clenched his fists, his face resolute.
"Good, good!" Bege laughed heartily, and Weevil joined in with a foolish grin.
Bege looked seriously at Ben Kosa, then at Brook. Both men wore extremely focused expressions. The subject this time was Weevil; they had to ensure everything was absolutely flawless.
"Begin."
Ben Kosa nodded seriously. With a raise of his hand, his men opened a metal, coffin-like box beside the operating table. Inside lay an emaciated figure. His features were barely recognizable as Risen, the "Undefeated Boxing King" of the Bisacchi family. Lisen was in terrible condition, barely clinging to life, surviving only with the aid of a respirator.
They were conducting a fusion experiment, aiming to merge Weevil and Risen. This plan had been formulated six months ago. Over the past half-year, Ben Kosa and his team had tortured Risen, breaking his spirit to facilitate the experiment's smooth progression.
Ben Kosa took a deep breath. Two orbs of fusion light shot from his hands, striking Weevil and Risen. Before everyone's eyes, the two figures dissolved into light and merged, forming an even more brilliant sphere of light. As the sphere slowly dissipated, an incredibly well-built physique was revealed.
The post-fusion body largely retained Weevil's features, with minimal physical changes. At most, his skin had taken on a wheat tone, looking healthier. This was the result of Ben Kosa's three years of research: when a strong physique and a weak one were fused, the stronger physique would dominate, sometimes resulting in almost no visible alteration.
"Your turn, Brook," Ben Kosa said urgently, quickly moving away from Brook. The others around also swiftly distanced themselves.
Brook was already prepared. He picked up his violin and began to play a melodious tune.
Bege's heart tightened with a touch of nervousness. Over more than three years of companionship, Weevil truly regarded him as an older brother, obeying his every word and completing any task assigned without complaint. This had moved Bege, and he had developed a deep bond with this simple-minded "brother" he had tricked into joining, genuinely seeing him as family.
"Underworld Revolution Suite—First Movement—Soul Summoning Song!"
A peculiar energy emanated from the melodious violin music. This energy caused the spirits of those nearby to feel as if they were shaking, almost on the verge of being pulled out of their bodies. Bege and his core crew were affected, but fortunately, Bege's willpower was strong enough to resist this spiritual impulse. Ben Kosa and the other scientists were much less resistant, which was why they had moved far away.
Slowly, a strange phenomenon occurred. Two wisps of white light floated out from Weevil's head—one large, one small. The larger one was the size of a millstone, the smaller like a fist. As the lights flickered, they took on vaguely human shapes. The larger one resembled Weevil; it was his soul. As Weevil's soul emerged, it even waved at Bege.
The smaller wisp struggled to maintain a human form, constantly distorting, though sometimes it managed. This was Risen's soul.
As the two souls materialized, Brook's expression became even more solemn. He quickly put down his violin and grabbed his cane sword. As he drew the slender blade, an icy chill erupted from the scabbard. When fully drawn, the entire sword was wreathed in a bone-chilling frost.
It was the Underworld Chill, an extreme cold capable of freezing souls.
"Underworld Revolution Suite—Finale—Underworld Revolution!"
Brook thrust his sword forward. The blade, cloaked in the Underworld Chill, pierced through the void and instantly struck Risen's soul. Risen's soul was shattered, frozen, and rapidly dissipated.
Brook picked up his violin again, once more drawing out a melodious tune. Unlike the Soul Summoning Song, this melody was meant to soothe the soul.
"Underworld Revolution Suite—Second Movement—Soul Appeasing Song!"
Under the strains of the Soul Appeasing Song, Weevil's soul returned to his mind. Brook played for a full half-hour before stopping, by which time he was panting from exhaustion.
"Captain, mission accomplished. It was a success," Brook gasped.
"Good! Excellent!" The anxiety in Bege's heart vanished instantly, replaced by excitement. He clapped Brook enthusiastically on the shoulder.
Three years ago, Bege had realized that Brook's Yellow Springs Fruit allowed him to interact with souls, potentially aiding Ben Kosa's fusion experiments. Thus, he had instructed Brook to fully develop his Devil Fruit abilities. Brook had not failed his mission, developing soul-specific powers that culminated in the Underworld Revolution Suite.
And as proven today, Brook's Yellow Springs Fruit had indeed helped Ben Kosa solve the critical soul fusion problem in his experiments.