Not long after Sakazuki soared past on his colossal magma eagle,
a bolt of lightning split the clear sky—
a blinding arc of electricity streaking after him.
Zzzzt—!
A crackling surge landed on the eagle's molten head, right beside Sakazuki.
In a flash, the lightning twisted and took shape—
becoming Enel.
Thunder rumbled, rolling in only after the god of lightning himself had arrived.
Enel plopped down cross-legged next to Sakazuki,
raising both arms in a luxurious stretch.
"Ahh, so warm up here~"
He lowered his arms, casting a lazy glance at Sakazuki.
"Hey, old man, what's the rush? Why'd you call me out here?"
Sakazuki replied,
"I signed you up for a little remedial class."
Enel cocked an eyebrow.
"Remedial class?"
Sakazuki just gave a sly grin, sidestepping the question.
"So, what've you been studying and training lately?"
Enel leaned back, hands behind his head, looking utterly relaxed.
"Same old stuff. Learning a bunch of random things, training my body.
Ever since Instructor Zephyr came to the academy, he's been a real drill sergeant about physical training.
Ha! That guy Borsalino gets chewed out all the time—
He's always getting dragged out to spar with Zephyr."
Hearing this, Sakazuki frowned.
"You haven't been training your Devil Fruit abilities?"
Enel blinked, a little surprised.
"Nope. Instructor Zephyr says physical technique and Haki are the foundation—don't rely too much on Devil Fruit powers.
Grandpa Morris agrees too.
Is that a problem, old man?"
Sakazuki nodded, his gaze sharp.
"It is a problem.
That statement's both right and wrong."
If he hadn't awakened his own Devil Fruit, Sakazuki might've agreed with them.
But now…
Enel perked up, sitting upright, eyes shining with curiosity.
Sakazuki continued,
"Physical technique is your foundation.
Haki sets your lower limit.
But the Devil Fruit you possess—
that determines your ceiling."
Enel mulled it over, thoughtful.
Sakazuki pressed on,
"A powerful Devil Fruit can reshape the world itself.
Why was Byrnndi World called the World Destroyer?
It was that Devil Fruit of his—he could obliterate islands, unleash chaos at will.
But in terms of physical skill and Haki, he was nothing special.
And think back to the Scylla Sea battle—Whitebeard's dying blow.
The sea and sky turned upside down.
That wasn't something physical strength or Haki alone could ever achieve."
Enel shivered at the memory, recalling that apocalyptic scene—
the overwhelming sense of doom, as if the world itself was raging.
No amount of martial arts or Haki could ever compare.
Then Sakazuki said something that left Enel completely stumped—
but awestruck all the same.
"For eight hundred years, the World Government has never truly feared the endless parade of Haki masters on the seas.
What they fear…
is a single Devil Fruit."
Enel didn't quite get it, but it sounded incredibly cool…
The magma eagle, its four wings blazing, began to descend.
Below, the mechanical island of Karakuri came into view.
A sweep of powerful Observation Haki locked onto their target in an instant.
With a roar of crimson tail flames and a trail of smoke, the eagle dove—
heading straight for the forest, now surrounded by Marine soldiers.
Baldimore Kingdom, outside the Sealed Mechanical Beast Forest.
"Hey, hey, HEY!"
"Are you seeing this?!"
"Look!!"
"What IS that?!"
"HOLY—!!"
"It's flying right into the forest!"
"Something's falling—get down!!"
Marine soldiers ringed the forest, staring up in shock at the sky-darkening figure.
Tiny, glowing droplets rained down—
and the soldiers scrambled to get clear.
Where those droplets struck, the snow hissed and melted, radiating outward in steaming waves.
A few brave souls crept closer to inspect.
"What the…?"
"Is this… magma?!"
Deep inside the forest—Vegapunk's Laboratory.
The team had finished packing. Now, they waited by a towering iron gate.
As Vegapunk pressed a button,
the entire lab rumbled to life—machinery shifting, transforming.
A runway extended straight toward the gate, and from behind, gears pushed forward a massive, ship-shaped machine.
At the rear, a gigantic exhaust nozzle glowed—this was no ordinary vessel.
When the machine reached the gate, Vegapunk barked,
"Everyone aboard! Prepare for launch!"
Nearby, Caesar Clown eyed the huge exhaust port, his face pale.
"Hey, hey, hey, you sure this thing won't kill us?!"
Vegapunk shot back,
"Figure it out yourself, idiot."
With that, he boarded.
Caesar clenched his fists, glaring daggers at Vegapunk's back, then followed.
Once everyone was aboard, Vegapunk told them to grab onto something sturdy.
He took a deep breath, hit the start button, and placed his hand on the massive red launch switch.
The exhaust port began to glow, heat radiating, turning redder by the second.
The enormous iron gate slowly slid open.
Everyone watched, nerves taut—
the moment it opened fully, they'd make their escape.
Even Vegapunk felt his heart race as he gripped the launch button.
But before the gate was halfway open, a cold, commanding voice echoed from outside—
"I'd advise you not to press that button."
A gigantic magma bird's head loomed into view,
filling the doorway—
its sheer size unimaginable.
The molten beak opened, unleashing a roar like some ancient, primordial beast.
Then it turned, gesturing toward the sea.
Everyone inside the ship swallowed hard, trembling.
A beam of searing red light blasted toward the distant ocean—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A towering mushroom cloud erupted on the horizon, swelling ever larger.
Moments later, a scorching shockwave ripped through the air.
For the first time, the snowbound people of Karakuri Island felt true heat.
From the ship, the scientists watched in awe as
the frozen sea—once breakable only by special icebreakers—melted at blinding speed.
The island, once blanketed in white, transformed into rushing water, revealing the long-hidden black earth beneath.
Everyone onboard was utterly stunned.
Devoted as they were to science, this was their first time truly witnessing what "power" meant…
After the shock passed, Vegapunk slowly lowered his hand from the launch button.
The scientists exchanged silent glances, their will to resist crumbling.
They waited quietly on the ship—many, for the first time in their lives, questioning the very path they'd chosen.
Could their research ever reach such heights…?
Vegapunk stared at the melting snow, the black earth appearing at last, and something clicked inside him.
He bolted for the door and rushed outside,
gazing out at the island where he'd grown up.
Seeing the vast stretch of land, Vegapunk broke into a joyous grin.
He turned to the distant mountains—
his old design, a mechanical giant half the size of the island itself, was slowly thawing.
He'd once built it as a colossal furnace to keep the islanders warm,
but funding and technology had forced him to abandon it.
Over the years, it had frozen beneath the snow.
Now, as the island thawed, Vegapunk couldn't stop smiling.
Suddenly, a titanic shadow blotted out the sun overhead.
Only then did Vegapunk look up—
to see a magma-forged golden eagle, its head dipping low.
On its back, Enel still stared, dumbstruck, at the distant sea.
That display had been both a lesson for Enel—and a warning to the scientists.
Sakazuki descended, his gaze cold as steel.
He looked at the young scientist before him.
"You're under arrest."
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��patreon.com/GoldenLong