"Damn it! What kind of flames are these?!"
Shura screamed, his body engulfed in sacred white fire. His Three-Headed Bird was burning as well, thrashing in the air as it carried him away in panic. The holy flames clung stubbornly to his body, refusing to be extinguished.
With just a single clash, the self-proclaimed God Official Shura had been overwhelmed by Wyper. He retreated desperately, struggling to put out the fire consuming him.
"Wyper! Wyper! Wyper!"
The warriors of the Shandia tribe roared with excitement. Their morale soared as they brandished their weapons, voices filled with reverence for Wyper, who floated in the sky wrapped in brilliant flames.
"Shura has been defeated! This is the first step in reclaiming our ancestral land!"
Wyper threw his head back, roaring toward the heavens. The white fire wrapped around him blazed brighter in response, but then, as if feeding on his emotions, it shifted—turning into violent gray flames.
The wildfire flared outward, scorching tree trunks and leeching the moisture from everything it touched. The earth itself seemed to recoil from his fury.
"Tch… my emotions are getting the better of me."
Wyper clenched his fists, recognizing the shift. He recalled the words of his teacher, spoken in that strange, timeless space.
"Anger fuels the flames attached to you. The stronger your rage, the hotter and wilder the fire burns. But lose yourself in that anger, and the flames will consume you instead. Control it, Wyper. Never let your fury control you. Don't waste your fire on meaningless rage."
He exhaled sharply, steadying his heartbeat. Slowly, the storm of gray fire receded, and the sacred white flames returned, wrapping his body once more.
…
"Now then, I'll tell you about an untested experiment," his teacher had said back then, smiling with a strange calmness. "If you succeed, you might awaken an ability on par with God Enel himself. If you fail… your body will be reduced to ash. Do you dare to try?"
Wyper had not hesitated. "Yes."
"Good. Close your eyes, endure the heat, and step into the world of flames. Find the fire that resonates with you."
Following his teacher's words, Wyper had closed his eyes. A distorted wave of heat and pressure engulfed him, and suddenly, he was standing in a forest of fire. Everything burned—trees of flame, beasts of ember and ash, rivers of molten light.
Guided by instinct, he sought the flame that called to him. In the heart of that inferno, a giant wolf made of sacred white fire stood tall, calm, and unwavering. It did not resist him, and it felt… right.
"Hold on to it. Merge with it," his teacher's voice echoed.
Though the wolf accepted him, the fusion was agony beyond words. White fire erupted inside his body, scorching his flesh and searing his organs. Death hovered close. Only the intervention of his teacher, who froze him in time until the worst had passed, allowed him to survive.
When he finally awakened, his teacher had smiled. "Congratulations. You succeeded. These flames are born from the Mera Mera no Mi, but unlike ordinary fire, they are bound to your emotions. Your spirit will decide their strength."
…
"Nami, what do you think of Enel's power?"
Shirogai asked casually, smiling as he leaned against the roots of a massive tree.
"It looks terrifying," Nami admitted, landing lightly beside him. "Lightning… it has to be a Logia-type Devil Fruit."
"You're right," Robin said, her tone more serious than usual. "The power Enel wields is from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, one of the rarest and most destructive of all Logias. Lightning is nearly invincible compared to other abilities."
She glanced at Shirogai, then allowed herself a faint breath of relief. "If Shirogai wasn't here with us, we'd stand little chance."
"Oi, Robin! Don't underestimate me!" Zoro snapped, glaring at her. "I haven't fought that so-called god yet, so don't assume I'd lose."
"If you faced him head-on…" Robin tilted her head thoughtfully, her tone calm but merciless. "You'd likely be struck down instantly. Your body would be left blackened from the lightning."
Zoro's jaw dropped. "What?! You're saying I'd be fried like a fish?!"
"I think Robin's right," Nami chimed in, smirking. "You're a road-idiot swordsman, Zoro. There's no way you could beat someone who controls lightning."
"You two!" Zoro growled, his temper flaring. He turned sharply toward Shirogai. "Shirogai! You've already mastered lightning, haven't you? Hit me with it—I'll prove I can take it!"
"Eh?" Shirogai raised an eyebrow, amused. "You really want me to strike you with lightning?"
"Of course!" Zoro barked, determination burning in his eyes. "It's just thunder. I'll endure it!"
"Alright then. Don't say I didn't warn you." Shirogai extended one finger toward the sky, his voice steady. "Descend, lightning."
Boom!
A deep blue spark arced from his fingertip, and in the next instant, a roaring bolt of crimson-white lightning crashed down from the heavens, striking Zoro head-on.
Sparks crackled violently. Zoro stood rigid, arms crossed as the lightning surged around him. His teeth clenched, his body trembling, but he refused to make a sound.
The pillar of lightning finally faded. Smoke curled from Zoro's body. He stood there silently, arms still crossed, expression blank.
"Whoa… you're still standing?" Nami gasped. Her eyes widened at the sight of Zoro, scorched but seemingly unhurt.
Robin covered her mouth, giggling softly. "How impressive. He's quite… resilient."
"Heh." Shirogai shook his head with a quiet laugh. Stepping forward, he placed a single hand on Zoro's chest and gave him a gentle push.
Thud!
Zoro toppled backward like a statue, slamming into the ground, completely unconscious.
"Wait—he fainted?!" Nami cried out, staring in disbelief. "But he looked fine a second ago!"
Shirogai smirked. "Zoro's been too overconfident ever since awakening Observation Haki and Armament Haki. He forgets the gap between confidence and reality."
Lifting Zoro with ease, Shirogai slung him over his shoulder. His eyes glinted with mischief. "By the way, the bolt I just summoned? It was stronger than Enel's full-power strike when he transforms into his so-called 'thunder god' form."
Nami's jaw dropped. "You're awful! Poor Zoro doesn't even know what hit him!"
Still, she broke into a grin, raising a thumb approvingly. "Nice one!"
---