"..."
"Big brother, look at this!"
Skylark came running over, holding a peculiar fruit in both hands as if it were some great treasure. She lifted it up in front of Renn Hawk's face with sparkling eyes.
"I was going to pack some of these fruits to take back and make you fruit salad," she said proudly, her voice full of cheerful mischief. "And then, buried in the pile, I found this. I recognized it instantly! It's a Devil Fruit!"
Her tone was filled with triumph, like a child demanding praise for a discovery. Her bright eyes glittered with expectation, practically shouting: Go on, big brother, tell me I did good!
"..."
Hawk's gaze immediately locked on the fruit.
Taking it carefully from Skylark's hands, he felt its strange weight and the odd, almost electric texture beneath his fingertips.
The fruit was bright yellow from top to bottom, its skin carved with spiral grooves that resembled jagged bolts of lightning.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Those lightning-like patterns, combined with the timing just moments after Enel's death left no doubt in Hawk's mind.
This was one of the most powerful Logia fruits in existence.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Devil Fruits never duplicated. A power only resurfaced when its current wielder died, at which point the fruit would reincarnate somewhere across the sea.
Legends whispered that when a Devil Fruit user perished, their power could swiftly attach itself to the nearest fruit, reborn within moments.
Looking at the bright yellow prize in his hand, Hawk realized the rumor might well be true. Enel had just fallen, and right here, in a pile of Skypiea's specialty fruits, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit had reappeared.
"Rumble-Rumble Fruit, huh..."
Hawk weighed the fruit in his hand, sinking into thought.
There was no question about its power. The ability to command lightning itself granted both devastating destructive force and blinding speed. To most people, this was a dream beyond dreams.
But it wasn't for him.
From the very start, Hawk's path had been clear and unwavering: defeat all techniques with pure, overwhelming force. His creed was fists alone nothing else.
If there was any fruit in the world that fit his path, it was only one.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
The very power once wielded by Whitebeard himself, capable of shattering the seas, tearing islands apart, and reducing the world to trembling ruin.
Imagine that fruit combined with Conqueror's Haki infusion.
Every punch would be a natural disaster.
Compared to that, lightning, however fast or devastating, leaned too much toward speed and elemental control useful, yes, but misaligned with Hawk's pursuit of absolute dominance.
So, he would not eat it.
The fruit needed a new home.
Three names immediately surfaced in his mind.
Dane, his loyal vice-captain.
Zoro, the green-haired swordsman.
Sanji, the cook with fiery kicks and a sharper tongue.
Dane had talent, no doubt. He was fiercely loyal, competent, and capable. But his ceiling wasn't as high as those other two monsters. Giving him a top-tier Logia would be like setting priceless jewels into a dull setting it wouldn't shine as it should.
That left Zoro and Sanji.
Hawk could already envision it.
A swordsman whose blades crackled with lightning, cutting at the speed of thunder.
Or a martial artist cloaked in an armor of sparks, his legs kicking with the force of storms.
The thought alone could send shivers down the spine of any enemy.
But Hawk's eyes narrowed. Now was not the time.
He had only just secured the crew's loyalty with promotions and tangible rewards. Dropping a fruit of this caliber into someone's hands right now would earn gratitude, yes, but the impact would be short-lived.
Better to wait.
Better to reveal it at the peak of some future victory, when morale was highest, and let its weight anchor loyalty forever.
There was also another problem.
One fruit. Two rivals.
Zoro and Sanji were like cocks in the same pen, constantly competing, constantly clashing. That rivalry was their greatest source of growth.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was like a giant weight added to a delicate balance. Give it to one, and the other's fire might be extinguished. The fragile but invaluable competition between them would collapse.
That, Hawk could not allow.
So he made his decision. Not yet.
He would wait. And when the time came, he would find another fruit. Only then would he give them both their rewards together.
Slipping the Rumble-Rumble Fruit into his coat, Hawk looked down at Skylark, who was still staring up at him with wide eyes.
He reached out and ruffled her hair gently, a rare softness in his expression.
"Skylark," he said warmly. "You're incredible. A true lucky star. As long as you're around, good things just keep happening."
"Hehe!"
Her eyes curved into bright crescents, her cheeks flushed with joy. To be praised by Hawk was all she ever wanted.
"Then I'll keep finding good things for you, big brother!" she declared before scampering off to pack more fruit, humming happily.
Hawk watched her go, the faintest smile tugging at his lips.
Soon, everyone had selected their share of Skypiea's treasures, and the marines had hauled the mountain of Dial shells aboard the great warship.
The engines roared, the deck trembled, and slowly the massive vessel glided away from the white shoreline, cutting through the sea of clouds.
On the dock below, the Skypieans gathered in a vast crowd.
Gan Fall, the old knight, and the Shandian chief stood shoulder to shoulder at the front, watching as the ship grew smaller and smaller. Behind them, the entire populace of Angel Island and Shandia raised their voices in unison.
"Brigadier Hawk, safe journey!"
"Please come back! Skypiea will always welcome you!"
"Long live the Navy!"
The cries rolled like thunder, carrying their gratitude and reverence into the sky itself.
The great warship gained speed, shrinking into a distant shadow, and finally disappeared at the edge of the cloud sea carrying away not only mountains of gold but the hopes and blessings of an entire sky island.
The descent began.
Wind howled past their ears as the ship plummeted downward. The hull screeched against the rushing air, the speed terrifying, the ocean below rushing up fast.
Yet, unlike their tense ascent, this time not a single face on deck showed fear.
Every gaze was fixed firmly on the man at the prow.
As long as Renn Hawk stood at the front, there was nothing to fear.
The endless blue drew closer, and the ship's fall reached its climax.
And then Hawk moved.
He leapt from the deck like a black comet, plunging faster than the falling ship itself.
In midair, his right fist darkened as Armament Haki surged, condensing with lethal density.
He struck downward.
The sea exploded.
For a heartbeat, the world fell silent. Then the water split apart with a roar, a shockwave erupting outward in a vast ring, towering waves surging up like living mountains.
The colossal warship, moments from being dashed to splinters, instead landed gently in the cupped hands of the waves, balanced for an instant before sliding down into the sea with barely a tremor.
Spray cascaded down like rain. Hawk landed lightly back on the deck, dry as if he'd never left.
Everyone exhaled in awe.
Then Skylark came running again, holding a Den Den Mushi to her chest.
"Big brother! It's Fleet Admiral Sengoku on the line!"
The deck went still.
Hawk turned toward her, his face unreadable.
And slowly, he reached for the receiver.
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