Cavendish stood blankly in the middle of the training ground.
During the fierce battle on Whole Cake Island, he had been seized by Big Mom. At the critical moment, Fleet Admiral Wright shielded him with powerful Blessing of Protection (Paladin class talent).
But in the clash of top-tier powerhouses, being completely unharmed was simply impossible.
Though the Blessing of Protection was formidable—capable of repelling external attacks and various forms of damage—it was clearly less effective against assaults on the soul.
Big Mom's soul-based abilities inevitably affected Cavendish.
Due to the unique strength of his soul, far greater than that of ordinary people, the impact on Cavendish from Big Mom's powers was especially unusual.
To provide ongoing protection for Cavendish during the battle, Wright activated the Lightforged Beacon's Lightforged Sigil, extending the duration of the shield.
However, as the sigil was subjected to the overwhelming clash of four peak-level combatants, it experienced an unexpected phenomenon—
It resonated with Cavendish.
The Radiant Gold, used in crafting both the Lightforged Beacon and Sigil, formed a soul-level bond with Cavendish under the immense pressure, leading to an astonishing result—
Cavendish could now harness their power to a certain extent!
Wright soon realized that this phenomenon was strikingly similar to the transformations seen in the Germa siblings.
The difference was that Cavendish, thanks to his unique soul, had bypassed the process of "Lightforging" or "Lightbinding" and established a direct connection with the power of Holy Light through external means.
But in terms of outcome, Cavendish's use of Holy Light rivaled—and perhaps even surpassed—that of the Germa siblings.
Given the inclination of Cavendish's soul, Wright was not surprised that the type of Holy Light power he awakened was aligned with retribution.
As a powerful swordsman, Cavendish experienced a meteoric boost in power under the blessing of the Holy Light.
"It's like... I've eaten a powerful Devil Fruit."
He muttered to himself, sensing the potent force within him—different from Armament Haki.
"So this is... the Fleet Admiral's power?"
"What immense strength... so radiant... so warm..."
Staring at his hand, now glowing softly with sacred light, and at Durandal, his famous sword now wreathed in divine flame, Cavendish let two streams of tears trail down his cheeks.
"So... cool!!!"
He tilted his head back, face twisting with wild glee, and burst into laughter:
"Hahahahaha!"
"My dream...!"
"This is the coolest ability in the world! No contest!"
"I'm about to explode in popularity!"
"I'll be the center of the world's attention, hahahahaha!"
"So cool! Too cool! Unbearably cool!"
"Forget the Flame-Flame Fruit, forget the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—they're trash compared to this!"
Bathed in golden light, Cavendish's "White Horse" form now bore a striking resemblance to Wright's Avenging Wrath—the visual impact was staggering.
Though the golden wings couldn't yet allow flight...
"I finally understand what Fleet Admiral-sama meant by being an 'emperor of acting'!"
"Ahhh~ I'm going to faint! How can my fans possibly resist a man this dazzling?!"
"Wahahaha! Resist me? Why would they? This noble lord—no, this magnificent champion—shall make the whole world my fanbase!"
BOOM!
"Agh!"
"Grrrlblurrrr..."
Cavendish collapsed to the ground in a puff of steam, eyes rolling back, mouth frothing—his face still contorted in overwhelming joy.
The radiant effects dissipated. Wright's gritted voice followed:
"Idiot! I'm not dead yet! You've got a long way to go before you can call yourself 'Emperor of Acting'!"
With twitching eyebrows, Wright retracted his fist and, under Vegapunk's amused-yet-exasperated gaze, rubbed his temples hard.
"I knew it. This guy wouldn't care what kind of combat powers he got."
"To him, the visual spectacle of Holy Light powers was the ultimate dream come true—"
"He's completely lost in his own world now. He needs to cool off."
Wright muttered to himself, "A horse-riding swordsman... What is he, some kind of... Paladin?"
"Doctor, run some diagnostics. Doesn't matter if he's unconscious."
"Haha... 'Paladin,' huh? Surprisingly fitting for Cavendish. A mounted Marine... truly one-of-a-kind!"
Vegapunk chuckled and signaled to the robotic attendants nearby to haul Cavendish onto the examination table.
"What a fine specimen. Definitely worth studying."
"This is unbelievable. Fleet Admiral, your power is the most unique ability I've ever seen. It can even be... lent out."
"If we can uncover its secrets, the balance of the world itself may shift."
Wright sighed from his seat nearby.
"That may be true, but I never intended to make this ability public. Now, I have no choice."
"Cavendish's aptitude combined with Holy Light will cause his strength to skyrocket. I wouldn't be surprised if he catches up to Ace in no time."
"He may have lost the chance to eat a Devil Fruit, but even a single-aspect Holy Light affinity has the potential to rival high-tier Fruits."
"So yes, Doctor, I need you to dig into this. But regardless of whether it's replicable—this must remain a special case."
Vegapunk smiled knowingly.
"Understood. Don't worry—I know this power must not be abused, but it can't be ignored either. If it's here, it's here for a reason."
"This is a tremendous breakthrough. Honestly, I've never admired anyone as much as I do now—not even you before, Fleet Admiral."
He turned and gazed intently at Wright, who looked slightly startled.
"You've had this power for a long time, powerful enough to even bend minds like Judge's."
"You could've easily built a vast faction loyal only to you... even an underground kingdom..."
"But you restrained yourself. You understood what this power truly represents—a god-like perspective that can lead to arrogance and imbalance."
"But... how do you know I haven't already created a 'Holy Light Kingdom'?"
Wright blinked playfully at Vegapunk, a cryptic smile on his face.
"Maybe I've been lying to you. Maybe... that kingdom does exist?"
"You can't fool me."
Vegapunk tapped his own head with confidence.
"If you really did that, would you have left me alone?"
Wright blinked, speechless at the scientist's smug confidence.
"I'm not a Devil Fruit user, so I don't buy that. If you had created such a kingdom, would you really let a world-class mind like mine slip away?"
"I, Vegapunk, am worth it!"
"..."
Wright burst out laughing, shaking his head at the sight of the triumphant Vegapunk.
"Well, Doctor... I... I have no words."
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