~ Support & Read 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!
❁❁❁❁
World Government, Mary Geoise.
The Five Elders sat in council, flanked by the absolute highest military powers of the Marines. They stared at the intelligence report transmitted by Stussy, deliberating their next move.
"This island harbors anomalies that even the World Government has never fully deciphered. It is the perfect battlefield."
"Ruluka Island... The Rainbow Mist? No one knows what happens once you enter, nor does anyone know what lies inside..."
"Time... Why does such a phenomenon exist there? Is it possible there is a Devil Fruit related to time involved?"
"Gentlemen, prepare for battle. This operation must succeed. Failure is not an option... If we fail, the World Government will be forced to confront both the Revolutionary Army and the Thunder God Pirates simultaneously. We cannot afford that kind of passive stance. This stalemate must be broken!"
"It all depends on whether Stussy can successfully lure Arthur out of the Thunder God Sea."
"Old debts and new grudges... we settle them all at once!"
————————————
The New World, Beast Territory.
Deep inside the crater of an active volcano, Kaido lay submerged in a pool of molten lava, snoring with a sound like rolling thunder.
Moments later, he roused from his slumber. His hand instinctively went to the massive scar on his right abdomen, which still throbbed with a phantom ache.
"Lord Kaido!!" A desperate cry echoed down from the rim of the volcano. "Big Mom's son has arrived! He's trying to seize our territory and is currently fighting with Captain Jack!"
"If that old hag didn't come herself, then don't bother me! Get lost!!"
Kaido roared, grabbing his massive iron club, Hassaikai, and hurling it violently toward the voice. But then, his irritable expression twisted, and he suddenly burst into loud, wailing tears.
"That bastard Thunder Emperor... he made me lose all my face! Even that old hag Big Mom thinks she can bully me now! It's all the Thunder Emperor's fault!"
Since taking Arthur's Plasma Cannon hit head-on, Kaido had spent a full six months recovering—from the middle of the year 1506 all the way into 1507.
The humiliation was carved into his heart. He couldn't even forget it in his sleep.
From his recovery in 1507 until now, in the year 1508, he had been relentlessly honing his body. His physical durability had reached a new plateau, and finally, his confidence had returned.
More importantly, over these two years, he had finally figured out the key to surviving that terrifying attack that had nearly killed him...
When Kaido fought, he never dodged. He always took attacks head-on, trading blow for blow. But he realized that if he had simply dodged in time against the Thunder Emperor—if he hadn't tried to tank it with his face—he wouldn't have been injured at all.
After all, the more powerful the attack, the more preparation time it required.
"As long as I watch out for the Thunder Emperor and don't let that specific attack hit me, I can definitely beat him!"
With that thought, Kaido rose from the lava. A savage grin spread across his ferocious face.
He glanced up at the chaos on the island above, where the Big Mom Pirates were clashing with his Beast Army. He saw Charlotte Katakuri, the strongest of the Sweet Commanders, brutally suppressing Jack the Drought.
Kaido didn't care. He had zero intention of intervening.
He leaped into the air and dove straight into the ocean, swimming powerfully toward the Thunder God Sea.
It was time to wash away his shame. He would let everyone on the seas know that the ruler of the New World was him, Kaido of the Beasts, not the Thunder Emperor!
————————————
Punk Hazard.
"The Positron Cannon still has drawbacks. Once used, the weakness becomes obvious," Arthur mused, discussing the data with Vegapunk.
As long as an attack wasn't instantaneous or unavoidable, there was always a chance it could be dodged.
Used at close range, the atomic collapse would likely kill him along with the enemy. Used at long range, it relied entirely on the element of surprise.
"No Devil Fruit is perfect! The Rumble-Rumble Fruit is already blessed by the gods..." Vegapunk dismissed Arthur's concerns.
Comparatively, other Devil Fruits had far more glaring weaknesses. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was already at the pinnacle of power.
"I need someone to test the Positron Cannon's power on... Kaido? That trash hasn't come to challenge me in two years. Is he scared? What a waste."
Arthur sighed, then turned his head indifferently toward the sky, watching a beautiful figure approaching rapidly.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The rhythmic percussion of air being kicked signaled the arrival of a master of Moonwalk (Geppo).
Stussy, dressed in a long skirt and high heels, descended elegantly from the sky, landing in front of the two men in the blink of an eye. Her figure was enchanting, her presence intoxicating.
She winked playfully, covering her mouth with a delicate hand. "Lord Thunder Emperor, we haven't seen each other in two months. Did you not miss me?"
"Miss you? Who gave you the nerve to approach Punk Hazard?"
Arthur's expression went cold instantly. His large hand shot out, clamping around Stussy's pale, slender neck and lifting her bodily into the air.
Despite her terrifying strength as a CP0 agent, Stussy offered no resistance. Even while being strangled, her smile remained pleasant.
"That hurts... Lord Thunder Emperor, I brought the news you wanted, you know? Is this how you treat a messenger?"
"Hmph!"
Arthur released his grip, rudely flinging her onto the ground. "If you don't have news that satisfies me, you'll find out just how little I care about chivalry."
"Lord Thunder Emperor really knows how to break a girl's heart," Stussy said, looking like she was about to cry. She reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a photograph.
The photo depicted a scene shrouded in rainbow-colored mist. On a cliff edge, bathed in ethereal sunlight, a blurry figure held a heart-shaped, red Devil Fruit... The person was indistinct, their face obscured.
"The Op-Op Fruit?"
Arthur stared intensely at the photo. Taking it, he scrutinized every detail. The swirl patterns, the color, the shape—it was identical to the Op-Op Fruit. However, without seeing the physical object, he couldn't verify its authenticity.
"Where is this?"
"Ruluka Island. A small island in the first half of the Grand Line. Someone spotted the fruit Lord Thunder Emperor desires right there!" Stussy said with a beaming smile.
"Ruluka Island? Impossible..."
Arthur's mind raced. Ruluka Island was in the middle of Paradise. It was thousands of miles away from the North Blue.
If history followed its course, the fruit should be in the hands of a pirate captain named Diez Barrels in the North Blue, who was planning to sell it to the Navy through Doflamingo acting as the broker.
"If this fruit came from Ruluka Island, how could it possibly end up in the North Blue for a transaction with the Navy?" Arthur frowned, deep in thought.
Without a doubt, the Op-Op Fruit originated in the North Blue. The photo was likely a fake. But... could he gamble on that one-in-a-million chance that he was wrong?
And why did the World Government's intelligence agency just happen to take this picture?
————————————
"You must be the renowned, world's greatest scientist, Dr. Vegapunk, yes?"
While Arthur was lost in thought, Stussy turned her head to address the aloof scientist standing nearby.
"The World Government misses you terribly, Doctor... We are eagerly awaiting your return to take charge of the grand design!"
"Once someone has touched freedom, no one chooses to return to a cage. We are all the same in that regard," Vegapunk replied indifferently, glancing at Stussy. He was completely unmoved by her world-class beauty.
There were always men like Arthur and Vegapunk in the world. To Vegapunk, the satisfaction of his endless curiosity was ten thousand times more beautiful than any woman.
"You jest, Doctor. No one would restrict your freedom. The supervision is merely for your protection..."
"Shut up!"
Arthur snapped back to reality, interrupting Stussy with an icy tone.
"The fact that you can produce this photo proves that the Op-Op Fruit is already in the hands of the World Government."
He stared her down, his eyes crackling with menace.
"So... go and inform your masters: The Thunder God Pirates will launch an attack on Mary Geoise in one month!"
"Regardless of the cost. Regardless of the consequences!"
❁❁❁❁
~ 15 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)