"Crackling..."
A sharp, piercing sound of electricity tore through the air, vibrating in the eardrums of every pirate on the island. The moment the sphere of black lightning materialized in Enel's hand, a terrifying aura of pure destruction washed over the battlefield. It felt as though the air itself was trembling in fear.
Without a moment's hesitation, Enel released the energy. The black lightning ball shot forward with velocity that defied the naked eye.
Whoosh!
Doflamingo's "String Clone" was incredibly fast, capable of keeping pace with most fighters in the New World. However, compared to the absolute speed of lightning, it was sluggish. In that split second, time seemed to stand still for the spectators.
There was no contest. In just an instant, the black lightning ball bridged the gap and struck the clone dead center.
The String Clone, constructed from thousands of compressed threads, offered no more resistance than a flimsy sheet of white paper. The black lightning penetrated it effortlessly, burrowing deep into its core before releasing its contained energy.
Then came the release.
BOOM!
A blinding flash of light erupted in the sky, turning the dark, stormy atmosphere into a world of pure whiteness. A split second later, an explosion roared across the island, shaking the earth violently. The shockwave was so intense that the ground beneath the spectators' feet trembled, and the roar of the blast drowned out the thunder in the clouds.
——————
It took nearly ten seconds for the violent aftershocks of the explosion to finally dissipate.
As the blinding light faded, a heavy cloud of dust settled in the air. A pungent, acrid smell of ozone and burnt fabric permeated the surroundings, stinging the noses of the pirates.
Doflamingo stood on the ground, looking up at the sky. Around him, the remnants of his "Black Knight" clone floated down like soft snowflakes. Countless white threads, some of them still smoldering with embers, drifted gently to the earth.
Doflamingo frowned deeply behind his sunglasses.
The pirates surrounding the battlefield looked on with astonishment. Although they were not the ones fighting, they were experienced enough to understand what they had just witnessed. They knew that Doflamingo's clone possessed formidable defensive capabilities; it wasn't something that could be destroyed easily. Yet, in front of that small, condensed ball of lightning, the clone had offered no resistance whatsoever. It had been instantly vaporized.
"Is this the power of Enelu-sama?" Urouge, the "Mad Monk" and Enel's High Priest, exclaimed with undisguised admiration. "This is truly the might of the strongest Logia-type Devil Fruit!"
Standing beside him, X Drake's face turned pale.
Enel's devastating move triggered a specific memory for the undercover Marine. It reminded him of a piece of top-secret intelligence he had received not long ago: a photograph of the Marine G1 Branch in the New World, which had been utterly destroyed.
The destructive power is identical, Drake realized with a chill. I must find a way to contact Headquarters in advance. The strength of the Beasts Pirates does not match the information the Marines currently possess. They are far more dangerous than we thought.
Meanwhile, floating high in the sky, Kaido looked down with a satisfied expression as he watched Enel's performance.
This devastating technique was not something Enel had developed on his own. It was a technique Kaido had taught him.
Although Enel had a natural aptitude for mechanics—proven by his construction of the flying ship, Ark Maxim—he lacked the imaginative scope of a man like Kaido. Kaido was a "Transmigrator," a soul from another world who had consumed countless literary works and stories. When it came to developing creative combat techniques, Enel couldn't compare to him.
Over the past few months, Kaido had imparted all the lightning-related theories and techniques he knew to his new Calamity. This included the concept of the "Electromagnetic Cannon," as well as techniques inspired by stories from other worlds, such as the "Chidori" and "Lightning Release."
Kaido had taught Enel a crucial lesson: to unleash the true potential of the Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit), he shouldn't focus merely on increasing the voltage. High voltage was useful, but the real secret to destruction lay in "energy density."
Increasing the density of the lightning resulted in vastly stronger destructive power and terrifyingly high temperatures. The key to achieving this density came down to a single word: control.
It was about storing a massive amount of volatile energy into the smallest possible space.
This was the distinct advantage the Goro Goro no Mi held over Admiral Kizaru's Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit). While Kizaru was undeniably powerful, his attacks were generally limited to laser-like shockwaves and beams of light. Light was difficult to shape. But Enel's lightning was different. He could mold it into dragons, wolves, or weapons.
Under Kaido's guidance, Enel had abandoned his old method of simply throwing out raw electricity. He focused entirely on control and compression.
The "Micro Electromagnetic Cannon" he had just fired was the perfect example. It was essentially a miniature "Raigo" (Thunder Kingdom)—Enel's ultimate attack—compressed down to the size of a coin and fired at lightning speed.
Clearly, Enel had utilized his three months of training well. Doflamingo was a fast fighter, by no means slow. Yet, in less than a second, Enel had been able to generate a cannon shot containing that much dense energy and destroy the Warlord's clone in a single hit. This was sufficient proof that Enel's control over his Devil Fruit had reached a masterful level.
So, Kaido thought, looking down at the Warlord, how will Doflamingo respond next?
"Fufufufufu!"
A low, sinister laugh echoed from Doflamingo's body. The sound sent a shiver through the crowd. Suddenly, everyone felt the aura around the "Joker" shift violently.
"It seems I'll have to show some real stuff now," Doflamingo said. His voice was cold, tinged with genuine anger.
Observers should never let Doflamingo's usually obedient demeanor deceive them. That respect was reserved solely for Kaido, one of the Four Emperors of the New World. To the rest of the world, Doflamingo was a monster. He was the emperor who ruled the dark underworld, a Royal Warlord who terrified the first half of the Grand Line, and a great pirate known as the "Heavenly Yaksha."
He was a man of immense pride. Seeing his clone so miserably destroyed by Enel—a newcomer—had bruised his ego. He was angry.
As his words fell, the pirates witnessed an incredible scene.
Starting from beneath Doflamingo's feet, the texture of the earth began to change. The rocky ground turned a stark, unnatural white. This whiteness spread outward rapidly, rippling like water.
The surrounding spectators instinctively stepped back in fear as the ground beneath them threatened to transform. In just a few breaths, the entire battlefield had turned into a sea of white, writhing threads.
"What is this?!" everyone exclaimed in surprise. "The ground... it's turning into string!"
Among those present, apart from Kaido in the sky, only King the Conflagration seemed to understand what was happening. Even Doflamingo's own subordinates, Monet and Baby-5, looked confused, unable to comprehend the extent of their Young Master's power.
"Is it the String-String Fruit's Awakening?" King muttered, his voice low.
"What?!"
As King's words hung in the air, Jack the Drought, who was standing beside him, immediately widened his eyes in shock. He stared at the battlefield, and then spoke in a tone filled with disbelief and defiance.
"Are you kidding me? That guy... Joker... he actually mastered Devil Fruit Awakening?!"
Jack's reaction was fueled by deep insecurity. Ever since three months ago, when Big Brother Kaido returned from Paradise, the Beasts Pirates had undergone massive changes. Jack felt a tremendous sense of urgency.
The primary reason for his anxiety was Enel.
Jack respected Kaido more than anyone. He was fiercely loyal. He had originally assumed that since Queen the Plague was obsessed with his viruses and scientific research, Jack would eventually rise to become Kaido's right-hand man, second only to King.
But he never expected a stranger named Enel to swoop in and disrupt the hierarchy.
During the Marineford War, Enel and King had fought against the Marine Admirals, earning massive glory. Their actions caused Enel's reputation within the crew to skyrocket, surpassing Jack's own. In the eyes of the world and the crew, Jack, who should have been the third strongest, had been pushed down to fourth place.
How could a proud All-Star like Jack tolerate this?
This was why Jack had been training so desperately. He was eager to increase his strength. The training method Big Brother Kaido had taught him was certainly effective; he felt stronger every day after enduring the harsh environment of the volcano. But the problem remained: he wasn't the only one training. Enel was using the same methods.
Jack had concluded that achieving "Devil Fruit Awakening" was the fastest, and perhaps only, way to surpass Enel and reclaim his standing. It was his current goal.
And now, right before his eyes, a power he hadn't even mastered yet appeared in the hands of the Joker—a mere business partner he had always looked down upon.
Jack clenched his fists, watching the white threads consume the battlefield. How could he possibly be convinced to accept this reality?
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