Doflamingo cackled, his signature "fufufufu" laugh reverberating like static through the shifting battlefield. The wind howled unnaturally across the frozen wasteland as his presence distorted the very atmosphere.
"You talk a big game, 'Zino'," he sneered, raising a single finger like a conductor about to unleash a symphony of destruction. "But the stage belongs to me now. Ever White."
Above them, the clouds—already twisted into his strings—shifted violently, collapsing together to form a massive, dome-like canopy. It wasn't just a web anymore—it was a solid, suffocating curtain of string, descending with deadly intent. The sky darkened as the canopy spread outward for miles, swallowing the horizon.
Below, the ice of Punk Hazard's frozen plains liquefied unnaturally. Solid ground turned into writhing white tendrils, churning like a sea of string. The entire landscape had become Doflamingo's domain—sky and earth both under his control.
Zino didn't flinch.
He stood still, his expression unreadable as he closed his eyes and activated his Advanced Observation Haki. Instantly, the world around him slowed. He could sense it all—every malicious thread, every sharpened strand that carried the intent to cut, crush, bind, and kill. It wasn't just an attack. It was a cage, a performance, and Zino was the lone audience inside it.
"So, this is an Awakened Devil Fruit, huh," Zino muttered.
Without warning, he vanished—his form flickering away like a lightning flash. The first wave of Ever White strings missed entirely, crashing into the ice behind him with explosive force.
"Hey System," Zino said calmly as he blinked to another location, narrowly dodging another wave of tendrils, "if I fight his awakened ability long enough, do you think I can awaken mine?"
[That depends entirely on you,] the System responded. [You possess multiple elemental types. I recommend awakening one at a time. It will create a domino effect for the rest.]
"Awaken one at a time, huh?" Zino whispered, ducking as a barrage of needle-thin threads soared over his head.
[Also, awakening during battle is… unpredictable.]
"Why's that?"
[Because his ability is Paramecia. Yours, however, are predominantly Logia. Rather than focusing on his awakening, I suggest you concentrate on the environment—feel the marking elements left behind.]
Zino flashed across the battlefield again, a bolt of blue lightning streaking through the air as he reappeared atop a nearby ice ridge.
"Marking elements?"
[Yes. Both Akainu and Aokiji fought here. They've already awakened their Logia powers. The reason this island remains in a permanent state—half frozen, half molten—is not due to lingering damage… but because of the residual imprint of their awakened abilities.]
Zino narrowed his eyes, scanning the horizon—one side was burning, magma pulsing from beneath the cracked earth; the other side frozen solid, as if time had stopped.
[Their awakened presence changed the nature of this place. If you can sense how their elements have saturated the land… you may be able to awaken your own.]
"I see," Zino said. "Help me capture the data while I focus."
[Understood. Beginning environmental scan.]
With that, Zino closed his eyes briefly, tuning out the chaos. While his body continued to dodge on instinct, guided by Observation Haki, his mind extended outward, trying to connect with the land, the opposing forces buried beneath the surface.
Strings whipped through the air around him, but not a single one touched him. From time to time, Zino countered with sharp bolts of lightning. His precision wasn't meant to kill—it was meant to distract, disrupt, and keep Doflamingo guessing.
High above, Doflamingo hovered with his webbed strings, fury simmering behind his shades. His threads lashed in every direction, tearing into the ice, but still couldn't touch his opponent.
"Brat!" Doflamingo bellowed, irritation rising in his voice. "Stop dodging and fight like a man!"
Zino smirked, but didn't respond to Doflamingo's taunt. He had no reason to change his strategy. Instead, he continued to focus inward—his attention locked on the strange, unchanging state of Punk Hazard's unnatural environment.
Slowly, but surely, his enhanced senses began to pick up something different—something subtle and deep.
[You're beginning to feel it,] the System confirmed. [Now, try syncing that sensation with your lightning element. Let it resonate.]
Zino obeyed instinctively. He allowed his elemental nature to stir, channeling lightning through his body, not as a weapon—but as a medium. Crackles of electric charge sparked at his fingertips, pulsing along his skin like a second heartbeat. It wasn't about attacking anymore. It was about aligning… syncing… understanding.
Crackle!
Level Up – Lightning Element: Level 113…
Level Up – Lightning Element: Level 114…
Level Up – Lightning Element: Level 115…
The progression came rapidly, far quicker than anything he had experienced before. But with each level gained, a toll was exacted. His muscles began to tense. His breathing grew heavier. It was as if his energy was being wrung out of him—drained by the very power he was trying to master.
Zino staggered slightly, blinking as sweat rolled down his face despite the cold.
"…What's going on?" he muttered.
[It's the side effect of forceful awakening,] the System answered calmly. [You're accelerating your growth beyond what your body is used to. It drains stamina, energy, even your mental focus. Endure it… if you want to awaken faster.]
Zino clenched his fists, steadying himself. At the same time, he avoided a wave of Ever White from Doflamingo. "Alright. I'll push through it."
[Ideally, awakening would be much safer if done in a place rich in lightning—somewhere your element dominates naturally. But for now, this will work. Just… try not to die of lightning exhaustion while fighting a warlord.]
Zino groaned. "Great advice. Really helpful. You could've warned me before I started this."
[I didn't know either,] the System responded bluntly. [Your action triggered an unexpected counterbalance with the permanent Logia imprint left by Aokiji and Akainu. I simply adapted my response to your evolving data.]
Zino sighed. That made sense. The System wasn't omniscient—it improved based on input, observation, and trial. But it also reminded him that he was still blazing his own trail.
Then something clicked in his memory. His eyes lit up.
"Wait a second… isn't there an island nearby? Raijin Island? The one constantly struck by natural lightning?"
[Yes. The atmospheric activity there is perfect for lightning-based elemental development.]
"That's where I'll awaken," Zino said decisively. His gaze shifted toward the ship in the distance. Without wasting a second more, he disappeared in a flash of electricity.
In an instant, he was gone.
Back on the battlefield, Doflamingo stood frozen mid-gesture, strings still writhing around him like snakes searching for prey. His smirk cracked.
"He… escaped?" he muttered in disbelief.
Just then, his knees buckled. He dropped to the ground, coughing violently as fresh blood spilled from his mouth and splattered on the ice.
"Tch… My injuries are worse than I thought," he growled, wiping his chin with the back of his hand. His body trembled under the strain, and the last of his string web slowly unraveled into nothingness.
Zino hadn't just wounded him—he had overwhelmed him. The realization stung worse than the wounds.
He slowly stood again, his jaw tightening. "He didn't run. He retreated. Whatever that brat is planning… if he comes back stronger, it's going to be a problem."
Doflamingo narrowed his eyes, turning toward the deeper part of the island. He didn't know what Zino was after, but he had no intention of waiting around to find out.
"First, I'll secure Caesar," he muttered.
With that, he took off toward the hidden laboratory, his mind already racing ahead.
...
Meanwhile, Zino—his body already buzzing with the early signs of elemental awakening—appeared beside Kuzan in a flash of electric light.
"Hey Kuzan," he said casually, lightning flickering along his shoulders. "Do you know the direction of Raijin Island?"
Kuzan, who had been observing the earlier battle from afar using his Observation Haki, blinked in surprise. Zino's abrupt appearance and relaxed tone were at odds with someone who had just clashed with a Warlord.
"You're leaving the battle?" Kuzan asked, frowning. "You just walked out of a fight with Doflamingo."
Zino didn't answer the question. He simply waited.
Kuzan exhaled and pointed to the east. "...That way."
"Thanks," Zino said with a nod.
Crackle!
With a thunderclap, Zino vanished once again—this time into the sky.
The remaining Orcas, watching from the frozen platform, exchanged puzzled looks.
"Why is he suddenly in a hurry?" Nami asked, shading her eyes as she looked toward the horizon.
Kuzan didn't answer immediately. Then, as if something clicked, a realization hit him like a jolt of electricity. His eyes widened.
"Could it be..." he muttered under his breath.
In the distance, a streak of lightning sliced across the sky at incomprehensible speed, cutting over the sea like a living current. It was Zino—traveling faster than the eye could follow.
"Where is it?" Zino muttered as he scanned the ocean. He was moving at full flight speed, propelled by his lightning form. Then, ahead of him, it came into view: a jagged island surrounded by storm clouds. The entire sky above the land was a churning mass of black thunderclouds. Bolts of lightning rained down endlessly, like divine wrath.
"There you are."
Without hesitation, Zino shot downward, piercing through the dark canopy like a falling meteor. He landed atop a mountain peak, and the moment his feet touched down, lightning from the sky began converging on him—drawn to his presence like metal to a magnet.
Even before he gave the command, the island responded.
Then he sat, cross-legged, unfazed by the storms swirling above.
"Come," he said simply.
As if obeying an ancient call, the lightning came alive. The entire atmosphere stirred. Bolts twisted and coiled through the clouds, gathering above his head, then dove down like serpents of light. They struck his body with roaring crashes—but Zino didn't flinch.
Instead, he absorbed them.
One after another, they slammed into him, and one after another, he devoured them. His body became a beacon of storm energy, his skin glowing, flickering with charged power. The very ground around him began to tremble from the unnatural discharge.
Level Up – Lightning Element: Level 116…
Level 117… 118… 119…
His mastery over the element skyrocketed. At the same time, a shift occurred—not just in power, but in understanding. He could now faintly perceive the presence of a lingering Logia Awakening mark embedded in the island. The atmosphere, the terrain—none of it was natural. It had been permanently altered by the awakened lightning abilities of someone before him.
"I can feel it. So, this island is also altered by someone with lightning ability. Who was that person?" Zino whispered. "Well, it's not time to wonder on that. This altering mark is what I need now."
Then, he extended his senses, using both his innate perception and the system's guidance. He tapped into the subtle frequencies of the island, mapping the unnatural consistency of the storms. Every detail—the way the lightning never dispersed, the unending cycle of charge and discharge—fed into his growing comprehension.
He continued meditating, absorbing, syncing. His breathing slowed. His will deepened.
Above him, the once-chaotic storm clouds began to thin. The endless lightning strikes began to lessen. The natural wrath of the sky… was being consumed.
Meanwhile, on the island below, the residents—long accustomed to the violent weather—were beginning to take notice.
"Hey… is it just me, or are the lightning bolts fewer than usual?"
"What's going on with the sky?"
"Has something happened to the island's weather?"
"Could it be… a god is calming the storm?"
"If that's true, my prayers are working!"
"No way—if the lightning goes, how am I supposed to power my business?!"
Panic, awe, and speculation spread through the villages dotting the island. No one knew what was happening above—but every soul could feel the shift. Something was altering the storm. And it was happening now.