"Gulp…"
"C-can a human really do that…?"
On both the Skypiean and Shandian sides, warriors stared at Zan Gao like he was some kind of monster.
"That gigantic 'Lord of the Sky'… he dropped it with one punch! How is that even possible?"
"Quit yapping and start cutting," Kontena said coldly. "Strip the gold. All of it. Cut it down and pile it in one place."
Gan Fall nodded and led his men to work.
The Shandian great chief did the same. He didn't dare kick up trouble again—not after watching Zan Gao butcher his warriors like chickens and then knock out the Lord of the Sky with a single blow.
And that still wasn't counting the massive golden dragon circling lazily overhead. If that thing made a move, he didn't even want to imagine the outcome.
Kontena glanced sideways at Zan Gao, who was still looking very pleased with himself, his face twisted with envy.
"Didn't think that last war would bulk you up this much," he muttered. "Your strength and your body both grew."
"Heh heh… gotta thank the boss for that," Zan Gao grinned. "He drilled it into us—'Even with a Devil Fruit, don't neglect your body.' Now the benefits are finally showing."
"Yeah, yeah… Ancient Zoans really are something else," Kontena said sourly.
"Don't start." Zan Gao snorted. "Aren't you the Warp-Warp Fruit user? How are you not satisfied? Boss already said it—among Devil Fruits, Paramecias are the real nightmares.
"All those weird, all-over-the-place abilities… once they awaken, every Paramecia becomes a pain in the ass."
"That depends on who I'm facing," Kontena replied seriously. "Against someone on Lord Arakaki's level, I'd never outrun him.
"But against a reckless bruiser like you? Maybe I can't break your defense…" He exhaled smoke. "But I can definitely run."
"…"
Zan Gao's mouth twitched.
They'd fought once before. The result?
He'd spent the entire fight getting kited.
Kontena's warp was straight-line only—but that was enough. Zan Gao was slower in comparison. He could never quite close the gap, and Kontena just kept warping away and pelting him with gunfire from a distance.
Kuro, on the other hand, was different. With his wings boosting his speed, plus his Mantis Zoan, he'd pinned Kontena down in just a few exchanges.
"Don't get cocky," Zan Gao growled. "Once my speed improves, I will get revenge."
"I'll be waiting," Kontena replied blandly.
High above them, the golden dragon that was Arakaki Jin had already left Upper Yard and flown over Birka.
The people below trembled at the sight of the colossal form blotting out the sky.
Jin swept the area with Observation Haki and quickly found the presence he was looking for. He followed the aura and descended.
When he saw the long-eared kid below, he knew he'd come to the right place.
He shrank down into human form and landed in front of the boy. Kuro and Senor Pink took up positions to his left and right.
Fifteen-year-old Enel was still shaking from the dragon in the sky moments ago.
Now that the dragon had turned into a man and was standing right in front of him, he was so terrified he fell flat on his backside.
"Hey, kid," Jin said. "Ever seen this?"
He pulled out a sketch of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and showed it to Enel.
Enel blinked, forced himself to focus, and carefully studied the picture. Then he nodded honestly.
"Heh. Good. You've seen it."
Jin smiled faintly.
"Take me to it. As long as I find it, I'll grant you any wish you want."
"R-really?" Enel's eyes lit up. His frail, underfed body suddenly sparked with a bit of energy.
Anything…?
"As long as the fruit is real," Senor Pink added, exhaling smoke, "you can ask for whatever you want, kid."
Jin's gaze swept over Enel's scrawny frame and he frowned slightly.
So this bastard grew up like this, huh?
No wonder, once he gets a Devil Fruit in the 'original story,' the first thing he does is slaughter his own village…
"Lead the way," Jin said.
"O-okay."
Enel wobbled to his feet and led them toward a low hill.
Before long, they reached the entrance of a shrine.
A crowd of villagers was already gathered there.
"Enel! What's a stray like you doing here? This isn't a place for wild brats like you—and you even brought outsiders?!"
"Get out! This isn't somewhere you're allowed!"
A village elder glared at him and snapped.
They'd all been terrified by the massive creature in the sky and had rushed over to pray for divine protection.
Then this "wild child" had shown up—
Dragging outsiders with him.
Enel's face grew uglier by the second, expression darkening like spilled ink.
Finally, he dropped to his knees in front of Jin.
"Lord," he said, voice tight, "the item you want is in there. In the statue's hands."
"And your request?" Jin asked, looking down at the kneeling boy.
Enel lifted his head, eyes burning.
"Once you retrieve what you're looking for… please take me away from this damned place. Teach me how to become strong."
"And then?" Jin pressed.
Enel clenched his fists.
"Then… then I'll come back and kill everyone here."
His bloodshot eyes bored into Jin's.
Jin laughed.
"Good. So you don't want to wait?"
"I don't!" Enel snapped. "I want to kill them all right now!"
"Good seedling," Kuro murmured approvingly.
"Mhm," Senor Pink agreed. "Worth cultivating. He'll make a fine subordinate someday."
Jin took out a Devil Fruit and held it out.
"Eat it," he said. "With this, you can kill them today. Clear the way for me."
Enel didn't hesitate.
He grabbed the fruit and took a huge bite.
"…Hardcore," Kuro muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Hardcore," Senor Pink echoed.
As Enel finished swallowing, Jin's golden bracelet flashed.
A pile of pure silver ingots thudded onto the ground.
The instant the silver hit, Enel smiled.
He could feel it.
He could control it.
"Hahahaha!"
Laughing wildly, he pushed himself to his feet and walked step by step toward the villagers.
"E-Enel, what are you doing?!" The villagers recoiled, shaken by the look in his eyes.
"What am I doing?" Enel grinned, stopping in front of them. "You're about to find out."
He reached a hand back toward the silver.
The pile of ingots instantly melted, turning liquid and flowing toward him like mercury.
"Tsk, tsk… not bad," Kuro said, rubbing his chin. "He just ate it and already controls it this cleanly."
The three of them didn't particularly care what happened next.
At this point, they were used to it.
What were a few dozen people?
"Y-you—what kind of sorcery is this?!" the villagers shouted, staring in horror at the liquid silver swirling around Enel.
"You can all go die now," Enel hissed.
He flicked his hand.
The silver surged into a mass of gleaming spears and shot toward the crowd.
"AAAHHH!"
Screams ripped through the shrine courtyard as villagers were skewered one by one.
Their howls and Enel's manic laughter rose together.
Before long, most of the villagers lay dead.
A staircase of polished silver extended from the shrine entrance to Jin's feet.
"Knows his place," Jin said with a small smile, and walked up.
"Lord," Enel said, dropping to one knee again.
Jin glanced past him.
Most of the villagers were dead. Only a few remained alive, collapsed on the ground, pants soiled in terror.
"These are the ones who were kind to me," Enel said quietly. "Usually."
"You didn't turn into a beast that kills everything in sight," Jin nodded. "Good. You'll go further that way."
"Yes, my lord," Enel said, bowing his head.
Ignoring the terrified survivors, Jin walked straight into the shrine.
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