Marine Headquarters Academy.
Within the vast training field, blue lightning clashed with golden lasers in a dazzling display of power. Each strike burst within strict boundaries, their brilliance carefully contained.
All around, elite cadets stood at attention, eyes wide as they watched the spectacle unfold.
Zzzzt!
Whoosh! Whoos! Whoosh! Whoosh...
Electric arcs slammed into concentrated beams of light, scattering thunderbolts and radiant flares like wild, untamed forces tearing through the air.
Swish!
The crisscrossing energies suddenly pulled apart, each morphing into a human form.
Borsalino tilted his head slightly, lips curling in a crooked smile. "How scary~ Enel~ you're strong like some kind of monster~"
His words were serious, but the tone was deliberately mocking—half amused, half sarcastic.
Enel smirked. "Tch. You sure don't sound like you're complimenting me."
He raised his arms. "Luminous Forge."
Sparks danced along his wrists and ankles. The golden bands encircling his limbs began to shift, melting and twisting into twin short blades, polished and gleaming. Drawn into his grip by the pull of electricity, the weapons pulsed with raw energy.
He took a stance, eyes focused, a wicked grin slowly spreading across his face. Then he vanished in a streak of blue light.
Zzzzt!
A snap of static marked his sudden reappearance on his opponent's flank. Both blades were already mid-swing, cutting through the air with lethal precision.
Borsalino's face contorted into a comical expression of alarm, lips parted in a silent scream, pupils tightening to pinpoints.
Clang!
A massive blade of light—nearly as tall as he was—had materialized in his hands just in time, catching both of the descending strikes.
With a sigh of exaggerated resignation, he asked, "Are you trying to kill me~ Enel~?"
One brow arched at the sarcastic tone, the boy let out a chuckle. "So you figured it out."
"So scary~ you kids these days~"
No sooner had the words left Borsalino's lips than arcs of lightning surged from Enel's eyes, aimed directly at his face.
"Oooh~~~"
Twin beams of golden light shot from his eyes in return.
The collision of lightning and laser unleashed a tremendous surge of energy, and a small mushroom cloud bloomed in the air.
Flash!
When the light faded, both figures had reappeared. The older man squinted, pulling another exaggerated expression. "How scary~ almost went blind there~"
Enel rolled his eyes, then coated both hands and blades with Armament Haki. Electricity sparked along his body as he launched forward once more.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang...
Blades and light clashed in a relentless storm. As they split apart again, Enel spun the short blades in his hands.
"Careful now, Borsalino. This next move is new. Try not to die."
Borsalino pulled a troubled face. "So troublesome~"
Enel's lips curled slightly as the electricity surging along his short blades settled into a steady rhythm.
Swish!
His figure vanished, then appeared right in front of Borsalino. A blade came slicing down. A simple, unremarkable strike.
At least, it looked that way.
The older man raised his sword to block, but the moment the weapons touched, his pupils contracted sharply.
His sword, Ama no Murakumo, was cleaved in two.
There was no time to react. His body disintegrated into motes of light and flashed away, reforming behind Enel with a ragged exhale.
"Way too close~ that was dangerous."
Enel's strike missed. He pulled back his blades and turned calmly. "Told you to be careful."
Zzzzt!
Electricity flowed over the golden short swords, melting them down once more into liquid metal. They reshaped into ornaments, snapping back into place around his wrists and ankles.
The two of them had Devil Fruit powers that were practically unsolvable. A fight between them had no end. Neither could catch the other. If one strike didn't land, the rest was just a waste of time.
Seeing Enel put his weapons away, Borsalino visibly relaxed.
"Finally over~ you've grown fast~"
Enel gave a slight smile. "Knowledge is power. Want to come study under Dr. Vegapunk with me?"
Borsalino looked tempted, but the mere thought of science made his skin crawl. "So troublesome~ I'll pass~"
Enel didn't press further. "Suit yourself. You can still drop by. Even a few tips would be helpful."
He received a nod in return.
Just then, Zephyr walked over. "All right, get off the field. Let others have their turn."
Enel gave a quick salute. "Understood, Instructor Zephyr."
Then, with a crackle, he disappeared.
Borsalino sighed helplessly. "Yes~ yes~"
And strolled off at his own lazy pace.
Watching his carefree attitude, a vein bulged on Zephyr's forehead. "Next group!"
...
At the edge of the field, Enel reappeared and immediately spotted two familiar faces waving at him from outside the training grounds.
He zipped over at once. "Big brother Carlo!"
Carlo grinned. "Long time no see, Enel."
The boy chuckled sheepishly.
Sakazuki spoke up with praise. "That last move of yours was not bad at all."
Enel scratched the back of his head. "Knowledge is power, right? You were the one who told me that."
"Looks like you've learned quite a bit under Vegapunk lately," the vice admiral said.
Enel nodded enthusiastically. Then something seemed to come to mind. "Oh right, Uncle. Yesterday, Dr. Vegapunk mentioned he had something he wanted your help with."
Sakazuki raised an eyebrow, interested. "Oh? What is it?"
The boy replied, "Wait a sec."
He vanished in a crackle of electricity, and flashed back a few seconds later, holding a folded newspaper in his hand.
He flipped to a specific page and handed it over. Sakazuki took it, his eyes narrowing slightly as he scanned the image of a mythological creature soaring through the sky.
"Alive or dead?"
Enel blinked. "Uh… preferably alive. This one's a Devil Fruit user, right? Dr. Vegapunk wants to study the flesh of mythological creatures. If he's dead, the ability disappears with him."
Sakazuki gave a nod. "He's a Devil Fruit user. Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan type—Azure Dragon model. Captain of the Beasts Pirates, Kaido."
Enel's eyes lit up. "Oh! You know him?"
Sakazuki folded the paper and handed it to Carlo beside him. "Fought him once."
The man looked surprised. "He actually escaped from you?"
Enel had the same expression.
Sakazuki shook his head. "That was a long time ago. Back during the God Valley Incident. I was planning to finish him, but Big Mom showed up out of nowhere and stopped me. I planted a magma bomb in his body. She saved him afterward."
Then he turned to Carlo. "Start gathering intel on Kaido."
...
The New World, an unknown Island.
The beach near the port was littered with bodies.
One pirate ship stood anchored neatly at the shore. Another had been split in half, its broken hull lying across the sand. Supplies and treasure spilled everywhere.
Beneath the shattered vessel, a group had lit a bonfire and started a feast.
Sitting beside the flames was a towering brute with large horns—Kaido. He lounged on a "throne" made of pirate corpses, casually drinking from a massive sake gourd.
"Hoo…"
Letting out a long sigh, he still didn't feel satisfied, and reached for another gourd nearby. But before he could grab it, a shadowed figure clad in black armor, with dark wings folded behind his back, intercepted him.
"That's enough. You've already had five. Your body can't take more."
Kaido burst into laughter. "Worororororo! It's fine, King. Just one more sip."
With a grin, he snatched the gourd forcefully.
"Hey—!"
Before King could say another word, Kaido took a deep swig, and instantly spat it out. A violent cough followed, his massive frame shuddering with each hack. Once he finally caught his breath, he wiped his mouth, eyes filled with fury.
Crack!
The gourd smashed against the ground, shards flying. His hand unconsciously reached for his left lung.
He muttered darkly, each word heavy with rage.
"Sa! Ka! Zu! Ki!"
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