In the East Blue, aboard the Four Blues Sweep Fleet.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning struck Sakazuki's warship. Out of the fading glow, Enel's figure appeared.
"So boring, Uncle," he muttered lazily. "There really aren't many pirates in this sea. Except that first day we arrived, we barely ran into a handful."
Sakazuki gave a faint smile. "Then go work on your weapons. Bullet seems to like those missiles you built."
Enel sighed, his expression helpless. "The materials here aren't enough. The most powerful things I can make are already those. If I want to create anything stronger, I'll need proper equipment. When we return to headquarters, I'll rebuild everything."
He clicked his tongue and glanced at the horizon. "But really... compared to the other three seas, this place is way too underdeveloped."
Sakazuki chuckled at that. "And that's why it's also more peaceful. That old guy Garp often comes back here for visits. Of course the number of pirates will be fewer than in other seas. More importantly, the government deliberately keeps the East Blue locked in an agricultural age. Only that way will people not dream of exploring the ocean.
"If it were like the North Blue or the West Blue, with gangs, weapons, and ambition everywhere, then people would be flooding the seas nonstop. And if too many went exploring, the hidden construction here would be exposed far too easily."
He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "That enormous bridge built against the Red Line, stretching out from the East Blue... I don't really know what it's for. But the fact that this project has lasted over seven hundred years is proof enough of how important it must be."
At times like this, Sakazuki realized how bottomless the World Government's power truly was. Seven centuries of manpower and resources poured into something? It was almost unimaginable.
As for the idea that the bridge was meant to link every island in the world, that was nonsense. Seven hundred years wouldn't be enough, not even seven thousand. So the truth had to be something else. Either it's meant to connect somewhere specific... or to transport something.
Enel's expression turned thoughtful as he murmured, "Seven hundred years… that kind of manpower and resources... If only they were mine. With that, my Super Ark Maxim could be completed in just a few years."
He smacked his lips, unable to hide his longing.
Sakazuki raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Super Ark Maxim? Did Vegapunk help you improve the design?"
Enel smirked proudly. "That's right. After my research with Teacher Vegapunk, we both agreed on something. The Ark Maxim... is just a prototype."
"A prototype?" Sakazuki rubbed his chin. "That does make sense. I recall from that journal on Skypiea... The man who wrote it said he designed the Ark when he was still young, and later spent most of his life in the Blue Sea. After Joy Boy's fall, he fled back to Sky Islands. He hastily wrote his last entry and died at his desk. So, the model and blueprints we took must have been what he left behind in his youth."
Enel froze. "Hah? That's news to me! Really?"
The admiral laughed. "You couldn't even read at the time. Even if I gave you the journal, you wouldn't have understood a word."
Enel's shoulders slumped. "Fair point." Then his face hardened with determination. "Doesn't matter. After my optimization with Teacher, it's definitely not inferior to his version.
"According to our research, that man left a lot of extra room in the Maxim's design. Besides the mechanisms under the hull for conduction and thundercloud generation, there's plenty of space left. If we filled it with batteries, the pilot could use the control console to unleash at least two strikes of Raigo. And moves like Mamaragan could be fired multiple times.
"All of that is assuming it's being controlled by someone without the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. That man's ambition and technical skill were on a completely different level."
Enel grinned. "Even this so-called prototype, mass-produced and given to the Marines, would make us unstoppable. If one Raigo isn't enough, then a hundred will be. Nothing left but ashes would remain of the enemy."
The grin then slipped, replaced by frustration. "The only problem is that it devours gold. It's not possible to make many. That's why Teacher and I have been improving the blueprints constantly, trying to make it viable for mass production. But the Super Ark Maxim... That's another story. The resources it requires... Even if we poured in the Marine' entire budget for a year, we'd just finish a third of it. Maybe if... later..."
Before he could finish, Sakazuki's brow furrowed. He turned and marched toward the cabin without hesitation. "Impossible. Don't even think about it. Throw those blueprints away."
A whole year's budget, and only a third finished. The waste was staggering.
Bang!
The sound of the cabin door slamming shut echoed.
Enel stood there, dumbfounded, then shouted toward the cabin, "What about in installments then?! Build a tenth each year! How about that?!"
* * *
Meanwhile, in the New World. On Kokriri Island.
The sky cracked open with storm clouds. The island trembled as if torn down the middle, its core shaking along with the sea.
At the island's center, two towering figures, both nearly eight meters tall, faced off with murderous glares.
Big Mom's face was dark, twisted with fury. "Kaido... You've gone too far."
Her grip on Napoleon tightened. She hadn't expected this betrayal, not from him. While she was caught off guard, several islands under her banner had already been wiped out by his attack.
Kaido sneered. "This is the pirate's game, Linlin. You're too naive. I need territory. I need power. This sea is about to welcome its third Emperor."
She stared coldly at him. Anyone who knew her well could see she was at the edge of exploding. "So that's your plan. But the one thing you should never have done… was betray me, Kaido!"
"Ikoku Sovereignty!"
A giant wave of sword energy roared toward him.
Kaido swung his kanabo, Hassaikai, behind him, coated it with Haki, and said, "I treat everyone equally, Linlin. That old bastard Knox won't escape either."
"Thunder Bagua!"
The weapon sparked with lightning as he slammed it against her attack. The wave of sword energy spun back and slashed at her instead.
Big Mom only grinned savagely. With a swing of her arm she shattered the energy apart, then charged forward with her blade raised.
Kaido roared, gripped Hassaikai with both hands, and charged to meet her.
Clang!
BOOOOM!!!
A torrent of lightning surged into the sky from the island's heart, shattering the clouds above. The land split apart, the sea itself quivering in turmoil.
* * *
By dawn the next day, the island was gone. The two titans, each aboard separate ships, sailed in opposite directions. They had reached an agreement.
Big Mom acknowledged Kaido as an Emperor. In return, he would cooperate with the Charlotte Family, compensating her for the islands he had taken. On the surface, it looked like Kaido had profited the most.
But as she sailed away, Big Mom's face curled into a vicious smile. "All settled, then."
Her children cackled cruelly. "All settled, Mama. Not a single one left."
She hadn't even had time to praise them when a Den Den Mushi rang.
She picked it up, and Kaido's grim voice came through, "Well done. The cooperation continues. But don't ever appear in front of me again, Linlin... or I'll kill you."
Big Mom laughed into the receiver. "Piracy isn't as simple as you think. Consider this a lesson. Don't forget, back on Rocks' ship, it was me who taught you how to play the pirate's game. Mamamama!"
Click. The line went dead.
What Kaido didn't realize was that before their battle, Big Mom had already dispatched her numerous children to his territories, striking everywhere except the lands guarded by King and Queen.
Everything else had been butchered clean.
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