The Grand Line, first half.
On a remote, uninhabited island—lush, tranquil, and beautiful—the Log Pose's needle crawled at a snail's pace. The Roger Pirates had been stranded here for over a month, waiting for the pointer to reset.
One day, a News Coo flapped across the sky overhead.
In the heart of the island, the crew was gathered around a barbecue, faces lighting up with excitement at the sight. Roger grinned wide, tossing aside his half-eaten skewer. A red gleam flashed in his eyes—Conqueror's Haki shot skyward, knocking the News Coo clean out of the air.
Roger let out a mischievous chuckle.
Rayleigh, hand pressed to his forehead, sighed deeply. In a blink, he vanished from the jungle, reappearing midair. He slipped a hundred Belly into the unconscious bird's pouch, then carefully perched it atop a tree branch, snagging a newspaper before hopping down.
"Don't just go blasting your Conqueror's Haki around, Roger," Rayleigh chided, exasperated.
Roger just laughed. "Alright, alright, I won't do it again. Promise!"
He snatched the paper and flipped through it.
Rustle—rustle—
Suddenly, Roger's eyes narrowed. He shouted, voice brimming with excitement, "Hey! Rayleigh! Check this out!"
"Look! Hahahahaha! This is great! A samurai! Let's make him one of us!"
Rayleigh took the paper. On the cover was a swordsman wielding twin blades, a pile of defeated pirates in his wake. His attire was ancient, distinct from the usual styles of the sea.
The headline read:
"Wandering Swordsman! Warrior from the Legendary Land of Gold!"
Rayleigh mused, "Land of Gold… Wano Country, huh."
Roger burst out laughing, "Right? Isn't it fascinating? Let's go find him and bring him aboard! Hahahaha—" He broke into a fit of coughing.
Rayleigh's brow furrowed. "You can't keep ignoring that cough. We set sail for Drum Island tomorrow—no more delays. You need to get checked out."
Roger scratched his head sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah…"
———
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
It was a rare day off.
Enel strolled toward Fleet Admiral Sengoku's house and pushed open the door. In the courtyard, Sengoku was all smiles, doting on Rosinante. Anyone else witnessing this would have been floored—the ever-stern Fleet Admiral, wearing the gentlest of expressions… It was as surreal as a little girl bumping into Sakazuki with an ice cream, only for Sakazuki to smile, pat her head, and hand her 100 Belly.
"Go get yourself a five-layer cone."
Unthinkable.
But Enel was used to it. He called out, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Rosinante!"
Sengoku looked up, beaming. "Here to play with Rosinante again, Enel?"
Enel grinned. "Yep!"
Sengoku checked his watch. "You two have fun. I've got some paperwork to finish."
Enel gave a mock salute. Sengoku ruffled Rosinante's hair one last time before heading inside—mentally reminding himself to buy the boy some new clothes later.
Rosinante dashed over, face alight with joy, but made no sound—his mouth moved, but not a whisper escaped.
Enel blinked. "Rosinante?"
Rosinante nodded, lips moving in silent words. Suddenly, he waved his hands, and a faint, translucent bubble enveloped them both.
Enel's brows arched. "A Devil Fruit, huh?"
Rosinante's voice finally came through, muffled but audible. "Yeah…"
But his mood dimmed. "Doesn't seem all that useful. All it does is block sound."
Enel raised an eyebrow. Block sound…? That means you can't even shout out attack names. Brutal.
He patted Rosinante's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Devil Fruit powers are just tools. What really matters is your body and will."
Rosinante nodded, eyes wide and trusting. "Okay!"
Enel grinned. "Come on, let me show you my new technique!"
Rosinante gazed up at him, full of admiration. "Alright!"
The invisible bubble followed them as they headed toward the rear mountains of headquarters.
On the way, Enel showed off his latest move. "Watch this!"
Electric arcs danced across his body, sharp blue light crackling in his hands. The air filled with a piercing, birdsong-like screech. The lightning shifted, morphing from a spear to a short blade and back again.
Rosinante's eyes sparkled with awe.
Suddenly, Enel stopped dead, scanning the bustling crowd in shock. Wait… Wait… An idea struck him like lightning. He turned to Rosinante as if he'd just found buried treasure.
He dropped the ability, hoisted Rosinante high overhead, and burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha! Rosinante! Your Devil Fruit is amazing! Hahahaha!"
Rosinante dangled, confused. "Eh?!"
Enel was practically vibrating with excitement. "This bubble blocks ALL sound! Every last bit! Your power, plus mine—we're unstoppable! Hahahaha! Let's test it out!"
Without another word, he dragged Rosinante toward the Marine Academy.
———
Marineford Academy, beneath a giant tree.
Borsalino lounged lazily on the grass, sunlight dappling his body through the leaves. He stretched, murmuring, "Ah, life…"
Eyes half-closed, he drifted off to sleep.
When Enel and Rosinante arrived, this was the scene that greeted them.
Enel flashed a devilish grin. He signaled Rosinante to use his ability. With the sound barrier up, even standing right next to Borsalino, there was no sign anyone was there—if not for the naked eye, you'd never know.
They crept up to Borsalino. He didn't stir.
Sparks crackled on Enel's right wrist. The gold ornament there writhed and stretched, transforming into a gleaming spike over a meter long. He pressed it gently to Borsalino's temple, motioning for Rosinante to drop the barrier.
Rosinante nodded and released the ability.
Suddenly, Borsalino's eyes snapped open. A jolt of danger shot through his brain. Instinct took over—he vanished in a burst of light, reappearing a hundred meters away.
Enel's brow twitched. That speed… using Yata no Kagami to escape—man, you really know how to play it up.
Borsalino finally realized who it was, and what was in Enel's hand. He let out a long, exaggerated sigh.
"So scary, Enel~ That's way too dangerous~ How could you point something like that at someone~?"
Watching the utterly oblivious Borsalino, Enel's lips twitched. Should've just stabbed him when he had the chance!
With a flicker of electricity, the golden spike shrank back into an ornament on his wrist.
"Don't mind me, just running an experiment. Thanks, Borsalino! Hahahaha!"
He grabbed the giddy Rosinante and dashed off.
Borsalino stood there, helpless.
"Ah, my perfect afternoon nap… But… how did I not sense a thing?"
He hadn't seen Rosinante deactivate his power. For a moment, Borsalino began to question his very existence… ~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
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