A quiet underground ruin.
The sound of violent retching echoed through the space, lingering for a long time.
Sakazuki, who was in the middle of placing blueprints into the smelting golden briefcase, heard the noise.
His lips curled slightly, as if something came to mind...
Clack!
He closed the briefcase, lifted it with his left hand, and with his right hand grabbed one end of the two-meter-long "Admonition."
With overwhelming strength, he lifted the model and walked out of the main chamber.
Reaching the passageway, he called out to the others:
"Let's go."
Karol walked out first, grinning brightly.
Enel followed behind with a pale, sickly face, holding onto the wall for support.
His legs were trembling uncontrollably, his retching had left him exhausted.
Seeing him in that state, Sakazuki asked:
"How does it taste?"
At the mention of it, Enel's face changed and his stomach churned again.
Clutching his mouth with both hands, he growled angrily:
"Don't mention that thing!"
Sakazuki chuckled and set the "Admonition" model down on the ground, then walked over and picked Enel up.
He placed him on the deck of the "Admonition."
The two-meter-long model was more than enough space for a three-year-old to sit comfortably. Then he asked:
"Can you use your ability now? Try it."
Enel took a breath while sitting on the "Admonition."
Hearing Sakazuki's words, he stretched out his hands, focusing intently, activating that seemingly innate force in his mind.
Crackling~
Lightning sparks danced between his fingers, the unique sound of electricity filled the air. Enel stared at his hands, giggling stupidly.
Sakazuki then spoke:
"Place your hands on that control lever and try channeling your ability."
In essence, this "Admonition" model had the exact same function as the blueprint.
Only greatly miniaturized, more like a toy.
Enel saw the control lever and placed his hand on it, channeling his ability.
Zzz—!
A stable output. The current flowed through the lever to some unknown part of the "Admonition." Two seconds later—
Clack, clack, clack...
Mechanical noises started, slowly then quickly.
Whirr~
The row of fans on both sides and at the rear of the "Admonition" spun rapidly.
It slowly rose into the air, hovering. Karol looked on in admiration, while Enel was completely stunned, mouth agape:
"Whoa!!!"
Seeing that it worked, Sakazuki nodded in satisfaction and lost interest:
"Let's move. Keep up."
He turned and headed toward the exit. Enel, however, had no idea how to control the "Admonition" to move forward or backward.
As he hesitated, Karol placed a hand on his back.
With a gentle push, the floating "Admonition" with Enel aboard moved forward, following Sakazuki's pace.
...
In a corner of Birka Town.
Sakazuki pushed aside the cloud board above and jumped out.
Below, Enel sat atop the "Admonition," and Karol lifted the ark, leaping out with Enel in tow.
After closing the cloud board, Karol set Enel down.
Sakazuki grabbed one end of the "Admonition," and both of them stepped off in unison, their figures vanishing.
...
On the warship, inside the office, Sakazuki packed up the golden briefcase.
The mission was accomplished. He exited the room.
On the deck, Enel was seated on the hovering "Admonition."
All the surrounding soldiers, including Cricket, gazed at the flying model with sparkling eyes.
After all... flight and battleships are a universal dream.
Sakazuki gestured to Karol to approach, whispered a few words. Karol nodded, then stepped forward and announced:
"Prepare to return!"
"Yeahhh!!!!!!"
The soldiers roared in excitement. After all, they had drifted across the White Sea for months.
Though it had been novel, the battle lust deep within their bones was becoming harder to suppress.
Enel looked at the ecstatic crowd, his expression turning slightly gloomy, a sense of loneliness creeping in...
Karol came over and, seeing Enel's face, immediately knew what he was thinking.
Sighing—kids are always so sentimental—he then pulled Enel over to Sakazuki's side.
Sakazuki looked at the somewhat gloomy Enel:
"What's wrong?"
Enel, hearing that, recalled the warmth and experiences of the past two days. His eyes grew moist, and he awkwardly turned away:
"Nothing... When are you all leaving?"
Sakazuki looked at Enel and said:
"Tomorrow morning."
Enel gave a quiet "oh" and said no more. He stood there, head lowered, lost in thought.
After a while... drip... drip... tears began to fall and wet the deck.
Sakazuki's deep voice echoed:
"Enlisted Enel."
The title "Enlisted" struck Enel like a divine call. His eyes lit up as he looked up in surprise.
Tears streaming, a wide grin stretched across his face:
"Yes, sir!!!"
...
Extra Timeline – Ancient Weapons and the Admonition
In the recent ancient era, due to an energy crisis on the moon...
Aside from leaving behind life-giving mechanical dolls to guard their homeland...
All the moon people migrated to the massive blue planet.
They brought with them technology far more advanced than the blue planet's. Two clans stayed in the White Sea, while two others flew to the Blue Sea.
In the Sea Circle Calendar year 1100, one of the clans that flew to the Blue Sea founded the golden city "Shandora," which flourished remarkably.
In the year 1000, the golden city "Shandora" remained prosperous.
In the year 900, Joy Boy traveled the world.
Not only did he discover a mermaid princess capable of commanding massive Sea Kings...
He also found a battleship capable of destroying an island in a single blast, and another formidable being.
Joy Boy named them "Poseidon," "Pluton," and "Uranus," later defined as "Ancient Weapons."
Witnessing widespread injustice during his travels, Joy Boy sought to create a utopia of freedom and equality.
Under his call...
Various races joined the "Great Kingdom," including the Three-Eyed Tribe and the other moon people who had flown to the Blue Sea.
The moon people's inclusion brought futuristic technology and super warships, later defined as "Ancient Weapons," to the Great Kingdom.
Moved by Joy Boy's ideals...
Some people voluntarily added the letter D to their names, becoming the origin of the "D clan," passing it down for generations.
The Great Kingdom's ideology spread across the world.
As time passed, the ideals of D spread globally, attracting more and more followers.
The Great Kingdom rapidly expanded, and its ideologies of "freedom" and "equality" greatly threatened the foundations of the existing world order.
Its ideas were too tempting, too advanced.
Twenty nations, including Alabasta...
Formed a united World Government army to destroy the Great Kingdom for the sake of their own interests.
The details of that war remain unknown, but it was during that time that the legend of Ancient Weapons capable of destroying islands began to spread.
Despite the Great Kingdom's overwhelming power, it was swiftly crushed by the allied forces.
Only a few of the races that joined the Great Kingdom fought to the death, nearly facing extinction...
Joy Boy asked the Kozuki Clan to carve the Poneglyphs, recording the kingdom of D and its ideals.
He then distributed the Poneglyphs to people of various races and nations who had once visited the kingdom of D.
Instructing them to return the stones to their homelands, spreading them across the globe, and leaving behind a prophecy for 800 years later.
The victorious World Government coalition began a purge to erase all traces of the D clan.
Despite heavy resistance, the purge proceeded steadily.
In the Sea Circle Calendar year 800, the once-mighty golden city "Shandora" was devastated by war and regressed to a primitive state.
Only a spoken tradition remained, passed down through generations—guarding the massive golden bell and the unreadable Poneglyphs.
...
Blue Sea, Jaya Island
After returning Cricket to his home, Sakazuki prepared to report back to Marineford Headquarters.
Three days later.
Bloop bloop! Bloop bloop!
Karol walked over holding a Den Den Mushi. Sakazuki answered.
Listening to the voice on the line, his brows furrowed. After hanging up, he said:
"Divert to Kegesi Island. Make best speed."
Thinking it over, Sakazuki felt something wasn't right. He pulled out a sea chart and confirmed the direction.
Estimating the distance, he grabbed his cloak and flung it onto the ship. His lower body turned into magma.
BOOM!
He soared into the sky like an intercontinental missile, heading toward Kegesi Island.
Damn you, Roger!!!
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