Fish-Man Island—The Ryugu Kingdom.
Deep beneath the ocean's surface, the royal reception hall of the Ryugu Kingdom was a sight to behold, luxurious and grand.
Light from massive crystal chandeliers danced across the floor, and the rich aroma of fine, deep-sea wine filled the air.
King Neptune sat at the head of the table, his brow furrowed with worry.
"Newgate," he began, his voice heavy.
"What's really going on? You said you find Fish-Man Island a stronger protector?"
He looked his old friend in the eye.
"In this whole world, is there really anyone stronger than you?"
Whitebeard slowly raised his massive cup, the strong liquor swirling inside.
He took a hearty gulp, wine dripping from the ends of his iconic white mustache.
"Hic— Neptune…" Whitebeard sighed, his gaze drifting towards the endless blue of the ocean visible beyond the palace window.
"I'm just a relic of the old era."
He set down his cup, his eyes suddenly sharpening.
"And that kid, Mike…"
A flash of memory, of awe-inspiring power, shot through Whitebeard's mind.
The moment Mike had unleashed his attack—the Azure Dragon roaring to life, the sky itself seeming to twist and transform.
Even he, the World's Strongest Man, had felt a flicker of pressure from that single strike.
He thought back to his legendary battles with Roger.
Those had been clashes that shook the entire world.
But that was him and Roger in their absolute prime.
This kid, Mike, was still so young, with limitless potential stretching out before him.
The new era that was coming…
Whitebeard's voice dropped, but it was firmer than ever.
"Mike… he will be the king of the new era."
"???"
"What?" Neptune's eyes widened, his pupils dilating in pure, unadulterated shock.
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
He just stared, dumbfounded, at Whitebeard.
The legendary pirate, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, had just said something completely unthinkable.
"Mike? He will be the king of the new era?!"
As the ruler of Fish-Man Island, Neptune had seen it all.
He'd met countless powerful warriors and weathered endless storms.
But never, not once, had he heard Whitebeard speak of someone with such absolute certainty.
And he was talking about a mere captain from Marine Headquarters.
Could this Mike truly be that special?
"Are you certain, Newgate?" Neptune murmured, his voice thick with disbelief, but also tinged with a faint hint of hope.
"I am," Whitebeard said with a slight frown.
"But… I wonder if that kid has found the person he was looking for yet…"
*****
Skypiea.
Morning light spilled across the plaza, making the air feel crisp and fresh.
Mike stood there, leisurely sipping a cup of coffee with a calm expression.
Before him, Enel was a pathetic sight.
His face was pale, bruised, and swollen, and you could see the gaps where his teeth used to be.
The godlike aura he once had was completely gone.
"Fine…" Enel's body trembled, pain still shooting through him.
The humiliation of the previous night had stripped him of every last shred of his dignity.
Clenching his jaw, he finally managed to raise a hand in surrender.
"Fine! I'll do it. Whatever the work is, I'll do it!"
He could still feel the furious fists and kicks of the Skypieans.
If it wasn't for this man telling them to spare his life, he would have been beaten to death.
Refuse? He didn't want to die.
"Hmm…" Mike observed him quietly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Good."
At that moment, Kuzan and Smoker walked over.
Smoker stepped up to Enel, pulled out a key, and deftly unlocked the Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs.
As the cuffs fell away, a flicker of hesitation, of darkness, passed through Enel's eyes.
A faint crackle of electricity danced around his body.
For a split second, he considered it—using his power to escape this hellish nightmare.
But the air suddenly went still.
"Heh—" Kuzan said softly, his voice carrying an unyielding chill.
"Seems like you still haven't learned your lesson."
As he spoke, the temperature plummeted.
Kuzan tilted his head and made a casual gesture with his hand.
"Ice Time Capsule."
A wave of freezing air surged out, sucking all the warmth from the area.
Enel felt the chilling sensation sweep over him, and the lightning inside his body grew sluggish and heavy.
His limbs stiffened as if he had been plunged into an inescapable, icy abyss.
"Take some time to cool off in there," Kuzan said indifferently.
He turned and waved at Mike and Smoker.
"Come on, let's go have breakfast. He'll thaw out after we're done eating."
"Haha, serves him right!" Smoker chuckled, a cigar dangling from his lips.
Mike just nodded, glancing at the newly formed Enel-sicle.
"Alright."
'Let the guy learn,' he thought. 'Next time he tries to run, I'll just break his legs'.
The three of them walked into the dining hall, where a delicious-smelling breakfast was waiting for them.
Just as they were getting comfortable, Kuro entered, his footsteps heavy with exhaustion.
While Mike had been… enjoying his time with the two beauties of Skypiea, Kuro had been working all night.
"Captain, everything has been taken care of," Kuro said, his voice low. He stopped by the table, looking at Mike respectfully.
"The members of the God Squad have been rescued and reunited with their families. As for the gold… most of it has been loaded onto the ship. The rest is still being counted." He paused, lowering his voice even further.
"However, Captain… what should we do with the giant golden bell and the Poneglyph?"
Mike picked up a bowl of what looked like a warm, sweet pumpkin soup and took a slow sip.
The golden bell was the greatest treasure of the ancient city of Shandora, and beneath it lay a stone tablet inscribed with the true history of the Void Century—a Poneglyph.
Skypiea was his territory now, and he planned on coming back often to visit Conis and Laki.
He didn't mind leaving some things behind.
"Leave the bell here," Mike said slowly, his tone firm.
"As for the Poneglyph… I'm taking it with me."