"The Poneglyph…" Mike murmured, his gaze darkening as he stared into his soup.
"I'm taking it."
If he remembered correctly, the Poneglyph on Skypiea recorded the location of one of the Ancient Weapons, Poseidon.
"After we leave with Enel and the gold, Skypiea is bound to get other visitors," he explained, stirring his soup.
"To avoid any unnecessary trouble for our new friends here, that Poneglyph can't stay. We'll take it to Fish-Man Island."
His next stop was Fish-Man Island anyway, where he had to finalize the handover of territory with Whitebeard.
Enel would be stationed there as its new guardian.
It would be the safest place for it.
"Yes, sir," Kuro nodded without hesitation, ready to carry out the order.
Just as a comfortable quiet settled over the table, Kuzan spoke up, his voice as lazy as ever.
"Mike."
Mike paused, setting down his cup. "Hmm?"
"That Enel... what's the long-term plan for him? Should we get him a spot in the Marines?"
Mike was taken aback for a second.
"Is that even appropriate, Admiral?"
"I don't see a problem," Kuzan shrugged with a faint smile. "He's not on the World Government's radar. We can just say we assigned him to my unit because of his specialty in Observation Haki. Then, later on, we can say he 'found' the Rumble-Rumble Fruit after joining up."
A glint of approval flashed in Kuzan's eyes.
"The kid's got decent power, even if his temper is a mess. He just needs some discipline. I know you find that stuff troublesome, so leave it to me. If he even thinks about acting up, I'll just freeze him for a couple of days to cool him off."
"..." Mike listened in silence.
He'd thought about it and indeed the guy was a loose cannon who needed a full-time babysitter.
Mike barely had enough time to slack off as it was; he definitely couldn't spare the time to supervise a wannabe god.
But Kuzan… he really got him.
Since he was offering to handle the discipline, what reason did Mike have to say no?
"Alright," Mike finally said, a grin spreading across his face.
"Let him enlist." He stood up and walked toward the exit.
"Come on, let's go see if our new recruit has learned his lesson."
The three of them stepped out of the restaurant into the warm, bright sunlight.
When they reached the square, the sight of Enel was almost comical.
His upper body had melted, but his lower half was still frozen solid in a block of ice.
His once-arrogant face was now just a mess of fear and resentment, his missing teeth making him chatter from the cold.
When he saw Mike and Kuzan approaching, he shivered and immediately bowed his head.
"I... I was wrong..." he mumbled meekly.
'Too terrifying! This is all too terrifying!' he thought, his spirit completely broken.
He thought his powers made him invincible, but he'd been beaten down instantly, over and over again.
His once-massive ego was now a pile of dust.
Kuzan stood over him, his expression unreadable.
With a casual wave of his hand, the ice shattered, and Enel was finally free.
The rebellious fire in him was completely gone.
He just stood there, slightly hunched over, waiting silently for his orders.
"Good," Mike said with a slight nod.
"Then pack your things. We're setting off soon. Our next stop is the place you'll be protecting." He turned, his gaze sweeping across the beautiful sky island.
"Fish-Man Island."
*****
"—Wooo—"
The massive warship slowly pulled away from Skypiea, its engines humming as it cut through the clouds.
On Angel Beach, a huge crowd had gathered.
The people of Skypiea and the Shandian warriors stood side-by-side, united as they waved goodbye to their island new lord.
The air was thick with emotion—the joy of a grand send-off mixed with the sadness of parting.
Conis and Laki stood at the very front of the crowd, their eyes glistening with unshed tears.
They jumped and waved frantically, watching as the man they cherished sailed away.
Beneath the giant Golden Bell, the Shandian chief raised a battle flag high in the air.
"Ring the Golden Bell!" he roared.
"Light the fire of Shandora! Send off our island lord!"
"OOOOOH!" the Shandian warriors roared in unison, their voices thundering across the sky.
They grabbed the thick ropes of the Golden Bell and pulled with all their might.
DONG—
The first toll of the bell was a deep, resonant sound that seemed to carry the very heartbeat of Skypiea, shaking the souls of everyone present.
DONG—
The second toll reverberated across every inch of the island, a sound of history, gratitude, and hope.
DONG—
At the third strike, the sound seemed to stretch out into the endless sky, a solemn farewell witnessed by the sky itself.
Mike stood at the bow of the warship with a faint warm smile on his lips as he watched the island and its people fade into the distance.
"Goodbye, Mike-sama!"
"Come back to Skypiea often!"
"We'll always be waiting for you!"
Their voices surged across the clouds, a tide of gratitude and blessings.
At that moment, Mike felt as if he were in a dream.
'Is this what it feels like?' he thought, his heart warming.
'To be so deeply thanked, so revered?'
An overwhelming sense of fulfillment, a joy deeper than any he had ever felt, washed over him.
And then, a familiar sound chimed in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Host has experienced the gratitude and passion of the people of the one piece world (Skypiea) for the first time, feeling extreme joy.]
[Drop rate greatly increased!!!]
[Now initiating a ten-draw—probability of obtaining a golden-tier item has been raised to the absolute maximum!!!]
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