Across the endless expanse of the White White Sea, pristine whiteness stretched as far as the eye could see. The massive white whale ship advanced, cleaving through the waves.
After bidding farewell to Shandia and Angel Island, the Whitebeard Pirates set sail for Bilka. Even Whitebeard felt some interest in the Sky Warriors and miraculous techniques that Gan Fall claimed were abundant in Bilka.
Few reached the sky islands ten thousand meters high, but the Whitebeard Pirates had already experienced the unique local customs and traditions on Angel Island. The lightweight, uniquely textured Sky Fish, and the pumpkin-shaped, sweet-juiced coconut fruits—the distinctive local cuisine born from unique geological conditions offered the most direct insight into the regional culture.
Learning that Bilka was a civilization far more advanced than Angel Island naturally heightened the Whitebeard Pirates' anticipation.
"According to the library in Elbaph, the legendary Lunarian Tribe once resided on the Red Line, revered as a godly clan that established God's Country. Lunarians—literally 'Moon People'—are a monstrous race capable of surviving in any environment. That's how they descended from the moon and built a new civilization on the Red Line. The Skypieans are the vanguard forces of the Moon People, who eventually settled in Skypiea, leading to their divergence."
During the voyage of the Moby Dick, Chronos began explaining the relationship between the Moon People, Skypieans, and the Lunarian Tribe to pass the time. The Whitebeard crew listened attentively, treating it as a story. They had all seen surviving members of the Lunarian Tribe in the Great Kingdom. Their incredible flight speed, extremely tough physical defenses, and flame-manipulating abilities indeed made the Lunarians inherently extraordinary, worthy of being called a godly clan of the Pirate Continent.
Unfortunately, fate had been unkind to them. If not for Joy Boy's survival in this world, the Lunarian Tribe would likely be reduced to just King as the sole remaining descendant.
The massive white whale pressed forward until another cloud-covered land appeared ahead. Having finished his story, Chronos leaned against the deck, enjoying the sea breeze and dozing off, when a sudden wondrous sight emerged before him, leaving him astonished.
If Chronos wasn't mistaken, that was... a flying ship!?
"Hey, hey, what is that?! A ship that can fly in the sky!" Marco was the first to shout, raising blue flames in his hands, ready to investigate.
Whitebeard was momentarily stunned. Shiki? No, it wasn't him.
The situation in Skypiea was too similar to the Golden Lion's, often causing Whitebeard to unconsciously link the two.
A nearly pure white flying ship approached, its body almost entirely constructed from clouds. Skypiea possessed unique cloud-processing techniques capable of creating Iron Cloud, which matched real steel in hardness and sharpness, and could even switch back and forth between solid form and soft, loose ordinary clouds.
After a quick observation, Chronos concluded it was a flying ship made of processed Iron Cloud, equipped with Fire Shells and Wind Dials as operational instruments.
As if detecting the Whitebeard Pirates, the flying ship emitted a ripple.
The crew looked up and instantly spotted the approaching vessel.
After the sound of flapping wings, a young girl with a pair of large, pure white wings growing from her back flew down.
She had dazzling golden hair and a face that looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, though her stature was exceptionally tall. Her curious gaze fell upon the Whitebeard Pirates.
"You... are people from the Blue Sea?"
The girl inquired, her unique Mind Net telling her that these people carried no ill intentions and could be communicated with normally.
The Whitebeard Pirates rubbed their chins, their eyes fixed on the broad wings behind the girl.
"Gurarara, I am Whitebeard Edward Newgate, captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, and these are all my dear children. What about you, girl?"
Whitebeard asked with a laugh, as he always had a tolerant heart toward children.
Moreover...
In this girl before him, Whitebeard could sense a feeling similar to the special Mind Net of Otohime, the wife of his old friend Neptune.
Could this girl also perceive emotions?
"I am Angeles, a trainee guard of Bilka. What brings you here?"
Angeles replied, clad in armor reminiscent of Gan Fall's attire during his Sky Knight days.
Chronos could sense that within Angeles's armor, in places like the palms of her hands, there were Sky Island Dials with various functions.
On Skypiea, the combat style of the sky warriors revolved around the use of Dials.
"We are pirates, so of course we're here for treasure, but don't worry—we are free pirates explicitly recognized by the Great Kingdom and won't engage in burning, killing, or plundering. This is a document from Angel Island; we have an invitation."
Chronos said, producing the letter of introduction he had asked Gan Fall to write.
Angeles blinked, looked over the entire Whitebeard Pirates crew once more, and finally nodded.
"If you are guests introduced by another sky island, then please wait a moment. I'll go report to the god of Bilka."
Watching Angeles flap her wings and fly away, the Whitebeard Pirates' gaze remained fixed on her.
Marco clicked his tongue, still somewhat puzzled.
"Chronos, are those wings on her back natural or a Devil Fruit ability?"
Chronos narrowed his eyes and said decisively, "I'm not omniscient; how could I possibly know?"
"They're natural, you know~"
At that moment, Angeles in the distance chuckled softly—she had heard them.
"The god said I was a foundling, probably a descendant of Moon People and Skypieans, so I inherited a little of the Moon People's abilities, like flying wings."
Seeing Angeles's response from afar, the Whitebeard Pirates were taken aback and all turned to look at Chronos.
You mention the Lunarian Tribe, and a Lunarian Tribe member just shows up?
Chronos was also stunned. Could it be... that he had the ability to make things happen just by saying them?
No, that girl could hear their whispered conversation—her Mind Net was very strong!
Wait, it seems Enel's God Squad were all brought by him himself, and his top officers all knew Mind Net, while Gan Fall, the local god, did not.
Aside from the possibility that Enel taught them himself, it must be that Bilka has specialized training for teaching Mind Net!
This place really isn't simple, huh~
...
Before long, the Whitebeard Pirates entered Bilka and were warmly received by the local god, engaging in conversation.
"So the Great Kingdom hasn't perished yet? Joy Boy... I'd really like to meet him!"
In the divine residence of Bilka, the deity known as Muur was hosting the Whitebeard Pirates. Upon hearing long-awaited news from the Blue Sea, his face was filled with emotion.
The most accessible route for Blue Sea dwellers to reach Skypiea was through Angel Island, where Gan Fall resided. Bilka wasn't far from there, but it still maintained some distance.
Setting out from the Summit of the Western Sky offered only a ten percent survival rate; taking the Knock-Up Stream meant either complete survival or total annihilation.
After such rigorous filtering, almost no one from the Blue Sea could reach Bilka.
It was only in recent years, with the stabilization of the world's weather and the increasing number of seafarers, that Bilka had reestablished contact with the Blue Sea through sheer numbers.
However, due to the isolation between islands, very few were privy to global affairs.
The Whitebeard Pirates were, to date, Bilka's only reliable source of intelligence on the situation in the Blue Sea.
"Gurarara, that guy's still alive. If you want to see him, just set sail," Whitebeard boomed with laughter. Joy Boy was someone he quite liked.
Muur nodded, already making plans in his mind. As descendants of the Moon People, though their technology had long been fragmented, a starved camel was still larger than a horse.
Aside from the small sky island of Weatheria, hardly any other sky island could rival Bilka in terms of technology and culture.
Chronos cleared his throat, took a few sips of tea to moisten it.
He had been doing most of the talking earlier. As the chief steward and diplomat of the Whitebeard Pirates, Chronos was practically the face of the crew.
His gaze swept over the guards around Muur—mostly towering, burly men, but with two exceptions who stood out starkly.
One was Angeles, whom he had seen earlier, with wings several times larger than those of the surrounding Bilkans.
The other was a blond with long earlobes, no wings on his back, and an expression of solitary pride.
Even without asking for the young man's name, Chronos knew exactly who he was—the main antagonist of the Skypiea arc in the original story, Enel!
In fan theories from his past life, since Enel lacked wings, many speculated that he had grown up bullied, harboring deep resentment toward the sky islanders. After obtaining the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he supposedly destroyed Bilka as revenge, with the Ark Maxim being a blueprint passed down through his family.
But that didn't quite add up. Enel showed little evidence of having been bullied; instead, his demeanor radiated innate arrogance.
Rather than growing up with a chip on his shoulder, Enel clearly developed as a prodigy, looking down on everyone else.
Cover stories further revealed that the sky islanders were descendants of the Moon People, and the Ark Maxim was undoubtedly Moon People technology.
Considering Enel's goal was to reach the Endless Earth and become a true god, coupled with his mastery of the Mind Net and the fact that he had subordinates who also wielded it when he invaded Angel Island, it was evident that Enel was akin to someone like Blackbeard.
Raised and nurtured in Bilka, he grew up as a genius who scorned others, arrogantly believing that only the position of god was worthy of him.
Then, upon discovering the blueprints for the Ark and the legends of the Endless Earth, his ambition was fully ignited by the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Just as Blackbeard destroyed the Whitebeard Pirates, Enel destroyed Bilka.
Ultimately, to fulfill his ambition, he ruled Angel Island with near-brutal methods, seizing its gold.
Chronos had a rather average impression of Enel. The man lacked charisma and had a terrible personality, but the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was truly captivating!
Many people liked Enel not because of who he was, but purely because of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
At this moment, seeing Enel's almost visibly displayed "I am God" attitude, Chronos was certain this guy was just an impatient version of Blackbeard.
According to the storyline, Enel destroyed Bilka six years before the Straw Hat Pirates arrived in Skypiea, which was likely when he obtained the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
The current Enel was just a brash youngster, not worth fearing—at most, he was going through an edgy phase.
After Chronos finished introducing the Blue Sea, Muur began explaining about Bilka.
As expected, this was the first base established by the Moon People after arriving on Earth, but it was later abandoned, leaving behind only some blueprints and relics.
The research team had all left, but the guard force and ordinary residents remained.
Thanks to the legacy of the Moon People's technology, the people of Bilka lived comfortably.
With the guard force staying behind, Bilka had specialized Mind Net training courses.
Every qualified Bilka Sky Warrior mastered the Mind Net, much like how the warriors of Amazon Lily generally mastered Armament Haki.
As mentioned earlier, Haki is an innate power of the people in the pirate world. Almost everyone can learn it; they just need to find a way to discover and guide it.
Those with exceptional talent don't even need guidance—they can awaken it naturally.
Angeles and Enel were such geniuses of the Mind Net, or Observation Haki.
These two were currently trainee guards in Bilka, but they weren't locals; both were foundlings.
Bilka had adopted many orphans, but only these two had become trainee guards in the guard force at such a young age.
True talent indeed sets one apart from childhood.
The exchange between the Whitebeard Pirates and Bilka went smoothly because both sides had something to gain: the Whitebeard Pirates needed Devil Fruits, and Bilka needed information about the Blue Sea.
In the divine residence, after prolonged conversation, the guard force began to regard the Whitebeard Pirates with friendliness.
Angeles even looked at Chronos with near admiration, clearly fascinated by his descriptions of the Blue Sea.
Only Enel seemed disinterested, only showing interest when hearing about Imu, the Celestial Dragons, Joy Boy, and Davy Jones.
The young ones still couldn't hide their expressions well, and Chronos quickly saw through both the girl and the boy.
Chronos began to entertain the idea of recruiting them. He planned to become independent after obtaining the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, so besides his own strength, capable subordinates were crucial.
Especially Enel—though his personality was unappealing, he was an important figure in the storyline.
Ever since Chronos helped Cricket and the Shandia resolve their troubles, his system had rewarded him with energy.
[Ding! Host helped fulfill the 400-year-delayed "Lights of Shandora." Reward: One Random Item Summon Card.]
[Ding! Host helped the Shandia return to their homeland. Reward: One Random Character Summon Card.]
[Ding! Host promoted the reformation of Angel Island. Reward: One Sky Island Dial Upgrade Card.]
When Chronos destroyed Mock Town earlier, there were no rewards, both because Mock Town had little significance in the storyline and because its destruction was too straightforward.
Enel's role in the plot was significant, and by altering his fate along with the entire situation in Bilka, Chronos felt this should qualify for a reward settlement.
But it didn't matter if there wasn't one. As the saying went, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was far more important than Enel—both in terms of power and allure.
"Mr. Muur." Chronos was someone who adapted to local customs. Originally, he had addressed Muur as "God," but Muur had waived the title, noting that the Whitebeard Pirates weren't natives of Bilka.
It was clear that Muur understood: although the Whitebeard Pirates treated them politely, the two sides were not equals in strength.
The Bilkan warriors present, all of whom had mastered the Mind Net, could naturally sense the terrifying power possessed by the Whitebeard crew members.
"Our purpose in coming to Bilka this time is both to visit the ruins of the ancient Moon People and to search for a certain item. May I ask if you possess an object known as a Devil Fruit here?"
Chronos inquired—this was the crux of the matter.
"Devil Fruit?" Muur was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "Are you referring to the Devil Fruit that grants power through a pact with demons, only to be despised by the sky and sea, causing one to fall from the White White Sea?"
Chronos's mouth twitched, but he nodded nonetheless. The Devil Fruit certainly had a notorious reputation.
He produced a drawn illustration of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. It was recorded in the Devil Fruit encyclopedia, and given that this ability was considered one of the 'invincible' powers among the many Devil Fruits, it was only natural that detailed drawings existed.
Muur studied the illustration, thought for a moment, and then a realization dawned on him.
"Lord Chronos, it seems we do have such a Devil Fruit in our collection room."
Chronos's expression brightened—good news!
"I need this Devil Fruit. Mr. Muur, what must I offer in exchange to obtain it?"
Chronos adopted a polite approach first, intending to resort to force if necessary. If no terms were offered, he could only apologize and take it by other means.
"Hmm..."
Muur pondered. He didn't actually know what that particular Devil Fruit was, only that it appeared to be a Devil Fruit.
It had originally been kept as a collectible, but if this young man wanted it, he could easily extend a favor.
"I've heard that in the Blue Sea, a Devil Fruit is priced at around one hundred million Belly."
Muur smiled—this was the simplest method.
Chronos smiled as well and extended his hand. "I'll offer three hundred million Belly."
"Deal!"
Muur nodded with a laugh. This was a win-win solution.
As they spoke, Enel, who had been standing nearby with a calm and detached expression, suddenly changed. His pupils fixed on the illustration of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, and his breathing grew rapid.
He recognized this Devil Fruit.
Hm?
The Whitebeard crew shifted their gaze, noticing Enel's intense stare, and their expressions darkened imperceptibly.
This kid... has ulterior motives...
...
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Muur took a case from the guard who had returned from the collection vault and addressed Chronos, placing the box on the table.
Chronos, in turn, retrieved a case containing three hundred million Belly from the alternate dimension Blamenco carried and set it on the table as well.
The two exchanged smiles, then simultaneously opened their cases to verify the contents.
On Chronos's side was a full three hundred million Belly in cash.
Muur also opened his case, revealing the Rumble-Rumble Fruit inside—golden all over, covered in spiral patterns, with Z-shaped lightning-like protrusions on its surface.
Everything was confirmed. Just as they were about to make the exchange, the moment the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was revealed—
Boom!
Enel suddenly lunged forward like a hound, charging toward the Rumble-Rumble Fruit with his mouth wide open.
One bite—he only needed one bite!
Bam! Clang! Thud! Boom!
Phoenix blue flames ignited, diamond-like brilliance flashed, a famed sword was drawn, and various other attacks intertwined.
Enel was sent flying backward faster than he had charged, his body smashing violently against the wall and shattering a section of the cloud barrier.
Bleeding all over with bones gone soft, Enel immediately lost consciousness.
Chronos withdrew the Haki from his hand, glanced at Enel, shook his head, then turned to the somewhat stunned Muur and shrugged with a smile:
"Mr. Muur, your guard seems to have some issues."
Instantly, Muur's expression changed drastically, a mix of shame and rage as he glared at the far-flung Enel and snarled:
"Seize that brat and throw him into the Cloud Prison!"
Under the perception of Mind Net, none of Enel's actions could remain hidden.
He had gambled for his ambition, but unfortunately, he lost.
...
[Ding! Acquired the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, ended Enel's life path. Reward: One Electric-type Skill Summon Card.]
Crackle!
Arcs of electricity flickered across his body. Feeling this wild, unrestrained power within him, Chronos revealed a somewhat arrogant smile.
With a sharp weapon in hand, the urge to kill arises naturally.
"Gurarara, Chronos, you've gained another formidable power!"
Whitebeard congratulated him sincerely. While he had minor reservations about the Soul-Soul Fruit, for the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he had nothing but blessings.
Marco and Thatch sandwiched Chronos between them, grinning mischievously as they applied pressure, celebrating him in their own brotherly way.
In response, Chronos unceremoniously gifted each of them an afro, making them yelp in protest—though all they could do was yelp.
Chronos laughed heartily—he had succeeded!
While the Soul-Soul Fruit was powerful, that assessment came from considering all its aspects holistically.
In terms of combat power, the Soul-Soul Fruit wasn't the most significant boost.
Just look at Big Mom's fight against the Ulti and Page One siblings on Onigashima in the original storyline.
Ulti took a combined Homie attack from Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit and still got back up.
Page One took one Haki-infused strike from Big Mom and was immediately down for the count.
Even if there was a gap in strength between Ulti and Page One, as fellow Tobiroppo, they should be in the same tier—there's a difference, but not a cross-tier one.
For Big Mom, the Soul-Soul Fruit's abilities were clearly inferior to her own Haki-infused strikes.
Not to mention, the Soul-Soul Fruit required fear to extract lifespan, and creating Homies also cost lifespan—it was more of a utility-type fruit.
But the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was different. Although this Devil Fruit didn't kill a single named character in the Skypiea arc, aside from Luffy, nearly everyone was knocked out in one hit.
Sanji and Usopp—one hit, knocked unconscious;
The Shandian warriors—one hit, knocked unconscious;
Nola, the Lord of the Sky, who couldn't even be pierced by a bazooka—one hit, knocked unconscious;
Gan Fall and Robin—one hit, knocked unconscious;
Zoro and Wyper, with their slightly tougher constitutions—down within three hits, knocked unconscious;
Even in the cover stories, the Space Pirates were knocked out in one hit!
Though it had no named kills on record, that was just a matter of finishing blows.
In Chronos' view, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's basic attack power surpassed even the Glint-Glint Fruit, with the added effects of searing burns and paralysis.
Enel's physical condition was not poor, and his combat experience was considerable. Upon discovering that the Gomu-Gomu Fruit was immune to his attacks, he further utilized his ability to control lightning to restrain Luffy.
It's often said that Enel was defeated due to plot convenience, but aside from Luffy's Straw Hat crew and the Shandians, weren't they also saved by the plot?
They couldn't land a single hit on Enel, and even when knocked unconscious, they could be resuscitated. Yet, a single touch from Enel would render them completely incapacitated.
Victory attained through the power of a Devil Fruit can likewise lead to defeat by that same power.
In Chronos' view, the dissatisfaction many felt towards Enel's "plot-induced defeat" stemmed more from the frustration of seeing a seemingly perfect situation disrupted.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit ought to be an invincible ability, yet it possessed a fatal flaw—like a single pea beneath twenty layers of duck-down comforters. No matter how comfortable, the presence of that one irritating element ruins everything.
But that no longer mattered to Chronos. Memories from his past life were merely references; he now possessed the power to compete on the world stage.
Even if it was only within the world of pirates.
Electric sparks flickered between Chronos' fingers while purple soul-lifespan energy materialized in his other palm.
The two energies gradually drew closer, then slowly merged under Chronos' control.
Just as Blackbeard could simultaneously wield the Dark-Dark Fruit with his left hand and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit with his right, Chronos too could harness both the Soul-Soul Fruit and Rumble-Rumble Fruit powers, even combining them into new techniques.
Using the lightning from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit as raw material, he could now create Lightning Homies at will.
Whether Permanent Homies or Temporary Homies, they all represented enhancements to his combat capabilities.
Thus, Chronos had only one remaining objective: to find the final piece among the three types of Devil Fruits—the Vampire Fruit hidden in the ancient sleeping town.
Days later, the Moby Dick gradually sailed away from Bilka's waters.
Because of Enel's actions, the initially harmonious atmosphere between the Whitebeard Pirates and Bilka's residents had become somewhat awkward again.
However, this minor incident was quickly set aside as normal interactions resumed.
During their stay, the Whitebeard Pirates had thoroughly experienced Bilka's local customs, technological culture, and even sampled the Mind Net training program.
Observation Haki was the most individualized form of Haki, requiring innate talent. Representatives like Otohime and Red Count could naturally perceive others' emotions, even read memories and influence feelings.
Bilka's Mind Net placed particular emphasis on enhancing auditory perception within Observation Haki's five-senses amplification.
Centuries of development had yielded unique insights into this approach.
Many Whitebeard Pirates felt they had gained new knowledge.
As for Enel's disposition, little needed to be said. In eighteen years, he might reach adulthood.
Initially, Muur had considered Enel's talent and intended only severe punishment, but whether due to shattered dreams or not, Enel completely gave up on himself.
He revealed all his ambitions, including replacing Muur as a god after gaining power, then traveling to the legendary Endless Earth.
What followed was the classic "this child harbors wolfish ambitions and must not be spared" scenario.
Muur even conducted internal investigations among Bilka's guards to root out any other ambitious schemers.
Finally, Chronos struck another deal with Muur, obtaining the blueprints for the Ark Maxim.
According to Muur, the device was currently just decorative since they couldn't find an energy source. With Bilka having developed Cloud Ships powered by Sky Island Dials as inferior substitutes, the Ark Maxim blueprints were practically given away at a symbolic price as compensation for Enel's violent actions.
Chronos naturally accepted them gladly.
Though just before departure, a minor incident occurred.
"Uncle Whitebeard, I don't think I can stay in Bilka anymore. Could you take me in?"
Angeles pleaded pitifully to Whitebeard while holding her luggage.
Over the past few days, she could clearly sense the strange shift in attitude from the other guards in Bilka toward her.
Since both Angeles and Enel were considered the new generation's prodigies and had a good relationship with each other, now that something had happened with Enel, people were looking at Angeles with suspicion...
To avoid unnecessary trouble, and because Angeles was deeply interested in the vast Blue Sea, she decided to leave. The Whitebeard Pirates were her best option.
Whitebeard was initially reluctant to agree, but after Angeles's earnest pleas and consulting with Muur who expressed no objections, he ultimately consented.
Meanwhile, to prevent Bilka from falling into racial trust issues, Chronos gave Muur a book about building national consciousness, which Muur treasured like a priceless gem.
And so, Chronos obtained the long-desired Rumble-Rumble Fruit, while the Whitebeard Pirates incidentally brought back a mixed-blood member of the Lunarian Tribe from Bilka.
The massive white whale ship sailed toward Angel Island. With their objective completed, the Whitebeard Pirates prepared to bid farewell to their friends and return to the New World.
If they stayed away for too long, the Whitebeard Pirates' territories in the New World might face some instability.
Meanwhile, in Shandora...
"Fufufufufu..."
Doflamingo let out a strange laugh as he gazed at the glittering golden city before him, his fingers beginning to manipulate strings.
Nola roared in fury, continuously launching attacks forward, yet his massive body showed spots of blood.
"As expected of the Whitebeard Pirates! To actually find the legendary City of Gold! But to leave such wealth behind after planting their flag? What a naive pirate crew! In that case, it shall become my power!"
Facing the hateful gazes of the Shandians, Doflamingo laughed maniacally.
Wonderful—these delightful looks of hatred, and the visible rewards. Thank you, Whitebeard Pirates!
Hmm?
Chronos, who had been following Enel's method from the original storyline by using the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's electrical currents to enhance his Observation Haki range, frowned and looked toward Shandora.
It seemed some ignorant little insect was taking advantage of the adults' absence to cause trouble~