"This...!!!"
"Is this even something a human can do?!"
"It's the Thunder God!!!"
"The Thunder God has returned!"
"..."
From a distance, the island's natives were both astonished and overjoyed—no one understood the power of Raijin Island's lightning better than they did. They feared it, revered it, and now they were in absolute awe of it.
While the natives were still frozen in shock,
"I—I am willing to be your loyal lackey! Please forgive our earlier disrespect!"
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Ignoring the fresh wounds left by the shockwaves, Jenomie dropped to his knees and slid across the ground from a distance, prostrating himself at the basin's edge.
With his last two subordinates behind him, he repeatedly bowed, his forehead hitting the ground with crisp, echoing thuds.
The sound alone made it clear—this man was giving his most sincere submission.
"Good," Enel said, his dead-fish eyes shifting toward the stunned and bewildered natives. His voice was calm, indifferent.
At that moment, a massive bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the land like it was broad daylight.
"Clang!"
One by one, the special weapons capable of firing laser-like projectiles clattered to the ground as the village chief and his people surrendered.
"Welcome, Lord Thunder God!"
"Lord Thunder God! This way, please!"
...
Meanwhile, aboard the Numancia Flamingo.
Doflamingo was once again training at the bow of the ship, his body wrapped in elastic bands that restricted every muscle, intensifying the strain. He needed something to burn through his boundless energy.
As for Enel's safety? Doflamingo wasn't concerned in the slightest.
First, almost no one could outrun Enel. Lightning was light, after all. While Enel's current physique might not let him fully convert speed into direct power, escaping wouldn't be an issue.
Second, this was Raijin Island—an island dominated by lightning. If Enel couldn't handle a place without any major pirates, then he might as well go be a guinea pig for a while.
Just as Doflamingo retracted his strings and stood up, he stepped onto the sky paths and looked toward the rear of Numancia Flamingo.
His Observation Haki had picked up something.
Far in the distance, a ship with a gothic, dark aesthetic—about the same size as a small Marine battleship—was approaching.
At the bow stood a towering figure, easily seven meters tall. The long blade resting on his shoulder and his dark, rock-and-roll cowboy attire exuded an oppressive aura.
Yet, the small horns on his forehead gave his shark-like grin an oddly humorous touch.
Clearly, he was a half-blood between an Oni and a human.
"Hehihihihi! First day in the New World, and I already run into people—what a coincidence!"
The man had clearly noticed Doflamingo standing in midair, along with his well-defined, muscular physique.
With great enthusiasm, he waved.
"Are you headed to Raijin Island too? Wanna join my crew? The name's Moria!"
"Damn it! Captain, you idiot! You're picking another fight!"
"Who the hell just casually invites another pirate to join their crew like that?!"
"You think you're Whitebeard or something?!" "..."
The crew members of the Moria Pirates looked utterly exhausted. They were so numb to this scenario that they were half-tempted to give up.
"No wonder he got his skull bashed in by Kaido's club a year from now..." Doflamingo mused, recognizing the man immediately.
The distinct features left no doubt—this was the future Warlord of the Sea, the man who would one day be the oldest among them.
At this moment, however, he was still the famed warrior of the West Blue—Gecko Moria.
To be fair, without his later trauma, Moria seemed surprisingly cheerful.
"NO. A strong man never boards another's ship."
Doflamingo's favorite thing was refusing people's requests.
"Besides, Raijin Island is already mine. It's my territory now."
His lips curled into a dangerous grin.
"So why don't we have a fight? How about it? Fuffuffuffuffu!"
His hands were itching for a good battle. Training was fine, but nothing compared to the thrill of combat—and he had energy to spare.
Moria was no pushover; no matter how he had survived Kaido's wrath in the future, there was no doubt that, at this moment, he was strong.
"Hehihihihi! A fight? Alright, Doflamingo! If I win, you join my crew!"
Moria clearly wasn't giving up on recruiting him.
"Fine. I like those terms. If I win, you'll carry my name instead. Let's go—Raijin Island is a perfect battleground."
As soon as the two ships docked, Enel appeared, having just finished inspecting the natives' village.
His verdict? A godforsaken dump.
Actually, no—that wasn't accurate. Even birds wouldn't bother shitting in a place like this.
"The island's under control. Young Master, what's this?"
Enel's gaze landed on the new arrival and the unmistakable tension in the air, his usual arrogance giving way to a more serious expression.
He had been planning to boast about his conquests, but now wasn't the time.
"Oi, kid! Is that a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user?!"
Moria's eyes gleamed as he saw the sparks of electricity still dancing around Enel's body.
He had heard the rumors of the strongest Logia fruit. He never expected to run into it so soon after reaching the New World.
"I found you some subordinates," Doflamingo said, strolling onto the island without a care. "Make sure the sky stays quiet. I don't want any interruptions in my fight."
Without waiting for a response, he walked past Moria.
Moria and his crew followed suit.
"Come, Moria. Let's see what you're made of."
"Hehihihihi! Doflamingo—Shadow Slash!"
Unlike his future self, who toyed with shadows, the current Moria fought head-on.
His shadow moved in sync with him, launching a massive slash attack.
A twin-colored wave—gray and white—tore through the air, slicing through the supposedly indestructible ground like tofu.
"Spider Web."
Doflamingo remained motionless as black strings wove into an intricate web, completely negating the attack.
"Is that all? Moria, if this is your limit, you'd better accept being my subordinate. String Bullet!"
"Hehihihihi! That was just a warm-up, Doflamingo! Shadow Master!"
A pink silhouette and two black shadows collided.
Moria's massive blade clashed against Doflamingo's hardened fists over and over again.
His shadow followed every move like a Stand from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, amplifying his strength.
Invisible strings met earth-shattering force, neither side backing down.
The battle quickly reached a fever pitch.
...
An hour later, their clash continued. The repeated impacts against their bodies sounded like an eerie rhythm of drumbeats.
"Are all New World pirates this strong?!"
"Doflamingo… that name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?"
"He's actually holding his own against Captain Moria!"
Moria's crew was in shock. They had expected an easy victory.
But now? A battle of endurance had begun.
Unlike them, Enel simply watched as his Young Master's grin widened.
His eyelid twitched.
Oh no. He recognized that look.
Doflamingo had found a punching bag he liked.
He was having fun.
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+255 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg