Stroroberry asked,
"What's our next move?"
"Vice Admiral Borsalino."
Borsalino scratched his cheek,
"Hmm... let's start by tracking down the Sun Pirates~"
"Prepare ourselves before we act~"
"After all, those fish-men are all as strong as monsters~"
Stroroberry was somewhat speechless,
"Uh... Yes."
He lowered his head and turned to leave, making arrangements.
Kizaru, sitting in his office, picked up the mission report on his desk.
He flipped through a few pages and exclaimed,
"Kowawa~ Interesting~"
----
North Blue, Wind Flower Island, Marine Branch 194 Recruitment Office.
Jorison, now retired, lay on his rocking chair, watching the new recruits signing up with a smile, not far from the recording clerk.
In his youth, he had traveled from the North Blue to the Grand Line, and then, due to injury, returned to the North Blue from the Grand Line, guarding Wind Flower Island for decades.
His life had gone in circles, but he found the happiest times to be here, and even in retirement, he couldn't leave.
He felt an indescribable joy watching the steadily growing strength of the Marines.
Suddenly, he noticed a disciplined young man, and his eyes lit up.
Based on his years of experience, this... was a promising talent!
He slowly got up and walked to the young man standing in line, appraising him,
"Not bad, not bad."
"Young man, what's your name?"
The young man with a few grains of rice on his cheek turned his head.
After a slight pause, he honestly replied,
"Vergo."
----
East Blue, Reverse Mountain.
Ten warships were rushing down from above.
Enel sat with one leg crossed on the railing and the other dangling.
He propped his chin with his right hand, watching Barrette, who was dotingly caressing a missile, with some helplessness,
"Brother Barrette, it's all yours, no need to pet it like that."
Ever since he had, out of boredom, created a few missiles powered by lightning energy in the South Blue, Barrette had been like this after seeing the explosions.
Barrette chuckled,
"This is a man's romance."
Saying that, he picked up a half-man-tall missile from a pile and slung it over his shoulder.
The feel, the weight, it was enough!!!
Enel rubbed his forehead,
"That's not how you're supposed to use it."
"Where's the launcher?"
Barrette smiled,
"That's too troublesome, I threw it away."
"The launcher isn't as fast as I am."
Enel's face was covered in black lines,
"Indeed, you're not as fast..."
He had no comment on Barrette's launching method.
A moment later.
The exit below Reverse Mountain was already clearly visible.
Barrette suddenly grinned menacingly, stomped his foot, and with the missile on his shoulder, instantly vanished.
Enel turned and offered a silent prayer for the unknown pirate crew below.
May you meet me in the next life, I'm not that cruel... just turned to ash.
On the sea below.
Barrette, who had just disappeared from the warship, instantly appeared above the pirate ship.
He grabbed the missile with both hands and, along with himself, plunged down...
BOOM—！！！！
A mushroom cloud dozens of meters high appeared.
The enormous energy from the explosion stirred up waves several meters high, surging outwards...
Enel on the warship was somewhat helpless.
Yes, this was Barrette's launching method.
He hugged the missile himself... and plunged down.
After all, with the current technology, no launcher could match the speed of a martial arts expert like Barrette.
Barrette had taken suicide-style brute force to its extreme.
With the high-pressure electricity and explosives stored within the missile, a direct hit meant one thing: death.
Not even the ship would remain, just fragments.
Whoosh—
Barrette reappeared on the deck.
His clothes were slightly torn, but Barrette, unharmed, grinned menacingly,
"Now I understand why that old man Garp liked to smash people with cannons."
"This feeling of explosion is so satisfying."
"But that old man's cannonballs aren't as powerful as ours."
"And definitely not as accurate as mine."
"Hahahaha."
Enel shook his head and chuckled,
"Indeed..."
"Those who can stop you, Brother Barrette, are few and far between."
"Plunging down with a missile, let alone whether you die, the ship is definitely gone."
"Even iron warships would be scrapped."
"Not to mention those wooden pirate ships."
"Hey, here come two more."
"Are there so many pirates in the East Blue?"
Barrette spotted two pirate ships approaching in the distance, grabbed two missiles, and vanished again...
BOOM—
Another mushroom cloud rose.
Enel stroked his chin and clicked his tongue,
"The power is still a bit weak, not very useful against strong opponents."
Looking at the unharmed Barrette, Enel fell into thought...
On another pirate ship.
Many looked on in terror at the scene.
The man holding two strange objects threw one onto the opposing pirate ship.
Instantly!
That pirate ship vanished! They were utterly shocked, but then followed by extreme terror.
Because that man... was charging towards them!!!
The pirate captain frantically waved his sword,
"Quick! Shoot!!!!"
Bang bang bang—
A continuous barrage of gunfire erupted, while he himself quietly moved behind his crew, slowly rising.
Enel, sensing this, and Barrette, who had jumped to the sky above the pirate ship, both froze for a moment.
"This ability..."
Though his mind was stunned, Barrette instinctively hurled the missile in his hand.
BOOM—
A mushroom cloud billowed.
The moment he reacted, Barrette instantly vanished and appeared before the pirate captain who was flying backward.
His massive body blocked the shockwave, and he grabbed the pirate captain, jumping away.
The pirate captain looked bewildered,
"Tha-Thank youuuuuuuuu—!!!!"
Crack crack.
With a few crisp sounds, the pirate captain's limbs were all crushed. Barrette reached under his chin and pressed down.
"So noisy."
He completely crushed the jaw and pushed it inward, preventing him from making a sound.
He carried the pirate captain back to the warship and casually tossed him onto the ground.
Enel also jumped down from the railing and looked at the pirate,
"If I'm not mistaken, he floated up just now."
Barrette nodded,
"That's right, he definitely floated up."
"And he was actively flying outwards."
Enel chuckled,
"The power of the Bari Bari no Mi?"
"Interesting."
He beckoned to two soldiers,
"Bring me a Sea Prism Stone chain."
"And get the military doctor to treat him, don't let him die."
Watching the pirate being dragged away by two soldiers, Enel said to Barrette with a smile,
"An unexpected bonus."
"This devil fruit ability is quite good, it's ours now."
Barrette looked curious,
"Has Mr. Vegapunk researched anything new?"
Enel grinned,
"No, no, not yet."