A warship shimmered with arcs of lightning as it sailed swiftly across the vast sea.
Inside the captain's quarters, the sudden ringing of a Den Den Mushi jolted Admiral Silver Snake awake from his sleep.
"Fujitora is missing after battling a powerful enemy?"
Silver Snake, already dressed in an anti-electric combat suit, stared at the Den Den Mushi on the table and narrowed his eyes.
"What exactly happened?"
The Den Den Mushi looked panicked, its eyes wide as it spoke in a trembling voice:
"Admiral Silver Snake Cero, we are not completely sure either!
Earlier, before nightfall, Admiral Fujitora dealt with a group of pirates who had plundered many valuables at sea. After interrogating the survivors, he located the island they had just raided.
When Admiral Fujitora returned the stolen goods, the island residents were extremely grateful and invited Admiral Fujitora and us to stay in their Town as guests.
Everything was peaceful at first, but in the middle of the night, Admiral Fujitora suddenly left. He instructed us not to leave the Town, saying that a very powerful individual had appeared outside.
He went out alone with his sword.
Not long after that, a massive earthquake occurred, followed by a terrifying hurricane and violent thunder!
But it seemed that all of it was eventually suppressed by Admiral Fujitora.
Then, for some unknown reason, Admiral Fujitora summoned a meteor, and that was the last thing we witnessed!
When we sent scouts outside the Town, the entire area was in ruins. There were enormous craters and collapsed terrain everywhere, but Admiral Fujitora was gone.
There were no enemy corpses, and no trace of any opponent!
We have already reported this to Fleet Admiral Sakazuki. The surrounding Marine forces are being fully mobilized to search for Admiral Fujitora's whereabouts.
Fleet Admiral Sakazuki said that you and Admiral Fujitora are close, and asked if you might know where he went."
"Hmph. Do you think I'm some kind of psychic?"
Silver Snake yawned, rubbing his eyes lazily.
"Even if you ask me, I don't know where that gambling blind man ran off to."
He stood up from his chair and stretched, his joints crackling.
"Forget it. Give me your coordinates. I'll head over myself."
His eyes glinted with electricity.
"My Observation Haki is amplified by electric waves. I can scan a massive area of the sea.
If that blind gambler isn't dead yet, I'll find him faster than all of you."
"Wuwuwu…"
The Den Den Mushi burst into tears of relief.
"Thank you so much, Si Ming! If Admiral Fujitora truly has suffered something unfortunate…"
"Shut up."
Silver Snake snapped irritably.
"Do you really think that blind man is easy to kill? Anyone who tries is just asking to get buried."
He pushed open the door with his muscular arm. Outside stood Vice Admiral Doll, her uniform slightly disheveled from rushing over.
"No choice, the capable do more work."
Silver Snake grinned.
"This time I'm moving alone. You don't need to follow me. This ship is too slow."
Vice Admiral Doll nodded seriously.
She knew he was telling the truth.
Even this lightning-enhanced warship was still far slower than Silver Snake himself. His movement speed was comparable to Admiral Kizaru, if not faster in short bursts.
"Please be careful," Doll said softly. "Take the Den Den Mushi with you. Maybe Admiral Fujitora will contact us before you even reach the area."
"Good point."
Silver Snake casually picked up the Den Den Mushi and attached it to his belt. Then he turned back, blew Doll a playful kiss, and smiled mischievously.
"Beauty, don't wait for me tonight. I won't be coming back to share a bed with you."
"…"
Vice Admiral Doll rolled her eyes.
Still, she reached out and draped the Marine justice coat over his shoulders, carefully adjusting it. A faint blush appeared on her face as she spoke quietly:
"Cero, please be careful."
"Relax."
Silver Snake lifted his chin confidently. His long white hair fluttered despite the lack of wind, crackling faintly with electricity.
"In this world, no one can kill me. Not even a god."
…
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
Terrifying thunder roared across the clouds.
A silvery-white bolt of lightning tore through the sky, streaking forward like a divine spear.
Zap! Zap! Zap!
Silver Snake's body transformed into pure lightning as he leapt from cloud to cloud, racing across the sky.
He was already closing in on the coordinates given by Fujitora's subordinates.
"What kind of monster could make someone like Fujitora vanish without leaving a single trace?"
Silver Snake pondered as he moved, his consciousness scanning the surroundings through Observation Haki.
If anyone claimed that Fujitora had been easily defeated or captured, Silver Snake would be the first to laugh.
Even if he fought Fujitora at full speed, the outcome would never be decided quickly.
He still remembered their first serious confrontation.
Not long ago, they had clashed over a disagreement. Neither was willing to back down.
Words failed. Persuasion failed.
In the end, they let strength decide.
Lightning against gravity.
Silver Snake's lightning spear had reached Fujitora's eyes first, while Fujitora's blade, the Shikomizue, had been just a moment too slow in crushing Silver Snake under gravity.
Kizaru, acting as referee, had stepped in and declared the match over.
Strictly speaking, the result had not been fair.
Silver Snake was not certain his spear could truly kill Fujitora.
And Fujitora's delayed gravity crush might have left him heavily injured.
Yet Fujitora accepted the result without complaint.
From that moment on, their relationship had grown closer than with any other Admiral.
Silver Snake suddenly recalled a past joke.
He had once teased Fujitora, asking if his eyes were taken by debt collectors.
Fujitora had laughed softly and replied:
"If these useless eyes could really be exchanged for money, then they would not have been wasted.
Unfortunately, they cannot be pawned, so I had no choice but to blind myself.
Perhaps not seeing is also a blessing.
In this world, there are too many filthy and despicable things. If I acted every time I saw them, I might have already become nothing more than a butcher who kills without restraint."
…
"Don't die on me, Blind Man."
Silver Snake muttered as he accelerated through the clouds, an ominous feeling stirring in his chest.
"There are already too few interesting people in this world. Don't make it one less."
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, he halted mid-flight and condensed his form within a thundercloud.
His eyes narrowed sharply.
In the air not far away, a pale figure sat atop a grotesque bird covered in festering pustules. The creature wailed as it flapped its rotten wings.
Silver Snake's gaze turned cold, crackling with electric arcs.
"You bastard. You're carrying the Blind Man's bio-electric residue."
His voice rumbled like thunder.
"I'll give you three seconds to explain. Three…"
At the same time, the pale man slowly raised his head.
Disaster.
His dead, lifeless eyes locked onto Silver Snake as a hoarse laugh escaped his throat.
"The blasphemer has delivered himself to me."
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