The enormous underground shipyard blazed with light.
This place was one of Kael's highest secrets. Its scale was so vast it could swallow several Marine warships with room to spare.
At this moment, in the very center of the dock, a colossal mass sat quietly under an immense curtain.
Kael stood before it with every core member under his banner gathered behind him.
Mihawk, Crocodile, and the others had only just crawled back from that "hellish team building" and were still wrapped in bandages, but their attention was completely seized by the mysterious giant before them.
"Shihahahaha, Boss, what are you plotting this time? Why so secretive?" Moria prodded the curtain, curiosity practically dripping off him.
"Moria, just watch," Crocodile said, eyes locked on the huge silhouette. Even he couldn't hide the shock in his gaze.
He could not imagine what kind of ship needed a dock this massive, or why it would require the legendary shipwright Tom to rebuild it.
Tesoro and Doflamingo wore equally solemn expressions. They could feel it, whatever lay behind that curtain was no ordinary thing.
Robin stood beside Kael, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes. She seemed to have already guessed.
And Enel floated in midair, arms crossed, pride written all over his face.
"Mortals, watch closely. This masterpiece carries the power of a god. Yahahaha!"
Uncle Tom cleared his throat. Like an artist about to unveil his proudest work, he stepped forward to face the crowd.
"Everyone!" His voice was loud, resonant, brimming with pride. "Over this past stretch, with me and my apprentices, and with Mr. Enel's full support, we have given the 'Flying Ark' Lord Kael brought back a complete rebirth!"
"We used the strongest wood in the world, the Treasure Tree Adam, as the keel. For the hull, we integrated a special memory alloy provided by Mr. Tesoro, capable of withstanding the majority of artillery fire!"
"The power core is sustained by Mr. Enel's limitless lightning energy. Through the energy conversion system I designed, it can drive the entire ship through the sky at speeds beyond imagination!"
"And that's not all. On the underside, we installed a hundred laser cannons, along with various high tech weapons derived from Dr. Vegapunk's latest research. Enough to wipe an island off the map in an instant!"
The more Tom spoke, the more excited he became. He spread his arms wide, like he was embracing his own child.
"It's no longer just a ship!"
"It's a flying war fortress!"
"It's a true aerospace battleship, something beyond this era!"
Tom's words made everyone suck in a sharp breath.
An aerospace battleship? Infinite power?
A hundred laser cannons?
They did not fully understand, but they were thoroughly stunned.
Only now did they realize what kind of terrifying weapon Kael had been preparing in secret all these years.
"And now, it's time to witness a miracle!"
Tom stepped forward, grasped the edge of the curtain, then glanced back at Kael. Anticipation burned in his eyes.
Kael gave him a heavy nod.
"Pull it down, Tom. Let everyone see our new home."
"Yes, Captain!"
Tom roared and yanked the massive curtain away.
In that instant, everyone held their breath.
A warship beyond imagination revealed itself before them.
The hull was a sleek, aggressive silhouette, built with a kind of brutal, muscular beauty. Its entire body was pitch black, as if it could swallow light itself.
Across the ship's surface, intricate, mysterious patterns were traced in dark gold paint. Under the shipyard lights, they shimmered with a cold, metallic sheen.
At the bow, there was no traditional ram.
Instead, a vicious black dragon head, seemingly forged from countless blades, jutted forward. Its jaws hung slightly open, and within them lay a bottomless cannon mouth that pulsed with a frightening, ominous energy.
The deck was lined with structures and gun platforms that looked almost sci fi in design. Every angle balanced elegance with lethal function.
Most eye catching of all were the dozens of enormous circular thruster ports along the ship's sides and underside, like a honeycomb of engines. They were dormant now, but everyone could already imagine what it would look like when lightning energy erupted from them.
Domineering. Flashy. Beautiful in a way that promised destruction.
This was no longer a ship.
It was a steel beast sleeping in the abyss, poised to awaken.
"This is… ridiculous…" Moria's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Fufufufu… this is… an artwork." Doflamingo's eyes gleamed with greedy, feverish obsession.
The cigar in Crocodile's mouth had fallen to the ground at some point.
He stared at the vessel, then thought back to the Ancient Weapon he once dreamed of, and suddenly… it all felt strangely bland.
"Tom…" Robin murmured. "You created a real monster."
Tom drank in their stunned expressions, his face splitting into a deeply satisfied, proud smile.
He walked up to Kael and bowed low.
"Captain. It has the strongest body and the strongest heart."
"Now, please. Give it a name. Breathe a soul into it."
Kael stepped forward slowly and placed his hand against the cold hull.
He could feel it.
This ship was breathing.
He looked back at his companions: Mihawk, Crocodile, Moria, Tesoro, Doflamingo, Robin, Enel, and Tom.
Excitement, shock, anticipation. It was written on every face.
A surge of fierce, unprecedented pride thundered in Kael's chest.
This was his ship.
His companions.
His family.
This was the lever he would use to pry the entire world loose.
In Norse myth, at the very top of the World Tree, a divine eagle resides.
It watches over the Nine Realms, witnessing every storm and shift of fate, until Ragnarok finally arrives.
Kael took a deep breath, then turned to face them all. His voice was not loud, but it rang clearly in every ear.
The corner of Kael's mouth lifted into a bold, arrogant curve.
"From today onward, this ship's name is…"
"The Vedrfolnir!"
"We will ride the withering wind, and let it sweep across the entire world!"
"The Vedrfolnir!"
"OHHHHHHHHHH!"
Enel was the first to explode with excitement, flipping through the air as arcs of lightning burst around him.
Moria and Doflamingo let out their meaningless, signature cackles.
Tesoro and Crocodile's eyes burned with something called ambition.
Mihawk pressed a hand to his chest, feeling that wild surge of blood heating through him.
Tom and his apprentices were so overwhelmed their eyes brimmed with tears. They shouted the name "Vedrfolnir" again and again, their voices echoing through the cavernous dock.
Kael stood at the bow, arms spread wide, welcoming their roar.
He gazed at the colossal ship that would carry them into the future, and he could already see it.
The World Government's rotten flag, under the breath of that withering wind, crumbling piece by piece into dust.