Rodin realized why Enel had been so confident, calling himself a god. It wasn't just a title; it was the intoxicating power of the Thunder Fruit. Enel, having eaten the fruit not long before destroying Birka Island, had experienced a rapid increase in strength, which led to a bloated sense of self. With no worthy opponents and no direction for improvement, he had become lazy and complacent in his physical training.
"This is an intoxicating power," Rodin said, feeling a surge of confidence. Now with the power of the Thunder Fruit, combined with his abilities of transparency and silence, he had the power to kill invisibly and fight against the strongest.
With a 30x speed training card and his physical skills as a foundation, Rodin was confident that he could master this new power and surpass Enel, reaching a level of destructive power that could destroy entire cities and islands.
Rodin took a deep breath. With his new power and the ability to summon powerful allies, he felt a new sense of ambition. He then thought of Dove, his newest ally. At 36, she had reached her physical peak and was now at a bottleneck. He knew he could help her.
After the battle, everyone returned to the warship and headed for Angel Island. Gan Fall, the former god, was filled with gratitude and insisted they stay for a few days. Rodin agreed, using the time to practice his new abilities, collect some money, and investigate the Ark Maxim. Gan Fall left, needing to deal with the aftermath of Enel's defeat.
On the ship, Dove stood at the railing, staring out at the sea of clouds.
"Dove," Rodin said, walking up to her. He planned to give her the Rejuvenation Pill to increase her strength, but first, he had a question.
"Lord Rodin, do you need something?" she asked respectfully.
"Take off your glasses and let me see," he said.
Dover was taken aback. She hesitated, but Rodin laughed.
"Just kidding," he said, deciding to save that moment for later. "I've been wanting to ask you something: in Dressrosa, did any men ever touch you?"
Dove was surprised by the question. She paused, then a small smile appeared on her lips. "Lord Rodin, why would I have leave leftovers for you?" she said. She explained that she had been too busy managing her empire and, later, training her strength to care about men. She then moved closer to Rodin, her breath on his ear. "But if you want..."
"Cough, cough." Rodin quickly handed her the Rejuvenation Pill. "After you eat this, focus on improving your strength. That is the greatest gift to me."
Dove took the pill, her pink fingertips holding it for a moment before she placed it in her mouth. She immediately let out a small gasp, her body undergoing a rapid transformation. Her skin became more supple, and old scars from her battles disappeared. A feeling of renewed vitality surged through her.
"This..." she said in disbelief. She felt like she could break through her strength bottleneck. She was confident that with this new energy, she could rival or even surpass an Admiral.
"From now on, you're 26," Rodin said with a smile.
The next two days were filled with celebration on Angel Island. The residents, freed from Enel's tyranny, showed their gratitude to Rodin and his crew. Rodin gave his crew two days off to explore and collect Shells while he went to God's Land alone.
He quickly found the secret location of the Ark Maxim, which was being built by workers under the command of the priests. The priests were dead, but the workers were still there.
"Stop, who are you?" a guard asked.
"Who is in charge of building the Ark Maxim?" Rodin asked, an electric arc flashing in his eyes.
After a moment, he found the foreman. "My lord, the Ark is almost finished. Only the final touches are left," the foreman said, trembling in fear. "The plan is to finish the day after tomorrow, but if you're in a hurry... we can work overtime and finish it by tomorrow evening." The foreman, terrified of the man who had so easily killed Enel, was willing to do whatever was asked of him.
The Ark Maxim's hull was designed like a boat, but its materials and power were far from ordinary. The sides were made of a special Sky Island wood that was incredibly durable, and the massive paddles on either side allowed it to travel through the sea, land, and air with ease.
The interior of the dragon-shaped canopy was adorned with gold, and the control room featured two round rods for receiving and controlling the electric current that powered the ship. This technological marvel, which Enel had spent years building, was now Rodin's.
The next evening, after two days of exploring Angel Island and collecting shells and gold, the crew returned to find the Ark Maxim ready. Rodin teleported into the ark's cabin, placed his hands on the control rods, and a huge current surged through the ship. With a hum, the ship lifted off the ground, a masterpiece of engineering. The builders watched in awe as their life's work took to the sky.
Rodin sailed the Ark to Angel Island, where the crew boarded. Gan Fall, now in civilian clothes, waved goodbye. "Mr. Rodin, thank you for everything. Have a safe journey." The residents of Sky Island cheered and waved, a little girl throwing a Shell into the air as a parting gift. Dove, with a flick of her hand, caught the shell. Rodin waved goodbye and flew away.
Over the past two days, Rodin had made incredible progress with his new powers. His Thunder Fruit ability now allowed him to unleash 150 million volts of lightning, and he had imitated Enel's fighting techniques, which he was developing at a 30x speed.
He had also developed his Silent Fruit to cover an entire small island, and he discovered that it was even more effective on a single person, making them deaf and mute for a very long time.
His Transparent Fruit now allowed him to make people and objects transparent for up to an hour after he touched them.
With his three fruits, Rodin could now move and attack with complete invisibility and silence. Even Mihoko, a master swordsman, couldn't sense him within ten meters. This gave him an incredible advantage in battle.
Rodin stood in the control room, looking at the Sea Navigation map provided by the system. He locked in on several locations: Long Ring Island, the Capital of Seven Waters, and the Devil's Triangle. He now had the means to go anywhere he wanted.
Meanwhile, in the gray mist of the Devil's Triangle, on a massive, dilapidated ship known as the Thriller Bark, a group of Marines was feasting.
"Brothers, eat and drink up today!" a man with a thick body, a girlish face, and a red bellyband shouted. "Warlord Moria is paying for all of it!"
"Okay! Master Sentomaru!" the Marines cheered, their plates full of food.
Suddenly, a strange, dark-skinned man with sharp teeth walked in. "You... you've had your last meal," he growled. "It's time for you to leave!"