Crack...
With the sound of something shattering, a blinding light burst out, followed by a surge of flames.
Boom...
In an instant, the roaring fire swept across the entire sky like rolling cloud waves, surging in all directions and engulfing the golden light. The blast spread so far that it covered the entire sea.
Above, fiery clouds rolled in, the scorching heat evaporating the ocean. The change in air pressure stirred up violent winds.
On the deck, Enel held down his hat as he faced the oncoming wind and rain.
At that moment, the warship could no longer withstand the immense shockwave. It completely broke apart, splitting down the middle, and tilted heavily, on the verge of sinking.
The unconscious Marines slid down the slanted deck, one after another, falling into the sea.
Just then, the flames landed beside Enel, morphing into Yemu's figure.
Enel looked to the sky and asked,
"Leaving already?"
"Yeah. That guy's tough, and his Devil Fruit ability is slippery. The two of us might be able to take him down if we teamed up, but there's no need. It's not time to risk everything yet—we've already accomplished our objective. Let's go."
"Mm."
Enel followed Yemu's lead without question. One turned into lightning, the other into flame, and they both soared away.
About five or six seconds after they vanished, the fiery clouds in the air gradually dispersed. The golden light gathered once more and descended onto the deck, facing the distance.
"What a terrifying technique..."
Kizaru, now visible to the naked eye, no longer carried the calm demeanor he had when he arrived. His gaze was solemn, and his clothes were stained with the smoke of the explosion.
The elementalization of Logia-type Devil Fruits isn't truly invincible. Just like this explosion—if the range is wide enough, it can still hit the user's real body.
Kizaru had barely avoided the blast by instantly shifting himself to the edge of the explosion the moment it went off.
Though he wasn't injured, looking this disheveled was something he hadn't experienced in a long time.
"Looks like someone's in for a headache... but what's it got to do with me..."
Instead of going after the two who had left, Kizaru turned around and began rescuing the Marines who had fallen into the sea…
…
When Yemu and Enel reappeared, they were already nearly a hundred nautical miles away, hovering above the sea.
Before they made their move, they had docked the Twin Goddesses here as a backup escape route, just in case.
"Let's head down."
The two descended, landing back on the ship.
On deck, Fisher Tiger let out a breath of relief when he saw them return.
"C-Captain... are you two alright...?"
Tiger still felt awkward calling two boys ten years younger than him "Captain."
Seeing this, Yemu gave a small smile.
"From now on, we're partners and friends. Just call me Yemu. He's Enel."
"Alright... thank you, Captain Yemu, First Mate Enel..."
Tiger finally settled on something that sounded both respectful and familiar, though he still felt a bit uneasy about it.
Yemu didn't mind. He figured Tiger would get used to it with time.
"Enel, take those four into the training room. Try to get what we need out of them."
"Got it. You mean the Rokushiki techniques, right?"
Yemu had already explained the plan to Enel, though there was one thing he hadn't mentioned.
"Yeah. Keep the two Devil Fruit users alive for now. Do what you want with the other two."
"Understood."
After watching Enel carry off the four unconscious CP9 members, Yemu turned to Fisher Tiger.
"Tiger, you know how to navigate, right?"
"Yeah."
As a well-known explorer and traveler from Fish-Man Island, Tiger was extremely knowledgeable about navigation.
"Then if you're okay with it, from now on, you're the navigator of the Sky Pirates. I'm putting the Twin Goddesses in your hands. Get familiar with her, then take us somewhere safe. If the Marines catch up, we'll be in trouble. Oh, and there's one awkward thing—we don't have a Log Pose. Any other way around that?"
Tiger didn't reject Yemu's offer. As for the Log Pose, he thought for a moment, then said, "Shouldn't be a problem. I can communicate with sea beasts. I'll be able to learn about the nearby islands from them."
"Perfect. Let's find a safe island to land on first. Tonight, we throw a feast in your honor..."
...
The night sky over the sea was breathtaking. The vast river of stars stretched endlessly above them.
Under the starlight, the Twin Goddesses was anchored next to a small island about the same size as the ship. On the shore, a bonfire crackled brightly, the clinking of toasts echoing alongside the mouthwatering scent of roasted meat.
There were only three people, and it was a little quiet—but with Yemu and Enel's warmth and enthusiasm, Tiger felt surprisingly at ease, like he was right at home.
He could clearly sense a genuine sense of equality when he was with them—not something put on for his sake, but something real.
"Hey... Tiger, don't zone out. Aren't you eating? If you're not gonna eat, I'm not holding back..."
"You gotta eat to keep your strength up... Wua wua..."
Watching the two of them devour food like it was a race, Tiger finally let himself relax and began stuffing his face too. It had been a long time since he'd felt this carefree.
About an hour later, the three of them lay on the beach, full and content, burping, picking their teeth, gazing up at the stars.
"It's the same night sky, but I feel like the stars in the Blue Sea look different from Skypiea's. What do you think, Yemu...?"
Enel asked.
"Yeah."
Yemu nodded, then thought for a moment.
"Maybe it's because the Blue Sea is lower than Skypiea. And the sky here has fewer clouds at night, so the stars seem more vast, dazzling, mysterious... beautiful."
Skypiea sits tens of thousands of meters above the Blue Sea, always wrapped in thick clouds. You could still see the night sky, but it was more like looking into deep space—mostly darkness.
Tiger, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up in surprise.
"Captain Yemu, First Mate Enel... you're from Skypiea? It actually exists? You're really residents of Skypiea?"
As a renowned explorer and traveler, Tiger was full of curiosity about the unknown. Skypiea was legendary, after all.
"Yeah... that's also why we named our crew the Sky Pirates."
Yemu said, then suddenly sat up as something came to mind.
"Now that we're crewmates, we should properly introduce ourselves."
Enel and Tiger sat up as well.
The three of them sat in a row on the beach as Yemu began.
"My name is Yemu. I ate the Mera Mera no Mi. I'm sixteen. I do come from Skypiea, but I'm not originally from there. When I was six, I was brought up to the sky by a Knock Up Stream. That's where I met Enel, and we became brothers... As for Skypiea... Tiger, have you heard the tale of Mont Blanc Noland, the 'King of Liars'?"