Inside the research institute.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

SHING! SHING! SHING!

Criss-crossing colossal gashes scarred the interior of Building D, the violent aftermath of a duel between two top-tier swordsmen.

Facing the terrifyingly fast and unpredictable Hakuba, Zoro found himself unable to secure a quick victory. The constant tremors and the collapsing state of the institute only added more variables to their chaotic struggle.

"That iceberg... and that guy Enel... they’re surprisingly monstrous!" Zoro thought as he parried Hakuba’s frenzied strikes, his mind racing through the situation outside.

He had heard Enel shout Kuzan’s name, which shook him to the core. Aside from Mihawk, Aokiji was the only other individual he had encountered who possessed such overwhelming, world-shaking power. The entire Straw Hat crew had nearly been annihilated by him back then; if that man hadn’t shown mercy, the Straw Hat Pirates would have ceased to exist.

How could he ever forget such a man?

"Two-Sword Style: 72-Pound Phoenix!!!"

Zoro swung his blades, unleashing two crescent-shaped compressed air projectiles.

BOOM! BOOM!

Hakuba didn’t dare take such sharp slashes head-on. He blurred backward, narrowly avoiding the attack as the wall dozens of meters behind him was sliced clean through.

Taking advantage of the momentary distance, Zoro immediately retreated, sprinting toward the exit. Fortunately, Enel had previously smashed a straight path through the institute; as long as Zoro followed the corridor of rubble, he wouldn’t get lost.

...

"Go!"

Standing atop the peak of his icy spire, Kuzan shouted, his hand snapping forward.

WHOOSH—

The massive ice spear behind him accelerated instantly, piercing the air with a shriek. Carried by a violent, razor-sharp gale, it flew like a god-slaying ballista bolt aimed straight for the Thunder God’s heart.

"Eradicate him—Thor’s Hammer!!!"

The Raijin let out a deafening roar, putting his full weight behind a desperate throw of the Spear of Lightning.

RUMBLE... RUMBLE...

The thunder groaned in waves as the spear descended like a literal bolt from the blue, creating ripples of sonic booms in the air.

SHING—!

In a flash, the giant ice spear streaked across the sky and slammed into the Raijin’s chest. The armor of "solidified" lightning failed to hold; the spear tore through it, impaling the titan’s body.

BOOM!

Simultaneously, the Spear of Lightning struck the towering iceberg. Though the ice was harder than tempered steel, it offered as much resistance as tofu. The spear plunged deep into the core of the spire.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The spear detonated. Highly compressed, terrifying electricity was unleashed in an instant. Countless lightning serpents burst outward, shattering the massive iceberg into dust and jagged shrapnel that rained down in every direction.

"Dammit! KUZAN!!!"

The Raijin let out a guttural scream, his hands clawing at the giant ice spear embedded in his chest. But the spear radiated a lethal chill. Frost began to spread across the Raijin’s form, and within mere breaths, he was transformed once again into a towering, frigid ice sculpture. He began to fall from the sky like a giant meteorite.

CRASH!!!

With a thunderous explosion, the sixty-meter ice statue slammed into the ground, gouging a massive crater into the earth. The impact sent shockwaves through the terrain, splitting the ground into dozens of wide fissures as a ring-shaped dust cloud billowed outward. The statue itself shattered upon impact, its frozen limbs breaking apart.

Amidst the ruins of the iceberg, frost coalesced back into human form. Kuzan appeared, his coat slightly scorched. He wiped cold sweat from his brow, his heart racing. "Arara... I underestimated him."

ZZZT— ZZZT—

Suddenly, a large chunk of ice from the statue’s head began to crackle with lightning, sounding like the chirping of ten thousand birds. The three-meter block of ice melted into water instantly, and a humanoid figure of lightning knelt on the ground.

"Gah... huff... you... bastard..."

Enel’s face was pale, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. He was soaking wet and shivering violently from the extreme cold.

However, the natural high temperature of his lightning soon warmed his body, allowing him to recover.

"Arara~ Enel-sama, we’re evenly matched. Neither of us can truly best the other, so why don’t we call it a day?" Kuzan scratched his head, calling out to Enel. "After fighting to this extent, you’ll have plenty to tell your superiors."

"You bastard!"

Kuzan’s words only served to ignite Enel’s fury. Having already suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Kizaru, being told he was "evenly matched" while clearly being pushed back felt like a mockery. He felt the former Admiral was looking down on him. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

BZZZZZZZT—!

Enel’s face twisted in rage. He erupted in a blinding surge of electricity, hovering into the air as countless arcs of lightning danced around him, screeching like ten thousand birds.

RUMBLE... RUMBLE...

The storm clouds above reacted to his surge, the lightning within turning violent. Bolts began to strike the ground at random, accompanied by the unending roar of thunder.

Kuzan’s eyes widened. "Hey... what now? You still want to go?"

"The sky belongs to ME! You insects... feel the true meaning of despair!!!" In his lightning form, Enel threw his arms wide and laughed with maniacal glee.

BOOM! BOOM!

The clouds above began to spiral inward, creating a hollow void. A colossal black sphere of pure electrical energy broke through the clouds, slowly descending toward the island.

"Ah... it’s not over yet?"

"We’re doomed!"

"We should never have set foot on this island!"

The survivors watched the black sphere descend in utter despair. Many fell to their knees, weeping. They had endured the shockwaves of these monsters’ battle for far too long, losing brothers and comrades along the way. Their resolve finally snapped.

"Hsss..."

Kuzan hissed through his teeth, a chill running down his spine. He felt a visceral, lethal threat radiating from that massive black orb.

"No... impossible... how could something like that exist?"

Nami stared at the sky, her face turning deathly pale. Having studied advanced meteorology on Weatheria, she understood the sheer danger of that sphere better than anyone. It was a gargantuan, hyper-charged version of ball lightning, a volatile mass of air currents and electricity. If it detonated, the resulting power would be immeasurable.

"Fuck! Enel, you lunatic! What are you doing?!"

Jason’s hair stood on end as he roared in terror. "Are you trying to destroy the entire island and kill us all?!"

As a fellow crewmate, he knew exactly what this was. Their Captain had hailed it as the ultimate weapon capable of erasing an entire island, a trump card meant to threaten even the World Government and the Marines!

"S-stop! Enel-sama, don’t do this!" Caesar was drenched in sweat, jumping up and down in panic.

But Enel was beyond reason. His mind held only one thought: eradicate Kuzan and wash away his humiliation. As for the others? They could fend for themselves.

"YAHAHAHA! YAHAHAHA!"

Amidst that manic laughter, the gargantuan black sphere descended upon Punk Hazard.

"Ultimate Secret Technique... RAIGO!!!"

In that instant, an all-consuming light swallowed the world...