Grand Line, first half—Tanli Island, harbor.
The port was a raging inferno. Six pirate ships had surrounded the harbor, their hulls looming like predators closing in on their prey. Onshore, hundreds of pirates guarded every exit, while the ground was littered with the bodies of countless civilians.
Most of the pirates prowled the decks of merchant ships, clutching two blurry photographs as they hunted for someone.
"Doesn't look like her."
"No, not this one either."
"This one's close—kill her."
"Don't let any kids slip away, especially those with purple hair!"
"Hurry up!"
"Yes, sir!!!"
The ships echoed with wails and screams. The pirates would rather kill a hundred innocents than let one target escape. Anyone who even vaguely resembled the woman in the photos was mercilessly cut down and tossed into the sea.
In the corner of a ship's cabin, a mother and her child huddled together, clinging to a Den Den Mushi. The moment they heard the pirates mention "purple hair," fear flashed in the mother's eyes. She understood instantly.
Heart pounding, she made her decision. She placed her child gently into a wooden barrel, her voice stern but trembling: "No matter what happens, don't make a sound. Don't come out, no matter what."
She found something to cover the barrel, stifled her sobs with a trembling hand, and slipped away to another room.
When the pirates finally burst into that room, she flung open the window and leaped out, landing hard on the deck. She sprinted for the railing, then dove headfirst into the sea, swimming desperately for the ocean floor.
Cursing, several pirates jumped in after her.
Moments later, a stain of red blossomed in the water.
A pirate surfaced, dragging the woman's lifeless body. He shouted back to the ship, "The bitch tricked us!"
"Which room did she jump from?"
"Search it! Now!"
"Zephyr's little brat has to be in there!"
"Find him! Kill him!"
Dragging the corpse, he swam for shore to deal with it.
The pirates on deck, hearing the news, swarmed into the room the woman had jumped from. They tore the place apart, smashing everything in sight. Even after reducing the room to rubble, they found no sign of a hiding place.
The lead pirate's eyes narrowed. A cruel grin spread across his face. "Rip this whole floor apart! Zephyr's brat is somewhere on this level! Find him—I want to make him suffer before he dies! Hahahaha!"
The other pirates howled with excitement. The chance to take revenge on Marine Admiral Zephyr—to kill his child—filled them with bloodthirsty glee. Their eyes, red with hate, swept over every corner.
"Where are you, little brat?"
"Come on out!"
"Zephyr's kid, show yourself!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Finally, they found the storage closet tucked in the corner.
Like demons, the pirates smashed their way inside—and easily found Admiral Zephyr's young son. One of them grabbed the two-year-old by the neck, watching with twisted satisfaction as the child's face flushed red and he struggled to breathe.
Not yet, he thought, loosening his grip just enough to keep the child alive.
He hauled the boy onto the deck. "Boss! Found him!"
The pirate captain's eyes lit up. "Bring him here! Now!"
He snatched the purple-haired child, grinning savagely as he squeezed the boy's neck. He examined every inch of the child's skin as if inspecting a prize.
"Zephyr, bet you never imagined this day would come! Hahahaha!"
"Bring me that woman's corpse! Quick, take a picture!"
"Tomorrow, get this in the papers!"
"Hahahaha!"
He struck a pose, and click!—a crisp shutter sounded. The camera captured the captain's cruel smile, one foot planted on the woman's corpse, one hand gripping the struggling child by the neck.
After the photo, the captain's eyes flashed with hatred. "Blame your father, Zephyr."
He began to squeeze, intent on snapping the child's neck. The other pirates watched, eyes gleaming with sick anticipation.
CRACK!
A thunderclap split the sky—a bolt from the blue.
Deafening thunder exploded in everyone's ears, leaving minds momentarily blank. A furious, youthful voice echoed with the storm:
"STOP!!!"
A blinding bolt of lightning struck the deck before the captain.
Enel materialized in a flash of light.
He was no longer the child he once was—now a tall, striking young man, his Marine uniform crisp and sharp, a golden staff gripped in his hand. It was forged from the golden briefcase Sakazuki had given him years ago.
Fury burned on Enel's face.
"Divine Judgment!"
The sky shimmered. In the next instant, lightning crashed down in a barrage, striking every pirate on the merchant ship. One after another, they collapsed—every last one of them.
On the surrounding ships, pirates began converging, encircling the vessel below.
Now, only three remained on the deck: Enel, the purple-haired child, and the pirate captain. Every other passenger had been slaughtered by the pirates. The rest of the pirates had just been obliterated by Enel's lightning.
The pirate captain sneered, shaking the child like a rag doll. "Ooh, a Logia. I'm so scared."
He leered at Enel. "C'mon, kid, why don't you zap me?"
Then he shook the purple-haired boy again, as if he were no more than a toy.
Enel's eyes darkened with rage. He gripped his golden staff with both hands and leveled it at the pirate captain.
Whoosh!
Combining his Devil Fruit powers with Soru, Enel's form vanished in a flash.
He reappeared right in front of the captain, swinging his staff down at the wrist holding the child.
The pirate captain's cruel smile didn't falter. He stared, unblinking, as the golden staff crashed toward his hand.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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