The gates of the Alabasta Marine branch were flung open.
Michael folded his wings and walked inside.
His face was glowing with color, his entire being radiant.
"Rear Admiral Michael! You're back!"
"Tch, the Marine Headquarters already announced it to the whole force! He's clearly a Vice Admiral now!"
"Forget about whether he's a Rear Admiral or Vice Admiral—what matters is that Michael is back! If you hadn't returned soon, I would've died of boredom here in Alabasta!"
Michael glanced at the members of the SWORD Secret Special Force crowding around him, the corner of his mouth twitching.
It was obvious that, in the vicinity of Alabasta, there really wasn't anyone who could push them to make a serious move.
The only two people who might stir up trouble were currently wearing Marine uniforms, sitting inside Alabasta's Marine branch.
Lifting his head, Michael nodded toward Hawk Eyes and Crocodile, who were off to the side.
"You two… looks like you've started getting used to your new identities."
At Michael's words, Crocodile and Hawk Eyes instinctively exchanged a glance…
Right—two wanted criminals had transformed overnight into full-fledged Marines.
This strange experience was truly unprecedented.
"Hmph, spare us the sarcasm. We have no interest in being Marines… all we're interested in is following you."
Crocodile rolled her eyes with an elegant flair, shifted her crossed legs, and then suddenly swung a small Desert Spada toward Michael's head.
"What the hell are you staring at, bastard?!"
Michael tilted his head, dodging the strike without looking away.
"Tsk, Crocodile… I don't remember Marine women's standard uniforms including skirts…"
"I had it altered! What's it to you?!" Crocodile gave another eye roll. "They've already turned me back into a woman completely—can't I wear a skirt if I want to?!"
"Sure. Absolutely."
Michael smiled.
After all, who wouldn't enjoy the sight of a two-meter-tall, long-legged, mature beauty?
Compared to the transformed-into-female Crocodile, the girls in the SWORD Secret Special Force were…
Green!
Way too damn green!
But since Crocodile was here, Michael leaned in close and asked quietly,
"In the past couple of days… have you met with Cobra?"
That single question darkened Crocodile's expression.
After a long pause, she finally spoke slowly.
"I have."
"He probably didn't recognize me."
Her voice carried both relief… and disappointment.
After all, emotions were influenced by hormones, and ever since she'd been turned back into a woman, Crocodile's emotions seemed far richer.
It seemed… she could no longer be the ruthless, coldhearted Sand Crocodile she once was.
Michael nodded. Although he had considered letting Crocodile reunite with Cobra, now was not the time.
Something like that had to be done at the right moment, so the benefit could be maximized.
"By the way… where's Issho? Don't tell me he's gone to the casino again?" Michael glanced around, noticing that the man who liked to sit quietly in the corner wasn't in the Alabasta branch. "If you want to gamble in Alabasta, you'd have to go all the way to Rainbase!"
"No, Issho-san went out the same night you left…"
Stella shook her head, about to continue when the sound of rapid tap tap tap came from outside the door.
It was one of the most familiar sounds to the SWORD Secret Special Force—
The tapping of a blind man's cane.
Sure enough, as the sound of the cane striking the ground drew closer, the gates opened again.
It was Issho.
The second half of Stella's sentence died in her throat.
Seriously—
They'd left one after the other… and now they were returning the same way!
"Issho, what were you doing? Went to Rainbase's casino?" Michael asked curiously.
"Cough, cough… Michael, as the advisor to the Secret Special Force, I don't only go to casinos. I simply took this time to look into what you asked me to watch for before."
At those words, Michael's eyes lit up instantly.
"Wait—you mean you found it?"
"That's right. Mission accomplished."
Hearing Issho's confirmation, Michael's face broke into a wide grin.
Then he turned to the members of the SWORD Secret Special Force and said with a smile,
"Comrades, we've got a new mission!"
...
Birka.
A small sky island in the southern seas.
Compared to the great "Kingdom of God," it was little more than an undeveloped village.
The people here still lived in a manner resembling a primitive tribe.
They held an unwavering reverence for the so-called "God," and the tallest structure on the island was the altar built for offering sacrifices to that God.
But today, Birka was about to face…
The end.
And this "end" would be brought by lightning.
A tall man with abnormally long earlobes stood at the highest point of the altar.
With boredom and contempt in his eyes, he gazed at the kneeling Birka people below.
"God."
"You still kneel to the god in your hearts…"
"But you don't even realize that I, the one who wields the power of lightning… am the god you should kneel to."
Perhaps because his muttering grew louder, some of the kneeling Birka people raised their heads and shouted at him:
"Enel!"
"You devil!"
"Get down from our sacred altar at once!"
"Your filthy demonic power will surely draw the wrath of the heavens!"
Hearing the voices of these ants, Enel's innate "Mantra"—combined with the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—magnified their cries infinitely in his ears…
Agitating his already violent nerves.
At first…
He had truly wanted to lead all of Birka…
Toward a bright future.
Why?
Why was he, the chosen god, called a devil by them?
But… it no longer mattered.
Once Birka was destroyed, these voices would disappear forever.
"Since you've rejected the love of your god…"
"Then bear the wrath of your god."
With that, his body turned into lightning as he soared into the air.
He raised his hand, and the full force of his "200 million volts" thunder crashed down.
The bolts struck the elastic island cloud beneath them.
Though it was solid enough to live on, in the end… it was still cloud.
The lightning instantly tore through the ground formed by the island cloud, revealing the white sea beneath.
To the people of Birka, it was a calamity descending from the heavens.
"Sigh… he really needs treatment."
And just when all hope seemed lost, a voice rang out from the distance.
Instinctively, everyone looked up—pure white Holy Light poured down from the sky, blocking the apocalyptic lightning.
White wings unfolded before their eyes.
The people of Birka gazed at the descending angel, tears welling up.
"That's—!"
"The god's salvation!"
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