Accino saw lightning already crackling across Enel's body, and he knew there was no avoiding this fight. In the same instant, he spun around, grabbed his two sons by their collars, and hurled them straight into the sea.
A flicker of pain crossed his eyes. As his sons splashed into the water, he shouted:
"Run! Get as far away as you can. Once I defeat them, I'll come find you!"
Of course, Accino knew the truth—he had no guarantee of victory. But he also knew Enel was a Devil Fruit user, unable to follow his sons into the ocean. If he could just hold Enel here, maybe Campacino and Brindo would have a chance to survive.
Enel blinked in surprise at the move, then chuckled, realization dawning.
"So… you're not completely foolish after all. At least you know your limits."
Freed of distraction, Accino's face twisted with grim fury. He didn't believe that this arrogant young man—just because he ate the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—was necessarily stronger than himself. What worried him was Buggy's whole crew. Against Enel alone, he thought he still had a chance.
He gave no reply. His body glowed red, and suddenly a whirling storm of white vapor spun to life in front of him. Under his control, the heated air condensed into a raging thermal cyclone that surged forward, engulfing Enel.
This was the Netsu Netsu no Mi—the Heat-Heat Fruit. Accino's power superheated the air, forming a furnace-like vortex.
Enel, with his Mantra (Observation Haki), had already seen the attack coming. As the scorching winds closed in, he didn't even flinch. The cyclone swallowed him whole, and his body was lifted upward as the temperature climbed rapidly.
Accino smirked, revealing sharp teeth. "Burn to ash! —Scorching Ascent!"
The vortex carried Enel skyward, his figure wavering in the blazing heat. But before Accino could celebrate, Enel's body suddenly flickered out of existence—only to reappear behind him in an instant.
The god's hand crackled with lightning, a bolt already forming. Without hesitation, he hurled it straight at Accino's back.
The sound of air splitting made Accino's skin crawl. Instinct took over—he snorted twin jets of superheated vapor from his nostrils and blasted himself upward into the air.
BOOM!
The thunderbolt slammed into the deck, gouging out a smoking crater. Enel looked up with mild surprise as Accino narrowly escaped.
The Heat-Heat user wiped sweat from his brow. If that strike had hit, he would already be in ruins. Fear burned in his chest, but he forced his expression into a snarl.
Both arms flared crimson. One by one, he condensed searing spheres of heat—each glowing like a miniature sun. Slowly, the orbs drifted toward Enel.
Enel only sneered. He could feel the energy radiating from the orbs, but their sluggish crawl was laughable in the eyes of a lightning man.
He didn't even bother moving. When the heat spheres reached him, his body simply shifted to lightning. The orbs passed through harmlessly, leaving him untouched.
Accino's eyes widened. His strongest attack—completely ignored? His mind raced. Elementalization… this is the power of a Logia user. As long as he maintains it, I can't touch him!
Before despair could root deeper, Enel lifted his golden staff and tapped one of the drums on his back.
A thunderous cry split the air. From crackling arcs of electricity, a colossal Thunder Bird was born, screeching as it streaked toward Accino at blistering speed.
Accino barely had time to react. He coated himself in a shimmer of heat, dulling the electricity for a heartbeat—then the bird slammed into him, detonating in a blaze of thunder.
His body was hurled backward like a rag doll, smashing through the air before crashing into the sea with a great splash.
On Buggy's ship, the crew watched calmly. None doubted the outcome.
Buggy, however, frowned in thought. He had recognized the man as soon as the fight began—Don Accino, head of the Accino Family, wielder of the Heat-Heat Fruit. In another timeline, he would cross paths with Luffy years later.
Buggy rubbed his chin. "His strength may not be impressive now… but that fruit's potential is massive. Some even speculate that, pushed to its limits, it could counter the Magma-Magma Fruit itself. If I take him in and push his development… one day, he could become an admiral-class powerhouse."
Decision made, Buggy barked orders:
"Weevil! Fish that guy out of the sea. Lafitte, fetch those two brats."
He would not let such a fruit slip through his fingers. Under his guidance, Accino wouldn't remain the mediocrity history remembered—he would become a pillar of the Flame-Emperor Pirates.
Meanwhile, Campacino and Brindo had never swum far. They'd watched the entire battle unfold, their eyes wide in horror. Their father—who they thought invincible—had been defeated so easily, and now sank helplessly into the waves.
When a pair of enormous talons suddenly clamped around them, the brothers looked up in terror. High above, Lafitte had transformed into a great golden eagle, his gaze disturbingly human as he carried them skyward.
Their eyes filled with despair. They already knew—these were Buggy's people.