Clang!
With Souta Kiryuu's permission, the great Golden Bell of Shandora was struck once. Though the sound was not strong enough to carry ten thousand meters down to Jaya Island, it still resonated through the skies, bringing an end to the four-hundred-year conflict between the Shandians and the Skypieans.
From this moment forward, Skypiea entered the era of Souta Kiryuu's rule.
Beneath the Golden Bell, Dr. Vegapunk's sharp eyes lit up as he examined the Poneglyph, carved with the ancient text he understood so well. He saw a prophecy of Poseidon—the Sea King—set to be born on Fishman Island. More importantly, he discovered a message left behind by Gol D. Roger himself.
This revelation ignited a deep fascination in Vegapunk, stoking his desire to uncover the secrets of the Void Century.
Under Souta's orders, the people of Skypiea threw themselves into building Vegapunk's laboratory, all while maintaining progress on the construction of the great ark, Maxim.
With Kuma's assistance, a specialized medical facility for Jewelry Bonney was quickly erected. The advanced equipment Souta had taken from Egghead Island and Germa 66 was unloaded from Capone Bege's fortress-body and installed at once.
Vegapunk and his team of scientists wasted no time setting up a fully functional research base. The genius immediately activated the cloning chambers, creating several duplicates of himself to handle the workload.
With their new territory stable, the crew turned their focus toward training.
Kuma even took Bege on a brief trip to Germa 66, where they traded a shipment of gold with Judge Vinsmoke in exchange for new experimental equipment that Vegapunk demanded. Judge, flush with newfound wealth, also began accelerating his own projects while aiding Vegapunk in sourcing rare materials.
Training Grounds
Within a wide arena, Souta Kiryuu clashed violently against Bartholomew Kuma. The destructive power of their battle left Trafalgar Law, Bege, and the others in awe.
Afterward, Souta approached a chained figure—Enel, bound in seastone cuffs, still radiating bitterness.
"So, Enel," Souta said, his tone laced with dominance, "interested in joining us?"
"That power of yours… that strange energy that struck my divine body… it's called Armament Haki, isn't it?" Enel growled, glaring at Souta and Kuma. To think that these two had brought down a god in an instant—it was an insult he could barely swallow.
Worse yet, this dragon-man not only wielded lightning like himself but also fire and even lasers.
The power was godlike. More godlike than Enel himself.
"That's right," Souta chuckled. "And on the Blue Sea, there are plenty like you—Logia users who wield magma, ice, or light. Compared to them, you're not as invincible as you thought."
Truthfully, Souta had no intention of wasting Enel's potential. The man had mastered the Goro Goro no Mi far beyond most Logia users. If there was even a chance to bend him to his will, Souta wanted him alive.
"Hmph! If you hadn't ambushed me, there's no way you'd have landed a hit!" Enel snapped. His arrogance refused to falter, though deep down he knew they had outplayed him.
"True," Souta admitted with a smirk. "The Goro Goro no Mi is incredibly fast and wide-reaching. That's exactly why we had to take you down quickly."
Turning away, Souta addressed Law, Lafitte, and Bege. "Train well. One day, you'll be strong enough to defeat even gods like him."
Enel's scowl deepened, but Souta ignored it.
A Request from Vegapunk
"Arlong—I mean, Souta!" Vegapunk hurried in, his oversized head bobbing as he ran. "We need rare metals, preferably something like memory alloy. Judge refuses to share, or perhaps he truly has none left. But I can't create reliable clones without it!"
"Memory alloy?" Souta tilted his head, then smirked as realization dawned. "Ah… how could I forget that?"
He thought of someone who could mass-produce the material.
"Don't worry," Souta said calmly. "I'll fetch exactly what you need."
Vegapunk's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Excellent! Don't delay—bring it back soon!"
"Consider it done." Souta turned to his crew. "Law, where's Bepo? Has the submarine arrived yet?"
"Almost here," Law replied, panting as he continued training his Armament Haki. His hatred for Doflamingo fueled every blow. "Once it surfaces near Jaya, I'll have Kuma drop me down to retrieve it."
"Good. You and Lafitte will lead the mission. Take control of Jaya—make it ours," Souta commanded.
At the mention of Jaya, Souta thought of Hyena Bellamy. The pirate's bounty was only 55 million, but he ruled Mock Town with swagger. Perfect opponents for Law and Lafitte to cut their teeth on.
The two men nodded confidently. "Understood!"
Bege, meanwhile, was tasked with ferrying supplies between Skypiea and Germa, acting as the crew's mobile warehouse.
New Orders
"Kuma," Souta said at last, "send me to Drum Island."
"Now?" Kuma asked briefly.
"Now," Souta confirmed. "Time is precious."
With a solemn nod, Kuma activated the powers of the Paw-Paw Fruit, launching Souta across the skies in a high-speed bubble of compressed air.
As he flew, Souta finally allowed himself to relax. He gazed out at the endless sea below and grinned.
"At last, my own territory… and soon, even greater power."
His ambitions stretched outward: the Golden Emperor Tesoro, the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock—both would one day serve beneath his banner. After all, what was a former Celestial Dragon's slave without a captain to follow?
Meanwhile… at Marineford
At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku the Buddha was seething. The Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons themselves had pressured him relentlessly: capture Souta Kiryuu at any cost.
But ever since Souta's raid on a prison in the North Blue, where he had freed a dangerous Devil Fruit user, he and his crew had vanished without a trace.
With Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit and Souta's artificial Azure Dragon powers, capturing them was nearly impossible.
Even Cipher Pol agents had failed to track them down. Now the World Government's only hope was to tighten surveillance in the West Blue mafia networks, hoping Capone Bege's movements would eventually lead them to Souta Kiryuu.
The hunt had only just begun.