One Piece: Ulquiorra Template

Chapter 34: A Legendary Scene Unfolds

After several days of flight, Ian and Tashigi finally arrived at Jaya Island. They had reveled in the feeling of soaring freely through the sky, gazing down upon the world below, where islands appeared no larger than a handspan.

At full speed, they could traverse the distance in under two days. After all, both Jaya and Skypiea were located in the first half of the Grand Line, while Marine Headquarters lay at its center. Among the seven sea routes leading to the Grand Line, there lay the Florian Triangle, home to Gecko Moria's Thriller Bark.

Although Enel had only ruled Skypiea for three years, his mastery of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit likely hadn't reached the level seen in the original story. Still, it was one of the most powerful Logia-type Devil Fruits, capable of overwhelming nearly any opponent, except for the anomaly of Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit, which negated all Devil Fruit powers.

Even Enel's ultimate transformation, the "200 Million Volt Amaru" form, was likely far from its peak, probably not even exceeding 100 million volts.

During their journey, they had stopped at various islands, seeking out graveyards and absorbing the lingering souls of the deceased. While he possessed Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Ian had no desire to create an army of zombies, except perhaps as a temporary measure during combat.

After visiting several islands and encountering frequent pirate battles at sea, which yielded just as many souls as the islands themselves, his fusion rate had recovered to 38%. The remaining 2% could likely be obtained on Skypiea, or he could simply engage in a massacre of pirates on Jaya, drawn by the allure of the legendary city of gold.

Rumors of Skypiea and its riches had attracted a large number of pirates. Bellamy, the Hyena, with his Spring-Spring Fruit, was likely not a captain yet, merely a subordinate. As if on cue, Tashigi pulled out a stack of wanted posters and addressed Ian.

"Jaya Island currently harbors over a dozen small pirate crews, each with their own captain and territory. Their bounties range from 30 to 40 million berries. They're a disorganized bunch, easily manipulated with a bit of strategy."

They were currently on the opposite side of Jaya, the region where Montblanc Cricket, a descendant of Montblanc Noland, resided alongside the ape brothers, Masira and Shoujou, leaders of the Saruyama Alliance. In the original story, Luffy had quickly befriended them, leading the Straw Hat Pirates to joke about their shared primate origins.

"No need for elaborate plans. We've already dealt with a few crews, and the rest will likely come looking for us tonight." Ian dismissed her suggestion with a wave of his hand.

Initially, Tashigi had wanted to question why they weren't utilizing a Marine warship to eliminate over a dozen pirate crews.

Even for a Marine Vice Admiral capable of taking down pirates with bounties exceeding hundreds of millions, it seemed excessively reckless.

She had to admit, she still harbored doubts about Ian's victory over Gecko Moria, suspecting that Vice Admiral Momousagi had orchestrated the outcome.

However, if she knew that Ian was also responsible for Momousagi's impressive feat of defeating over a dozen pirate crews, her attitude would have been drastically different. This current situation mirrored those previous encounters. After all, Ian hadn't even reacted to the mocking remarks of his fellow Vice Admirals.

Even the most patient individual had their limits, let alone a powerful warrior. Her doubts had finally been dispelled earlier that day when they witnessed the ape brothers, Masira and Shoujou, being besieged by three pirate crews. The Saruyama Alliance, a union of the Masira Pirates and the Shoujou Pirates, had originally been formed to assist Montblanc Cricket in salvaging treasure from the ocean floor, later aiding Luffy in reinforcing the Going Merry for their journey to Skypiea.