"Looks like we're nearing Raijin Island." Zavia stood at the bow, gazing at the distant horizon with narrowed eyes.
He glanced at the Log Pose in his hand. The needle within trembled violently, as if afflicted with Parkinson's disease.
Raijin Island was perpetually bombarded by lightning storms, creating an unstable magnetic field that wreaked havoc on navigational instruments.
"Hey, Arthur, be prepared. If Crocodile's information is accurate, you'll need to stay hidden. You don't want to know what it feels like to be chased by light." Zavia turned to Arthur, who was on the mid-deck, and offered a word of caution.
Arthur nodded, taking a bite of the cooked meat in his hand before continuing his meal. Mihawk, sitting opposite him, did the same.
They were feasting on the meat of a gigantic Sea King with zebra-like stripes.
Two weeks prior, the Sea King had ambushed their ship, attempting to swallow them whole.
Its efforts were futile. The moment it appeared, Zavia drew the Yamato and unleashed an "Azure" wave, cleaving the creature cleanly in two.
Mihawk then transformed the Sea King into a delectable feast.
What? Where did the cooking utensils come from? While Zavia's ship appeared small, it was surprisingly well-equipped.
Rayleigh had provided him with a vessel that, despite its size, boasted a single-person bedroom, a bathroom, a washroom, and even a small kitchen, complete with utensils and a mini-fridge.
Admittedly, Zavia rarely used the fridge. After discovering that time stood still within his spatial bag, he had meticulously organized it, creating separate compartments for ingredients, weapons, clothing, daily necessities, and so on.
His spatial bag was now a treasure trove, containing almost anything imaginable, with the exception of truly bizarre items.
Returning to the topic at hand, Zavia's warning to Arthur was not without reason. After a year of traveling the seas together, it was inevitable that someone would notice the boy.
The incident with the nobleman who had taken Arthur hostage to obtain the Yamato served as a stark reminder.
It meant that people were aware of Arthur's existence and considered him Zavia's weakness. In other words, Arthur was already exposed.
If Kizaru decided to target Arthur, Zavia would have to devise a plan to retrieve him unharmed. He had made a promise to protect Arthur, a promise he couldn't break.
At least, not until he returned Arthur to his rightful place.
While Zavia didn't believe Kizaru would resort to using hostages to win a fight, he couldn't rule out the possibility.
He lived by the adage: "Anything is possible." Someone who appeared weak could, in fact, be someone you could never afford to cross.
However, even if Arthur were captured, he wasn't defenseless.
He was a mage, specializing in manipulation magic. Despite his age, his talent was exceptional, particularly in his chosen field.
This meant Arthur could manipulate anything that existed in the physical world, though mastering complete control required further training and refinement of his abilities.
Due to his association with Zavia, Arthur's own strength had been largely overlooked. Newspaper reports mentioned him only as a "special individual" without detailing his abilities.
While he hadn't yet achieved complete mastery, after a year of training under Zavia, Arthur could manipulate his surroundings for various purposes, both offensive and defensive.
For instance, if a confrontation with Kizaru was unavoidable, Arthur could manipulate the surrounding seawater for protection.
This wasn't a joke; he was genuinely capable of such feats.
Arthur's talent for manipulation magic exceeded Zavia's expectations. In just a year, he could control objects many times larger than himself.
Previously limited to manipulating objects a few times his size, he could now control things ten, even twenty times larger, prompting Zavia to jokingly ask, "Are you an ant?"
Furthermore, Arthur's control was remarkably skilled, showing no signs of inexperience.
This led Zavia to wonder if Arthur, like Spirit, possessed a unique talent within a specific magical field.
Therefore, Zavia wasn't overly concerned about Arthur being captured by Kizaru. While the admiral was incredibly fast, he was still a Devil Fruit user. Even an admiral was vulnerable to seawater.
Even Seastone cuffs wouldn't be effective. Arthur's power was magic, not a Devil Fruit ability.
And Arthur could manipulate more than just ships and seawater. He could control all matter – wind, fire, earth, wood, people, light, and so on.
While his proficiency varied depending on the material, he possessed ample means of self-preservation.
"By the way, Mihawk, why have you been following me for so long?" Zavia stored the Log Pose in his spatial bag and sat beside Arthur, eating his share of Sea King meat as he addressed Mihawk.
Mihawk's simple reply stunned him: "I'm bored. Following you might prove… interesting."
Zavia stared blankly for a moment, then recalled Mihawk's personality from the original story.
He had chased Krieg's crew all the way from the Grand Line to the Baratie restaurant in the East Blue simply because he was bored.
Thinking about it, Zavia thought, "Yep, that's Mihawk alright."
"Bored, huh? Suit yourself. But don't blame me when we face Admiral Kizaru."
"Hmph, a mere admiral. Nothing to fear." Mihawk's confident response boosted his image in Zavia's eyes. As expected of the World's Greatest Swordsman. Such was the arrogance of a true powerhouse.
Zavia silently gave Mihawk a thumbs-up. Arthur, seeing this, followed suit, though he had no idea what an admiral was. It sounded impressive, though.
Three days later, in the waters near Raijin Island…
Numerous Marine warships filled the sea, most of them vice-admiral class vessels. The sight was impressive.
Both pirates and merchants gave the area a wide berth. Neither wanted to invite trouble.
"Ah… so boring…" A languid voice drifted from one of the warships, its words drawn out slowly.
This warship was larger than the others, its firepower far superior.
Anyone with a modicum of knowledge could recognize it as an admiral-class vessel.
Standing at the forward cannon of the ship, a tall, slender man with curly black hair, clad in a yellow and white striped suit, a thin mustache framing his lips, and sunglasses perched on his nose, his Marine coat billowing in the wind, a comical expression on his face that somehow managed to appear sleazy, gazed at the distant Raijin Island, its sky crackling with lightning.
This man was Borsalino, also known as Kizaru, one of the Marine admirals, representing the pinnacle of Marine combat power, a figure feared by ninety percent of the pirates in the world.
Despite his seemingly lackadaisical demeanor, his boredom was evident.
Six months prior, Borsalino had received orders from Sengoku to temporarily abandon his research and head to Raijin Island to gather intelligence.
He had been puzzled by the assignment. Wasn't Kuzan supposed to handle this? Why him?
Upon arriving, he understood.
The already volatile lightning storms on Raijin Island had intensified, extending their reach 300 meters into the surrounding sea.
Any creature that dared enter this zone was instantly obliterated by the ferocious lightning.
Obliterated, not simply struck down.
A Sea King, unfortunate enough to stray into the area, had been reduced to ash in a matter of seconds. The creature, at least 600 meters long, hadn't been struck by a single bolt, but by dozens, each at least ten meters in diameter.
The acrid stench of burnt flesh had lingered for three days, carried by the wind, a grim reminder of the island's newfound danger.
After witnessing this firsthand, Borsalino's usual laziness vanished. He reorganized the Marine fleet, ordering them to maintain constant vigilance and avoid the affected area at all costs.
"This is quite terrifying. Raijin Island, once accessible using an 'umbrella,' has become so dangerous. Even an 'umbrella' can't withstand these lightning storms. What could have caused such a drastic change?" Borsalino stared at the island, pondering the cause of its transformation. No matter how he considered it, he couldn't find an answer.
As Borsalino wracked his brain, the "culprit" responsible for Raijin Island's current state was slowly approaching.