One Piece: New Order-Chapter 72: Devil Fruit and Haki

Outside the Forest of Mechanical Beasts.

By now, the royal guards of Baldimore and marines from the local branch had fully surrounded the area. They were stationed at every point along the perimeter, watching the dense forest from all directions.

A Den Den Mushi rested in the hands of the base commander, still active and transmitting in real time. Given that the incident involved forbidden government research, the other end of the line had been routed directly to Kong.

The fleet admiral's voice came through, stern and commanding.

"Titus, keep a close watch on the illegal research group, MADS. Not a single one of them must be allowed to escape. Sakazuki is already en route. Until he arrives, I don't care what it takes, even if it costs you your life, stop them all."

At the mention of Sakazuki, a surge of confidence filled Base Commander Titus's chest. He took a deep breath.

"Mission will be completed, sir!"

Then he turned sharply to his subordinates.

"Reinforcements are on the way! Vice Admiral Sakazuki is coming! Stay sharp, all of you! Not a single member of that evil organization is allowed to get away!"

The surrounding marines straightened and roared in unison.

"Yes, sir!"

They resumed their watch on the forest with renewed determination, but it didn't take long before murmurs began to pass between them.

"Hey, did you hear that?"

"I did!"

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, man! He's the real deal!"

"Never thought we'd get to see him in such a remote place."

"He's the hero who took down the pirate Whitebeard."

"I can't wait to see him in action!"

"Yeah, me too!"

...

At the edge of the Seadya Sea.

A blazing figure streaked across the sky as it soared into the cloud-covered region.

It was a colossal golden eagle formed entirely of molten lava, its four massive wings stretching out over a thousand meters each. Trails of flame and smoke billowed from its tips as it surged forward at incredible speed.

Chunks of lava rained down from its body into the ocean below. Yet instead of cooling and hardening, they kept burning slowly, as if fueled by an endless energy within.

In this frozen sea covered in snow and ice all year round, a wide channel several nautical miles across was melted open.

The path led straight toward the Karakuri island at the center of the sea, home of Baldimore.

Moments after the fiery condor streaked past, thunder cracked overhead. A blinding bolt of lightning tore through the heavens, catching up in an instant.

Zzzzt—

A jolt of electricity struck the eagle's head, and from it emerged a figure: Enel, his body crackling with residual current.

The thunder rumbled a beat later as the boy then sat next to Sakazuki, stretching with both arms raised high.

"So warm~," he murmured. Then, glancing at the vice admiral, he asked, "Uncle, why'd you call me out here so suddenly?"

Sakazuki replied without looking at him. "Signed you up for a catch-up course."

Enel raised an eyebrow. "Catch-up course?"

The vice admiral gave a faint smile and changed the subject. "What've you been studying and training in lately?"

The boy laid back with his hands behind his head. "Ah, same old stuff. Studying different subjects while training in hand-to-hand combat. Ever since Instructor Zephyr came to the academy, he's been super strict about physical training."

He chuckled. "That guy Borsalino keeps getting yelled at. He's always being dragged out for one-on-one sparring with the instructor."

Sakazuki frowned at that. "You haven't been training your Devil Fruit powers?"

Enel paused for a second and said, "No. Instructor Zephyr told us that physical skills and Haki are the foundation. We shouldn't rely too much on Devil Fruit powers. Grandpa agreed with that too. Is there a problem with that, Uncle?"

The vice admiral nodded slightly. "There is a problem. That statement is both right and wrong."

Before awakening his own Fruit, he had thought the same way.

Enel straightened up, paying closer attention now.

Sakazuki said, "Physical combat is a person's foundation. Haki determines your lower limit. But the kind of Devil Fruit ability you possess, that's what sets your upper limit."

Enel looked thoughtful as the older man continued, "A powerful Devil Fruit can easily reshape the world itself. Why do you think Byrnndi World is called the World Destroyer?

"It's because of his Devil Fruit. He can destroy entire islands with ease, unleashing destruction at will. But when it comes to physical combat and Haki, he's barely second-rate.

"Remember Whitebeard's final strike during the Battle of Sgri? When the ocean flipped and the sky was torn apart? That wasn't something Haki or martial arts could achieve."

Enel recalled that chaotic scene: land and sky overturned, as if the wrath of the heavens had descended. That terrifying sense of crisis wasn't something martial arts or Haki could ever replicate.

Then Sakazuki said something that left the boy confused:

"What the World Government has feared for eight hundred years... was never the endless stream of Haki masters on the seas. It was... a Devil Fruit."

Enel didn't quite understand, but it sure sounded impressive...

The four-winged molten eagle began gliding downward.

The shape of the Karakuri island below was now clearly visible. A powerful wave of Observation Haki swept across the area and locked onto a target in an instant.

The eagle's crimson tail flames and thick black smoke split the sky as it dove straight toward the forest surrounded by marine soldiers.

...

Baldimore, outer edge of the Forest of Mechanical Beasts.

"Hey... is that for real?!"

"Look over there!"

"What is that?!"

"Holy—!"

"It's flying into the forest!"

"Something just fell from it!"

"Get out of the way!"

The marines near the forest recoiled in shock as a giant figure blotted out the sky. Tiny glowing fragments rained down from it, and they quickly scattered to avoid getting hit.

When those fragments hit the ground, the snow immediately began to melt, spreading outward in steaming pools.

Some of the braver marines stepped closer to investigate.

"This is... magma?"

...

Deep within the forest, at Vegapunk's research facility.

Most of the group had already packed up and were now gathered beside a towering iron gate, several meters tall.

Vegapunk pressed a button, the inner machinery of the facility roared to life. The structure began to shift and transform, and a straight runway extending all the way to the gate slowly formed.

From the back, with the clanking of gears and metal, a colossal machine shaped like a ship slowly rolled forward. At its rear was a huge thruster, making it clear this wasn't just an ordinary ship.

As the mechanical vessel reached the gate, Vegapunk gave the order. "Everyone aboard. We're leaving."

Nearby, Caesar Clown stared nervously at the thruster at the back of the ship. Uneasy, he muttered, "Hey... we're not gonna die from the fall or something, right?"

Vegapunk didn't even glance at him. "Then find your own way out, idiot."

With that, he stepped aboard.

Caesar clenched his fists, glaring bitterly at the man's back, but followed him up onto the ship.

Once everyone was on board, Vegapunk instructed everyone to hold tight to the nearest secure object. He took a deep breath and pressed the activation key. Then, he placed his hand on the big red button that would ignite the thruster.

The rear of the vessel started to glow—faintly at first, then brighter and hotter by the second, radiating waves of heat as the glow deepened to a blazing red.

The iron gate at the front slowly began to open. Everyone aboard stared anxiously at the widening gap, hearts pounding.

When it opened fully, it would be their moment to escape. Even Vegapunk, hand hovering over the launch button, felt a trace of tension crawl up his spine.

But just as the gate reached its halfway point, a voice echoed from outside.

"I suggest you don't press that button."

A large birdlike head made of molten magma appeared at the gate.

It filled the entire field of view, so enormous that even with just a little bit of its head visible, everyone could imagine the terrifying scale of the creature outside.

Then, the magma beast let out a low, ancient-sounding roar, like a primeval monster stirring from slumber. It turned its head slightly toward the sea, as if gesturing for everyone inside to look.

Swallowing nervously, the crew followed its gaze, shivering involuntarily. A brilliant red beam of molten energy suddenly blasted toward the distant ocean.

BOOM!!!!

A towering mushroom cloud erupted on the horizon, expanding rapidly. Seconds later, a searing heatwave slammed through the air like a tidal wave.

For the first time, the people of snowbound Karakuri Island understood what true heat felt like.

Inside the mechanical vessel, the crew stared in stunned silence.

Through the ship's reinforced windows, they watched as the frozen ocean—normally unyielding without specialized icebreakers—melted at a terrifying speed. The endless sheet of white began collapsing into dark, roiling water, revealing the long-buried, black earth beneath.

Everyone aboard was dumbfounded.

These were scientists, researchers who had devoted their lives to invention, to logic, to theory. But now, they were staring directly into the face of raw power, a force so absolute it rendered all equations meaningless.

Vegapunk, once frozen in place, slowly lowered his hand from the launch button.

The others exchanged silent glances. No one said a word. Resistance was no longer even a thought—it had evaporated with the frost. They simply stood there, motionless, waiting.

Some felt doubt stir within them. Can their science ever reach that level of strength...?

Vegapunk stared at the melting snow, at the dark soil emerging from beneath. A flicker of something lit in his eyes: recognition, realization, perhaps something deeper.

Without another word, he bolted for the ship's exit and sprinted outside. He came to a halt just beyond the gate and stared out at the island he had called home since childhood.

The snow was disappearing fast, revealing vast stretches of fertile land. His eyes lit up with childlike wonder, and for the first time in a long while, he smiled—a pure, genuine smile.

Far off in the distance, something began to stir.

A gigantic mechanical structure, frozen in place for years, was slowly thawing. It was one of Vegapunk's earliest designs: a colossal furnace the size of half the island. Back then, he had dreamed of solving the lands heating problem once and for all. But without the funding or technical breakthroughs, the project had been abandoned, left to be buried beneath the snow.

Now, it was waking up.

Looking across the thawing landscape, Vegapunk's smile deepened. It's still here... after all these years. But then, a sudden darkness swallowed the light around him. A shadow, vast and oppressive, loomed overhead.

Vegapunk looked up.

It was a titanic golden eagle, its body formed entirely of molten lava. Its wings blotted out the sun, and its heat made the air shimmer.

The bird's head slowly lowered. Atop it, Enel remained seated, still gazing toward the distant sea, his eyes wide with awe, unable to process what he had just witnessed.

That single attack had served two purposes: to teach him a lesson... and to send a very clear message to the scientists below.

From the eagle's head, Sakazuki stepped down. He walked toward Vegapunk, expressionless.

Stopping before the scientist, he spoke coldly.

"You're under arrest."

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