The Strongest Lunarian in One Piece

"What?"

Somewhere on the Red Line.

On a rugged, pitted cliff, El—wearing Seastone shackles and sweating profusely as he trained—was taken aback and blurted, "Thor found that lanternfish?"

"We're not entirely sure yet, but it's highly likely…"

Somewhere out at sea.

Fire Calamity Afar and Dal had chased their quarry to this location.

Looking at the now still Vivre Card in his hand, Afar said helplessly, "We followed its guidance up to here, but suddenly the card stopped pointing anywhere. At the same time, it still shows he's alive… I'm guessing he went underwater, probably swallowed by that monster. The Den Den Mushi's signal is messed up, so we can't get through!"

"That brat—always so reckless… You two stay right there. I'm on my way!"

El's eyelids twitched.

Without hesitation, he removed his Seastone handcuffs.

He immediately picked up his Den Den Mushi, took out several Vivre Cards he carried, and found the one labeled "Fire Calamity."

He kept "backups" of the Vivre Cards of his children—Thor, Sif, and others—as well as for the key members of the Fallen Angel Pirates, so he could rush to their aid at a moment's notice.

Swish—!

In a flash, El's aura flared as he shifted into his human–beast form.

Predatory in demeanor, his scaly armor gleaming, he unfurled two pairs of wings—one blue, one black—behind his back.

"Woo-hoo-hoo…"

Following the Vivre Card's guidance, he soared into the sky.

The flames behind his head extinguished, pushing his speed to its limit, and he transformed into a streak of black light, hurtling away at incredible velocity.

Barely two hours later, thanks to that astonishing speed—and guided by the Vivre Card—El arrived at the sea where Fire Calamity Afar and Dal were waiting.

"El-sama…"

"Dad!!"

Afar and Dal greeted him.

El nodded, then turned his gaze to the waters below. "This is the place?"

"Right. I can sense a huge presence with a frightening aura hiding about ten thousand meters down," Afar said.

The moment El had come near, that highly trained Observation Haki—honed day and night—immediately locked onto the massive creature deep below.

A faint red glint flashed in his eyes as he peered through the roiling sea.

He could see the colossal beast, and he noticed a glowing "lantern" on its head that lit even the dark depths.

"It's definitely that giant lanternfish…" El said with an excited grin. "Looks like Thor's luck isn't half-bad!"

A trace of delight shone in his eyes as well. With this discovery, he wouldn't have to worry that his beloved companions and key pirate officers would grow old too soon—at least not before they achieved their grand ambitions.

"So it really is the lanternfish?"

Afar had suspected as much, but he was still amazed and elated. Legend had it that Pure Gold might lie within this creature—who wouldn't get excited about the possibility of a longer life span?

Moreover, as a top-ranking member of the Totto Land Kingdom and also a Lunarian, if they really did secure a large quantity of Pure Gold, he knew El wouldn't hesitate to share.

"Shall we call over Jien and the others?"

Trying to keep his emotions in check, Afar spoke in a deep voice. "It's all the way at the bottom of the sea, which isn't going to be easy… Plus, Prince Thor is still inside it!"

"Don't worry," El replied with a calm smile.

He took out a large mirror—about two meters across—made from a shape-memory alloy that would be difficult to damage, and handed it to Afar. "I already told Barry, Jien, Uthan, and the others to stand by in the Mirror World for secrecy's sake. They should be here any minute now!"

"Then get in touch again and have them bring some sealed metal containers at least twenty centimeters thick. Pure Gold shines way too brightly, so we'll need to lock it up to keep that glow from attracting attention."

If El was right, not only the fish's body but also the "lantern" on its head could contain a substantial amount of Pure Gold. To bring it back under the radar, he'd have to rely on the power of the Mirror-Mirror Fruit. Simply taking the lanternfish down in plain sight and hauling off the Pure Gold might draw unwanted notice from other factions.

Swish—

Wasting no time, El pulled out a seed from the Yarukiman Mangrove that he always carried on him…

In an instant, the tiny seed sprouted roots in his palm and kept growing until they anchored themselves right there on the sea's surface.

Countless roots spread like a spider's web, secreting copious sap that formed a huge bubble around ten meters in diameter. Under Afar's astonished gaze, the immense bubble enveloped El's tall figure.

"Dad, I wanna go with you!"

Their third son, Dal, used his Transfer-Transfer Fruit to teleport inside the bubble and perched on El's broad shoulder, refusing to budge.

"All right, come along," El said, knocking lightly on Dal's forehead with a smile.

"You two be careful!" Afar called, holding the large mirror. He wasn't too worried, though. The Lunarian race was said to be able to survive in any extreme environment—land, sky, or even underwater. Even if El's Devil Fruit powers were nullified deep below, his monstrous body alone would keep him safe.

Splash…

Waves churned as the huge bubble submerged, revealing a dark underwater world for El and Dal. Far below, however, was an orb of intense light, like a miniature sun.

Descending deeper, they passed schools of fish and sea beasts. Some creatures tried to attack, but one fierce glare from El sent them fleeing.

"Bubbles…"

Streams of bubbles floated upward, and the immense "lantern" appeared before them.

"Wow, that's so bright…" Dal exclaimed in wonder, still perched on El's shoulder. "Dad, is that glowing thing the Pure Gold?"

He'd already heard Afar's explanation. He never imagined there was something in this world—Pure Gold—that could grant people an extended lifespan. It was almost too fantastic to believe.

"Yes. There's Pure Gold inside that 'lantern,' though it's not actually quite that large. But it should still be a significant amount," El said with a smile.

Just then, the giant lanternfish noticed their presence. In an instant, it gaped its massive maw and swallowed them whole—bubble and all—roots of the Yarukiman Mangrove and everything…

~~~

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