Kaguya nudged the still-smoking Enel with her foot and said with disdain, "With strength like this, you wanted to be a god? Did you skip your meds, or did you take the wrong ones to be having such delusions?"
"Cough, cough..."
The charred Enel let out two ragged coughs, black smoke escaping his mouth as he struggled to lift his head. "Who... who are you?"
"Does it matter who I am?" Kaguya said, stepping onto his chest. "If you wanted to beg for mercy, it's too late. I already told you—don't challenge powers you don't understand. Why don't you listen?"
She pressed down harder, making Enel break into a cold sweat.
"But since you're about to die, I guess telling you won't hurt. Might as well let you die in peace," Kaguya smiled sweetly. "My name is... Liuli. Got that?"
"Liu... li?" Enel muttered.
"That's right, Liuli—delivering you to the afterlife free of charge. See how generous I am?" Kaguya said as she grabbed his throat and lifted him off the ground. "Alright, time to send you off."
With her fair hand, she suddenly jabbed it into him.
Splurt!
Enel's eyes bulged as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Kaguya tilted her head to dodge and muttered with annoyance, "Ugh, be hygienic, will you? Even if we're out in the wild, spitting everywhere is just gross. Isn't this the real test of self-discipline? Seriously, didn't your elementary school teacher ever teach you basic manners?"
Enel coughed a few more times and managed to rasp, "I... I never went to school."
Kaguya sighed. "A victim of poor education."
At that moment, several figures rapidly approached on air-scooters, kicking up clouds of mist and vapor. They were the Shandians Kaguya had encountered earlier.
As they reached land and saw the scene before them, their eyes widened in shock.
Enel—defeated.
And the one who defeated him was none other than the silver-haired girl they had met before.
How was that even possible?
Only Wyper didn't seem particularly surprised. He had already experienced Kaguya's strength firsthand—getting thrashed by her was proof enough. Still, he hadn't expected Enel to be defeated so easily.
How powerful must she be to achieve something like this?
Kaguya ignored the Shandians' stunned expressions. She extracted the Devil Fruit essence from Enel, her pale hands stained crimson. The blood-smeared beauty of her face gave off a strangely eerie aura, sending a chill down the spines of the onlookers.
"Hey," Kaguya suddenly turned around with a bright smile, "anyone want some human meat?"
The Shandians gasped in horror and instinctively stepped back. Several immediately drew their weapons and aimed them at her.
"Jeez, no sense of humor at all," Kaguya shrugged. "Do I really look like a cannibal to you?"
Relieved, the Shandians let out a collective breath. Not that they didn't trust Kaguya—it was just that her appetite was so massive. She had eaten nearly a month's worth of food in one meal.
"Besides," Kaguya wrinkled her brow, "this guy clearly looks unappetizing. Probably gives you diarrhea."
Tension returned in an instant.
Wait... did that mean she'd eat someone who did look tasty?
"As thanks for your hospitality, I'll give this island to you," Kaguya said with a smile.
This island?
The Shandians looked at each other in disbelief.
No way—something so precious, just handed to them like that?
Was she messing with them?
Then again, the island had been devastated by the meteor strike. There wasn't a blade of grass left—just barren land. Even if they reclaimed it, they probably wouldn't be able to grow anything on it.
Hearing that his island was about to be given away, the half-dead Enel suddenly panicked.
He writhed furiously, trying to speak—but before he could say a word, Kaguya slammed a fist into his stomach.
Enel's eyes rolled back, and whatever he was about to say died in his throat.
"You got a problem with that?" Kaguya asked sweetly.
Cold sweat broke out on everyone's foreheads—she was terrifying.
"Now that I've got what I wanted from you, you're useless to me. Goodbye, Little Lulu."
Kaguya casually tossed him away. Enel fell like a broken ragdoll into the cloud sea, vanishing from sight. Where he landed? That would be up to fate.
With that, Kaguya's journey to Skypiea came to an end. It hadn't been as fruitful as she had hoped. She'd thought she could collect a few Devil Fruits, but only ended up with one. A bit of a loss.
Still, it was the strongest Logia fruit, which helped balance her disappointment. She would have gotten it eventually anyway.
—Meanwhile, in Dressrosa—
"Doffy, should we report this to the World Government? If word of this gets out, even she might be severely punished," Trebol said with a snort, his nose running as usual.
"Hmph," Doflamingo sneered. "You think this is that simple? You think the World Government knows nothing about her?"
Trebol blinked. "Wait... you mean—?"
"Exactly," Doflamingo's face darkened. "They probably found out a long time ago. They're just too scared to cross her."
"Smart of you to recognize that."
A melodic voice suddenly rang out.
Doflamingo's pupils contracted as he whipped around—sitting on a nearby sofa was none other than Kaguya.
He hadn't sensed her at all.
"Did you finish what I told you to do?" Kaguya asked, legs crossed, twirling a lock of silver hair around her finger as she shot him a glance.
"Caesar has been found," Doflamingo replied, "but due to his research into forbidden scientific experiments, the World Government arrested him. He's currently imprisoned in Impel Down."
Kaguya frowned. "Impel Down?"
That didn't match her expectations. By all rights, Caesar shouldn't have gone through something like that. Could her presence have triggered a butterfly effect?
Regardless of how things turned out, Kaguya had made up her mind: even if it was just for the sake of getting the Devil Fruit, she had to bust that guy out of Impel Down.
However, considering he posed a certain threat to the World Government, they definitely wouldn't hand him over easily—just like with Vegapunk, they'd keep a tight grip on him.
But that didn't matter. Kaguya had no intention of playing nice with the World Government anyway. A clash was inevitable.
Which meant it was time to put the transformation card to use.
Only—Kaguya suddenly discovered a very frustrating issue: the transformation card was random.
Random, seriously?
It'd be one thing to randomly get a powerful character. But what if she turned into someone like Pleasant Goat, Umaru, or Konata Izumi? She'd be toast.
Combat power was everything. You couldn't defeat enemies with cuteness alone.
She'd probably get mobbed by a bunch of goons.
So yeah, this system wasn't exactly reliable. Then again, when had it ever been?
Still, as the saying goes: you've gotta risk it to get the biscuit. What if she got lucky?
Of course, that's what she always told herself when buying lottery tickets. And every time she'd come home to find—yup, not a single number matched. Statistically impressive, really.
If lottery prizes were awarded for getting absolutely nothing right, she'd be the richest person on the planet.
Kaguya reached into her pocket and pulled out the card.
It looked a bit like a black credit card, engraved with intricate patterns reminiscent of a magical circle, exuding an ominous aura.
Hopefully, it wasn't some monster transformation card.
If she turned into something like a goblin or slime, she might actually cry.
Clutching the card, she felt a strange energy emanate from it. A pitch-black mist began swirling around her, enveloping her entire body. The icy sensation wasn't unpleasant.
When the mist cleared, what emerged was a beautiful young woman. Her golden hair was elegantly tied up in a style reminiscent of a European royal court. Golden eyes shimmered with cold indifference. Her face was exquisitely delicate, with natural beauty enhanced by a minimalistic look.
She was petite, dressed in a long black gown with black stockings, all covered by a suit of inky-black armor. Her aura was sharp and chilling, unforgettable at a glance.
"Didn't expect to draw Black Saber," Kaguya said, admiring her reflection. Her appearance matched her expectations—perhaps even more refined. Especially her crystal-clear eyes—they were stunning.
She raised her hand and clenched it. A black-and-red longsword appeared in her grasp, different from her previous weapon, Liuli. So even her weapon changed after transforming.
She swung it.
"Excalibur."
The black-and-red Sword of Victory and Vow slashed through the air, releasing a wave of dark sword energy.
BOOM!
The earth split, boulders shattered.
In an instant, a distant, majestic mountain was cleaved in two. The debris scattered like a meteor shower, crashing down and kicking up massive clouds of dust.
Hmm, the power was far greater than Kaguya had expected. Perhaps her own strength amplified the effect. If it were the original, this result might not have come so easily. The magic flowing within her was like an endless spring, abundant and potent.
Kaguya turned and walked away.
The sky dimmed as the sun set. The red hues of dusk slowly faded from the horizon, and night blanketed the sky in misty darkness.
The town, once bustling with daytime clamor, gradually quieted. Lamps flickered to life, dispelling the shadows. People on the streets hurried by, their presence adding a touch of melancholy to the evening air.
Kaguya made her way to a tavern in the town. As soon as she stepped through the door, a wave of noise greeted her. The bustling chatter made her frown slightly, but she said nothing.
"Welcome, miss. May I take your order?" A pretty waitress with light green hair approached with a gentle smile.
"Roast meat. As much as you can bring," Kaguya said. "And if you have fries, bring those too."
The waitress was a bit surprised. Most female patrons, concerned with their figure, usually ordered light meals. Few ever chose such high-calorie food.
"Would you like some cake as well?" the waitress offered sweetly. "Our cake is very good."
"No need," Kaguya replied coolly.
Seeing that she didn't want to chat, the waitress smiled politely and walked away, thinking this girl was rather unusual.
"Hey, did you guys hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Mount Gode, just outside the town—it suddenly collapsed. No one knows why."
"I heard that too. That mountain was famous around here. Could it have been a landslide?"
"Nope. You won't believe this, but they say the mountain was split open by someone."
"Split open? You've got to be joking. That thing's over a thousand meters tall! Even mining up there is tough, let alone splitting it."
"I'm telling you, it's true. The navy came to investigate."
"If that's the case, who could possess that kind of power?"
The tavern buzzed with excited chatter, the atmosphere growing livelier.
At that moment, a burly man with a thick beard walked in and sat next to Kaguya. He grinned, exposing his crooked teeth, and shouted, "Boss! One cherry pie!"
"Coming right up!"
Kaguya glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He looked familiar somehow, but the sour stench coming off him made her wrinkle her nose.
"Haha! Boss, this is delicious! Haha!" the bearded man said loudly with joy.
"Your praise is my honor," the bartender replied with a smile.
"People actually eat this crap? Pfft!" a harsh voice cut through the warmth.
Several thuggish-looking men swaggered over, fake grins plastered on their faces.
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