"That Clear-Clear Fruit user is heading this way."
The moment his feet touched the ground, El pointed in one direction and spoke to Kuina.
"There's a castle over there. That's where Gecko Moria and his subordinates live," he said calmly.
"On the second floor, left wing, there's a room that belongs to the 'Ghost Princess,'Perona."
"She has a special ability that lets her soul leave her body," El continued.
"When she appears before enemies, it's often just a projection—not her real body."
He turned to Kuina.
"Your electric-field teleportation ignores terrain and obstacles."
"Before she comes here to interfere, I'll need you to deal with her first."
"Alright," Kuina replied confidently, a faint smile on her face.
In the next instant, her body turned into a streak of lightning and vanished from sight.
Watching Kuina disappear, Carina spoke with unconcealed envy.
"With speed like lightning and teleportation that ignores all obstacles… that really is an enviable ability."
She glanced at El and added thoughtfully,
"Nii-san also said that once Sister Kuina awakens Observation Haki, she'll be able to integrate radio waves into it. Her perception range might even rival yours—and she'd be able to eavesdrop on conversations across an entire battlefield."
Nami nodded in agreement.
"As long as her heart isn't destroyed and her body isn't completely shattered, even a fatal injury would only put her into suspended animation," she said seriously.
"With electrotherapy, she can restart her heart and revive herself."
She sighed lightly.
"As a high-level element user myself… my Flame-Flame Fruit doesn't even qualify to carry Sister Kuina's shoes."
El chuckled and patted Nami's shoulder.
"That's only because your physique is still too weak," he said gently.
"When it improves, the temperature of your flames will skyrocket."
"At that point, if the enemy isn't coated in Armament Haki—or if their Haki isn't strong enough—"
"They won't even be able to get close to you."
"As long as you're strong enough," El concluded,
"your enemies won't even have the chance to approach."
"Mm-hm!"
Nami nodded vigorously, smiling brightly.
"I just celebrated my birthday last month—I'm only nine years old now! I still have plenty of time to grow."
"One day, I'll be one of your strongest aides, Nii-san—just like Sister Kuina!"
"I'm looking forward to that day," El said warmly, ruffling her hair.
Then his gaze shifted toward the dim, gloomy forest ahead, and his voice dropped.
"That Clear-Clear Fruit user has reached the edge of the woods."
"Hehehe…"
Nami's lips curled into a mischievous grin.
"He can hide anywhere—and he chooses a flammable forest?"
"Then don't blame me for giving him a hot gift."
"Fire Fist."
Nami took a few steps forward, creating distance from El.
Her slender arm transformed instantly into blazing orange flames, tearing through the foggy night like a rising sun.
With a single swing of her arm, the fire surged forward like a roaring tidal wave, crashing into the forest ahead.
The flames moved too fast.
Absalom, who had been hiding within the woods, didn't even have time to escape before being swallowed whole by the inferno.
Moments later, the entire forest became a sea of fire, its dazzling glow visible from nearly anywhere on Thriller Bark.
Absalom burst out of the burning woods, his body completely engulfed in flames, screaming as he ran.
Unfortunately for him, he wasn't an Armament Haki user.
His body burned no differently from the trees around him.
Under the indifferent gazes of El, Carina, and Nami, Absalom screamed for nearly two minutes before finally collapsing, his body gradually charring into blackened ash.
Even if he had managed to extinguish the flames, it would have meant nothing to Nami.
She would have simply added another fire.
One of Gecko Moria's three cadres was dead—in mere minutes.
Afterward, Nami manipulated the raging flames, parting the inferno to clear a path forward.
The three passed through the scorched forest and crossed a shallow ditch.
Along the way, El drew his sword, guarding against any movement from the surrounding graveyard.
At the far end of the cemetery stood Gecko Moria's castle.
Before they could reach it—
A streak of blue-white lightning flashed past their eyes like a shooting star.
In the next second, Kuina appeared in front of them as if out of thin air.
"So fast!"
"Sister Kuina—did you knock out our future companion already?!"
Carina and Nami stared at her in disbelief.
Kuina nodded with a small smile.
"Yes. Our future companion… is a very cute girl."
"I appeared in front of her without warning and tried to stun her with the hilt of my sword," Kuina explained.
"But she thought I was about to draw the blade and slash her—she panicked and fainted on the spot."
"If it were me, I'd be terrified too," Carina muttered.
Nami nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll need you to make another trip," El said calmly.
"Nami already took down a cadre," he continued.
"But he turned into a scorched corpse, so I couldn't read his memories."
"Bring Perona here," El said.
"I'll read her memories and see if she knows where Shusui is stored."
"Leave it to me."
Kuina nodded and vanished once more in a flash of lightning.
By the time the three reached the front of the castle, Kuina was already waiting—
holding the unconscious Perona in her arms.
El placed his hand gently on Perona's head.
Her memories unfolded before him.
After a short while, El withdrew his hand, a faint look of disappointment on his face.
Perona had indeed seen Shusui.
She had also seen the corpse of Shimotsuki Ryuma.
But—
She had never cared about swords or corpses.
She hadn't paid attention to where Gecko Moria took Shusui afterward, nor where he stored it.
In other words—
They would need to go deeper into Thriller Bark.
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