October 5, 1514 — Sea Circle Calendar
It took half a month for El and the four girls to return from Little Garden, having successfully captured a pterosaur, and make their way back to Water 7.
After three full years, the Pegasus finally returned to the place where it had been born.
Water 7 itself had changed noticeably.
The former mayor had already retired, and the new mayor was now Iceburg—the man who had founded Galley-La Company.
Under Iceburg's leadership, Galley-La had rapidly expanded, merging three shipbuilding companies of equal scale and becoming the largest shipbuilding corporation in Water 7.
More importantly, it had gradually risen to become the royal shipbuilder for Mary Geoise and Marine Headquarters.
This dual identity—mayor of Water 7 and president of Galley-La—made it impossible for the World Government to act rashly against him, even though they harbored deep suspicions regarding the Pluton blueprints.
At present, CP9, operating under the CP organization, was secretly planning to infiltrate Galley-La by planting undercover agents beside Iceburg.
Of course, none of this had anything to do with El.
After returning to Water 7, El and the four girls stayed only a few days.
They restocked supplies that had been completely used up during the three-year retreat, replaced outdated tools, and repaired or discarded equipment that could no longer be used.
They also sold another portion of their gold, converting it into a massive amount of Belly.
The Pegasus itself was constructed entirely from Treasure Tree Adam.
Even cannon fire could not damage its hull.
Naturally, the ship's safe—also made from Treasure Tree Adam—was far more secure than any steel vault.
Since the Pegasus was completed, El and the girls had never deposited money in banks.
They trusted their ship more than any institution.
After leaving Water 7, El unfolded a freshly purchased nautical map and carefully examined the seven sea routes of the first half of the Grand Line.
With a pen, he drew a circle around the terminal points of those routes.
Then, he marked the Florian Triangle with a bold red circle.
Within this zone lay not only the route they were currently sailing, but also the terminal paths on both the left and right sides of the Grand Line.
El was confident.
Golden Lion Shiki's sky base had to be located above one of the three routes closest to the Red Line.
As the first movie-exclusive character to be acknowledged in the main storyline, Shiki's later encounter with the Straw Hat Pirates happened shortly after they cleared Thriller Bark.
Drawn by Nami's unparalleled navigation talent, Shiki took control of the Thousand Sunny under the pretense of helping them return to East Blue.
In an extremely short time, he brought the ship to his aerial base—then casually scattered the Straw Hats across different islands.
Shiki's plan to conquer East Blue was only five years away.
That meant, at present, there was an almost absolute certainty that his base was still floating above one of those three sea routes.
Three days later, the Pegasus entered the Florian Triangle once again.
El, Carina, and Kuina made the decision to search the skies directly, while Nami and Perona remained behind to guard the ship.
This was destined to be a prolonged search.
During this time, Perona decided to accompany Nami back to Thriller Bark to visit her former companions.
With Nami's current strength—and Perona's relationship with Gecko Moria—there was no danger.
Moria would neither dare nor be able to seek revenge.
El had spared his life, concealed his defeat, and never requested Mary Geoise to revoke Moria's Seven Warlords of the Sea status.
Even in the extremely unlikely worst-case scenario—where Moria turned hostile—he would at most attempt to trap Nami with shadows.
At that point, Perona would immediately turn against him with Negative Hollows.
The probability of such a scenario occurring was almost zero.
After all, even in decline, Gecko Moria was still remembered as the Hero of West Blue.
Once Nami and Perona safely departed for Thriller Bark, El and Kuina—each carrying a small pack—leapt onto Carina's back as she transformed into a pterosaur and soared into the sky.
Her speed was astonishing.
In just ten minutes, they reached an altitude of 7,000 meters.
Below the White Sea, El retrieved bubble coral from Kuina's pack.
The moment Carina burst into the clouds, a massive bubble expanded outward, enveloping El, Kuina—and even Carina herself.
Together, they successfully pierced through the White Sea.
"Let's begin our search from here," El said calmly.
Standing atop the clouds, he turned to Carina.
"Carina—eat me and Kuina."
"Got it."
Carina nodded.
She exited her pterosaur form, opened her mouth, and swallowed both El and Kuina into Munch-Munch Space.
Bang!
In the next instant, Carina consumed herself as well, compressing into a fleshy sphere formed from her own body.
A muffled explosion rang out as white smoke burst into the air.
Moments later—
El emerged from the smoke.
He now wore a modified black robe with six openings for six arms.
Carina's face appeared on the back of his right hand.
Kuina's face formed on the back of his left.
This was El–Carina–Kuina's Asura Form.
In this fused state, El's body served as the core, superimposed with the physiques of both Carina and Kuina.
He gained full control granted by Carina, along with shared access to:
Munch-Munch Fruit abilities
Rumble-Rumble Fruit powers
El's already terrifying Observation Haki, amplified through the radio-wave properties of lightning, expanded like a living radar.
He could sense objects and lifeforms at distances he could no longer even estimate.
In the next instant—
El unleashed an electric field far larger than Kuina's.
His form dissolved into a bolt of blue-white lightning, vanishing on the spot.
When he reappeared, he was already countless kilometers away.
With every lightning teleport, El's "radar" swept across vast stretches of sky.
Sea creatures drifting beneath the White Sea—
Lifeforms moving through the White-White Sea 3,000 meters above—
Everything passed through his perception.
The hunt for Golden Lion Shiki's sky base had officially begun.
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