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Hi guys, Grinita here! This is a side story written by me, following a different alternate path from the original story. Please share your thoughts in the comments and reviews. And if you like it, don't forget to drop some stones — they're a great motivator for me!
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On the fifteenth night after his arrival on the moon, Enel could not sleep. He sat on his cold metal bed, looking at the white walls.
He began to think.
What was he doing here? He came searching for treasure. For power. He found only questions. These people fled Earth eight hundred years ago. Wait for Joy Boy. Wait for a sign.
"Nonsense," he muttered.
How could two people live all this time? Selene and Kain. Were they immortal? Or did the numbers not mean what they said? Perhaps there was something else. Perhaps they had not told him everything.
He laughed. A short laugh.
"Revenge? Preparing for a mythical battle?" He shook his head. "They sound like children afraid of their own shadow."
But he remembered something. His defeat. Luffy. How everyone in Skypiea mocked him. How they laughed at his claims of being a god. They were wrong. But he... was also wrong.
"Perhaps I am wrong now," he whispered.
He rose from the bed. Walked to the wall.
"Should I stay? Or return?"
If he returned to Earth, he would return empty-handed. No treasure. No power. If he stayed... he would face Kain every day.
"But will they let me leave?"
That was the question. He had discovered their location. Seen their city. Knew their secrets.
"Perhaps not."
He sat again. Thinking. Doubting. Angry.
"Why did they tell me all this?"
It was not trust. It was a test.
"A trick," he said in a low voice.
But he stayed.
"I will stay," he told himself. "I will see what they are hiding."
The next morning, the sixteenth day, Enel left his room. His face was cold.
In his pocket, a small white metal card. Selene had given it to him days ago. "To buy what you need," she said. He did not read the instructions. Did not ask about the balance. Just took it and put it in his pocket.
He went to the café. Sat alone in the corner. Ordered a cup of blue tea. Took out the metal card. Swiped it on a small device on the table. A faint beep sounded. Transaction complete.
He began to drink. Contemplating the place. People entered and left. Some sat alone. Some in groups. Voices were low. Everyone was calm.
At a nearby table, two men spoke. They did not notice him.
"The Battles of the First Era are in two months," said the first.
"You know preparations have begun," said the second. "Kain is selecting participants these days."
"Who will be there this year?"
"The usual ones. Members of the three bloodlines. And some newcomers."
Enel was silent. Listening. Drinking his tea slowly.
"How many this time?" asked the first.
"Kain has not announced yet. But they say more than twenty participants."
"More than twenty? A lot."
"Kain wants it to be strong this year."
Enel finished his cup. Stood. Walked toward the door. He showed no interest on his face. But his ears were open.
He left the café. In the corridor, he walked slowly. Wandering without aim. Passing by people. Listening to fragments of conversations. Gathering information like dust on his clothes. Without asking. Without showing his curiosity.
He passed by a small market. Stopped at a stall selling blue fruit. Asked the vendor about the price. Bought some. Paid with the card. Heard the beep.
While standing there, he heard two men talking behind him.
"Will you watch the battles this year?" asked one.
"Of course. Remember last year? The fight between Jilen and Marik was amazing."
"Jilen from the first bloodline. Marik from the second bloodline. Their fight lasted hours."
"I hope to see a fight like that this year."
The other laughed. "Do not dream. Those fights happen once a decade."
Enel was silent. Listening. First bloodline. Second bloodline. Third bloodline. Members of the three bloodlines.
"Who are the strongest?" asked one.
"The strongest? Each bloodline has its strong ones. But Kain... Kain is different. He is not from any bloodline. He is from the beginning of everything."
"And Selene?"
"Selene is a legend. But she has not fought in centuries."
Enel took his fruit. Moved on. Did not ask more. He knew what he needed to know.
He reached an open square. A large man stood alone. His muscles bulged. His arms were like tree trunks. He wore a simple black robe.
The man looked at Enel. Recognized him.
"You are the lightning man," he said in a deep voice.
"Yes."
"I heard you asking about the Battles of the First Era in the market."
Enel stopped. Looked at the man.
"Are you ready to see the power of the three bloodlines?" the man asked.
"Who are you?"
"I am Rok. From nothing. But I have seen enough to know that your kind do not last."
Enel felt something rising in his chest. His pride. That part of him that refused to be weak. That refused to lose. That refused to be mocked.
"Then you will watch me in the arena."
Rok laughed. "You will not reach the arena. Kain will not register you. You do not know the bloodlines. Do not know the history. Do not know anything."
"We will see."
Rok looked at him for a long time. There was something in this stranger's eyes he did not like.
"If you manage to participate... which is unlikely... we will see what you can do."
Then he turned and walked away, strutting. As if he owned the place. As if he feared no one.
Enel stood in place. He did not know if Rok would participate or not. But he had angered him. That was enough.
"I will show them," he whispered. "I will show them all."
On the seventeenth day, Enel went to the battle room. Kain stood in the center, waiting for him.
They fought. As usual. Enel lost. As usual.
After the fight, Enel stood before Kain. Breathing heavily. His body exhausted. But his eyes were sharp.
"I want to participate in the Battles of the First Era."
Kain looked at him. Said nothing.
"I want to register."
Kain was silent. Then he said, "You are not qualified."
"Why?"
Kain did not answer. Left the room.
Enel stood alone. He was angry. But he did not give up.
"I will make you agree," he whispered.
He left the room. In the corridor, he was thinking. How to convince Kain? The silent man. The cold man. The man who cared about nothing.
He remembered the Battles of the First Era. Remembered the three bloodlines. Remembered their powers, which he did not know. How did they fight? What were their strengths? What were their weaknesses?
He knew nothing about them. He did not know if Rok would participate or not. But he knew one thing: he had to convince Kain. He had to find a way.
"I will find a way," he told himself. "I will find my way."
That night, the seventeenth day, Enel did not sleep well. He was thinking about Kain. About the battles. About the three bloodlines. About the participants' powers, which he did not know. About how to make Kain agree.
"I will know," he whispered. "I will know everything."
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My friends, this is my side story from the One Piece world. Share your thoughts about Chapter Eight in the comments. Did you like Enel's excitement? What do you expect in Chapter Nine?
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