Chapter 29: Nothing Can Stop a Man from Running to the Sea

Asa knew the old man wasn't lying. The amount of work required to build Ark Maxim was immense, and finishing it within five years was already a stroke of luck. Forcing it to be completed faster would be difficult.

"This is so... irritating!"

He stood up from his throne, walked out the door, and joined the shipbuilders in their grand endeavor of crafting the ship's components.

Time passed like a fleeting moment, and in the blink of an eye, a year had gone by.

It was now the year 1496 of the Sea Calendar, and Asa had turned sixteen.

In this year, he had grown even taller, now standing at approximately two meters. Beneath his clothes, his body had become far more powerful, his muscles taut and brimming with strength.

His face hadn't changed much, except that he looked more mature, masculine, and strikingly handsome.

In the world of pirates, where giants and towering individuals were common, a height of two meters was barely above average. But Asa was satisfied.

However, the biggest change in him was his strength. His mastery over the Thunder Fruit had advanced to 200 million volts—the same level Enel had when he fought against Luffy. But Asa's control and destructive capability far surpassed Enel's.

With his enhanced electromagnetic abilities, his Observation Haki could now easily cover the entirety of Sky Island, meaning every movement of the island's inhabitants was under his surveillance.

Yet, despite his growing power, Asa wasn't particularly thrilled. He had spent the past year assisting the shipbuilders, using electric heat and electromagnetism to shape gold and craft components for Ark Maxim.

Still, thanks to this process, his control over electromagnetic forces had reached an even higher level. With a mere thought, he could now lift dozens—if not hundreds—of tons of gold.

Over the course of the year, every last piece of gold on Sky Island had been gathered and stockpiled near the temple. Asa shaped and refined them with his power, turning them into intricate, precision-crafted components.

While honing his abilities, Asa's Observation Haki also revealed the presence of a giant serpent—the so-called Lord of the Sky, which guarded the legendary Golden Bell.

When the God's Guards attempted to lay hands on its treasured bell, the enraged beast went berserk, nearly reducing Upper Yard to ruins.

If Asa hadn't intervened and given it a proper beating, half of Upper Yard might have been destroyed, and rebuilding it would have been a nightmare.

Seated on his golden throne, floating high above the temple, Asa rested his head on one hand while stretching out the other. With ease, he manipulated the surrounding gold, plucking and shaping it as if playing a harp.

His control over electromagnetic forces had become nearly effortless, allowing him to reshape metals into any form he desired.

"It's been a year. All the parts have been crafted. Now, it's just a matter of assembling them—but that will take more than a year. It's time for me to head to the Blue Sea and meet the world's heroes."

Suddenly—

"Crash! Crack!"

Not far from the temple, the Lord of the Sky stirred in its sleep. As it turned over, its colossal body crushed the towering trees around it.

This serpent was massive—so enormous that it could probably coil around Laboon, the giant whale at Reverse Mountain.

The Lord of the Sky had lived for over four hundred years. It once belonged to the Blue Sea, but had been hurled into the sky along with Jaya Island during the Great Knock Up Stream.

With blue-striped scales and fish-like fins around its mouth, it was a strange and ancient creature. What was most perplexing was how it had managed to survive for centuries without devouring all of Sky Island.

Asa watched as trees were flattened under the serpent's massive bulk, leaving behind a barren stretch of land.

"Jörmungandr, quiet down!" Asa scolded impatiently.

The name Jörmungandr was given by Asa himself. The serpent's gigantic form reminded him of the legendary World Serpent from Norse mythology, and he had named it out of sheer boredom.

Hearing Asa's reprimand, Jörmungandr froze in place, almost recoiling like a frightened turtle.

A year ago, when Asa retrieved the Golden Bell, he had fought the great serpent, thoroughly defeating it. Ever since then, Jörmungandr had been terrified of him.

"Hiss!"

Jörmungandr flicked its tongue out flatteringly, raising its gigantic head to nuzzle against Asa's floating throne.

Most people would have been petrified at such a sight. But Asa was long accustomed to it. He knew that this ancient serpent possessed intelligence no weaker than that of a human.

"Enough, stop making trouble!"

Asa reached out and patted Jörmungandr's massive head before giving it a stern warning.

"Jörmungandr, I'm leaving Sky Island soon. After I'm gone, you will keep an eye on these people. If any of them dare to slack off and neglect building my ship... eat them all."

"Hiss, hiss..."

Jörmungandr nodded eagerly, its golden eyes filled with reluctance.

"Lord Thor, are you truly leaving?" Constance asked solemnly. Over the years, he had grown more composed, no longer as timid as before.

"I will return in a year to collect Ark Maxim," Asa replied.

A part of him felt reluctant to leave. After all, he had spent the past three years here.

But Asa's ambitions couldn't be contained by a mere floating island. The sea was vast, and it called to him.

"Shall I notify the God's Guard to send you off?" Constance asked.

"No need. The fewer people who know, the better."

Asa waved his hand, rising silently into the sky. He gazed at the island he had ruled for two years.

"I hold the power of life and death here, but this isn't what I want. I seek excitement, the thrill of doing whatever I please! A mere island is too small to contain me!"

He cast one last glance at the unfinished Ark Maxim.

Then, without hesitation, he transformed into lightning, shooting toward the Blue Sea.

Asa's family, the Hippolyte Clan, hailed from the West Blue. Their castle was built on a small island in that sea.

He hadn't returned for eight years. He didn't even know if his family still existed.

All the relatives who had gone to do business in the Grand Line had perished in a storm, leaving behind only a few elderly housekeepers and servants.

By now, they were likely dead—or worse, the castle had been ransacked, its treasures stolen.

Asa didn't return to the West Blue for nostalgia. He simply wished to build a proper grave for his parents, repaying their kindness in raising him.

A person can be selfish—but never heartless.

His body turned into pure lightning, and in seconds, he shot out of Sky Island like a meteor.

Asa's physique and stamina were now formidable, easily supporting high-speed movement over long distances.

At 10,000 meters above the sea, a streak of thunder raced toward the West Blue.

One day later...

Flying near the Red Line, Asa caught sight of a magnificent city, shrouded in clouds.

It was immaculate, luxurious, and breathtaking—a paradise upon the Red Line.

"Mariejois?"

There was only one city atop the Red Line—the Holy Land, Mariejois. Asa was certain of it.

An evil smirk curled his lips.

"Should I give Mariejois a little 'greeting'—a taste of the power of Hippolyte D. Asa?"

But after a moment of thought, he dismissed the idea.

"Forget it. I'll come back when I have nothing to fear. For now… let's go home."

With that, Asa vanished into lightning, soaring toward his birthplace.

(End Of Chapter)

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