Chapter 26 – Return to the Blue Sea: The Thunder Fruit’s Awakening
The sea breeze was different here.
Cooler. Heavier.
The Queen's Grace descended from the cloud sea in a controlled glide, the ship's coated hull slipping through the milky layers of the White Sea like a falling feather.
The storm was over.
The war on Skypiea was over.
For now, there was peace.
Kaito stood at the bow, his hand gripping the railing as he watched the endless blue horizon spread out beneath them. They had defeated Enel, formed a bond with the Straw Hats, and gained new allies. Yet, even as the ship glided smoothly toward the surface ocean, Kaito knew this was not the end. In fact, it was only the beginning.
Behind him, his crew moved calmly, each carrying out post-sky island duties.
Nojiko double-checked the navigation dials, verifying their drop path.
Carmen helped secure the remaining sky dials and supplies.
Kaya inventoried the medical kits.
Conis played a soft melody on her harp, the lingering notes of Skypiea filling the air with nostalgia.
Aisa leaned over the railing, wide-eyed as the ship gradually approached the Blue Sea, her Observation Haki faintly pulsing with curiosity.
Khalifa was the only one standing alone at the stern, watching the shrinking clouds of Skypiea with a distant look.
Kuina sat quietly near the main mast, her blades resting beside her. She gazed up at the sky, her silver hair catching the last glimmer of the white sea's light.
For Kuina, there was an odd sense of incompleteness. She had cut the Raigo. She had faced Enel alongside Kaito and Luffy. She had reached a new level of swordsmanship.
But something inside her remained… unsatisfied.
As if something was waiting.
Waiting to be found.
Waiting to be claimed.
The Descent
The Queen's Grace finally pierced through the bottom layers of the cloud sea, and the ship jolted slightly as it splashed onto the Blue Sea.
The sky above was the familiar endless blue, now free of Enel's suffocating clouds.
"Landing successful!" Nojiko called out, adjusting the Log Pose to orient their next course.
Carmen wiped her forehead. "Finally back. I can't wait to cook something with ingredients that don't try to float away."
Kaya smiled softly as she closed her supply ledger. "At least we're safe now."
Kaito exhaled, feeling the familiar salty air brush against his skin. "It's not over. We've crossed back, but the Grand Line is still ahead."
Kuina stood and strapped her twin blades to her waist. "What's our next destination?"
Before Kaito could answer, Aisa suddenly raised her head. "Wait… someone's nearby."
Her Observation Haki pulsed sharply.
Everyone tensed.
Kaito turned quickly to her. "Who is it?"
Aisa shook her head. "No one dangerous. But there's… something strange."
Her small hand pointed toward a nearby islet just a few hundred meters away, its shores barely large enough to support a cluster of palm trees and a stretch of white sand.
"I sense something… buzzing."
"Buzzing?" Kuina echoed.
A spark of curiosity flickered in her chest.
Without waiting for orders, Kaito adjusted the sails.
"Let's check it out."
The Mysterious Fruit
The Queen's Grace anchored beside the tiny islet.
The crew disembarked, moving carefully across the shallow waters until they reached the shore.
The air here was unusually charged.
Not threatening—just faint pulses of static that tingled against their skin.
Kuina was the first to feel it fully.
It wasn't just the air.
It was calling her.
The group moved inland, where a fallen piece of golden wreckage lay partially buried in the sand.
Conis's eyes widened. "That's… that's from the Ark Maxim."
Pieces of Enel's destroyed flying ship had apparently fallen all the way to the Blue Sea.
But it wasn't the gold that caught Kuina's attention.
Near the base of the wreckage, partially hidden by seaweed and sand, was a single, perfectly shaped fruit.
A spiraled white orb with faint blue lightning patterns coiling around its skin.
Kaito's system pinged softly in his mind.
[Rare Devil Fruit Detected: Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Fruit)]
[Former User: Enel – Status: Deceased]
[Eligibility: 100%]
[Warning: Immediate Claim Recommended]
Kuina stepped forward, her heart hammering.
The others watched her but said nothing, as if instinctively understanding this moment belonged to her.
She knelt, brushing sand away from the fruit.
It pulsed faintly in her hands—like the rhythm of thunder waiting to be awakened.
"This is…" her voice trembled.
Nojiko's eyes flickered with realization. "It's the Thunder Fruit."
Aisa's Observation Haki twitched. "It's waiting for you."
Kuina stared at the spirals, her reflection visible in the glossy surface.
She had faced lightning.
She had cut through thunder.
But now—she could become thunder itself.
Without hesitation, she bit into the fruit.
The taste was as awful as legends described—like rotten syrup mixed with metal—but she didn't flinch.
The moment the last piece slid down her throat, a surge of raw energy exploded within her.
Her veins crackled with electric life.
Bolts danced around her fingertips.
The ground sizzled beneath her feet.
Thunder roared across the small islet—wild, untamed, yet perfectly resonant with her pulse.
Her blades trembled, absorbing the new power seamlessly as if they had been waiting for this very moment.
The crew instinctively stepped back, shielding themselves from the sudden bursts of static.
Kuina slowly straightened, her breathing steady as the arcs of lightning settled along her arms and legs.
"This power…" she whispered, clenching her fist as sparks danced across her skin. "I can feel it. The thunder answers me now."
Kaito grinned, his system displaying her updated profile.
[Kuina – Thunder Sword Awakening Complete]
[Devil Fruit: Goro Goro no Mi – Acquired]
[Elemental Integration: Thunder Sword Style – Enhanced]
[Current Status: Lightning Dual-Wielder]
"You've finally become the storm," Kaito said, stepping closer.
Kuina's eyes burned with new light. "No… not just a storm. I'll be the blade that cuts the sky."
Refining Power
The crew returned to the Queen's Grace, where Kuina spent the next few days refining her abilities.
Unlike Enel's chaotic bursts, Kuina's control was sharp and deliberate.
She could now merge her natural swordsmanship with the elemental devastation of the Thunder Fruit.
Lightning coursed through her twin blades, amplifying her strikes without compromising her precision.
She developed new moves:
Thunder Step: Using electric bursts to move at blinding speed.
Storm Crescent: A ranged lightning slash that could cut through iron.
Raigo Severance – Enhanced: A controlled version of her previous Raigo cut, now imbued with Devil Fruit energy.
Aisa watched her training in awe.
"Will you teach me that one day?" Aisa asked.
Kuina smiled softly. "When you're ready."
Crew Bonding – Calm Before the Next Storm
The downtime continued as they sailed toward their next destination.
Kaito gathered the crew one evening on deck, watching the sunset bleed into the waves.
"This power," he said, glancing at Kuina, "is another step toward the freedom we all want."
Kuina nodded. "But power isn't the goal. Living with our crew… facing rivals like Luffy, that's what I want."
Carmen stretched lazily. "If our next island has a cooking tournament, I call dibs."
Kaya chuckled. "As long as it's not another floating death trap."
Khalifa crossed her arms. "I wouldn't mind a proper fight with some marines soon."
Nojiko studied the Log Pose. "The needle's pointing toward the south-west current. Next island is Jaya."
Conis plucked a soft tune on her harp. "I've heard stories of that place. Pirates, hunters, and… a dreamer's graveyard."
Aisa's eyes gleamed. "I bet Luffy's heading there too."
Kaito smirked, his eyes on the open sea. "Then let's catch up to him."
The Queen's Grace sliced through the waves, the crew more united than ever.
The next chapter of their journey waited—Jaya, the City of Mockery.
There, their rivalry with the Straw Hats would reignite.
And in the shadows, a dangerous new figure loomed.
Blackbeard.