"Sanji!?"
Koby on the shore immediately shouted in worry.
Luffy glanced toward Wapol with some doubt but waved his hand to signal Koby not to panic.
With Sanji's strength, dodging Wapol's devouring attack was a piece of cake.
Since Sanji chose to let Wapol swallow him, he must have had his own plan.
Luffy didn't fully understand the power of Gourmet Cells, so he couldn't guess exactly what Sanji intended.
But from his loud shout earlier, it seemed he had some idea about Wapol's Devil Fruit ability.
So… everything is probably part of Sanji's plan. We just need to wait quietly.
…
…
Darkness.
Endless darkness.
Inside Wapol's stomach, Sanji drifted like a leaf lost in the ocean, helpless, thoughtless.
Yet strangely, he didn't feel unfamiliar with this sensation.
The illusion he faced when battling Brook had been far more terrifying than this.
Hiss!
A dazzling flame suddenly ignited in the silent darkness.
The intense light instantly banished the gloom, revealing Sanji's bulging muscles, dark-gold textured skin, and his devilish visage.
Now his entire body had been converted into Gourmet Cells.
He himself was a mass of Gourmet Cells.
And within those cells, he harbored the Gourmet Demon.
The Gourmet Demon in the Gourmet Cells could take control over the body of the one with a devouring-type Devil Fruit!
Inside Wapol's mind, a demon engulfed in scorching golden flames suddenly appeared.
…
…
In the real world, Wapol, who had just swallowed Sanji and was attempting to digest him using his Devil Fruit, froze in shock.
A wild blaze of heat instantly erupted from his body, enveloping him completely.
"No! Who are you!?"
Though Wapol was wrapped in fire, he didn't try to remove it. Instead, he clutched his head and roared.
"Your Majesty! What's wrong!?"
Wapol's two attendants rushed forward, worried by his agony.
But as they approached, a golden flame suddenly shot out from Wapol's body, burning them instantly.
Wapol's face twisted into a demonic sneer, a hoarse voice roaring at the two engulfed in flames:
"Do not disturb me!"
In the next instant, he returned to a pained expression, snot and tears streaming, eyes filled with boundless despair:
"No… don't come any closer!!!
Who… who are you? I'll give you money! I'm the king! I can give you my kingdom!?!
Demon… no… don't come near me!!!"
A hoarse, demonic voice echoed from Wapol again, void of emotion:
"Don't you understand what is most precious to you?"
"No! Please! Don't eat me! I beg you!!!!"
"NO!!!!!!"
…
…
The flames continued to burn, and the two attendants who had approached were now reduced to ash, carried away by a faint breeze until every trace vanished from the world.
Chopper trembled in fear, eyes wide, staring at Wapol collapsed on the ground after a heart-wrenching scream.
Zoro quietly stepped in front of Chopper, shielding him, and spoke calmly:
"No need to be afraid, Chopper.
That is the power of your friends… and your own power too."
Zoro's words acted like a sedative, soothing Chopper's panic. He whispered softly:
"My power…"
He clutched Zoro's pants, peeking cautiously from behind him, exposing his entire body as he secretly watched the still-raging flames.
Wapol's steel-infused body began to melt under the fire, turning into a fluid mass.
A hollow expanded slowly across his stomach.
Molten metal dripped into the darkness drop by drop.
As the juices hit the scorched iron plates below, they made a sharp, piercing sound.
…
…
"Cough… cough!"
"Who… who are you?!"
Dalton, whose head had suffered multiple blows, barely managed to lift himself and look toward Wapol, if one could even call it a body anymore.
But the crew, focused entirely on Sanji, had no time to answer.
SPLASH!
A burst of molten liquid shot from Wapol's malformed body.
Countless streams of scorching fluid erupted into the sky like fireworks, splashing violently.
Sizzle…
The temperature rose further, scorching not just Wapol's body but also the thick steel submarine beneath him.
Everything seemed settled, yet this calm was merely the eye of the storm.
The blazing inferno sent a blood-tinged red flame skyward, tearing a hole in the clouds above.
The column of fire loomed over Drum Island, turning the night into day.
Heat surged across the island, and the normally frozen Drum Kingdom experienced its first summer.
The intense heat melted the snow instantly, forming rushing streams.
The mountain peaks thawed rapidly!
"Look! What's that!!?"
Drum Kingdom's residents, awakened by the sudden heatwave, poured outside to watch Sanji's direction.
The soaring pillar of flame was a sight unlike anything they had ever seen.
Little did they know, a cataclysm was hurtling toward them.
…
…
"No good!"
Dr. Kureha, atop the mountain sending Chopper off, jumped up, pupils wide in horror.
The snow-covered slopes melted under the intense heat, gathering into a raging waterfall, surging toward the village below.
And the citizens, drawn by the heat, had never imagined experiencing such a disaster in their lives.
…
…
"Luffy!"
Zoro raised his sword, alerting Luffy.
Following Zoro's gaze, Luffy immediately saw a monstrous wave, like the hand of death, surging toward Drum Island.
There was no time to think.
One second too late could cost hundreds of lives.
Without hesitation, Luffy vanished from sight.
"What!?"
The crew sensed Luffy's sudden movement and quickly followed his disappearing direction, immediately spotting the impending disaster.
But they weren't too worried.
Because…
Luffy had already gone.
…
…
Thankfully, Zoro's alert had been timely.
Even if the flood reached the base of the mountain, it would take at least half a minute.
For Luffy, that was plenty of time.
A flash of crimson, and in ten seconds of full power, Luffy had already teleported ahead of the towering wave.
He extended his hands, shrouded in his calm [x-gloves], directly pressing against the spray.
"Zero Point Breakthrough: Ice Seal."
Sss… crack… crack…
A mysterious energy surged from Luffy's hands into the overwhelming waters.
The still, controlled energy instantly assimilated the snowwater.
The rushing sea instantly froze, leaving a massive ice layer around the mountain, a spectacular, multicolored sight for Drum Kingdom.
Simultaneously, the crimson flames above vanished, restoring normalcy.
Temperature slowly began to drop, and within a month, Drum Kingdom would return to its icy winter.
Meanwhile, within Wapol's flesh, a pale, blonde man shyly peeked out.
"Zo… Zoro, come here for a moment!"
=============
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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