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Over the past while, Kyle had spent a lot of time thinking about how to further develop the powers of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, letting his imagination run as wild as possible.
What exactly could lightning—or electricity—do?
Beyond its terrifying destructive power, it also had countless supportive and auxiliary uses. In his previous life, the world itself had been built on the extensive use of electricity.
Through radio waves, electromagnetism, and electrical power, people had achieved wireless communication, long-distance remote control of machines, and the creation of all kinds of electronic technology.
Building on those ideas, and combined with the fact that he himself was lightning, Kyle began to conceive and develop entirely new abilities.
Not long after, under the stunned gazes of Bullet and Crocodile, lightning surged around Kyle's body. Dense blue arcs crackled and, in an instant, shot down into the ground beneath him.
"Lightning Metallurgy."
The three words left his lips as his eyes sharpened. He pressed both hands against the ground.
This was his first time using this technique. By creating a lightning-based electromagnetic field, he searched for and attracted metallic particles underground, then brought them under his control.
It was similar to Magneto's ability, though Kyle required lightning as a medium.
A low hum echoed out.
In the blink of an eye, a shockwave swept outward. The ground within nearly a kilometer trembled faintly.
Then ripples appeared in the air itself. A few breaths later, countless tiny particles floated up from the earth, gathering before him and forming chunks of metal of varying sizes and colors.
Crack!
Lightning suddenly flared, slamming into the mass of metal.
"Thunder Puppet."
Kyle spoke softly.
Under the intense heat and pressure of the lightning, the metal rapidly deformed, reshaping itself into a humanoid figure more than three meters tall.
Immediately afterward, countless arcs of electricity burst from Kyle's body and surged into the figure.
Amid flashing light, the metal man became vividly lifelike. Wrapped in lightning, it developed a nose, eyes, and mouth. After just a few breaths, another "Kyle" stood there.
"What is that?!" Crocodile exclaimed in shock, his eyes flickering.
Using lightning and metal together to create a clone?
This kind of development of a Logia fruit gave him entirely new inspiration.
Seeing that his first attempt at creating a Thunder Puppet had succeeded, Kyle finally let out a slow breath.
Ideas were one thing. Putting them into practice always came with deviations.
Next, he began controlling the Thunder Puppet through electromagnetic signals. At first, its movements were sluggish, but as Kyle adjusted the signal frequency and the number of electrical arcs, it quickly began moving as smoothly as a normal person.
Because the Thunder Puppet was made of metal, it possessed a natural advantage in strength. It could also release and handle a certain load of lightning on its own.
In a sense, the puppet was like another version of Kyle without Haki, roughly one-tenth of his overall strength.
"This is only the first experiment," Kyle said with a small smile. "With more adjustments and refinement, its power will keep increasing."
"And there's more."
His eyes narrowed again, lightning flashing within them.
The next second, after receiving his command, the Thunder Puppet erupted in brilliant electric light. In an instant, its shape changed, transforming into a qilin entirely wreathed in lightning.
"Under the influence of lightning, it can alter the metal's surface and freely change shape. It can also stay connected to me over long distances."
Kyle smiled as he looked at the two men before him.
"You'll ride this Thunder Puppet to the South Blue."
"Be careful. Stay hidden and don't draw attention."
Crocodile and Bullet both nodded.
Moments later, a bolt of lightning shot up from Marineford headquarters, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
"Taking care of Ace's matter early also counts as fulfilling part of my deal with Roger," Kyle muttered.
He then turned his gaze back to Rosinante and the others.
Next, he carefully instructed them in the Six Powers. These people were his future core team, so of course he had to invest the effort. Even if it was just a small squad for now, a single spark could still start a wildfire.
Time passed quietly. In the blink of an eye, three days were gone.
On that very day, Marineford received a piece of news that caused the upper ranks to change color.
"What did you say?"
"Roger still has bloodline surviving in the world?"
"Is this information reliable?"
Kong spoke in shock.
"The accuracy is confirmed. It came directly from the World Government's CP organizations," Sengoku replied gravely. "However, the exact location of that bloodline hasn't been determined yet. It requires careful investigation."
"That's why the World Government contacted us."
Zephyr and Garp stood nearby with their arms crossed, both wearing heavy expressions.
"We must issue orders immediately and root out Roger's surviving bloodline."
"At the same time, per the World Government's instructions, anyone who was once connected to Roger must also be investigated."
"Arrest those who need to be arrested. Sentence those who deserve it."
Kong slammed his hand down as he stood, his voice icy.
"Yes!" Sengoku responded without hesitation, his heart tightening.
The implications of Roger's bloodline were enormous. The Navy, which had only just settled down, was thrown back into a state of tension.
The entire naval system was mobilized at once.
That same afternoon, more intelligence arrived.
"We can confirm that before his death, Roger stayed in the South Blue!"
"The South Blue?" Kong frowned in surprise. "Wasn't that the area Kyle was overseeing?"
"And wasn't Roger captured in the South Blue as well?"
"For nearly a year, Kyle was indeed responsible for the South Blue," Sengoku said. "As for whether Roger was captured there, Kyle never mentioned it."
Garp's eyes flickered slightly, but he remained silent.
"Concentrate our forces in the South Blue. Also, order Kyle's unit to head there immediately and investigate Roger's bloodline."
Kong paused, then looked at Sengoku.
"Sengoku, you're going too."
Sengoku froze for a moment, then replied at once, "Yes!"
The operation began almost instantly. Under Kong's leadership, the Navy had always acted swiftly and decisively.
A massive operation sweeping across the islands of the South Blue unfolded at once.
Kyle, who was supervising his squad's Six Powers training, received the order almost immediately.
"So fast?"
His brow furrowed and his heart tightened.
He hadn't expected the Navy to move this quickly.
There was still no word on whether Crocodile and Bullet had succeeded.
Although the Thunder Puppet could fly, its speed was nowhere near actual lightning. At best, it was just a flying machine.
"Stop training. We have a new mission!"
Calling T-Bone over, Kyle spoke in a low voice.
He vaguely remembered this hunt for Roger's bloodline. The methods used had been extremely dark.
It was because of this investigation that Rouge carried Ace for twenty months, ultimately costing her life.
"We have to move faster."
Murmuring to himself, Kyle's eyes flashed.
With a single thought, lightning burst from his body. In his mind, another scene appeared, projecting everything happening in front of the Thunder Puppet.
It was a bit like video technology from his previous life. He and the Thunder Puppet were like two phones, with himself acting as the base station.
A practical and convenient application of his power.
"..."
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