Lin Yuan lay on the Flame Clouds, watching Enel shout and exclaim like someone who had never seen the world. He was at a loss for words.
Enel was noticeably livelier now. Standing on the Flame Clouds, he looked at the sea revealed by his training, and his mood had clearly changed.
Seeing that Lin Yuan was ignoring him, Enel paid it no mind. Between training sessions, he would occasionally turn into a bolt of lightning and soar through the sky, frolicking around the Flame Clouds.
To him, it was like being born anew. New challenges awaited him.
To avoid being discovered by the World Government, Lin Yuan kept the Flame Clouds flying high, at around six thousand meters.
"Enel, be careful. Don't fucking run out of stamina and fall. With your Logia Devil Fruit ability, you'll be as good as dead if you land in the sea!"
"Yahahaha, I'm fine, boss. This feels way too good."
Hearing that, Lin Yuan said no more. He controlled the Flame Clouds and sped toward the East Blue.
At first, Enel had plenty of energy and flew around as he pleased. But after three days, he gradually grew bored and sat down on the Flame Clouds to train.
Seeing that Enel had finally settled down, Lin Yuan began teaching him how to train.
"Right now, thanks to the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, you're not weak compared to ordinary people. But there's still a considerable gap between you and Haki experts."
"Then, boss, is there anyone I can roughly compare my current strength to?"
Since witnessing Lin Yuan's strength, Enel's arrogant personality had changed somewhat.
"The Blue Sea has Marines and pirates, as well as the rulers of this world, called the World Government."
"Pirates generally don't have clear divisions of strength. The strongest have emperor-level combat power, and the others are called great pirates. That's also because pirates are a disorganized bunch who refuse to submit to one another."
"As for the Marines under the World Government, their strength is roughly tied to their ranks: Marine Admirals, Vice Admirals, Rear Admirals, and field and company officers, in descending order."
"Your attack power at full strength should reach the upper limit of a Marine Rear Admiral, but your stamina and physique are at best on the level of a field or company officer."
"Judging by Marine standards, you should have the combat power of a Rear Admiral. But you have one advantage over them: absolute speed."
Enel's face filled with surprise. He hadn't expected himself to be so weak.
But when he thought about how terrifying Lin Yuan was, he accepted it.
"Then with my speed, even if I can't beat someone, doesn't that mean I can leave whenever I want? No one can stop me!"
Enel wasn't discouraged. If he lacked strength, he could train, and if he couldn't win, he could run.
Lin Yuan stared at Enel irritably, a meaningful look appearing on his face.
"Don't tell me you think the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is the fastest fruit!"
"Uh, isn't it? What ability can surpass lightning?"
Enel looked indignant, the pride in his heart flaring up again.
"When Observation Haki is trained to its limit, it can briefly foresee the future. Combined with Armament Haki, your speed would only make you a moving target."
"And among the Admirals at Marine Headquarters, there's a guy who ate the Glint-Glint Fruit. His speed is definitely a notch above yours right now. If you run into him, you won't even have a chance to escape!"
Enel froze. He hadn't expected anyone to be faster than him.
"There's a fruit with an ability like that? And he's a Marine Admiral, too. I'll definitely defeat him someday!"
"You? If you want to surpass that guy, you'd have little chance of catching up without more than ten years of brutal training!"
Lin Yuan wasn't trying to discourage Enel. Though the two were comparable in how sleazy they were, as far as their strength went, he was simply stating the facts.
"Am I that bad? The way you put it, isn't that guy even stronger than you?"
Enel was somewhat indignant. He felt his strength had improved again over the past few days. Ten years? That was such a distant number.
The thought that he would have to train brutally for ten years just to reach someone else's level left him feeling somewhat resentful.
But Lin Yuan's next words left him even more depressed.
"Hahaha, I was talking about you. I wounded that guy three years ago. If you want to catch up to me, that'll take a lifetime!"
"You bastard!"
Watching Lin Yuan laugh, Enel felt the veins bulge on his forehead. He was just about to say something when Lin Yuan suddenly sprang to his feet and drew the Famous Sword at his waist.
"Clang..."
Enel froze for a moment, then stood up to look as well.
The two of them had been sitting on the Flame Clouds, their view blocked by the gold, so they hadn't been watching their surroundings.
But Lin Yuan had sensed a warning from his Observation Haki and immediately stood up to check.
A terrifying golden slash was flying toward them from afar. Without a word, he put strength into his hand and unleashed a black-and-red Flying Slash of his own.
The two slashes collided fiercely in midair, cutting the surrounding clouds into countless fragments.
Only then did Enel see clearly. Several islands were floating in the sky not far from them, and a burly man with golden hair and two swords in place of his legs was staring at them.
For some reason, the thing resembling a ship's wheel on the man's head particularly drew Enel's attention.
"There are actually islands flying in the sky, and unlike your Flame Clouds, boss, they seem to be floating directly in the air."
This was Enel's first time meeting a stranger, and the sight left him stunned.
But since the other party had attacked them without warning, Enel naturally wanted to strike back.
"Damn it, how dare you attack us for no reason! Have a taste of this Thunder God's divine lightning."
Enel was about to turn into lightning and attack, but before he could act, a large hand pressed down on his shoulder.
"Don't move. He's not someone you can handle!"
Enel wanted to prove himself, but when he saw Lin Yuan's serious expression, he abandoned the idea of attacking.
He was reckless, not stupid. Anyone Lin Yuan took seriously was definitely not someone he could defeat.
But the lightning that had instantly appeared around Enel gave the other man a clue. The golden-haired man laughed and said,
"Jiehahaha, I never expected to run into a great swordsman and a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user here. You two brats, I'll give you a chance. Become my subordinates, and how about we trample this world underfoot together?"
A mocking smile appeared at the corner of Lin Yuan's mouth. If he hadn't been concerned about the gold behind him, he would have made the man regret it.
"Hmph, you're a piece of trash who cut off his legs to escape from the sixth level of Impel Down and can only hide away, clinging to life. You think someone like you can make us submit? Aren't you a little too full of yourself, Senior Golden Lion Shiki?"
Hearing himself called trash, Golden Lion Shiki showed a cruel smile, but sensing the faint, intermittent aura of danger coming from Lin Yuan, he didn't attack again.
Although the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was somewhat troublesome, he didn't take it seriously. But Lin Yuan's casual strike just now, and the fact that he could fly as well, put him on high alert.
"Jiehahaha, I didn't expect anyone to still remember me. Brat, it seems you're no nobody either. Give me your name."
"Hmph, you're not worthy of knowing my name. But since you've struck at me, it would be rude not to return the favor. Take a slash from me!"
"Clang..."