After thoroughly exploring the underground ruins and ensuring no important items were left behind, Zyhark and Aqua returned to the surface, walking through the lush oasis.
The blue stone slabs recorded information that undoubtedly had significant ties to the Void Century and lunar technology.
Unfortunately, Zyhark had no one who could read the Poneglyphs, leaving the contents a mystery.
Birka had avoided destruction, and with the presence of Robin or elders from the Kozuki Clan, they could always return to examine the slabs later, so there was no rush.
In truth, Zyhark wasn't particularly interested in the Void Century. Researching such matters was premature for his current team.
A misstep could lead to being labeled criminals by the World Government, making it difficult to sail openly on the seas!
It was time to start recruiting strong allies and secretly building his own power base...
Zyhark was considering his next steps.
Despite gaining immense power from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, in a world teeming with monsters like the World Government and its Marine headquarters, individual strength had its limits.
Even mighty figures like Kaido and Whitebeard could only ensure the safety of their territories to a certain extent!
Zyhark wasn't blinded by the power boost from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, nor had he forgotten the significance of the Wishing Pool.
Moreover, Aqua, King, and Meowth were not yet strong enough to stand alone (especially Aqua's intelligence). So, the core action remained the same.
In essence, it boiled down to: Develop cautiously.
However, he now had the confidence to face sudden crises head-on!
As he pondered, a giant vine entwined around a tree trunk suddenly writhed and launched a swift attack at Zyhark and Aqua!
The nearly meter-long maw with two sharp fangs like scimitars revealed itself to be a camouflaged top predator of the Sky Island—the giant anaconda!
Zyhark's fingers twitched, ready to test the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power, but suddenly, dazzling divine flames burst forth beside him.
Aqua, her eyes glowing red and sensing danger, swung her divine fist, smashing accurately and violently into the anaconda's menacing face.
Boom!
An explosion erupted, and flames scattered.
The giant anaconda, which had dominated the oasis for years, had never faced such a brutal assault. Its eyes rolled back, and it crashed to the ground.
With several boosts from the power of faith, Aqua's divine fist was no longer the weak skill that only tickled the giant bears of Windmill Village!
Watching Aqua's alertness, Zyhark silently retracted his hand, a fatherly smile of pride appearing on his face.
It's not easy. This idiot with negative IQ can actually sense hidden dangers and recognize the camouflaged anaconda!
Indeed, having her learn Observation Haki was a very wise decision!
Aqua dusted off her hands and carefully examined the fallen anaconda, then tilted her head in thought. "This place is really strange. It's a vine, but it has attack instincts and snake-like fangs!"
"Seriously, Aqua? Are you for real?" Zyhark hurriedly took back his earlier conclusion.
Indeed, the idiot goddess never failed to impress with her stupidity...
Hearing this, Aqua turned back, her blue eyes filled with disappointment. "Zyhark, this won't do. Even with great power, you should always stay alert. If I hadn't acted, you would have been eaten!"
Look at this wise expression—what a waste of those beautiful eyes!
Zyhark sighed, "Sorry, Aqua."
I forgot that Observation Haki can't cure stupidity. My bad.
"Huh?"
Aqua, accustomed to Zyhark's character, was taken aback by his "sincere" apology.
After pondering for a while, she walked over, patted Zyhark's shoulder, and said earnestly, "Recognizing your mistakes is a sign of growth, Zyhark."
Growth my foot!
Just as Zyhark's teeth were about to turn into angry saws, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
Boom!
In the next second, several blue lightning bolts descended, striking the surrounding bushes precisely.
The green foliage was incinerated, revealing the charred bodies of giant wolves.
In the fierce lightning strikes, these lurking beasts became smoking corpses.
Although Zyhark, having just acquired the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, hadn't developed it to Enel's level of covering an entire island with Mantra, his Observation Haki had received a significant boost, enhancing his ability to sense danger.
At least now, he wasn't weaker than the idiot goddess in Observation Haki, and the gap between them would only widen.
Eventually, he'd surpass the lazy, chicken-eating goddess who relied on her divine abilities!
Wait, why compare myself to an idiot?
Looking at Aqua's face, radiating with "wisdom," Zyhark snapped back to reality.
Realizing this, he quickly calmed his temper, ignoring the babbling goddess beside him, and walked toward the edge of the oasis near the lightning zone.
After dealing with a few jungle beasts along the way, they returned to the starting point of the trial.
The violent lightning continued to strike the charred ground, with terrifying roars echoing in their ears.
Looking around, the dense lightning seemed intent on annihilating everything in sight, leaving no trace of life!
As Zyhark once again found himself in this terrifying scene, the previous unease vanished without a trace.
To him, these roaring lightning bolts were almost as insignificant as air.
The only effect was the blinding light, which might harm his eyesight after prolonged exposure...
Looking up at the sky, he focused on the source of the lightning—the ever-present black thunderclouds.
Zyhark frowned slightly.
After eating the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and becoming a "thunder god," his affinity with the natural element of lightning had significantly increased.
When Gross had led him to this lightning zone, he had concluded it was a common extreme weather phenomenon in the pirate world.
But now, it seemed not to be the case.
Rather than naturally occurring, the endless lightning enveloping the oasis felt more like it was man-made—similar to the artificial conditions on Punk Hazard.
Originally, Punk Hazard wasn't an island of ice and magma until Akainu and Aokiji fought there.
The remnants of their abilities left the island in its current state, with lasting, terrifying phenomena.
So, was Birka's lightning left by the previous Rumble-Rumble Fruit user after awakening?
The purpose...
To protect the ruins recording lunar secrets?
With no reference to Birka or lunar residents in the original story, this was the only possibility Zyhark could think of.
If so, then let this lightning zone remain!
Besides worrying about pirates discovering and destroying the ruins, for Birka's residents, this served as effective protection.
After all, if those stone slabs containing the history of the Void Century were leaked, the "Buster Call" led by several Marine Admirals would arrive!
"Our mission here is complete, so let's head back," Zyhark told Aqua.
Facing the omnipresent lightning and recalling the near-death experience earlier, the usually fearless Aqua hesitated, "Are you going to carry me again?"
Instinctively, she stepped closer to Zyhark.
"No need. I'm a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user now!"
As he spoke, arcs of electricity crackled around Zyhark, his arms turning into high-voltage currents as he extended them toward the lightning zone.
50 Million Volts: Thunder Wall!
Crackling!
Rapidly jumping blue lightning formed a dense pathway, extending forward until it reached the white island cloud territory on the other side.
Lightning bolts from above struck the Thunder Wall and were instantly redirected to the charred ground.
The pathway remained calm and peaceful.
Aqua, stunned, stared at Zyhark's back as he stepped into the pathway, forgetting to follow.
Before this, she had only encountered Paramecia users like Luffy and Buggy, and at most, Logia users like Smoker. She had no clear understanding of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power.
Seeing Zyhark handle this with ease left her deeply impressed.
"What are you waiting for? I'll dispel the Thunder Wall," Zyhark called back.
"W-wait, Zyhark! Don't leave me in this strange place!"
Aqua quickly caught up.
"Hey, Zyhark, if the Rumble-Rumble Fruit hadn't chosen you and was eaten by that big-eared guy, what would we have done?"
Walking on the charred island cloud, Aqua asked after calming down.
Zyhark thought briefly and replied matter-of-factly, "I would have used a full-power Cliffside Blade to blow the fruit and Enel away."
Aqua's expression turned odd, a hint of mockery in her voice, "Choosing an unreliable master like you, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit must regret it."
"...The will residing in the fruit was self-righteously purified by the great and holy goddess."
"Oh, right!" Aqua suddenly understood.
"So, Zyhark, have you become a thunder god now?" Her blue eyes blinked as she asked.
"Titles like 'thunder god' are just for show. Only idiots value them as much as their lives. I'd rather be a straightforward restaurant owner," Zyhark said with a sly smile.
He wasn't the type to flaunt his power!
"I see, so that's how it is." Aqua nodded seriously.
After a few seconds of thought, she finally grasped the meaning behind Zyhark's words and got angry.
"Damn it! Zyhark, you jerk, who are you calling an idiot?! The title given by the Aqua Cult is recognized by countless followers, unlike your thunder god title, which means nothing!"
Seeing Aqua's outburst, Zyhark chuckled.
He patted her shoulder, imitating her earlier serious tone, "Impressive, Aqua. It only took you seventeen seconds to realize it. You've grown."
"You bastard! Mocking a goddess is a grave offense in the divine realm!"
Furious, Aqua swung her divine fist at Zyhark.
Then, her fist went straight through Zyhark's chest, leaving a gaping hole!
"Aqua, you, you..."
Zyhark's eyes widened in shock as he reached out, unable to form a complete sentence.
With a thud, he collapsed to the ground, stiff and dead.
"Ah!"
Aqua was stunned by the unexpected turn of events, covering her face in horror.
"I-I killed Zyhark?!"
Though her divine fist had become stronger, she never imagined a simple punch would kill Zyhark!
Panicking, Aqua knelt beside him, glowing with a holy light, her feet activating a frantic magic circle.
In her fear, she forgot that her resurrection spell was practically useless in this world without backdoor goddess connections!
"What are you thinking, Aqua? A simple divine fist can't kill me."
"Logia Devil Fruit users can turn their bodies into elements to avoid damage."
Amidst her despair, Zyhark's arm rose, his finger flicking Aqua's smooth forehead lightly.
The hole in his chest crackled with electricity, healing instantly, and even his torn clothes inexplicably repaired themselves.
Elementalization, the hallmark of Logia users!
This was the main reason he had staged this act: to make Aqua understand the unique nature of Logia users, preventing her from suffering in future encounters.
As he suspected, Aqua, who had recently sparred with Smoker, had forgotten this key trait!
"Thank goodness, Zyhark! You're okay!"
Seeing Zyhark unharmed, Aqua burst into tears, hugging him tightly.
Her snot and tears smeared all over his clean clothes.
Zyhark, exasperated, thought, I go through all this trouble, and this is the thanks I get?
All in all, this experience should ensure Aqua doesn't mess up when facing other Logia users.
After Aqua calmed down and Zyhark cleaned off her "leftovers," they left the lightning zone.
Returning to the safe island cloud territory, they were greeted by a crowd of Birka residents, eager to witness the birth of a god.
Zyhark declared loudly, "Everyone, I successfully passed the Trial of the Gods, but sadly, the one who gained the power and became a god is not me. It's..."
"This foolish, silly, idiot... beautiful girl next to me!"
(End of Chapter)