"It's artificial!" Olivia said, eyes wide with realization as she studied the clouds above Rogue Town.
John nodded. "Exactly."
As the dark clouds thickened overhead, the once-clear skies of Louge Town turned ominous. In minutes, strong winds began to howl, pressing the black clouds down onto the city, casting a foreboding shadow. The Edge Horizon team watched from their high vantage point, feeling the storm's intensity.
"Those clouds are powerful!" Olivia marveled. Then, she hesitated. "But…my Cloud-Cloud Fruit powers control clouds, and yet, I can't sense or influence these. What's happening?"
Down on the execution platform, the clown pirate Buggy had a long knife poised over Luffy's neck. Below, Zoro and Sanji battled through waves of pirates, trying to reach and destroy the platform.
"It's not the clouds he's controlling," John explained. "It's the wind."
Realization dawned on Olivia's face. "The wind…of course!"
John gave a knowing look, his gaze settling momentarily on a quiet street in Louge Town. "Don't bother looking for him. He won't reveal himself. Fewer than ten people in this world could even sense his presence."
The dragon's power—a natural Wind-Wind Fruit ability—wasn't something to be tracked. The wind was everywhere, invisible, formless, and harder to guard against than even lightning. When developed to a certain level, the Wind-Wind Fruit had no weakness, capable of controlling clouds and weather alike. The wind's immense power enabled the user to summon storms, push back enemies, and influence any battle.
The history of dragon was marked by sudden storms appearing at just the right moment. Rumors swirled that the naval battle between the Golden Lion and Roger, with its unexpected storm, was thanks to him. Even Luffy's storm-fueled victory over the Golden Lion could have been the dragon's doing.
Back below, Luffy, smiling in the face of danger, stood ready as Buggy prepared to swing. Just then, a bolt of lightning struck down from the storm, hitting Buggy's blade and demolishing the execution platform.
"Lightning hit its target perfectly!" the girls gasped as the sky began pouring rain, adding to the storm's chaos.
Olivia's eyes were wide with amazement. "This level of control is unreal! I can create thunderstorms, but nothing with this kind of precision."
"That's the power of Haki combined with the natural abilities of the Wind-Wind Fruit," John explained. "Eneru could create a 'heart network' with his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, sensing movements through his element. The dragon's wind allows for the same, just on a different level."
Meanwhile, Smoker, observing from a distance, looked troubled. He'd seen the defiant smile on Luffy's face as he faced Buggy's blade and recalled a recent encounter. Muttering to himself, he asked, "More clouds? Could it be her?"
Not waiting for an answer, Smoker ordered his troops, "Don't hold back! Start the arrest! I don't want any pirates getting away!"
"Understood!" replied his soldiers, who included newly-recruited players who followed in perfect formation.
With the lightning gone, the storm clouds above continued to rumble and flash but withheld their strikes. John's gaze remained focused on a street below, where a cloaked figure occasionally appeared in flashes of lightning. He noted the faint marks on his left cheek.
"Looks like he's finally shown himself."
Though John had always sensed the dragon's presence, this was the first time the figure had made an appearance.
"Want to test your skills?" John asked, noticing Olivia's excitement. He gestured toward the cloaked figure. "That's him, the real Wind-Wind Fruit user. See how you match up."
"Yes!" Olivia nodded, her determination clear. She transformed into a cloud and began merging with the dragon's storm, adding her energy to its power. Her own clouds expanded, intensifying the storm until it grew even darker.
The dragon looked up in surprise as the storm's strength increased, then quickly vanished once more into the rain.
As the fierce storm raged on, Louge Town's residents retreated indoors. Underneath the execution platform, Buggy's pirate crew clashed with the navy as Smoker glared at the sky in frustration. The rain was affecting his Smoke-SMoke Fruit powers, preventing him from using them for flight.
Despite the weather, Smoker's natural abilities helped him clear Buggy's forces from the platform with ease. He then turned his gaze toward Luffy's escape route, ordering, "Hand me my Bilong motor—I'm going after the Straw Hat kid!"
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers responded, watching as Smoker disappeared after Luffy.
High above, Olivia prepared another attack, but with the dragon gone, her target had vanished.
John calmly reminded her, "Don't worry. He'll show up again—just keep your eyes on the one in the straw hat."
As Smoker quickly caught up to Luffy, his superior skills soon had Luffy on the defensive.
For now, this would be Smoker's moment to shine.
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