One Piece: Raijin

Asa cast a cold glance at the group of villagers, ignoring their whispers and continuing down the winding alleyways.

A few hours later, the blazing sun rose to its zenith as villagers prepared their midday meals, yet there was still no sign of Enel.

Using his observational Haki, Asa scanned every person he encountered. All of them were bird-like islanders with wings on their backs.

"Could my timing be wrong? Was Enel not born yet?" Asa felt his heart sink, and the joy of landing on Birka gave way to gloom.

It was the year 1493 in the Age of the Sea. There were still 27 years before the main events of the story would unfold, leaving too many unknowns.

"No, he might just be hiding at home and avoiding everyone," Asa reassured himself.

Enel, often ostracized, beaten, and abused by the villagers, might very well be keeping out of sight to avoid further mistreatment.

Asa's observational Haki, though formidable, couldn't yet penetrate through buildings or detect people hidden within their homes.

"If Enel hasn't been born yet, I'll have to search on my own for a while." Asa had mentally prepared for the worst-case scenario.

He knew he couldn't rely on anyone else. If the Thunder Fruit was hidden somewhere on Birka Island, it was unlikely the villagers would have found it—otherwise, Enel wouldn't have been the one to eat it.

Rubbing his temples to ease his growing frustration, Asa muttered, "First, I'll catch some fish and shells at the beach to deal with lunch. Then, I'll search for the Thunder Fruit and Enel simultaneously."

Having made his decision, Asa felt more composed and began heading toward the opposite side of Birka Island, where the beach lay. The aroma of food wafting from the villagers' cooking fires made his stomach growl audibly.

As he approached the White Sea, intent on solving his hunger, the distant sound of children's laughter caught his attention.

The voices were faint, carried on the sea breeze, but Asa's sharp senses picked up snippets of their conversation.

"Kill him! Kill this wingless monster!"

"This freak wants to steal the village's ship designs!"

"Hmph! He's a threat to all of us. We can't let him get away with this!"

The cacophony of voices faded as Asa focused, his sharp ears straining to hear more.

"The ship's design?!" Asa's eyes lit up with realization. "The Ark Maxim? A wingless monster? It must be Enel! Haha, fate truly favors me!"

Suppressing his excitement, Asa crept closer, taking cover behind a tree to listen more carefully.

"Eh? This freak isn't moving anymore!"

"Did we beat him to death?"

"What a waste! He can't even withstand a few hits. Let's go home and eat!"

The group of children, who had been punching and kicking Enel, panicked at his lack of reaction. Their youthful bravado faltered, and they fled one by one, hurling insults as they ran.

"This trash is useless! He's just wasting food by staying alive. He'd be better off dead!"

"Come on, let's leave him and go eat!"

Within moments, the children had vanished, leaving behind a small figure curled up on the ground, trembling.

From his hiding spot, Asa had a clear view of the beaten boy. Lying on his side on the island's clouds, the child's most striking features were his large earlobes, which hung down to his chest, and his spiky, explosive hairstyle. Despite the bruises and swelling, Asa recognized the boy's childish face and flat nose as unmistakable signs of Enel.

There was no doubt—this was the boy he had been searching for. Aside from Asa himself, the only other person on Birka Island without wings was Enel, and no one else had those distinctive earlobes.

Once the children were gone, Enel slowly picked himself up, his expression numb and emotionless. Yet in his eyes burned a smoldering hatred, the kind that could grow into something monumental.

The seeds of vengeance had been sown. Someday, they would burst forth, towering over everything in their path.

Asa, observing from the shadows, felt no pity for the boy. In the end, the world respected strength. Only the strong could avoid being trampled and take control of their fate.

In a swift movement, Asa stepped out from behind the tree and blocked Enel's path. He wouldn't miss this perfect opportunity to gather information.

Before Asa could speak, Enel, wiping away his tears and not looking where he was going, seemed to instinctively sense the obstruction. Without even glancing at Asa, the boy sidestepped him effortlessly and continued walking.

It was as if...

"Has he already awakened observational Haki?" Asa's pupils dilated in shock.

He had always believed Enel's extraordinary observational Haki was amplified by the Thunder Fruit's abilities. But now it seemed that even as a child, without the fruit's power, Enel had already unlocked this ability.

At just six or seven years old, Enel had awakened his Haki. Asa couldn't help but marvel at the boy's innate talent. No wonder he would later dominate Birka and extend his Haki across the entire island to monitor everyone.

"A natural prodigy," Asa thought. "But it's unfortunate for you—I'm here to claim the chance you were destined for."

A cold glint flashed in Asa's eyes as he calmly asked, "Why didn't you fight back? With your abilities, you could've easily avoided their attacks. Why didn't you teach them a lesson?"

Enel, still walking unsteadily, didn't respond, though the occasional gasp of pain betrayed his condition.

Unbothered, Asa pressed on. "Hey, kid. Why aren't you talking? You don't have wings, just like me. Maybe we're from the same place."

At this, Enel froze. He turned to look at Asa, his eyes filled with cautious excitement. After studying him for a moment, Enel finally asked, "Are you... are you from the moon too?"

His voice trembled with hope, as if yearning for a connection he had long been denied.

"The moon people?" Asa hesitated briefly. He knew the Sky Islanders were descendants of the moon people, who had migrated to this world when the moon's resources were depleted. Their wings symbolized their yearning for their celestial home.

Now wasn't the time to delve into this history.

"That's right," Asa replied vaguely. "But tell me, why didn't you fight back earlier? You clearly have the ability to dodge their attacks. Where did you learn such a skill?"

Asa's curiosity burned. He had to know more about the boy's abilities.

PS: Power Stones People