Before leaving the building, Vane waved at the surveillance Den Den Mushi mounted on the wall—a silent gesture that might as well have been a greeting to the World Government.
This kind of move was commonly referred to as taunting the Celestial Dragons.
It was blatant provocation. Even when they had killed Spandam and the others moments ago, the unlocked door ensured the surveillance Den Den Mushi had captured everything.
"You're provoking those people at the top! When the Admirals arrive, we'll all be dead!"
"We'll be hunted down!"
Kalifa was at a loss. She felt that Vane's maturity hadn't caught up to his power—he was still only fifteen years old.
"When they arrive, I'll be gone."
Vane was already thinking about heading toward the Bridge of Hesitation that led to the Gate of Justice.
"Aren't we leaving yet?"
Vane said, "Kalifa, you did well just now."
He was referring to how effectively she had taken down Spandam.
Aside from the front island, which was heavily guarded, the rest of the area was deserted. Most of the facilities here were for show anyway. Spandam had been the only real authority.
Vane stepped onto the Bridge of Hesitation.
"What are you planning to do?" Kalifa asked.
Vane motioned for her to stand back. His right fist clenched tightly, veins bulging. You could tell he was putting serious strength into this blow.
He hurled a punch toward the Gate of Justice in the distance.
The air cracked like shattered glass—dense spiderweb-like fissures spread with a thunderous sound. The longest crack extended over a meter. Then, in the next instant, Vane turned away.
Behind him, the Bridge of Hesitation began to quake violently. Massive chunks collapsed into the ocean, hundreds of meters vanishing in the blink of an eye. Kalifa stared in shock as the ground beneath her shook violently. Even the towering gates ahead trembled.
Waves surged, the sea boiling upward into towering columns of water, crashing down like a tsunami.
Kalifa's voice trembled as she followed behind Vane.
No wonder he acted so recklessly. With that kind of destructive power, there wasn't much to fear.
It was the first time Kalifa had seen such terrifying strength.
"Was that the Explosive Fruit?" she wondered aloud.
According to the papers and his bounty poster, Vane had eaten the Explosive Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit.
And now, she finally understood what they meant when they said he was powerful.
But could it really just be "explosions"? It looked more like the air or space itself was being split—resulting in that level of destruction wherever his fist pointed.
"Yes," Vane replied simply.
"What's it feel like to have Devil Fruit powers?" Kalifa asked. She hadn't eaten one yet. In the original records, her Devil Fruit ability had been acquired later.
Vane answered, "Depends on the type. Take Rob Lucci's Zoan-type for instance. Do you think he looks good like that? Sure, it boosts strength, but…"
"Yeah… doesn't look great. He turns into a leopard man."
Vane nodded. "The best-looking or strongest Zoan-type fruits are the Mythical Zoans. Like Admiral Sengoku's Buddha form, or Marco the Phoenix from the Whitebeard Pirates. Even Impel Down has a female prisoner with a Nine-Tailed Fox form. Those are top-tier. Ordinary Zoans, though? Strong, but not exactly appealing."
"The Beast Pirates' Calamities all had Ancient Zoans. Kaido too—no one knows for sure if he's even human anymore."
"Mythical and Ancient Zoans are the rarest kinds," he added.
Kalifa was stunned. "How do you know all this?"
"Everyone in Impel Down talks. Read the newspaper sometime."
"It says that in the paper?"
Vane didn't reply. This woman was clearly on the weaker side. Among the CP9, she might've been the weakest. Her power level wasn't even worth noting—definitely below par.
She needed a Devil Fruit ability. Otherwise, she was too much of a liability as part of his crew.
"Speaking of which… that woman in Impel Down with the Nine-Tailed Fox form. A high-tier Mythical Zoan. I should figure out a way to steal her fruit. If Blackbeard gets her out, that would be a nightmare."
Blackbeard had taken the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. No one really knew how—did he eat Whitebeard's heart? Use the Dark-Dark Fruit to extract it? Or simply wait for the fruit to respawn on a nearby fruit? Vane didn't know.
What he did know was that the Nine-Tailed Fox form had to be absurdly powerful. Every Mythical Zoan shown so far was terrifying.
"I wonder how I can sneak into Impel Down without being noticed…"
His Explosive Fruit wasn't restricted by Seastone or seawater. It might be possible to infiltrate and escape, but it would be risky. Not impossible, just very difficult.
Especially since on Level 6 of Impel Down, there was a terrifying woman from the old era—rumored to be second only to Big Mom in power.
Eventually, they returned to Water 7 and stocked up—supplies, clothes, food, all the essentials. Three hours later, they left the city behind.
This time, Vane's real journey had finally begun.
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