One Piece: Rising to Power as a Warlord of the Sea

"You've defeated the god Enel. Does that mean you're going to take over as the new god of this place?" Wiper asked, breathing heavily, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Natsu with resentment.

Wiper's frustration was understandable. The man standing before him not only defeated Enel but even made him join his crew. He had single-handedly knocked out Wiper's entire tribe with a single burst of power. The sheer difference in their abilities left Wiper feeling hopeless. He was proud of his own strength, but he wasn't a fool—he knew he couldn't win against this person.

"Rule? What's that?" Natsu chuckled. "I'm a pirate with a dream. Living freely and doing what I love is the real path. And ruling... that's just a hassle."

"Really?" Wiper asked, cautiously hopeful.

"Of course! I'd much rather have gold than any title of ruler! Hahaha!" Natsu laughed, flashing a grin.

"Alright, everyone, let's go get the gold!" Without waiting for Wiper's response, Natsu led his crew towards Enel's treasure stash. Since Enel had just started building his Ark Maxim, there wasn't a massive amount of gold stored up yet, but it was still enough to last them a good while.

"Wow!" Karina gasped as they entered the treasure room, eyes wide as the glittering gold filled her vision. She had never seen so much wealth in one place.

Overwhelmed with excitement, she quickly reminded herself that the gold wasn't hers. The euphoria faded, replaced by a touch of disappointment. She knew she couldn't take it—Natsur's terrifying power discouraged any thoughts of trying to make the treasure her own.

"Natsu, is this gold really that valuable?" Enel asked, puzzled as he watched the crew's elated faces.

"Oh, absolutely. Once we get down to the Blue Sea, you'll understand. With this treasure, our crew's strength will soar," Natsu explained, packing up the gold. With money, he could buy powerful items and skills to boost the crew's abilities. This would make them a formidable force even in the New World.

"Yahahaha! I can't wait!" Enel laughed, quickening his pace as he gathered the gold, not feeling even a hint of regret.

After two hours of hard work, the crew had finally packed all the gold and moved it onto the ship. For the first time, Natsu felt the thrill of counting so much treasure that it made his hands ache and his shoulders sore from carrying the heavy loads. He wouldn't mind doing it all over again!

In fact, he briefly entertained the idea of taking the Golden Bell as well, but reason prevailed over greed. People should know when to be content.

However, he did make sure to make an imprint of the Poneglyph and take a group photo to commemorate the adventure.

With Enel leading the way, the crew arrived in the golden city of Shandora, capturing memorable snapshots, each member's face lit up with excitement, surprise, or mischievous grins.

As they neared the edge of the clouds, Gan Fall appeared on his bird, Pierre, calling out to them.

"Leaving already?" Gan Fall asked.

"Yes, our goal here is complete. Time to move on," Natsu replied with a grin.

"Then I wish you the best of luck. But, just so you know, getting back down to the Blue Sea isn't easy from here. Without a Sky Island octopus to cushion the fall, any ship would be smashed to bits from this height," Gan Fall cautioned. That was the reason he had come to see them off.

"Thanks for the advice, Gan Fall, but our ship's a bit special. A mere 10,000 meters is nothing to worry about." Natsu's smile widened. Their ship, the Smile, was a special craft made for travel by sea, land, and air. And with Enel, their personal "battery," they had no worries about power.

"Alright, Smile Pirates! Let's set sail! Goodbye, Gan Fall!" Natsu shouted as the Smile transformed. Long wings extended from the sides, and a glass dome formed over the deck. In one swift motion, the ship dove off the edge, soaring downwards like a great bird, leaving a trail in the sky as it descended towards the sea.

"Whoa, Captain! It's going so fast I can't even see the scenery!" kumo pressed his face against the glass, his tiny eyes darting around in amazement.

"Alright, let's slow it down. Switch to cruise mode!" Natsu commanded. The Smile's speed instantly decreased, gliding downwards at a more comfortable pace.

"This is amazing! Natsu, can I study the Smile?" Hiro's eyes sparkled with excitement. The ship's advanced systems fascinated him. If he could create intelligent medical assistants or warriors, it would make his research even easier.

"Of course!" Natsu replied with a grin.

"Captain, you're the best!" Hiro cheered, bouncing around Natsu in excitement.

Suddenly, a familiar voice chimed in. "Congratulations, host, on completing your mission. Enel has successfully joined the crew. Reward: +1 spin, +50 points."

With a large stash of gold now at his disposal, Natsu wasn't as excited as he once would have been about 50 points, but he wasn't going to turn down free points.

After flying for a good five hours, the Grand Line finally unfolded beneath them, with its endless blue ocean stretching as far as the eye could see. Enel's jaw dropped—he had never seen a sea so vast or soil in such abundance from his vantage point on Sky Island.

"Alright, crew, let's talk about how to handle the gold. I'm not a greedy captain, so I'm not going to keep it all for myself. Here are two options: Option one, we keep half as shared crew funds, which I'll manage for strength upgrades, and the other half we split evenly. Option two, we keep 90% as shared funds for upgrades, and each member gets a small share to spend on personal items in town."

"Hehe, I'm fine with whatever the captain decides, as long as I get a little for chicken and cotton candy," Kumo said, licking his lips.

"I follow the captain's orders," Gin said, as loyal as ever.

"Hmm, Natsu, I'd go with the second option. I don't need Berries for now; I'd rather invest in upgrades. If we could get something as advanced as the Smile, that would be perfect," Hiro said thoughtfully.

"I have no objections. Captain Natsu can decide," Enel said lazily, lounging on the sofa, a yawn escaping him as he stretched.

"Karina, how about you?" Natsu asked, noticing her hesitant expression.

"Me? I can give my opinion?" Karina was surprised. Despite the crew treating her well, she still felt like an outsider, especially after seeing the epic battle between Natsu and Enel. She had no thought of stealing the treasure and running anymore.

But without gold, she couldn't help her hometown, leaving her torn.

"Of course. Even if you're weak and a bit short, you're still a member of the Smile Pirates. You have the right to share your thoughts," Natsu teased.

"Well... I want some of the treasure! (´•︵•`)" Karina finally mustered the courage to say.

"Of course!" Natsu agreed. In the original story, Karina was always fond of wealth, much like Nami, and her motto had always been that women survive on their wits.

Natsu wasn't surprised. If she'd claimed she didn't care about money, that would've been the strange thing.

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