40 Promotion! Vice-Admiral!
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The vast ocean was the only thing that could hold Kaido, the beast among men, at bay. Dipping him into the ocean depths could strip him of his mighty power, if only for a moment.
But make no mistake, it wouldn't be the end of him. Kaido's past was shrouded in mystery, his childhood spent in the Vodka Kingdom, but his true origins remained a puzzle, as did the full extent of his formidable strength. Even the legendary Whitebeard had failed to send Kaido to his grave.
The only person who might hold the keys to Kaido's secrets was his old crewmate, Charlotte Linlin, better known as Big Mom. They'd forged a bond akin to siblings during their time with the notorious Rocks Pirates. When that crew met its end, Big Mom handed Kaido the Fish-Fish Fruit, Azure Dragon Model, a treasure she'd taken from Emporio Ivankov.
That act of giving placed Kaido in a lifelong debt to her. Maybe it was her knowledge of his secrets, or perhaps the favor she'd done for him, but Big Mom was the only one who could truly threaten Kaido, which explained their alliance in the tales of old.
Kaido was no ordinary man; he was an Oni, a mythical creature from Japanese folklore, which accounted for his massive frame and extraordinary might.
He was known as the strongest creature alive, a being who had likely surpassed human limitations in every conceivable way.
But the sea was his equalizer. Capturing Kaido was a fool's errand; he was unkillable, and imprisoning him served no purpose.
His recent rampage had left a marine warship in tatters. The shipwrights had scrambled to reinforce the battered warship.
Thankfully, the main structure held firm, and the keel was unscathed. After some hasty repairs, the warship resumed its mission, undeterred.
The Beasts Pirates, Kaido's notorious crew, stood by, their will to fight drained at the sight of the marine's terrifying might, embodied by the fearsome Brontes.
They had no heart to pursue the marines, especially not after witnessing such power. Instead, they had a more pressing concern: rescuing their captain from the clutches of the sea.
"Save the captain!" The cry rang out, urgent and desperate, from one of the Beasts Pirates.
In an instant, a flurry of bodies plunged into the water, diving deep in a frantic search.
The warship was already a speck on the horizon by the time Kaido was hauled from the depths, his massive form breaking the surface with a colossal splash.
Gasping for air, Kaido's first words were not of thanks but of command: "Where're they?!" He asked at his subordinates, his eyes scanning the horizon for the marine warship.
"T-They've already left." Stammered a member of the Beasts Pirates, his voice quivering with the fear that Kaido inspired even among his own.
Kaido's response was as calm as the sea after a storm.
"Keep an eye on this sea area. Report immediately if they appear again." He commanded with an authority that brooked no argument. With a dismissive grunt, he took a long swig from his flask, the liquid within sloshing like the waves against the hull.
"JugJug!"
Then, with the nonchalance of a man who had weathered countless tempests, he lay down on the deck to sleep, the chaos of the day already fading from his mind.
...
Meanwhile, Brontes and Borsalino, having narrowly escaped the clutches of the formidable Kaido, were still reeling from the encounter.
To slip from the grasp of a man who had brazenly attacked a marine fortress and who held no fear of the World Government or the Marines was no mean feat. Yet, they had done it, and the mission was a resounding success.
Once their warship had vanished from the sight of the Beasts Pirates, they were safe, at least for the moment, from other pirates who were oblivious to the precious cargo of seastone they were transporting.
The safety of the seastone ores was paramount, and Brontes and Borsalino were determined to see their escort mission through to the end.
They needed to deliver the ores to the research base where Dr. Vegapunk awaited. His base, strategically located at the gateway to the New World, hidden between Marine Bases G-1 and G-5, ensured swift support from Marineford and the World Government should the need arise.
The Special Science Group, abbreviated as SSG and under the watchful eye of Marine-Admiral Sengoku, now often found its leadership falling to the CP agents of the World Government, especially since Sengoku was preoccupied with his many duties and Zed had retired.
...
After a tense seven-day journey, the seastone was successfully transported from Wano Country to Punk Hazard.
It was there that Brontes finally came face to face with Dr. Vegapunk, a man whose age seemed to hover somewhere between his fifties and sixties.
The two men sized each other up, each observing the other with a scientist's keen eye. Electricity was commonplace in this world, and Dr. Vegapunk could easily create generators, so Brontes's Rumble-Rumble Fruit did not pique his interest. However, the doctor was deeply intrigued by Borsalino's Glint-Glint Fruit.
The seastone ores, already refined by the skilled hands of Wano's craftsmen, were ready for Dr. Vegapunk's advanced technological touch.
In his lab, a myriad of seastone products and tools were forged, including a set of seastone handcuffs that Brontes took into his possession.
With these handcuffs, there was no longer a need for cumbersome water prisons to transport devil fruit users to the infamous Impel Down.
A simple snap of the cuffs around their wrists would sap their strength and neutralize their powers.
...
Back at G-2 base, Brontes found himself buried under a mountain of paperwork, the bane of any action-oriented marine.
The Rear-Admirals, particularly Garp, seemed to have left the base in a state of disarray, their antics adding to the pile of documents that now demanded Brontes's attention. It was a mess that Garp had inadvertently started, and Brontes, ever the dutiful officer, set about tackling the bureaucratic backlog. Only once the last form was filed away could he carve out time for his true passion: training.
The recent clash with Kaido had been a revelation.
Brontes's Thor's Enhancement technique held untapped potential, but to harness it, he needed to fortify his physique.
His goal was clear: to push his body beyond its current limitations, to condition his cells to accommodate a greater surge of electrical power.
If successful, he could amplify his strength with electricity without suffering the crippling side effects.
Each use of Thor's Enhancement left Brontes in excruciating pain, his muscles feeling as though they were being shredded from within.
The agony was twofold: his body was not yet accustomed to the lightning's stimulation, and the electricity itself was causing cellular damage, leading to cell death. To bounce back, Brontes had to rapidly regenerate the lost cells. His body, though monstrous in its resilience, still required time to recover.
Eating became a crucial part of his recovery process. By consuming large quantities of food, he replenished his energy reserves and accelerated his metabolism, which in turn facilitated the growth of new cells.
But to truly master Thor's Enhancement without the debilitating aftermath, Brontes knew he had to make his body more robust, capable of withstanding the raw power of electricity coursing through his veins.
...
Time marched on, and with each passing day, Brontes's reputation within the Marines grew. His promotion to Vice-Admiral was a testament to his burgeoning prowess.
CP0 had witnessed his valor in the face-off against Kaido, and their reports had reached the ears of the World Government.
It was clear to the powers that be: to keep Brontes at the rank of Rear-Admiral would be an insult to his capabilities.
Thus, with little fanfare but significant implications, Brontes was elevated to the rank of Vice-Admiral. The ceremony at Marineford was a modest affair, with the World Economy Newspaper in attendance to document the occasion and broadcast his achievement far and wide.
Brontes's ascension to Vice-Admiral caused ripples of surprise and admiration throughout the ranks.
At the tender age of his early twenties, he had set a new precedent within the Marine history, becoming the youngest to ever hold the title. His future was bright, and his potential seemed limitless.
The Marines had gained a formidable new leader, and the world was watching.
