Between Two Worlds: Nen and Haki

"Eh?!"

Vivi's cheek was pinched, sending a jolt through her that finally snapped her out of her daze.

Seeing that it was Zane pinching her face, she was overcome with excitement and uncontrollably grabbed his hand.

"Mr. Zane, you're truly incredible!" Like a little fangirl meeting her idol, Vivi's high-strung emotions didn't subside even as she held his hand.

She dove straight into Zane's arms, hugging him tightly. Like a little chick pecking at grain, she desperately rained sweet, passionate kisses upon him.

Due to the height difference, Zane reached back and supported her perky buttocks.

Facing the constant stream of kisses, a smile played in his eyes.

"Noooo!!!"

A tragic cry rang out, snapping the shell-shocked Straw Hat Pirates out of their stupor.

Sanji, who possessed a built-in "woman-radar," was the first to notice Vivi kissing Zane. It felt like he'd been struck by lightning; his knees hit the ground with a thud, and hot tears streamed down his face as he wailed at the sky.

"You scared the life out of me!"

Nami clearly knew Sanji's personality inside and out. At first, she wondered what had happened to him, but as soon as she saw Vivi's actions, she realized the cause of his miserable howl.

Although she was surprised by Vivi's boldness, she couldn't help but feel annoyed at Sanji's pathetic display. She promptly knocked him to the ground with a punch.

*Is this his true strength? The lightning... and that overwhelming aura?*

*All on his own, he had easily suppressed an army of hundreds of thousands in such a short time. How on earth did he train to reach such a level?*

Taking a deep breath and completely ignoring the lecher's embarrassing behavior, Zoro looked at Zane with a complex expression.

There was both a yearning for that kind of power and a wary respect for a strength that felt as vast as an abyss.

"Weird, what was that feeling just now? I feel like I've experienced it somewhere before!" Luffy scratched his head, confused by the familiarity of the Conqueror's Haki Zane had just unleashed.

He ignored the Straw Hat Pirates' ruckus.

After savoring Vivi's passion for a moment, Zane leisurely departed with Nico Robin.

Vivi stayed behind to handle the aftermath of the battle with her father.

Although the core instigators of the Rebel Army had been dealt with by Zane, if the hundreds of thousands of people weren't appeased and handled in time, there was no guarantee that further trouble wouldn't arise.

"It looks like it's going to rain!"

Walking down from the city walls, Zane looked up at the sky.

"Rain?" Nico Robin also looked up.

The sun hung high in the sky, its scorching rays beating down directly on the Alabasta desert.

Forget dark clouds—even the regular clouds were incredibly sparse.

Weather like this didn't look like it was about to rain at all.

Nico Robin looked at Zane in confusion.

*What's going on?*

*Why is such a massive amount of water vapor gathering?*

Staring at the sky, Zane's Observation Haki could clearly sense the changes within the clouds.

The thin cloud cover was increasing at a speed visible visibly.

This shift was clearly the precursor to a heavy downpour.

Was it a coincidence?

Could it really be that convenient?

"Pudding? She is an adult, but she is still finding her place here. We can talk about relationships when she is ready," Zane said, leaning against the pool wall with his hands behind his head.

Zane didn't quite understand it.

However...

'I might as well push the storm a little farther.'

Sensing the changes in the clouds, Zane smiled slightly and raised his index finger.

Rumble: Rain Induction!

*Crack!*

A brilliant bolt of lightning shot upward. To the shock of the nearby soldiers, the lightning snaked from Zane's fingertip all the way into the clouds.

Rumble!

A low, heavy peal of thunder rolled across the entire sky. Water vapor gathered from all directions even faster, quickly condensing into dark clouds that blotted out the sun.

*Drip!*

Pudding was still learning what she wanted from her new life, and Zane had no intention of rushing her.

"Is it raining?"

"It's true! It's actually raining!"

"It's that lord! I saw him summon the rain with his lightning!"

"A god! He must be a god! My Lord, you must be the deity Princess Vivi found to save us!"

"..."

The shock of the rebellion being quelled hadn't even passed before he summoned a thunderstorm with a mere gesture. This sent the nearby Royal Army soldiers into a total frenzy.

The sound of bodies hitting the ground rang out continuously as the excited soldiers dropped their weapons. One by one, they knelt toward Zane, their voices unified in a chant calling him a God.

"Captain, it seems you're really going to become the god of Alabasta now," Nico Robin teased, leaning in and whispering into Zane's ear as she watched the fanatical reaction of the soldiers.

As expected of the Captain, Through this series of displays, he had not only won over Vivi but also easily brought the entirety of Alabasta into his grasp.

"It's just a small matter!"

Being worshipped as a god gave Zane a secret sense of satisfaction, but he maintained a calm exterior.

Wrapping his arm around Nico Robin's waist, Zane walked away calmly amidst the fanatical kneeling of the soldiers.

* * *

Most of the instigators within the Rebel Army were high-ranking individuals.

With those people removed, although the remaining rebels were numerous, both the awe-inspiring power of Zane's lightning and the sudden rain effectively crushed their morale.

As Cobra and Vivi personally led the Royal Army out of the city to appease the masses, the rebels quickly accepted reality and were taken into custody or resettled.

Night.

Inside the palace's hot spring bath.

Zane was comfortably soaking in the warm spring water.

"Captain, I noticed your 'sister' seems to have quite a lot of feelings for you as well."

Not just Zane, but Nico Robin was also soaking beside him, completely unclad.

During their casual conversation, Nico Robin thought of something amusing and began teasing Zane.

"Pudding? She's still young. We'll talk about it when she's a bit older," Zane said lazily, leaning against the pool wall with his hands behind his head.

The Window to the Soul of his God's Eye could see through the inner thoughts of others.

Even though Zane didn't spy on his own people for no reason, it still made it very easy for him to see what was on someone's mind.

For instance, Pudding.

Currently, the only known members of the Three-Eye Tribe were Zane and Pudding.

In other words, to continue the bloodline of the Three-Eye Tribe, the best solution was for the two of them to unite.

Zane knew this, and Pudding clearly did as well.

Deeply insecure, she had fantasized since childhood that someone would eventually rescue her from her cruel family.

Now, that fantasy had become reality.

Whether for the sake of the Three-Eye Tribe's legacy or because Zane had rescued her from the ruthless Big Mom Pirates, it was difficult for Pudding not to develop feelings for him.

It's just...

Just as Zane said, Pudding was still too young.

"When she's older? Hmph, it seems the Captain is thinking along those lines too!" The mischievous older woman narrowed her eyes, immediately catching the keyword.

Moving closer, she accurately grabbed her captain between the legs with a firm grip, applying a bit of force as if she might snap it.

"Hey, don't be reckless! If you break it, you won't have anything to use later!"

His weak spot caught, Zane put on a look of sheer panic.

*Well... of course, he's faking it.*

Beneath that panicked facade, his large hand was quietly reaching around behind Nico Robin.

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