NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 80: The Island
"First island in the New World," Rayleigh mused, his voice calm yet carrying a note of caution. "These waters are unpredictable, and the islands even more so."
Dave smirked, gripping the wheel. "That's why we're here, isn't it? The greater the chaos, the better the opportunities."
Ahead, an island came into view, shrouded in an ominous fog. Tall cliffs lined its edges, and flashes of lightning lit up the sky above it, despite the absence of clouds. The crew exchanged glances, knowing instinctively that the island held secrets—and likely danger.
"Looks like a storm, but it's too localized," Tony commented, his HUD scanning the area. "Definitely not natural."
"Good," Dave replied. "Natural's boring."
As they approached the island, a sudden wave of heat washed over them, followed by a chilling wind. Enel stood, his golden staff in hand. "The weather here's got a mind of its own. I like it."
The ship pulled into a small, rocky cove, the only apparent entry point to the island. As they disembarked, the terrain shifted under their feet—blackened rock, cracked and jagged, with patches of glowing, molten earth scattered throughout. A faint hum filled the air, as if the island itself were alive.
"Careful," Shakky warned, her sharp gaze scanning their surroundings. "This place feels... wrong."
Rayleigh nodded. "Something's definitely off."
Dave unsheathed Rebellion, the gleaming blade catching the light of the molten patches. "Then let's find out what."
As they ventured further inland, the terrain grew more volatile. Pools of bubbling lava dotted the landscape, and strange, luminescent plants clung to the jagged rocks, their glow casting eerie shadows. The hum grew louder, accompanied by faint, rhythmic vibrations underfoot.
"This island isn't just unstable—it's alive," Tony muttered, analyzing the readings on his gauntlet. "The ground's pulsing, like a heartbeat."
Dave smirked. "Then let's see what makes it tick."
A sudden roar echoed through the air, shaking the ground beneath them. From the shadows emerged a massive creature—its body a fusion of rock and magma, with glowing cracks running along its form. Its molten eyes locked onto the crew, and it let out another earth-shaking roar before charging.
"Finally, some excitement!" Enel grinned, lightning crackling around him as he leaped forward, his staff aimed at the beast.
The battle was fierce. The creature's molten body made it nearly impervious to conventional attacks, but Dave's crew was anything but conventional. Enel's lightning clashed with the creature's magma, sending shockwaves through the air. Tony launched a barrage of repulsor blasts, targeting the creature's glowing cracks, while Rayleigh's precise haki-infused strikes chipped away at its defenses.
Dave, meanwhile, moved like a shadow, his Air Trick allowing him to dodge the creature's powerful swings with ease. Each slash of Cerberus struck with deadly precision, his armament haki coating the blade in a dark sheen. The creature roared in frustration, its molten form flickering as its energy waned.
Shakky, observing from the sidelines, suddenly called out. "Dave! Aim for its core—it's near its chest!"
Dave nodded, his blue eyes narrowing as he leaped into the air. With a single, powerful strike, he drove Cerberus into the creature's chest, piercing the glowing core within. The creature let out a final, deafening roar before collapsing, its body disintegrating into harmless ash.
The crew stood in silence for a moment, catching their breath as the dust settled.
"Well, that was fun," Enel said, smirking as he dusted himself off.
Tony examined the remains of the creature, his gauntlet scanning the area. "Whatever powered that thing... it wasn't natural."
Rayleigh nodded, his expression thoughtful. "This island has secrets. The question is, do we want to uncover them?"
Dave sheathed Cerberus, his smirk returning. "Of course we do. That's why we're here."
As they pressed further into the island, the air grew heavier, the hum intensifying. They reached a massive cavern, its walls lined with strange, glowing runes. At its center stood an ancient pedestal, atop which rested a pulsating orb of light.
Tony stepped forward, his HUD analyzing the orb. "This... this isn't just energy. It's alive."
Before anyone could respond, the orb pulsed, sending out a wave of light that enveloped the crew. For a brief moment, the world around them seemed to shift, the cavern morphing into a vision of a sprawling battlefield. Figures clashed in the distance, their forms obscured by the light, but the power emanating from them was palpable.
Dave's eyes narrowed as the vision faded, leaving them back in the cavern. "Whatever this is, it's tied to something big."
Rayleigh stepped closer to the pedestal, his gaze serious. "This is no ordinary treasure. If we take it, we'll be making enemies—powerful ones."
Dave smirked, his hand resting on Cerberus. "Good. Let them come."
With that, he reached for the orb, sealing the crew's fate as players in an even larger game. The New World had truly begun, and there was no turning back.
"Bah! What a sloppy illusion," Dave suddenly said breaking the serious atmosphere, as he swung Rebellion, cleaving the pulsating orb in two. The glowing object shattered, revealing nothing more than a plain, round rock now split cleanly in half. The dim cavern flickered momentarily before stabilizing.
"What is this?" Tony mumbled, his scanners showing no significant energy readings anymore. Even Rayleigh frowned at the unexpected turn.
"What the heck was that?" Enel asked, electricity crackling around him, his usual smirk replaced with annoyance.
Dave sheathed Cerberus and smirked. "Nothing but an idiot's Devil Fruit power trying to scare us off."
As he finished speaking, he suddenly vanished, reappearing in the blink of an eye in front of a young boy who had been hiding in the shadows of the cavern. The boy yelped in fright, falling backward onto the rocky ground, his face pale with fear.
"Who are you, kid?" Dave asked, his voice calm yet commanding as his piercing blue eyes studied the boy. From the faint remnants of the illusion, Dave could tell the power wasn't meant to harm them—it was a desperate attempt to make them leave the island.
The boy scrambled back, his small frame trembling as he stammered, "P-please don't hurt me! I-I was just trying to protect the island!"
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