A new day had dawned on God's Island Upper-Yard.
Over a month had passed since Yasa conquered the God's Guard, killed Gan Fall, and ascended to become the new God.
During that time, no one dared to oppose him. The memory of Yasa descending from the thunderous sky, bathed in lightning, remained vivid in their minds.
Thunder represented divine authority, the ultimate power wielded only by true Gods—this was the prevailing belief among the guards.
Their worship and awe for Yasa, the new God, far surpassed that of the old God. They meticulously carried out their daily patrols and duties.
Even most of the inhabitants of Angel Island had peacefully accepted the change, showing no signs of resistance.
After assuming the God's position, Yasa casually delegated all authority to Constance and Merrickin, becoming a hands-off ruler.
He spent his days developing his Devil Fruit ability, training his increasingly powerful body enhanced by Electrode Enhancement, and honing his Observation Haki. Only during meals did he have his subordinates serve him high-energy food.
He hadn't forgotten his original purpose: strength was the foundation of everything. His victory over Gan Fall and ascension to Godhood served as the ultimate proof.
He wasn't worried about betrayal. A single bolt of thunder would resolve any such treachery.
In the lush forest, a faint golden light emanated from the colossal Temple, forged from solid gold and standing immutable through the ages.
Inside the grand hall, Yasa supported himself on the golden floor with one finger, doing push-ups while simultaneously pondering how to further enhance his strength.
Two months ago, he had developed Electrode Enhancement, which fortified his muscles, bones, and skin. However, he hesitated to apply it to his internal organs.
While the enhanced muscles and bones indirectly strengthened his organs, the effect was far inferior to directly enhancing them with electrodes.
For the past month, Yasa had been grappling with this problem, searching for a way to bring the resilience of his organs up to par with his enhanced physique.
His urgency stemmed from the fact that the blueprints for the Ark Maxim had already been handed over to the God's Guard, who were now searching for shipwrights to begin construction.
"The seas teem with martial arts masters like fish in a river. They must have developed methods to directly damage internal organs. My steel-hardened body is merely superficial defense—if my insides are compromised, I'm done for," Yasa muttered, pausing his workout and stroking his chin in thought.
"Someone!"
"Lord of Thunder, what is your command?" Constance entered the hall from outside, bowing respectfully.
"Have any Death Row Inmates sentenced to the Cloud Float Current recently? Bring them all to me," Yasa declared with a sweeping gesture, making his decision.
*Let's experiment on them first. Surely one or two will succeed.*
"Yes, sir!" Constance replied, though he didn't understand Yasa's purpose for the inmates, he dared not question him and resolutely carried out the order.
Two hours later, over twenty Sky Islanders with feathered wings were escorted before Yasa.
He led them into a newly excavated basement and began his inhumane experiments.
Progress in biological science inevitably requires human experimentation; it's just kept secret and unspoken.
The world's foremost scientist, Dr. Vegapunk, researches Artificial Devil Fruits and the Pacifista for the World Government. Can anyone claim he doesn't use human subjects?
The corpses of slaves alone could likely fill the Holy Land Mary Geoise.
For the next eight or nine months, daily screams echoed from the Temple's basement, terrifying the God's Guard so much that they dared not approach except to deliver reports.
As time passed, rumors of hauntings spread, and many believed them. Yasa made no effort to dispel the rumors.
Only Constance, his closest confidant, vaguely suspected the truth, yet he dared not voice his suspicions.
In the year 1495 of the Sea Circle Era, Yasa's second year on Sky Island, a monumental event unfolded on the Grand Line, poised to unleash colossal waves.
The Golden Lion's grand fleet unexpectedly clashed with the Roger Pirates in the Edd War Sea. Golden Lion Shiki invited Roger to become his second-in-command, but Roger refused.
Their irreconcilable differences erupted into battle!
Beyond the battlefield, a formidable Marine fleet loomed, comprising Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Marine Hero Garp, Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Tsuru, Admirals Akainu Sakazuki, Kizaru Borsalino, Aokiji Kuzan, Vice Admirals Yamakaji, Momonga, Hagwar D. Saul, and nearly the entire combat power of Marine Headquarters.
They waited for the Roger Pirates and the Golden Lion's forces to cripple each other, hoping to swoop in for the kill.
But fate had other plans!
Unpredictable weather unleashed a raging storm, with torrential rain, howling winds, and thunderous lightning. A colossal tsunami, capable of swallowing the Golden Lion's entire fleet, rose from the sea, claiming dozens of his pirate ships.
The Roger Pirates escaped with minimal losses, while the Golden Lion suffered catastrophic casualties. To add insult to injury, Shiki himself was struck in the head by a flying ship's rudder and forced to flee in disgrace.
The Battle of Edd War, which started with a bang but ended with a whimper, concluded dramatically.
(The Battle of Edd War should have taken place in Sea Circle Era 1495. The prequel to *Strong World* mentions that Roger reached the summit of One Piece two years later. If anyone disagrees, please comment so we can discuss.)
Yasa knew this major event would occur that year, but pressing matters kept him occupied. Otherwise, he would have definitely witnessed the gathering of the world's strongest.
He deeply doubted the claim that Roger had narrowly escaped by luck. Such a massive tidal wave was a once-in-a-century phenomenon, even in the New World. Why had it happened to him of all people?
In fact, Yasa even suspected Whitebeard might have orchestrated it. After all, Whitebeard was currently at the peak of his power.
Using the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's ability to trigger such a tsunami wouldn't be effortless, but it certainly wouldn't be too difficult.
Of course, these were just his personal speculations. He deeply regretted not witnessing the battle firsthand.
"Aaaaaah!"
A bloodcurdling scream echoed from the basement of the Temple, sending shivers down the spines of the patrolling God's Guard. They couldn't help but think:
"Is Lord of Thunder punishing another criminal? How terrifying!"
They dared not linger, quickening their pace to distance themselves from the horrifying sound.
In the basement, on a golden surgical table:
"The hundredth experiment! The organs haven't burned this time—they actually withstood it? Hmm? The heart's beating stronger, the lungs are breathing deeper, and the liver, spleen, and kidneys show no adverse reactions! Hahaha!"
Yasa's heart surged with delight, thoroughly satisfied with the results.
This ten-month-long experiment was finally nearing its end. Truthfully, if he had tested it on himself, it wouldn't have taken nearly so long. But he wasn't ready to die yet—organ enhancement was no joke; one wrong move could be fatal.
Though he had developed Electrotherapy, a life-saving technique, it was useless if the heart burned out.
"One successful attempt. Just to be safe, I'll try it twice more. If it works every time, it means there's no danger, and I can start strengthening my organs!" Yasa wiped the sweat from his brow, overjoyed.