A moment later, Enel regained consciousness from his coma.
The instant he opened his eyes, information about his surroundings, including the presence of everyone nearby, flowed directly into his mind through his Observation Haki network, the mental web he had cultivated over years of godhood.
Of course, along with this spatial awareness came the painful memories of what had transpired before he lost consciousness.
Had he been knocked unconscious by a punch... or a slap?
"You woke up faster than I expected..."
"That's right... To have developed your Devil Fruit powers to this extent, even if your body remains relatively weak, your fundamental life force and vitality are still remarkably strong."
A low chuckle echoed through the devastated shrine.
Lying among the rubble, Enel saw the man sitting cross-legged beside him, regarding him with an amused smile.
That pirate!
"Well? Are you interested in my proposal now? There are many more terrifying beings in the world below..."
"As a god, don't you intend to prove yourself?"
"For example, by ruling this world?"
Oboro's voice caused Enel's pupils to contract sharply, and the grinding sound of clenched teeth became audible.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Then, someone's furious roar echoed across the heavens.
Enel's most devastating technique, 200 Million Volts: Thunder God.
Instantly, Enel's entire form transformed into a dazzling white aurora of pure electrical energy. Centered on the flattened peak where they stood, the entire sky above God's Island blazed with countless streaks of lightning, crackling and dancing through the atmosphere with terrifying intensity.
Meanwhile, the residents of Angel Island far below, who had been huddled in their homes due to the Qinghai pirates' invasion, witnessed a sight that defied comprehension. The blinding light streaming through their windows seemed to engulf the entire outside world, sending everyone scrambling into the darkest corners of their dwellings.
The timid covered their ears and trembled uncontrollably, while children wailed incessantly in terror.
Dom and his companions on the beach also leaped to their feet in shock.
The sea of lightning beneath the distant sky was too vast for the naked eye to fully comprehend.
After a moment, once their vision had adjusted to the brilliant display, they looked again... and beheld a godlike lightning giant towering atop the majestic mountaintop, radiating both divine majesty and barely contained violence.
With a wave of his massive arm, countless bolts of lightning thundered down from the heavens themselves.
The mountain where the self-proclaimed god stood suddenly trembled, a resounding roar like the splitting of stone and sky piercing the atmosphere. Dense lightning accompanied each strike, spreading in all directions along with torrents of smoke, dust, and debris, sending countless birds and beasts fleeing in absolute panic.
However, these fragile life forms were instantly incinerated by the electrical discharge that spread outward from the epicenter...
"This!"
Dom and the others' expressions changed drastically.
That figure... was the god of Sky Island?
This power... was a bit too terrifying.
Even from the other island, they could feel the tremors and detect the acrid scent of ozone and burning matter in the air...
The temperature seemed to rise noticeably.
It felt like helpless humans facing a natural disaster.
Clearly, the target of this devastating attack was none other than their captain.
"Logia-type Devil Fruit user!"
Rob Lucci instantly analyzed the situation.
The ability to unleash such overwhelming power from a Logia-type Devil Fruit meant that the adversary the God Slayer faced possessed... terrifyingly formidable capabilities.
If the Hell Pirates were to acquire an ally of this caliber, the threat to the World Government would escalate to an entirely new level.
"Want to go?"
A surging wind, carrying superheated currents, ruffled Kaka's hair as he smiled, looking at Dom's solemn expression with casual dismissal.
"No need."
Dom paused for a moment before uttering those two words with absolute confidence.
While this Sky Island god was undeniably formidable, he seemed no match for the Golden Lion... They had all witnessed the apocalyptic phenomena during their Captain's battle with Shiki; that had been a pure manifestation of the end times.
Sure enough... not long after the Thunder God launched his first wave of attacks, he appeared to have suffered serious injury. His towering lightning body suddenly exploded in a deafening eruption, and the crackling energy against the sky began to dim significantly.
The Thunder God vanished...
but the battle was clearly far from over.
Further across the horizon, two colossal beasts formed from intertwined lightning materialized:
a Qilin, the legendary creature of Eastern mythology,
and a giant bird soaring through the sky at breathtaking speed.
However, like the previous Thunder God manifestation, these constructs didn't last long before being dispelled by their Captain's overwhelming Haki.
The sheer intensity of the Haki released by Oboro... even the residual force was palpable from their position on Angel Island, despite the considerable distance. This was the man who could stand toe-to-toe against the Golden Lion, the God Slayer!
One of the monsters worthy of claiming the pinnacle of the ocean.
"It seems he didn't use any special abilities, but instead crushed his opponent with pure Haki."
Lucci stared intently at the distant battlefield. Although he couldn't see the specific details, his enhanced senses... could still detect certain "signals," allowing him to analyze and speculate about the combat dynamics.
This meant... the Sky Island God didn't appear to possess advanced Haki techniques.
Otherwise, given the properties of his Logia-type Devil Fruit and the overwhelming power it had displayed thus far, even with Haki, it would have been impossible for him to be defeated in such a short timeframe.
The power of lightning was no less devastating than the abilities possessed by the three current Admirals of the Marine. The starting point was extraordinarily high.
If one's Haki reached a decent level, relying on this Devil Fruit's power... one could even pose a significant threat to the God Slayer himself.
Logia-type Devil Fruits... were among the most valuable and rarest types of Devil Fruits in existence, and this was precisely why.
Of course, the power of Logia-type fruits encompassed a wide range of natural elements, and their strength depended heavily on their specific attributes.
But there was no doubt that this Sky Island God possessed one of the most advanced fruit powers in the current ocean.
"It's over..."
Lucci muttered several minutes later, observing the battlefield on God's Island as the electrical activity finally began to fade.
He thought it was a shame.
Even if Enel couldn't kill the God Slayer, seriously injuring him... would have been beneficial.
So far, besides Shiki the Golden Lion, Enel was the only individual who seemed "worthy" enough to rival the God Slayer in raw power.
...
Amidst the rubble of the collapsed mountain peak, Enel's feet were lifted off the ground as Oboro grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him upward.
By this time, Oboro's elegant suit was extensively damaged and charred from the electrical assault,
but the exposed skin beneath remained completely unharmed.
"Has that been enough?"
Oboro stared at Enel with an expressionless face.
"Are you coming to your senses?"
"I'll give you one final chance... Are you interested in visiting 'my world'?"
Despite his words, his grip on Enel's throat showed no sign of loosening.
Enel was covered in blood, his features twisted in agony, unable to form a coherent response.
"Still not working?"
"Then... there's nothing else to be done."
Seeing Enel's lack of response, Oboro sighed, murderous intent flickering in his eyes as he prepared to end this definitively.
He would use the system to plunder the man's abilities.
The same choice as with the Golden Lion... Another potential candidate for his organization was about to be lost.
What a shame.
He always respected everyone's personal choice.
With that thought, Oboro's massive hand began to apply lethal pressure to Enel's neck.
Sensing the man's determination and the sudden increase in crushing force,
Enel coughed up blood. His drooping arm suddenly twitched, fingers moving as if trying to lift it...
Oboro sensed this subtle movement and immediately released his grip.
With a soft thump.
Enel collapsed to the ground, his blurred vision focusing on the sky above and the dark silhouette standing before him.
His eyes held a sense of 'emptiness' that followed the dissipation of his overwhelming passion.
In truth, it wasn't that this battle had inflicted any psychological 'trauma' upon him, but rather that he had always felt empty and profoundly bored due to his complete lack of belonging. In his perception, there existed only two categories of beings in this world: God, meaning himself, and all other mortals.
Whether it was Sky Island or the Blue Sea below... he had no one who resembled him.
That's why he had dreamed of traveling to the moon to find his true homeland...
"Have you been to the moon?"
Enel asked weakly.
He seemed to remember what Oboro had mentioned before, about his 'plan' and 'dream.'
"No, but I know... there is nothing there."
Oboro said lightly.
"..."
Enel remained silent for a long moment.
"What is this power of yours?"
he asked again.
He was referring to Haki.
"I can teach you."
Oboro glanced at his arm, still wrapped in the dark coating of Armament Haki, and smiled.