"He's back."
After a brief wait, Dom and the others sensed their captain's presence approaching.
Two figures seemed to be returning with him.
However, what they first encountered wasn't Oboro.
Instead, a flash of brilliant azure lightning illuminated the air... Suddenly, a man appeared above them, sitting cross-legged on a suspended golden staff. Though scarred and wounded from battle, his eyes still glared down at them with defiant, cold arrogance.
The self-proclaimed God of Skypiea!
Seeing Enel, Dom and the others instantly understood.
This... was their captain's target.
In pure speed alone, excluding combat reflexes, Enel was undoubtedly the fastest among the current Hell Pirates, thanks to his Goro Goro no Mi. Not even Oboro could match his lightning-quick movements. What struck Rob Lucci and the others was that they had only observed the battle on the Island of Gods from a considerable distance, unable to truly experience the intensity of combat at the storm's epicenter. Even now, the white-hooded figure who appeared to have been severely wounded by the God Slayer still exuded a subtle aura of overwhelming pressure and indifference that weighed heavily upon them.
"Kneel."
Enel suddenly declared, his voice cutting through the air as he looked down at the pirates staring up at him.
His acknowledgment of Oboro's strength didn't extend to these lesser beings.
In his divine eyes, these pirates remained nothing more than scum, lowly mortals unworthy of standing in his presence.
BOOM!
The moment those words fell, without a trace of hesitation, Yurivich's scarred mouth cracked with bloodthirsty excitement, his eyes gleaming with pure battle lust. In an instant, he launched himself from the ground toward Enel in mid-air, blade spinning as he delivered a devastating slash with incredible swiftness.
Enel's eyes widened slightly... He hadn't expected this massive brute to possess such remarkable prowess.
He sensed the familiar sensation of Kenbunshoku Haki once again...
But the level of threat emanating from this man's Haki was vastly different from that of the suited figure, a qualitative difference in both power and killing intent.
"Yahahahaha..."
Being defeated by Oboro was a bitter reality Enel was reluctant to acknowledge, yet forced to face. Given his prideful nature, he still seethed with divine fury, and with nowhere to properly vent his frustration, Yurivich's aggressive presence was exactly the outlet he craved.
The devastating slash sent sharp gusts of wind slicing through the air.
However, it missed its target entirely.
Almost instantaneously, Enel had already teleported above Yurivich's head using his lightning transformation, one sandaled foot planted firmly on the swordsman's skull. He twirled his golden staff with casual arrogance, his expression awash with divine superiority and unmatched self-awareness.
"Too slow..."
Enel scoffed, raising his golden staff high. Lightning crackled around the weapon as its form shifted, transforming into a razor-sharp spear wreathed in electrical energy.
He prepared to drive the lightning spear directly through Yurivich's skull.
But at the critical moment, a blur of black motion intercepted the attack, a powerful leg sweeping across like a steel whip.
Enel was forced to disperse into pure lightning, reforming several meters away in the air.
The sudden attacker was Rob Lucci.
Enel's features contorted with divine displeasure... Today's humiliating experiences had pushed his godly patience to its absolute limit.
Now these insignificant mortals dared to actively resist his divine judgment!
"Enough."
Just as Enel was about to unleash the devastating power of his Goro Goro no Mi in a massive display of divine wrath, a cold, authoritative voice reached everyone present.
Above them, Oboro stepped through the air using advanced movement techniques, finally arriving to halt this pointless confrontation.
Yurivich landed with a heavy thud, shouldering his massive blade as he glanced dismissively at Enel before choosing not to attack again.
The lightning crackling in Enel's palms gradually dissipated, though the veins on his forehead still bulged with barely contained fury.
"Your subordinates?"
Enel looked directly at Oboro and asked.
Though he understood the concept of piracy, he obviously lacked deep comprehension of pirate crew dynamics and maritime culture.
In his divine perception, since Oboro possessed such overwhelming power, there was no logical reason for him to associate with these weaklings.
The only explanation for these pirates having any value was that they served as servants, much like the priests under his own divine command...
"We're partners... We're family,"
Oboro replied with a knowing smile.
"Them?"
Enel's tone dripped with divine sarcasm.
"From this moment forward, you're one of them... Although they may seem weaker now, they'll all grow stronger in the future,"
Oboro stated with absolute certainty.
At that moment, two additional figures who had been following at a respectful distance finally arrived. They were none other than the former priests Satori and Gedatsu.
"Gods cannot possibly associate with mere mortals..."
Enel declared with cold indifference.
"Since you're sailing on my ship, you will obey my commands... Without my explicit permission, fighting among crew members is strictly forbidden. This is an absolute order, it won't happen again." Oboro fixed Enel with an unwavering stare, speaking each word with deliberate emphasis.
"..."
Enel remained silent for a long moment, then released a sharp laugh. "Let me clarify something... I am not a pirate, but I remain a magnificent god! Among all these people, you alone are worthy of being my partner, and I consider you my equal, so I will listen to you... but not to any of them. They have no authority to command me... If this Qinghai proves less interesting than you've promised, I will depart at any moment I choose."
The moment these words left Enel's lips, the Hell Pirates' expressions darkened significantly.
This was the first time a 'newcomer' had boarded their ship and dared to voice such disrespectful opinions... and he showed virtually no regard for their captain's authority.
Upon hearing this brazen declaration, Oboro raised his hand to adjust his hat.
He walked step by deliberate step until he stood directly before Enel.
"You have the right to make that choice, and I have mine... You can disobey my orders, but if you make me angry, I will kill you without hesitation. That's perfectly fair..."
"..."
"Also... you shouldn't look down on your future crewmates. The New World will soon demonstrate... how utterly 'powerless' you, a self-proclaimed god, truly are."
Oboro locked eyes with Enel, his gaze carrying a devilish intensity. "Without their support... your dream of ruling like the king you were on Sky Island is nothing more than a pathetic joke."
"Don't worry, you'll understand their importance soon enough."
After delivering this warning, Oboro patted Enel's shoulder before descending gracefully to the ground.
"Sky Island produces specialized dials with various tactical applications. We'll need them for future operations," Oboro informed Dom and the others. "And their cloud-crafting technology... let's acquire that as well."
Skypiea possessed an extensive variety of dial weaponry, including functional Wind Dials, Breath Dials, and Flash Dials. However, Oboro was particularly interested in the combat-enhancing Impact Dials and Reject Dials. While these dials offered limited benefits for high-level combatants, they remained valuable tools for enhancing defensive capabilities and could significantly boost the effectiveness of lower-tier crew members, especially when commanding larger fleets.
"I'll leave the logistics to you... Is that acceptable?"
Oboro instructed, then addressed Enel directly.
After all, Enel remained the former deity of Skypiea... and with the assistance of two indigenous former priests, the Hell Pirates would be able to efficiently plunder Skypiea's technological resources as quickly as possible.
"You two, carry out the orders,"
Enel commanded, looking toward Satori and Gedatsu.
"Yes, Enel-sama."
With this development, the Hell Pirates expanded once again, now seven members strong.
As for the former priests Satori and Gedatsu, they weren't considered full members of the Hell Pirates, merely Enel's personal subordinates.
But that was a minor detail.
"You two, follow me."
After issuing his instructions, Oboro called to Dom and Yurivich before flying off in another direction.
Observing this, Enel followed closely behind.
He had already guessed where Oboro intended to go...