"Sanji! Don't push yourself!"
Usopp's panicked voice cracked as he tried to stop the cook, already guessing his reckless intent.
"Damn it…"
Sanji gritted his teeth, his body trembling from the earlier shock, but his spirit unbroken. In the next instant, he vanished, launching forward with speed born of desperation.
"Frying Pan Kick!"
His leg blazed upward, smashing into Enel's neck with the force of conviction.
"Hmph," Enel's eyes widened slightly at the strike, then narrowed with disdain. "Still conscious? But no matter, you cannot touch God."
Sanji's kick passed clean through him, striking nothing but empty air. Lightning crackled where Enel's body had been.
The God smirked down as Sanji collapsed to the deck, unwilling but drained. "As punishment, try a taste of one hundred million volts."
"One Hundred Million Volt, Discharge!"
Zzzzt!
Blinding electricity cascaded from Enel's staff, pouring into Sanji. His body convulsed violently, his eyes rolling back before he finally went still.
"The third one falls," Enel said, his grin stretching cruelly.
Usopp's heart raced as he heard those words. He fumbled with his slingshot, aiming it shakily at the lightning God. "The third? Who—who have you fought? What did you do to them?!"
Enel only frowned, his expression unimpressed. He lifted a single finger toward Usopp.
"Ten Million Volt, Discharge."
Flash!
Lightning struck.
"Ahhh!"
Usopp screamed as the current blasted through him. He collapsed instantly, his body charred, smoke curling from his lips as he exhaled a puff of black smoke.
"Foolish."
Enel withdrew his hand, shaking his head in irritation. "Blue Sea insects, you never learn respect. The fourth one."
His eyes narrowed, voice dripping with irritation.
If it had been that monster, Enel could have tolerated the insult. After all, he admitted he couldn't beat Shirogai.
But these weaklings? They dared defy him too. They dared treat him with the same arrogance.
"As expected of his companions," Enel muttered bitterly. "All arrogance, no fear of God."
"Usopp!"
Nami rushed to Usopp's side, dropping to her knees, relief flooding her face when she pressed her ear against his chest and heard the rapid thrum of his heartbeat.
"And you."
Enel's gaze fell upon her, his smile curving slowly.
A beautiful woman from the Blue Sea, sharp enough to survive but not too cunning. He almost liked her.
Almost.
"What a pity. Because of that monster, you'll never share God's Kingdom."
His golden staff gleamed, lightning condensing at his fingertip.
"No…" Nami gasped, terror clawing at her chest. She screamed before the bolt was unleashed. "Wait! I'll join your Kingdom!"
The words tumbled out in desperation. She wasn't sure if he would believe her, but she had no choice. She knew she wasn't like Zoro or Sanji, monsters with superhuman endurance. If she fell, no one would protect them.
Enel paused, considering, and the lightning at his fingertip faded.
Nami exhaled shakily, relief rushing in. "Phew…"
But the reprieve was cruelly short-lived.
Zzzzt!
Lightning sparked again at his finger. Enel's voice was calm, tinged with regret. "Unfortunately, I already promised that monster. You are the fifth."
Crack!
Her body stiffened as the electricity surged through her. She fell onto the deck, convulsing before going still, unconscious.
"Five dealt with. Two remain."
Enel's gaze turned to the horizon. He frowned suddenly, confusion flickering in his sharp eyes. "Strange… why can I only hear the heartbeat of a little civet cat? Where's the other heartbeat?"
"Enel."
Gan Fall's voice broke the silence, his tone heavy with anger. "Why attack the companions of that man? Aren't you afraid he'll retaliate?"
"The strong one?" Enel smirked, curiosity in his eyes as he looked at the old knight. "Heh… it seems that monster scarred even you, old God."
"Of course."
Gan Fall's beard trembled as he tightened his grip on his spear. His eyes burned as he faced the man who stole his title. "He is the second person who ever made me despair… knowing I could never catch up."
"The second?" Enel scoffed. "Then you claim this God was the first to make you despair?"
Gan Fall's jaw clenched. "As much as I hate to admit it… yes. Your power once made me despair."
Enel fell silent. For a long moment, his face was unreadable.
Finally, he laughed softly. "Despair, is it? How disgusting."
Once, he had never understood the word. Not until the Going Merry was carried into Sky Island on the Knock-Up Stream. Not until Shirogai Yamikuro appeared.
Against Shirogai's terrifying, impossible strength, Enel had tasted despair for the first time.
"It should have been me," Enel whispered, his voice trembling with fury. "I am the one meant to bring despair, not suffer it. The world is broken."
For a fleeting second, Gan Fall sensed a strange connection, a twisted resonance between them.
"Since you once despaired before me, I'll let you live."
Gan Fall's spear tightened in his grip, his eyes locked on Enel. "Do you truly intend to destroy all of Sky Island?"
For pirates he had only just met, he might not have fought despite his failing health. But for his people, Gan Fall was ready to die.
"Heh. It isn't God who seeks Sky Island's destruction now."
Enel rose into the air, lightning crackling across his body. His gaze bore down on Gan Fall with a sneer. "Events are already moving far beyond what a mortal like you can imagine. Even I barely understand it."
Gan Fall's eyes widened. "Wait! If you harm his companions, he'll retaliate! Stop this madness, Enel!"
"You wouldn't believe it."
Enel's lips twisted into a cold grin. His body blurred into lightning as his voice echoed behind.
"The one who forced me to strike his companions… was none other than that monster you all trust."
"What…?"
Gan Fall froze. His eyes dropped to the unconscious Sanji, Usopp, and Nami on the deck.
"How is that possible? Shirogai ordered Enel to attack his own crew? That must be a lie… it must be!"
His worldview trembled, cracking apart. Shirogai was the first to raise the banner of defiance against God, uniting Sky Island and the Shandians to fight tyranny. How could he now command Enel to harm his nakama?
"Confused?"
The familiar, calm voice rolled across the deck.
Gan Fall spun.
There he was.
Shirogai Yamikuro, standing over the fallen crew, calmly feeding them [Healing Mushrooms].
Already, the necrotic, lightning-burned flesh was regenerating, replaced by fresh, living cells. Their breathing steadied.
"This is true," Shirogai said with a faint smile. "It was I who asked Enel to defeat them. On this matter, he did not lie."
"But why…?" Gan Fall's eyes burned with confusion. "What meaning lies in such cruelty?"
"It's simple."
Shirogai's gaze softened as he looked down at his crew, their chests rising steadily. "This world is twisted and cowardly. It whispers of saviors who will save it. My companions… seem fated to become those unlucky saviors."
Gan Fall blinked, nodding slowly, half-understanding. "So you're training them… making them into saviors?"
"Training, yes," Shirogai admitted casually. He tossed a [Healing Mushroom] to Gan Fall. "But not for that purpose."
He straightened, his tone cool and sharp. "I don't want them to accept some fatalistic prophecy. I want them to have the strength to reject it. To carve their own path, to choose their own answers."
Gan Fall's face paled. He stared at Shirogai, who looked young but bore the presence of something inhuman, something divine.
"I… don't understand."
Shirogai's smile faded, his voice calm.
"To put it simply—saving the world is a noble deed. But what does it matter to them? They never wanted to be saviors, we're adventures."
---
Thanks for the Power stones.