Ark Maxim floated in the sky as thick black thunderclouds gathered, buzzing with violent storm energy. The air itself seemed to tremble; every breath tasted of ozone and metal.
"Yahahahahaha…" Enel stood on the Ark, grinning maniacally as he looked down over the Sky Islanders and the Shandia below. His voice rolled like thunder across the open air.
"You lowly bugs! God is about to pass final judgment upon you. All you can do is kneel and beg for forgiveness."
Lightning leapt from Enel's body into the clouds, stirring electrons into a furious dance. The clouds brightened, as if a monstrous heart had begun to beat within the sky.
Crack!
Rumble!
Bolts slammed down, striking trees and tall buildings alike, scattering splinters and showering the ground with sparks.
…
"Damn it! Big Ears! If you've got the guts, come down here!"
Luffy stood below, sleeves rolled, glaring up at the Ark Maxim. If the airship had been lower, he would have swung onto it long ago; that stubborn grin never left his face.
"Cough cough…"
Wyper stood beside Luffy, charred and weakened, staring up with a reluctant expression. He had flown up with flame power just moments earlier, only to be blasted by Enel's mighty electricity and fall hard to the earth. His clothes smoked and his hair was singed, but his spirit remained unbroken.
"Captain, what do we do? The cannonballs can't reach Enel. That airship is too high."
The White Berets set down their cannon-like weapons and looked to their leader in dismay. Tension hung heavy on the island like the gathering storm.
"Don't give up yet, aim for him. Fire the moment he descends!" McKinley ordered, steady voice cutting through the panic.
McKinley, captain of the White Berets, ground his teeth and glanced at Gan Fall, who studied the storm with a measured gaze.
"God, what should we do?"
"Do not call me God, I am the Sky Knight," Gan Fall said. "Of course I will fly up and engage him. Pierre." His words were calm, but every movement showed the urgency beneath.
"Woof!"
Pierre understood and shifted into a pink-spotted Pegasus with a thunderous snort.
"Giddy up!"
Gan Fall leapt onto Pierre. "Luffy, want a ride?" he asked, ready to bring the fight into the clouds.
Luffy grinned and climbed onto Pierre's back. Zoro joined, grabbing Luffy's leg and shouting back with a thrill in his voice, "How could I miss slaying a god?"
Their energy was contagious; even amid the destruction, a thread of defiant courage pulled them upward.
"Hmph, still trying to disturb me."
Enel sensed them through Observation Haki and sneered. His contempt was like a cold wind.
"It's too late. The prelude to destruction begins."
Enel raised his hands. "Begin, El Thor!"
The clouds answered; thick bolts poured from the sky like rain, battering the forests and splitting trees with thunderous impacts. The island shook with every strike.
"Boom!"
One bolt shattered a massive tree and set it alight. Flames roared, followed by the acrid scent of burning wood and leaves. The fire raced, swallowing underbrush and spreading to distant treetops, painting the night with hungry orange tongues.
"Crack!"
In Angel Island, buildings were shattered and infrastructure devastated by the barrage. Dust and debris filled the air, and people sheltered behind crumbling walls, faces lit by sparks and lightning.
…
"Hold on!"
Gan Fall watched a bolt bearing down on them as Pierre, terrified of lightning, struggled to dodge.
"It's all right, I'll handle it!"
Luffy charged up, lunging at the lightning. "Gum-Gum Jet Pistol!"
His fist struck the bolt and shattered it, the electrical energy pouring into Luffy's body yet causing him no harm thanks to his unique constitution. A ripple of astonishment and relief ran through Gan Fall and the watching crowds.
"Well done, Luffy!" Gan Fall shouted, steering Pierre through remaining bolts toward the Ark Maxim with careful, practiced movements.
"Finally, we're up here!" Gan Fall grinned briefly, but their relief was short-lived. Enel emerged from beneath the Ark, half his form elementalized into lightning, hands drumming on his thunder drums.
"60 Million Volt Thor!"
Fizzle, fizzle, fizzle…
Lightning from the drums braided together into a colossal lightning dragon that lunged at Pierre with crackling jaws. The dragon's eyes glowed like twin stars as it tore through the air.
Neigh!
Pierre panicked and dodged, but the dragon's reach was vast. Gan Fall warned, "Be careful, that dragon's range is huge!"
Zoro squared his stance, muscles coiling like springs. "Don't be afraid, you two keep going!" he shouted to the others, then prepared his own strike, chanting a long, gruff invocation for his technique, "Three-Sword Style: One Hundred and Eight Calamity Phoenix!"
Blue slashes sliced from Zoro's three blades, forming a phoenix shape that collided with the lightning dragon. Their two signatures clashed in a brilliant display and then dissolved into mist, leaving the air charged and ringing.
"Damn it, I'm leaving him to you, Luffy!" Zoro said, voice edged with exertion.
Zoro hovered briefly, then fell hard toward the island below, the force throwing up a cloud of dust.
"Uncle! Save Zoro!" Luffy cried, panic spurring him into action.
Luffy kicked Pierre and leaped onto the Ark.
"I'll save your companion," Gan Fall cried as he tugged Pierre's reins and gave chase, wings beating hard against wind and electric spray.
"Big Ears!"
Luffy landed on the Ark with a roar, landing with the reckless grace of someone who never feared the fall. He locked eyes with Enel, who held a cold disdain for the intrusion.
"I'm going to defeat you!"
"Hmph. It's you again, the Rubber Man from the Blue Sea," Enel said with a thin smile, turning toward a carved golden statue on the Ark Maxim. He pointed with deliberate menace. "Raikin: Double Trident!"
Under Enel's lightning, the statue melted into two gleaming tridents that flew into his hands like summoned spears.
"But this time you won't be so lucky."
Enel raised the tridents, watching Luffy with lethal focus. "Die, Rubber Boy!"
…
"Phew…"
Shirogai rubbed his eyes and yawned, voice dry with impatience. He had watched from the cloudline, unseen, and his calm tone betrayed no rush. "Hurry up with the fight, I'm getting bored."
He transformed into a streak of lightning and vanished into the distance, slipping silently into the thunderclouds above. The storm swallowed him; only a faint crackle marked his passage.
"Enel, I'll take your El Thor."
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