While Sherlock was still reeling from the shock of that terrifying electrical discharge, a man with long earlobes and a headscarf, carrying a golden staff over his shoulder, was laughing uproariously not far from the Enchanter.
"Yahahaha! I forgot that the Cloud River conducts electricity. Twenty voices vanished in an instant. How dull. It seems I should try to hold back a bit for now."
The culprit behind this "leakage accident" picked at his ear with an air of complete indifference. He didn't even glance at the charred Shandia warrior lying beside him; his cold eyes held not a shred of emotion.
"Still, two people actually managed to dodge that discharge. It should be impossible for a human to exceed the speed of lightning... Did they predict it? Is it Mantra?"
Enel's eyes suddenly lit up. On a whim, the "God" of Skypiea decided he wanted to meet these two interesting participants in his survival game.
However, just as he was about to set off, his Mantra—amplified by the powers of the Goro Goro no Mi—sensed a "voice" rapidly approaching from the sky.
(This voice is a bit unfamiliar. Is it one of those Blue Sea people?) At the thought, Enel shaded his eyes with his hand and looked up curiously toward the source of the sound.
With a familiar yet bizarre cry, a massive Southbird flapped its wings as it soared through the air, heading toward the Giant Jack beanstalk at high speed.
With his incredible eyesight, Enel noticed a green-haired man dangling from the bird's talons.
"Oh? They actually tamed a Southbird to use as transportation? These Blue Sea people are quite capable." The imaginative "God" nodded to himself, his face filled with genuine admiration.
Ahem. One could only wonder what he would think if he knew that Zoro was only "flying" because a gluttonous, stupid bird had snatched him up over a lost bento box...
"It looks like both the Blue Sea people and those Shandians are aiming for the Giant Jack," Enel muttered to himself, stroking his chin. "In that case, I'll just head there and wait for them."
"I wonder who will be left at the end to accompany me to Fairy Vearth. I'm looking forward to the conclusion of this survival game more and more. Yahahaha!"
Crack-crackle!
Amidst his booming laughter, Enel's body abruptly transformed into a bolt of blue-white lightning, vanishing from the spot in the blink of an eye.
Elsewhere, Conis and her father happened upon the Going Merry, which was moored nearby. But when they boarded the ship and saw the scene on the deck, their overjoyed expressions instantly froze.
"What happened?! Nami, Usopp, Sanji... Gan Fall... what's happened to you all?!"
Looking at the charred figures collapsed on the deck, the beautiful angel covered her mouth in horror, tears welling in her eyes. After all, a large part of the reason the Straw Hat crew had come to this island was because of her.
"Don't panic, they've just fainted. They were struck by lightning."
Her father, Pagaya, who possessed a rather peculiar mustache, was much calmer. He pressed his hand against the curly-browed cook's wrist, feeling a weak but steady pulse, and let out a long sigh of relief. "Conis, help me move them into the cabin. Strange... where did the rest of them go?"
"Lightning?!"
Conis froze, the memory of what had happened on Angel Island flashing through her mind. As she recalled the terrifying pillar of thunder that had nearly struck her, the color drained from her face.
"Enel..." she whispered the dreaded name with a trembling voice. The blonde angel picked up Nami—who had also been blasted unconscious—and began to pray silently in her heart.
(Luffy, please... none of you can afford to get hurt.)
After walking through the lush primeval jungle for a while, Sherlock arrived at a remote orchard under Aisa's guidance.
"Ever since I was born, I've been able to hear people's 'voices,' even from very far away."
Aisa's face was still pale; it seemed the previous shock had affected her deeply. "Whenever a voice disappears, my mind takes a heavy hit, and my head starts to ache."
It made sense. Under the coverage of her Mantra, the disappearance of a voice was practically equivalent to someone being killed right in front of the little girl. How could an eight or nine-year-old child handle that kind of stimulation?
"Oh? So you're saying..."
Sherlock adjusted his glasses slightly and pointed at the fruit tree in front of him, which wasn't even as tall as he was. "You ate the fruit from this tree, and your headache vanished?"
"Yes, it's this amazing red fruit!"
Aisa nodded, stepped forward, and plucked two fruits. She tossed one to the man in glasses and started munching on the other herself. Seeing the little thing's look of pure bliss, the fruit clearly tasted excellent.
(An amazing red fruit? Isn't this just an apple? This is the first I've heard of an apple having such miraculous effects.)
Sherlock looked suspiciously at the fruit in his hand. Aside from being a particularly vibrant shade of red, it looked almost identical to a regular apple. He didn't rush to eat it; instead, he looked around at the orchard.
There were about twenty of these low-hanging trees. Although the number wasn't large, a faint fragrance lingered in the air. Judging by their neat arrangement, these trees had clearly been cultivated by hand.
"Who planted these trees?"
"I'm not sure. But I heard the village elders say that the records left by our ancestors don't mention this kind of headache-curing red fruit."
Tossing the core aside, Aisa gave a happy smile. "Maybe it's a new variety Enel brought from somewhere else. They say he's especially fond of this fruit. Come on, Sherlock, hurry up and try it! The effect is really obvious!"
Looking at the little girl's expectant face, Sherlock hesitated for a moment before taking a bite of the Strange Apple.
A crisp texture, a sweet and tart flavor—it was exactly like a normal apple. That was the Enchanter's immediate assessment.
However, as he continued to chew, Sherlock suddenly felt a cooling sensation in his head. That nagging headache was significantly relieved.
(This... what is this?)
A flash of surprise crossed Sherlock's eyes behind his lenses. He no longer hesitated and finished the fruit in a few large bites.
Boom—
It was like using a high-pressure water hose to clean a mud-caked window. The swelling pain in Sherlock's head miraculously vanished. His previously lethargic consciousness regained its vitality, and his entire aura became sharp and focused. Aisa stared at him blankly, thinking to herself: Wait, looking closely, this Blue Sea guy with glasses is actually kind of handsome...
With his mind clear and his mental state back at its peak, the Enchanter let out a long, refreshed breath.
(Many books have said this ocean is vast, filled with things beyond common understanding.) Sherlock pushed up his glasses, looking at the orchard thoughtfully.
(Perhaps these Strange Apples are some kind of rare medicinal ingredient. I should let Chopper have a look at them.)
"Well? Isn't this red fruit amazing?" Aisa grinned with the pride of a child sharing a treasure with a friend.
"This place is very secluded; I only found it by accident. Oh, right, hundreds of people have been gathered in that direction for a while now. I don't know what they do every day... Huh? That's weird. Why can't I hear their voices anymore?"
As she spoke, Aisa's expression froze. Large beads of sweat began to roll down her forehead.
There were only two possibilities for why their voices would go silent: either they had left, or they were dead. At this moment, Aisa felt the second possibility was much more likely.
"Mirror Fusion: Magic Carpet!"
As the Enchanter activated his fruit ability, a magnificent, glowing flying carpet materialized out of thin air beside them.
"Let's go. Point the way. We're going to the place where those voices disappeared!"
As he spoke, the Enchanter scooped up the little girl—who was gaping at his ability—and jumped onto the flying carpet. They sped off in the direction Aisa pointed, the gale-force wind from their speed nearly snapping the nearby branches.
"Waaaaah! It's so fast!!! Sherlock, is this your fruit power?" Initially terrified, Aisa was soon completely immersed in the thrill of the speed.
Sherlock, busy controlling the carpet, didn't reply. His face, usually calm regardless of the situation, was uncharacteristically solemn.
The Enchanter had an inexplicable feeling: in the place where those voices had suddenly vanished, there was something... very interesting.
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