"Do I have business with you? Ah, naturally, I have something I need from you."
As Sherlock gazed calmly at Enel, the Thunder God of Skypiea was likewise sizing up the Sorcerer.
Sherlock wore a black robe that was both understated and extremely elegant, perfectly accentuating his tall, slender, and upright figure. His black-and-white hair carried no hint of premature aging or decadence; instead, it felt incredibly stylish.
His features were refined, and the expression on his fair, almost feminine face was eternally calm and composed. The silver-rimmed glasses perched on his high bridge seemed a stroke of genius, elevating his refined, scholarly aura to a new level. He was, quite simply, devastatingly handsome.
This was a world that judged by appearances, and a Sorcerer with such an "irritatingly pretty face" would undoubtedly leave a stellar first impression on most. Enel, however, did not share that sentiment.
This was because of Sherlock's eyes.
Behind those lenses, the pitch-black eyes showed not a flicker of the terror or panic so familiar to the Thunder God. That calm, collected gaze was like the Sea of Clouds surrounding Skypiea—forever serene. This deeply displeased the Thunder God, who styled himself as the incarnation of fear.
"I'm here to congratulate you, you people favored by God. Congratulations on discovering the hidden reward of this survival game before time ran out."
"A hidden reward?" Sherlock narrowed his eyes slightly and turned his head toward the massive golden ark beside them. "Does it have something to do with this great ship?"
"Exactly! Don't you find it peerless? You should know, this is a vessel worthy only of a God!"
Enel looked at the Ark Maxim, which had taken six years to complete. Spreading his arms, he spoke with fanaticism: "When the time comes, I shall board this golden ark and reach the place where a God belongs!"
"And the hidden reward for the two of you is the qualification to explore that [Fairy Vearth] with me!"
The survival game was a death match that wasn't fun in the slightest, but even so, the organizer had seen fit to add some hidden elements to increase the "interest" of the game. It was just that Enel hadn't told anyone about this until now.
This could be considered one of his petty whims as a God.
"Fairy Vearth?"
Aisa, shrinking behind the Sorcerer's back, poked her small head out again. "Who would want to go to a place like that with a guy like you! I—! Mmph—!"
"Be quiet for a moment..."
Sherlock reached back and pressed the red-haired girl back behind him before she could continue shouting. He then asked Enel with a calm expression:
"Tell me, where did you obtain the original design blueprints for this golden ark?"
Compared to that "Fairy Vearth" he had no intention of visiting, the Sorcerer was far more interested in the origin of the [Ark Project] blueprints.
"Hah? Why are you still concerned about such a thing at a time like this?"
Sitting cross-legged on a sphere of clouds, Enel lazily picked his ear with his pinky finger. However, perhaps because he was on the verge of realizing his grand ambition, the fickle Thunder God was uncharacteristically cooperative. After a brief moment of recollection, he answered:
"I discovered those blueprints years ago on a sky island. That island was just like Upper Yard—a massive piece of 'Vearth.' Unfortunately, it didn't have all this glittering gold."
(Just like Upper Yard? Which means that island should have originally been in the Blue Sea, right?)
Combining this with the intelligence he possessed regarding Golden Lion Shiki's Devil Fruit ability, a look of realization dawned on Sherlock's face. If he wasn't mistaken, the island Enel spoke of was the place where the Great Pirate Shiki and his own grandfather, Fresnel, had once stayed.
(What a coincidence. After the previous ability user fell, the next user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit actually found the legacy left by the older generation. Is this what they call destiny?)
Sherlock made a few snide remarks in his head before continuing, "In that case, where is that island now?"
"I sent it to where it belongs, just like my homeland, Birka."
Phew—
The long-lobed Thunder God casually blew the earwax off his pinky. His nonchalant tone made it sound as if he were discussing a trivial matter.
"Where it belongs? You mean..." Sherlock narrowed his eyes, a bad premonition rising in his heart.
"That's right, I blasted that island down!"
Enel suddenly threw his arms wide, and a layer of madness masked his originally indifferent eyes:
"Humans have a place they belong, dirt has a place it belongs, and a God has a place he belongs. Those are the [Rules of the Game] in this world!"
"Therefore, this country rooted in the sky is fundamentally a mistake. This earth, these angels, these plants—none of them should exist in the sky."
At this point, Enel looked at his golden vessel again, his lips curling into a gruesome arc:
"Once the other five survivors of the game are chosen, I will use the power of the Maxim to cast down everything that shouldn't exist in the sky!"
"This is also my 'duty' as a [God] before heading to Fairy Vearth! Yahahahaha...!"
"You... you're a lunatic!!"
After hearing Enel's mad plan, Aisa's face went pale with shock. She stared blankly at the Thunder God, who was laughing wildly atop his cloud.
(A God's duty? The rules of the world's game? It feels like this guy is playing a role-playing game called 'God,' and he's played it so long he's lost himself in it!)
The Sorcerer sighed lightly. Compared to that somewhat mentally unstable Heavenly Yaksha, this long-lobed man who had completely immersed himself in the fictional role of "God" was even more exasperating. Dealing with an enemy with whom normal communication was impossible left almost no room for maneuver!
"So, those red apples that can cure headaches were also discovered by you on that island?"
Sherlock began to look for topics to stall for time while rapidly thinking of a countermeasure. After all, Logia-types were still an "unsolvable" problem for the current Sorcerer.
"Red apples that cure headaches?"
Hearing this sudden leap in topics, Enel was momentarily stunned, but he quickly snapped back:
"That's right, they were on that island. Ah la la, you reminded me—I'll have to take those apple trees with me before I destroy this country. After all, I doubt there will be apples that delicious over there... wait, hold on!"
As if suddenly remembering something, the shirtless, long-lobed Thunder God's face darkened instantly. The gaze he directed at Sherlock and Aisa became sharp.
"Judging by your tone... you two didn't happen to steal and eat the offerings meant for God, did you?"
Though phrased as a question, Enel's tone was absolute. He raised his golden staff high with one hand, making it spin rapidly.
"Eh... that... well..." Seeing that their theft had been exposed, Aisa's fair cheeks turned slightly red.
Even though the man was her enemy, this simple-minded little girl still felt a bit embarrassed.
(What are you feeling guilty for...) Sherlock was almost amused by Aisa's cute reaction.
"What a pity. To think you were favored by God, yet you chose to provoke God's majesty..."
Snap— The golden staff stopped spinning. Enel looked down at the two from his height, his cold eyes devoid of any normal human emotion.
"...A real pity."
Don! A dull thrum of a drum echoed as Enel lightly tapped the taiko drum on his right shoulder with the golden staff.
Crackle!!! Azure lightning flared from the struck drum, coalescing in mid-air into a massive bird with spreading wings.
This giant thunderbird, composed entirely of terrifying lightning, let out a high-pitched cry. With a flap of its wings, it charged toward the motionless Sorcerer with the speed of a thunderbolt!
"30 Million Volt... Hino!"
This fickle Thunder God truly changed his face faster than one could flip a page! One second they were chatting peacefully, and the next, he was dealing a lethal blow!
Only, Enel didn't know at the time that this target was very different from the ones he had faced before.
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