"Yahahaha!"
Looking down at the detestable figure falling from mid-air, Enel threw his head back and let out a piercing, shrill laugh. Although his grudge had been avenged, the "God of Thunder"—whose lifelong dream had been ruined by these interlopers—would never be satisfied with just this.
"Alright, next is this Upper Yard, and then Angel Island. I'll destroy them all—"
"Gum-Gum... Rifle!"
BOOM!!! A vicious straight punch slammed hard into Enel's face. The staggering force sent his massive, lightning-clad body crashing from the sky back into the ground. He smashed into the ruins, creating a massive crater as debris flew and dust billowed.
(Just now... was I hit?)
Feeling the searing pain on his cheek, Enel was completely stunned. He scrambled out of the rubble in a pathetic state, waves of shock crashing through his mind.
(What is wrong with these Blue Sea dwellers? Not only can they reflect and absorb lightning, but now they can actually strike it?!)
Whoosh—Snap! Retracting his fist, the dense captain landed gracefully from mid-air. He looked back at the Sorcerer, who was surrounded by Chopper and Robin, and then glared at the distant Enel, who was currently questioning his very existence. Beneath the shadow of his straw hat, Luffy's face was terrifyingly grim.
"You... what the hell did you do to Sherlock!"
Luffy let out a roar and charged toward Enel, his arms stretching back to an exaggerated length.
"His arms stretched? Hmph, another Paramecia?"
Having calmed down slightly, Enel took a ragged breath. Still in his high-discharge "Amari" form, he waved a hand forward. A massive bolt of lightning, over ten times larger than a standard strike, tore through the air toward the Straw Hat captain!
"Die, you Blue Sea monkey!"
Crackle! The terrifying thunder-light swallowed Luffy instantly. But then, right before the God's horrified eyes, the boy in the straw hat charged through the lightning as if nothing had happened!
"How is this possible?! That was my strongest 200 Million Volt discharge!"
At this sight, Enel's heart nearly stopped. The successive shocks were too much for the thunder god's fragile mental state; he completely broke down. His Mantra turned into a chaotic mess, and he stood frozen to the spot like a stationary target.
"Gum-Gum..." Luffy stared fixedly at the massive lightning giant before him. His exaggeratedly long arms snapped back, the resulting wind whistling through the air with an ear-piercing screech—a testament to the sheer power behind the move.
"Bazooka!!!!" Luffy's palms slammed like cannonballs into the miserable thunder god's stomach.
"That guy in the straw hat is actually that strong..."
Wiper watched from a distance as Enel was beaten like a dog. The strongest warrior of the Shandia was also beginning to question his reality.
"Are all these Blue Sea people this powerful? And how is that straw-hat kid able to hit lightning?"
"I don't know either." Standing beside him, Laki shook her head, her face drenched in sweat. The tall female warrior then noticed Robin's group nearby. When her gaze fell upon the figure lying on the ground, she froze.
(That man with the glasses... he should have been struck directly by Enel's lightning just now.)
Looking at the Sorcerer, who appeared completely unharmed yet remained unconscious, a look of suspicion crossed Laki's face.
(How does it look like nothing happened to him at all?)
"Waaaaah! Robin!" The blue-nosed little reindeer knelt by Sherlock's side, weeping loudly.
"Is Sherlock... is he dead?"
"You're a doctor, Chopper," Robin muttered, her elegant brows furrowing slightly. "How can you make such a reckless judgment?"
"But... but Sherlock..."
Chopper sniffled and reached out a small hoof, gently touching the cheek of the man who looked as though he were merely in a deep sleep.
Shua— A miraculous scene occurred!
Chopper's hoof passed directly through Sherlock's cheek, creating a series of ripples. Once the little reindeer withdrew his hand, Sherlock's shimmering face slowly returned to a state of calm. It felt like reaching out to touch the reflection of the moon in the water at night.
"See?! He's turned into a ghost! Doesn't that mean he's dead?!" After saying this, Chopper's round eyes filled with tears once again.
Although the reindeer's medical skills were superb, he was still as innocent as a child. Faced with the Sorcerer's bizarre condition, Chopper naturally had no idea what to do.
"..." Robin remained silent. She sighed and offered a word of comfort. "Don't cry, Chopper. If Sherlock really died and became a ghost, you shouldn't be able to see him at all."
"Besides, the body of someone struck dead by lightning couldn't possibly remain this intact and clean," the dark-humored woman added nonchalantly.
"Eek! You're saying those scary things again, Robin!"
Nico Robin gave a faint smile. She looked down at the Sorcerer's peaceful "sleeping" face, lost in thought.
(I really didn't expect to be saved by you. That doesn't seem like your usual style, Sherlock.)
(As expected, I am still me—the 'Devil Child' who only brings misfortune to others.)
At that thought, Robin couldn't help but shake her head with a bitter smile, a trace of nearly imperceptible sorrow flashing across her refined face.
(Am I... am I dead?)
In a daze, Sherlock's consciousness finally returned. He felt the world spinning, his brain a chaotic mess, as if he had just been struck by lightning.
(Wait, I think I was struck by lightning!)
Recalling that world-ending, terrifying bolt of thunder, the Sorcerer felt a jolt of alarm. Ignoring the strange dizziness, he reflexively opened his eyes.
The world before him instantly brightened.
Then... Sherlock froze.
"Robin? Chopper? Is that... is that me?"
Looking at the three familiar figures before him—especially the man with glasses lying peacefully on the ground—Sherlock was shocked beyond words.
(Could I really be dead? Am I in a ghost state right now?)
At this realization, the expression on the Sorcerer's face became incredibly vivid. After all, no matter how calm a person might be, it's hard to remain composed after receiving such "explosive" news.
(No, something's wrong. If I were killed by that lightning strike just now, the 'me' lying on the ground wouldn't be so clean and tidy.)
(Moreover, I can still feel the power of the Mirror-Mirror Fruit...)
Mirror Projection! With a thought, this powerful skill—a combination of his fruit and Observation Haki—instantly transmitted the distant scenes into his mind.
In the lower ruins, the enraged, dense captain was brutally one-sidedly beating Enel. Perhaps the thunder god had suffered too many shocks lately, but his Mantra was in total disarray. Without the ability to predict his opponent's moves, and with his lightning ineffective against rubber, Enel was being utterly dominated by Luffy through pure physical combat. His defeat was only a matter of time.
In the upper ruins, the three-sword style swordsman was locked in a fierce battle with a priest wearing sunglasses.
On the distant coast, aboard the Merry, Nami and Usopp were still unconscious, covered in bandages. However, Sanji and the former God, Gan Fall, had woken up and were insisting on heading to Upper Yard despite the protests of a blonde angel girl.
On an island cloud high in the sky, a massive golden bell tower was covered in green vines. The sense of ancient history emanating from it was stirring; it felt as if one could reconstruct the former glory of the Golden City, Shandora, from its presence alone.
(I can cover the entire island?! Why is the range of Mirror Projection so large this time? I didn't even take any Insomna.)
Sherlock was filled with doubt, but what confused him even more was that the overall terrain of the island he perceived was the exact opposite of the map Nami had shown him! It was as if...
It was as if it were in a mirror!
(Could it be...) Sherlock's eyes narrowed slightly as a preposterous yet strangely logical thought occurred to him. He was about to use Mirror Projection again to confirm his theory, but then...
"No need to strain yourself. Your hypothesis is correct." A magnetic, clear male voice suddenly rang out from behind Sherlock.
(That voice...) Hearing the slightly unfamiliar voice, the Sorcerer's heart began to thud violently. He steadied himself and turned around.
Black hair, black eyes, silver-rimmed glasses, handsome features, and a refined, scholarly aura. He had a tall build and wore a black robe that was extremely luxurious in an understated way... Everything about him, save for a slight discrepancy in hair color, was exactly the same as what Sherlock saw every morning when he looked in the mirror.
"Welcome to the world inside the mirror."
The other "Sherlock" looked at the stunned Sherlock, then used his opposite left hand to gently push up his glasses. The corners of his mouth curled into an elegant, half-smiling arc—a look that was mysterious and thought-provoking.
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