Chapter 66: I am God!
[Hidden Cloud Village - Shandia Settlement]
The atmosphere in the hidden village was thick enough to cut with a knife. The usual sounds of the forest—the call of sky birds, the rustle of the cloud leaves—seemed to have fallen silent, holding their breath in anticipation of the outcome that would decide the fate of the sky.
Aisa stood at the village entrance, her small hands gripping the fabric of her dress so tightly her knuckles turned white. For the hundred-and-first time, she stood on her tiptoes, craning her neck to look toward the dense, forbidden forest of the Upper Yard.
Her bright, sparkling eyes, usually full of childish energy, were now clouded with a deep, gnawing worry.
"You don't need to be so nervous, Aisa."
A calm, cool voice drifted from behind her, carrying a steady rhythm that contrasted with the girl's frantic heartbeat.
Ram, the pink-haired maid, stood leaning against a wooden post. Her posture was relaxed, her expression serene, as if she were simply waiting for water to boil rather than waiting for her master to confront a living deity.
Aisa turned around, her lower lip trembling. "Big Sister Ram... will they really be okay? You don't understand... the Priests are monsters! And there is Him... God Enel. His Mantra covers the whole island! He strikes people down with lightning from miles away!"
Ram simply adjusted her maid headdress, her red eyes showing a hint of amusement.
"No problem," she interrupted, her tone absolute. "Suzaku-sama is strong. Stronger than any 'God' you can imagine. And with Rem and Albedo by his side... honestly, I am more worried about the structural integrity of your island than their safety."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a strange, magnetic confidence. It was the confidence of someone who had witnessed miracles daily.
"That's right, Little Aisa!"
Nami walked over, leading Kiyo and the other rescued women. The orange-haired navigator saw through the little girl's anxiety immediately. She giggled, reaching out to ruffle Aisa's wild, cloud-fluffed hair.
"Are you worried about your scary leader, Wyper? Or are you worried about my idiot Captain?"
"Both... I'm worried about both..." Aisa mumbled, scuffing her shoe against the cloud floor.
"Don't worry one bit!" Nami patted her chest confidently, the gesture nearly knocking Kiyo off balance. "You didn't see it, but back in the Sabaody Archipelago, we were surrounded by two Marine Admirals! Those guys are way scarier than some lightning man in pajamas. And Suzaku led us away unscathed!"
"That is correct," Kiyo added gently, her voice soft and melodious. She crouched down to be at eye level with Aisa. "Lord Suzaku, Lord Albedo, and Lord Rem... they are not ordinary humans. They are strong, kind, and invincible. With them there, everything will surely be fine."
"Exactly, exactly!" The other young women chimed in, their faces flushed with admiration. "Lord Suzaku is someone who even dares to beat up the World Nobles! A sky god is nothing!"
Surrounded by so many comforting voices, the knot in Aisa's stomach finally began to loosen. She took a deep breath, nodding vigorously. A small, hopeful smile reappeared on her face.
Seeing the mood lighten, Nami's eyes suddenly lit up with a familiar, predatory gleam. She leaned closer to Aisa, plastering an overly bright, "business-friendly" smile on her face.
"Um... by the way, Little Aisa," Nami rubbed her hands together, the friction practically creating sparks. "Didn't you say before that you knew where Shandora's treasure was?"
She looked around conspiratorially.
"While we have time waiting for them to beat up Enel, why don't you give Big Sister a hint? Where is the gold? Once Suzaku returns, we can go straight to digging! Efficiency is key for pirates, you know!"
Nami's eyes sparkled. In her mind, she could already see mountains of glittering gold coins, golden statues, and golden jewelry waving at her.
Unexpectedly, Aisa blinked, looking confused. She tilted her head.
"Big Sister Nami... Gold? What is that?"
"..."
The smile on Nami's face froze instantly. A crack appeared in her mental image of wealth. She looked as if she had been turned to stone by a Gorgon.
"Wh-what?" Nami stammered.
"I'm sorry..." Aisa lowered her head, looking embarrassed. "I lied to you when you asked me before because I wanted you to help us. But... I actually don't know what 'gold' is. Is it a type of cloud? Or a shell?"
Silence descended on the group. A tumbleweed made of cloud rolled past Nami's frozen figure.
In the Sky Islands, the most precious resource was Vearth (soil). Gold, which had no utility for growing crops or building on clouds, was considered just a heavy, useless metal. The cultural gap between the Blue Sea and the White Sea was massive.
After several seconds, Nami slumped, drained of all energy. She waved her hands weakly, trying to explain the concept of currency to a primitive sky dweller.
"It's... it's yellow... and shiny... and heavy! It sparkles in the sun! You can trade it for lots and lots of Berries! You can buy food, clothes, ships... anything!"
Aisa nodded slowly, half-understanding. "Oh. Yellow stone."
She clenched her small fist firmly. "Although I don't know what this yellow stone is, I will definitely keep the promise I made to Big Sister Nami! I know where the ancient city ruins are! When Wyper and the others return, I will take you there to find your yellow stones!"
Seeing the little girl's serious, earnest expression, Nami's disappointment vanished instantly. Her heart melted a little.
"Alright, it's a deal." Nami smiled, ruffling Aisa's hair again.
She stood up, her gaze drifting toward the towering beanstalk in the distance, where dark clouds were beginning to swirl. Her voice dropped to a whisper, carrying a hint of imperceptible worry.
"I wonder if those guys... have found him yet."
[God's Island - Upper Yard - Entrance to the Divine Shrine]
Wyper felt dazed.
His boots crunched on the solid stone steps leading up to the massive structure. The wind whipped at his mohawk, but he barely felt it. He was stuck in a state of cognitive dissonance, unsure if what was happening before his eyes was reality or a fever dream induced by oxygen deprivation.
It was too smooth.
It was so smooth it was terrifying.
Usually, for the Shandia warriors to even reach this point—the doorstep of God's Shrine—it would take months of planning, hundreds of warriors, and a sacrifice of dozens of lives to bypass the Four Priests.
But today?
They had just... walked here.
Wyper looked back down the path. Somewhere in the forest below lay the broken bodies of Shura, Ohm, Satori, and Gedatsu. The Four Priests, the nightmares of his people, defeated in seconds by the black-winged woman, Albedo.
Is this the power of the Blue Sea? Wyper thought, looking at Suzaku's back. No... this is the power of monsters.
He pinched his thigh hard.
Hiss.
Pain. Real pain. It wasn't a dream.
They stood before the massive double doors of the Divine Shrine. The doors were crafted from the hardest Island Wood, reinforced with dials, and covered in intricate divine markings warning intruders of death.
"Well," Suzaku said, standing before the gate. He didn't check for traps. He didn't knock. "This looks heavy."
BANG!
Suzaku raised his leg and delivered a casual front kick.
The divine doors, which had stood for years as a symbol of Enel's absolute authority, didn't just open. They exploded.
Splinters of wood and twisted metal flew inward like shrapnel. The booming sound echoed through the hollow halls like a thunderclap, announcing their arrival with zero subtlety.
Wyper flinched, his hand instinctively going to his Burn Bazooka. "You...!"
"We're here," Suzaku said cheerfully, stepping over the debris. "No need to be polite with a home invader, right Wyper?"
Wyper opened his mouth, but no words came out. He swallowed his shock and hurried to catch up, his face flushing with a mix of adrenaline and shame. He took a deep breath, forcing his warrior spirit to surface.
Focus, Wyper. No matter how strong they are, the real enemy is ahead.
Enel. The monster who destroyed his homeland. The man who could hear everything. The living lightning.
With resolute eyes, gripping his weapon until his knuckles cracked, Wyper followed Suzaku into the lion's den.
[Inside the Divine Shrine]
The group stepped into the sanctuary that the Sky Island people regarded as an absolute forbidden area.
Unlike the gilded, treasure-filled halls of Blue Sea kings, this place was stark, cold, and vast. The architecture was open-air, with huge, pillar-less windows that allowed the bright, unfiltered sunlight of the White Sea to flood the interior. Clouds drifted lazily across the floor like dry ice.
It was silent. A silence that felt heavy, charged with static.
And in the deepest part of the great hall, atop an extravagantly shaped throne crafted from pure white clouds and gold, a figure was lounging.
He didn't look like a warrior preparing for battle. He looked like a bored cat playing with a mouse.
It was a tall man with long earlobes that stretched down to his chest, weighted by heavy gold ornaments. He wore baggy pants with a concentric circle pattern, gold anklets, and a white headscarf. His upper body was bare, displaying lean, wiry muscle.
Most striking were the four tomoe drums attached to a large metal ring embedded in his back.
He was sprawled on the throne in an extremely lazy posture, one leg draped over the armrest, his cheek resting on his knuckles. In his other hand, he held a bitten apple.
He was half-closing his sleepy eyes, surveying the uninvited guests—Suzaku, Albedo, Rem, and Wyper—with a look of supreme, condescending indifference.
There was no anger. No vigilance. Only the look a human gives to an ant that has wandered onto their shoe.
Bzzzt...
A spark of blue electricity danced between his fingers.
When he saw that Suzaku and his group not only showed no trace of reverence but were also staring back at him with curiosity, Enel's arrogant smile widened slightly.
He didn't even change his posture. He took a slow, crunchy bite of his apple.
Crunch.
The sound echoed loudly in the silent hall.
"Humans," Enel spoke. His voice was calm, resonant, and carried a strange, metallic echo. "Are always accustomed to attributing the great natural forces they cannot understand... to the will of God."
He tossed the apple core aside. It vanished in a flash of lightning before hitting the ground.
"Thunder. Storms. Disasters. You fear them. You worship them."
He paused slightly, his half-closed eyes slowly opening fully. His pupils were cold, gray, and heartless.
HUMMMMMM.
An invisible pressure slammed into the room. It was his massive Mantra (Observation Haki) combined with the electromagnetic field of his body. The air grew heavy. The smell of ozone became suffocating. The hair on Wyper's arms stood straight up, and his skin prickled as if thousands of needles were touching him.
"And I," Enel said, pointing a thumb at his own chest, "am that natural force. I am the definition of the word 'God'."
He sat up slowly, the gold drums on his back rattling softly.
"You defeated my Priests? Commendable. For mortals."
He finally moved his hand, extending a palm toward them in a gesture of benevolent granting.
"So, lost lambs from the Blue Sea... and the remnant of Shandia..."
Small arcs of lightning began to jump around his shoulders, illuminating his face with a terrifying blue glow.
"Since you have been lucky enough to step into the domain of the Divine alive, I will grant you a mercy. Why do you not yet kneel?"
His voice dropped an octave, reverberating through their bones.
"Kneel... and offer reverence to your God."
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