After their meal, lightning continued to strike sporadically through the night. When it got late, Rosen took over watch duty. Enel still hadn't left—perhaps he was waiting for nightfall too.
Unfortunately for him, even though lightning flashed across the skies all night long, every bolt aimed at Rosen and his crew was blocked.
By morning, everyone was well rested and ready to set sail again. They had grown used to living with lightning overhead. The only inconvenience was that James, the pirate captain, was left behind. Injured and with no ill will, Rosen didn't mind him staying. It was just another way to frustrate Enel—he couldn't even manage to kill one person.
Watching the crew load supplies, Rosen stood at the bow and called out, "Oh mighty god, care to come down and join us for breakfast? Oh wait, you're a god—you probably don't get tired, right? Bet you could keep this up for another ten days or so. Keep the fireworks coming! Hahaha…"
They had spent the night on the ship, mainly to prevent Enel from destroying it.
"It's been a full day and night. That Skypiean really has endurance. Too bad he's not that bright. What a waste of effort—he's getting nowhere. We've got more people. He'll wear himself out," Hathaway said coolly.
High in the clouds, a visibly worn Enel grit his teeth in fury as he listened to their taunts. "Damn Blue Sea people! Damn them!!"
Ever since seizing control of Upper Yard and Angel Island to become the new god, everything had gone smoothly for him. Resistance was rare and easily crushed—he had never been humiliated like this before. His lungs were practically bursting with rage.
"Humph!" Enel kept listening to their mocking dialogue, feeling like a monkey being jeered at. Enraged, he disappeared in a flash of lightning.
He feared that if the provocation continued, he might lose control and engage them directly. But he wasn't confident he could beat either of them one-on-one. It was a frustrating situation.
He had to accelerate the construction of his Ark. Only then could he fully unleash his powers and show the Blue Sea people—and the world—what a true god looked like.
"No more lightning. Did he leave?" As the Dawn prepared to set sail, Rosen noticed the storm had stopped.
"Looks like it. The sense of being watched is gone," Hathaway nodded. Natalie agreed as well. Her range wasn't as wide as Enel's, but her intuition was sharp.
"All right, time for a bath," Robin said, waving and heading off.
"Me too, me too!" Natalie chimed in.
"Hey!" Rosen called out. "What are you doing? Get up to the lookout and keep watch." He sent the eager little Sea Dugong to the crow's nest—it had clearly gotten too used to following Robin around.
Of course, being watched meant people weren't completely at ease. The male crew didn't mind, but the women—including Rosen's two maids—were clearly uncomfortable with the idea of being overheard. The news that the lightning man had left came as a huge relief.
"What about you two?" Rosen asked James and Mofra.
"I'm reopening my tavern. Maybe we'll meet again. Safe travels. See you later, brat!" Mofra said as he jumped off the ship.
"Old geezer, see ya," Natalie replied without looking back.
"I'll wait here for my crew to return. Thank you again!" James stayed behind on the midway island. He had his own ship and crew, but couldn't keep up with Rosen's group, so he used a Den Den Mushi to call them back.
After a full day and night of lightning strikes, there were no more ships offering passage from the midway island. Most of the pirates who had taken shelter had already fled, terrified of the non-stop thunder.
"Fate willing, we'll meet again," Rosen said calmly. They were just acquaintances, after all—nothing special.
"Boss, I think James wants to join Captain Hathaway's team," Daz Bones observed. The way James had looked when he left was a far cry from the defeated man they first met—he was practically glowing with renewed purpose.
"She's got charm, doesn't she?" Rosen said, glancing at Hathaway with a faint smile.
"She's fine," Daz answered flatly. In his eyes, Rosen was still the most charismatic one.
"Everyone has their own ties and attachments. James doesn't seem like a vicious pirate. If he really wants to join, I'm sure we'll see him again. When that time comes, he'll make his choice."
"So what about the lightning guy? I doubt he'll give up that easily. But with so many routes out here, he probably won't be able to track us," Daz said. He wasn't afraid—but fighting a Rumble-Rumble user was no easy task.
If not for Hathaway, Rosen alone might've been worn down by the relentless precision attacks. Enel had the advantage of choosing when and where to strike.
Meanwhile, Rosen and his crew had to defend constantly. Enel's attacks were powerful and destructive—any lapse in defense could be fatal.
In a prolonged battle of attrition, it was extremely difficult to keep up solo. But with two people, the tide turned—and Enel was the one under pressure.
"Our next destination is his country. He'll know it soon enough. I imagine he'll be ready for us when we arrive, but that's fine. No need to sneak around," Rosen said confidently. He had a plan, and once they reached Skypiea, he was confident he could draw Enel out into battle.
Of course, sneaking into the Holy Land of Upper Yard—Enel's residence—would be ideal. But that wouldn't be easy. Enel's Mantra was too powerful.
Back in the God's Country, Enel had returned to the temple in a fury. His wrath brought ruin to several guards, and on Angel Island, he randomly judged and punished several minor offenders.
His high-ranking priests stood beside him, silent and afraid. When Enel lost control, he became indiscriminate. To him, their lives weren't particularly valuable—sometimes they could die without meaning.
Even during the trials, Enel had never cared about their survival. What he wanted was those strong enough to survive.
"Have the divine army keep an eye out for any Blue Sea people. If they show up in God's Country, I want to be informed immediately," Enel said after calming down slightly.
"Yes, sir!"
They still didn't know the Blue Sea people's exact destination, but the nearest islands were Angel Island and Upper Yard—the heart of God's Country. There was a good chance they'd head that way, and Enel couldn't afford to take that risk.
"What's wrong with our god?! My husband didn't break any laws—why was he punished?!" someone cried on Angel Island.
"Enel…" a grim old knight riding a spotted Pegasus muttered toward the temple. "Has he become even more brutal? The former Guardian Unit is still under his control. Who knows how they're doing now…"
The Dawn sailed toward its intended destination. Half a day later, the clouds parted to reveal what looked like a vast ocean—this was the White Sea, not just cloud streams anymore.
"Look up ahead—there's a massive gate! The Gate of Heaven! Have we arrived in Heaven?!"
At last, they had reached the legendary land of gold and Poneglyphs—Skypiea.
Unfortunately, it was also the domain of their enemy: God Enel.
(End of Chapter)
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