"Hoo… hoo… hoo…"
Although Enel had forced himself back to his feet, he was already at his limit. He could barely straighten his body, chest heaving violently as he gasped for air.
"Damn it…"
Staring at the man standing before him—who was calmly studying him as if assessing a specimen—a flicker of fear finally surfaced in Enel's eyes. Gritting his teeth, he growled unwillingly,
"Just who… what kind of person are you?!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a possibility seemed to occur to him. His pupils wavered.
"Could it be… you're… a God among the people of the Blue Sea below?"
In Enel's view, someone with such terrifying power could not possibly be an unknown nobody on the vast seas below.
More likely, this man was the strongest existence among the Blue Sea's people—just as Enel himself had been the "God" of Skypiea.
Only by thinking this way could he slightly ease the bitterness of his overwhelming defeat.
"God?"
Hearing that, Will raised an eyebrow in clear surprise. Then he smiled faintly.
"I'm no God. I'm just an adventurer who enjoys fighting."
"An adventurer…"
Enel fell silent, his expression unreadable.
Then he suddenly asked,
"Why didn't you just kill me?"
Will looked at him meaningfully.
"Actually, I already killed you once."
"It's just that you used your lightning to forcibly restart your heart."
Compared to the later, almost absurd feats associated with the Sun God Nika, reviving oneself by shocking the heart with lightning was, at least, far more reasonable.
Enel froze for a moment—then understanding dawned.
In an instant, he recalled the suffocating terror of that moment when Will's kick had nearly ended his life. His emotions became complicated.
At that moment, Enel abruptly turned his head toward Ark Maxim, which lay wrecked against a nearby hillside. His expression shifted again.
"Do you know… this ship took me several years to build. It's capable of traveling to the Endless Earth…"
As he spoke, he shook his head with a self-mocking smile.
"You Blue Sea people probably don't even know what the Endless Earth is."
After all, how could those living below possibly know of a legend passed down only in Skypiea?
"The Endless Earth?" Will replied calmly. "Of course I know. You mean the Moon, don't you?"
Enel was struck dumb.
"What did you say?" he demanded sharply. "The Moon?! What kind of place is that?"
Will had no intention of hiding anything. He raised a hand and pointed toward the sky.
"The Moon is another celestial body beyond the sky."
"Wasn't Ark Maxim built for the purpose of going there?"
"So it's called the Moon…"
Enel had long suspected as much and had already determined the location of the so-called Endless Earth in his heart.
He simply hadn't expected that this man would know it as well—much less know its name.
Seeing Enel's reaction, Will smoothly changed the subject.
"What, you haven't even gone down to the Blue Sea yet, and you're already dreaming about the Moon?"
"The Blue Sea?" Enel raised his eyebrows, disdain evident in his voice.
"What's so special about that place?"
"Those pirates who climbed up from the Blue Sea in search of treasure—all of them died on God's Island."
"They were all utterly boring."
"Oh?" Will didn't get angry. Instead, he chuckled.
"But I came from the Blue Sea too—and you still lost to me."
"…"
Enel was rendered speechless. His worldview cracked yet again.
Smiling, Will continued,
"Enel, have you ever seen the Red Line—ten thousand meters high, encircling the entire world?"
"Have you seen colossal elephants that roam freely through the sea, their backs towering over ten thousand meters above the surface?"
"Have you seen Fish-Man Island, hidden deep beneath the ocean, where countless Fish-Men and mermaids live?"
"Have you seen islands inhabited entirely by giants?"
"And the many powers that dominate the seas below."
"For example—the World Government, Marineford, the Four Emperors, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"And even a certain unknown 'God' who stands above the Gorosei themselves."
As he spoke, his voice took on a subtle, enticing edge.
"Enel, the 'scenery' of the great sea below is far more magnificent than you can imagine."
"Even the Endless Earth you long for can't compare to it."
"And beyond that, there are warriors so strong that even I feel excited just thinking about meeting them."
"For instance, within the Marines—the three Admirals, each of whom, like you, possesses a Logia Devil Fruit."
"And among the Four Emperors—Whitebeard, Kaido of the Beasts, Big Mom, and Red-Haired Shanks."
"Each of them is a monster beyond reason."
"You've been hiding in the clouds on this tiny Sky Island all this time—don't you want to descend to the Blue Sea and see it all for yourself?"
As he listened, Enel's expression shifted repeatedly. His thoughts churned.
He knew better than anyone that a man with this level of power had no need to lie.
The Red Line.
Colossal elephants.
Countless islands and factions.
Monstrous individuals.
And above all—that mysterious "God."
Enel felt a stir of curiosity he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Ever since realizing that no one on Skypiea could challenge him, boredom had consumed him.
That was precisely why, upon learning of the Endless Earth, he had decided to build Ark Maxim and leave.
Now, hearing about the Blue Sea below, his interest was unmistakably piqued.
With complicated eyes, he looked at Will again.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"It's simple." Will met his gaze steadily. "You already know that I can't just let you walk away."
Enel had expected that, so he wasn't surprised.
Seeing that Enel remained calm, Will's expression turned serious.
"Enel, your power is too dangerous."
"So there's no other choice. I can only 'seal' you at my side."
"Become my crewmate—and let's have a far more exciting adventure on the great sea below."
"—What?!"
Enel's composure shattered instantly.
Will ignored his shock and continued matter-of-factly,
"I don't like forcing people."
"So if you refuse to join my crew, I'll simply deal with you here."
"Think it over carefully."
"Damn it… this bastard…"
Enel's eye twitched as he cursed inwardly.
He knew this man would never let him go easily—but he hadn't expected him to be even more overbearing than himself.
Too strong, so he had to be sealed at his side?
Is that how Blue Sea pirates recruit their crewmates?!
And refusing meant death—yet he claimed he didn't like forcing others?
Was this man seriously telling him to choose how he wanted to die?
For the first time in a long while, Enel found himself in a genuine dilemma.
Seeing his hesitation, Will spoke again, almost casually,
"Oh, right—Enel."
"Aren't you curious about the abilities and techniques I used to defeat you?"
"If you join my crew, I'll explain everything."
"If you want to learn them, I'll even teach you."
"What did you say?!"
Enel's eyes widened in disbelief.
Techniques that could clearly elevate one's strength—and this man was willing to teach them so casually?
Even Enel himself had only passed down Mantra after long observation and careful selection.
Teaching such things to a former enemy was unthinkable.
Unable to help himself, he asked,
"Aren't you afraid that once I learn them, I'll turn around and defeat you?"
"What's there to be afraid of?" Will smiled, a faint but unmistakable arrogance flashing in his eyes.
"If you defeat me that way, it just means I was only worth that much."
"And I've never believed I'd lose."
"What I fear more is a world where no one can challenge me."
"So I genuinely hope you'll grow stronger—and fight me again."
"…Interesting."
Enel chuckled softly, surprise flickering in his eyes.
That kind of confidence—he knew he didn't possess it. And he could tell, through Mantra, that Will wasn't bluffing.
New islands.
Countless factions and powerhouses.
Unknown abilities and techniques.
And that mysterious "God."
After careful thought, Enel's gaze slowly hardened.
"Fine," he said solemnly. "I'll become your crewmate."
Then he added firmly,
"Don't misunderstand—I'm not agreeing because I fear death."
"I simply believe there's nothing wrong with the weak following the strong."
"And what you said about the Blue Sea… genuinely interests me."
"Especially that unknown 'God.'"
Will broke into a broad grin.
"Excellent. A wise man submits to circumstances."
"Enel, I'm very glad you made the right choice."
Ignoring Enel's added explanations, Will changed the subject outright.
"Don't worry. Once we return to the Blue Sea, I'll teach you everything that can increase your strength—no holding back."
"Whether you can learn it, or whether you want to, is your problem."
"Hmph." Enel snorted confidently.
"Who do you take me for? I am the—formerly—the 'God' of Skypiea. If I decide to learn, there's nothing I can't master."
"If that's the case, all the better." Will didn't argue—Enel's talent was indeed undeniable.
"Alright. Since you've decided to join, come back to Skypiea with me."
"Wait."
Enel suddenly interrupted. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and adjusted his fluffy hair.
Without further explanation, he transformed into lightning and vanished.
Will wasn't worried about him escaping. With those injuries, it would be impossible for Enel to flee beyond his perception.
He glanced toward Ark Maxim, curious about what Enel intended to do.
Moments later, Enel reappeared, holding a golden staff and once again wearing his white cap, completely covering his hair.
"Let's go."
Seeing how much Enel cared about his appearance, Will chuckled softly. Then he flashed away, heading straight toward Skypiea.
Enel narrowed his eyes, calmly transformed into lightning, and followed.
—
At the edge of Skypiea, on a beach connected to the Sea of Clouds, Nami, Issho, and the others stood together with the Skypieans led by Gan Fall and the Shandians led by the "War Demon" Wiper, engaged in conversation.
"So… the one who went to subjugate Enel was your captain?"
Wiper, resting a massive cannon on his shoulder, listened to the old man named Issho. His expression immediately grew grave.
He had assumed that the man who defeated the three priests and fought Enel was Issho—the one who had just blasted away the enormous thundercloud overhead.
He hadn't expected the true actor to be the captain of these Blue Sea pirates.
Realizing this, Wiper slowly lowered the cannon he had been carrying.
He understood all too well that if both of these terrifyingly strong Blue Sea men sided with the Skypieans, then even if the Shandians fought with everything they had, defeat would be inevitable.
His heart filled with conflicting emotions.
Before he could fully process it, Issho spoke again after a moment's thought,
"Actually, after dispersing the thundercloud earlier, this old man already saw that the captain had defeated the so-called 'God' of Upper Yard."
"And there was also an enormous flying ship."
"Though I don't know what it was, it too was destroyed by the captain and crashed onto God's Island."
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my patreon:
pat reon .com/yuuwand