Upper Yard.
Dark clouds, like spilled ink, suffocated the sky. Suddenly, a silver serpent tore through the heavens, followed by a dull rumble that rolled across the clouds, exploding into deafening thunder. Raindrops the size of beans crashed down, rattling against the windowpanes, instantly weaving the world into a chaotic curtain of rain, with only the thunder reverberating through the clouds.
Streaks of blue lightning fell to the earth, as if a god's judgment upon this land!
'Eight minutes left!' Eneru's indifferent gaze briefly swept over Zoro and Sanji, who were standing by in full readiness!
Both their Observation Haki warned them simultaneously, and they looked up at the sky!
Above them, a pillar of lightning as thick as a barrel struck down directly! It was clearly the Judgment of Heaven!
The two narrowly dodged, and the lightning carved a charred pit into the ground.
In just an instant, Eneru appeared before Zoro. 'What?' Zoro's eyes widened, and he swung his swords with both hands, but only cut through faint blue electrical arcs!
Eneru's figure enveloped Zoro, his sole remaining right arm pressed against Zoro's shoulder, whispering like a devil,
"One hundred million volts—Discharge!"
Blinding blue lightning burst from Eneru's body, then forcefully pierced into Zoro's body!
"Ugh!" Zoro fell to the ground, his body charred black! This was his first injury since arriving on Sky Island!
Not far behind Eneru, Sanji delivered a side kick to Eneru's chest, but his foot only met faint electrical arcs!
"Zzzzt!" An electric arc flashed, and Eneru returned to his original spot! A golden staff was stuck there! A golden staff that had been shattered countless times by Luffy but brought back by Eneru through electro-metallurgical means!
Eneru grabbed the golden staff, stirring up an earthy fragrance! Blue lightning gathered, and with a gentle swing,
"Seventy million volts—Thunderbird!"
A several-meter-long thunderbird made of blue lightning shot towards Sanji at extreme speed!
"Zzzzt!"
The thunderbird exploded, and amidst flashes of blue light, Sanji fell, charred black!
'Seven minutes left!' Eneru still watched with calm arrogance as Nami rode up on a waver, Robin ascended using her Devil Fruit ability, and Chopper and Usopp were dropped from high in the sky by a South Bird!
"Very good, everyone's here!" For the first time, a change appeared in Eneru's eyes; his previously indifferent gaze now held hatred and killing intent!
'Those who oppose God always meet this end! Ignorant Blue Sea dwellers, just watch as your companions descend to hell one by one!'
"Eneru, why are you here?! Luffy, where did he go?!" Nami's voice was anxious; a terrifying suspicion had formed in her mind.
"Oh! You mean him! He's dead! Ignorant Blue Sea dweller, to injure this God so much, he can be proud!" Eneru said with an arrogant expression.
"No, impossible! Luffy can't die! You're lying to me!" Nami was clearly on the verge of breaking down.
"Lying to you? Does this God need to? My standing here now is the greatest proof!"
"No! No!" Nami's legs gave out, and she knelt directly. Her slender, fair hands covered her eyes, tears instantly streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the ground.
"Alright, I'm running out of time!" Blue light began to emanate from Eneru's body!
"Stop...!"
Blue electrical arcs shot straight towards Nami and her group!
"I told you to stop!"
A foot engulfed in raging flames directly and fiercely kicked Eneru in the face, sending him flying backward to violently crash into the stone wall!
Sanji spun 360 degrees and landed lightly on the ground!
"Stop crying, it's annoying!" A charred figure slowly stood up, "You wouldn't think this kind of trash could defeat him, would you? You're a crewmate of the future Pirate King, try to be a bit calmer!"
Nami paused, "But... Luffy still isn't back!"
"Then he might be lost!" Zoro's tone was calm! His three swords were quickly covered in black Armament Haki.
"Three Sword Style—Oni Giri!"
The three completely black swords now emitted a purple demonic aura, eerie and terrifying, attacking Eneru at extreme speed!
Eneru looked at Zoro approaching rapidly, wanting to lie down but found himself seemingly restrained by an invisible force!
He could only block the attack with his golden staff. Upon initial collision, Eneru's Observation Haki began to vibrate!
The next moment, the golden staff was cut open, and then the swords, infused with Armament Haki and demonic aura, fiercely struck Eneru's chest!
This caused three sword marks to appear on his already pockmarked body.
"Cough cough!" Blood spurted from Eneru's body. He looked at Sanji, who was guarding Nami, and then at Zoro, who, though tired, still stood with his sword drawn!
"Hahahaha!" Eneru felt like a clown, possessing the power to control lightning, yet unable to judge a mere few Blue Sea dwellers!
"No, I still have a chance! That's right, I still have Maxim!" Eneru screamed like a madman, finally transforming into a bolt of lightning and disappearing into the distance!
"Bang!" As soon as Eneru left, Zoro and Sanji both collapsed! The power of the lightning was still too much for their current bodies!
"Zoro, Sanji! How are you both?" Chopper rushed forward to examine them!
Just then, a dark red light fell from the sky; it was Luffy, who had rushed back!
At this moment, Luffy's scattered hair moved without wind, his bright pupils reflected a bloody red light, and the dark red, lightning-shaped Conqueror's Haki displayed his king-like status. Intense killing intent enveloped the entire scene, and faint red steam rose from his body!
"Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Robin, Chopper, Usopp! Are you all alright?!" Luffy retracted all his aura, transforming back into the cheerful, optimistic, and somewhat silly youth wearing a red vest, flip-flops, and a small straw hat!
"Luffy!" Nami leaped directly into Luffy's arms, softly sobbing!
"Can anyone tell me what's wrong with her?" Luffy gently stroked Nami's characteristic orange hair, feeling tears seemingly dampen his clothes. He couldn't help but wonder who had upset Nami so much!
"You bastard!" Sanji shed tears of envy.
"Hey, Luffy! Eneru seems to be preparing some kind of trump card, doesn't he?" Robin gently touched her red lips, offering a reminder!
"It's alright! I know what he's going to do. Everyone rest assured, I'll handle him!" A deep, intense killing intent was hidden in Luffy's eyes!
They had adventured together for so long! They had long become indispensable parts of each other!
For Luffy, his companions and family were absolute taboos that no one could touch! For them, he could abandon all his bottom lines!
In the distance, Eneru rode the Ark Maxim to the sky above the ruins!
He looked down at Luffy and his crew!
"From ancient times to the present, I have been the fear in people's hearts, I am God! Blue Sea dweller, you have angered God, and even if I am to die today, I must eliminate you, this blasphemer!"
Countless giant thunderclouds suddenly poured out of the Ark Maxim, accumulating and spreading in the sky! Soon they enveloped the entire Sky Island!
"Oh my god! What, is it divine punishment?!" The residents of Angel Island were shocked and terrified.
Some despaired, cried, and screamed!
Some held onto a sliver of hope, desperately fleeing!
Some were greedy and shameless, indulging in lavish lifestyles!
Some prayed to the gods, bowing subserviently!
A myriad of human conditions!
But no matter what they did, a thunderball slowly formed, enveloping Upper Yard, Angel Island, and the Cloud's End!
"Hahahaha! How will you deal with a power that can destroy the world?!" Eneru's face was sickly, "Tell me, Blue Sea dweller! How... can a human fight against God?!"
"Raikou!"
This was the roar of the heavens, as if the divine punishment of nature!
"God?" Luffy gently pried Nami's tightly clasped hands away, placing his straw hat on her small head!
"If God is like you?"
Luffy's body emitted thick steam; with each step he took, the steam grew denser, and at the same time, dark red Conqueror's Haki emanated from his body!
His body pressed slightly downwards, and countless cracks spread from beneath his feet. With a fierce jump!
His body went up, but his right hand went down!
Dense black Armament Haki coiled around Luffy's hand, an abyss-like aura intertwining with the air, producing a blood-red color different from the orange-red flames—that was karma fire! It was the legendary fire that incinerates all evil!
"If all gods are like you! Then I will... slay God! Karma Fire Pistol!"
Blood-red karma fire intertwined with the abyss-black Armament Haki, and the rubber arm swung towards that world-destroying heavenly thunder!
"Boom!"
In the sky, two absolute powers collided, and the dark clouds were brutally torn to shreds! The sky cleared again, and sunlight poured down from above!
The rubber fist, burning with karma fire, relentlessly carried Eneru out of the clouds and to the top of the giant beanstalk!
This was where it all began!
..."If you ever come to Jaya again, what will you think of us who vanished? Wait a little longer, I'll tell you now, we are here!" — Warrior Calgara
...The war in the sky has been going on for 400 years! All that was sought... was just a single bell toll.
..."Yes, it will sing again! One day, it surely will." — Gan Fall
..."Six years ago, on an island in the Grand Line called Jaya, I saw the great Golden City! The Golden City exists!" — Mont Blanc Noland
..."Whether it's the Golden City or Sky Island, no one has been able to prove them false since! That's what romance is!" — Cricket
..."Dong... dong... dong... dong!"
Eneru was fiercely slammed onto the golden bell!
The golden bell fell from the sky, emitting clear, melodious songs one after another!
"It must be conveyed! Uncle Cricket, the Golden City exists, it has existed for 400 years! It's in the sky!"
The bell's chime resounded through the clouds!
"Did you hear it? The Golden City is right here!"
...Far away on Jaya Island,
countless South Birds flew from the forest into the sky.
"Boss, this is...?" Shoujou was a little disbelieving.
"Oh, that's right! There's only one bell in the world that makes this sound. It's romantic, isn't it?
I heard the sound of the golden bell! It exists in the sky, my ancestor... he didn't lie! He wasn't a liar! You're telling me this, aren't you?
Thank you, Straw Hat!" Cricket looked at the giant figure reflected in the clouds! A figure like Nika, capable of bringing joy to people!
"It's really good that those guys are alright! I was so worried, so worried!"