On Island 1 of the Sabaody Archipelago:
"I can't see anything at all."
Alan stood at the heart of the battlefield.
Ignoring the stinging pain in his eyes, he tilted his head back and strained to make out the surrounding scene.
BOOM!
Countless bolts of lightning continued to flash and crash down from the heavens. Each strike carved a massive, deep crater into the ground, melting and obliterating everything within it.
Yet, in opposition:
Buzz!
Pillars of light surged skyward, clashing with the lightning in a chaotic maelstrom of smoke and dust.
At the heart of this chaos, amidst the dust, lightning, and radiant pillars, two figures... one wreathed in thunderlight, the other in golden radiance, clashed with the force of colliding comets.
Yet Alan knew that these were not celestial bodies but living beings.
Bang!
Bang!
Their speed completely exceeded Alan's observational limits.
Often, he would only catch a flash of light, but the dozens of sonic booms echoing through the air proved they had already exchanged blows.
"Lord Youji... he's unbelievably strong."
Alan had always known that Youji was strong, but he had never imagined that he was this strong. Compared to the power he was now displaying, his performance at Master Port seemed like child's play.
However, this thought didn't linger long in Alan's mind.
"Lord Youji and that man named Enel... their battle hasn't affected me because of this Celestial Dragon."
Having removed the iron chest from his back, Alan clutched it tightly.
He recalled Youji's teachings from the past few weeks.
"Alan, remember this: true strength cannot be attained overnight. Even as a Devil Fruit user, it's almost impossible to become a top-tier powerhouse in a short time."
"But thought and will? Those can be trained."
"No matter what challenges you face, think carefully. Even if your power is weak, there's always something you can do."
Just like Alan is doing right now. He knew that the reason he remained unharmed amidst the colossal destruction around him was undoubtedly thanks to the Celestial Dragon he held in his hands.
Enel, his enemy, was too afraid to act, unwilling to risk harming the hostage.
"I can't help in this fight. If Master Youji loses, with Enel's power, I'm as good as dead. But... Master Youji will win.'
The simplest thing he could do was this:
"I need to get out of here!"
"I must leave this battlefield. My main body and the other clones are on nearby islands, each with a spare iron chest. I can hide there, or at least create enough distance to ensure that Youji won't hold back because of me."
With this thought, he forced himself to his feet and began sprinting towards the edge of the island.
Meanwhile, above the battlefield, Youji hovered in the air, his wings beating steadily.
"Not bad, kid. You've learned well," He murmured, nodding in satisfaction at Alan's choice.
But at that very moment...
"Where are you looking?!" A low growl erupted from behind him.
"Thunder Beast!"
Enel roared, and the thunderlight around him instantly coalesced into two massive lion-like beasts, which lunged at Youji.
Yet Youji neither dodged nor flinched at the approaching Thunder Beasts.
"Light: Pleiades Sun Guardian," He declared, raising his hand slightly.
Then, from the intense light beside him, two colossal figures emerged, each wielding a giant blade... Light Guardians.
With a swift, sweeping motion, their blades cleaved the Thunder Beast in two.
Seeing this, Enel's expression darkened, but he refused to yield.
"Thunder Guns: Barrage!"
He raised his hand, and countless long guns formed from lightning erupted from his side and hurtled towards Youji.
"Light Blade Rain."
Almost simultaneously, countless beams of light materialized beside Youji and shaped themselves into light swords, which clashed with Enel's Thunder Guns.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Thunder Guns were annihilated by the light blade rain, disintegrating into nothingness.
And then...
"Wings of Light."
The twin wings on Youji's back erupted in a blinding flash of light.
"Flowing Sakura Entwined - Light-Speed Claw!"
A violent gale roared as Youji's figure shot forward, accompanied by the sound of tearing wind. Flowing Sakura wrapped around his razor-sharp dragon claw and slashed towards Enel at light speed.
"Heart Network - Thunder Flash!"
Enel activated his Heart Network, instinctively attempting to dodge to the right.
But before he could react...
Bang!
Youji's massive tail had already blocked his escape route.
This wasn't Observation Haki. It was merely the primal 'battle instinct' of ancient creatures, honed by millennia of slaughter and hunting.
"Armament Cover - Thunder Fist!"
Realizing he couldn't evade the attack, Enel gritted his teeth.
His fist was coated in pitch-black Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), with thunderlight flickering across its surface.
At the same moment...
"Thunder Body: Static Stimulation!"
Fine thunderlight crackled across his body, causing his muscles to swell visibly.
But...
Bang!
The next instant, his Thunderlight- and Busoshoku Haki-coated fist shattered. His body plummeted downwards like a meteor, carving a massive ravine through the already crumbling island.
"Looks like you've learned a thing or two since leaving Skypiea, Enel."
Above the fray, Youji's wings flapped rhythmically as he gazed at the end of the ravine and spoke.
In truth, Youji was genuinely surprised.
He hadn't expected to encounter Enel so soon after reading about him in the Information publication.
Moreover, it was clear that Enel had grown significantly stronger since the events of the original story.
Not only had he refined his mastery of the Devil Fruit ability, but he had also mastered Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) to a considerable degree. His physical conditioning and physique had also improved dramatically.
Combined with the armor he wore and his presence here, Youji was now almost certain of his earlier speculation.
Naturally, none of that mattered.
Because:
"That doesn't change the gap between us," Youji stated calmly.
Yes... the gap.
Enel's Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit) was undoubtedly one of the top-tier Logia Devil Fruits. Its destructive power and versatility were flawless, and it had an unparalleled speed advantage.
However, the person standing before him was none other than Youji.
His Glint-Glint Fruit LV4 could create light conduits in the air, move at the speed of light, shape various light constructs, and emit light with intense heat and devastating power.
Youji's Glint-Glint Fruit, upgraded to LV4, was also a top-tier Logia Devil Fruit. In a contest of speed and power fuelled by their Devil Fruit abilities, the two were nearly evenly matched.
But...
"When the types and strengths of their Devil Fruit abilities are similar, other factors become decisive for victory."
Even among Logia-type Devil Fruits, the concepts behind an Admiral's usage and that of a random bystander are entirely different. The fundamental difference lies not in the Devil Fruit itself, but in the disparities between the biological individuals.
Physical constitution, vitality, strength, muscle mass, Haki, and even combat intuition, every gap in these aspects can influence the outcome of a battle.
Youji believed this to be Enel's greatest improvement over his original portrayal.
Enel had taken his mastery of the Devil Fruit to extremes, even learning to stimulate his body with electric currents. By combining this technique with Armament Haki, he could unleash explosive bursts of physical power and enable his body to withstand and channel greater quantities of lightning.
Youji was certain that, if the current Enel were to return to Skypiea and clash with Nika Big Brother as in the original story, the modern-day Nika would probably die prematurely.
However...
Fusion Devil Fruit: Tyrant Winged Dragon LV4
Boasting immense physical stamina derived from fusing two Ancient Devil Fruits, Youji was no match for Luffy in this era.
With this Devil Fruit, he could unleash the devastating Ryuo (Flowing Sakura) technique, arguably making him the strongest physical combatant among the Twelve Zodiac.
And that was the essence of this battle.
In a one-on-one duel, Enel had no advantage over Youji. His only possible advantage was leveraging the Heart Network for ultra-long-range attacks, but this was ineffective in the current situation.
Enel was naturally strong, but Youji was even stronger.
Yet clearly,
"Don't get cocky, you insect."
At that moment, rising from the depths of the ravine, Enel refused to concede.
Despite the numerous injuries already marring his body, he remained defiant:
"I admit your abilities surprised me somewhat, but that's all."
He had noticed Alan's escape but dismissed it with indifference. He had already deduced that Alan and Youji had no immediate intention of killing Saint Ambokam. In that case, no matter how far the boy fled, Enel's Heart Network could instantly locate him by tracing Saint Ambokam's aura.
Therefore, his immediate priority was not Alan but the man standing before him.
"You seem to know my origins," He said, his voice low and menacing.
"Naturally, our organization's information network is quite extensive. Enel, a man from Skypiea's Birka, is a Devil Fruit user who consumed the Goro Goro no Mi."
Youji lowered his voice and said, "As for now, I haven't fully investigated yet, but I suspect your current status is that of one of the Celestial Dragons' dogs."
The moment those words left his lips, Youji sensed Enel's aura shift dramatically.
Hōng Lóng!
Thunderlight erupted from his body once more.
Crack! Crack!
A sharp, grating sound came from his mouth, the sound of his teeth grinding together as he clenched them so hard they clicked.
"You bastard..." He growled, his eyes fixed on Youji.
The lightning in his eyes outlined pure fury. This stance was undoubtedly far more familiar to Youji than his earlier 'cold and loyal hound' persona.
This was the Enel he remembered: arrogant, violent, and utterly self-important.
"Who do you call a Celestial Dragon's dog?!"
As the words fell, an unprecedented torrent of thunder crashed down from the heavens. This time, however, the massive lightning strike wasn't aimed at Youji, but at Enel himself.
Boom!
The violent lightning struck his body, but Enel slowly raised his hand.
"Hmm?"
Youji could clearly see a layer of thunderlight enveloping Enel's armor. This Thunderlight continuously cycled through his body and armor, erupting with immense power.
At the tip of the staff he held, lightning had formed into a sharp structure that resembled both a long gun and a sceptre.
"You think you understand me, insect?"
"But you have no idea how powerful I truly am!"
Unprecedented Haki and lightning surged through Enel's body.
"Thunder God Armor - Engage!"
"Thunder God Guns - Anchor Away!"
"Charge Efficiency - 70%"
As he spoke, his figure vanished.
"Hm?!"
Even Youji let out a surprised exclamation this time. Enel's speed in that instant far surpassed anything he had displayed in their previous battles!
Youji tried to dodge instinctively, but it was too late. His chest was pierced at that moment!
Ssssh!
The next moment, he was surged through by a massive force accompanied by a piercing sound.
...
Enel's furious face, twisted into a savage grin, appeared before Youji. His breathing was slightly labored; it was clear that the lightning strike had taken its toll.
But in that moment, he felt only exhilaration.
"I handed over the Maxim's Elite to the gods, and they granted me power and the possibility of becoming one of them, as long as I serve them long enough and earn enough merit."
"Then I will have the chance to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the gods."
His words overflowed with long-suppressed emotion, surging with fervor. "So do you understand, insect?"
"I will inevitably become one of the gods!"
As he finished speaking, he yanked hard.
Bang!
A terrifying, destructive force erupted from Youji's body!
"Annihilation: Thunder Explosion!"
As he spoke, lightning cloaked in Armament Haki blazed with blinding intensity. Even Youji's physique, enhanced by two Ancient Devil Fruits, exploded instantly.
His heart burst, blood gushed, bones shattered, and limbs tore apart.
"Hahahaha!"
Enel cackled hoarsely at the sight.
Despite the Mythological Beast Devil Fruit's near-Elementalization ability and immense vitality, he knew that survival was impossible under these circumstances.
"Insect, this is the consequence of challenging a god. You..." He growled in satisfaction, his laughter bordering on madness.
But...
In an instant, Enel sensed that something was wrong.
The mangled remains of Youji, shattered a moment ago, had not fallen.
On the contrary.
Buzz!
The blood and flesh began to glow.
Countless points of light formed strands that intertwined and wove together.
"Just as I suspected."
Youji's figure reformed almost instantly, and his voice slowly resonated.
His gaze, filled with understanding, turned to Enel.
"You're the Divine Blade now, aren't you?"
(End Of This Chapter)
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