"Damn it… Blue Sea scum…"
After suffering two consecutive heavy blows, Enel no longer even had the strength to turn into lightning and escape. His body collapsed backward heavily.
Thud!
Weevil's strike was nothing like Shiryu's earlier cut, which had only broken the skin.
This one carved a massive wound starting from his left shoulder all the way down to his right waist—over a meter long.
Within the blood-soaked gash, even his internal organs were faintly visible.
"Wasn't this supposed to be mine?"
Shiryu said with some displeasure.
At that moment, Xia Te had already floated onto the Ark Maxim and replied calmly:
"If he had taken your hit just now and fully turned into lightning to escape, could you have stopped him?"
Though Xia Te's tone was calm, it carried an unquestionable authority.
While he usually treated his crew casually, authority was something he would never lack.
Hearing this, Shiryu had no rebuttal and quietly sheathed Raiu.
"Do either of you know how to treat wounds? If we don't hurry, he's going to die."
Xia Te crouched down, pressing a hand against Enel's injury.
The long-eared man had already fainted.
[Ding! Sign-in location—Enel. Sign-in successful!]
[Reward—Advanced Observation Haki (Excellent tier)]
Excellent tier.
Just one level below the highest—Perfect.
Looking at the original story, those who reached Perfect-level Observation Haki were likely only Roger and Kozuki Oden, who possessed the "Voice of All Things."
"I only know how to kill."
Shiryu replied coldly.
As for Weevil—no need to even ask.
At that moment, a glint of bloodlust flashed in Shiryu's eyes.
"Why keep him alive? Wouldn't it be better to just kill him? Once the fruit reincarnates, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit will be mine."
Though they had only exchanged two moves,
Shiryu had already felt the terrifying power of a Logia—especially one as destructive as the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
"You might not develop it as well as he has. And even after reincarnation, there's no guarantee the fruit would end up in your hands."
Though taming a chuunibyou like Enel wouldn't be easy,
Xia Te still decided to try.
Even if he was an ignorant backwater fool who didn't fully understand the three types of Haki,
his mastery of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was undeniably impressive.
Shiryu might not necessarily do better.
"Our goal here is accomplished. Next, we head to the Sabaody Archipelago. But first, find a place to wake this guy up."
Xia Te had little interest in the gold of Skypiea.
Most of the gold from the City of Gold had already been used by Enel to build the Ark Maxim.
What remained on Skypiea likely didn't even amount to a tenth of what was on the ship.
What mattered more now was reaching Sabaody and taking part in the grand event—the Summit War.
And as a transmigrator, Xia Te himself was quite interested in witnessing that war firsthand.
…
…
Two days later.
Water 7—the largest trade city in the world, and one of the closest islands to the Sabaody Archipelago.
Looking at the ship before him—half of its structure made entirely of gold—
Iceburg, the master shipwright who had built the Thousand Sunny for the Straw Hat Pirates, was completely dumbfounded.
"Redo this tasteless ship properly, Mr. Iceburg. I trust your sense of style."
On the way to treat Enel's injuries, Xia Te had brought the Ark Maxim here, entrusting it to Iceburg—Tom's disciple and Franky's senior—for modification.
At the same time, Xia Te had also designed his pirate crew's flag.
There were still ten days left before Ace's execution.
Plenty of time.
While Iceburg worked on remodeling the Ark Maxim, Enel's injuries had been treated.
However, two massive X-shaped scars remained across his chest—constant reminders of his humiliating defeat at the hands of Shiryu and Weevil.
It would still take time for him to fully recover.
"Well, Enel—have you made your decision?"
Xia Te leaned back with his legs crossed, a dangerous smile on his face.
"Death… or join us?"
"A god will never submit!"
Enel roared.
Shing!
Beside him, Shiryu suddenly drew his blade and swung it toward Enel's neck, intending to decapitate him on the spot.
Clang—!
At the critical moment, a naginata intercepted the strike.
Shiryu frowned and turned—only to see Weevil blocking him, saying bluntly:
"Stop it! Big brother didn't say to kill him!"
"Shiryu."
At that moment, Xia Te spoke coldly, a faint smile on his lips.
"If you keep acting on your own like this… I won't forgive you again."
The overwhelming pressure of Conqueror's Haki—passed down from the Golden Lion—burst forth.
He valued strength in his crew, but loyalty was non-negotiable.
The future of the Blackbeard Pirates in the original story was already clear to him—
just like the Rocks Pirates of old,
they would collapse from internal conflict before enemies even struck.
Xia Te would never allow such a thing to happen in his own crew.
The captain—
is absolute.
Cold sweat dripped down Shiryu's face as he quickly sheathed his sword and bowed.
"M-My apologies, Captain."
"Calling yourself a 'god,' yet you're the weakest among the three of us. Doesn't that feel humiliating?"
Xia Te then shifted his attention back to Enel, smiling faintly.
"After witnessing power beyond 'god'… do you still care about your so-called Endless Earth?"