"The thunder hasn't stopped since earlier. Isn't the frequency a bit too high? Boss, does this island always have weather like this?" Robin asked as she watched Mofra sparring with Natalie.
"Of course not! We barely get rain here, let alone thunderstorms," Mofra replied, barely dodging Natalie's shield strike. This kid actually had some skill.
If he didn't start taking it seriously, he might really lose to a child—and that would be a disgrace. Hearing this, Rosen felt a sense of foreboding.
"Enough. Daz Bones, stay here and watch over everyone. Hathaway, want to come with me?" Rosen asked.
If Hathaway refused, there wasn't much he could do. But if his suspicion was correct, all their current plans might have to change. He hadn't expected to encounter Enel here—meaning they were already very close to Angel Island.
"The enemy's strong?" Hathaway asked after a moment's thought, already guessing the situation.
"Very. But we should be able to manage. My goal is to capture him alive—or get him to join us. Only if that fails will I consider killing him," Rosen replied honestly.
"Sounds good. If he's strong enough, can I take the lead?" Her eyes gleamed with fighting spirit. Rosen was momentarily surprised—he'd almost forgotten how much of a battle maniac she was.
Rosen had originally planned to handle it himself to complete his mission. But if things got tough, letting Hathaway try first wasn't a bad idea. He could gauge Enel's strength that way.
Capturing Enel, a Rumble-Rumble user, in one shot wasn't going to be easy—especially since Rosen didn't have a natural counter like the Rubber Fruit.
"Move! Something's coming fast!" Just as Rosen was about to leave, a blackened white crane shot in from the distance like a meteor, crashing through the tavern. Hathaway blocked it with her sword's sheath.
"Judgment of God!" A massive lightning pillar shot down from the sky, instantly blowing off the tavern roof and continuing to descend toward Rosen and the others.
Robin, Mr. 5, Valentine, and the rest turned pale. This wasn't ordinary lightning—it was a massive thunder pillar. If it hit, none of them would survive.
Even Daz Bones wasn't sure if he could survive that kind of elemental destruction. He was made of steel, but lightning was a different matter.
"It's him!" Rosen's expression turned grim. That casual divine judgment strike was enough to put him on high alert.
"Sand Shield!" Rosen raised his right hand, drawing gold sand from the dust around them to form a shield. The thunder pillar crashed down on it, sparks and lightning flaring everywhere, but those under the shield were completely unharmed.
However, the shield crumbled afterward. Rosen was shaken. "Someone this strong... Luffy beat him without even using Gear Second?!"
Rosen had trouble believing he could beat Enel even now—yet back then, Luffy had won purely through the natural counter of rubber to lightning.
That was the terrifying power of ability advantage. Without it, victory would've been impossible.
"Huh? Blocked it? Interesting. Who did that?" Enel had intended to finish off the white crane, but his attention was drawn to whoever had just blocked his lightning.
That white crane guy had been annoying, using strange powers that even affected his lightning body. But once Enel reacted, his opponent couldn't keep up with his speed and was reduced to a punching bag—though a durable one.
Still, someone in the tavern had just blocked his divine judgment. Impressive. Stronger than that crane guy, for sure.
"Damn monster…" James, barely alive thanks to his Haki, was reeling. If this kept up, not even the strongest Haki could save him.
"To defy me is to defy God. 30 million volts—Thunderbird!" Enel struck one of the tomoe drums on his shoulders with his golden staff. Thunder roared, and a giant Thunderbird dived toward them.
He didn't care about friendly fire. In his divine kingdom, he occasionally upheld laws—mainly because he needed the Sky Islanders for building his Ark. So he tolerated some rules.
But his enforcers, guarding the gates of his so-called heaven, often lured outsiders—Blue Sea people—into breaking the rules, giving Enel an excuse to execute them and maintain fear.
"I'll leave it to you," Rosen said to Hathaway.
"Lightning, huh? Looks tricky but fun. Hellcut!" With a hum, the air trembled. A massive crimson slash infused with Haki tore toward the Thunderbird with overwhelming force.
Boom!
The explosion shook the sky, the shockwave sweeping across the entire cloud island. Mr. 5 and the others near the center were thrown backward by the blast.
From the explosion, Hathaway soared upward. She swung her blade horizontally, sending a sharp arc of sword energy flying straight for Enel's head.
Enel was startled. This Blue Sea woman was trouble. He turned into lightning and escaped into the clouds just in time—the danger from that attack was too great.
"Judgment of God!" The sky roared again as Enel transformed his arm into lightning, casting it into the clouds and calling down another massive lightning pillar.
"Dragon Ascending to Hell!" Hathaway didn't flinch. She shot upward like a dragon leaping from the abyss, her sword glowing with Haki, ripping through the lightning pillar and surging into the clouds.
Slash! Her blade cut straight through the thunderbolt and continued upward, heading straight for Enel.
"What?! Impossible!" Enel was stunned. This Blue Sea woman was far stronger than that crane guy—and dangerous.
He didn't think he would lose, but it had been a long time since he'd met such a powerful enemy.
Clang! He raised his golden staff to block in a hurry, and sparks exploded at the clash.
Hathaway followed up with a sweeping kick, knocking Enel down from the clouds. She was momentarily surprised. "Terrible in close combat?"
Judging by his earlier attacks, she had expected a death match. But up close, she immediately spotted his weakness.
"You dare touch me? Disgraceful! You'll die—60 million volts, Thunder Dragon!" Blood at his lips, Enel roared. He was used to being invincible in elemental form and had let his guard down.
Luckily, his body was still laced with lightning for defense—otherwise, the damage would've been worse.
But the fact that he was wounded enraged him. A Blue Sea person had actually hurt him?Unforgivable!
His lazy gaze turned furious.
He struck both tomoe drums. A raging thunder dragon formed in midair. All around, lightning roared like the end of days.
"Who is this woman?! She's too strong!" James was dumbfounded.
This Sky Islander had pushed him to the brink of despair. Yet this beautiful woman—someone who looked like a mere ornament beside a Shichibukai—was actually fighting Enel head-on.
And holding her own.
It was unbelievable.
(End of Chapter)
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