Enel was incredibly fast. Within the clouds, lightning moved at a speed that was nearly impossible to track. But what caught Rosen off guard was that Enel wasn't acting like the arrogant brute he remembered—he wasn't engaging head-on but had immediately fled after taking a punch.
"Where's your divine pride? Why did you go all out against Luffy but run the moment things got tough with us?" Rosen thought bitterly.
He stood there stunned for a moment. He had been prepared for a tough fight, even wary of Enel trying to escape—but he hadn't expected Enel to simply flee after a single hit.
So cowardly? That wasn't like Enel. He was supposed to be arrogant and reckless. Why was he suddenly so tactical?
Then again, during his battle with Luffy, Enel held a one-sided advantage. He didn't need to consider retreat. But now, faced with two strong Blue Sea fighters, Enel clearly decided caution was the better part of valor.
After all, building the Ark and ruling the divine kingdom showed Enel wasn't just brawn—he had brains, too.
So, yes, it made sense. But it still didn't sit right with Rosen. Why was Enel all guts and glory against Luffy, but now he suddenly knew how to play it smart?
"He ran?" Hathaway frowned as the thunder overhead died down.
When lightning wants to escape, unless one is overwhelmingly stronger, it's nearly impossible to stop a Rumble-Rumble user like Enel once he decides to flee.
"Looks like it."
"So now what…"
"Wait. Don't speak," Rosen interrupted. He knew what Hathaway was about to say, but a thought struck him. Enel's Mantra, combined with his electromagnetic waves, gave him an extraordinarily wide perception range.
If they revealed their true objective now, it might put Enel on high alert. So far, their actions had only seemed like a chance encounter—there was no sign they were specifically targeting him.
Suddenly, a thunderbolt roared down from the clouds. Hathaway met it with a slash of her Hellcut, neutralizing the strike.
"He's still here? But I can't sense him," Hathaway said in confusion. She spread out her Observation Haki but couldn't detect his presence.
"He's not here. If I'm right, he's at least one or two islands away," Rosen guessed.
"That's impossible! He's attacking us with pinpoint accuracy—how can he do that from such a distance? Wait… does he also have advanced Observation Haki?!" Hathaway realized it then, but the range seemed far too wide even for that.
"This 'god' isn't as simple or idiotic as I thought," Rosen muttered, troubled. Enel was launching precise strikes from miles away using his Mantra. That was way too troublesome.
He'd assumed Enel was a simple-minded brute—but this guy was using his abilities with strategic precision. Maybe he wasn't so dumb after all—just smart enough to exploit his advantages.
As soon as Rosen finished that thought, several more bolts came crashing down. They couldn't hurt Rosen and the others directly, but if this continued long enough, someone might slip up—and their weaker crew members might not survive a mistake.
"Natalie, can you locate him?" Rosen asked. His own Observation Haki was inferior to Hathaway's, and even she had failed to find Enel.
"I can't pinpoint him, but I think it's in that direction," Natalie replied, pointing vaguely.
"So he's definitely keeping a safe distance," Rosen muttered.
Enel's Mantra was clearly monitoring them. Even if they moved in the right direction, Enel would likely shift position before they could reach him.
"Yahahaha… You're strong, Blue Sea people, but that's all. Become my subordinates, or die in endless thunder," Enel's voice echoed arrogantly across the sky.
"Ignore him. Eat if you're hungry. Sleep if you're tired. Hathaway and I will take turns keeping watch. Let's see if he can outlast us," Rosen said calmly.
"Are you sure about this?" Robin asked. Another bolt had just come down, leaving everyone on edge.
"It's fine. He's just a self-proclaimed god with no courage to fight us face to face. A loud-mouthed clown," Rosen replied, deliberately provoking Enel. In Sky Island, "god" was just a title of rulership, but Enel had taken it as literal divinity.
Enel, hidden high in the clouds, clenched his fists. He'd reformed his body and was listening to Rosen's words with a grim expression. These Blue Sea fools were getting on his nerves.
He really wanted to unleash his Thunderstorm technique and obliterate the island. But that move wasn't easy to execute without his Ark. If only the Ark were complete, it could amplify his power and make such large-scale strikes easier to control.
Thunderstorm was a very powerful move—but controlling it over such distances was still difficult. Worse, if he got too close, they might detect him. From their brief clash and current evasion, it was clear that these Blue Sea people likely had some form of Mantra too.
Thinking this, Enel fired off another "Judgment of God" strike. But this time, his target wasn't Rosen—it was Natalie.
"One day I'll make you taste true despair," Hathaway growled. With a swift sword strike, she blocked the lightning bolt—furious now.
"Let's eat," Rosen said, leading everyone back into the open-air tavern. Mofra sighed, while the crane Zoan user James returned to human form.
"Thanks a lot," James said sincerely. If they hadn't helped him, he would've been dead.
"He's not leaving anytime soon. Yeah, it's annoying. But if I just think of him as a background drummer for our party, it's not so bad. Boss, bring us more food and drinks," Rosen laughed. Since Enel couldn't let go of his grudge and refused to leave, they'd just wait him out.
"Uh, I'm just a timid old man. Maybe I should head out now?" Mofra suggested. But with his cocky expression, Rosen didn't believe that for a second—he looked like he was about to start a war, not run from one.
"Coward," Natalie jabbed, causing Mofra to flush red and start arguing with her.
"Old man, quit pretending. I'm sure you've got enough ability to protect yourself. But if you head out alone and get unlucky, a random bolt might hit you. Better to stay put. Let's see whether this Sky Island 'god' can torment us, or whether we end up tormenting him," Rosen said coolly.
"Fine, fine. Do what you want. Just don't forget to pay," Mofra grumbled. But he didn't seem too concerned. After living so long, he clearly had his own means of survival.
Outside, the thunder rumbled again. Hathaway, however, was getting more and more excited. Even though her Haki blocked most of the lightning, the electrical energy still coursed through her body, activating her cells.
Could it be that the blood of this Logia user was absorbable too?
"We have to take him down," Hathaway said firmly. Rosen nodded. He didn't know why her fighting spirit suddenly surged, but it was a good thing.
"Damn you all—Ten Thousand Thunders!" Enel roared from the sky, unleashing a furious downpour of lightning once again.
(End of Chapter)
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