Nami decided to concede for now, though the allure of gold still lingered in her mind. This was, after all, the legendary land of gold. Even if one golden bell was off-limits, surely there would be plenty more riches to be found, perhaps even enough to fill the Merry. So, letting Luffy have his way this once was acceptable.
Seeing Nami back down, Webber's tense demeanor eased. He couldn't help but observe Luffy more closely. This Straw Hat kid often acted foolish, yet in some ways, he was surprisingly admirable. The conviction in his voice just moments ago had commanded respect. Perhaps this was the inherent courage of the Straw Hat boy, the leader of these Blue Sea people!
Not long after, a whirring sound echoed through the air, and Usopp and Pierre came into view, flying towards them. Usopp was still burdened by Mr. 3, Jango, Xia Qi, and Pekoms clinging to him. It was remarkable that he could fly with so many passengers, and so swiftly at that. Pierre, as usual, was adorned in Gan Fall's knightly attire.
Additionally, a rustling in the nearby forest announced the arrival of Kamakiri, accompanied by a small group of Shandians.
"Gan Fall! What's that old geezer doing here?!" Webber exclaimed, immediately on guard. He was even more taken aback when he saw Kamakiri. "Kamakiri, why are you here? And why are there so few of you?!"
Kamakiri replied with frustration, "We ran into the priest Shura halfway there, and we were almost completely wiped out by him. Gan Fall suddenly appeared and rescued us, but even Gan Fall was defeated by Shura in the end.
It was the Blue Sea people who finally defeated Shura. These are the only partners who weren't too seriously injured!"
Webber was stunned by this revelation, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. To think that Kamakiri's group had been so close to annihilation! If they hadn't been rescued, only Webber and Raki would have remained after the battle for Shandora.
With this realization, Webber looked at Gan Fall with complicated emotions. At the same time, a sense of gratitude washed over them for Luffy and the other Blue Sea people.
"Thank you for saving Kamakiri and the others!" Raki said sincerely. In her eyes, reclaiming their homeland was vital, but the lives of their people were equally important. Whether their salvation came from Gan Fall or the Blue Sea visitors, gratitude was due.
Webber also took a deep breath and silently mouthed a thank you – a rare gesture indeed for him!
"The old man was useless; it was mainly due to the efforts of these friends from the Blue Sea," Gan Fall said with a hint of shame, but quickly changed the subject.
"Webber, whatever prejudices you hold against us Sky Islanders, can you put them aside for today? Ohm is the only priest left, and this is the perfect opportunity to defeat Enel.
Once Enel is gone, we can then discuss the matters between the people of Sky Island and Shandora. Whether it's war or peace, there will be no regrets!"
Webber immediately responded, "I can agree to that this time. Enel must be defeated! However, Upper Yard is our Shandian homeland, so we will never give it up!"
Gan Fall sighed in relief. He had feared Webber might cause trouble at this crucial moment, and all he needed was his cooperation against Enel. Without Enel's brutal reign, there was hope for peaceful coexistence between their two nations.
Meanwhile, both Usopp and Mr. 3 began to boast loudly about their "glorious" deeds in defeating the priest, secretly vying for a higher ranking among the Straw Hats.
Sanji, oblivious to this internal competition, found his own position becoming somewhat precarious. The top four – Karl, Luffy, Zoro, and Law – were relatively fixed, and the fifth spot had long been Sanji's.
But now, even that position was under threat as the rest of the crew began to catch up. If Sanji didn't step up his game, he might find himself relegated to the lower tiers of combat strength!
Aisa, observing the scene, asked Marie, "Hey, Marie, isn't your captain supposed to be fighting Enel? Why is he still just hanging around here?"
Marie expressionlessly munched on a biscuit, then turned to Luffy. "Hey, Luffy, aren't you going to fight Enel? Isn't Enel right up on that bean vine? Is that why you're waiting here?"
"Oh no, Enel's not up there," Luffy replied, looking up at the sky island above. "The one up there is Teacher Karl, not Enel."
Eh? Eh?! What exactly was going on?!
Not only were the Straw Hats dumbfounded, but even the Shandians and Gan Fall were utterly perplexed. If Enel wasn't up there, what were they all waiting for?
Nami hurriedly asked, "Luffy, why did Mr. Karl go up there? Didn't he say he wouldn't interfere this time? Enel's lair is up there. Did Mr. Karl drive Enel away?"
Luffy finished his last bento, picked his teeth, and said casually, "You can go up and take a look, and you'll figure it out!" As if it were the simplest thing in the world.
But everyone still exchanged bewildered glances. If Enel wasn't on the sky island, where had he gone?
At that moment, a sudden, powerful roar echoed through the forest. Abruptly, a massive spaceship slowly ascended into the sky from within Upper Yard's forest. The ship was colossal and magnificent, causing everyone's eyes to widen in astonishment.
"Whoa! Awesome! A boat that can fly! Amazing!" Luffy and his crew exclaimed, their eyes wide with wonder.
"Could it be... Enel's Ark?!" Webber couldn't help but guess.
"There's only one person's voice on the ship!" Aisa declared, her Observation Haki sensing the lone presence.
Now everyone was certain: the person on board was Enel! But what was his purpose? Was he trying to escape in a spaceship?
Nami's eyes had already transformed into berry symbols. "So much gold! That Enel is such a spendthrift! He actually used gold to build a ship! Luffy, go knock Enel down! That gold is all mine!"
"Hahahaha! Alright! Let's go grab that golden ship!" Luffy roared, raising his fist in the air.
"Yeah!!!" his crewmates yelled in response.
Seeing this, Law, who was still engaged in battle, immediately ceased his attack. With a swift backhand, he struck down Ohm, and simultaneously used his Devil Fruit ability to bisect the large dog. Recalling a previous conversation between Tashigi and Zoro he had overheard, Law casually took Ohm's Iron Cloud Knife.
On the massive spaceship, Enel stood on the deck, leaning on a golden staff, looking somewhat deranged. Sensing that his four God Enel officers and all his soldiers had been defeated, and seeing the large group of people still gathered beneath the giant bean vine, Enel's madness intensified. He hadn't anticipated these Blue Sea people being so powerful as to defeat all his subordinates.
But it didn't matter. He could send these interlopers to their doom. As for the Golden Bell, it was insignificant now! He no longer wanted to face that terrifying individual, and at worst, he would simply destroy this entire place. If that terrifying person had nowhere to stand, they would surely fall and perish. Until then, he was still an invincible god!
"Ahahahaha! Go to hell! I will destroy this place!" Enel bellowed, activating the thundercloud mechanism of his Ark Maxim. In an instant, a vast black cloud began to spread ominously around the ship.
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