Bang…
A low, muffled thud echoed from the black Jackal—its 13mm caliber shot roaring with subdued menace.
In an instant, a yellow-orange bullet burst from the barrel.
Yes, yellow-orange—not black. A standard round.
Enel, already on high alert, casually shifted his body. The bullet missed him completely.
It seemed to have no effect.
But just as it zipped past him—it exploded.
The sudden blast startled Enel.
Yet, as he quickly checked his body, he realized he was unharmed.
Confused, he muttered, What the hell was that supposed to do...?
Before he could figure it out, Luo Lan's eyes narrowed. His psychic energy surged.
Twelve black throwing knives ignited into streaks of shadow, flaring toward Enel from all directions in mid-air.
"You think that trick will still work on a god like me?"
Fully transformed into his lightning form, Enel's speed was second only to Kizaru himself.
If he were truly serious, there was no way Luo Lan's knives could touch him.
He was about to show off his speed again—
But then, a strange sensation crept over him.
His limbs suddenly felt heavy, sluggish.
Forget dodging. Even maintaining his lightning form was becoming a strain.
What's… going on...?
And then—
Thud…
Thud…
Thud…
One by one, the black knives pierced his body.
They struck his shoulders, limbs, and several non-lethal points.
In that moment, Enel's lightning form flickered out. His body reverted to its physical state.
He fell.
Boom!
His body smashed into the earth, carving out a large crater.
Holstering his guns, Luo Lan calmly approached the pit.
"You… what did you do to this god's body?" Enel groaned, barely able to lift a finger.
The twelve knives embedded in his body? They were all laced with Seastone.
But that wasn't what Enel was asking about.
He wanted to know why he had suddenly felt so weak—why he had been unable to move in that crucial instant.
Luo Lan smiled faintly.
"You know my bullets can hit your real body, right?"
"So what? They're slow. As long as I'm alert, they'll never touch me."
"Exactly. That's why I didn't try to hit you. I only needed it to explode… in your face."
"In my face?"
So it was that bullet…
But… that explosion was harmless! It didn't even graze him!
"I can tell you're confused," Luo Lan continued. "The point of that bullet wasn't to hurt you."
"The explosion wasn't meant to cause damage."
"The real trick was what I packed inside the bullet. Ultra-fine Seastone powder. Once it exploded, it dispersed a cloud of the powder over a ten-meter radius."
"And since it was refined multiple times, the grains were too small to see with the naked eye."
"You inhaled some of it."
"Just a tiny amount—but enough to briefly suppress your power. Not enough to knock you out, but enough to delay you."
"And all I needed… was that moment."
Enel didn't fully understand what Seastone was, but he did know it was that black material that could physically touch him.
So… he inhaled it?
It all made sense now.
He admitted it—he had fallen for it. If they fought again, he'd never let it happen a second time.
But…
Would there be a second time?
At that moment, Nico Robin walked over.
She didn't even need Luo Lan's instructions. She leapt into the pit and snapped a pair of Seastone cuffs onto Enel's wrists with a loud clack.
As she did, Luo Lan gestured.
The twelve knives flew out of Enel's body, circled in the air, and spun rapidly—shedding blood via centrifugal force.
Once clean, they returned to the leather holsters strapped to Luo Lan's lower back. Neat. Precise.
"Robin, patch up his wounds," Luo Lan said. "If he bleeds out now, that would be a waste."
The Fruit Extraction Chamber was still on their ship. If Enel died before they could extract his Devil Fruit… well, that would be a massive loss.
"Understood," Robin nodded and got to work.
Meanwhile, Luo Lan turned and looked southeast.
He chuckled.
So Gan Fall brought everyone from Skypiea here?
"Gan Fall! How much longer do you plan to hide?"
He raised his voice and called out.
A figure emerged from the top of a massive tree a hundred meters away.
Gan Fall stepped into view.
"Oh brave warrior from the Blue Sea, as Skypiea's former god, I sincerely thank you for defeating Enel. Your great deed shall be carved into history!"
"So… then why'd you bring all these people to Upper Yard? You planning to claim the spoils?"
"Of course not," Gan Fall replied. "The war between Skypiea and the Shandians has lasted 400 years. After what happened with Enel, I realized it's time to end it. Let Skypiea and the Shandians live in peace and share Upper Yard together."
...
Seriously?
Luo Lan couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Upper Yard has nothing to do with Skypiea!
That land belongs to the Shandians!
At least in the original story, Skypiea was destroyed, which sort of justified sharing.
But here?
Skypiea is intact. On what grounds are you claiming shared ownership?
"We do not agree!"
A shout came from the west.
A group of people dressed in tribal garb came speeding in, gliding on Wavers.
Among them, Luo Lan spotted Ian and Baby 5, having the time of their lives.
Behind the Shandians slithered a massive snake, atop whose head stood a tall woman.
Hina.
Of course. They all showed up.
Well, except those other three who had rushed ahead earlier and hadn't been seen since…
"Since everyone's here," Luo Lan said, raising his voice.
"Let's settle this properly!"
"I've already defeated Enel. But now the former god of Skypiea, Gan Fall, says they want to share Upper Yard with the Shandians."
"Wyper! What do your people say to that?"
Wyper froze.
He knows who I am...?
But now wasn't the time for questions.
"No way. Upper Yard belongs to the Shandians. Why should we share it?"
"That's right! We won't agree!"
"They invaded us first. If it comes to it, we'll fight again!"
"Yes! Not an inch of our land will be given up!"
The Shandians shouted in unison, fury rising, stances ready.
Gan Fall's face darkened.
He wanted to fight, but his 200 former guards were still recovering from captivity.
The regular Skypieans had no real combat ability.
And then there was Luo Lan—the young man who had defeated Enel himself.
Not to mention the armed Shandians.
He had no chance.
For now.
Gan Fall clenched his fists.
"I see. If you won't agree… I won't force it."
With that, he turned—
—and left.
---
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