Chapter 70: Enel's Desperate Gamble!
Enel stumbled backward, his heavy boots scraping harshly against the shattered, moss-covered roots of the Giant Jack.
The world around him was spinning in a nauseating blur. A high-pitched, ringing noise—like the scream of a dying insect—pierced his ears, drowning out the ambient sounds of the forest wind. It wasn't an attack from the enemy; it was the rush of his own blood, the frantic, uncontrolled pounding of his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound was deafening. It interfered with his usually omnipotent Mantra (Observation Haki), creating a chaotic static of white noise that blinded his sixth sense.
He raised a trembling hand to wipe his face. His fingers came away slick, warm, and sticky. He brought them close to his face, staring at the substance with wide, dilating pupils.
Sweat. Cold, profuse sweat born of terror. And mixed within it... bright, crimson blood.
A cold, twisting sensation gripped his stomach, turning his insides to ice. His knees felt weak, possessing the consistency of water rather than divine flesh.
What... what is this sensation?
This disarray. This total loss of control. This involuntary tremor seeping from his very marrow to his skin... He knew it. He recognized it.
In the countless days of his absolute rule, he had sat comfortably on his golden throne, lazily "listening" to the desperate prayers, the screams, and the pleading of the ants beneath his feet. He had savored this exact emotion in others as he judged them with his lightning.
It was Fear.
"Me...? Fear?"
The moment this realization formed in his chaotic mind, time seemed to freeze. An unprecedented sense of absurdity washed over him, followed instantly by a towering, volcanic shame that ignited into rage.
"Impossible!"
Enel screamed, his voice cracking, sounding less like a god and more like a cornered animal.
"How could I... how could I, the absolute definition of perfection, experience the same vile emotion as these insignificant mortals!"
He clawed at his face, smearing the blood across his cheek, trying to wipe away the reality of his injury.
"I am God! I am the only Ruler of the Sky! I am the definition of Terror, not the victim of it!"
This anger, born of fear, drove him to the brink of madness. He absolutely could not tolerate sharing a human weakness. He had to be above them. He had to be untouchable. If he could bleed, if he could fear, then his entire existence as a deity was a lie.
And he would burn the world before admitting that.
His gaze sharply turned upwards, toward the hidden cavern shrouded in darkness and thick vines at the very summit of the Giant Jack.
There, waiting in the shadows, was his life's work. The vessel built with the blood of the Shandia slaves and the stolen gold of the ancient city. The ship that would take him to the Fairy Vearth (The Endless Earth).
The Ark Maxim.
"It is not fully calibrated yet... the engine is unstable..." Enel's eyes bulged, bloodshot and manic, darting between the sky and the approaching enemy. "But it must be used! That monster... physical attacks work on him. He has Haki. But can he survive the sky itself falling on his head? Can he survive the wrath of the planet?!"
"Let these blasphemers from the Blue Sea... along with this impure land... REPENT IN THE FLAMES OF GOD!"
In his Mantra, the terrifying aura of the man named Suzaku was rapidly approaching. It burned like a raging sun in his sensory radar, closing the distance with a predatory speed that promised only death.
"Stay back!"
Enel no longer hesitated.
ZAP!
His physical body instantly dissolved. He transformed into a jagged, erratic bolt of blue lightning. But this time, there was no elegance, no arrogance in his movement. It was a retreat. It was a desperate flight of panic.
He shot straight up, fleeing like a streak of light toward the canopy, rushing toward his sanctuary of gold.
[The Ark Maxim - Internal Hangar]
By the time Suzaku's figure landed on the thick branch where Enel had stood just a second ago, the air was empty, leaving only the smell of ozone and copper.
High above, hidden in the dense cloud layer, a massive metallic shadow began to stir.
Enel crashed onto the main deck of the Ark Maxim. The ship was a marvel of twisted engineering—a fusion of Shandia's lost gold and Enel's advanced dial technology. Massive gold gears the size of houses, intricate conduction tubes, and a terrifying, golden face sculpted onto the prow that seemed to sneer at the world below.
He stumbled toward the main conductor throne—a seat made of solid gold, connected to the ship's core via thick cables.
"In the name of God... DESCEND!"
He didn't sit. He slammed his hands onto the golden conduction rods. He threw his head back and roared, pouring every ounce of his remaining life force and electricity into the machine.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The four Tomoe drums embedded in his back thundered in unison. An unprecedented, brilliant lightning burst from his entire body. He became a living generator, a blue sun furiously injecting billions of volts into the dormant heart of the Ark.
HUMMMMMMMM—!
A low, mechanical groan vibrated through the air, shaking the entire Upper Yard. It was the sound of a sleeping beast waking up.
"Buzz... Click... WHIR!"
The Ark Maxim came alive.
Countless intricate lightning patterns lit up along the golden hull, glowing with a lethal blue light. The massive chemical vats inside the engine room began to bubble furiously. The two hundred Jet Dials installed on the rear flared to life, emitting a high-pitched whine.
CRACK!
The massive wooden supports holding the ship shattered under the torque. The colossal, gold-plated vessel broke free from the restraints of the vine and slowly, ominously, began to ascend into the open sky.
As Enel poured his power into the mechanism, the Ark's primary weapon system—"Despair"—activated.
The massive exhaust ports on the side of the Ark opened. They didn't spew steam; they spewed massive clouds of black, thunder-charged smoke. These were chemically treated thunderclouds, denser and more volatile than anything nature could produce.
It happened in seconds.
The clear, blue sky of the White Sea was instantly swallowed. A blanket of boundless, pitch-black thunderclouds spread out from the Maxim like an oil spill, covering the sun, covering the light.
It was as if night had fallen at noon.
Within the pitch-black clouds, billions of purple and blue lightning snakes darted madly, illuminating the darkness with strobe-light flashes of horror. The atmosphere became heavy, suffocating. The aura of destruction pressed down on every living soul in Skypiea like a tangible weight.
Enel stood atop the Maxim, his body glowing against the backdrop of the apocalypse he had summoned. He looked down at the tiny island below, his hair floating in the static field.
The fear was gone, replaced by the manic highs of a desperate gambler who had gone all in with chips he didn't own.
"Look! Mortals!" Enel's voice was amplified by the clouds, booming like thunder from every direction, shaking the leaves off the trees. "This is the true form of God! Tremble before the true God's Punishment!"
[On the Ground - Upper Yard Ruins]
Wyper looked up, his mouth dry, his Bazooka hanging limp at his side.
"Is this..." Wyper's voice cracked like sandpaper. "Is this... the true power of God?"
The scene before him was apocalyptic. The sky was gone. The sun was gone. There was only a swirling vortex of black death, crackling with enough energy to vaporize the entire country of Skypiea in a single strike.
Gan Fall fell to his knees, his armor clanking against the stone. He looked at the thunderclouds devouring the sky, his eyes filled with the reflection of the lightning. He knew what this was. This was the end.
"Has it... has it come to this?" the old knight muttered, tears of helplessness and regret filling his aged eyes.
"I couldn't stop him then... and now... must I watch Skypiea be buried with him? He intends to sink everything into the Blue Sea below. The history, the people... all of it."
In the center of the panic, Albedo stood with her arms crossed, her black dress fluttering in the rising gale.
She swept her cold, golden gaze across the thunderclouds in the sky. Her expression wasn't fear; it was critical disappointment.
"The display is certainly grand," Albedo commented, flicking a speck of dust from her sleeve as if the end of the world was a minor inconvenience. "But alas, it is just flashy, empty fireworks. To think he believes mere weather phenomena can stop a Supreme Being... how pitiable."
To her, who served the absolute rulers of Nazarick, this "God" was nothing more than a child playing with matches.
Rem stood beside her, looking up. Her hands were clasped over her heart, her eyebrows knitted together in concern.
"Lord Suzaku..." she whispered. She wasn't worried about his survival—she knew he was invincible. She was worried that the noise would annoy him, or that the soot would dirty his clothes.
[Angel Island & Hidden Cloud Village]
The terror was absolute.
On the streets of Angel Island, civilians rushed out of their homes, screaming as the sky turned black.
"The sky! The sky is falling!"
"God's Punishment! It's the true God's Punishment!"
"We have angered him! We are all going to die!"
Mothers clutched their children, hiding them under tables. Men fell to their knees in prayer, begging for mercy from a God who had none. The darkness was absolute, illuminated only by the terrifying flashes of lightning that promised death.
In the Shandia Village, the scene was equally chaotic.
"WAAAAH!"
Nami screamed, hugging Ram's waist tightly, burying her face in the maid's apron. Her face was pale, devoid of blood.
"What?! What is that?!" Nami shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at the black vortex swirling above. "Dark clouds? Thunder? Wait—that ship in the middle... IS THAT GOLD?!"
Her eyes widened, a conflict between greed and terror warring in her soul.
"That ship is made of gold, right?! But wait—if he destroys the island, my gold is gone! AND WE DIE! SUZAKU! DO SOMETHING!"
Little Aisa was already terrified beyond words. Her Mantra was wide open, and she could feel Enel's chaotic, murderous intent flooding the sensory network. It was like hearing the screams of a demon echoing in her brain.
"Waah... so scary..." Aisa cried, clutching Ram's skirt tightly. "Enel... he's gone mad... he's going to destroy everything... everyone's voices are going to disappear..."
Ram frowned slightly at Nami's bone-crushing embrace, but her expression remained as calm as a still lake.
She gently patted Nami's back, her touch firm and reassuring.
"Do not panic," Ram said coolly.
Her red eyes gazed at the distant thunderclouds. The single horn on her forehead glowed with a faint pink light as her Clairvoyance activated, linking her vision with the wind, allowing her to see miles away.
"Lord Suzaku has gone after the enemy," Ram stated with absolute conviction. "There will be no problems. Besides, Rem and Lord Albedo are there. Even if the sky falls, they will hold it up."
[The Eye of the Storm - High Altitude]
High in the air, Suzaku hovered using Geppo, standing right in the center of the storm.
The wind howled around him, tearing at his clothes. Lightning struck randomly around him, sizzling as it hit his passive Haki barrier.
He looked up at the massive, golden Ark Maxim floating above him. He looked at Enel, who stood on the deck laughing like a maniac, his arms raised to the heavens.
"MAMARAGAN (HEAVY THUNDER)!" Enel roared.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Hundreds of lightning bolts began to rain down indiscriminately, blowing up trees, ruins, and clouds alike. The world was being carpet-bombed by electricity.
Suzaku watched the display, his face completely unimpressed.
"What's all this... making such a big show," Suzaku muttered, shielding his eyes from the glare.
He pouted slightly, looking disappointed.
"It's really quite... gaudy. Just a temper tantrum with a bigger budget."
He adjusted his stance in mid-air, the air pressure around him shifting.
"Alright. Playtime is over. I have a schedule to keep, and I want that gold ship intact."
He kicked the air, creating a sonic boom that cleared the mist around him.
BANG!
Suzaku shot upward like a cannonball, charging straight toward the Maxim.
Enel immediately sensed Suzaku's movement through his Mantra. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"You dare approach me in my domain?! In the sky?!"
Enel pointed his golden staff downward.
"LIGHTNING GOD'S DESCENT · TEN THOUSAND THUNDERS!"
The clouds churned. A massive, concentrated beam of lightning—strong enough to melt an entire island instantly—coalesced and aimed directly at the flying figure.
Suzaku didn't dodge. He didn't even slow down.
"Vermillion Bird Bloodline: Full Drive."
The golden flames burning around Suzaku's body suddenly contracted. They didn't expand; they compressed, sticking to his skin like a suit of armor. The heat turned white, burning the oxygen in the air.
ZOOM!
He accelerated. He transformed into a golden-red stream of light, piercing through heaven and earth. He tore straight through the "Ten Thousand Thunders," scattering the lightning like glass. The plasma parted around his flames, unable to touch him.
He was a needle of fire piercing the heart of the storm.
"[System Weapon: Fire-Tipped Spear]!"
Suzaku reached into the void of his inventory.
SHING!
A long spear materialized in his hand. It was the reward from his bond with Rem—the legendary weapon of the Third Lotus Prince, Nezha.
The spear was crimson, wrapped in swirling gold dragons engraved along the shaft. The tip burned with a divine, tricolor fire that surpassed the Vermillion flames in intensity. It radiated a heat that warped the visual spectrum.
"Break!"
Suzaku roared, thrusting the spear forward.
The flowing crimson-gold flames on the spear tip began to spin, forming an irresistible spiral drill of fire.
He collided with the hull of the Ark Maxim.
The massive Ark, built with the hardest ancient timbers and reinforced with solid gold, was supposed to be indestructible. It was supposed to be the chariot of God.
But before the Fire-Tipped Spear, it was as fragile as a paper toy.
SCREEECH... BOOM!!!
A sharp, ear-splitting sound of tearing metal echoed across the sky.
The spear didn't just pierce the hull; it melted it.
Suzaku flew straight through the bottom of the ship and erupted out of the deck, right in front of Enel's horrified face.
The force of the impact sliced the giant Ark Maxim cleanly in half from its core. The gold plating melted into golden rain. The ancient wood vaporized instantly.
The engines exploded.
The massive flying fortress groaned, split apart, and transformed into a sky full of burning wreckage, scattering down from high above like a meteor shower.
Enel stood on the tilting deck, his eyes wide, watching his masterpiece disintegrate beneath his feet.
"My... my Ark..."
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
As a special offer, I've opened a few limited-time tiers at a discounted price! You will get all the benefits of "The Founding Pillars" (normally $20), but at a much cheaper rate.
These slots are extremely limited:
"The Plot Uncoverer": $4.99 (Save 75% / $15.01) - Only 3 slots
"The Dedicated Fan": $9.99 (Save 50% / $10.01) - Only 7 slots
"The Lore Diver": $14.99 (Save 25% / $5.01) - Only 15 slots
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]