"Join… you?"
For the first time, Enel's expression wavered.
He froze for a heartbeat—then burst into roaring laughter.
"Hahahaha… interesting. Too interesting!"
His laughter cut off abruptly.
The amusement drained from his face, his eyes turning ice-cold.
"So what you're saying is…""a mere mortal thinks a god should lower himself?"
Before the words fully left his mouth, Enel raised his hand sharply.
A thick bolt of lightning tore down from the heavens, striking straight toward Gern's head!
BOOM!
Lightning exploded. Smoke and debris billowed outward.
Yet when the dust settled—
Gern Reginald Sigmar was still standing exactly where he had been, completely unharmed.
"So he's a Logia user… lightning, no less."Watching this, Tesoro finally understood why Gern had come looking for this man in the first place."Lightning on par with light speed… If properly cultivated, that's terrifying combat potential."
On the other side, Enel stared at Gern, his pupils shrinking.
"You…"
"Heh."Gern cut him off with a soft laugh."And with just that, you dare call yourself a 'god'? That's awfully naive."
"Impudent!"Enel roared. Lightning surged violently around his body as he raised his golden staff and pointed it downward."Divine Punishment!"
A massive lightning strike crashed down, instantly turning the entire area into a hellish thunder prison!
Snake Princess and the others retreated at once, escaping the range of the lightning barrage.
"Gern!"Lipo shouted anxiously, only to be grabbed by Tesoro.
"Relax," Tesoro said in a low voice."At this level… Vice Admiral Gern probably doesn't even need Armament Haki."
Sure enough—
Within the blinding lightning, Gern's figure remained upright.
He stepped forward calmly.Each footfall sent deeper tremors through the ground.
"Enel," Gern said evenly,"can your Mantra—your Observation Haki—hear my thoughts?"
Enel's expression finally changed.
Because he couldn't hear them.
This man's mind was like an abyss—utterly unreadable.
"Impossible…"Enel muttered, disbelief seeping into his voice."No one can block a god's listening. At first I thought it was just distance, but now…"
"It's because your Mantra isn't strong enough."
Gern's voice suddenly whispered right beside Enel's ear.
Enel whirled around violently—
Gern was already standing behind him.
"When did you—?!"Enel instantly dispersed into lightning, retreating in a flash while summoning another thunder strike at his original position.
"Good reaction speed,"Gern said, still standing there, nodding approvingly."But not fast enough."
"…Interesting."Seeing that lightning still had no effect on Gern, Enel froze—then broke into a wild, arrogant grin.
"But it's not as if you're the only one who can't be hurt…"
He spread his arms wide, lightning coiling around his body, his tone dripping with divine arrogance and mockery.
"A god is also without injury."
"If you don't believe me…"He actually sat down cross-legged in midair, laying the golden staff across his knees.Tilting his head, he looked at Gern with blatant provocation.
"…you're welcome to try."
Seeing Enel's expression—clearly that of someone who had never been properly beaten by Haki—Gern couldn't help but chuckle.
"Lipo."
Whoosh!
Before the sound of his voice fully faded, a blur tore through the air.
Lipo vanished.
In the instant Gern spoke her name, she was already at Enel's side.
Her small white form stretched into a razor-straight line as she moved at extreme speed, icy killing intent locking onto Enel.
Lipo raised her right leg high.
Jet-black Armament Haki wrapped around it.
A fierce, spinning side kick slammed straight toward Enel's face!
Enel scoffed, not even bothering to dodge.
He lazily lifted one hand, his body partially dispersing as lightning crawled across his skin.
"Sorry, a mortal can't harm—"
Before the word god could leave his mouth—
BANG!!!
Lipo's foot smashed violently into the left side of his face.
The sound was dull and explosive.
Enel's expression froze as his facial muscles warped under the sheer impact.
Teeth nearly tore free from his gums.Spit and blood sprayed through the air.
WHOOSH!
Enel's body was launched like a cannonball.
He shattered several floating cloudstones along the way before crashing violently into a distant building.
Dust and debris erupted skyward.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."Gern stood where he was, a faint smile tugging at his lips."So—do you still think a 'god' can't be hurt?"
In the distance, Enel staggered out of the rubble.
Half his face was grotesquely swollen, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
He stared at Lipo in utter disbelief.
"How is this possible…?!A mere mortal… how could she even touch me?!"
Yet Lipo looked even more confused than Enel.
She didn't pursue him.
Instead, she stood there, blinking, then turned back toward Gern with a baffled expression.
"Wait, Gern…"She pointed at Enel, incredulity written all over her face."He seriously didn't dodge?!"
Gern shrugged, his smile deepening."Well… he is a 'god,' after all."
In the distance, Snake Princess pressed a hand to her forehead, her expression screaming this man is hopeless.
Tesoro, meanwhile, twitched at the corner of his mouth and muttered under his breath,"With talent like that in Observation Haki… how is it being wasted this badly?"
Hearing their exchange, veins bulged on Enel's forehead.
Lightning raged wildly around him.
"You… you dare mock a god?!"
Lipo tilted her head, rabbit ears twitching gently, and asked innocently,
"Then… why didn't you dodge just now?"
"..."
The air seemed to freeze.
Enel's face went rigid.
Rage, humiliation, disbelief—every emotion twisted together before erupting into hysterical fury.
"I AM A GOD!!!"
BOOM!!
The golden staff slammed violently against the drums on his back.
Blinding lightning detonated outward.
"Sixty Million Volts — Thunder Dragon!!"
Thunder roared.
A monstrous dragon of lightning took form, tearing through the air and charging straight toward Gern with overwhelming, annihilating pressure!
Facing this terrifying attack, Gern didn't even need to activate his Devil Fruit.
He simply raised his left hand—coated in deep black Armament Haki—and flicked it aside.
BOOOOM!!
The lightning dragon shattered, electricity exploding in every direction.
"What?!"Enel's pupils shrank violently, his voice catching in his throat.
"…Developing his Devil Fruit to this level at just seventeen?"
Gern's figure appeared behind him once more, his tone calm and unhurried.
"Unfortunately, you've only ever beaten weaklings.You lack real combat experience."
The moment he heard the voice—
Enel grit his teeth.
The golden staff instantly reshaped, melting and forging itself into a sharp lightning spear.
Wrapped in thunder, he stabbed backward with all his strength!
SHNK!
The spear pierced straight through Gern's abdomen.
Enel leapt forward immediately, creating distance.
But the instant he turned his head—
He saw it.
His weapon was still embedded in Gern's stomach.
And at the wound, ripples spread outward—
The distinctive elemental distortion of a Logia body.
Gern glanced down at the "wound," vibration-like particles rippling across his torso.
He reached out, grasped the spear, and slowly pulled it free.
"This won't kill me."
Enel staggered backward.
His pupils trembled violently.
His voice squeezed out through clenched teeth, filled with unprecedented shock.
"You… are you… a god too?!"