Chapter 88: Skypiea – Merry's Rebirth & Enel's New Invitation
When morning light pierced through the clouds and fell upon the altar, the Straw Hat crew rubbed their sleepy eyes and walked toward the Merry. But the sight before them instantly snapped everyone awake—the once heavily damaged Going Merry was now completely restored!
"Look! I told you last night wasn't a dream!" Usopp danced around excitedly, pointing at the hull and shouting, "Someone really repaired the ship! Even the battle scars are gone!"
Nami gently stroked the smooth, like-new deck in astonishment: "It's not just repaired… even the cockscomb and wing decorations have been removed…"
"Hahaha, there really are good people in this world!" Luffy laughed carelessly.
Usopp frowned: "That's weird… how did that person know the Merry originally didn't have those decorations?"
Sol suddenly spoke, and the words silenced everyone: "What if… the one who repaired the ship was the Merry herself? After all, no one knows her better than she does."
"Merry?!"
"How can a ship repair itself?!"
"Sol, what exactly is going on?"
The crew immediately exploded into questions, talking over each other.
Usopp grabbed Sol frantically: "So what I saw last night really was…?"
"Exactly," Sol nodded with a smile. "It wasn't a ghost—it was the embodiment of the Going Merry, the legendary ship spirit. Too bad a certain scaredy-cat fainted right away."
"Aaaah! I missed the chance to meet Merry!" Usopp clutched his head and wailed, spinning in circles. "And I fainted! I'm such an idiot!"
Robin looked thoughtful: "Ship spirit? I've never seen any record of such a thing in any book…"
"It's a legend passed orally among shipwrights," Sol explained. "When the crew truly cherishes a ship, it can give birth to a spirit. They often appear to warn of danger before a crisis."
Sol gazed at the hull and said softly: "I talked with Merry for a long time last night… She said she wants to keep carrying everyone farther…"
"Hey, Merry! Come out and adventure with us! Hehehe!" Luffy dashed to the bow in one leap, jumped onto his favorite perch as usual, and shouted excitedly at the sheep figurehead.
The others quickly gathered around, calling out one after another:
"Merry! Let us see you!"
"It's such a shame we didn't see you last night!"
"Come out and talk!"
But only the wind answered from the deck. Just as disappointment began to settle and they were about to give up—
"Set sail, everyone."
A gentle voice suddenly rang in every ear—like the soft whisper of wind across sails, or waves lapping quietly against the hull.
"Hahaha! Well said!" Luffy raised his straw hat high and laughed loudly. "Little ones! Merry has spoken—set sail!!"
"Ooooh!!" The crew cheered in unison, spirits soaring.
Sol grinned, flipped off the altar, took a deep breath, and opened his mouth to unleash a powerful blast.
"Dragon's Roar!"
The violent gust struck precisely beneath the Merry. The entire ship soared upward in a graceful arc—"splash"—and landed steadily into the cloud river below. White waves sprayed outward, refracting rainbow light in the sun.
"Forward! Destination: Golden City Shandora!" Luffy stood at the bow, raising his arm in a rallying cry.
On deck, the crew quickly reached consensus: continue searching for the Poneglyph and the gold's whereabouts while staying alert for priest attacks. The Merry raised her sails and glided smoothly down the winding cloud river.
Deep within God Island, inside the Golden Shrine.
"Oh? Shura and Satori actually lost?" Enel lounged lazily on his throne, electric arcs dancing at his fingertips. "Trash should indeed be eliminated… looks like it's time to select new priests worthy of a god's dignity."
He idly fiddled with his earlobe, then suddenly grinned: "Those Qinghai rats want to go to Shandora looking for gold? Heh… it was already melted down into the Ark Maxim long ago. But—"
Enel's smile turned playful: "Those ruins would make a perfect arena."
"Yama!"
At his call, the massive, obese Divine Soldier Commander appeared kneeling outside the hall.
"Take fifty elite soldiers and go to Shandora to play with those Qinghai rats." Enel waved casually. "Make the scene lively."
"And… what about you, God-sama?" Yama asked cautiously.
"Me?" Enel's figure suddenly turned into lightning and vanished; only his voice echoed through the temple: "Of course I'm going to deliver the new invitations~"
"Wiper, I never thought attacking God Island would go this smoothly. Two priests already defeated—we're definitely taking back the island this time!" Mantis said excitedly beside Wiper.
"Don't let your guard down, Mantis. The toughest enemy hasn't been dealt with yet," Wiper replied, though inwardly he was thrilled. After more than four hundred years, the dawn of victory finally seemed near.
As the Shandians excitedly advanced deeper into the forest, a figure appeared ahead, instantly putting them on high alert.
"E… Enel!!"
A terrified scream shattered the forest silence.
Perched on a treetop, the man in the white turban lazily picked his ear. Lightning flashed—Pasi, one of the warriors, collapsed charred and blackened.
"You need to add the honorific, monkeys." Enel wagged his finger. "It's 'God Enel-sama.'"
"You bastard!" Raki knelt to check her comrade's injuries, voice trembling.
"Why are you here, Enel?" Wiper stared at him with murderous eyes.
Enel continued picking his ear leisurely: "I told you—add the honorific. Whatever, it's pointless explaining to monkeys like you. I'm here to deliver the invitations to the survival game, obviously!"
"Didn't a Divine Soldier already come yesterday to say the same thing?" Mantis asked.
"Hah?" Enel yawned. "Of course the rules changed—so I'm reissuing the invitations!" He suddenly spread his arms. "You're now permitted to return to Shandora! However…"
Lightning crackled across his body: "…as gladiators. The final winner gets a ticket to the limitless earth~"
"What a joke! I'll personally twist your head off and return to our homeland!" Wiper activated the wind dial beneath his skates and charged straight at Enel—only to pass uselessly through him and crash into the trees on the other side.
"That's what I'm saying…" Enel's voice came from higher up. "Mortals can't touch gods." His figure dissolved into lightning and vanished. "See you in Shandora, monkeys."
"Wait—don't run!" Wiper reached out toward the disappearing figure, furiously punched a nearby tree, then opened his palm to reveal a Sea Prism Stone fragment.
"Next time we meet…" Wiper gripped the fragment tightly. "…it will be your death, Enel."
"Everyone, attention!" He turned and roared. "Target: Shandora—advance!"
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