... in the ruins of Shandora...
The city was dead silent, the usual jungle sounds of life having all but ceased after the battle just moments earlier. Most, if not all animal life inhabiting the ruins had fled the area before the fight started. Draped across the ruins like a shag carpet was the giant python, its colossal head rested motionless atop a slowly crumbling building. Its long, forked tongue hung lifeless from its mouth, its slow, shallow breaths coming in raspy hisses.
Then, its eyes snapped open, blinking several times and briefly seeming to bulge out of its skull. They then snapped shut for a few seconds, before opening again. Upon closer inspection, the snake was not actually conscious, but instead, its eyes being forced open by two figures within them.
It turned out to be Luffy and the young Shandian girl, Aisa. Both of them had survived being trapped inside the python's stomach, and had made their way up to the snake's head in search of a way out. Holding up the snake's eyelid, Luffy knocked on the front of the eye, and Aisa seemed to snap at him, before he let go of the lid. The eye snapped shut again, before the snake's jaw opened, the duo, along with Pierre, sliding down the tongue before tumbling onto the ground below.
Luffy was the first to stand, hopping up excitedly and running up the steps of a nearby pyramid. Aisa followed shortly after, while Pierre was still getting his bearings.
"YEAH, WE'RE FINALLY OUT!", Luffy shouted gleefully, stretching his arms high above his head and he inhaled as much fresh air as he could. He then took notice of his surroundings.
"Huh, where are we? The ruins?", he pondered, excitement growing as he scanned the vast, ancient city, "Wow! Look, we made it!"
Luffy turned to the still exhausted Aisa.
"Is this the place where I can find the gold bell?", Luffy asked.
"Gold bell?", Aisa questioned, "If that's here, then this... is this our homeland?"
As he scanned the ancient ruins, Luffy paused upon spotting a pair of massive holes in the ground.
"Wow! Those are big holes!", he exclaimed, hopping off the ruins and startling Aisa. He landed harmlessly on his feet, while Aisa stared after him.
"Wait for me!", she shouted after him, "Where are you going?"
Luffy gave no answer as he ran, leaving Aisa by herself. Upon reaching the site of the giant holes, he came across a truly horrific sight. The unconscious forms of Zoro, Robin and Gan Fall were strewn across the ground, their still forms blackened and bloodied. Chopper was there too, though his injuries were not so grievous, and Nami and Saurus, who had been with them, were gone without a trace. Panicked, Luffy ran to their aid, reaching Zoro first.
"ZORO!", Luffy shouted, a mix of anger and fear evident in his voice as he shook his crewmate's shoulders, "OI! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?! HOW DID YOU GET LIKE THIS?! WHERE'S NAMI? AND SAURUS?"
He heard shouting and crying coming from one of the holes, and he ran over to check it out. Leaning over the charred edge of the hole, Luffy found Aisa, crying over the unconscious form of Wyper. Enel's attack hadn't pierced all the way through the earth, preventing him from falling through the clouds below. Of everyone present, he had sustained the most damage, with almost every inch of his body soaked in blood and burnt. Luffy gulped.
"Isn't that the bazooka guy? Even a strong guy like him was beaten. Who the heck did all this?", Luffy questioned.
"IT'S ENEL! ONLY HE CAN DO THIS KIND OF THING!", Aisa sobbed, hauling herself out of the hole. Once she was out, she hunched over and continued to weep, tears falling onto cobblestone.
"While we were trapped in the snake's stomach, my Mantra didn't work at all, so I don't know what happened here", she sniffled.
Luffy heard a hacking cough behind him, and turned around to see Robin regaining consciousness. Luffy hurried over to her, gently lifting her upper half up.
"He took... Miss Navigator... Saurus... is gone", Robin rasped, her voice hoarse and her breathing uneasy.
Luffy went stone stiff, blood nearly freezing in his veins. Robin's eyes fluttered shut for a moment, making him panic.
"H-hey, stay awake!", Luffy urged, "Who took Nami? W-what happened to Saurus?!"
"Listen...", Robin pleaded, staring up at Luffy with fear filled orbs of blue, "This country... no, all of Skypiea will be destroyed."
This caught Aisa's attention, her sobs ceasing for a moment as she was filled with terror.
"AH! MY VILLAGE TOO!?", the girl shouted.
"Everything here will fall below the clouds", Robin warned ominously, "Enel is searching for the golden bell, I'm sure of it. He must still be here in the ruins."
"I got it!", Aisa declared, her gaze shifting to something off in the distance, "I can hear two other voices on the island."
"That must be Nami!", Luffy shouted hopefully, before his eyes narrowed into a fierce glare, "and Enel! Wait, only two?!"
He turned to Aisa.
"Are you sure? What about Saurus?", Luffy asked, worried for his crewmate's safety.
Aisa shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I can only hear those two voices", Aisa confessed.
Luffy's eyes became shadowed for a moment.
"Aisa, take me there! Take me to Enel!", Luffy ordered.
...Somewhere within the White Sea...
Deep within the clouds of the White Sea, multiple creatures fled for their lives as a mass of dark clouds slowly engulfed the pristine white expanse. The sound of rumbling thunder could be heard for miles, its ominous song heralding the coming of a monstrous storm. Lightning flashed from deep within the dark cloud, illuminating a massive silhouette at its heart. A pair of glowing, golden orbs peered out of the cloud, illuminating a sleek, reptilian head crowned by a pair of elegant, gilded horns. The creature, whatever it was, let out a high, wailing roar, harmonizing with the endless thunder.
...With Luffy...
"Are we there yet?!", Luffy shouted, following Aisa as she rode on Pierre's back. The duo were making a mad dash through the ancient city to where the girl could hear the two voices.
"THERE!", Aisa shouted, pointing ahead of them to a large cave, "THAT'S THE CAVE!"
Despite knowing she'd be of little help, Aisa elected to follow Luffy through the cave. As they traversed deeper and deeper into the cave, she could hear the two voices growing louder and louder. She was sure that if she could sense Enel, then he could certainly sense them coming, especially from this distance. Still, she refused to run away, determined to see Enel brought to his knees with her own eyes.
Upon reaching the end of the cave, the duo were met with the sight of a giant ship. It was the strangest looking ship they'd ever seen, with numerous propellers jutting from its sides and one large one on its stern. A large, golden face adorned the form of the ship's cabin, and along the hull were two rows of large, wooden oars. Beneath those oars were a series of openings whose purpose was unknown. Luffy glared up at the ship, his gut telling him that Enel was onboard.
His hunch was confirmed when Enel emerged from the ship's cabin, looking less than pleased by the disturbance.
"I'm not very pleased right now. How can there possibly be a mistake in my prediction?", Enel muttered to himself, his gaze panning down to Luffy, "You must be Luffy."
Also onboard was Nami, who upon hearing Luffy's name spoken, couldn't help but shout, "LUFFY!"
"What did you do to my friends?! Where is Saurus?!", Luffy demanded to know.
Enel scoffed at this.
"Show some respect, punk.", Enel spat, "I am God!"
Luffy didn't even flinch.
"Yeah right! You don't look like God!", Luffy retorted, making Nami, Pierre and Aisa all gasp at his audacity, with the latter two going to hide to avoid Enel's wrath.
"LUFFY, BE CAREFUL!", Nami warned, before clamping her hands over her mouth. Enel had clearly heard her, as he sent a cold, stony glare her way as if to warn her to stay silent.
Then, Enel began to laugh, going from a small chuckle to a full on cackle within seconds. This made Nami, Pierre and Aisa tremble with fright.
"YAHAHAHA! I hear the cheers of the angels. It seems the citizens know the fate of their beloved Skypiea, yahahaha!", Enel cackled, "I do wonder where they're running to."
Luffy clenched his fists tighter in anger, and shouted, "I SAID, YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE GOD, STUPID!"
Enel's laughter slowly faded as he looked down at Luffy with a semi-amused smirk.
"I will show you soon enough", Enel mused sadistically, watching Luffy race towards him. Luffy ran up one of the oars and stretched his arm, grabbing ahold of the base of one of the propellers. He swung around the propeller once before letting go, launching himself at Enel.
"I see. So you're not just a regular mortal after all", Enel commented, "However, devil fruit or not, it makes no difference to me."
Enel's right arm transformed into a mass of electricity, his sinister smirk widening.
"Because I! AM! GOD!", Enel shouted, unleashing a massive blast of lightning from his arm, "GOD'S JUDGEMENT!"
As Luffy was still airborne, he had no chance to dodge the attack. He shielded his eyes from the blinding light before it consumed him, horrifying the others. The blast slammed him into the wall of the cave, leaving a sizable, charred hole in the rock. Once the smoke from the attack cleared, Luffy's friends watched the hole anxiously, fearing the worst for the young captain.
However, to everyone's surprise, Luffy stepped out of the hole only a few seconds later. He had a few charred spots, and his clothes were a bit more tattered than before, but no actual damage. No bleeding, no actual burns under the charred spots, nothing. Confused, Luffy hummed and looked around, before facing Enel with a look that was around 10% confidence, and 90% bewilderment. His friends were baffled by his uninjured state, while Enel seemed to grow rather annoyed.
"Hmph, you're better than I thought", Enel remarked, spinning his staff and tapping the end against the two center drums of his back ring, "60 Million Volts, THUNDER DRAGON!"
A massive electric dragon emerged from the two drums, and with a flick of his staff, Enel commanded the dragon to attack. The thunder dragon's jaws clamped down on the young pirate, consuming him in another mass of lightning. The thunder god was certain the boy would die this time, but as the smoke cleared, Luffy was again unharmed.
Enel, now struggling to maintain his composure, lunged for the boy, sparks crackling around his right hand. He slammed his open palm against Luffy's chest.
"Shock Release: 100 Million Volts!", Enel shouted, causing a massive blast of electricity to explode right in Luffy's face. Again, the attack did nothing, but this time Luffy didn't even wait for the attack to finish, opting instead to punch Enel square in the face.
"STOP IT! YOU'RE ANNOYING!", Luffy roared angrily.
Everyone was left slack jawed by this; Luffy's attack had actually affected Enel! None, however, were more shocked than the thunder god himself. The man looked at though he'd seen a ghost. His face had gone sheet white, bloodshot eyes bulging from his head as his jaw hung so low, it looked like it might fall right off.
Shaking his head in confusion, Enel gritted his teeth as he watched Luffy aim a kick at him. Believing Luffy's prior attack to be nothing more than a fluke, Enel didn't bother evading, confident in his devil fruit powers. Unfortunately for him, Luffy's kick struck him square in the gut, the sheer force of it causing the God's body to bend almost completely in half. Enel hit the ground hard, skidding to a stop a few feet in front of Luffy in a crumpled heap as he coughed up blood.
"Of course!", Nami gasped, "Luffy's made of rubber, so Enel's lightning based attacks have no effect on him! Enel probably never thought someone like that could exist. Could Luffy be Enel's one and only natural enemy?!"
Luffy stood over the downed Enel, who was holding his stomach in pain. Slowly, he forced himself to his feet, gritting his teeth in anger. Upon seeing how close he was to Luffy, Enel back flipped away several meters, landing on a nearby railing.
"What the hell are you?", Enel questioned, trying to understand how Luffy's attacks had hit him.
"I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi. I'm a rubber man!", Luffy declared.
"Rubber?", Enel pondered, clearly unfamiliar with the material.
"I get it now! There must not be any rubber in the White-White Sea.", Nami concluded.
"I'm immune to lightning!", Luffy declared boldly, fearlessly charging Enel as he readied a punch.
Closing his eyes, Enel took a breath, calming himself. When Luffy tried to punch him, Enel easily sidestepped the attack, sending Luffy flying past him. Whipping around with a snarl, Luffy aimed a kick at Enel, only for him to vanish in a burst of sparks. Upon spotting Enel as he fell back, Luffy landed on his hands and aimed a dual kick at Enel, who again vanished in a flash of lightning.
Before Luffy could react, Enel had swung his golden staff, striking the boy square in the face with enough force to knock him off his feet. Before Luffy could even land, Enel struck him two more times. He then followed up his strikes by jabbing the butt of his staff against Luffy's throat, pinning him against the wall.
"I've seen through your attack pattern", Enel declared confidently, smug grin gracing his face once again, "Even if you are immune to lightning, not all my attacks are lightning-based. I can still deal with you in other ways."
Luffy growled in defiance, swinging a kick to force Enel off of him. Again, Enel vanished in a flash, stopping several meters away from Luffy. Holding his golden staff out, Enel channeled lightning up and down its length. The golden rings at the tip melted and reformed into a trident spearhead.
"This thunder attack has a physical form. Playtime is OVER!", Enel shouted.
Sensing danger, Luffy quickly leapt up onto the golden head crowning the ship, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and Enel. Enel was amused by this, cackling at Luffy's perceived cowardice.
"Hahaha. Your weakness lies in your inability to attack", Enel taunted.
Refusing to back down, Luffy launched himself off the golden head, only for Enel to again disappear.
"BEHIND YOU, LUFFY!", Aisa cried out.
Time seemed to slow for Luffy as he looked over his shoulder, spotting sparks crackling around a figure emerging from the golden surface. To his horror and frustration, he saw the figure taking the shape of Enel, who locked onto him with murderous, sky blue orbs. The thunder god lashed out, stabbing at the young pirate with his trident. Luffy only just barely avoided a lethal goring, the prongs tearing his shirt instead. He grabbed onto the staff to try and disarm Enel, only for a searing pain to shot through his hands up his arms. It felt as though the flesh would melt right off his palms.
"Yahahaha! The more electricity I instill into my trident, the hotter it gets!", Enel declared. This confidence was soon replaced with confusion, however, when Luffy's right foot shot up, his leg stretching high above their heads.
"Gomu Gomu no Axe!", Luffy shouted, slamming his foot down on Enel, the added momentum slamming him into the deck with enough force to snap the wooden planks. Enel angrily pulled himself up, blood dripping from his mouth as he panted and huffed in a fit of rage.
"YOU LITTLE BRAT!", the god roared up at Luffy.
"Gomu Gomu no Gatling!", Luffy roared, firing a barrage of punches down at Enel while still airborne.
Much to Luffy's shock, Enel was easily able to halt his attack, grabbing the boy's wrists in a vice-like grip. Enel whipped the boy's arms downwards hard, slamming Luffy face-first into the wooden deck, creating a hole in the floor.
"You picked a bad time to tour Skypiea, pirates of the Blue Sea", Enel remarked, twirling his staff in one hand while wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, "I am God! I can easily predict the future, not to mention your attacks. After all, my will ALONE created this world!"
Enel walked over to a strange mechanism in the mouth of the golden face.
"You are foolish to stand against me. Instead, why not witness by my side the annihilation of this country! YAHAHAHA!", Enel cackled, stepping up to the mechanism, resting his hands upon two large golden orbs sat atop short poles.
Nami and the others gasped wide-eyed in horror as Enel began generating a massive amount of electricity.
"Max 200 Million Volt! SHOCK RELEASE!", Enel shouted, making electricity flow throughout the entire ship. The massive propellers began spinning, causing the ship to float.
"Look! The Ark is floating!", Enel exclaimed excitedly, arms outstretched, "The Ark that will take me the the Endless Vearth, MAXIM!"
The ship rumbled and shook as it rose off the ground, separating Aisa and Pierre from the group as they remained on the ground. Nami was in full blown panic mode, falling to her knees and shaking with fright. She watched as the ship burst through the ceiling of the cave, rising above the jungle ruins.
"LUFFY! WHAT DO WE DO?!", she cried. She feared the ship would fall from the sky as soon as Enel was defeated, but if he wasn't, Skypiea would fall instead.
"QUIT YAPPING!", Luffy barked, crawling out of the hole and throwing Nami his prized hat, "You're a friend of the future Pirate King, so stop being such a worrier!"
Luffy's demeanor had taken quite the dramatic shift, going from pure rage to deadly calm. Enel cocked his head curiously.
"Pirate King?", he mused, "What country does he rule?"
"He is the king of the sea!", Luffy declared, earning a sinister grin from Enel.
"That doesn't sound half bad", the god mused, "Let's finish this in the sky."
"I won't let you hurt my friends anymore! You'll pay for what you did to them!", Luffy snarled.
"I was simply punishing those lost lambs for their sins. It is my duty as God. Once this island has fallen, perhaps you'll be reunited with that monster tamer", Enel remarked.
Luffy's eyes widened slightly, his skin breaking out in a cold sweat.
"What are you talking about? Where's Saurus!?", Luffy demanded to know.
Enel cackled in amusement. He looked Luffy dead in the eye, sinister smirk stretched across his face.
"She's dead, cast back down to the Blue Sea for her sins", Enel admitted, his words making Luffy's eyes widen to the size of saucers. He went deathly pale, clenched fists shaking.
...Flashback...
"SHUT UP! I TOOK THIS RISK THE MOMENT I BECAME A PIRATE!", Saurus roared, "Unlike you, I don't fight to appease my own damn ego, I fight to protect others! And if that means sacrificing myself to save my friends from a heartless tyrant like you, THEN SO BE IT!"
As they fell, Enel smirked.
"Foolish woman, did you really believe your pathetic sacrificial act would work?", Enel taunted, "I admit you've weakened my powers, though you've vastly underestimated the extent of my abilities."
To Saurus's horror, Enel used his lightning to effectively teleport, disappearing via a bolt of lightning before appearing several feet above her. His right arm became cloaked in lightning as it raised it above his head. Her eyes widened in horror, her breath hitching in her throat.
"You aren't the first to try this tactic on me.", Enel mocked, looking down on her, "There's no land below this point as far as I know, so I hope you know how to swim. Though from this height, you'll most likely perish regardless. Still, a little insurance of your demise wouldn't hurt. Now perish, GOD'S JUDGEMENT!"
The massive bolt of lightning slammed into Saurus and Sharptooth, their screams of pain music to the thunder God's ears. Transforming into a bolt of lightning, Enel shot back up into the clouds, leaving Saurus to free fall towards the ocean below.
...end Flashback...
Enel cackled wildly as he finished mocking Luffy with the defeat of his friend, the young captain now shaking violently with a mix of disgust, horror and rage.
"N-no... NO! NO! YOU'RE LYING!", Luffy shouted, desperately believing his friend was still alive. This only caused Enel to laugh harder. Luffy's gaze quickly shifted to Nami.
"You were there! She's alive, RIGHT?!", Luffy asked, although to Nami, it sounded more like desperate pleading. Knowing Enel spoke the truth, she shook her head, unable to meet her equally heartbroken captain's gaze. Nami was there when Enel emerged from the hole in the clouds, badly injured, but still very much alive. But Saurus, Saurus was gone. Tears welled up in Nami's eyes.
As the realization kicked in, Luffy lowered his head, eyes shadowed. Enel took great pleasure in the boy's misery.
"Do you understand now? I am GOD! None can stand before my might. Look around you", Enel boasted, gesturing to the flying ship, "I call it Deathpiea."
Above the ship, a massive, black cloud began to form, growing larger with every second as it cast an ominous shadow over Upper Yard. Thunder rumbled loudly in the late afternoon air, lightning dancing along the edges of the monstrous storm.
"Using my energy, Deathpiea can produce thunder clouds. Soon all of Skypiea will be eclipsed, then the clouds shall unleash lightning ten times stronger than any of my attacks. This country will be completely eradicated!", Enel declared, raising his right arm. It was quickly consumed by electricity, which travelled up into the colossal storm overhead. Enel gave a sinister smirk and said, "Allow me to demonstrate."
To everyone's horror, a giant bolt of lightning, far larger than any Enel had produced so far, tore across the sky heading straight for Angel Island. The sound of thunder followed, its deafening roar audible all across Skypiea. Despite the great distance, the explosion created by the bolt was clearly audible to Nami and Luffy, the former letting out a horrified scream.
"Why?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! THE CITIZENS DID NOTHING WRONG! JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU ARE GOD, YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE EVERYTHING FROM THEM!?", Luffy roared over the booming thunder.
"Yes. Life... Earth... all things are at my mercy!", Enel declared, before lashing out with his trident, "INCLUDING YOU!"
Luffy retaliated with a kick, which Enel blocked with his left arm. He struck again with his spear, which Luffy kicked away, shouting in pain as the searing hot metal burned the bottom of his foot. Enel followed up with a flurry of forward jabs, each of which were blocked despite the burning pain they caused. To avoid more burns, Luffy avoided the final strike, causing the trident to burn through a section of the Ark's railings.
"Damn, he can predict all my movements", Luffy cursed, ignoring the burning pain in his arms and right foot. Suddenly, he got an idea. If Enel could predict his movements, then he'd simply attack without thinking about it. Then, Enel shouldn't be able to read his mind, and by extension, his attacks.
"Gomu Gomu no... Boh...", Luffy shouted, his face going blank as his voice trailed off.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, LUFFY!?", Nami shouted at him, confused by his strange actions.
Enel stabbed at him with his trident, only for Luffy to sidestep the attack with ease. This puzzled the thunder god, who followed up with another barrage of stabs. Each stab was easily avoided by the rubber pirate, who backflipped away from the final strike. Upon landing, he snapped out of his daze.
"Damn, I couldn't attack him in that state", Luffy panted.
"YOU IDIOT! I WAS JUST ABOUT TO PRAISE YOU, TOO!", Nami scolded him.
"How do I attack him like this?!", Luffy growled. Then, a light bulb went off in his poorly lit brain. He went into dumb mode again, arms wiggling as he slithered along the ground using his legs.
"STOP USING THOSE STUPID ATTACKS!", Nami shrieked at him, unable to believe his sheer stupidity.
At this point, Enel was trying very hard to maintain his composure despite the circus act before him. "I can see you're trying hard to avoid my Mantra. Understandable I suppose, since that's how I can easily dominate my opponents", Enel remarked.
Again snapping out of his dazed state, Luffy's gaze shifted to the wall behind him. He quickly jumped away from Enel, before turning to the golden wall. In a display that baffled Enel and Nami, he lashed out at the wall with rapid fire punches and kicks.
"Why is he attacking the ship?", Nami wondered, confused by his actions.
"Fool! Trying to destroy my ship since you can't beat me?", Enel mocked, charging at Luffy. This proved to be a foolish move on his part, as Luffy's attacks ricocheted off the golden surface and struck Enel, his Mantra unable to foresee this. Blow after blow struck him, taking his feet out from beneath him and knocking the wind from his lungs. One punch struck him dead in the face, a sickening crack echoing as it broke his jaw. Blood escaped his mouth in a thick globs as he hit the ground, landing hard on his back and skidding back several meters.
"You can't get away now!", Luffy yelled, taking this opening to ready another attack. His arms stretched behind him as he charged towards Enel, who was slowly picking himself up off the floor. once he got close, his arms whipped forward, his hands slamming hard into Enel's gut, causing another thick spray of blood to spurt past his lips. He fell to his knees, eyes wide with pain as he struggled to stand again. Luffy gave him no chance to recover, right arm twisted like a corkscrew behind him. He slammed his fist hard into Enel's gut before he could stand, the added momentum from spinning creating enough force to lift Enel off the ground. His body went flying, spinning as it went before slamming into the golden face attached to the ship, resulting in a loud bang!
"I'll make you pay for what you did!", Luffy shouted at the crumpled heap that was the wounded thunder god, "I'LL AVENGE SAURUS, AND ALL THE PEOPLE YOU KILLED! I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!"
Enel's breathing had become labored, each breath raspy and interrupted by coughing and hacking. Slowly, and with great difficulty, Enel forced his upper half up, leaning back against the golden wall. His face was battered and bloody, the left side of his lower jaw swollen and turning a nauseating shade of purple. Sky blue eyes were surrounded by pinkish red instead of white, the flesh around his left eye turning the same shade of purple and black as his jaw. Blood oozed in thick, partially-clotted globs and rivulets from his mouth and nose.
"Heh... heh... damn... you! I was... heh... so... close...", Enel rasped, before violently hacking, a massive glob of clotted blood splatting onto the once pristine wood of the Maxim's deck, "My plans would have worked flawlessly if it wasn't for you!"
Slowly, a chuckle rumbled in his chest, a sign of the God's mania.
"Everyone should fear me, worship me! A punk like you is no match for me! It is IMPOSSIBLE! I AM GOD! I AM THE ALMIGHTY GOD!", Enel cackled, his laughter punctuated with a loud rumble of thunder from the storm cloud. Sparks began crackling out of control around his body, and he stood once more. "Look carefully, rubber man, this island is doomed. Nothing can save it now!", Enel warned.
Luffy gritted his teeth and lunged, aiming a punch at the thunder god while shouting, "SHUT UP!"
Enel placed his hands against the gold, melting it with his lightning. Once Luffy's outstretched fist was close enough, Enel wrapped the molten metal around it, burning Luffy's arm as he trapped it within a giant ball of solid gold. Luffy hit the ground screaming, flailing wildly as the metal scorched his arm within its molten core.
"LUFFY!", Nami cried out worriedly, forced to listen to her captain's screams of agony.
"YAHAHA! YAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!", Enel cackled, watching with glee as Luffy tried and failed to free his arm from its metallic prison. "Rubber man of the Blue Sea, I have no desire to fight you", Enel confessed, "You are DISMISSED!"
With that, Enel kicked the golden ball hard, sending it tumbling over the edge of the ship. Luffy's arm stretched behind it, as the boy tried in vain to keep himself from falling off.
"Once you're out of my way, this world will be mine once again! There will be no one who can stop me!", Enel boasted.
"In this world, there's a lot of people. In the Blue Sea, there are a lot of monstrous guys to defeat!", Luffy retorted, the prime examples in his head being people like Mihawk and Crocodile, as well as his brother, Ace, "Someone like you wouldn't stand a chance!"
Enel gritted his teeth and lashed out with his staff, smacking Luffy in the head while shouting, "Shut up, punk! FALL WITH THIS SKY ISLAND!"
The force of the blow sent Luffy tumbling over the edge, Nami crying out for him as he fell into the massive ravine created by the Maxim. She ran over to the edge, but when she peered over, she was surprised to see Aisa and Pierre racing to catch Luffy.
"Aisa! Pierre!", she shouted, feeling both worried for their safety and relieved.
"Oh, are they the voices I hear?", Enel mused, right arm crackling with electricity. He walked over to the edge, locking onto the airborne trio. Nami tried to warn them, but it was too late. Before they could react, Enel unleashed God's Judgement upon them, swallowing them up in a flash of lightning.
"Yahahaha. The feeling of sadness is all that remains of those three. No matter how you cry or revolt, you can't save this country.", Enel mused, walking over to his throne in front of the gold face and taking a seat. By now, he was fully confident that he would achieve victory. "After surviving such events, don't you have high hopes for the future?", Enel asked Nami.
"High hopes for the future?", Nami repeated, before responding, "Yes, however, getting there with you is no different from being alone! What good is the treasure if I'm alone?! After sharing so many dreams and adventures, instead of sacrificing them to leave with you, I WOULD RATHER HAVE NOTHING AT ALL!"
Enel was stone faced for a moment, before grinning evilly. "You really don't value your life at all, do you?", he mused, lightning coating his arm again.
Nami refused to budge, facing the god with the same stubborn determination as her captain.
"There is only one way off this ship. So unwise, letting go of the life line you've been holding on to. Don't tell me you're hoping to rely on the two rats that just snuck aboard", Enel mused.
Enel then stood up, making Nami take a few steps back.
"It seems they really are trying to rescue you, how foolish of them", Enel scoffed. He then aimed a beam of electricity at Nami, who just barely managed to dodge it. She rolled a few times before coming to a stop, Enel's gaze never leaving her.
"No one will rescue you, because I am taking care of you here and now", Enel said with a smirk.
"If I stay here I'll die for sure. I'll need to jump off the ship.", Nami thought, drawing her Clima-Tact.
Upon seeing the strange weapon in her hands, Enel couldn't help but laugh.
"Yahahaha! That is one interesting weapon, girl!", Enel mocked, finding the segmented staff to be a pathetic excuse for a weapon. With a flick of his golden staff, he launched another blast of electricity at the navigator. Taking a section of the staff in her right hand, she swung it with all her might, creating a curved bubble in front of her. The bubble, which had an electric current flowing through it, deflected the attack upwards.
"I'm impressed. Redirecting my attack with an electric current requires a great knowledge of weather. Unfortunately, that trick won't work twice. If I use a bigger attack, then you can't block it, isn't that right?", Enel mocked, charging up a much larger attack, "I'm a busy man, so farewell!"
Nami could only watch in absolute horror as Enel charged up his attack, knowing full well she couldn't deflect it.
"EAT THIS! FLAME STAR!"
Before Enel could fire his attack, something struck his hand an exploded in a burst of flames. When the smoke from the attack cleared, Enel was unscathed, and the confident grin now gone from his face. Nami looked past him and was amazed to see Usopp standing there, having snuck onboard the Maxim and emerged from a door in the golden face. Enel was giving the sniper a cold stare, and if looks could kill, the Usopp would be dead a thousand times over.
"S-sorry", Usopp whimpered, shielding his face with his hands to avoid meeting Enel's murderous gaze.
"USOPP!", Nami shouted. She was surprised to see him up and moving so soon after being fried by Enel's lightning. He was covered in fresh bandages, most likely thanks to Conis.
"I see you have found your way to the deck", Enel said coldly.
"Wait! Where's Sanji?", Usopp questioned, looking around.
"Eh? Sanji is coming too?", Nami inquired.
"YOU MEAN HE'S NOT HERE?!", Usopp yelped. For a brief moment, he met Enel's cold gaze, the God's eyes seeming to pierce through the sniper's very soul. In an instant, the sniper slammed the door he came through, hiding behind it.
"GET BACK HERE!", Nami snapped, furious that he had the audacity to leave her alone with the bloodthirsty thunder god. A few seconds ticked by, before the sniper emerged, shouting, "LET'S GET IT ON, GOD!", at the top of his lungs. This earned him a blast from Enel's lightning, which he clumsily avoided at the last second. He skidded to a stop next to Nami after tumbling head over heels. He pleaded with her to save him, earning him a slap from the infuriated navigator. As she scolded Usopp, Enel grew more and more annoyed by his intrusion. Not wanting to here their screeching any longer, the god fired another beam of lightning at them, making them shriek as they panic dove to avoid being fried.
"Hey Nami, is that Luffy's hat?", Usopp asked, panting and shaking with fear.
"Yeah, it's Luffy's. He fell off the ship a while ago, but he's probably still alive", Nami confirmed, keeping the hat close to her to protect it. Despite her fear of Enel, she refused to let Luffy's cherished hat be destroyed by one of his attacks, its safety just as important as theirs in her eyes. Seeing Enel readying another attack, the duo got ready to run again.
"It's just island clouds under here, so he probably didn't drown", Usopp assured, "Let's split up! Don't die!".
He didn't need to tell Nami twice, the girl already running in the direction opposite of him just in time to avoid Enel's attack. Usopp noticed a large glass ball on the left side of Enel's throne. The ball was filled with electricity, crackling and sparking wildly.
"Usopp, Look!", Nami shouted, drawing his attention. He saw her pointed to her newly repaired waver. "I want to use the waver to get us out of here!", she explained.
"YOU WANT TO JUMP OFF?!", Usopp yelled back in disbelief.
"Yeah, there's a part of the forest filled with really soft clouds, I can land there!", Nami explained.
Enel shot another bolt of lightning at them, knocking them to the ground. Nami was the first to recover, standing and making a mad dash for the waver. Usopp stood and put himself between her and Enel, shouting, "I'll get his attention! Go get ready!"
Once he had Enel's attention, Usopp ran to the glass orb and climbed on top. The god watched in annoyance as the sniper began taunting him, goading him with loud jeers and irksome antics. He was doing whatever he could to keep Enel focused on him so Nami could get the waver. The thunder god found his patience to be running thin, and struck the sniper in the face with his staff mid taunt. This sent Usopp tumbling off the glass orb, after which Enel struck him in the face again. He tumbled onto the deck, his face bloody and starting to swell.
Despite his brutal beating, Usopp was able to give Nami just enough time to hop on her waver. She started it up and shot off, racing to grab Usopp. The sound of the waver caught Enel's attention, and he turned to see Nami speeding towards him and Usopp.
"So you think you can escape? Being your opponent, I won't let you get away so easily", Enel said. Nami gulped nervously, before calling out for Usopp to take her hand. As he did, Enel slammed the end of his staff down onto the sniper's hand, preventing him from escaping.
"Running is not an option I'm afraid", Enel remarked, letting his right arm be consumed by lightning. Before he could unleash God's Judgement upon the duo, Sanji appeared suddenly and kicked Usopp away from Enel, sending him flying towards Nami. Nami grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the waver. Looking back, she was horrified to see Enel firing his attack at Sanji.
"Go", Sanji said to her with a confident grin as he placed a cigarette between his lips.
Nami cried out for him and attempted to turn the waver around, but Usopp grabbed the handlebars to prevent her from doing so. He quickly steered the waver off the ship, just as Enel fired his attack. However, as they fell, Usopp hopped off the waver and fired the grappling hook from his belt, letting Nami escape by herself. He refused to leave Sanji behind.
...
Luckily for Nami, her previous assumption had been correct; the ground below near the beanstalk was indeed covered in soft clouds. These clouds provided her a safe landing, her body and the waver sinking about a foot into the cloud upon landing, but otherwise, no harm done. She got to her feet and grabbed the waver's handlebars, pulling it along as she walked. Screaming from above caught her attention, and she looked up to see Usopp and Sanji falling from the ship.
Once they landed, Nami ran over to help them. Seeing Usopp stuck upside down with his head in the clouds, Nami grabbed his legs and pulled him free. Once free, Usopp dusted himself off, spitting out a mouthful of clouds. Sanji, however, was lying motionless on the ground, his body having been charred by Enel's attack just like their first encounter. No doubt he would need to be carried.
Nami then pointed to the giant beanstalk.
"See that beanstalk? It looks just like the one in the ruin. This island cloud must be above the ruins", Nami stated.
"The ruins? You mean the City of Gold?", Usopp inquired.
"Yes, but Enel already took all the gold", Nami explained, "Zoro and the others are still in the ruins below us."
Usopp looked up at the Maxim, gulping nervously as the ship hovered ominously overhead. Nami hopped on her waver, making room for Usopp and the unconscious Sanji.
"Get on, we need to find the others and get out of here", Nami urged, gazing up at the looming storm, "There's no safe place left on this island."
...
As it turned out, Nami and Usopp wouldn't need to go far to reunite with their crew mates, as they too had climbed up the beanstalk. Robin had used her powers to carry the wounded Zoro, Gan Fall, Chopper and Wyper up the beanstalk with little effort, while Aisa had dragged Pierre as she followed Luffy. The young pirate captain was gone by the time Nami found the group though, having run full speed up the winding stalk while dragging the giant golden ball behind him.
"Damn, is everyone down?!", Usopp gasped upon seeing how many had fallen during battle, "Wait, where's Saurus? I know Navirou is still helping Conis, but..."
The others went dead silent, with Nami and Aisa unable to look the concerned sniper in the eye. This made the sniper uneasy.
"S-she was with you guys, right?", Usopp inquired, a sense of dread growing within him.
"Miss Saurus is gone, she perished during her fight with Enel", Robin explained, as neither Aisa nor Nami could tell him.
The news hit Usopp hard, the sniper feeling himself freeze up. Saurus, dead?! Surely that couldn't be possible? He'd seen her fight, she was as strong as someone like Zoro or Luffy, and her monsters only increased her strength. She'd survived two lethal encounters with Crocodile, so surely she'd survived her fight with Enel, right? The others had, so, why couldn't she?
"No, no, you're wrong!", Usopp shouted, refusing to believe one of his friends had been killed. He grabbed onto Robin and shouted, "She's not DEAD! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! EVERYONE ELSE IS HERE, SO WHY ISN'T SAURUS!"
Robin sighed, feeling the sniper trembling as he struggled to hold back tears. Sprouting two more arms, she pried his hands off her.
"I saw it with my own eyes. She attempted to kill Enel by throwing herself and him off the island. She was planning on him drowning once they reached the Blue Sea", Robin explained.
Usopp fell to his knees, trying and failing to choke back his sobs.
"Saurus... damn that monster Enel!", Usopp cried, "What do we do? What about Navirou!? When he finds out, he'll be crushed!"
Nami let out a shaky sigh, looking up at the beanstalk.
"Luffy went up there, he was going to rescue you", Aisa said.
Nami clenched her fist, refusing to let a stray tear escape her eye. They could mourn later, but for now, they needed to escape. Saurus's sacrifice would mean nothing if they all died there.
"How about this: I'll catch up to Luffy with the waver, and the rest of you can return to our ship and pick up Navirou", Nami suggested.
Just then, lightning began raining down upon Upper Yard, with several giant bolts striking several hundred yards away. One particularly large bolt struck a ruined building next to them, completely obliterating the structure in a blinding flash. The force of the strike knocked Usopp and Aisa off their feet.
"EVERYONE BACK TO THE SHIP! I'LL CATCH UP TO LUFFY!", Nami shouted, quickly boarding the waver.
The others didn't need to be told twice, and began preparing to move the wounded as Nami zipped up the stalk on the waver. Before they could move anyone though, Wyper suddenly rose to his feet without a word. Behind him, Gan Fall was already on his knees, while Zoro had opened his eyes. Wyper gazed up at the dark clouds overhead, listening to the thunder's ominous song. All around them, the sounds of crashing lightning and booming thunder echoed sung a symphony of death and destruction. Buildings were destroyed as massive holes were gouged in rock and cloud alike, sending debris raining down upon the White Sea.
Wyper then turned to Robin.
"By the way, you mentioned something about a golden bell?", Wyper inquired, "The bell is Enel's destination, do you know where it is?"
"HEY, HEY! WE SHOULD BE RUNNING AWAY, NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE BELL!", Usopp urged, wanting nothing more than to leave the cursed island.
"It's up the beanstalk", Robin said, gesturing to the winding spire, "Somewhere near the top I think."
...
While the Straw Hats were planning their next move, Enel and the Maxim had already reached the top of the beanstalk. He was surveying his surroundings, while listening to the destruction wrought by his monstrous thunderstorm.
"I've finally reached the top. I'm probably the first to ever make it all the way up here", Enel mused. As he surveyed the area for the golden bell, a noise from below caught his attention. Peering over the edge of the Maxim, he was surprised to see Luffy racing up the winding stalk towards him, his arm still trapped within the core of the golden ball. He burst through the bottom of the cloud platform and hauled himself up over the edge. Enel was less than amused to see the boy again, irked at his refusal to die.
"So we meet again. I'm surprised you managed to drag that thing all the way up here", Enel remarked.
Upon hearing the God's voice, Luffy immediately looked up, shouting, "I'VE FOUND YOU! STOP RUNNING AWAY AND FIGHT ME!"
He glared daggers at Enel as he made a mad dash up the beanstalk. Seeing this, and feeling what little patience he had left fade, Enel fired a bolt of lightning at the top of the beanstalk, causing the upper half of the summit to snap off. As it fell, Luffy fell with it, the heavy, golden ball dragging him down rapidly. Luffy quickly stretched his free arm upwards, grabbing onto a large vine attached to the stalk.
"Didn't you want to fight me? I'm not going anywhere", Enel taunted, watching in amusement as the boy dangled below, seemingly unable to reach him, "Yahaha, you just stay there. I'll show you something really amazing."
Enel then vanished in a flash of lightning. Luffy's gaze momentarily traveled over to Angel Island, which was visible in the distance. The island was currently being besieged by colossal bolts of lightning. Above it, the storm began to change shape. Turning his attention back to the platform above him, Luffy swung his arm trapped within the ball, the momentum causing it to go flying over the edge. Once it landed atop the cloud, Luffy was able to haul himself up much easier. As he stood up, he was suddenly struck from behind and knocked to the ground.
"LUFFY!"
Turning his head, Luffy was surprised and relieved to see Nami on her waver.
"Eh? How did you get here, Nami?", he asked.
"I came up here to get you. Sanji and Usopp helped me get off that ship a while ago", Nami explained, "We need to go, right now!"
She then looked up at the storm, and was horrified to see it had formed a large orb in the center. It was hovering over Angel Island.
"What's that? The cloud, it changed shape?!", she exclaimed, "Oh no, that ball of cloud has way more electricity condensed inside it!"
To her horror, the cloud descended upon Angel Island, exploding into a mass of lightning upon touching down. The explosion sent shockwaves in all directions, the energy so strong, it tore a massive hole in the clouds. The blinding light could be seen for miles, and Nami had to shield her eyes from the intense light. When the explosion ceased and the massive plumes of smoke cleared, Angel Island was gone, reduced to a charred, gaping hole that pierced all the way through the cloud layer. Luffy stared out across the horizon while Nami hopped back on her waver.
"Get on, Luffy! The others are probably back on the ship by now! We need to leave, too!", Nami urged.
"No", Luffy refused.
"What do you mean "no"!?", Nami argued.
"I don't have to save you now, but there's still something I have to take care of!", Luffy stated.
"TAKE CARE OF WHAT?! DON'T TELL ME YOU STILL PLAN TO FIGHT ENEL?!", Nami yelled.
"No, the golden bell is here!", Luffy stated.
"Gold? I know the gold is important, but we'll die if we don't escape now! You saw it too! Even if you are immune to lightning, he can still destroy the entire island and you along with it!", Nami tried to reason with him.
"I don't die that easily. You saw it down there, right? The city of gold, it does exist! It wasn't a lie. Mister Diamond Head's ancestor wasn't a liar! THE CITY OF GOLD IS UP HERE IN THE SKY!", Luffy shouted, turning to face Nami, "I HAVE TO TELL HIM NOLAND WASN'T LYING! If I ring the bell really hard, I'm sure he'll here it! Otherwise he'll keep diving into the sea, and that's dangerous! I can't let that bastard Enel get the bell! I have to ring it so loud, that everyone in the Blue Sea will hear it! That's why I'm staying here!"
He then glared up at the Maxim, more determined than ever to defeat Enel.
"And, I need to get revenge for Saurus! She died trying to protect us, and everyone on this island. If I can't beat Enel, then I've failed her, as both her captain and her friend! He won't get away from me!", Luffy growled. He pulled back his left arm as he ran up the stalk and swung a punch upwards, letting his arm stretch up to the ship. His hand grabbed onto the edge and he started pulling himself up. Seeing his hand, Enel walked over and kicked it, forcing Luffy to let go and fall back down.
"Yahahaha! I don't recall inviting you onto my ship", Enel taunted, laughing down at the enraged pirate, "Did you like the view when I eradicated that entire island? If you're thinking of rejoining me, girl, it's too late for you."
"I NEVER WOULD'VE JOINED YOU ANYWAYS!", Nami shouted, insulted and disgusted.
"As soon as I find the bell, I will summon another Raigo and eradicate Skypiea completely!", Enel declared proudly, "You and the others below you can do nothing but stare helplessly as I destroy this country, and return everything to how it is supposed to be!"
"I'LL NEVER LET THAT HAPPEN!", Luffy roared, racing back up the beanstalk. Before he could reach the top, lightning struck the peak, the explosion sending Luffy tumbling back down. He could hear Enel mocking him the whole time. The pirate was on his feet again in seconds, taking Nami's waver to try and scale the beanstalk faster. He was unable to control it, however, and wound up being thrown off. He glared up at the Maxim, falling to his knees as he shouted, "I WILL RING THE GOLDEN BELL!"
His raw determination shook Nami to her core. This man, no, this boy, was willing to face down the embodiment of thunder itself, all for the sake of ringing the bell for Mont Blanc Cricket. As she watched the Ark float off into the clouds, Luffy rose to his feet and walked over to the beanstalk.
"Hey Nami", Luffy called over to her, snapping her out of her daze, "Help me with something. I need to send the others a message."
"A message, how do you plan to do that?!", Nami inquired.
Luffy's response was to pull one of the nearby leaves off the stalk.
"They need to cut the beanstalk, and make it fall westward!", Luffy explained.
"Cut the beanstalk?!", Nami gasped.
"I've got no other choice if I wanna reach him!", Luffy declared.
Still a bit unsure, Nami marked the leaf with the message, and the duo sent it over the edge of the clouds with a shove.
...Deep within the clouds of Skypeia...
A large, serpentine creature wound up through the clouds, grayish green scales occasionally jutting out from the white mass. A low, rumbling sound echoed, before rising in volume and pitch into a shrieking wail. Clouds spiraled around the creature as though beckoned by its call, creating a pillar of clouds that split the White Sea. Fleeing Skypeians watched in horror and awe as the spiraling tower of clouds rose up into the air, the massive shadow within letting out another roar that resonated with the thunder.
...with Luffy and Nami...
"They did it! They cut the beanstalk!", Luffy cheered, watching the colossal vine begin to fall.
"It's tilting! This is it, Luffy! Are you ready!?", Nami shouted, revving the waver's engine.
"Let's go, Nami!", Luffy shouted, hopping on behind her and holding on tight.
"I've never tried using the highest speed, so I'm not sure I'll be able to control it!", Nami warned him.
"I trust you!", Luffy declared, unwavering.
"OKAY!", Nami shrieked as they shot off on the waver, racing up the falling stalk.
High above them however, Enel could see their plan using his Mantra. In retaliation he began raining down endless bolts of lightning, aiming for the foundation of the stalk in order to halt their progress.
"Oh no! If the stalk loses its foundation, we won't be able to go high enough! We're not gonna reach him!", Nami cried, "He's trying his best to avoid fighting you, Luffy!"
"He won't get away that easily!", Luffy shouted boldly.
Gripping the waver with all her might, Nami gave it one more hard rev, sending it shooting the rest of the way up the beanstalk and into the air, on a collision course with Enel's ark.
"YOU'RE TOO LATE, FOOLISH MORTAL TRASH! THIS SHOULD BE BIG ENOUGH ALREADY, SO NOW ITS TIME FOR YOU AND THIS PATHETIC ISLAND TO VANISH!", Enel roared, the massive cloud above him crackling wildly with trillions of volts of electricity, "ADVENT OF THUNDER!"
Lightning lit up the sky in preparation for Enel's final attack. Before Nami could react, Luffy thanked her and shoved off, sending her and the waver tumbling back down towards the island cloud below. She hit the cloud with a soft thud, and upon seeing what he was doing, shot up and shouted, "NO LUFFY! THAT THING IS A WHIRLPOOL OF ELECTRICAL CURRENTS AMD HIGH AIR PRESSURE! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!"
Luffy ignores both her worried cries, and Enel's jeering as he rocketed towards the monstrous thundercloud. He spun the heavy golden ball around, gaining more and more momentum. As soon as he reached the storm's interior, he unleashed his attack.
"GOMU GOMU NO FIREWORK! GOLDEN PEONY!", Luffy roared, unleashing all his stored up momentum in the form rapid fire spinning punches that shot out in all directions, like the petal of a flower. The lightning within the storm began sparking erratically, the light intensifying as Luffy's attack continued.
"Damnit! That golden ball is acting as a conductor!", Enel gasped, growing angry, "I need to get rid of him before he depletes all the electricity! ALL OF YOU WILL DIE NOW BY MY HAND!"
All across the island, people were tense with fear, praying to whatever divine force existed that Enel could be stopped. The clouds seemed to sing a song of destruction and rage, in tune with Enel's might. For a few moments, this was the only sound that could be heard.
Then, as if some divine presence had waved it hand, the monstrous thundercloud dispersed, popping like a mere bubble. Everyone looked up in a mix of disbelief and relief as the sun shined down once more. Then, the cheers erupted. The cheers and cries of joys of hundreds of people rang out, while the thunder god was left flabbergasted at the boy hovering in front of him, the boy's arm twisted and stretched far behind his back.
"How DARE you destroy my Advent of Thunder, you cursed, Blue Sea dwelling monkey!", Enel roared, "NOW YOU HAVE TRULY ANGERED GOD! 200 MILLION VOLTS!"
Lightning gathered around Enel's body at a rapid rate, transforming him into a giant thunder beast.
"What is that?", Luffy gasped.
"Want to ring the golden bell that badly, do you boy? Is it because of that dumb legend of it signifying the end of the war? YOU ARE PATHETIC TO BELIEVE IN SUCH NONSENSE! I AM GOD ALMIGHTY! YOU ARE BUT A WEAK DEVIL FRUIT USER!", Enel boomed, blasting Luffy with lightning. Due to Luffy's devil fruit, however, he was able to shake off Enel's attack unaffected, and responded by punching him in the face. Enel wasn't done yet though, and before Luffy could react, a massive hand bearing Enel's trident materialized behind the pirate, stabbing the trident through the boy's backside.
"How unfortunate, pathetic rubber man!", Enel mocked as Luffy cried out in agony, "You're stuck there! The only way out is to fall to your death! I commend you for making it this far, BUT YOU'LL GO NO FURTHER! THIS COUNTRY IS DOOMED, AND YOU ALONG WITH IT!"
The faces of all those who fought Enel flashed through Luffy's head, and he gritted his teeth as he forced through the pain. He pushed against the trident with his feet, forcefully wrenching his body off the jagged, scorching hot prongs. As he fell, Enel mocked the boy, but Luffy paid no attention to his jeers. As he fell past Nami's cloud, he shot his free hand back up and grabbed the edge, launching himself upwards at breakneck speed. His other arm was pulled back, ready to deliver the final blow.
"I WILL RING THE BELL, NO MATTER WHAT! FOR SKYPEIA, FOR SAURUS, FOR CRICKET, I WILL RING IT FOR THEM! GOME GOMU NO GOLD PISTOL!", Luffy roared to the heavens.
Just before he swung the golden ball, a massive bolt of red lightning struck it, charging it full of a strange and erratic energy. Luffy felt reenergized, and swung his fist with all his might. There was no chance for Enel to escape as the massive golden ball rocketing towards him. The force of the attack forcibly tore Enel from his thunder beast form and slammed him hard into the golden bell, causing the bell's harmonious tune to reverberate throughout Skypeia and beyond.
"HEY MISTER DIAMOND HEAD! DO YOU HEAR IT?! THE GOLDEN CITY IS HERE! ITS ALWAYS BEEN HERE IN THE SKY!"
The bell continued to ring as it fell from Enel's ship, with Luffy screaming out as he fell with it, in hopes that Cricket would hear it.
Without Enel powering the Maxim, it too began to fall, the unconscious god along with it.
A shape closing in beneath the clouds caught Luffy's attention, and his eyes widened in awe as a massive dragon rose from the clouds, allowing him to land on its back. The beast was clad in gorgeous green and grey scales that shone with a lustrous gleam, its long, serpentine body adorned with numerous white fins that flowed like robes in the breeze. Two large golden horns crowned its head, and a triangular organ on its chest thrummed with seemingly limitless energy. Luffy could hear a voice echoing in his mind.
"No WAY! A DRAGON!?", Luffy shouted with glee as the dragon flew up to the cloud Nami was on, "HEY NAMI! LOOK, ITS A DRAGON!"
The dragon huffed and gestured with its head for Nami to hop on its back. She did so hesitantly, bringing her waver with her.
"Hey are you sure this is safe?", Nami asked.
"Yeah, he said he can take us to our friends", Luffy assured her.
"Wait, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!", she exclaimed.
"He told me so, but I heard his voice in my head", Luffy explained.
"HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!", Nami shouted at him.
"I dunno, he just can.", Luffy shrugged, before his stomach growled, "I'm hungry, hey dragon can you take us to our ship? I'm starving!"
A gentle breeze blew past them, seeming to hum in their ears.
"Amatsuma, amashu, ah screw it, I'm calling you Ami! That name is too big!", Luffy complained.
The dragon rolled its golden eyes and changed its course to head for the Going Merry.
...
Next time on Monster Hunter: Open Ocean...
Enel has been defeated, and the straw hats have reunited. Their time on Skypeia has come to a close.
But one crew mate doesn't believe Saurus is dead, and after meeting Amatsu, he is determined to find her.
From the sky to the sea, their journey continues. Is Saurus still alive, or did she truly perish at the hands of Enel?
Next time:
Navirou's Resolve! Nyah! I will find you, Saurus!