Brand New World
Ch. 10: Win Some, Lose Some
Raikiri charged at me with his blades out, ready to try to kill me. I didn`t want Robin to get hurt, and these closed ruins weren`t a great spot to fight in, and now was a good time as any to use one of my new tricks with Haki. I began saturating the air with Haki, similarly to how I would control the air, but I couldn`t for some reason, so I used my Haki to read Raikiri`s moves instead. He tried to slash in an X formation, but while dodging, I moved into his area of influence, so to speak, and delivered an upward kick right to his jaw, imbued with my Haki. I was a little surprised when Raikiri flew right through the cloud roof and out of the ruins.
"How… how did you do that?" Robin asked, looking confused.
"I`ll explain later," I said calmly, "but I promise I`ll be back." I gave her a quick smile and jumped up through the hole I just made using Raikiri`s head. "So you ready to give up yet?" I asked as I landed on the clouds, looking around for Raikiri.
Then he jumped up from the ground, and started to swing his claws at me. "NOT A CHANCE!" Even with that surprise, I still had a huge advantage with my Haki. I could tell where he was going to swing, and dodged easily.
"I need to knock him off his feet," I thought while dodging Raikiri`s slash attempts. "It`s time for another new trick. Not sure if I can do this yet, but it`s worth a shot." I mustered up as much Haki as I could, and unleashed it in a wave right at Rakiri. He never saw what hit him, literally and figuratively. He got pushed back about twenty feet, and lost his footing. For some reason, I couldn`t access my Ki, so I sent my Haki down to my legs, and shot off like a rocket towards Raikiri as he was regaining his balance.
"Nice try, but I have one more trick left up my sleeve," he said as I ran towards him. He brought his arms together, and combined his Iron Cloud blades. They formed a Chinese Dragon, and it opened its mouth. I could read his movements and knew what he was about to do. One Breath Dial filled with natural gas plus one Flame Dial equals one giant explosive flamethrower. "LET`S SEE IF YOU CAN TAKE THE HEAT!" he yelled as the flames spewed forth from the dragon`s mouth. I moved in a zigzag pattern, and while Raikiri tried to keep up, all he could do is follow my movements. "What`s going on? I can read his movements, but I can`t keep up with him. Where is this extra energy coming from?" I got closer, and he knew what was coming, so he threw up his Iron Cloud shield. "Let`s see you break through this!"
"You asked for it," I said, putting as much Haki as I could into my right fist and winding up for a punch. I threw my punch at the shield and yelled, "DENKITEKI KEN! (LEGENDARY FIST!)" The Iron Cloud shattered under my punch, and I nailed Raikiri right in the face, knocking him out cold. He dropped to the ground, and I was a little shocked at what just happened. My punch had gotten a little more powerful from using Haki, but it was more like the Iron Cloud weakened under the force of my Haki. Anyway, I decided to go over and see if I had accidentally killed Raikiri. He had a bag on him, and even though he wasn`t dead, I decided to loot his bag. The bastard had a bunch of Shock Dials and a few more of the other Dials he used in his bag. Well, since Enel was going to get kicked out of his godhood, I might as well help myself, since Enel`s top hunter won`t matter if Enel`s not in power. So I took the Dials and stuffed them in my pockets.
As I walked back towards where Robin was, I mused over what Haki was. It was like Ki, but very different from Ki as well. I couldn`t fire it off in blasts like Ki, or use it to fly or control the elements. It was almost like pure concussive force or psychic energy. I could use it to read the movements of my opponents, and to weaken the defenses of my opponents. Haki might also be able to be awakened, so I`ll have to try to teach the others to use Haki. I also remembered that Haki could be used to negate the powers of Devil Fruit, so now I could fight with Logia users on a more equal playing field. Cool. I wasn`t sure if I could use Haki for anything else, but I couldn` t seem to use Haki and Ki at the same time. "I`ll have to work on that," I said aloud as I neared the hole where I sent Raikiri through. Robin left from where she was, so I looked for her in the ruins. I found some train tracks, which looked quite new, and figuring Robin followed them, I did as well. I caught up to Robin, and she wasn`t alone.
"As you, and now your friend can see," the stranger began as he tossed an apple in his hand, "the city remains mostly intact after being blasted into the sky. This is Shandia! Though the legendary city was completely hidden by the cloud covering it, I was the one who discovered it. The others had no idea."
"And you are?" Robin asked.
"God," he replied.
My eyes grew wide immediately, and my anger grew similarly. "So you`re the tyrannical bastard who`s been causing chaos up here, Enel?"
"I`m surprised you know my name," Enel replied calmly. "I`m impressed with you, woman. Are you an archaeologist from the Blue Sea? It took us months to find the central ruin. Was the process simplified by your ability to read those tablets?" Both Robin and I were a little shocked. "Unfortunately, the gold you seek is gone. You are a few years too late," he said as he took a bite out of his apple.
"…The gold. Now that you mention it, I didn`t see it anywhere," Robin said calmly. "Did you take it?"
"Gold is great!" Enel said with a lot of enthusiasm. "Shiny material like that befits someone like me…"
"So did you take the golden bell also?" Robin asked.
"…Gold bell?" Enel said inquisitively.
"So he doesn`t know about it?" Robin said in her mind.
"Interesting! After reading those tablets, what did you find?" Enel asked very loudly.
"…No, I`m sorry," Robin replied quickly. "If it wasn`t here when you arrived, then the bell probably didn` t reach the sky. The Shandians were proud of the great Golden Bell and the tower it was in. I seek that bell tower."
"Wait. There was!" Enel said with a funny-looking thinking face. "Yes, it did get to the sky! 400 years ago, at the birth of this God`s island in the sky, there was a ringing sound of a bell heard throughout the country. The old men called it the 'song of the sky'. So it was caused by a golden bell? Fascinating! The game is almost over. There are eight minutes left, so I`ll just look around real quick! Yahahahahaha!"
"So the golden bell did reach the sky!" Robin said in her mind. "Then the ancient text must also…"
"Wait, what do you mean 'game'?" I said, yelling at Enel.
"It seems there is also a bug at the far end of the island," Enel said just as calm as ever. Then he shot a lightning blast up through the clouds above us.
"What was that!" Robin and I said at the same time.
"Yahahahahahaha!" I am summoning your friends to Shandia!" Enel said loudly as Zoro, Chopper, Wiper, and the snake from earlier fell down. "Yahahahahahaha! Let`s orchestrate the final orchestra together!"
"Another ruin?" Robin said looking at the rubble around us. "But why are there such big pieces of…" And then Zoro popped out from under one of the ruins. "Swordsman-san!"
"Zoro!" I said after Robin pointed him out. "Did you fall along with the rocks?"
"Damn rock! I almost DIED!" Zoro said as he threw the rock that was on him.
"A… a normal person would have died," Robin said a little shocked.
"Well, we aren`t very normal, remember?" I said acting smart.
"Oh, Robin, Kakusei, it`s you!" Zoro said now noticing our presence. "Where am I?"
"This is the golden city we were searching for," I said calmly.
"However," Robin said slowly, "there is no gold." Then the snake was acting weird, but happy, and Enel blasted it, calling the snake annoying.
"Nami!" Zoro yelled.
"Eh!" Nami exclaimed. "Zoro, Robin, Kakusei!"
"Why are you over here!" Zoro asked angrily. "When did you get out?"
"Why is Navigator-san here?" Robin asked calmly.
"You alright?" I asked.
"Never mind that," Nami said looking worried. "I`m okay but, Luffy is… still in there!" Nami slapped her face with her palm.
"HUH! WHY IS HE IN THERE!" both Zoro and I asked at the same time.
"How the heck did he get in there!" Zoro asked.
"I DON`T KNOW!" Nami yelled. "HE WAS IN THERE BEFORE ME!"
Then Wiper fired his Bazooka at Enel, and, after dodging his attack, Enel just said that the game is not yet over. "GAME!" both Wiper and I said at the same time.
"That`s right," Enel said slowly. "You and all the other contestants are part of my little game. The goal of the game is simple. Three hours after the Shandians entered the island, how many people among the 83 contestants will survive? It`s a survival game! Of course, I am also a contestant. I even allowed some people to join in after the game started. My prediction is that there would be six survivors." At that point, I realized Nami was hiding so she would not be seen, and that six people were visible. "In three minutes, the three hour time limit will be over. Thus, it is problematic that there are still seven survivors." So he did see or sense Nami. "God`s prediction can never be wrong! So who here will be eliminated? Will you do it yourselves, or should I?" Immediately, everybody but Nami (she was still hiding in fear) decided that Enel would be eliminated. "Impudence! Yahahahahahaha! You`re gonna eliminate me! I wouldn`t expect less from the survivors of the game. However, do you know who you are talking to?"
"I do," I said speaking up. "Robin, Gan Fall, Zoro, stand back, right now only Wiper and I have a chance at beating Enel."
"Young man," Gan Fall, "I understand your enthusiasm, but…"
"All right then," Zoro said as he grabbed Gan Fall`s shoulder. "We`ll leave you to it then."
"Good luck Kakusei," Robin said as she, Gan Fall and Zoro backed up.
"Boy, it seems you don`t understand what a god is!" Enel said laughing.
"No, I understand what a god is," I said calmly, "and I know, that you`re no god."
"The old man fighting for the prosperity of Skypiea, a warrior fighting to return to his homeland, and Blue Sea pirates trying to steal gold," Enel said acting as if I hadn`t said anything. "This world is so full of troubled lambs. Even this country itself has greatly sinned."
"Instead of talking nonsense, why don`t you tell me what you seek to accomplish here and WHERE ARE THE MILITIA MEMBERS BEING HELD CAPTIVE!" Gan Fall yelled at Enel.
"I simply seek to return Gan Fall!" Enel said defiantly.
"Return!" Gan Fall said shocked.
"Yes, to a place I should have been," Enel said calmly. "On the sky island I was born, where people say god lives. Endless earth, and there… there is a limitless amount of earth! That is the ideal world I seek! That is what I deserve to have!" What a superiority complex. "This God`s island, this puny piece of earth is nothing, yet you`ve fought for centuries to control it! Do you understand! The reason you fight is actually… more philosophical. Think about it… not a cloud, but born of the sky; not a bird, but lives in the sky… This country in the sky defies all laws of nature! Earth, men, and god all have a place where they belong! "
"You can`t!" Gan Fall yelled. I got a bad feeling from that.
"What do you mean 'You can`t!' I am doing what a god should do," Enel said. "I am sending you all where you belong… under the sky!"
"You want to destroy this country!" Gan Fall exclaimed. There it is that bad thing that was bound to happen.
"It`s the law of nature," Enel said still calm.
"Don`t think so highly of yourself, Enel!" Gan Fall exclaimed, yet again. "'God' is nothing but a title we give to the leader of our country!"
"That was before I became god," Enel said, still calm. Okay, his attitude is really beginning to tick me off.
"THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD DON`T NEED A GOD!" Gan Fall yelled in one final burst. Turns out Enel had killed off all the militia after their job was done. Then in anger, Gan Fall charged Enel, and Enel charged up a shock for Gan Fall.
"Thirty Million Volt Vari!" Enel sent a bolt of electricity through Gan Fall, knocking him out cold, if not killing him. "Gan Fall, in this world, there is a god! Me!"
"That`s why I didn`t want you guys to rush in like that," I said slowly as the others readied themselves for a fight. "He`s eaten the Goro Goro no Mi, a Logia Fruit. He controls and can become lightning."
"How can we beat him?" Nami asked fearfully. "It`s impossible."
"Right now, only Wiper and I can hit him," I said.
"Perfect, now is the predicted time," Enel said slowly. "There are exactly six survivors. Yahahahahaha! Good job surviving so far! Now I shall travel to the endless earth! And you six shall come with me!"
"What did he say?" I inquired.
"Once there, I will create a new god`s land," Enel stated. "Only those chosen by me may live there!"
"What is he thinking!" Nami said still in fear.
"Since they weren`t able to survive such a short game," Enel began, "my previous followers are unfit to live in that country!"
"And if we refuse?" Robin and I said at the same time.
"Refuse?" Enel said. "Why? I`ve already decided. If you stay here, you will fall into the abyss with this country."
"True… with your power, it is possible," Robin said calmly. "However, if you destroy this country, that thing you want will fall also. No?"
"You mean the gold bell?" Enel said still calm. "Yahahahahaha! Don`t worry. Judging from your earlier adventures, I can think of only one place where the bell would be…" That threw us for a loop. "Looks like you`re thinking what I`m thinking. You seem surprised."
"Oh, I am not going to let him do that," I said in my mind, my Haki still exuding from my body.
"Did you think you could trick me and find it yourself?" Enel said still calm. "You underestimate me. How shallow." I was almost ready to move. "I don`t like shallow women." Enel shot off a bolt of lightning from his finger, and it was aimed at Robin. However, thanks to my Haki, I foresaw this attack and jumped in front of Robin, deflecting the lightning with my Haki-lined hands.
"You can deflect lightning?" Enel said, a little shocked at my abilities.
"I`m not about to let you hurt my nakama," I said glaring at Enel. "Wiper, that right hand of yours is the only thing besides me right now that can touch Enel. If I fall, it`s up to you."
"R… right," Wiper said slowly, still shocked that I could deflect a lightning bolt.
"So you are the wind-wielder who defeated Raikiri," Enel said with a grin on his face. "A warrior such as you who defies me must be put in his place."
"My place is right here with my friends," I said taking my fighting stance. "Guys, back up as far as you can." I rushed towards Enel, already charging my Haki. He shot a few bolts at me, and I deflected them, away from me and my friends, while still moving forward.
"He plans on punching me," Enel said in his mind. "How foolish. He even knows of my powers and still he moves forward." I released a wave of Haki, and charged up my punch. "Wha… what`s this feeling? I… I can`t move…"
"DENKITEKI KEN!" I yelled as I swung my Haki-charged fist at Enel, and nailed him right in the stomach, sending him flying backward in pain.
"How… how did you hit me?" Enel stuttered, almost in fear. "I… I am god, and you are just a lowly human."
"Even a normal human can change the course of history," I said as I charged up another Haki burst.
"He… he really can touch Enel," Wiper said, "and he didn`t die!"
"How did Kakusei do that?" Nami said in her mind. "Was he always this strong?"
"If this guy`s training us," Zoro said in his mind, "our crew will be unstoppable. I will be the world`s greatest swordsman."
"That power again," Robin said in her mind, "whatever that power is, it is truly amazing."
"This boy is no ordinary human," Enel said in his mind. "I must change my tactics." I charged forward again, and Enel shot off another bolt of lightning. I was about to deflect it, when the bolt moved around my hand, and headed straight towards… ROBIN!
"Dammit!" I said turning around and increased my speed. I finally got in front of Robin, but I didn`t have enough time to deflect the bolt. That bolt was worse than any shock that Raikiri gave me, and worse, Enel made it go through me and hit Robin just to be cruel. She collapsed first, but with my remaining strength, I caught her unconscious body. Then my body started to give out, and I fell. Luckily, Zoro caught me. "Thanks… Zoro," I said wearily. "Get Nami and Gan Fall… out of here if… if you can. Wiper, it`s… it`s up… to you."
"I`ll try not to let your effort be in vain," Wiper said slowly. Then Zoro put Robin and me down on the ground. I had just enough strength to crawl over where Robin was laying.
"Robin," I said weakly, "I`m… I`m sorry… I couldn`t… protect… you from… Enel." I wasn`t sure if she could hear me, but I said it anyway. I tried to grab her hand, but my body gave out and I collapsed.
"She`s a woman," Zoro said glaring at Enel.
"Yes, I can see that," Enel said as nonchalantly as ever. Zoro tried to swing at him, but Enel dodged it, as well as Wiper`s Burn Bazooka. "You still don`t get it? The pathetic trickle of power, that is all you people can wield against me."
Nami was shocked at how strong Enel is. "Creating lightning, speeding up the air with sonic speed, and that strong flash! Such unbelievable power from a man who can control lightning."
"Tsk tsk tsk," Enel said disappointedly. "I was simply coming to invite you to endless earth. Why did you suddenly start attacking me?"
"Who were you trying to invite?" Zoro asked seriously. "Because I have no interest in that world of yours!"
"No, Zoro," Nami yelled, "you can`t beat him!"
"Oh, it seems you need a lesson on what a god is," Enel said calmly.
"But you aren`t a god!" Zoro said as he swung at Enel, but his swords passed right through him as he turned to lightning.
"No matter how hard you try, you can`t win," Enel said as he reformed. "I will use my overwhelming strength and teach you what 'hopelessness' feels like." Then Enel grabbed the two swords in Zoro`s hands. "Losing hope and dying are two strangely similar things…" Then Enel shocked Zoro through his swords, and Zoro yelled in pain.
"Zoro!" Nami yelled.
"For mortal men," Enel said looming over Zoro, "death is the most terrifying thing! That`s why men kneel with their heads to the ground and beg for mercy! It can`t be helped. Men beg when terrified, it`s in their nature."
"How can he be so strong?" Zoro asked in his mind as Enel`s foot rested on his head.
Then Wiper dropped his Burn Bazooka, jumped on Enel and locked his feet. "What are you doing?" Enel asked. "Committing suicide? Wait, why can`t I…"
"Do you know what seastone is, Enel?" Wiper asked seriously. "I added some to my skates, and it`s draining your Devil Fruit powers."
"My strength is being… drained," Enel said weakly as Zoro got up.
"Eat this!" Wiper said determined.
"No! You`re trying to use 'Reject'?" Enel said still somewhat calm. "Your body can`t take it. Don`t you want to live and own land?"
"Shut up!" Wiper yelled at Enel. "I JUST WANNA DIE AND TAKE YOU WITH ME!"
"Don`t do it!" Enel yelled in desperation.
"REJECT!" Wiper yelled as the Reject Dial strapped to his right arm went off. That Reject Dial was like an Impact Dial, but would amplify the concussive force ten times over. Enough to kill the person it was used against, and the person using it. And Wiper had used it once already today!
"Wiper!" I yelled while still on the ground. He stood up while Enel just lay on the ground, dead.
"Can it be?" Nami asked out loud. "Did he beat him! Oh, Robin, Kakusei, strange knight…" Then a burst of lightning shot out from Enel`s chest. He had used his powers to restart his heart!
"Mere men cannot make god feel fear," Enel said wiping the blood from his mouth. "For true terror comes from God, and God alone! What have I been saying? Just give up." Just then Wiper collapsed. "Oh, look, you look awful, o Wiper the warrior."
"My name is," Wiper began breathing heavily, "NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN SO CAUSALLY USE! For I am the descendant of the great warriors who fought to the death for their home 800 years ago, the warriors of Shandia! Since that day, following the dying wish of the great warrior, Calgara, for 400 years we have been searching for this place. NOW, I`M FINALLY HERE! OUT OF MY WAY, DEMON!" Then Enel used his staff to break Wiper`s skates.
"The same trick won`t work twice Wiper," Enel said calm again. "The seastone won`t help you again. To fire a shot of a mortal man`s suicide attack, and still be able to stand up is rather impressive," Then Enel beat one of the drums attached to the giant ring piercing his back, "but you`re still not match for me. Thirty Million Volt Hino!" Then a bird made of lightning came out and shot at Wiper, and ran through him, electrocuting him. Zoro ran forward and grabbed the seastone skate that Enel broke and headed for Enel. "Oh, you want one too, swordsman of the Blue Seas?"
"Why not!" Zoro yelled. "Give me your best shot!"
"Kiten," Enel said as he beat another of his drums, creating a giant tiger made of lightning and sending it at Zoro. Zoro got electrocuted and dropped to the ground. Enel then walked over to me and stood near my head. "I`m surprised you`re still conscious. I`ll give you one more chance to join me in the endless earth."
"You can just fuck off," I said looking angrily up at Enel. In response to my answer, he sent a bolt of lightning from his foot to my head, knocking me out. A little later, something grabbed me and woke me up. It was Luffy, trying to find out what happened. "Luffy… Enel did… this."
"Who?" Luffy asked very loudly.
"He`s… the god here," I said still weak. "He… shocked us all… and I`m guessing… he took Nami… too. Luffy, I`m… I`m sorry. I had the… power to beat him… but I couldn`t." Then I slipped back into unconsciousness.
"Kakusei, where`d they go?" Luffy asked shaking Kakusei`s unconscious body. Then Robin stirred. "Eh, Robin!"
"Luffy, he did take Navigator-san," Robin said half-conscious.
"H-hey, stay awake," Luffy said holding onto Robin. "He took Nami away? Where to?"
"No… no idea," Robin said still weak. "Listen, the island… and this country… all of Skypiea… will be destroyed."
"You mean the sky island!" Luffy said, now worried.
"And my village, too?" Asia said, also worried.
"Everything will… everything here will fall to the ground," Robin said weakly.
"So Enel will go to where the Golden Bell is?" Luffy asked after Robin explained what happened.
"Yes… I`m sure of it…" Robin said weaker than before. "…He will come back for i…" Then Robin passed out. Aisa could tell where Nami and Enel were with her Mantra, and she and Luffy went off in that direction. Robin woke up and leaned up against the ruins, trying to recover from the attack. "How can we get out of here now?" she thought to herself. "I knew that plan wouldn`t work." She looked around at Zoro, Chopper, Gan Fall, and Wiper, and then to Kakusei next to her. "Kakusei, you got hurt trying to protect me. But how did you know about Enel`s powers? If only I could see what you`re thinking."
"Would you like to?" said a new voice. Robin turned her head and saw a man wearing a solid steel wolf mask and a cloak covering every other part of his body.
"Who are you?" Robin said defensively. "If he attacks me, I can`t defend myself," she thought to herself.
"My name is unimportant, but you may call me Tetsuga for now," he said as he moved closer. "Don`t worry, I won`t hurt you. I have no reason to. Do you still want to see what Kakusei is thinking?"
"You can do that?" Robin said inquisitively.
"Yes, I can," Tetsuga said. "Just place your hand on my shoulder, and I`ll do the rest." Robin placed her hand on Tetsuga`s shoulder, and Tetsuga placed two fingers on Kakusei`s head. Robin saw a flash of light, and then saw nothing but white surrounding her and Tetsuga next to her.
"Where are we?" Robin asked looking around.
"The one place no normal human can reach on his or her own," Tetsuga said slowly. "Right now, we are in Kakusei`s mind."