Chapter 73
Survival

In the middle of a forest suspended in the skies, was an ancient city. Magnificent, the sight of the ruins inspired the ones whose eyes traveled on its stones with awe. It was sheltered in a cocoon of cloud, a giant beanstalk raising high up in the air piercing through the hazy ceiling; the scene seemed like inspired by a fairy tale.

Fighting against a heavy sensation of vertigo, Eli shifted her groggy gaze from the magical scenery to Nami as she went through her bag. If she weren't so exhausted, the chronicler would have probably taken back her belongings from the intrusive redhead as well as thrown her crewmate some piece of her mind. But Eli was very much tired, to the point of not even caring what Nami was searching for in her bag for all of her forces were solely focused on keeping her eyes open.

"Are you alright young lady ?"

Gan Fall appeared in her swirly field of vision, his face framed by an aura so bright it made Eli wonder if she wasn't dreaming.

"I... just..."

"She needs energy," Nami said. With a little sound of content, the redhead straightened up and turned around; her reached-out hand toward Eli was holding a little box. "Here, eat this."

Eli's body felt so heavy then, heavy and unresponsive. Wincing and whining quietly, the girl tried to lift her upper body, and seeing how difficult it was, Gan Fall helped her. Slowly, she sat up and rested her back on a wall. As she grabbed the little box and opened it, her stomach started growling furiously while her eyes marveled at the sight of several sweet delicacies so pretty and shiny they looked like jewelries, at least to the starving girl's eyes.

Dazedly, Eli's green gaze shifted to the navigator who was still searching through her crewmate's bag. "When did you-"

"Sanji asked me to put that in your bag in case of emergency." Turning around, Nami handed a bottle of pills to Eli. "And these are from Chopper. Vitamins and supplement he said."

Looking at the offerings, Eli slightly bit her bottom lip, feeling guilt stirring inside of her empty insides. "I'm... sorry..."

"Don't mention it, and eat." Nami sat against the wall next to her crewmate who began to devour her meal. "Zoro has to get stitches all over after every battle, Luffy needs to eat ten times his weight in meat to operate properly, Ace and his narcolepsy, Usopp and his 'diseases'... Really you are all very high maintenance."

With a sigh, the redhead ran a hand through her hair. A little smile brightening her pretty face, the affection she had for the pirates was barely concealed.

Hearing strange noises coming from behind them, Eli turned her head to look at the snake through a large hole in the stonewall. "The snake..." she said quietly.

"I know..." Nami said. "The guys are still inside."

"Don't worry, Pierre is a bird you can rely on," Gan Fall said. "Or a horse."

The two pirate girls peered at the snake as it was looking around the ancient city questioningly. Uttering some strange, hissing sounds, it slithered through the ruins relentlessly.

"I hope Luffy and Ace aren't doing something stupid," Nami said, her eyes following the giant creature.

Ace...

"It looks like it's searching for something," Eli said quietly.

As the seconds passed, the colossus seemed further restless. His giant head moving in every direction, the sounds it uttered became louder and, somehow, pleading.

"Uh..." The two pirate girl's startled at the same time seeing tears flowing from his giant, blue orbs.

"Is it... crying...?" Nami breathed while the snake howled with pain, his heartbreaking cries resonating throughout the ruins of the ancient city.

"Maybe... Maybe it lost someone," Eli murmured, feeling cold shivers racing on her skin with every of the snake's cry.

It seemed so desperate, so wounded that its sorrow reached the inside of the girls' hearts. Utterly voiceless, they watched the creature stretching upward as it uttered long and mournful wails to the skies.

"What are you doing ?" A loud and cold voice asked, causing the three escapees to snap their heads in the direction of a man sitting on the top of a building that Nami instantly designated as the famous 'Enel'.

Carefully, Eli shifted her body to observe 'God' from behind the wall. The girl's eyebrows rose questioningly as she trailed down his earlobes that ended up on his shirtless and extremely muscular torso. His attire was rather luxurious: loose, orange pants with a large blue, flowing sash attached around his waist. Around his wrists, ankles and toes, thick golden bracelets and rings and, at last, to emphasize the godly appearance, a large ring with four drums fixed onto it, was attached to his back, like a halo around his head.

In the corner of her eye, Eli saw Gan Fall standing up and approaching the God, a grave look on his face. As her gaze followed the knight, the chronicler saw another man standing at the bottom of the building. He was wearing a tribal outfit and carried a long cannon resting on his large shoulder. His figure, his clothing, his stature; they reminded Eli of the man who had attacked the Merry when the pirates had arrived on the Millennium Cumulonimbus.

Eli poked her crewmate with her elbow. "Who is that ?" She showed the mysterious man with her chin.

"Aisa, the little girl who was with us, called him Wiper," Nami said. "They are Shandians."

Curious, the chronicler was about to ask who were the 'Shandians' but the two pirates' attention shifted to Enel as he lifted one of his hands, a bright sparkle appearing in his palm.

"What are you so excited about, King of the Sky ?" he said scornfully.

More sparkle gathered in his large hand, creating a large ball of energy, of electricity. At this moment one word echoed in Eli's mind, a frightful word at that, 'Logia'. If Devil fruit users were always tough to deal with, Logias were the worst.

"You annoying snake !" Enel screamed as he hurled his ball of electricity right above the snake's head.

With an abrupt motion of his hand, the man beckoned a beam of thunder from the skies onto the creature. It was so bright that the witnesses had to cover their eyes with their hands to withstand the sight of the dreadful attack.

A loud, pained cry burst forth through the ruins of the ancient city while the body of the snake seemed like vaporizing into the sizzling whiteness. The ear-tearing scream faded, just like the brightness of the attack as the colossus collapsed on the ground. Stones cracking beneath his humongous weight, fumes elevated from his lifeless body.

Dread washing over her on the spot, Eli stood up clumsily, only to find Nami holding her back. "Ace and Luffy are inside !"

"I know," Nami said. "They... they'll be fin-"

"Oh no ! NAMI !"

Puzzled, the two pirate girls scanned around, their eyes falling on a desperate looking Zoro who was staring at the snake's corpse. Not far away from him Robin was standing, thoughtfully observing the reptile as well.

"Zoro !" Nami called out. "Robin !"

"NAMI ?" Befuddled, Zoro barked the girl's name, apparently he thought that the girl was still inside of the snake. Wrath spreading the air as he spoke, the navigator brushed away the swordsman's ire with a light motion of her hand.

"Ah... What are you doing here Miss Navigator ?" Her deep blue eyes shifted to the beanpole standing next to the redhead. "Miss Chronicler ?"

"It doesn't matter !" Eli said harshly.

Looking at the snake, Nami nodded. "Luffy and Ace are still inside..."

"What ! How the hell did they got in there ?" Zoro looked more and more bewildered as he glared at the snake, or more likely, his crewmates inside.

Not quite sure it would be good for his nerves to hear the whole story of how they got inside of the snake, Eli decided to keep that tale for later. They were in presence of the God of this country, and he seemed like a terrible opponent. A Logia, but even worse, the element the man controlled was one of the most terrifying in her opinion... lightning. How do one managed to go against thunder...? It was really befitting of a person who was called a god.

"Yahaha," Enel laughed. A dial in his hand, he created a white, floating sphere and jumped to sit on it. "Everyone ! Welcome to my little game."

Nami pulled Eli behind the wall to hide the both of them for the dreadful man while, voiceless, Zoro, Robin, Gan Fall, and the other man looked up at Enel as he spoke.

"The rules are simple, really. It's a survival game and of course, I'm also a contestant." Enel said, his delight showing through every word. "Three hours ago, when the game began, I predicted that there would be five survivors."

Somehow, Nami looked rather relieved then. Apparently, Enel wasn't aware of the two girl's presence.

"In three minutes, the time will be up. Thus, it is quite problematic that there are still seven survivors here."

Slamming a hand on her mouth, Nami covered a gasp of surprise. The two girls were hidden from his sight, yet, it seemed that Enel could acutely feel their presences among the contestants of this sick game of his.

"Therefore, two of you here have to be eliminated," he said threateningly. "Will you do it yourselves or should I take care of it...?"

A silence ensued. The contestants stared thoughtfully at Enel, and he stared back at them, apparently enjoying his little game. On the other side, Nami's fear only grew stronger. Her face went paler and her shivers more vigorous.

"Hey do you want to ?" Zoro asked Robin who was standing next to him.

"No, thank you," the archaeologist replied.

"I don't think so," the tribal man said.

"I refuse as well !" Gan Fall claimed.

The four contestants brandished their weapons toward Enel. "You will !" they all said in unison.

"How impudent." Enel sneered, malice stirring in his eyes as he looked at his four adversaries. "You're planning to eliminate me ?" The man laughed loudly, his disdain not weakening his contestants' resolve. "I wouldn't expect less from the survivors of this game."

Nami finally released Eli from her tight embrace. Stealthily the two girls bent to the side to peer at the confrontation. His eyes traveling from one to the other contestant, how much Enel was enjoying this sick game of his was clearly obvious.

"Stop talking nonsense," Gan Fall ordered. "Tell me what you seek to accomplish here Enel ! And where are the militia member you held captive." His spear pointing belligerently at the Logia, his voice rose in a shout.

"I simply wish to return to the place where I should be Gan Fall," Enel said, a serious look on his face. "A place called Fairy Vearth. That is the ideal world I seek ! That is what I deserve." Scornfully, he looked at the contestants from above. "This puny piece of earth you've fought for centuries to control is nothing. This country in the sky defies the laws of nature and I'm sending you all to where you belong... below the sky !"

"You want to destroy this country ?" Gan Fall barked, wrath as well as fear painted across his face.

Upon the realization of the God's plan, shivers raced over Eli's skin.

"What are you doing Eli ?" Nami whispered, looking questioningly at the beanpole as she engulfed the whole content of her lunch box in a split second before gulping down a dozen of vitamins. "You're not going to fight, are you ? You're too weak, you don't stand a chance !"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Nami," Eli said wryly. "But no, I'm not going to fight."

Gulping down a few more vitamins, Eli's mind heated up with a force awakening from deep inside of her. The people of Skypiea were in danger, and she had to do something to help them, it was as simple as that, it was all her heartbeat repeated endlessly.

"I don't care about this God, Nami." Eli glanced over at the man who was looking with disdain at the humans fool enough to challenge him before grabbing the redhead's shoulders. "We need to do something for those people," she said looking deeply in Nami's eyes.

As a ruckus arose from the group, Eli stood up. "Where is Skypiea ?" she asked.

Hesitantly, Nami bit her bottom lip, before pointing the direction.

"Thanks," Eli said before starting dashing away.

"Hey, hey !" A spark flickered right before the girl, making her jump back with a gasp. In a flash, Enel appeared, a sneer on his face. "Where do you think you're going ?" he asked tilting his head to the side. "The game isn't over yet."

"I don't care about your sick game," Eli said, taking a step away from the dangerous Logia.

"You're a contestant and you can't withdraw now."

His smile grew even more wicked as Eli's eyes scoped her surroundings rapidly. Zoro was running in their direction, closely followed by Gan Fall.

"Leave her !" the swordsman yelled out. "She's only a woman."

"Really ?" Enel laughed loudly as he set his gaze on the paramecia, blood lust glimmering in his dark orbs. "Well... I am God."

The sound of her name being yelled filled Eli's ears as Enel stretched out his arm in her direction. With an increasing crackling, it changed into a bright light. Running away from the light, Eli dashed through the ruins. It was following her, closely, shooting like a silver arrow through the air before vanishing in a flash.

"You're... fast," a voice said from behind her.

Eli swirled around, fear hidden behind a steady thoughtfulness. "So are you."

A wicked smile slithered on his lips as he stared persistently at the paramecia. Taunting her pride, his stare further heated the girl's mind. But her pride had long disappeared, along with her people, and what remained was a girl whose fighting skills were only aimed to protect. Protect the ones she loved, protect the powerless, protect, to the cost of her own life.

That was where her will now stood. That was what she believed in.

"I don't want to fight you, Enel," Eli said. "I just want to save those people."

"By going against God's plan, you go against God himself," he replied. Rapidly, he swirled his staff.

"ENEL !" Gan Fall yelled out, dashing toward him, his spear brandished forward. As Eli took a step to the side, the knight looked at her. "Go, young lady, go save them," he said quietly before shifting his stare to the sneering God.

With a nod, Eli plucked up her forces and started running away only to find Enel, once again, blocking her way.

"Go Eli !" Zoro ordered standing by her side, he took a fighting stand and glared at Enel.

Enel twitched as his eyes traveled from one to each of his opponents. They were surrounding him and Eli felt their courage bursting through her veins.

"Don't die," Eli said before disappearing with a gust of wind.

As she entered the giant forest, Eli felt a raw sting of guilt piercing in her guts with every step she took, hesitance making her speed wane, but the yells the pirate girl heard from behind her, pushed her forward, faster. They were fighting, their own way, they were fighting for this country, and so would she.

to be continued

So, Eli didn't fight Enel.
I hope your not too disappointed but, it's just not who she is. Please understand :)

Next update on Thursday (if I manage to finish the chapter in time).