On the mountain stream, Robin withdrew her ability as black winds rose around her.
Ash particles swirled through the air, condensing into the shadowy shape of a crow.
"It seems… he failed, didn't he?"
From the loudspeaker, a calm judgment was spoken.
"Is that what you think?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Did you know? I once fought against him—and in that battle, I came to understand what true, crushing fear really means."
Robin smiled faintly.
She stood up, brushed the dust from her curving hips, and kept her gaze fixed on the distant "trap."
"That's why I'll never underestimate that man."
She turned her head slightly, mouthing silent words: Perhaps what you see is merely what he wants you to see.
The crow fell silent. He didn't think she was joking.
A faint unease flickered in his heart—an instinctive wariness toward Demon Ren.
For the infamous "Devil Child," Nico Robin, to say such words…There must have been an unforgettable defeat in her past—one carved deep into her bones.
Still…Would things truly unfold as Robin said?
Ren, is even this part of your plan?
The crow's mind swirled with doubt as he turned his gaze afar.
Through his eyes, the crow saw a complex circular sigil unfold beneath Ren's feet, energy rippling violently around him.
So it's come to this… I really shouldn't have underestimated him.
Ren looked toward the direction Enel had fled, his expression tranquil as he raised a hand toward the heavens.
His five fingers spread wide, as if to grasp the entire sky—or to clutch the fleeing Enel, who had never truly escaped his grasp.
No matter how arrogant, how cruel, how furious Enel might be—That blazing thunder would, in the end, fall into Ren's hands.
You can't escape the Five Finger Mountain of mine.
The countdown ended—A beam of light shot toward the sky.
Magic: Teleportation Marker!
Escape?
No—This was merely a tactical retreat.
A god would never fear battle. His rule over the lambs was as natural as breathing.
But neither would a god allow himself to be led by the nose by a mere mortal! If he foolishly fell into a human trap—even a scratch would disgrace his divine name.
What he truly intended was to make that cunning mortal witness the power of a true god.
He would not crawl from a trap, wounded and humiliated like a deceived fool.
As lightning streaked across the clouds, Enel clenched his fists tight.
His own explanation calmed the fury in his heart—slowly.
After all,as the wielder of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Enel understood his own power.
Ordinary matter couldn't harm him.
But his enemy—the one who dared to come for a god's head—was a man from the Blue Sea.
And the Blue Sea… had that vile substance known as Seastone!
Judging by your intellect, Ren, you wouldn't come unprepared.I must admit, as a mortal, your mind is remarkable. But you know nothing—nothing—of what true divine power means. When the Ark drives the thunderclouds to blanket the heavens,you'll realize how foolish you truly are!
Enel roared silently in his heart as fury burned again in his golden eyes.
Ark Maxim—his masterpiece, built over six years from the gold of Upper Yard—a divine amplifier for his godly might.
It would bring his power to its ultimate peak.
Mere weapons that channeled thunder? Two hundred lightning rods? Petty tricks and schemes?
He would shatter them all beneath the glory of his Ark!
BOOM!
A golden flash fell from behind him.
Instinctively, Enel turned. Through the dissipating light, his Mantra caught Ren's "voice."
"Running away?"
The words struck his mind like thunder—half mockery, half judgment.
"Or is a god… afraid of bleeding?"
"I'll make you feel divine wrath!"
Enel clenched his teeth till they nearly shattered, transforming into a flash of lightning as he fled through the clouds.
Yet every few seconds, the "voice" of Ren leapt across vast distances, always closing in—as if teleporting.
Damn it! The Ark still needs time to activate!
He thrust his hand into the clouds, lightning surging outward to interfere with Ren's pursuit.
Most of the energy was drawn away by the lightning rods, but it slowed Ren's approach enough.
Enel seized the moment—racing at the speed of lightning toward the valley where the Ark lay hidden.
Upper Yard was vast—more than ruins and forest. Mountains surrounded the great valley where the Ark was being built by the Divine Soldiers who once served the defeated God, Gan Fall.
The Ark wasn't yet complete, but its near-finished form was enough for him to unleash divine power.
Only—as he approached the valley, a strange white light drifted in midair.
He focused—a shape he'd seen before.
A… ghost?
A chill of dread pierced him. He dove into the valley, Mantra sweeping outward—catching shouts of chaos.
"Kill him, quick!"
"Damn it, we can't stop this Blue Sea man!"
"Who moved the lightning core? That bastard cut open the deck and dropped it to the lower layer!"
"No! We must protect the Ark!"
"Report! The fourth defense line just collapsed—the swordsman broke through!"
Every voice screamed doom. Enel's vision nearly went black. Rage erupted again like a volcano.
Useless.
All of them—useless!
The four priests, the divine soldiers—every last one!
At that moment,the lightning that fell into the valley drew everyone's gaze.
"It's God!"
"Lord God! Please destroy that intruder before he tears apart the ship!"
BOOM!
A flash of thunder split the air. Enel appeared above the Ark.
It was enormous—shaped like a ship, magnified a hundredfold.
Four layers in total. The top deck ended at the throne of God, a third of the way from the bow.
Behind it lay his divine palace—an arched space large enough for hundreds to live.
The lower layers housed countless golden gears that converted lightning into mechanical energy—the pride of Enel's divine craftsmanship.
But now—the Ark was chaos. The grand palace was torn open in several places.
The golden visage on the prow was scarred and defaced.
The lightning core—gone. Only a square hole remained, edges smooth as if cut cleanly.
Enel's fury could no longer be contained.
He landed on the deck, seized a trembling divine soldier by the collar, and roared, "What happened?!"
"I—I don't know, Lord God! The swordsman—he came with some white ghostly thing—then… he cut through everything! Our captain was killed in one strike!"
"Worthless trash!"
Veins bulged on Enel's neck, lightning crackling wildly as rage devoured reason. His body became a blazing sphere of destruction.
Destroy!
Everything shall be destroyed!
"Electro Flash!"
The lightning sphere exploded, scorching hundreds of meters around him. Divine soldiers were burned to ash and hurled from the ship.
Enel stamped down, lightning flaring as he dove to the lower deck.
Whatever happened, the lightning core was forged at enormous cost—its glass shell unbreakable to normal attacks.
As long as it remained intact—
CRACK—!
The dim lower deck was suddenly lit by Enel's glow—and a sharp sound chilled him to the bone.
The unmistakable sound… of a blade sliding from glass.
In the light, he saw clean, precise cuts from top to bottom—and a green-haired swordsman drawing his blade free from the glass core, leaving a gaping wound laced with cracks.
The sight detonated inside Enel's mind.
He—he dared?! That was divine property!How could he—
"Yo, you're here."
Zoro slowly turned, exhaling a white mist of breath.
He activated the Lightning-Avoiding Doll and Lightning-Proof Suit, his body entering the state of Asura.
Three blades gleamed in his hands, emerald light coalescing along their edges.
"One lifetime—thirty-six troubles. Two lifetimes—seventy-two. Three lifetimes—one hundred and eight."
The swordsman's chant echoed through the vast space, green light swelling to its peak.
"Three-Sword Style: 108 Caliber Phoenix!"
With a roar, Zoro swung—three arcs merging into a giant phoenix-shaped slash.
"Damn you! I'll make you suffer eternal damnation!"
Enel finally snapped, charging forward as lightning incarnate to meet the emerald phoenix head-on.
Mere swordsman, mere slash—how could it harm—
SHHHK—!
The screech of cutting steel tore through him—along with pain he hadn't felt in years.
From Zoro's view, the emerald phoenix carved through the deck, waves of force shaking the entire Ark.
Thunder clashed with light—and in a flash, the phoenix slit straight through the lightning form.
Enel's body slammed against the lightning core's shattered glass, his skin charred, his vision blurring.
Even so, Zoro saw it—his slash had traveled over a kilometer in two seconds, tearing open the hull and blowing out a massive breach.
An instant later, a deafening explosion shook the air, slicing off a whole section of the Ark's bow and sending it plummeting hundreds of meters.
Silence followed.
In the heart of the blast, Enel vomited blood, collapsing as golden light flickered over Ren's descending form.
His golden staff clattered to the floor.
The god knelt.
Blood poured from a gash stretching from shoulder to waist, staining the golden deck red.
Pain wracked his body, his thoughts trembling.
Why—why had the sword cut him even in elemental form?
Was that weapon made of Seastone?
No… impossible. Records said Seastone required contact to suppress powers.
Calm down. There's still a chance.
If he used Mantra to evade—give his body a moment to recover—
Until the golden light faded.
Then, six wings touched the ground.
Ren looked briefly at the blackened Zoro, then cast his cold gaze on the kneeling god.
His voice resounded like a bell through heaven and earth:
"Tell me—does even a god kneel before men to beg for mercy?"
BOOM!
Lightning exploded again as Enel's fury devoured reason.
Bleeding and trembling, the "god" glared up at the six-winged angel before him. His Mantra confirmed it—this was Ren!
"You dare look down on a god!"
Hovering midair, he struck his four thunder drums, each unleashing savage bolts of power.
30 Million Volt Thunder Bird!
"Naïve."
Ren raised his hand.
The Thunder Spear pierced the Thunder Bird, draining its lightning, then transformed into an identical bird that dove toward Enel.
"What—!"
Enel's eyes twitched violently as he struck the drums again.
60 Million Volt Thunder Dragon!
Two thunder drums flared, merging their energy into a dragon that clashed with the bird.
But once more, the Thunder Spear absorbed the energy—and in the blink of an eye, a new lightning dragon roared forth, hurtling toward him.
"200 Million Volt Thor!"
Enel released all his power, enveloping himself in divine lightning until a colossal Thunder God—over a hundred meters tall—filled the Ark.
He seized the oncoming dragon in one massive hand like a serpent.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit's true ability—to command lightning itself.
Two conscious bolts of lightning fought for dominance, trying to consume one another.
But the Thunder God's quantity was overwhelming.
Bit by bit, Ren's lightning faltered, drawn into Enel's control.
"Ha ha ha! A fake will always be a fake! A mere weapon can't rival a Logia god like me!"
Enel's laughter thundered across the heavens—arrogant once more.
Yes—he'd only lost before because he'd been too clever, too cautious, too unwilling to risk injury.
But no weapon could ever surpass the master of lightning!
All he had to do now was remain calm—use Mantra—and victory would be his!
SPLASH—!
A sudden rush of water.
The six-winged angel opened his mouth—and a torrential flood burst forth!
At first a narrow stream, then a river—then a waterfall.
Within seconds, hundreds of thousands of tons of seawater poured into the Ark, flooding everything in sight.
Question: Why did Zoro move the lightning core to the lower level?
Answer: To give Enel a big surprise—and to fulfill Ren's command.
Mantra could sense everything, and Enel was no fool. Even enraged, he regained reason fast.
Thus, he had to be restricted.
Water? Has he gone mad? Or… a trap? No—an opportunity!
Thoughts raced in Enel's mind as the Thunder God reached out—grabbing the struggling Thunder Spear with one hand, and unleashing massive bolts from the other.
Lightning surged into the seawater, turning it into a deadly electric field.
"Fool! Die by your own stupidity! Now—taste divine judgment!"
Electricity coursed through the flood, creating a lethal field that should kill anything living within.
Yet—amid the sea, a faint star glided forward unharmed—moving like a spirit in the depths.
Electricity meant nothing to the Translucent Body.
Enel poured out over 200 million volts, his colossal form shrinking rapidly as seawater vaporized under the heat.
He had used everything—to make sure his foe could never threaten him again.
But even so—Ren's voice echoed within his mind.
"You're out of time, Enel."
Under that crushing pressure, Enel unleashed wave after wave of electricity at the sensed presence.
But the voice kept moving—always ahead, carried by the current.
The seawater could not be boiled away that easily.
The Ark was now a drowning tomb; the only exit was the hole Zoro had carved.
And the stench of steam brought a grim truth—this was Blue Sea seawater.The bane of all Devil Fruit users.
I can't die here!
For the first time, Enel turned to flee—not as strategy or pride—but pure terror.
From that moment, the god in his heart shattered.
But still—so long as he lived, there was hope.
Lightning moved faster than thought. The exit's light gleamed just ahead—
Behind him, the sea parted as a radiant figure rose—the six-winged angel, gazing coldly upon him.
In Ren's hands appeared a flintlock rifle, wrapped in deadly enchantments.
Ambition—thirsting for a god's blood.
Raise, aim—Charge—Critical—Rum Shot!
The sound of ocean waves was joined by a haunting melody—
🎵 "Johnny boy, you had to die—only heaven knows why!" 🎵
His roar merged with the music as his killing intent flooded into the Seastone bullet.
(End of Chapter)