Time flowed on slowly.
Enel, possessing the speed of lightning itself, did not keep the Straw Hat crew waiting for long.
With a brilliant flash of lightning blazing above the Going Merry, a muscular man wearing a white headscarf and carrying three tomoe drums on his back instantly appeared high in the sky.
"Was that strange disturbance just now your doing?!"
"Blue Sea people?!"
Suspended high above, Enel gazed down coldly at the Straw Hats below, lofty and aloof like a god looking upon mortals.
Yet just as Enel assumed that his dramatic entrance would shock these Blue Sea intruders…
Two figures suddenly leapt up from the deck of the small ship below.
One figure spread out like a colossal dragon unfurling its wings, metallic light gleaming as he charged toward Enel with terrifying momentum, the very clouds of Skypiea trembling in response.
The other figure was even more outrageous—dressed in a sleek suit, his entire body wreathed in blazing flames, he shot upward like a rocket, streaking straight toward Enel's position.
"Arrogant Blue Sea insects!"
Seeing this, Enel curled his lips in disdain, contempt flashing in his eyes.
Daring to challenge him, the god of Skypiea…
He had seen plenty of overconfident fools like this before!
"Three Sword Style · Flying Dragon Slash!"
"Diable Jambe · Flanchet Shoot!"
Zoro and Sanji shouted their techniques simultaneously, their momentum surging like a raging tide.
A phantom image of a massive dragon manifested around Zoro, its enormous wings beating as they carried him into the air. The three sharp blades in his hands resembled the dragon's talons—deadly and piercing.
On the other side, Sanji was no less imposing.
Flames erupted around his legs, carrying a special scorching energy as he launched a flying kick straight at Enel.
Just as Enel believed, as always, that their attacks would be effortlessly avoided—
A jet-black metallic sheen suddenly appeared around both Zoro and Sanji, flowing like liquid as it instantly wrapped around their attacks.
The next instant—
BOOM!!!
A fierce slash and a violent impact struck Enel's body at the same time.
There was no dazzling lightning flash.
Instead, a vivid spray of blood tore through the air!
"What?!"
A wave of searing pain surged through his body, and Enel's expression changed drastically.
Before he could even process what had happened, Sanji's powerful kick sent him flying backward like a meteor, smashing violently into the massive gates of Heaven.
RUMBLE—!!!
A glaring crack split open the Gates of Heaven, twisting the words engraved upon them into something ominous and terrifying.
Zoro hovered in midair, steel dragon wings spread wide behind him. He looked at the cracked gates and let out a mocking laugh.
"So this is Skypiea's god?!"
"A weakling like this can be a god?!"
"Bastards…!"
Crackle!
Brilliant blue lightning filled the cracks in the Gates of Heaven.
In an instant, radiant thunder flickered before Zoro and Sanji, condensing once more into Enel's form.
The slash across his chest had been seared black by lightning, leaving behind a clear scar.
At this moment, Enel's face was filled with both fury and confusion, his gaze shifting repeatedly between Zoro and Sanji.
After a moment, he growled from deep in his throat, unable to comprehend it.
"Impossible… Why were you able to hit me?!"
"Idiot."
Faced with such a stupid question, Sanji flicked his fingers, igniting his cigarette with a burst of flame. He looked at Enel with open disdain.
"You don't seriously think you're some kind of god, do you?!"
"What did you say?!"
Blue lightning surged violently around Enel's body. Though a trace of caution appeared in his eyes, his overall demeanor remained overwhelmingly arrogant.
Long accustomed to standing above others, and drunk on his power, he had long forgotten what fear or reverence meant—
Even after being struck by an unknown force!
BOOM!!!
The once-clear sky suddenly darkened.
Brilliant thunder bloomed around Enel as he looked down from above, a condescending smile curling his lips, his voice filled with unquestionable authority.
"You merely got lucky and hit me once!"
"A mere human dares challenge a god's authority?!"
"30 Million Volt Thunderbird!!!"
Crackle—!
The golden staff in his hand swung sharply, tracing a beautiful arc through the air.
Under Enel's control, endless lightning rapidly condensed into a ferocious thunderbird that burst forth from the staff, charging straight toward Zoro and Sanji in midair.
"So he's not that simple—he can casually unleash an attack this strong?!"
"Be careful, Curly Brow!"
Zoro's eyes gleamed with excitement as battle lust surged through him, though he still tossed out what might have been a warning—or a taunt.
"The one who should be careful is you, Moss Head!"
Sanji loosened his tie midair and scoffed.
"After taking countless loving lightning strikes from Nami-san, I've long since become immune to electricity!!!"
Step!
As if to prove his words, Sanji stomped hard in midair, his flaming body shooting forward like a blazing meteor.
Cold sweat formed on Zoro's forehead as he roared angrily:
"That's not something to be proud of, you idiot!"
Even so, the steel dragon wings behind him beat powerfully, propelling him forward as well.
Though his flying speed couldn't match Sanji's, the Steel-type energy from the Pokémon world made Zoro's attacks heavier and sharper.
Neither of them dodged.
They charged head-on toward the thunderbird in their own ways.
In an instant, a violent explosion thundered above the Gates of Heaven, as if the sky itself had been torn open.
Enel's strength was… peculiar.
Not overwhelmingly strong, yet far from weak.
He lacked Haki, and his physical combat ability was abysmal.
And yet—
He possessed exceptional talent in both Observation Haki and Devil Fruit mastery!
Beyond his island-spanning Observation Haki, his Devil Fruit could unleash island-destroying power in a single full-force strike!
At the very least, in terms of Devil Fruit development, Enel could rival Fire Fist Ace—perhaps even surpass him.
After all, Ace couldn't combine Observation Haki to strike across an entire island.
All things considered…
Enel was a highly specialized combatant with absurd Special Attack and Speed, while his other stats were painfully lacking.
On average, his strength could be considered commander-level.
But his extreme imbalance made his weaknesses glaringly obvious.
A slightly stronger Haki expert could very well take his life.
With proper guidance and hard training, Enel might one day earn a place among the sea's top monsters.
But—
No matter how bright his future might be,
Today, in front of the Straw Hat Pirates…
Especially a Straw Hat crew strengthened by the Trainer Red…
His defeat was inevitable.
…
Whoosh—
The fearsome thunderbird shattered under Zoro and Sanji's combined assault.
Countless arcs of electricity dissipated into the void, vanishing among the clouds like strands of silk.
Zoro and Sanji didn't slow down in the slightest, continuing their advance.
"How is this possible?!"
His ultimate technique—one no one had ever endured—was destroyed in an instant. Enel was stunned.
But seeing the steel dragon and flaming demon closing in again…
This time, Enel followed his instincts without hesitation.
His body turned into a brilliant streak of lightning and flashed toward the far end of the sky.
BOOM!!!
The slash and kick arrived moments later, striking only empty air and detonating into roaring shockwaves.
Missing their target, Zoro and Sanji quickly adjusted their positions midair, stabilizing themselves as they exchanged looks filled with surprise.
Enel's speed was indeed beyond their expectations.
Without pause, they chased after him once more.
"Three Sword Style · Dragon Blade · Netherworld!!!"
"Diable Jambe · Bien Cuit · Grill Shot!!!"
A chilling demonic aura burst from Zoro's eyes, rapidly coiling around his three swords.
Sanji spun at high speed in midair, the flames around his black shoes growing even hotter.
Yet faced with these overwhelming attacks, Enel's eyes flashed sharply with lightning once more.
"It's useless!"
"Every move you make is already under my control!"
"Humans can never defeat a god!!!"
"Wahahahaha~!"
Enel laughed arrogantly.
Lightning flashed.
His body slipped between Zoro and Sanji as if toying with them, instantly appearing behind them.
"Inazuma!!!"
Enel thrust out both palms, two bolts of lightning shooting straight toward Zoro and Sanji.
"What?!"
This time, shock appeared on their faces.
Fortunately, both had fought Monkey D. Luffy before and were wary of high-speed opponents.
In a flash of thought, they twisted around, redirecting their original attacks toward the incoming lightning.
Another explosion erupted.
The searing lightning failed to injure them, but it successfully neutralized their offensive.
"Heh…"
Standing upon the air itself, Enel let out a cold chuckle.
He had shaken off his earlier shock.
Though he still didn't understand how those two had managed to hit his supposedly invincible body…
If he simply relied on lightning's speed and avoided being hit, wouldn't that solve everything?!
The balance of battle shifted once more—
At least, that's how Enel saw it.
Over the next few minutes, Zoro and Sanji launched multi-angle surprise attacks.
Yet under Enel's powerful Observation Haki, every assault was dodged by his lightning-fast movements.
For a moment, the two found themselves without a decisive way to take him down.
Despite Red having repeatedly emphasized Enel's terrifying speed…
Seeing it firsthand still left them feeling constrained.
It wasn't that they couldn't defeat Enel.
Simply exhausting him would be enough.
But their goal had never been merely to win.
Red had warned them—before long, they would face enemies faster and stronger than Enel.
If they couldn't overcome this hurdle, they might one day be toyed with just as they were now.
"As Red said…"
Zoro spoke first.
"He's too fast. Even with lock-on techniques, we can see him—but our bodies can't keep up."
"Tch… So that's why Red sent us to deal with this guy?!"
The thought of facing even stronger enemies soon weighed heavily on Sanji.
"No choice… We'll have to use that move."
Zoro hesitated for a moment, frustration flashing in his eyes, before nodding.
"Looks like it."
Without hesitation, both of them pulled a venomous needle from their pockets.
And plunged it straight into their own chests.
"Gah—!!!"
"Facade!!!"
They cried out in pain as they activated the prepared technique.
A strange ripple of light burst around their bodies.
As the toxin spread through their blood, excruciating pain tore through their senses.
This poison had been custom-made by Usopp and Tony Tony Chopper—agonizingly painful, yet leaving no lasting damage.
Its purpose—
Was to stimulate their bodies through intense pain when facing enemies they couldn't otherwise handle, amplifying the power of Facade to its limits!
Bulk Up + Facade + Lock-On + Cannon Beam / Sizzly Slide!
This was the Pokémon move set Red had designed for them.
Three status moves, and one energy attack aligned with their respective attributes.
The strongest combination Red could currently give them.
In an instant—
Terrifying energy erupted from Zoro and Sanji, forming powerful currents that surged around them.
Zoro's steel dragon wings expanded violently like a great roc spreading its wings, as if to encompass the heavens themselves.
A faint dragon's roar echoed from the blades wrapped in Armament Haki.
On the other side, molten-hot flames engulfed Sanji's legs, surging upward to coat his entire body.
In the blink of an eye, he became a lava-red flame knight, the air around him warping from the heat.
Under Facade's effect, their strength surged once more.
From ordinary Seven Warlord-level, they broke through—
Touching the threshold of a commander.
And under the agony-inducing toxin, the steel dragon and flame knight manifested eyes blazing with terrifying ferocity.
Especially under Zoro's Pressure ability—
The Enel who had just been smug about his speed now felt an inexplicable fear rise in his heart.
"This… this is impossible?!"
For the first time since gaining the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Enel felt fear.
(End of Chapter)