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One Way Home, Chapter 6.
🕑 Added 2024-01-20 00:48:28 +0000 UTCChapter 6: Enel vs Everyone.
—OoOoO—
“Gan Fall, in this world, there's a God. It's me," declared Enel.
In front of Enel now lay an old man with his charred body. Previously, there was a tough debate between Gan Fall and Enel. Ultimately, the old man felt that Enel had done too much. He planned to destroy Skypiea and go to the true land of the Gods. Because of that, Gan Fall was provoked and attacked him. Of course, the results were obvious. Gan Fall was nothing before Enel.
“As I thought, it's a devil fruit. Goro Goro No Mi, right? One of the invincible power. The power of lightning.”
Enel smiled at Robin's statement.
“I know you’re special. My guts are never wrong. Those of you who still survive here have been chosen to become my followers. I give you permission to build a new Land of Gods!”
“What if we reject it?” Maki replied nonchalantly.
"Reject? Well, if you stay here, you’ll fall into the abyss along with this country.”
Maki actually didn't care about the nonsense the man was spouting. If possible, she wanted to immediately beat up that big-mouth man. However, she knew nothing about her opponent's strength. It was too foreign, and Maki needed to figure out what method would be most effective against him. As such, while those people were trying to buy time by arguing with him, Maki was running as many battle simulations as possible in her head.
“If you destroy this country, the things you want will also be destroyed, right?” Robin made a comment.
"You mean Golden Bell?" Enel replied with a crooked smile, "Thanks to your and the glasses girl's efforts, I can guess where that thing might be."
Robin was surprised by the man's skill and even how he knew her and Maki's entire conversation. Meanwhile, Nami and Wyper were equally surprised, but on a different subject.
“Ms. Archaeologist. You’re a brilliant woman, I admit that. But you thought you could trick me, didn't you? How naive. I like smart women, but I don't like shallow women.”
Maki felt an attack about to hit, but it wasn't directed at her. The precognition ability she knew was called Kenbunshoku warned her that Robin would be his target. Maki acted as fast as she could and rushed at Robin, but Enel's attack was even faster.
However, she was lucky because she managed to push Robin, who was hit by the lightning strike, even though she had to sacrifice herself.
“Maki!”
Not just Robin, even Zoro and Nami screamed at the same time. In fact, Robin subconsciously shouted the girl's name even though she usually called Maki 'Ms. Otherworlder'.
Maki was seen gritting her teeth while crossing her arms in front of her head. Ten million volts of lightning hit her hard. However, once the attack ended, Maki could still stand straight. Her body didn’t appear to have any injuries, although thin smoke could be seen rising from her.
“Oh, that's right. You're the girl who can withstand my lightning, aren't you?” Enel said nonchalantly, "I'm curious, to what extent can you do it?"
Maki smiled broadly with a challenging look. Her body appeared fine on the surface, and she hadn’t received a single scratch. However, that didn’t mean she was immune to electricity. All Maki did was tank, so she still felt a slight tingling in her body.
“I’d normally tell you to try, but that's if you can fight me.”
Meanwhile, Zoro and the others could only gape at Maki, who was fine. Especially for the Straw Hat team, they had indeed been informed by Chopper that Maki didn’t receive any significant effects after getting struck by the lightning strike back then, but witnessing it themselves was something else.
'What the hell? Is she a monster?' Zoro thought.
Maki started placing her right hand on her sword. Her thumb pushed the hilt forward so the blade appeared several inches out. However, before Maki opened her attack, she took the time to glance at Robin first.
“Robin-san, I’ve a plan. If my attack is successful, I believe Luffy is our trump card."
Robin waited for further explanation. However, it seemed like Maki had no intention of providing the details. But Robin could understand why. So far it has been shown that Enel could hear all conversations on Skypiea. Therefore, Maki avoided anything that could give away her plans.
Maki then glanced at Zoro and Wyper.
“He’s difficult to deal with, isn't he? I want you to stay still until my method is proven to work.”
"Who do you think you are to dare order me like that?" Wyper replied.
Maki cursed in her mind. She hated people who couldn't work together in such a situation. However, before she could reply, Zoro preceded her.
“Isn't it fine? You saw what he could do to the old man. Going into it without a plan would be foolish.”
Zoro then looked at Maki.
“I don't know your plan, but we can trust it, right?”
Maki felt the weight behind those words. However, it wasn't like she had never been in this situation. Feeling burdened by beliefs was ridiculous. On the contrary, she sensed a real challenge and was excited when someone trusted her.
“Yeah, we'll gang up on him after that. I'd like to say that we'll beat him, but our best chance is on Luffy.”
Meanwhile, Robin was actually pensive when she heard Maki's story. She was amazed at how the girl could act and make decisions quickly. In fact, just a few hours ago, she taught Maki about the existence of logia-type fruits.
—OoOoO—
Maki and Robin walked in the wilderness at a pace that wasn't too fast. Being surrounded by giant trees didn’t make their courage shrink. Even though they had just been attacked by a giant snake a moment ago and separated from their group, it didn't cause any significant problems. Maki used the comfy atmosphere between them to deepen her knowledge about the world she had just arrived at.
“Logia?” Maki muttered.
Robin nodded and continued her explanation.
“It’s one of the three types of devil fruit. Basically, logia is a devil fruit that gives its eater powers related to natural elements. And in my opinion, the logia as a whole is the most troublesome of the lot.”
"Why?"
“Because you can't just attack a logia user. Just like natural elements that can form naturally. When you attack them, your attack will penetrate their body. It's as if their bodies turn into these natural elements and regenerate quickly."
Maki was silent when she heard the explanation. Something that couldn't be physically attacked, Maki realised how troublesome that was.
“However, their bodies are still material, right? It's not like they can control space-time, right?”
"Space-time?" Robin muttered.
She didn't understand what Maki meant. But it sounded like something sciencey to her ears. And Robin was a complete layman in this field.
“I don't really understand the concept. But as I said, they turned into natural elements given by the devil fruit. So, even though you can't just attack it, you can still technically do it with certain methods,” she continued.
Maki was curious about the method Robin meant. She wanted to ask her. However, Robin intended to tell Maki without even needing to ask.
“The first is to use kairoseki. But this material is very expensive and very difficult to process. So, not many people can own kairoseki-based weapons. The second is haki. But I don't understand how it works and can't use it either, so we'll skip it.”
Robin had indeed spent many years as Crocodile's right hand. If it was about haki, all she could glean was knowledge about the technique. Even after trying many times, Robin was unable to apply that knowledge. As a result, she had nothing to show Maki for that one.
“And the last one is much more practical as long as you know the weakness. Just like paper loses to scissors, or scissors lose to rock, and somehow logically, rock can lose to paper. Basically, it's all about matchups. If you use the weakness of an element given by the devil fruit, you can effectively attack it.”
Maki was stunned to hear the long explanation.
'Matchup, huh?'
Thinking about that, Maki suddenly remembered a video game that was very popular in her country, which she also played quite often.
—OoOoO—
Maki got ready with her stance. She pressed her feet against the rocky ground so hard that cracks were created. And when she stamped her foot to run, the foothold was destroyed.
Maki, in the blink of an eye, appeared behind Enel. The speed that Maki showed surprised them. However, not for Enel, who had predicted this movement. In fact, when Maki thrust her sword at Enel, the man was just standing still.
“Can't be attacked directly. So, is this the logia power?” Maki muttered a little dumbfounded.
Robin had indeed given her information about logia. However, Maki felt dissatisfied if she didn't try to attack it herself.
"I thought you were better than this," said Enel lazily.
The man turned his body and hit Maki hard. It sent the girl flying until she crashed the rubble and caused a loud bang and flying dust.
“Maki!” Zoro shouted.
“I expected a lot because you bragged about your plans, but that's all you got?” Enel said lightly.
Zoro was about to rush at Enel because he thought that whatever plan Maki had thought of had failed, likewise with Enel, who was just about to send his lightning. However, the man, who was more than two and a half metres tall, gave up his thoughts when he felt something approaching at high speed through his Mantra.
“You stubborn girl.”
Maki once again appeared at Enel's side. The man wasn’t at all intimidated by the presence of the girl who just lost her glasses. However, he slightly raised his eyebrows because he was curious about what the girl was carrying in her hands.
Maki didn't come without a plan. Her first failed attack was just a prank on him to measure her opponent's strength. However, she was just about to launch the real attack. With a chunk of the stone pillar that she carried using both hands and while jumping in the air to match Enel's height, Maki smashed the stone pillar into Enel's head vertically.
The raw power caused Enel to fall to the ground, creating a crack accompanied by a thunderous crash. The pillar Maki was using was destroyed instantly. She smiled in satisfaction at the result of her work, but of course, she didn't intend to stop there. However, before delivering a follow-up attack, Maki felt something from Enel's body through the Kenbunshoku she had recently awakened.
The girl immediately jumped away. Not even a second later, Enel released electricity that shot wildly from his body.
Zoro and the others could only gape in amazement at Maki's attack, which hit Enel cleanly. Meanwhile, the man with the white skullcap had regained his footing.
"How does it feel to be reminded of the taste of the earth, Pikachu?"
“You, you little bastard,” Enel replied while wiping the stains on his face.
On the other hand, Zoro couldn't wait to demand an explanation from the girl.
“Maki, what are you doing? How did you get to him?”
Maki recalled the physics lesson explained by the assistant manager, who also doubled as a teacher at Jujutsu High.
“Because rocks are very poor conductors of electricity. In short, you can also use it as a grounding for electricity even though it’s not as good as earth.”
'Yes, this is how the system in Pokemon should work. I still don't understand, why don't they make rock-type Pokemon immune to electric-type?' added Maki.
“Hey, you. Is the only way to do it with rocks?” Wyper asked.
Maki momentarily glanced at the mohawked man, but she didn't answer him. Instead, she glared at Enel while pulling out her sword sheath.
Maki once again shot at high speed towards Enel. In just an instant, she had arrived with the sword sheath ready to be swung. The girl swung it at Enel, who swiftly repelled it using his golden staff.
"What? Are you scared, Pikachu?” Maki provoked.
Enel frowned angrily. The crushing attack he had just received made him wary of Maki's movements. However, instead of continuing the clash, he actually jumped far back.
“It doesn't have to be rock.”
Maki started to reply to Wyper's previous question.
“All insulating objects should work against him. Plastic, wood, stone, rubber, glass and other polymer materials.”
Hearing Maki's explanation, the straw hat group began understanding why she said Luffy was their trump card. Meanwhile, Enel wasn’t satisfied with the conclusion the girl gave.
'That girl is more troublesome than I thought,' thought Enel.
“Thirty Million Volts Thunder Bird.”
Enel chanted the technique's name and hit a drum on his back using his golden stick. Lightning in the shape of an eagle appeared and attacked Maki at high speed. But the girl managed to dodge it using her speed and the warning alarm from Kenbunshoku. However, lightning was still lightning. Its speed was still faster than Maki. This caused Maki's left hand to remain exposed to the attack.
“Thunder Beast Kiten.”
Enel once again attacked Maki with his lightning. This time, the attack was lightning in the shape of a wolf. The girl was indeed very fast, but Enel's lightning was even faster. Utilising Mantra's abilities, Enel could track Maki's movements and fire his lightning bolts. The first attack only hit her left hand, but the second hit most of her body, causing Maki's movements to slow down.
'You may have a high resistance to lightning, but that doesn't mean you're invulnerable.'
“El Thor.”
The lightning strike directly hit Maki. Enel's previous two attacks slowed Maki down, allowing Enel to land a clean attack on Maki. Based on prior experience, Maki could also withstand attacks from El Thor. Even though the lightning didn't physically hurt him, Maki still felt the sting's effects. It could stunt Maki for one second.
However, even if it was only one second, this gap could play a significant role in turning the tables in a battle.
“Gloam Paddling.”
Enel heated his iron rod while chanting the technique. He reshaped his golden staff by giving it a sharp tip. One second was a short time, and Enel focused on that moment. However, when he tried so hard to create an opening on Maki and concentrate on those two seconds, it meant he was also making an opening for himself.
This lack of experience in close-quarter combat made Enel realise too late that Zoro and Wyper were right before him.
“72 Pound Phoenix.”
Zoro swung his sword sheath, and the attack hit Enel heavily in the stomach. It was a heavy blow from a blunt object that caused Enel to be pushed several meters back. It didn't stop there. Wyper, who also attacked, hit Enel in the face using a stone pillar.
“How dare you—.”
Before Enel had time to finish his words, he saw Maki jump and quickly appear beside his head. Maki delivered a perfect kick to Enel's head, sending the man flying and hitting the rubble.
Maki then landed on the ground and exhaled as smoke came from her mouth.
"How did your kick hit him?" Zoro asked.
"Well, my boots are made from a polymer material, a type of rubber and cloth. I don't really understand it, but in short these are safety boots.”
Maki was from a more modern world, but that didn't mean she knew everything. What she understood about the boots she always wore was that they were also often used by other field workers but of much higher quality.
“Can my shoes do that too?”
Maki glanced momentarily at the object Zoro was pointing at before looking away.
"Who knows? Just try it yourself.”
The reason why Maki's boots could effectively hit Enel was the exact reason why Zoro's sword sheath could also do the same thing. Zoro initially only bet because he saw Maki trying to attack Enel using her sword sheath. However, the real reason why it worked was because sword scabbards were generally made from polymer materials that were both elastic and strong.
Maki saw an opportunity from when Enel was thrown into the ruins surrounded by tall buildings.
Maki sped off again very quickly. However, the trajectory didn’t lead directly to Enel. She bounced here and there, using the topography as a foothold to make it difficult for Enel to follow her movements.
Seeing what Maki showed, even Wyper, who was experienced in combat, was often forced to be stunned.
“It wasn't just once or twice, and my eyes still couldn't catch her movements. The woman seemed to disappear at her own speed. Is she really a human?”
Zoro was also thinking the same thing. Zoro believed he wasn’t inferior to Maki in terms of raw strength, even though he was pretty surprised that Maki couldn’t produce an aura slash like he could. However, regarding speed and durability, Zoro had to admit that Maki was at a very high level.
“If I’ve to put it, it’s like a power from another world.”
What Zoro meant was a literal meaning, but Wyper took it as a figure of speech. However, the mohawk man didn't overthink about it.
Enel was still trying to lock Maki's movement path while wary of sudden attacks from Zoro and Wyper. The Shandian man was also thinking about how to attack Enel. Even though Maki had told him how and had proven for herself that stones really worked, he didn't want to rely on that method.
Wyper glanced at Zoro, seeing that one of his sword sheaths was still unused.
“Hey, can you lend me one of your sword scabbards?” asked Wyper.
In normal situations, Zoro wouldn't think twice about refusing that request. He would never allow anyone else to use his weapon, even if it was just his sword sheath. However, the situation they were currently in was beyond his will. Enel was too superior, both in terms of speed and destructive power. Metal couldn’t touch him. Only the scabbard he could use as a weapon. His shoes might have been an option, but his pride as a swordsman rejected the idea.
Because of that, Zoro had no other choice. Three Swords Style was his best quality, but Zoro doubted they could win even with Maki's help.
'So, that's why she said that Luffy is our trump card?' Zoro thought,
“Fine, go ahead.”
Zoro pulled out the only sword sheath he wasn't using and threw it at Wyper. The mohawk man was able to catch him easily.
'I refuse to lose to that man and am ambitious to destroy him. But if even that doesn't work, the only thing we can do is drain him as much as possible and let Luffy take care of the rest.'
With this objectivity, Zoro thought that quantity was better than quality. That was why Zoro allowed Wyper to borrow his weapon. However, that didn't mean there wasn't any resentment and disappointment he felt towards himself.
'Those who are weak don’t have the privilege to choose how they fight,' Zoro thought as he tightened his grip on his two sword sheaths, 'This disgusting feeling will forever be engraved in my mind. And I swear this is the last time I hand over my weapon to anyone else.'
—OoOoO—
Enel felt frustrated because Maki kept moving at high speed and kept moving from one point to another. In fact, this strategy wasn’t different from the one Maki had previously used. However, earlier, it was easier to track because few ruined buildings surrounded it. Meanwhile, Maki took advantage of Enel's situation, which was surrounded by buildings, to achieve high mobility.
"You bastard girl,"
Full of anger, Enel released pillars of lightning that shot out from him and moved within a radius of ten metres. However, Maki was able to anticipate it well by jumping away.
'Now!'
Maki, who had memorised the timing of Enel's attacks, saw a small gap right after the man blasted a lightning bolt from his body. She quickly shot forward with her sword sheath, ready to strike Enel. However, Enel didn’t just stay silent. He unsheathed the staff whose end he had sharpened. But Maki was one second faster, so she could dodge it by twisting her body in the air so the stick tip grazed the jacket she had borrowed from Nami.
Maki landed right behind Enel in hopes of striking the man's legs.
'How stupid,' thought Enel.
“Lightning Release: Vari One Hundred Volts.”
At a point-blank distance, Enel turned his body and slammed his hand, which had been charged beforehand.
'What? Isn't that too fast? The activation of the technique is faster than before. No, he has charged electricity in his own body so he can release it at any time.'
The super high voltage electricity stung Maki's body just as soon as she realised what had happened. Her eyes were white, but her temples still showed veins as if to show that Maki's body was still trying to resist the pressure exerted by the massive number of electrons.
'That was one of my strongest attacks. But seeing her resistance to electricity, I doubt she would die from it. However, that should be enough to make you sleep for some time,' thought Enel.
Maki's sacrifice wasn’t in vain, and she didn’t take that risky step without reason. Maki made a blunder because it didn't occur to her that Enel could charge himself and release the electricity so that he could use his technique in a desperate situation. However, it also opened up space for Zoro and Wyper to attack.
Enel used all his emergency power reserves to attack Maki so he couldn't perform an unprepared lightning discharge like the one just now. Even though they weren't as fast as Maki, Zoro and Wyper were still elite fighters, so they could quickly close their distance with Enel before the man activated his technique.
“Nitoryu Iai: Rashomon.”
Zoro swung his sword sheath vertically to attack Enel's two arms.
“Ugh….”
It was such a mighty blow that it made Enel growl and his arms twitch. It didn't stop there. Wyper entered by thrusting the tip of his sword's sheath into Enel's exposed navel. Enel pushed back slightly with his mouth open and spitting out saliva.
Zoro attacked Enel again, but he aimed for his waist this time. However, the significant height difference made it easier for Enel to block the attack using his golden staff. And with his strength, he pushed Zoro backwards.
"Tsk," cursed the green man.
Wyper tried to come back in to attack Enel. Unfortunately, the man was quicker and just kicked Wyper. Successfully giving them some distance, Enel prepared to cast his technique and shoot them all at once.
“Six Million Volts Thund…— eh?”
Enel's chanting was stopped when he suddenly felt something touch his shoulder. He looked up and was shocked by what he saw.
"You? How do you wake up so quickly?" he said.
It was Maki. Her body had some burns, but they weren't too severe. The girl stepped on Enel's shoulder with her hands tightly gripping the drum ring that was embedded in his back.
"This, isn't it, what helps you control your technique? I don't know the details, but each drum seems to have a sound at a different frequency, which helps you control the lighting you produce."
“You, you litte bitch—.”
Before Enel finished his words, Maki roughly pulled the ring from his back. If it weren't for the jacket she borrowed from Nami, people would have seen Maki's muscles tense tightly. And without mercy, Maki pulled out the drums roughly until fresh blood spurted everywhere.
“Oh, apparently a God also bleeds, huh?” Maki taunted.
Enel tightened his jaw, holding back the pain that suddenly stung his body. Full of anger, Enel immediately turned his body so that Maki was forced to jump down from his shoulders. Without intending to hold back his attack, the man was about to thrust the golden stick at Maki.
However, his anger blinded his observations, so Zoro and Wyper easily sneaked behind him. Zoro slashed the sword sheath at his back while Wyper hit Enel's knee joint using the sword sheath he borrowed from Zoro. It made Enel fall with one knee resting on the ground.
Without intending to give it a chance, Maki raised her leg and whipped it vertically to hit Enel's head. It smashed the ground again and was accompanied by creating a crater one meter wide.
“And it seems that even God can be forced to kneel—no, isn't your current position much lower than kneeling?” Zoro taunted.
Maki, Zoro, and Wyper smiled broadly and were satisfied because they had rounded Enel this far. Even so, they didn’t intend to stop the attack. The three fighters simultaneously attack Enel again, still slumped under them. However, the man wearing the skullcap didn't let his body become a punching bag.
By utilising the devil fruit's ability, he immediately disappeared and moved at high speed as soon as his feet found footing.
Shit. He escaped,' Maki thought.
However, as if they understood what had to be done, they immediately split up and ran and continued to move to move points.
—OoOoO—
“They managed to push Enel that far?” Nami muttered.
She was amazed at how that team had performed so far. Seeing Enel's power, she never thought they could dominate the fight with such a good combination. However, unlike Nami, the woman beside her had a different opinion.
"No, I wouldn't say they dominated the fight," Robin replied.
“Eh? Why?"
“On the surface, they do look dominating with the many clean attacks they managed to score on Enel. However, that doesn't mean they are in control. The way they fight is too reckless. Even though they managed to find a way to attack him, they had no defence against Enel's attack.”
“But don't we have Maki as a tanker? Her durability isn’t a joke," replied Nami.
In that fight, they couldn’t deny Maki's role. She was the first to come up with ideas about materials that could be used to attack Enel. Apart from that, in that collaboration, Maki played a significant role as a tanker and was active in playmaking. By playmaking meant Maki was active in creating chances, pestering Enel who wanted to activate his technique, and was the only one who had received the most lightning damage so far.
As the fastest and also had Kenbunshoku, Maki could feel when Enel was about to activate his technique. Moreover, she had observed and understood his habits in battle. That way, whenever Enel attacked Zoro and Wyper using lightning, Maki would thwart him by hitting Enel's hand. That was made easier because Maki had removed his drums, which reduced his control and accuracy over lightning. However, as a result, Maki was also hit by Enel's attacks more often.
But it allowed Zoro and Wyper to land a clean attack on Enel.
"As strong as Maki is, the effects of the lightning attack have accumulated on her body," said Robin as she continued to observe the fight, "Her speed and intensity may not have decreased, but as you can see, several burns can be seen on her body, especially after she was struck by one hundred million volts.”
Robin paused her words before continuing.
“Enel did look cornered, but that was just about him losing his momentum. However, we have yet to see the limits of Goro Goro no Mi. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Maki's body was starting to show its limits. Moreover, sword sheaths cannot provide optimal damage. They have to control the power they use so that their scabbards don't get damaged.”
Nami swallowed hard after hearing the explanation. She turned to the giant snake, still unconscious after being hit by Enel's attack a moment ago. However, different from before, the snake's mouth was now circled by giant arms.
"Then why did you lock the snake's mouth? He's there. If he joins the battle, Enel can definitely be defeated.”
“Maki called Captain is our trump card with a reason. A trump card will only work optimally if we bring it out as a final move after we have succeeded in weakening the opponent as much as possible.”
'Luffy has what the y don't. If rubber is one of Enel's weaknesses, that means he can deal maximum damage as well as immunity to electricity.'
Robin's worries came true when she heard the sound of an explosion. And from an eye she placed on a building near their fight, she saw quite a sad sight.
—OoOoO—
Enel took effective distance from the three fighters ganging up on him. However, when Maki chased him, Enel turned his entire body into lightning that spread randomly, but none hit her. Maki tried to track Enel's whereabouts using Kenbunshoku, but she was outpaced by the man faster in catching her neck.
“Got you.”
Maki clenched her jaw while trying to release Enel's grip on her neck. Unfortunately, the significant difference in physical posture did not give her an advantage. His big hands could grip Maki's neck perfectly, even her chin was lifted. Meanwhile, Enel, who intended to crush the seemingly small neck, was disappointed because it was harder than he imagined.
Zoro and Wyper had no intention of letting Enel have his way. They sped towards Enel. But the man with the white skullcap did a chokeslam, throwing Maki onto the rocks on the ground, and high-voltage lightning shot everywhere wildly, which even hit Zoro and Wyper.
Their voices couldn't even come out because they were hit by the massive lightning shock. And for Maki, she could only groan because the electricity flowed directly into her body through Enel's hand, which was strangling her neck. Moreover, the impact of her back against the ground also had a shock effect.
"You didn't think I'd stop here, did you?" Enel said while looking down at Maki.
“Gloam Paddling.”
Enel again added sharpness to the tip of his golden stick. He thrust the hot golden stick into Maki's stomach.
“Gah!”
Maki groaned after the hot metal penetrated her skin. She gripped the stick, hoping it wouldn't penetrate any deeper.
"You really have a tough body," Enel praised.
“One Hundred Volts Variation.”
Enel releases high-voltage electricity with a gold stick as the conductor. It allowed electricity to flow directly to her internal organs.
“Aarrghh!!” Maki roared in pain.
Enel ignored the screams. He was about to pull out the stick stuck in Maki's stomach. However, he failed because Maki's grip on the object was still very strong. What annoyed him the most was that he saw that Maki's mouth was bleeding, and she was still able to give a confident smile.
While still lying down, Maki kicked Enel's shin until it made a 'crack' sound. She then immediately got up and performed a roundhouse kick. It hit him hard to the point he spat blood, and Maki continued to kick him again. However, Enel caught the leg. Full of anger, Enel dragged her at high speed, then just threw her. Combined with his speed and strength, it was a powerful throw. In fact, Maki's body couldn't stop even though it hit the buildings.
The girl who was thrown could only stop when she was in the middle of the forest behind the main ruins. The distance was estimated to be around 500 metres from where Enel threw her.
Maki tried to stand up by grabbing the giant tree around her for support. Her body swayed slightly, and she breathed heavily. The pain all over her body was hard to describe. She felt that several of her bones were broken, and her internal organs weren’t only damaged but also had burns. Moreover, she could feel several spots on her skin, which were also quite severely burned.
That wasn't enough; her eyes began to blur, and her ears rang non-stop. However, one thing that relieved her was that everything was gradually improving.
“People like you who think they can defeat a God just by using cheap tactics really make me sick.”
Maki vaguely heard Enel's voice. She looked up, seeing the man with the skullcap standing on a giant branch.
"If I don't show you the absolute difference in strength between us, you’ll never understand where you belong," Enel said again.
Electric sparks appeared on his left hand. It was a tiny spark, but right after it, the free electrons were compressed in such a way, gathered in a centre and formed a black ball the size of a baseball with incredible density.
Enel shot the ball at Maki. Of course, he didn't forget to cast the technique.
“Mini Raigo.”
—OoOoO—
Nami and Robin have a very sudden change in the situation. Only when Enel regained his momentum could he truly control the course of the battle.
Just as Enel managed to strangle Maki, Robin knew that things would never be the same again. Because of that, she immediately let go of her noose on the snake eating Luffy, hoping he would soon escape the giant snake's stomach. However, it seemed that Luffy was too relaxed that there were no signs of him,
As they tried to move Zoro and Wyper's bodies into a more comfortable place, a large explosion was heard from the forest behind the ruins.
"What? What happened?" shouted Nami frantically.
The two of them immediately ran to the source of the explosion as fast as they could. It was easy for them to find this location. Apart from the fact that the explosion just now was really thunderous, the resulting smoke also soared high into the sky.
Nami and Robin ran as hard as they could. However, their steps stopped when they saw the scene presented before their eyes.
"What is this? Are you fucking kidding me?" muttered Nami, who didn't know what to say.
Before them was an unbelievable sight. A small area of ruins and a forest filled with giant trees had disappeared, replaced by an enormous crater. Its width was estimated to be around 600 metres in diameter. The parts that were still lucky appeared to have piles of debris piled up. However, some points at this location were full of holes, revealing a sea of white.
“Is this… the true power of the Goro Goro fruit?” Robin muttered
However, before they fell silent with mixed emotions flooding their heads, Enel suddenly appeared at a speed their eyes couldn't follow.
"Oh, I forgot that you two were still there," said the man.
Their fight against Enel didn’t end in veins. His body showed several bruises that looked quite serious. Moreover, the two holes on his back where the ring and drums were previously located still showed blood that had yet to dry. Even if the current Enel could still stand up straight, the previous fight must have drained his stamina.
“Maki… Where’s Maki?” Nami asked.
"That girl? Well, no matter how strong her body is, she would have been shattered into pieces," replied Enel.
The man then turned his upper body and looked at his handiwork.
“Look at this scene. If anyone could survive this, they would definitely be monsters, Gods, or some other divine power. But above all, it’s me, the God. Huh, this isn't even my best work.”
Nami felt intimidated by Enel's last statement. If that wasn't the best thing he could do, it meant Enel hadn't been fighting with all his might.
"Well, now, what should I do with you two?"
Robin was silent for a moment. They could only fight against Enel with Luffy's presence. On the other hand, Robin also wanted to get this man out of this ruined area immediately, by whatever means necessary.
"You win, we can't possibly fight you."
Enel smiled with satisfaction hearing the confession from the black-haired woman.
“As you know, I’m an archaeologist, while this lady is a navigator. Her knowledge of nature and navigation is second to none.”
"Robin, what do you mean?" asked a confused Nami.
However, the woman ignored the question and continued her words.
"You just invited us to go to a new land, to the land where the Gods are supposed to be, right? If your offer still stands, please allow us to serve you. With my knowledge and her navigation skills, we can take you anywhere you want, even if it means taking over the world.”
Nami was surprised by her colleague's statement. However, she quickly realised Robin's intent and purpose.
“Well, interesting. Now, you two come with me.”
—OoOoO—
Sky Island was an island with a height of ten thousand metres above sea level. Technically, it was also closer to the sun than the land below. For this reason, the light that reached it also looked brighter because of the minimal pollution in the air.
Maki felt discomfort when excessive light was shining through her eyelids. With a slow movement, she opened her eyes and reflexively narrowed them again to adapt. Unfortunately, the light that kept bothering her wasn’t sunlight but flashes of lightning that continued to strike non-stop. In the next second, her eyes widened as she remembered what had happened.
She quickly woke up and sat up from where she was lying. Her sudden behaviour also attracted the attention of the people around her.
“Ms. Fighter? You awake?"
The girl turned to the sound source and found Robin by her side.
“Yeah, the sound of these thunders doesn't let me sleep well. Besides, can you stop giving me strange names?”
Maki tried to clench and loosen her hands. She also closed her eyes and took a deep breath to check her body condition.
“By the way, how long have I been unconscious? And what happened?"
Her body felt much better, and she felt much more refreshed. Whether it was Nami or Robin's actions, it seemed they took off the jacket she borrowed so that now she only showed a black sleeveless t-shirt. Apart from that, the hair she usually tied up flowed freely.
“Almost seven minutes. Moreover, how are you? You received much more severe injuries than the others.”
Hearing that question, Maki again checked her body condition, especially her external physique. She just realised that some of the burns she received had healed entirely and felt they had been smeared with ointment. To confirm further, Maki lifted her t-shirt to reveal her stomach, which had previously been stabbed by Enel and her internal organs, which had been shocked and burned directly by one hundred thousand volts of electricity.
However, before Maki could explain, Robin responded in a surprised tone.
“Your wounds have recovered? How could that be? Isn't that too fast?”
"If you want to be surprised, you should be more surprised at how this girl managed to survive an attack that could even raze the forest to the ground."
The one who answered Maki's question just now was Zoro. Those who fought with Maki earlier had regained consciousness about a minute faster than Maki. That left Chopper, who didn't have much endurance, and Sanji, who Maki didn't know how he got here.
“But yeah, I can understand why Robin was surprised. Just being hit by one Enel’s lightning strike, my soul felt like it was going to leave my body," said Zoro, who continued, "It's hard to imagine yourself receiving lightning many times. Moreover, before I fainted, I saw him stab you and send lightning straight into your internal organs.”
“Honestly, I was also surprised to see you safe. Even more surprised to see your wounds recovering so quickly," Wyper added.
Maki wasn't used to that kind of flattery. That made her feel a little awkward.
However, as they said, Maki was surprised by her own body. Since getting the zero-cursed energy body, not only had all her abilities been enhanced crazily, but it seemed she also had a healing factor. Of course, Maki wouldn't say that it was faster than the healing ability using the Reverse Cursed Technique. However, it was still much quicker than normal humans.
In fact, before she came to this world, her body was battered from being beaten by Dagon. She was even sure that some of her bones were broken and some of her organs were damaged. At first, Maki didn't pay much attention to the changes in her body because she was still in shock from switching worlds due to being sucked in by Megumi's domain which clashed with Dagon's. However, if she had to give a rough estimate, her broken bones and crushed organs had completely recovered in just four minutes.
"I can't give another answer other than this is what my body is like," Maki replied.
The girl didn't want to drag on with this topic, which made her a little uncomfortable. As such, she brought the conversation back to the original topic.
“So, what happened while I was unconscious? Besides, is that Luffy climbing the stalk with a golden ball in his arms?”
Hearing the question, Robin explained what had happened after she fainted. In short, there wasn't much she could say. Nami and Robin were forced to try to divert Enel from where their unconscious friends were. However, they attempted to trick Enel into becoming their follower since they had no choice. Luckily, that method worked.
After they arrived at Maxim, the name of Enel's ship, Luffy, came to fight Enel. And as Maki predicted, Luffy was very effective against Enel. He had all aspects of offensive and defensive. Unfortunately, Enel was more than just lightning in human form. His Mantra was so troublesome that Luffy was thrown from Enel's golden ship. However, it turned out that Sanji and Ussop managed to infiltrate and damage the ship's engine simultaneously so that Maxim couldn’t work optimally.
"And if you are curious about the ointment used to treat your wounds, it’s an ointment made by Ship Doctor. Apparently, Mr. Cook seemed to have the initiative to bring first aid when he came here," said Robin, who concluded her short story.
"Thanks," Maki said sincerely, "By the way, is this just my hunch or has Enel's power output increased many times?"
“No, you're right. Based on his explanation, he used his golden ship to increase the voltage. I don't understand the mechanism, though," replied Robin.
Listening to the conversation, Zoro couldn't wait to bring his interests into the discussion.
"Now, what? Shall we catch up and help Luffy?”
“I don't think that's a good idea,” Maki replied while looking at Maxim, “Luffy has what he needs to attack and defend against Enel. He just needed to adapt to his precognition abilities. With Enel's output increasing sharply, we might just get in the way.”
It wasn't like Zoro didn't have the same thoughts as Maki. He had already reached that conclusion before. After all, Zoro was an experienced fighter. However, he couldn't bear to stand by and watch his captain fight an enemy much stronger than them. Deep in his heart, Zoro wanted to help Luffy. But he realised that was impossible, not at his current level.
Therefore, Zoro tried asking Maki and hoped the girl would have a different view. However, what he received was precisely the same opinion as his own.
“I hate this helplessness.”
Maki glanced at the green-headed man briefly before returning to Luffy, who was still climbing the stalk. She really understood what the man was feeling. That frustration she also felt very well.
Those unimportant thoughts disappeared when Maki felt a high pressure far away in the sky. She looked up to find the source of her discomfort. Maki didn't discover anything strange except the black clouds still covering the sky above them. However, her eyes widened when the clouds suddenly dissipated due to the impetus of the extremely high energy pressure. Not long after, a giant object appeared in the sky.
“What the hell? It was even bigger than the one that hit me.”
They couldn't say anything. Their mouths seemed locked, even just to express a word. They couldn't imagine what would happen if the giant ball-shaped object hit land.
However, their question was answered when Enel dropped the object on Angel Beach.
The free electrons in a very massive number and compressed with very high pressure exploded when the giant ball hit the island. The supermassive electron explosion accompanied by lightning struck was clearly visible before them. In fact, the hot air waves reached them even though Angel Beach and Upper Yard were more than a kilometre apart.
"I feel like I saw an atomic bomb before my own eyes," Maki muttered.
“The island disappeared just like that?" said Zoro in horror.
Seeing that the atmosphere had become gloomy, Robin took a step forward and took control of the situation.
“This is not the time for that. We must immediately execute the plan.”
The people there seemed confused about what Robin meant, but the woman quickly explained it.
“Ms. Navigator said to cut down the beanstalk in the direction Maxim was in. That way, she who carries the Captain using the waver will have enough momentum to jump at Maxim.”
“So, heading West, huh?” Zoro replied.
There was a brief debate over the plan. Especially from Gan Fall, he was pretty concerned because the giant beanstalk, connecting the Upper Yard with the throne of God, was one of the most valuable inheritances in Skypiea. However, he didn’t provide complicated arguments. There was no point in insisting on maintaining the beanstalk if, in the end, all of Skypiea was wiped out of civilisation.
There was also disapproval from Wyper, who rejected the idea that Luffy would beat Enel and ring the golden bell that was the inheritance of the Shandian people. However, with Robin's explanation and understanding, the man finally agreed to all the plans.
The beanstalk was finally collapsed by Wyper's dial reject attack. That way, Nami had the momentum to drag Luffy to Maxim. However, Enel once again lowered an electron ball larger than last. And Luffy immediately jumped, attacking the destructive attack.
Luffy randomly waved his rubber hand encased in a golden ball. That made the electron arrangement in the attack chaotic until the giant ball slowly lost shape.
“Wait, how could he do that?” Maki asked in confusion.
“Isn't that because he utilised the gold as a conductor and broke up the concentrated electrons?”
Maki didn't reply to Robin's explanation, but she still listened. However, her knowledge of electricity rejected that answer.
'They say that there may be other worlds outside our observable universe. I might be in that other world because the physics here has some differences from what I know. However, the electrical law I applied against Enel means there should be no difference in this subject.'
“That thing contains so many free electrons packed together, rubbing against each other that it has a very high temperature,” Maki replied without looking away, “I don’t know how to put it, but my eyes can see them. Normally, even if Luffy used gold as a conductor, it would only change the flow of electricity, but with that many free electrons in the air, they should still flow to the ground because of the high potential difference."
Maki paused her words for a moment.
“Like I said, it's hard for me to explain. But my eyes can see the facets. And from what I see, instead of changing the flow of electricity using gold as a conductor, it's as if Luffy is actually touching the electrons, knocking them away at will."
Robin glanced at Maki for a moment and then turned her gaze back to Luffy, who continued to dart towards Enel's ship while the man transformed into a figure with a body filled with giant lightning.
Even though Robin didn't understand what Maki meant because she couldn't see what Maki was witnessing, she was sure that Maki wasn't someone who liked to brag. Coupled with her feats, it was hard to ignore Maki's words. However, the following words from the other world girl represented what Robin was thinking.
"Are you sure that Luffy's power is just rubber? Because in my eyes, he’s more than that.”
The question was greeted with Luffy's victory and a bell ringing loudly throughout the island. The loud sound seemed to shake the hearts of the residents of Skypiea and the Shandian people. The emotional tears couldn't be stopped anymore, and many of them couldn't support their bodies and ended up sitting on the ground.
There were no screams from all the residents of Sky Island who survived Enel's cruelty. Everyone could only breathe a sigh of relief as the tears continued to flow as if all the fear and anxiety they had been holding in all this time were also flowing out with it. Maki, who was not a local resident and had no ties to that place, also felt a great tremor in her heart.
And with that, the gruelling battle in Skypiea came to an end.
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: Once again, I apologise for the delay. I actually wanted to upload this chapter yesterday after work, but I was too tired and went straight to bed after showering. And today, I updated it as soon as possible after I woke up. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
As you can see, Maki couldn't beat Enel even though she was ganging up on him. Here, I want to convey that Maki won't immediately win just because she's the main characte. And this wouldn't be Maki's last defeat here. So, before she really grows into a formidable figure, I hope you can enjoy and watch her growth and development.
That's all from me. What do you think of the fight? and thank you, see you again. Next I will try to upload My Youth As A Sorcerer Sucks next week, hopefully I can finish it on time.
