"We're retreating!"
Momousagi snapped Konpira back into its scabbard and ordered a withdrawal.
The reason she was able to serve as Vice Admiral Tsuru's adjutant in the Navy wasn't just due to her exceptional strength; her intellect was easily on par with Tsuru's. While Tsuru was a master of grand strategy, Momousagi excelled at reading the human heart.
The moment she heard Enel speak to Alucard with such arrogance, Momousagi knew exactly how this would end.
She didn't need to lift a finger; Skypiea was about to lose its "God."
The priority now was to avoid being caught in the crossfire of Alucard's battle and secure the Breath Dials.
After giving the order, Momousagi leaped back onto her ship and commanded her subordinates to turn the bow, steering away from Jormungandr's territory.
"Hmph! I'll deal with your judgment later. First, I'll take care of this Blue Sea dweller."
Enel tapped his golden staff against the drums on his back, his tone as defiant as ever. His Mantra range was vast enough to easily track Momousagi's retreat, but he wasn't worried. He wanted to seize the giant serpent beneath him first.
"Idiot, you're about to die and you don't even know it..."
Shirokitsune rolled her eyes, but suddenly noticed the ship's heading. She turned in confusion. "Momousagi-senpai, why are we heading downward?"
She had assumed Momousagi was simply moving away from Alucard and Enel to continue the World Government's mission, but the ship was currently making a break for the blue sea below.
"Do you really think that self-proclaimed 'God' can hold back Alucard the Immortal for long?"
Momousagi crossed her arms, a smirk playing on her lips. "The moment he's done with Enel, his next target will be us."
Turning to a soldier, Momousagi commanded, "Deploy the Octopus Balloons. The area directly beneath us is very close to Whitebeard's territory. If Alucard has even a shred of sanity left, he won't pursue us into a rival's domain."
"But if we leave Skypiea now, getting back up won't be easy," Shirokitsune frowned. Their ascent had been a grueling ordeal; repeating the trip would be a nightmare.
"Usafufufu~ Doesn't this mission failing align perfectly with your wishes?" Momousagi gave her a cryptic smile.
"What do you mean..." Shirokitsune let out an awkward laugh.
Momousagi was right. If the aerial warship project succeeded, the World Government's military might would skyrocket. To Shirokitsune, who loathed the Government and secretly wished for its downfall, this was a result she didn't want to see.
While Momousagi wasn't as radical as Shirokitsune, she had no desire to exert herself for the Government either; her only real wish was to return to the Navy.
Soon, the Government warship, buoyed by the Skypiea specialty Octopus Balloons, began its slow descent toward the sea territory ruled by the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Alright, now die!"
Enel struck the drum on the far right of his back with his staff. Lightning flared as he swung it forward. "30 Million Volts: Hino!"
With a wave of the golden staff, the electricity from the drum transformed into a thunderbird, screeching as it tore toward Alucard's back.
But the instant Enel launched his attack, Jormungandr beneath them began to writhe violently. The sudden shift in the giant serpent's body threw Enel off balance, causing his aim to veer. The thunderbird hissed past Alucard's ear, missing him by a hair's breadth.
Rumble…
Jormungandr's massive form rolled through the sea of clouds with a deafening roar. The serpent twisted its neck back, its scarlet eyes fixed in a deathly glare on Enel. Atop its head, Alucard looked down at the "God," dual pistols in hand.
"Audacious!"
Enel bellowed at the top of his lungs. "How dare you look down upon a God!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Enel vanished into a bolt of lightning. Jormungandr thrashed again, its massive body churning the cloud waves, swatting away the Priests who had already been softened up by Shirokitsune's group, sending them tumbling off the Sky Island.
Because Jormungandr shifted position, Enel's "God's Judgment" from above also failed to hit Alucard, merely punching a hole through the cloud layer.
A look of dark delight crossed Alucard's face. He chambered a round in the black pistol in his right hand.
Bang!
Mid-air, Enel's heart skipped a beat. Through his lightning-enhanced Mantra, he sensed a repulsive aura emanating from that bullet, the same "blackened" aura he had sensed when the woman's sword turned dark.
Enel didn't dare test his intangibility against the Jackal's rounds. He used his high-speed lightning movement to dodge, striking the two middle drums during his descent. White lightning erupted. "60 Million Volts: Jamboule!"
The electricity coalesced into a giant dragon. This time, Alucard didn't even move. Jormungandr opened its maw wide, and a vibrant green liquid gathered on its fangs. The next second, it erupted.
Splash!
The emerald venom sprayed out, drenching the thunder dragon. In an instant, the lightning was completely corroded and dissolved. The venom didn't stop there, hurtling toward Enel at an incredible speed.
"What?!"
Enel's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. This giant snake actually possessed such a power?
Enel used his lightning dash to relocate again, but the moment he finished his move, he realized he could no longer move any further.
The Sky Island, which should have been in the middle of a bright day, suddenly dimmed. Two seconds later, it was plunged into absolute, crushing darkness.
Thump!
As if something heavy had landed on the ground, countless gargantuan, blood-red eyes suddenly appeared around Enel. Each one flashed rapidly in the dark, staring him down, making the "God" shiver with primal dread.
Alucard had vanished. Jormungandr was gone too.
Enel felt trapped in a stagnant, shadowy world. There were only eyes, thousands of them, staring at him in silence. Intense negative emotions flooded Enel's brain, manifesting as a cocktail of terror and explosive rage.
"YOU AUDACIOUS MORTAL!!"
Fueled by the overwhelming negative energy, Enel unleashed his ultimate power.
"200 Million Volts: Amaru!!"
Lightning exploded from Enel's entire body as he expanded in size. He transformed into a bloated, hulking giant of pure electricity. Only those long earlobes remained as a hint of his original identity.
"Accept God's punishment!"