Hearing this, Shanks's gentle demeanor gradually faded, replaced by a hint of gravity and helplessness.
He sighed softly: "Is that so? Then I apologize."
The instant the last syllable fell, Shanks moved.
Without warning, without winding up, his drawing motion was so fast it seemed to transcend time.
A terrifying sword intent, capable of severing all things and looking down upon the world, merged with his Haki, transforming into a dark red slash aimed directly at Enel.
Divine Departure!
The signature technique of Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, a supreme strike that had brought countless powerful warriors to their knees.
Facing this slash, one that would make even an Admiral stand at attention, Enel showed no fear... instead, his fighting spirit blazed fiercely.
"Bring it on!"
He laughed wildly, clenching his right fist, which was shrouded in highly compressed, brilliant lightning and dark Armament Haki. He punched directly at the dark red slash.
Boom!
The moment fist and slash collided, there was first annihilation, then a deafening explosion.
The entire Udon Prison shook violently from the terrifying impact.
The shockwave spread like a tsunami, cracking the corridor walls with countless fissures, sending rubble raining down.
Under the disbelieving, as-if-they'd-seen-a-ghost gazes of everyone present,
the once-invincible [Divine Departure] slash was actually stopped dead by Enel's fist, which was wrapped in dark-golden lightning.
Though Enel was pushed back several meters by the immense force, carving two deep grooves in the ground, he bore not a single injury.
If anything, his presence was growing even stronger.
"Impossible?" Yasopp's eyes widened... Lucky Roux's chicken leg dropped to the ground.
Everyone in the Red Hair Pirates showed expressions of utter shock, their worldview seemingly shattered.
That was their captain, an Emperor of the Sea, going all out, and someone had blocked his attack head-on.
What's more, the one blocking it was Enel, the [God of Lightning], not particularly known for hand-to-hand combat.
"See that, Red Hair?" Enel shook his slightly numb fist, laughing wildly, his voice filled with pride.
"This is the power Captain granted me! Power that transcends the mundane, touching the realm of the gods!"
After consuming the spiritual fruit, his physique had been greatly strengthened.
His form again blurred into lightning, reappearing before Shanks as his dark-gold lightning fists rained down like a storm.
Shanks's expression was extremely grave as he wielded Gryphon to block and counter with all his might.
The fight quickly escalated. With each clash, the prison seemed on the verge of collapse.
However, it was clear to any observer that Enel was subtly gaining the upper hand.
His speed, strength, and the combination of lightning and Haki had reached an inconceivable level, actually suppressing the Emperor.
This subversive scene sent shockwaves through everyone's minds.
'Had the Gourmet Navigation Group grown this powerful? One of their top executives could overpower an Emperor.'
They couldn't understand it. If the Gourmet Navigation Group were this strong, how had Kaido managed to escape during his previous attacks on Wano?
The battle didn't last long.
Fighting Shanks helped Enel digest more of the power within him... his strength continued to grow.
Eventually, Enel exploited an opening, slamming a heavy fist infused with lightning and Haki into the side of Shanks's blade.
The immense force knocked Gryphon aside, and Enel's other fist followed, striking Shanks squarely in the chest.
"Gah!" Shanks spat out a mouthful of blood, sent flying backward, caught by Beckman and the others… seriously injured.
"Shanks!" Luffy cried out in anguish, feeling regret for the first time.
Enel paid their reactions no mind. After defeating Shanks, he directly summoned countless lightning bolts.
"Descent of the Thunder God!"
With one large-scale area attack, both pirate crews were down.
"Take them all, put them in cells," Enel ordered coldly. "They'll perform labor reform in Udon until Captain decides their fate."
Mr. 3 immediately directed the shaken guards to move forward, securing the severely wounded Straw Hats and Red Hair Pirates with special Seastone handcuffs.
"As for these two..." Enel's gaze, like a cold blade, fell upon Momonosuke and Kin'emon, who had tried in vain to hide.
Momonosuke, under that emotionless stare, felt as if plunged into an icy abyss, trembling uncontrollably.
"Kozuki Momonosuke, and Kozuki remnant, Foxfire Kin'emon," Enel's voice sounded like a death sentence. "Inciting rebellion, intending to overthrow the existing order of Wano Country. Unforgivable crimes."
"According to the Gourmet Navigation Group and Wano Country Provisional Administration Decree, sentence is death. To be carried out immediately."
"No!" Momonosuke let out a despairing, piercing wail. "I am the last bloodline of the Kozuki Clan! I am the future shogun of Wano! You can't kill me!!"
Kin'emon's eyes were also wide with grief and fury as he roared, "You despicable outsiders! Usurpers! I will never bow down! The spirit of Wano's samurai is immortal!"
Enel ignored their cries, merely waving his hand dismissively.
Two executioners from the Gourmet Navigation Group, with cold auras, stepped forward. Their blades flashed.
Two heads rolled to the ground, staining the dirty floor with blood.
Momonosuke's eyes, filled with fear, resentment, and confusion, remained wide open in death.
Kin'emon glared fiercely towards Enel, as if trying to etch his image into hell itself.
"Momo!" Luffy's eyes were wide with rage. It was the first time he had seen a friend killed so brutally before him.
Usopp trembled, tears and snot streaming down his face: "I said we shouldn't have come."
Shanks was silent. He knew this was an example being made.
Seeing Luffy's glare, Enel said coldly: "A prisoner dares show such insolence. You're hardly a qualified captain."
"If I see that look in your eyes again, I'll kill your crew. Every time you look at me like that, one of them dies."
Hearing Enel's cold words, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper screamed in terror.
"Luffy, stop looking at him like that! We'll be killed!"
Hearing their cries, Luffy's anger froze.
Momonosuke was merely a friend, but Nami and the others were his crew.
He had already lost a friend due to his stubbornness. Would he now lose his crew because of it?
He, who had never known how to bow his head, finally lowered it.
Seeing this, Enel laughed, then said coldly: "You should be grateful. If I didn't know you were connected to Ace, you'd be dead for your crimes."
"Now, you'll do labor reform here. If you can't reflect on your actions, you'll spend your lives mining."
Though frustrated, Shanks said, "Please inform your captain. Beware of Imu. She may not be dead!"
Enel said calmly, "Captain already knows. The 'gods' of the old era are in the past. The 'god' of the new era is about to rule these seas."