"After you leave," Karl said calmly, "Skypiea becomes my territory. Understood?"
Enel's eyes widened.
"What did you say? This is my domain! On what grounds?!"
Karl casually pressed his blade against Enel's neck.
"On these grounds."
Enel: …Fine. You win.
In truth, Enel had already anticipated this. Before they clashed, he had overheard fragments of their conversation through Mantra. He knew they were interested in Skypiea.
And after Karl's earlier "education" about the Blue Sea—
Skypiea suddenly felt… small.
The Four Seas.
The Grand Line.
The New World.
The Four Emperors.
A vast world waiting for him.
Why confine himself to this sky-bound island?
Still—
He couldn't deny his lingering attachment.
His dream was the "Endless Vearth."
The Ark Maxim was already under construction.
If he abandoned Skypiea now—
Wouldn't those years be wasted?
After a long silence, Enel spoke steadily.
"You can have Skypiea."
"But the Ark Maxim stays with me."
Hancock's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Karl said Skypiea is ours."
"Everything here belongs to us."
Karl nodded.
"She has a point."
"But… considering our partnership, it's negotiable."
"First—what exactly is the Ark Maxim?"
Enel lifted his chin.
"A ship."
"A ship only I can operate."
"With it, I can reach the Endless Vearth."
Karl murmured internally.
The moon.
"You mean the moon?"
Enel's pupils shrank.
"How do you know?"
Karl smirked.
"I have… special sources of intelligence."
"Besides, the moon is barren."
"No living humans."
"What would you even do there?"
"You've never been. How would you know?"
Karl paused briefly—then scoffed.
"The Marines have a scientific division."
"Science. Ever heard of it?"
"No."
Karl sighed theatrically.
"We use devices called telescopes."
"From the Blue Sea, we can observe the moon's surface."
"Cratered. Desolate. Empty."
"The land we're standing on is hundreds of times larger."
"And you call that 'Endless Vearth'?"
Enel stood frozen.
His faith trembled.
Impossible.
Lies.
Deception.
"Why would I lie?"
Karl continued smoothly.
"If you destroy Mary Geoise, we're even."
"After that, I'll give you the antidote."
"You can take the Ark Maxim."
"Go to the moon if you want."
"It benefits us if you leave."
Silence.
Long silence.
Karl turned as if to leave—
"Deal."
Enel's voice came low but firm.
"Deal."
Karl didn't immediately release him.
Acting required consistency.
He decided to let Enel stew a little longer.
Hancock wrapped her arms around Karl from behind.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"Not that."
"You're sending him to destroy Mary Geoise… to avenge me, aren't you?"
Karl blinked.
"…Ah?"
Then he quickly recovered.
"Of course."
"You're the woman I love."
"How dare the Celestial Dragons treat you as they did?"
"If I weren't wearing this Marine uniform, I'd have burned Mary Geoise myself."
He wrapped an arm around her dramatically.
Hancock's eyes shimmered.
Deeply moved.
I will give him seventeen or eighteen children, she vowed silently.
Three hours passed.
Karl returned to Enel's side.
"Time's up."
He tossed over a Permanent Pose to Sabaody Archipelago.
"Follow this. You'll reach Sabaody."
"And Mary Geoise?"
"Near there."
"From Sabaody, you'll see Marine Headquarters."
"Behind it lies the Red Line."
"Mary Geoise sits atop it."
"How do I recognize it?"
Karl smiled mysteriously.
"There's only one city up there."
"After all… how could 'descendants of gods' live among mortals?"
Enel snorted.
"I live at ten thousand meters myself."
"Remember," Karl added, "you have one month."
"If you don't act within that time…"
"You'll die."
Enel's jaw tightened.
"You'll give me the antidote after?"
"Of course."
Karl removed the Seastone cuffs.
Power surged back into Enel's body.
He stretched slightly.
Glanced at Karl.
For a fleeting moment, he considered attacking again.
But—
He was "poisoned."
One wrong move—
Death.
Better retreat.
Recover.
Learn Armament Haki.
Maybe even Conqueror's.
Then settle the score.
"My people are still managing Skypiea," Enel said.
"I'll inform them. Then I'll leave."
"Fine."
Crackle.
Enel dissolved into lightning and vanished.
His speed—
Nearly indistinguishable from Kizaru's.
Karl couldn't help but sigh.
"What an enviable ability."
Hancock stepped closer.
"Darling… deceiving him like that…"
Karl immediately covered her mouth.
Enel's Mantra was practically a map-wide surveillance system.
One careless word—
And the illusion would shatter.
"Don't worry about that."
"Let's look around."
"Soon, this will be your territory."
Hancock smiled radiantly.
"Wrong."
"It's our territory."
"You'll be the Emperor here."
"And I'll be your Empress."
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