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Even among the myriad of natural disasters, thunder has always held a special place in the human heart. Since ancient times, this phenomenon suspended in the heavens had been given the name 'God'.
The gods dwelt high above, and thunder was their scepter, a symbol of their judgment and wrath. And now, amidst the clamor and chaos of Sabaody Archipelago's First Island, that very wrath is descending.
BOOM!
Thick, dark clouds devoured the sunlight, plunging the sky into a gloomy twilight.
Countless colossal bolts of lightning plummeted from the heavens.
Wherever they struck, Sabaody's distinctive bubbles were instantly annihilated, vegetation turned to charred ash, and the ground cracked and crumbled.
Slaves fled in terror, while auction house employees and panicked civilians scattered in frantic flight. In the face of such a mighty force of destruction, all living beings seemed utterly insignificant.
"Master Youji!"
Having been thrown aside by Youji, Alan watched in horror as the thunderous onslaught annihilated everything around him, letting out a panicked cry. He knew that Youji was incredibly powerful; even to this day, he had never truly witnessed the full extent of his power.
But in the common understanding of ordinary people, how could even the strongest individual possibly survive such a terrifying natural disaster?
The problem was...
"Why is it suddenly raining down thunder, and why is it only circling around Lord Youji?"
He gritted his teeth, but in the next instant, he saw the answer.
For, at that moment, from the heavens above...
"You damned ground-crawling insects!"
... accompanied by a gloomy, rage-filled murmur.
BOOM!
Thunder erupted.
Amidst the flashing lightning, Alan saw a figure slowly emerging.
The figure carried four drums on its back, wore a turban, and had extraordinarily long earlobes. He wore a peculiar suit of black metal armor. In his hand was a long staff that appeared to be made of the same material.
The most striking thing about him was the mark etched into his armor. It was a circular emblem that resembled the World Government's 'Cross Star Flag', but also looked like a combination of a compass and a cross.
His gaze was fixed intently on Alan below, or rather, on the box strapped to his back.
He could faintly sense the person inside the box and their weakened life force.
And this was the source of his fury.
Despite rushing here immediately after receiving the Den Den Mushi call, the entire journey had taken less than three minutes. In that brief span of time, the 'God' who ruled this world had been wounded so severely!
"How dare you commit such blasphemy?!"
As he roared, dark clouds billowed around him and lightning snaked around his body like serpents.
The thunder roared in answer to his furious bellow.
Witnessing this spectacle, Alan's face turned deathly pale. He immediately realized that this wasn't natural lightning; it had been summoned by the man before him.
"A Devil Fruit user with Lightning manipulation? How could anyone possess such an absurd ability?" This thought flashed through Alan's mind but in the next instant...
Bang!
He turned and fled without hesitation.
It was the only rational choice. Although he knew nothing of Youji's condition or the unknown man's identity, he was certain that he stood no chance against such a foe.
"He must be here to save the Celestial Dragon. I'll draw him away. If Lord Youji is still alive, at least he'll have time to recover or escape! And if all else fails, I'll drag the Celestial Dragon into the sea!"
Alan had already made his decision.
But…
Bang!
In the next instant, he caught a glimpse of the Thunderlight flickering in his peripheral vision as a man materialized from the Thunderlight beside him with utterly incomprehensible speed.
Buzz!
His finger was already pointing at Alan.
An unfamiliar yet unmistakable aura of death filled the air. Alan's eyes mirrored the man's icy stare and the crackling Thunderlight at his fingertip.
But at that precise moment...
...
Alan clearly saw a flicker of surprise cross the man's cold eyes.
"So... You're Enel, right?"
The familiar voice reached Alan's ears, startling Enel.
This was not only because the man had called out his name, but also because Enel's Heart Network had simultaneously detected a sudden surge of terrifying life force erupting behind him.
If that were all, it wouldn't have been so bad, as Enel had ample time to kill the man in front of him, reclaim the Celestial Dragon, and then deal with his opponent at his leisure.
But what truly stunned Enel was this:
In that very instant, he sensed the monster behind him radiating an overwhelming life force and charging towards him at terrifying speed.
The figure's velocity nearly exceeded the detection range of his Heart Network.
Then...
Bang!
The next moment, Enel saw a hand covered in scales, surrounded by shimmering light, suddenly appear before his outstretched finger...
It extinguished the thunderlight crackling in his palm.
"You bastard! What do you think you're doing to someone else's subordinates?"
The voice rang in Enel's ears.
Then...
Bang!
A searing pain erupted in Enel's abdomen.
"Ugh... Aah!"
Despite the force being channeled through his specially designed armor, the sheer power sent Enel flying backwards instantly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He became like a humanoid cannon shell, tearing through everything in his path until he slammed into a massive building with a violent impact.
BOOM!
Amidst billowing smoke and dust, the Yakshawood Auction house collapsed with a resounding crash, its signboard plunging into the muddy ground.
But in the next instant...
BOOM!
Thunderlight erupted, pulverizing the entire Yakshawood Auction house ruin from the center outwards as Enel emerged from the wreckage.
"This is impossible..."
Enel muttered as he looked at the figure in the distance.
Youji no longer resembled his former self. His coiled muscles radiated explosive power while massive wings unfolded behind him, and his scale armor exuded an ancient aura.
Jet-black Haki swirled around his body.
Most astonishing of all were the radiant strands encircling him; they were pure light.
These flowing tendrils of light shimmered like golden fringe and transformed his scale armor to a crimson-gold hue as if it were forged from solid gold.
Yet beneath this resplendent armor, faint traces of the terrifying lightning strike remained in the form of scorched, blackened scars.
In just a few breaths, however, the charred lightning wounds rapidly healed, forming scabs that then peeled away.
"This restoration power, that stance, and that mask..."
It was only at this moment that Enel, who had previously believed he could casually annihilate his opponent, seemed to finally recognize his opponent's true identity. Until now, he hadn't even bothered to observe the two 'insects' who dared to defy God.
"Youji of the Twelve Zodiac?"
But upon recognizing his opponent, Enel's fury intensified further, his teeth grinding in rage.
"You are the scum who stole the "Heavenly Tribute" meant for God!" His voice was low and cold, dripping with malice. "Sinner, you shall face divine judgment!"
In response, Youji simply shook his head.
"What the hell have you been blathering about this whole time?"
"God this, God that... you're the one acting like a crazy guy around here."
He spoke bluntly, then raised a hand and beckoned lightly to Enel. "If you want a fight, come and get it."
His words were answered immediately by a furious thunderclap.
(End Of This Chapter)