BOOM...
The sky changed color. The sound of the Iron Clouds exploding was exceptionally piercing, yet this level of resistance failed to diminish the power of the Rankyaku by even half a fraction.
The vacuum blade, sharper than any steel, flew directly in front of Ohm. He held his sword horizontally to block, but his feet immediately lost their purchase!
"Quick, help me!" Ohm roared.
The stunned Satori and Shura finally snapped back to reality. They rushed to Ohm's side, and the three of them strained together to desperately hold back the attack!
"I can't hold it! Fall back!" Satori shouted, his hands trembling. The immense killing force had vibrated his arms into such numbness that they no longer felt like his own.
"Taking the hit is the only path. God won't forgive a deserter!" Ohm spat. In all their battles, they had never encountered such a foe—an attack launched from miles away that the three of them combined could barely withstand.
Meanwhile, Rowan was sitting under a tree stump, lazily blowing smoke rings one by one.
"I just stretched my leg a bit, and these three brats are already buckling? How boring," Rowan said with a sigh of disappointment.
He had modified his Rankyaku. The trajectory was tricky, utilizing the principles of a boomerang. If they had simply dodged instead of blocking... the blade would have circled back to strike them from behind! That one kick was enough to keep those three "playing" for most of the day.
Rowan tossed away his cigarette butt, stood up, and brushed the dirt off his clothes. He began walking toward the center of Upper Yard, toward the massive ark, leaving steady footprints in the soil.
"Hmph... Rankyaku? A Marine from the Blue Sea? Interesting." Enel monitored Rowan through his Mantra. He had recognized the technique as one belonging to the Blue Sea Navy.
However, what he didn't know was Rowan's reputation in the Blue Sea, nor his true purpose for coming to the Sky Island.
"Is he here to seek death?" Enel's tone was dripping with arrogance.
Rowan's Justice Points had already reached the third stage, and his Observation Haki was 120% awakened. Under the influence of such powerful Haki, he could clearly hear Enel's words inside the ark.
He smiled faintly. "I'm here for you, Enel-brat."
"Brat?!" Enel jumped from his throne. "Who is he calling a brat?! How dare he profane God!"
Enel gripped his golden pole in rage. The four drums on his back began to crackle and hiss, flashing with dangerous electrical discharges.
"God's... Chain Judgment!"
Enel gave a low shout, flicking his wrists. One after another, black clouds began to bloom slowly above Rowan's head.
"That trick is useless against this old man, brat," Rowan muttered, frowning. Without even looking up, he extended a single finger toward the sky.
"Shigan (Finger Pistol)."
The word escaped his lips, and a bullet-like jet of pressurized air erupted from his fingertip, shooting straight up!
BANG!
The sound of the "gunshot" echoed through the heavens. Almost instantly, the black clouds above completely shattered! Before the lightning could even descend, the entire cloud bank vanished into thin air, and the sky returned to a pristine azure.
"The sky looks much better this way," Rowan remarked casually, continuing his steady pace toward the ark.
"Dammit!" Enel cursed. He stormed out of the ark and stood on the deck, his eyes fixed glaringly in Rowan's direction.
"30 Million Volts! Hino!" (Thunder Bird)
He thrust his golden pole toward Rowan, and a hawk-shaped bolt of lightning surged forward with incredible speed!
"A bit annoying." Rowan gave a casual wave of his hand. The 30-million-volt thunderbird simply dissipated into a gust of wind.
"You..."
For the first time in his life, Enel felt a surge of unprecedented tension. What is happening?! He could sense that this old man's strength likely eclipsed his own. Am I really going to fall from my throne today? To lose to a senile old man was a thought he couldn't stomach.
"60 Million Volts! Julungul!" (Thunder Dragon)
Enel furiously struck the drums on his shoulders. A golden dragon of lightning roared forth, stampeding toward Rowan.
"Same old routine. No creativity at all, brat."
Rowan raised his hand again and flicked the approaching dragon aside as if it were a mere cobweb. The roar of the thunder dragon was cut short instantly!
"This... is there some mistake?" Enel was completely dumbfounded. His entire worldview was being upended. To erase a lightning dragon with a wave of a hand—what kind of power was this?
But he refused to yield! The veins on Enel's forehead bulged, and the golden pole in his hands trembled. He couldn't believe this old man could keep up this arrogance forever.
"200 Million Volts: Amaru!" (Thunder God)
Enel struck his drums repeatedly with his pole. The drumbeats brought forth wave after wave of intense current, the crackling sound becoming a constant drone as he prepared his ultimate discharge!
"Don't waste your energy. You can't touch me, Enel-brat. You'd better just crawl down from that broken ship of yours and follow me. Otherwise, I can't guarantee how many lumps will be on your head." Rowan warned as he strolled closer.
"Old bastard, what nonsense are you spewing! Behold my Thunder God form!"
Enel's eyes were bloodshot, driven mad by the failure of his previous moves. As he unleashed the 200 million volts, his entire body was engulfed in golden electricity. His form began to expand under the power of the lightning, growing into a titanic, glowing blue deity!
"Die!"
Enel's Thunder God form leaped from the ark, diving straight at Rowan. Rowan looked up slightly, watching the "God" hurtling toward him without even blinking.
He looks a bit like Sengoku's Great Buddha form. If I bring him back, will I get them mixed up? While Rowan pondered this, Enel drew close, the deafening roar of the lightning ringing in his ears.
Hmph, old man, you're finished! No one can survive the strike of the Thunder God! Enel thought confidently.
Just as the Thunder God form was about to collide with him, Rowan casually reached out a single hand and opened his palm...
"Stop it. Quit acting out, you brat."
Rowan pressed his palm firmly against Enel's head, halting his momentum instantly right in front of him.
Zzzzt...
The air turned still and silent. Direct contact with the source of the power... and yet, there was no reaction.
"You... you..." Enel's voice trembled. He couldn't believe his lightning had absolutely no effect on Rowan.
"This is impossible!"