Chapter 254: Lufia: My Goal Is the Sea of Stars!
When Ralph and Lufia arrived, the massive airship was slowly ascending into the sky.
Up close, the colossal ark seemed to blot out the heavens in an instant.
Countless propellers were installed all over the enormous hull, spinning rapidly under the power of lightning.
Densely packed Jet Dials on the underside of the ship blasted out powerful gusts of air, lifting the entire vessel skyward.
"Amazing!"
Lufia looked up, her eyes sparkling, "This ship can fly!"
Ralph habitually began to show off the knowledge in his head:
"This is a flying ship built by Enel, powered by his own lightning.
The propellers provide thrust, while the Jet Dials provide lift."
Then, he changed the subject, "Lufia, if you like it, we could modify the Going Merry in the same way."
Lufia's eyes lit up even more:
"Really? The Going Merry can fly too?"
"Of course!"
"Once we recruit a real shipwright and make some modifications to the Going Merry, we can definitely give her the ability to fly."
"Then, no matter what the Grand Line throws at us or how treacherous the islands are, nothing will stop us—we'll just fly right over them!"
Lufia thought for a moment but shook her head.
"No, let's not do that."
Ralph was taken aback. "Why?"
"Because pirates sail on the sea."
Lufia looked at Ralph as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"If we just fly over every difficulty, it wouldn't be any fun!"
Ralph blinked. That made a lot of sense!
So he shifted his approach and continued along her line of thinking:
"Alright then, let's travel around the world first, conquer every island, enjoy every adventure, and become the Pirate King."
"Then, we'll develop the ability to fly, break out of this planet, soar into space, and become the Cosmic Pirate King!"
Lufia froze.
"Cosmic... pirate?"
"Yeah."
Ralph pointed to the sky, "The sea of stars is still a sea, after all."
"Once we've sailed the oceans, we'll sail the sea of stars."
"Then you'll be the number one Pirate King in the entire universe!"
Lufia's mouth slowly fell open.
Ralph could hear her heart pounding "thump, thump, thump," and he could see her skin visibly turning red.
Steam rose from the top of her head, and faint wisps of white smoke drifted from her ears—she looked like a boiling kettle.
"..."
She murmured, "A vast, boundless sea of stars…and there are pirates there too…"
Her eyes grew brighter and brighter, almost frighteningly so.
"That's a place even Roger never reached!"
She suddenly grabbed Ralph's hand, "Ralph! Is everything you said true? Are there really cosmic pirates up in the sky?"
Ralph seemed to be infected by Lufia's excitement and nodded eagerly:
"Of course it's true."
"Don't forget, I'm a prophet."
"I can't guarantee things too far away, but at the very least, I know there's a crew of cosmic pirates on the moon."
Lufia stared into his eyes.
Her unique intuition told her that Ralph wasn't lying.
It was all true.
Beyond the end of the sea, there was the sea of stars.
Beyond the Pirate King, there was the Cosmic Pirate King!
"Aaaaaah—!"
Lufia let out a wild cry, leaping three feet into the air and tumbling through the air like a spring.
When she landed, her skin was as red as a boiled shrimp, and the light in her eyes seemed ready to overflow:
"I've decided—!"
She planted her hands on her hips and shouted to the sky:
"After traveling the world and becoming the Pirate King, my goal is—"
"—the stars and the sea!"
After shouting, she turned to look at Ralph.
"You'll stay with me, right?"
"Of course."
Lufia happily revealed two rows of white teeth, smiling like a child.
She simply couldn't wait.
But Ralph reminded her:
"The steps to achieve the goal must be taken one by one."
"Exploring the universe is something for the distant future!"
"The mid-term goal is to become the Pirate King, and what we need to do now is complete the adventure in Skypiea."
"That means dealing with Enel."
As soon as the words fell, both of them sensed something and looked up simultaneously.
At the bow of the Ark Maxim stood Enel.
No one knew how long he had been standing there or how much he had heard.
With his Mantra—a mutation of Observation Haki combined with his Devil Fruit Ability—not only could he hear clearly at such a close distance, but he could also hear every corner of the entire Skypiea if he wished.
He had heard every word of Ralph and Lufia's conversation just now.
Enel's expression was complex.
He had no interest in things like space pirates.
But going to the moon—that was his dream.
Shock, doubt, excitement, longing... various emotions intertwined on his face.
He stared intently at Ralph, suppressing the desire in his heart, still using an interrogative tone:
"You... just said you're a prophet? You know about the moon? Is it all true?"
Ralph raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Enel, don't you claim to be omniscient and omnipotent? Why are you asking me for confirmation?"
Enel's expression stiffened.
But unexpectedly, he didn't get angry. Instead, he took a deep breath and forced out a smile.
"Nameless Blue Sea dweller."
His voice was as calm as he could make it, "I will temporarily acknowledge your prophetic abilities."
"I shall grant you the title of god, allowing you to serve by my side."
"Use your prophetic knowledge to assist me in reaching the moon and conquering that boundless land!"
After hearing this, Ralph looked at Enel incredulously.
"Have me serve you?"
"You were just punched flying by my Lufia. How can you say such arrogant words?"
"Did you become a god by having a thick face?"
Enel's smile froze on his face.
Electricity surged around him, his voice filled with rage:
"That was just luck! Don't underestimate the power of a god!"
He suddenly spread his arms wide, and this time, a massive surge of electric current flowed into the Ark Maxim, causing the entire colossal vessel to activate.
"Do you really think I can't do anything about you?"
"I am a born deity. Everything in this world should operate according to my will—"
"Including you!"
As soon as the words fell—
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
A clear voice interrupted him.
Lufia finally understood what this big-eared guy was trying to do.
She stepped forward, blocking Ralph, and glared up at Enel:
"You bastard!"
Her eyes were wide open, her face full of displeasure:
"If Ralph goes to the moon, it has to be with me!"
She pointed her finger at Enel's nose:
"No one can take my Ralph away!"
[Ding—]
[Detected that Lufia has developed a strong sense of possessiveness toward the host. Favorability increased by 3%. Current favorability: Best Friend Level 21%]