The pillar was three meters in diameter.
Calling it lightning was an understatement; it was a pillar of thunder. With an aura capable of annihilating everything in its path, it crashed straight down.
'As expected... Enel has developed his Devil Fruit abilities to a very high degree.'
'However, he focuses too much on scale and is far too one-dimensional.'
'Then again, how many people in this world actually know that electricity can generate magnetism and heat?'
'If Enel understood those principles, fighting Luffy would be a breeze.'
"Zanjutsu: Hekireki!"
A deep blue, crescent-shaped slash soared into the sky.
Compared to Enel's "Divine Punishment," it seemed somewhat insignificant. But as Sean had just noted, Enel focused too much on the scale of his attacks. By dispersing his power over such a massive area, the overall striking force was greatly diminished.
Sean was different. The Reiryoku within his slash was incredibly condensed.
The moment the two forces collided, the slash sliced through the lightning pillar as if it were tofu, cleaving it clean in half.
Once its form was broken, the terrifying energy of the lightning pillar immediately began to dissipate. By the time it reached fifty meters above the ground, it had vanished entirely, leaving only countless electric serpents dancing through the air with a piercing sizzle.
Standing poised in mid-air, Sean allowed a faint smile to play on his lips as he looked in a certain direction.
There... lay Upper Yard, the place known as the Sanctuary.
'''
On the shore.
"Cap... Captain, are we really going to arrest those people?"
A man wearing a white beret and a blue uniform was prone on the ground. He asked the man beside him in a trembling voice.
The man he addressed as Captain was McKinley, the leader of Angel Island's White Beret unit.
Arrest them?
With what?
Had he not seen that even the lightning punishment descended by God couldn't touch them?
Furthermore... if he wasn't mistaken, was that guy just smiling in the direction of the Sanctuary?
Was he provoking God?
"Cap... Captain... they're coming this way!"
"What is there to fear? No matter what they are or how strong they are, we must uphold the laws of Angel Island!" McKinley declared with passionate fervor. "Do not forget, we are the law enforcers here!"
His stirring words inspired a sudden surge of respect among the twenty or so squad members.
But in the next instant...
"Move out! Let's go!"
"Yes, Captain! With one word from you, we will give them the punishment they deserve, even if it costs us our lives, to maintain—"
'Smack!!!'
Before the soldier could finish his sentence, McKinley delivered a sharp blow to the back of his head.
"Keep it polite! They're from the Blue Sea and simply aren't familiar with our laws. We'll go explain the situation and then have them pay the back-dated entry fees!"
'Are you kidding me? Are these the kind of opponents we can take down by 'sacrificing our lives'? My subordinates are such blockheads!'
A moment later, Sean and his three companions arrived at the shore. McKinley and his twenty men stepped forward to meet them.
However, they didn't simply walk; they approached by crawling on their bellies.
While the sight was somewhat ridiculous, it still put Vivi and Robin on guard. They couldn't bring themselves to laugh because these men didn't look like ordinary citizens; they looked like a formal organization, similar to the Marines.
Were they the army of Angel Island or a law enforcement squad?
As for Sean, he recognized them instantly from their attire.
'Isn't this the White Beret unit?'
'They aren't here to arrest me, are they?'
The twenty-plus men continued their belly-crawl until they were three meters away from Sean's group, at which point they all stood up simultaneously.
"I am McKinley, Captain of the White Beret law enforcement unit of Angel Island. May I ask if the four of you have come here for sightseeing?"
"Sightseeing? I suppose you could put it that way. Let's go with that," Sean replied.
Hearing this, McKinley complained internally. 'What do you mean 'let's go with that'?'
'Well, someone who can withstand—no, someone who can disperse God Enel's Divine Punishment without a scratch might actually be a god themselves. A god from the Blue Sea, perhaps. A bit of eccentricity is understandable.'
McKinley quickly convinced himself.
"In that case, why did the four of you refuse to pay the entry fee when passing through the Gates of Heaven?"
Despite the formal phrasing, McKinley's tone was now exceptionally polite.
"Oh, we indeed didn't pay. What do we need to do about that?"
"Well... illegal entry into Angel Island is a Level 11 crime. The fine is ten times the original fee. Based on your party size, that would be 40 billion Extol," McKinley said cautiously.
Upon hearing "40 billion Extol," someone immediately flared up.
"Why are you people being so unreasonable?" Vivi exclaimed. "That old woman specifically said that if we didn't pay the entry fee, it was fine, and we could still pass through!"
"And now you're telling us that if we don't pay, we're fined ten times the amount? Honestly, are you in league with that old woman just to scam tourists out of their money?"
Uh...
Caught off guard by Vivi's outburst, McKinley froze. He honestly didn't know how the monitors at the Gates of Heaven usually operated. He had only received the message and the photos she had sent.
"Did the monitor not tell you? If you don't pay the entry fee, it's illegal entry. Not only will you be wanted, but you'll also be fined ten times the amount?"
"No!" Vivi shook her head.
"Very well. Given the special circumstances, we will waive the punishment this time. I wish you all a pleasant sightseeing trip!"
McKinley had already been searching for an excuse to let them go. This was perfect. The monitor had failed in her duty to inform them, so the fault lay with her. As for these four, it was simply a misunderstanding.
Since it was an internal error, the fine was unnecessary. Furthermore, as compensation, the original 4 billion Extol would not be collected.
He decided to just drop the whole matter and be done with it.
At this, even Sean's expression became strange. In his memory, wasn't this guy quite diligent? Why did he suddenly look like a lapdog?
If McKinley knew what Sean was thinking, he would have screamed in protest.
'Diligent? That depends on who the target is! One look at this guy and it's obvious that fighting him is just suicide. Who cares about being diligent in the face of death!'
Of course, in the original story, McKinley never imagined he would lose to Luffy. But now...
"Fall back!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The twenty-plus men instantly turned and dropped to the ground, slowly departing in a belly-crawl.
"Master, they're just leaving like that?"
"Vivi, let me teach you a phrase from my hometown..."
"What are you talking about?"
"A wise man knows when to adapt!"
'''
Meanwhile, somewhere in Upper Yard.
"Yahahaha! To think you actually blocked God's Judgment. Interesting... truly interesting."
"Come then. Come to the Holy Realm. If you can pass my trials, I might just make you a priest!"
"No—a High Priest, the head of all priests!"