"So, you succeeded? You destroyed Birka with that giant warship?"
Wright asked knowingly, watching as Enel's laughter abruptly stopped, as if his throat had been clenched shut.
Gritting his teeth for a long moment, Enel finally spoke in a deep voice:
"No... I failed!"
"I only studied the ship's power system. My understanding of its weapon systems was shallow at best. When I attempted to restore the power system and activate the ship..."
"I accidentally triggered the warship's main cannon!"
Enel fell silent. After a long pause, he continued, enunciating each word carefully:
"And, just like the power system, the weapon system had deteriorated over the centuries. The main cannon... exploded!"
"As a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, I sensed the anomaly right before the explosion and escaped immediately. And then..."
"Birka was gone."
"The warship itself, along with the Sky Island that carried it, was completely obliterated in that explosion!"
"..."
Wright's mouth opened slightly in shock. He had initially assumed that Enel had learned Pluton's technology and destroyed Birka himself to prevent others from discovering it...
"I never expected he'd blow up his own homeland by accident..."
"But this does confirm one thing—the main cannon's power, as described in legend, is real. It obliterated an entire island, and this was just a misfire, without even utilizing an external power source."
Enel continued his story, as if finally getting the chance to release the secrets he had been holding in for years, without the slightest reservation.
"I destroyed Birka... but I am a god. That which is destroyed by a god was meant to disappear!"
Enel let out a low chuckle. "I gathered the few survivors who had barely escaped the explosion, made them my subordinates, and spread the word that I had destroyed Birka, forcing them into submission!"
"Then, we scavenged the remaining resources from Birka and came here."
Enel spread his arms wide. "I have mastered the power system of the great warship! I will build a brand-new ark!"
"An ark powered entirely by the infinite energy of lightning—the vessel of a god!"
"And here, I have found the key material needed to build it..."
"Gold!"
"Though I haven't found enough yet, the ark's construction is already well underway!"
"I will return to the Vearth, to the divine realm, to the 'origin of gods'!"
"..."
Wright understood everything now.
Piecing all the clues together, he fully grasped the situation.
"So, the Ark Maxim was something you created based on the power system of that ancient warship..."
"How do you know the name of my ark?!"
Enel froze. He was sure he hadn't mentioned it before!
"There are many inexplicable things in this world... Sensing your thoughts happens to be one of them. It's nothing special."
Wright glanced at the visibly shocked Enel. "So, what do you say? Want to come with me to the Blue Sea?"
"Staying cooped up on a tiny Sky Island will limit your achievements."
"..."
Enel snapped out of his shock. His Mantra (Observation Haki) allowed him to "hear" the thoughts people verbalized, but this man could perceive his thoughts even if he didn't speak them aloud. Was he a monster?
"Weren't you curious about how I managed to hit you?"
Wright's voice pulled Enel back to the moment. He immediately focused.
"That's right! I am lightning itself… How were you able to strike me?!"
"It's a power called 'Haki.'"
Wright proceeded to explain the different types of Haki. As expected, Enel was once again stunned.
"So, in the Blue Sea, there are countless people who can wield this 'Armament Haki'..."
Enel muttered to himself. Suddenly, his pride as the self-proclaimed god of Skypiea felt misplaced—he had been reigning over a flock of weaklings.
"What do you think? If you join the Navy, I can personally teach you how to use Armament Haki and even train you in physical combat."
Wright proposed. Even without Armament Haki, Enel's powerful Observation Haki and the abilities of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit made him a force to be reckoned with. As a Vice Admiral, he would be incredibly strong.
If he mastered Armament Haki and advanced combat techniques, the Navy's power would increase significantly!
After explaining the structure of the Navy, the Yonko, the Seven Warlords, and the World Government in detail, Enel fell silent.
How could he not be?
The man who had just defeated him in one blow was only a candidate for Admiral!
That meant there were two other candidates on his level, three full-fledged Admirals above them, a Fleet Admiral at the top, and even a Supreme Commander and a legendary Marine Hero—each of them far stronger than him!
Not to mention the Seven Warlords, where even the world's greatest swordsman could annihilate him in an instant!
And on the opposing side, the pirate forces included four emperors of the sea, with one of them being the "Strongest Man in the World!"
But what enraged Enel the most... was the existence of a group of so-called "gods" in the Blue Sea!
"The Celestial Dragons?!"
"How dare they defile the very title of 'god'?!"
"..."
Wright was speechless. Of all things, this was what Enel fixated on first?
"Yahaha... So, you despise these so-called 'gods' too..."
Enel narrowed his eyes and smirked. Wright's disdain and loathing when mentioning the Celestial Dragons had not escaped Enel's keen observation.
"Oh? Are you interested in the Celestial Dragons?" Wright asked with curiosity.
"Hmph. They are nothing but false gods who have stolen divinity! Calling themselves gods is an insult!"
Enel chuckled darkly. "You expect me to become a Marine and protect them? Even nominally, I cannot stand the thought!"
"I am the true god! The god of thunder!"
"Looks like I didn't hit you hard enough."
Wright's hand gripped his sword, causing Enel's eye to twitch violently. After a heavy cough, he quickly added:
"However, I am very interested in the Seven Warlords of the Sea..."
"No obligations, no real duties, just maintaining deterrence? Yahaha... I excel at that!"
"Didn't you just take down a Warlord? That position—I'll take it!"
"I want to see what kind of spectacle this Blue Sea, ruled by false gods, has to offer!"
"And if the opportunity arises to 'slay a god'..."
"Hmm... Fine. But you won't return to Skypiea. Bring all your subordinates down with you."
Wright glanced at him, pretending not to hear certain words, and nodded. "You need to make a name for yourself and establish a strong presence before you can become a Warlord."
"But you are not to harm anyone outside of pirates—or I will personally eliminate you."
"Impossible!"
Enel refused immediately. But upon seeing Wright's hand on his sword, he quickly relented:
"Fine! But my Ark Maxim is unfinished! I must go to the Vearth!"
"That's not a problem. What I need is its design—or rather, the power system of that ancient warship."
Wright's voice turned serious. "One of my main objectives in coming to Skypiea was to uncover its secrets."
"Give me the power system's design, and I guarantee I'll work with the world's greatest scientists to build you a ship that can reach the Vearth!"
"Or modify the Maxim—your crude use of gold is a complete waste!"
"Do you swear?!"
Enel's eyes widened. If he had nothing holding him back, he wouldn't care about staying on this resource-starved island!
"Of course."
Wright smiled and nodded.
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