Half a month later, Skypiea was filled with smiles almost every day.
Though a few serious incidents occurred early on, none of them stirred much trouble. With divine judgment now carried out openly and fairly, everyone came to understand what it meant to put the law first.
In the past, even making a slight negative remark about the "god" could get you instantly disappeared.
Standing on the White Sea, Rosen looked thoughtfully at the Skypieans on the beach, exchanging cheerful greetings as they passed. "Will this just be a fleeting illusion?"
"I don't know. But are you sure it's okay to give them the route to Flower Basket Island?" Robin turned to Queen Hathaway.
"They're too weak. Once we leave, only a few of them will be able to maintain control, and they're not particularly outstanding either. Since it's a regency, some contact is actually beneficial to us. Skypiea could even serve as a fallback route for the people of Lantis," Hathaway said calmly.
As long as they could reach Giant God Peak, there would always be a way to go up and down.
"Impressive." Rosen had to admit that Hathaway was brilliant at managing the big picture—forming a Skypiean-Lantis alliance, while also securing a backup route.
Using tools designed to move on cloud paths, a single person could travel from Skypiea to the sky above Giant God Peak in less than a day. The distance between the peak and the Skypiean air route wasn't that great.
It was much easier than descending directly from Skypiea to the Blue Sea.
This information was only shared with Gan Fall and the tribal chief. When they learned that a massive army of tens of thousands waited at the end of one air route, they were stunned.
After all, Skypiea's population was small. Gan Fall's old Divine Guard only had about 600 members. Enel's God's Army had just 50.
Enel's elite-focused approach made sense. But Gan Fall didn't have that excuse. Tens of thousands of troops… and some of them, according to Natalie, were even stronger than the Iron Man?
If that army had acted earlier, Skypieans wouldn't have stood a chance. Even a two-to-one ratio would've overwhelmed them.
Clearly, they had been overthinking things all along.
"We've also left some contact tools and Den Den Mushi. Use them if there's any trouble." Normally, Den Den Mushi couldn't be found in Skypiea.
Each island lacked the habitat needed for them to live. Except for Upper Yard, most of Skypiea's culture was cloud-based.
Den Den Mushi, as living creatures native to the Blue Sea, simply couldn't thrive here. Even those who encountered one had no idea how to use it.
"We'll lead Skypiea into a better future. Thank you so much!" Gan Fall and the chief bowed deeply. Without Rosen and the others, Skypiea might've been wiped out.
"Hmph." Enel, wearing Seastone shackles as he swept the Dawn's deck, snorted faintly. But when he glanced at Hathaway, he fell silent again.
Gan Fall and the chief didn't even spare him a glance. Not asking for Enel's execution was already generous of them.
After the formalities, Rosen loaded a huge amount of gold and prepared to set sail. He wasn't one to take the same road twice.
"Boss, last night it looked like you had a moment with that Skypiean girl—what was her name again? Conis?" The Dawn was being prepped for departure, and the giant air octopus was ready.
Gan Fall had clearly explained the descent procedure.
"Yes. I left her as an outside observer, a neutral party. She's capable of judging right and wrong. Her character allows her to weigh things fairly," Rosen said calmly.
"A backup plan in case Gan Fall strays? You're cautious, as always."
"Not entirely. But this won't affect her life much. She's just an observer... Anyway, Hathaway, are you serious about removing Enel's shackles?" That was Rosen's real concern.
Though Enel had been obedient recently—doing all the dirty, tiring work without complaint—there was no telling what he might be plotting. Once freed, his powers could be a real problem.
"No worries. If he causes trouble, I'll put him down," Hathaway said with confidence.
"You're stronger now... Wait, don't tell me you drank Enel's blood?" Rosen suddenly remembered something—Hathaway had reactions to the blood of certain Devil Fruit users.
"I only absorbed a bit through contact. The Goro Goro no Mi is quite useful. It boosted my destructive power," Hathaway nodded.
Daz Bones and the others shivered slightly. This beautiful woman drinks blood too?
"Alright then, remove the shackles." Rosen didn't know exactly how much stronger Hathaway had become, but clearly it was significant—otherwise she wouldn't be this confident.
Of course, maybe she was simply certain that Enel wouldn't flee, in which case it had nothing to do with power.
Click—the Seastone lock was undone. Enel froze for a moment, then instinctively tried to use his lightning powers. He stood still for a long time... then did nothing.
"Welcome to the Dawn. I've heard from Hathaway that you're good at repairing machinery. From now on, ship maintenance is your responsibility. Of course, you can continue using the ark," Rosen said, extending his hand without hesitation.
As if he hadn't just been the one to beat Enel up not long ago.
Rosen hadn't expected Enel to be skilled in mechanics.
But thinking it over, Enel's lightning-forging abilities were incredibly effective for mechanical repairs. He had a natural advantage—no need for complex processing techniques.
Given that he helped build the ark, it was likely he had access to its blueprints. Whether they were his own design or ancient plans he discovered, he probably understood them well—perhaps even mastered them.
His intent for coming to Skypiea was clear: to use its people and resources to construct the ark. Many of the gold components likely came from his handiwork.
All of this made it easy to believe that Enel had a strong grasp of mechanics.
Since Rosen and his crew couldn't operate the ark, having it gave them added protection against aerial attacks.
Enel stared at Rosen's outstretched hand for a long time, then finally made a decision and shook it. "Captain."
"Incredible," Robin muttered, glancing at Hathaway. Her opinion of the queen rose even higher.
"The Blue Sea is more exciting than you think. In five years, you'll be free to go wherever you want," Rosen said calmly.
Enel was stunned. His usual arrogance vanished completely.
"I only wish to serve under Lady Hathaway and become the sharpest blade in her hand."
…?
Wait, what? Something feels off. What happened to your dreams? What about the endless land? You're a god—why are you acting like a total simp now?
(End of Chapter)