"Heh, it seems God's Country has an unshakable confidence in its safety."
Shirogai stood before the massive structure known as Heaven's Gate, his sharp gaze studying the magnificent entrance with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
It was hard for ordinary people to believe that such a grand gateway, towering and adorned with intricate cloud-carved pillars, could be left unguarded. No soldiers, no priests—only a frail old woman sat there, knitting lazily as though the safety of the entire land rested in her wrinkled hands.
To most, this would have seemed like arrogance. To Shirogai, it was exactly what he expected.
It fit Enel's personality perfectly.
After all, Null could always recognize one of his own. And Enel, in Shirogai's eyes, was the most extreme example of Null. His arrogance was boundless.
Only someone so consumed with pride would dare to declare himself a God.
That pride wasn't entirely without merit. Enel's strength was extraordinary, and even when compared to the great powerhouses of the pirate world, he would stand among the upper ranks. With his mastery of the Goro Goro no Mi, combined with his terrifying Observation Haki, Enel had near-complete control of Sky Island. He could sense the movements of every living being across its seas and forests.
No one on Sky Island could match him. For years, his rule had been absolute. Fear and reverence for his omnipresent "divinity" ran so deep that no one dared to harbor even a spark of rebellion.
And yet, invincibility was a lonely existence.
Boredom ate away at Enel's godlike throne. To entertain himself, he allowed trespassers from the Blue Sea below to slip past Heaven's Gate, watched over only by the harmless old woman. Intruders were bait for his games. The priests would punish them, and when they begged for mercy, Enel would watch from above, laughing while he toyed with their lives.
But even that entertainment had begun to fade. The thrill of striking down foolish pirates grew dull with repetition. Sky Island was too small, too weak, too easy.
Enel's mind had already begun to wander elsewhere. If he left, Sky Island—God's Country—would be destroyed by his own hand. Such would be the final gift from the people to their self-proclaimed God.
This much, Shirogai could deduce. As someone who also understood arrogance, he could see Enel's thoughts clearly.
And indeed, he was right.
---
At Heaven's Gate, the old woman supervisor sat on her platform, lazily clutching a small shell camera in her bony hands.
"Unfortunately, Enel's amusement doesn't matter to me," Shirogai said with a soft chuckle. "Sky Island is a necessary piece of my plan. If his games get in my way, I'll just have to enjoy the fall of a so-called God instead."
The old woman raised her head, peering at him with sharp eyes. She had never seen an intruder stand around so casually.
"Oi, young man," her voice cracked like dry wood. "Are you entering God's Country or not?"
"Of course," Shirogai replied with a smile. He waved his hand and, with a ripple of power, a small pile of Berries spilled onto the cloud-white platform from a conjured black rift.
"My companions didn't bother with the entry fee," he said calmly. "I'll cover for them as well."
The old woman's eyes widened, her jaw falling open. The glint of gold and silver Berries on the ground was dazzling.
"Illegal entry has its price," she croaked after a moment, her tone suddenly strict. "Ten times the fee per person."
Before she could blink, another wave of Shirogai's hand brought forth a mountain of coins, spilling across the platform like a river of treasure.
She froze, dumbstruck.
Where had this strange man pulled such wealth from? He carried no bags, no chest, nothing. Yet here he was, casually tossing out enough riches to buy half the White Sea.
Shirogai met her shocked gaze with an amused smile. "Is this enough now?"
"Y-Yes, yes…" the woman stammered, her wrinkled face twitching as she nodded repeatedly. "You have obtained temporary entry permission."
"Then I'll be on my way."
Shirogai spread the six dark wings on his back. With a rush of wind, his figure blurred, vanishing in an instant.
The gale left the old woman clinging desperately to the platform, almost swept into the endless clouds below.
"What a strange fellow," she muttered, wobbling as she went to fetch a cart for the gold.
But before she could take a step, the sharp crackle of electricity split the air.
Zzzzt!
A tall figure wreathed in lightning materialized behind her. His skin was pale blue from the arcs that danced across his body, and his smirk was as cruel as it was lazy.
Enel had arrived.
"Well, well," he drawled, his voice both mocking and amused. "An interesting sinner from the Blue Sea. He actually paid the entry fee. Hah… does that mean he's already prepared to kneel before his God?"
The old woman collapsed to her knees at once, trembling so violently her teeth chattered.
"T-Thank you, Almighty God," she stammered, pressing her forehead to the ground. "Your presence is our blessing."
Enel idly dug at his ear with his finger, glancing at her as though she were no more than dust in the wind.
"Spread the word," he commanded. "Every Blue Sea intruder is to be treated as a criminal."
"Yes, Almighty God," she whispered, her voice breaking.
Another flash of lightning cracked across the sky, and Enel vanished, leaving only the faint smell of ozone.
The old woman remained pressed to the ground, shaking with terror. She dared not look up. None were allowed to meet God's gaze.
She remembered the last man who had tried. Her son. He had thought Enel had left and dared to raise his head.
He had been wrong.
Enel had smiled at him, and in the next instant, divine judgment had fallen. A bolt of lightning struck him down, leaving nothing but smoking ash.
The old woman had watched, powerless, as her son burned before her eyes.
And yet, she had not resisted. Could not resist. For in God's Country, even grief was swallowed by fear.
"Thank you, Almighty God… thank you, Almighty God…" she whispered over and over, her voice cracking, her frail body bowing lower with every word.
---
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