Rodin's ship plunged into the roaring, outermost vortex, its hull groaning under the immense pressure. The crew held on tight as the warship was sucked into the center of the soaring current, spinning upward at an incredible speed.
"Any other ship would have been shattered by now," Crocodile said, her eyes narrowed.
"Right? The material on this warship is top-notch," Baki replied. But a moment later, a loud creaking sound emanated from the hull. "Are you kidding me? I was just praising its quality!"
"Shut up!" Crocodile snapped.
Dove, letting go of the railing, extended silver threads from her fingers, wrapping them around the ship's foundation and reinforcing it. The creaking stopped, replaced only by the roar of the torrent. "Dove, that's amazing!" Baki exclaimed. "If I had your fruit, I'd probably only know how to knit sweaters!"
"Shut up, Red Nose," Dove retorted.
Baki, incensed, shot a hand out at Dove, but Rodin quickly moved, his left hand interlocking with Baki's. Her anger evaporated as she felt his warm touch. "I've never held a man's hand before," she thought, a strange thrill running through her.
Crocodile, turning into a gust of sand, forcefully separated their hands. "What are you two holding hands for?" she asked, moving closer to Rodin. "You're getting more and more charming," she purred, the effect of the love perfume making her feel giddy.
Clatter...!
The warship shot out of the current and into the White Sea, 7,000 meters above sea level. Thanks to Dover's quick thinking, the hull was mostly intact, and they could sail on the sea of clouds.
"We're finally here!" Baki yelled. "The next step is the Gate of Heaven, and then we'll be in the Baibai Sea. I can smell the gold!"
As they sailed, an old man wearing old armor and riding a pegasus flew toward them. He pointed his spear at the ship. "Who goes there?" he demanded.
"You've changed, Sky Island God," Baki said.
The old man, Gan Fall, frowned. "Do I know you?"
"Don't you remember me?" Baki said with a smile. "Do you remember Captain Roger?"
Gan Fall's eyes widened. He remembered Roger and his crew visiting decades ago. "You were with Roger?" he asked, then corrected himself, "You were a little girl with Roger?"
Baki's face fell as she explained what had happened to Roger. Gan Fall listened, then introduced them to the current situation of Sky Island. "The 'God' Enel has taken over, so I'm afraid I can't entertain you," he said.
"That's fine," Baki said. "Just show us the way. Our captain will solve your problems."
Gan Fall looked at Rodin, intrigued. He remembered Roger's strength, and anyone a former Roger crew member followed had to be powerful. A spark of hope ignited within him.
Gan Fall led them to the Gate of Heaven, where the gatekeeper, Amazon, gasped in fear when she saw the crew. Gan Fall quickly led them past, using Sky Island's special transport to bring them to the Baibai Sea.
At that moment, in his palace, Enel, the current "God" of Sky Island, who was eating an apple and wrapped in a white cloth, paused, his eyes gleaming. He had sensed their arrival.
Enel rose from his lounging position, a slight stretch of his body breaking the stillness. He sat upright, his four priests immediately falling silent and respectfully asking, "What happened, God Enel?"
They received no response for a full half-hour, growing more and more apprehensive. Finally, with a soft thud, an apple fell from Enel's hand and hit the ground.
"Yehahaha, that old fool brought reinforcements from the sea below?" Enel laughed. "In that case... the four of you go and welcome our guests." He had sensed several dangerous auras through his vast Mantra network. But when he tried to read their minds, he found his waves hitting an invisible wall, causing his Mantra in that area to be completely nullified.
What was that power? It was strange, something he had never encountered. But he was a god, the absolute ruler of Sky Island, and nothing could challenge his authority.
The four priests nodded, wondering who these "guests" were. Was it the Shandia, or another "pirate" from the world below? It didn't matter. No one dared disrespect their god.
Enel returned to his lounging position, but he couldn't stay still. A circle of electricity emerged from his body, and he disappeared, reappearing on a giant, spiral vine. Below him, his four priests lay defeated.
"Useless," Enel scoffed, his expression darkening. "An unfamiliar power?" he mused.
Before he could react, he felt a presence behind him. He spun around, swinging his golden staff, but a woman in a sweater coat caught his blow with one hand.
"Guhahaha, you're fast," she said, her laugh like a bell.
"You won't be laughing for long!" Enel said, creating some distance. He held out his palm. "Twenty Million Volt Discharge!" He skipped the lower voltages, sensing the woman's danger. The powerful lightning struck Crocodile, but when the light dissipated, she was completely unharmed.
"Looks like you escaped," Enel said, his voice deceptively calm. He then noticed the warship approaching with Gan Fall on board. "You found reinforcements?" Enel said, glancing at the former god. "You still don't understand what a true god is."
Gan Fall, emboldened by the calm demeanor of Rodin's crew, yelled, "Enel! What you've done is not worthy of a god!"
"Yehahaha, don't worry," Enel said. "Once I deal with this person, I'll deal with your little faith, too." He then struck the drums on his back and waved his staff. "Sixty Million Volt Thunder Dragon!"
A massive, blue electric dragon shot out, but it passed straight through Crocodile's elementalized body. She stood, completely unharmed.
"One Hundred Million Volt Discharge!" Enel flashed above her head and unleashed another attack.
"You're boring," Crocodile said, her body dissolving into sand and recondensing.
Enel's pupils shrank, and he retreated. His powers had no effect on her. "Impossible! I am a god!" he yelled, making his signature exaggerated expression. "Who the hell are you?!"
"You're no longer calm," Crocodile said, suddenly appearing in front of him. "Sand Blast!" Her fist, wrapped in Armament Haki and a vortex of sand, struck Enel's abdomen.
Enel's body bent backward like a shrimp, and he crashed into the giant vine. "How... are you able to hit me?!" he said, clutching his stomach in disbelief. "No! I am the only God! You shouldn't exist!" He was shocked to see someone else who could elementalize.
The lightning and sandstorms collided again and again. Enel, using his Mantra to fight, was holding his own. However, his lack of Armament Haki was his downfall. Most of his attacks passed through Crocodile, and every time she managed to land a blow, the pain was excruciating. She wasn't completely reliant on her Devil Fruit power, either. The heat from Enel's lightning would melt her sand, but with her Armament Haki, she could still land powerful attacks.