"Boom!"
Another thunderous blow and Enel crashed through a thick vine and plummeted into the clouds below, lying motionless. A thin stream of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Suddenly, a loud heartbeat resonated. Enel's chest muscles twitched as he began electro-therapying himself. But Crocodile was already above him, her hands condensed into sand claws, which she plunged into the cloud-ground. Her attack created two large holes, but Enel was gone.
He had reappeared 100 meters away, wiping blood from his mouth with a trembling hand.
"Such a troublesome speed," Crocodile muttered, her eyes scanning the area. Capturing Enel was proving difficult, as his lightning speed made him an elusive target.
From the bow of his ship, Rodin watched the fight unfold. Crocodile's strength was considerable, more than enough to deal with an opponent who lacked Haki. The problem was Enel's speed and evasiveness. Capturing him would be a long, difficult process.
Rodin turned to his particular crew member. "Miss Dove," he said.
"Understood," Dove replied, a confident smile on her face. With a wave of her cloak, she leaped into the air.
Fine, silver threads shot from her fingers, combining into a thick, inescapable net that began to form a miniature Birdcage.
"Idiot, you think you can trap me with that?" Enel scoffed, but a flicker of fear in his eyes betrayed him. He tried to transform into a bolt of lightning to escape, but the silver threads, which he had initially dismissed, were now wrapped around him. They somehow prevented him from elementalizing.
"Sixty Million Volt Discharge!" Enel roared, and an arc of electricity surged from his body, breaking the threads. But by then, the Birdcage was complete.
He appeared at the edge of the cage and thrust his wrist forward. "This is childish," he said. "Raijin!"
A thick bolt of lightning shot from his wrist and slammed into the Birdcage. But to his disbelief, the cage was unscathed.
"I am a god! I don't believe this! 200 Million Volt Raigo—"
"Hey, hey, what's the rush?" Dove said, appearing in front of him with a confident grin. She thrust a hand forward, and stiff, thin threads tore toward Enel.
He dodged, appearing behind Dover, but she had already anticipated his move. She swung her right hand upward, and a thick thread burning with a red light whipped him across the chest.
"Excessive Whip String!"
"Snap!" Blood flew as a deep gash opened on Enel's chest. He was sent flying into the Birdcage, which then sliced his back open. Enel's vision blurred, and he fell to the clouds below, his mind in a state of shock.
"Hmph," Crocodile scoffed, sitting on a vine. She knew she wouldn't have been able to defeat Enel in such a short amount of time. Dove, she thought, was far stronger than she had imagined.
Gan Fall watched in awe, his old mouth trembling. Enel, a god who had easily defeated all who stood against him, had been so effortlessly defeated by just two of Rodin's crew. He felt a surge of hope for Sky Island.
"It's over, Baki," Rodin said. He then threw a pineapple to her from his space, the signal to collect the Thunder Fruit.
Baki nodded, and leaped into the Birdcage.
At that moment, the system chimed in.
[Ding, the famous 'Sky Island' has been detected, do you want to sign in?]
"Sign in."
[Congratulations on successfully signing in at the famous 'Sky Island', you will be rewarded with Sea Navigation + Seawater Curse Elimination Card]
[Sea Navigation: It can give the location of nearby islands, helping you to navigate with precise directions!]
[Seawater Elimination Card: The user can be exempted from fruit side effects once! (seastone and seawater)]
Rodin was overjoyed. The Sea Navigation would be a massive help in finding new islands without having to rely on pointers. But the Seawater Elimination Card was what truly excited him. It was a one-time use item that would grant him immunity from the weaknesses of a Devil Fruit. This meant he could eat the Thunder Fruit and be protected from the sea and Seastone.
Rodin smiled, stepped off the ship, and flew forward with the Moonwalk he had recently learned. He was ready to harvest his new power.
"This fruit ability was wasted on you," Dove said, holding the dying Enel up like a chicken. "If you'd just run from the start, we never would have caught you."
Baki, her nails painted a glossy red, jumped forward. "Hurry up and finish! I can't wait to get to Shandora and find the gold!"
"Master Rodin is so kind to you," Dove teased. "That nail polish looks like it won't fade. It really suits your red nose."
Baki was about to protest when Rodin landed beside her. "Do the important thing first," he said, and Baki glared at Dove.
"This is for you," Dove said with a smile, preparing to drop Enel's body.
"Wait," Rodin said, holding up a hand. "Is he dead?"
"His breath has dissipated," Dover said, looking at the seemingly lifeless Enel.
"Just in case," Baki interrupted, "I think you should twist his neck off."
Dove's smile widened. "You're smart." She began to increase the pressure on Enel's neck, and his flesh visibly caved in.
Suddenly, Enel's eyes snapped open. His heart began to beat again, and he thrashed wildly.
"You're good at faking it," Rodin said.
"Let... let go..." Enel whimpered, a long-lost sense of fear washing over him. It was the first time since becoming a god that he had felt so helpless.
Dove didn't hesitate. A thin string tore through Enel's heart, and his neck was broken with a snap. He fell to the ground, finally dead.
"Let's begin," Rodin said, feeling no sympathy for the former god.
Baki placed her hands on Enel's body, and the nail polish slid from her fingers, absorbing an invisible cluster of energy. She guided the energy into a fresh pineapple, which turned from yellow to blue and was covered in swirling patterns. A new Logia Devil Fruit was born.
Baki held the fruit out to Rodin. "Who wants it?" he asked, looking at his crew.
"I don't need it," Mihoko said. "The captain needs someone to rescue landlubbers who fall into the water, doesn't he?"
Rodin nodded and ate the Thunder Fruit. The system would prevent any conflicts with his other fruits. As he took a bite, a strange power surged through him. He pointed his finger, and a bolt of electricity as thick as a bowl shot out, obliterating a giant vine.
Gan Fall, who had just flown in, was startled by the display of power. He sighed, remembering Roger and thinking that a person favored by God had appeared again.
Rodin's crew was in awe of their captain's power but also felt a sense of urgency. The captain was a man, and he should be protected by them, not the other way around. They felt a new drive to get stronger.
Rodin, however, was already testing his new power. He used the nature of the lightning and its passive ability to send an electric pulse across half of Sky Island, instantly monitoring everyone within range. He could now teleport to any location he sensed, and he felt a new, unparalleled power surging within him.