Chapter 79: Knuckle vs. Enel! God's First Defeat
Passing through the last stretch of dense primordial jungle, Kyle's trio finally reached the core of Upper Yard.
Massive vines wrapped around ancient stone ruins. At the highest point, a shrine built of gold and white stone towered over everything.
Atop the shrine, Enel lounged on his throne, idly tossing a pure gold apple. His gaze was arrogant, as if he had been waiting for them. Beside him sat his massive golden ark, Maxim.
As they arrived, a tyrannical, overwhelming aura radiated from Enel, almost tangible. The air crackled with static, tiny arcs of electricity popping around him.
This pressure was completely different from the Priests they had faced. Knuckle tensed up instantly.
"This guy..." Knuckle's pupils contracted. The feeling coming off Enel was like standing before a brewing thunderstorm. It made his heart palpitate. "He's strong. Not in the same league as those small fry."
Sensing Knuckle's gravity, Kyle stepped forward, whispering, "How do you feel? Want me to tag in?"
Knuckle reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He clenched his fist, muscles bulging, his fighting spirit spiking rather than falling. He roared at Kyle.
"Are you kidding me?! Can't you see I'm fired up?!" His voice was so loud it shook the leaves off nearby trees.
Expecting this, Kyle hopped back just in time to dodge the sonic assault. He shrugged helplessly. "Alright, alright. You're up."
Enel watched this scene unfold. He slowly stood up, his tall frame casting a long shadow.
He spread his arms, announcing in a tone that sounded like he was granting a divine favor: "Blue Sea dwellers. You have passed the Ordeals of God and proven your worth. Now, I, God Enel, grant you the title and status of new Priests. Submit to me, and share in the dominion of this Endless Vearth—"
His words were seductive and absolute. His sharp gaze swept over the three, expecting gratitude.
Instead, he saw only the burning battle-lust in Knuckle's eyes.
"Quit yapping! Bring it on, you so-called 'God'!"
With a roar, Knuckle charged.
As he moved, a massive surge of white Aura exploded from him, wrapping his body like white flame!
Even more striking were his fists—coated in a deep, light-absorbing black. The perfect fusion of Armament Haki and Nen!
His Ten and Ren were pushed to the limit instantly. His aura output skyrocketed, doubling his attack power. His momentum was unstoppable!
Enel tilted his head, looking at the incomprehensible white energy (Nen) and the blackened fists with genuine confusion. "That white aura... and those black hands... what are they?"
"I'll tell you when you're on the ground!" Knuckle shouted. The ground beneath him shattered as he launched himself like a cannonball straight at Enel!
Faced with this rapid assault, Enel just sneered. He made no move to defend or dodge. "Foolish Blue Sea dweller. The difference between man and God is fundamental! Mortal power can never touch—"
BAM!!!
A solid, heavy sound of impact cut off his sentence!
Enel's body, which should have turned into electricity and been immune to physical attacks, was solidly struck in the stomach by Knuckle's Haki-clad fist!
The arrogance on his face vanished, replaced by utter shock and disbelief. He folded over the fist, launched backward like he'd been hit by a sea train, and smashed into the golden wall behind him with a deafening CRASH!
"No... IMPOSSIBLE!!" Enel clutched his agonizing stomach, struggling to stand, his eyes chaotic. "I am lightning! Why didn't I phase through?!"
Knuckle didn't give him time to think!
Pressing the advantage, he stuck to Enel like glue. His Haki-clad fists became a blur, raining down a storm of punches on the "God"!
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
The impacts sounded like a war drum.
But strangely, aside from the first punch causing intense pain, the subsequent blows felt heavy but didn't seem to inflict real damage. Instead... Enel felt his own power increasing with each hit?
"Kyle," Shoot frowned, watching from the sidelines. "Enel knows Knuckle can hit him now. Why isn't he dodging or countering with full force?"
Kyle watched the fight intently. "It's arrogance and habit born from long-term invincibility. He's so used to his Logia defense being absolute. Even after getting hit once, his subconscious refuses to believe it's the new norm."
"He thinks it was a fluke, an accident. So he keeps trying to rely on his fruit instead of changing tactics. It's a common weakness among powerful ability users."
As Kyle explained, a bizarre phenomenon occurred.
A mascot-like Nen beast—A.P.R. (Amortizing Power Redirector)—appeared silently behind Enel.
And with every one of Knuckle's "painless" punches, the mascot seemed to grow slightly larger.
Enel sharply sensed this foreign energy accumulating in his body, and the unsettling feeling of being watched from behind.
A strong premonition of danger washed over him!
"I can't let this continue!" Enel's eyes hardened. Seizing a tiny gap in Knuckle's assault, his body exploded into blinding arcs of electricity!
ZZZZT!
In a flash of lightning, he reformed dozens of meters away, putting distance between himself and Knuckle.
The moment he stopped, the mascot behind him held up a digital counter.
[TIME'S UP. INTEREST ADDED.]
[5000]
"What is this thing?!" Enel stared at the floating doll that seemed immune to his passive electricity, and the number ticking up on its head. Shocked and angry, he shouted at Knuckle, "What did you do to me?!"
Knuckle didn't answer. He was equally shocked.
Through A.P.R.'s lending ability, he had clearly "estimated" Enel's total aura capacity. It was a staggering 500,000+!
That number exceeded even Chairman Netero! This guy, in terms of sheer energy "quantity," was an absolute monster!
Seeing Knuckle silent, Enel turned his rage on the weird mascot.
He raised a finger, blinding lightning gathering instantly!
"30 Million Volt Hino! (Thunder Bird)"
A giant bird made of violent lightning screeched and slammed into A.P.R.!
Light exploded, scorching the ground. But when the smoke cleared, A.P.R. was still floating there, unharmed, as if the attack had been an illusion.
[TIME'S UP. INTEREST ADDED.]
[5500]
"Impossible?!" Enel's pupils shrank. Unwilling to believe it, he attacked again. "60 Million Volt Julungul! (Thunder Dragon)"
A massive dragon of lightning roared and struck. The result was the same.
"El Thor!"
"Vari!"
He poured every lightning attack he had onto A.P.R., but it was like throwing mud into the sea. Useless.
The doll remained unharmed, and every ten seconds, the number changed.
"BASTARD!!" Veins popped on Enel's forehead, his reason consumed by rage.
He flashed back to his golden throne. Using intense heat from the current, he instantly reshaped a mass of gold into a giant trident!
"Golden Slash!"
He swung the heavy golden weapon with a tearing sound, cleaving straight into A.P.R.!
CLANG!!
The golden blade knocked A.P.R. flying, but the mascot just bounced back as if nothing had happened.
The number had accumulated to [20,000], and the mascot was visibly larger, its presence more oppressive.
"Why?! Why don't attacks work?! What is this thing!!"
Enel stared at the growing mascot, the numbers climbing. For the first time, he felt a situation spiraling beyond his comprehension and control.
He finally gave up on the Nen beast and locked his cold, murderous gaze on the source—Knuckle.
Knuckle's brain was racing, sweat beading on his forehead.
He realized clearly that while his ability had confused Enel temporarily, the gap in their base aura capacity was enormous.
Once Enel figured out how [Hakoware] worked... Knuckle would lose.