"You should have said so earlier! I was almost planning to rob them."
Crocodile glared at Gan Fall with displeasure, then glanced at Ian. "Is this really your first time here? How do you even know about this kind of thing?"
"It's definitely my first time!"
Ian nodded with a smile. "Alright, let's enter Heaven's Gate now!"
As Ian spoke, the ship drew closer to the so-called Heaven's Gate. Upon learning they had no money, the gatekeeper didn't give them any trouble.
He only took a few photos and let them through.
After passing through Heaven's Gate, a vast expanse of white stretched before them.
Soft white clouds and scenery unlike anything they'd seen in the blue sea filled Ace and Nami with excitement, and even Crocodile looked around curiously.
After a brief look, Ian instructed Gan Fall to continue guiding them, and Gan Fall, seemingly resigned to his fate... Without further hesitation, he obediently pointed the way, his face still filled with conflict and melancholy.
Soon, they arrived at the so-called island of the gods, a landmass floating in the air.
Compared to the islands formed of white clouds, this landmass seemed less special, causing everyone's initial excitement to subside considerably, until they reached their destination, the City of Gold!
In an instant, everyone's eyes widened, and they stared in disbelief and shock at the scene before them.
Gold!
Countless gold!
A city literally built of gold.
The City of Gold truly exists!
Even Crocodile, who had initially been skeptical and merely there for the spectacle, dropped his cigar.
"We're rich!"
While everyone else stared in astonishment at the gold before them, Nami was the first to recover, her eyes gleaming with a unique light.
"If I steal just one piece, just one, I can get a hundred million Belly."
However, just as everyone came to their senses, their faces beaming with excitement, a figure suddenly appeared before them.
He held an apple in his hand while squatting on a golden wall with a smile on his face.
Seeing this unexpected figure, Gan Fall's expression instantly changed. "This... This guy has finally arrived..."
But before he could finish speaking, Enel, standing on the golden wall, his eyes like a god looking down upon the world, looked at them with a cold smile and said: "Gan Fall, I forgive your sins, but you dared to bring these rude fellows to the realm of the gods."
As soon as these words fell, a calm voice rang out: "Is this guy a God?"
Just as Enel was radiating lightning.
A figure appeared behind Enel and reached out towards his neck.
This sudden turn of events seemed to leave Enel unaffected, as if he had known someone was coming all along, his face filled with mockery and disdain.
Gan Fall, who was also watching this scene, shouted: "No! This guy is a God!"
As Gan Fall's voice fell, Enel's disdainful and arrogant voice rang out again: "Ignorant mortals, you can't even touch me..."
But before Enel could finish speaking, Crocodile gripped his neck, his face instantly turning red.
He stared at Crocodile in disbelief, unable to speak, only able to utter muffled sounds.
"...?"
This sudden change silenced everyone, even Crocodile, who had initially been somewhat cautious.
His bewildered eyes held a hint of surprise, followed by a hesitant voice as he looked at Gan Fall behind him, and said, with a tone of self-doubt: "God... That's it?"
Gan Fall: "..."
"I don't know either!"
"How boring!"
After the matter was resolved, Crocodile, sitting on a golden wall, cursed loudly. "This kind of trash dares to call himself a God? That old guy kept babbling on and on. I thought this so-called God was some kind of powerful being! But this is it? Are these guys playing a childish game of Gods?"
"..."
Is it that surprising? Aren't those strangely shaped Celestial Dragons on the top of the Red Line also calling themselves Gods?
Hearing Crocodile's words, Ian smiled and shook his head.
To be honest, he also felt that things had gone somewhat unbelievably smoothly.
Originally, he thought Enel was trying to show off, but instead... he just... made a mess of things.
Enel probably didn't expect Crocodile to actually be able to catch him, so he simply stopped dodging and planned to show off in front of everyone, but he didn't expect... He was immediately grabbed on the neck by Crocodile like a chick.
And that was the end of it.
But it was better this way; it was better to end it sooner rather than later.
If Enel had gotten away, catching him would have been quite troublesome.
Seemingly noticing something, Ian called out expressionlessly to the furtive Nami beside him: "Little thief, don't forget our deal."
"I just touched it!"
Nami gave an embarrassed laugh, quickly putting her hand behind her back, her tone tinged with regret, but her face was full of righteous indignation: "I really didn't mean to steal it!"
Ian: "..."
Looking at Nami standing there as if she had done nothing wrong, Ian shook his head and said nothing more.
To be honest, he didn't care about that little bit of gold. Even if Nami were to take it, how much could she possibly take by herself?
If the little thief asked, he would allow her to take it, but to do such a sneaky thing in front of him and Crocodile, was she mocking them?
Sure enough, Crocodile, who had also noticed Nami's actions, took the cigar from his mouth, glanced at Nami from head to toe, and a sinister smile appeared on his face. "On the sea, if you steal spoils without the captain's permission, you will have your hands chopped off, and then they will let you sink to the bottom of the sea, little girl."
Upon hearing this, Nami, who had been grinning sheepishly, instantly turned pale and hurriedly spread her hands. "I, I really didn't steal anything."
Now she knew that these two people in front of her were big shots on the Grand Line, not those pirates in the East Blue whom she could easily deceive.
And they really would sink her to the bottom of the sea.
"Alright, stop teasing this little girl."
Ian looked at Crocodile, who was grinning menacingly at Nami and seemed ready to attack, and asked curiously: "Your Armament Haki has gotten stronger?"