"Damn ants from the lower world—accept God's sanction!"
Crackling lightning erupted around Enel as his wrist transformed into pure thunder. In an instant, a colossal lightning pillar—dozens of meters thick—came crashing down from the heavens.
Xiao swung his arm.
Darkness surged outward, instantly forming a vast cloak that shielded everyone behind him. The thunder of God's Sanction slammed into it—only to be completely absorbed.
The Sky-Waving Cloak didn't merely devour Enel's lightning.
It released boundless gravity.
That gravity locked directly onto Enel's thunder-formed wrist, gripping it like an invisible vise. Not only was Enel unable to escape—he lost control of his elemental form altogether.
"Ant from the lower realm—what is this?! Let me go, now!"
Enel struggled violently, but his arm felt as though it had been clamped by iron jaws. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free.
"Apatosaurus!"
Enel struck the thunder drums on his back with his golden staff—
But nothing happened.
No lightning answered his call.
His Devil Fruit ability had been sealed.
"Stop struggling," Xiao said coldly.
"No matter how powerful you are, you cannot escape my Sky-Waving Cloak."
Xiao looked at Enel without the slightest intention of subduing him.
By all logic, someone like Enel—a scientific genius capable of independently developing a moon-bound spacecraft—was more than qualified to become a saint of the God of All Machines.
Unfortunately, the Thunder Fruit had symbolized divinity since ancient times.
It would never submit.
And its arrogance had long since infected Enel himself.
Someone like him would never kneel to another.
Therefore, the most efficient choice was clear—
Extract the Devil Fruit.
Bury the man.
Seize his talent and add it to Xiao's own foundation.
"You despicable… filthy creature… I'll come back…!"
Even as his body was dragged deeper into the abyss of darkness, Enel continued to curse, his arrogance blinding him to reality.
It wasn't until Enel was completely sealed away that everyone finally relaxed.
At last, their ears were granted peace.
Xiao had subdued Enel with a single move.
Yet he noticed something unexpected—the power of destiny in this place had weakened by more than tenfold. It could no longer influence him in the slightest.
Originally, Xiao had anticipated a desperate counterattack—something like Ace's final struggle—and had used his most domineering technique without hesitation.
Who would have thought Enel would fall so easily?
It was… unexpectedly anticlimactic.
"This guy's weak as hell," Burgess grumbled angrily.
"And yet he can unleash something that terrifying with just a Thunder Fruit? That's seriously unfair!"
The others nodded in agreement, unable to hide their envy.
Even the residual electricity from the lightning pillar had left their bodies numb, the air still thick with a scorched, burning smell.
"What do you expect?" Poison Q explained calmly.
"The Thunder Fruit ranks number one in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia—strongest attack, fastest speed."
To be honest, even though Poison Q knew the Disease Fruit suited him best, after witnessing the Thunder Fruit's power, he couldn't help feeling tempted.
That was the overwhelming allure of lightning.
Before the might of a natural thunder disaster, nearly all other Devil Fruits paled in comparison.
"Captain… that Devil Fruit…"
Van Augur stared intently at Enel, who was completely crushed beneath the Sky-Waving Cloak. He knew Xiao had the means to extract Devil Fruits—and his interest was obvious.
"Don't even think about it," Xiao cut him off immediately.
"Your personality isn't suitable. Even if you ate it, you'd never awaken it."
Van Augur was rejected without hesitation.
He was too calm, too restrained—completely at odds with the traits embodied by the Thunder Fruit: arrogance, pride, and impulsiveness.
In myths and legends, thunder had always belonged to supreme gods—Zeus, Odin, Thor—figures known for impatience and overwhelming dominance.
If anything, someone like Burgess was far more compatible with this Devil Fruit than Van Augur.
Even so, Xiao had no intention of giving the Thunder Fruit to anyone.
He had already decided—
He would take it for himself.
As for why Xiao was willing to bring the Blackbeard Pirates along at all, the reason was simple:
Their luck.
Teaching them the secrets of Devil Fruit cultivation was merely an experiment—to see whether they could break free of fate's shackles and truly grow stronger.
But hoping to profit from Xiao directly?
Relying on him for resources and careful nurturing?
The answer was only two words:
Absolutely impossible.
Knowledge was priceless—but not infinitely so.
Xiao's guidance was already an enormous gift. If they still wanted more benefits, that was nothing but fantasy.
He would give them knowledge—nothing else.
No resources. No handouts.
If someone needed to be fed even after being lifted to the mountaintop, then they were worthless.
"I understand," Van Augur said quietly.
He was disappointed—but compared to raw elemental power, ascending to godhood through Devil Fruits was far more important.
After all, once one ascended, a Devil Fruit would naturally gain elemental properties.
Thunder could be controlled by other means.
…
…
Nearby, Conis and Pagaya had witnessed everything.
They watched Xiao defeat the Sky Island's so-called god in a single move—ending the monster that had ruled Sky Island with fear and disaster for years.
Stars shone in their eyes.
Awe. Reverence. Absolute worship.
Xiao's power had completely consumed them.
"Conis," Xiao said calmly,
"Make sure you complete the task I gave you. We still have other important matters to attend to."
After bidding farewell to Conis and her father, Xiao led his men back onto the transportation creature known as Pipi Shrimp, heading toward the Island of Gods—Upper Yard.
Within Sky Island's unique environment, many strange plants grew atop the clouds.
Yet compared to those, the residents of Sky Island clearly preferred the rich, flavorful food of the Blue Sea.
Unfortunately, crops from the Blue Sea required soil to grow—
And on Sky Island, soil was rarer than gold.
Because of this, the tiny patches of land carried upward by the surging sea currents had become priceless treasures—cherished above all else by the people of Sky Island.
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