He came back to his senses, and the shadow of Kuro in front of him slowly faded.
"You should have Observation Haki, right? How can you make such a simple mistake?" Kuro's voice came from behind Enel. The lightning god spun around and saw Kuro standing there, relaxed as ever.
"When did you get there? Never mind. I'll show you the true power of thunder."
At that, Enel teleported beside Kuro in an instant.
"Hey! What are you doing attacking thin air? I'm right here."
"Already here." Kuro replied, impassive.
"You're so slow."
Enel's veins bulged. He prided himself on speed—no one in this world was faster, he believed.
For a moment, Kuro's silhouette flickered in multiple places around the field, thunder echoing with each shift.
Hmph, hmph, hmph!
Back in his human form, Enel panted hard, locking eyes with Kuro. "If you've got guts, stop running."
Kuro lifted his chin, a cold glint shining on his glasses. "You said that?" He vanished again as he spoke.
"What?! Faster than before?!" Enel snarled in surprise. But then he felt a hand around his throat.
His vision cleared, and he saw Kuro's face up close. "Cough, cough... how are you this fast? And you caught me in one move?"
Enel's face twisted in disbelief. He hadn't lasted a single real exchange.
Kuro gently lowered him. "Do you see now? The gap—your limitations?"
"I don't believe it!" Enel spat out, unable to accept being outmatched.
Rolan's calm voice cut through. "Then choose another opponent."
Enel glared around and pointed at Crocodile. "Him!"
Without hesitation, Rolan tossed a black capsule to Enel.
Enel stared at it for a moment, puzzled, then looked at Rolan.
"It's a recovery medicine. No side-effects," Rolan said without malice. "Not poison, so don't whine if you lose again."
Reluctantly, Enel swallowed it.
He blinked. Suddenly, his strength returned, and his eyes widened in shock.
Crocodile beckoned him. "Recovered? Let's do this. We don't have all day." His voice dripped with contempt.
Fury sparked in Enel's chest. "Sixty Million Volts: Thunder Bird!"
He struck the taiko drum on his left shoulder. Lightning burst forth, coalescing into a massive thunderbird shape that charged at Crocodile.
Crocodile stood still. The thunderbird sailed through him like a ghost.
"What?!" Enel's voice trembled. He thought it was a miss. Then more thunderbirds formed and passed through Crocodile one after another.
Crocodile shook his head. "Weak attack. This is over."
He dissolved into sand. The battlefield filled with swirling golden particles. Near Enel, the sand gathered into a pitch-black fist, which delivered a single devastating punch that sent Enel crashing to the ground.
"Cough, cough, cough..." He lay there, unable to rise.
The swirling sand then shifted, forming a humanoid figure next to him. It extended a hand, offering another black capsule.
---
Enel raised himself on one elbow. "I want to challenge him next!" he declared, pointing at the swordsman.
Zoro stepped forward, and as expected, Enel was defeated again.
---
He challenged Nami too, but she overpowered him just as easily.
---
Again and again, Enel lost. Each failure etched deeper into his pride.
Hmph, hmph, hmph.
Rolan stood up slowly from his seat. He looked down at the dejected Enel. "Well? Was I lying?" he asked softly.
Enel lifted his head. Though he hated admitting it, he nodded. "I lost."
Rolan patted his shoulder. "Don't be discouraged. These people… they're top-tier even in the Blue Sea."
Enel's eyes sharpened. He'd always been invincible in his own domain. This was the first time someone humbled him—and he had been taught a brutal lesson.
Rolan leaned closer. "So, want to come with me? Besides you can meet the real 'God' of this world?"
Enel's eyes glowed. "What kind of 'God' are we talking about? One who uses the same title as me?"
He looked around at the crew, nodded, and said fiercely, "Alright. I'll join you—let's knock those so-called gods off their pedestals. Let them see what a true god is."
---
In the Shandia camp, word spread fast.
"Have you heard? The new 'God' is calling a gathering."
"I wonder who he really is."
"Be quiet! The 'God' might hear us!"
"Chief, I believe the new 'God' is those Blue Sea people."
Wyper spat the words through gritted teeth.
The old Chief, leaning on his staff, sighed. "It doesn't matter who he is. If he could bring Enel down, this new 'God' is someone to be taken seriously."
---
Back at the assembly, Rolan swept his gaze across the dense crowd of faces — Shandia warriors, Angel Island natives, Gan Fall, God's Guard, and his own crew from Ion Tempest.
He rose gently into the air, cleared his throat, and addressed them all: "Hello everyone, I am your new 'God'. For many of you, who is 'God' matters less than whether you can live well."
Murmurs spread through the crowd:
"So young…"
"Don't get carried away—he's not someone to covet."
"Quiet! Don't let him hear you."
Rolan smiled faintly as he listened. Then he continued: "As your new 'God', I understand your struggles, your dreams. The Holy Land, belongs to all of you."
He raised his voice. "I hereby issue my first decree: The land shall be open to everyone. Towns and housing will be built, and every household will receive land."
A wave of shock ran through the crowd. Shandia warriors stiffened — their sacred land was being shared?
Rolan raised his hand for silence. "Second: We will form a new nation, with ministries to oversee education, commerce, research, technology, agriculture, medicine, and more."
"Third: We will build academies and require education. Every child on Sky Island will learn planting, reading, fighting, art—skills for life."
"Fourth: We will open Sky Island's economy. Exports will flow out, imports will come in. We will build wealth together."
"Fifth: We will lower taxes. Every household will receive monthly tax refunds based on its size."
"Sixth: We will build public hospitals and medical colleges, so everyone can have care when they need it."
He paused. "Tomorrow, all these terms will be posted across the island. You can read them yourselves."
After more than a dozen decrees, he nodded gently. "That is all. You may go."
One by one, people began to disperse. Soon only a small gathering remained — Gan Fall, Wyper, the Shandia Chief, Raki of the God's Guard, and the Ion Tempest crew.
---