ALL NOVEL Chapter 65: CHAPTER 65
Beside Yamato, the little girl Tama's eyes sparkled like stars as she exclaimed with longing.
Alastor smiled gently. "Not now, Tama. When all the chaos settles and no one can threaten us anymore, we'll sail the seas together."
Yamato nodded fervently. "I will become Joy Boy and liberate this world!"
Liberation...
Alastor's expression turned contemplative as he hung up the phone.
After reaching the White Sea, the powerful upward current didn't stop. It carried the ship further until they arrived at the White-White Sea, 10,000 meters above sea level.
As they approached the final stretch, the current grew unstable, causing the ship to wobble dangerously. Just as it seemed they might fall, Alastor used Geppo to leap into the air and deliver a powerful kick to the vessel, sending it safely onto solid ground—or rather, the cloud surface, as the clouds in the White-White Sea were dense enough to walk on.
"Is this... Sky Island?"
Shimotsuki Onimaru, habitually stoic, allowed a rare spark of excitement to shine in his eyes. Though he maintained his expressionless demeanor, his curiosity betrayed him—after all, he was still a sixteen-year-old boy.
"The legendary Sky Island... Amazing. Clouds you can step on! And look, creatures live in the clouds!"
The Hundred Beasts crew marveled, their shouts of wonder echoing in the strange new world.
As a time traveler, Alastor wasn't as awestruck. He strode toward the entrance to the Sky Island, where he could see a town in the distance. However, the path was guarded by locals demanding a toll: 1 billion extol coins per person, roughly equivalent to 100,000 berries.
The gatekeeper's confidence was misplaced. Before he could finish explaining the fee, a gifter from the Hundred Beasts crew slapped him unconscious.
Alastor didn't even glance at the guard as he continued forward.
Soon, the crew arrived at a town inhabited by Sky Islanders.
"They have wings!" Sai exclaimed, eyes wide with amazement. "They look like angels."
Alastor decided they needed a guide. The layout of Sky Island was complex, and he couldn't recall exactly where Enel resided.
At that moment, a horse's neigh broke the air.
A pegasus approached from the distance, ridden by an armored knight wielding a spear. The knight charged at them at high speed, his intent clear.
Though the knight looked formidable, his gray beard betrayed his age.
Shimotsuki Onimaru instinctively placed a hand on his sword hilt, but before he could act, Sai sprang into action. Eager to prove himself to Alastor, Sai leapt forward, brandishing his naginata.
The old knight, Gan Fall, was taken aback by the boldness of the intruders. He raised his spear to block, but Sai's immense strength easily overwhelmed him, sending him crashing to the ground.
The knight's once-proud pegasus quivered in fear, sweat streaming down its body.
"Weak," Sai muttered with disappointment.
It wasn't that Gan Fall was particularly feeble—it was that Sai was far too strong. As the grandson of Chinjao and the future pillar of the Happo Navy, Sai's strength was remarkable, even though his full potential had yet to awaken.
"You... Who are you?" Gan Fall asked, his voice trembling as he rose unsteadily. Despite lacking Haki, he could sense the overwhelming aura of the intruders. These were no ordinary men from the Blue Sea.
Alastor studied Gan Fall's armor, recognizing the design. He deduced that Enel was still in control of Sky Island. With a commanding tone, Alastor ordered:
"Take me to see Enel."
"What?!" Gan Fall's eyes widened in shock.
It wasn't just the demand that stunned him—it was the audacity of addressing Enel by name.
On Sky Island, disrespecting the self-proclaimed god was unthinkable. Enel's powers allowed him to hear every sound on the island. Any slight against him would result in immediate divine retribution, a terrifying bolt of lightning to obliterate the offender.
And, as expected, thunder cracked ominously in the sky above.
Shimotsuki Onimaru, Sai, and the rest of the Hundred Beasts crew looked up, their expressions shifting. Someone on Sky Island could control thunder?
The sheer sound of it was enough to instill fear—it was the ultimate power of the heavens.
Gan Fall's voice trembled. "Run! Run! God's judgment is coming!"
Alastor, however, remained unmoved. He glanced at the thunderclouds forming above. A faint sneer tugged at his lips.
"This is nothing but a show," he muttered.
Alastor could tell that the thunderclouds were meant to intimidate, not strike. Enel's arrogant nature dictated that he'd toy with his prey before delivering the final blow.
And indeed, in the Holy Land of Upper Yard, Enel lounged leisurely, an apple in hand, a playful smirk on his face.
"How amusing," Enel mused, listening to their voices through his powers. "They think they can challenge a god. Very well, I'll entertain myself with them for a while."
Back on the ground, Alastor turned his steely gaze to Gan Fall.
"Lead the way," he ordered again.
The aura emanating from Alastor left Gan Fall paralyzed with fear. Resistance was futile. Trembling, the former god of Sky Island reluctantly began to lead them.
Even so, his kind heart compelled him to warn them.
"You should leave Sky Island while you still can," Gan Fall said, his voice laced with desperation. "You may be strong, but Enel is invincible. He truly wields the power of a god. His thunder is unstoppable!"
"A Logia user with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit?" Sai muttered, surprised.
Logia-type Devil Fruits were among the rarest and most powerful, rivaling even the mythical Zoan Fruits. And those who wielded them—like the Navy's three admirals—were forces to be reckoned with.
No one expected that the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, rivaling the Magma-Magma Fruit, Glint-Glint Fruit, and Ice-Ice Fruit in power, would end up in the hands of someone on Sky Island.
Sai couldn't help but feel a pang of worry. Could this Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, Enel, possess strength comparable to that of a Navy admiral?
However, seeing Alastor walking calmly ahead, along with Shimotsuki Onimaru and the rest of the crew wearing composed expressions, Sai felt reassured.
Gan Fall, realizing he couldn't persuade Alastor, sighed in resignation and said no more.
Upon entering the Holy Land of Upper Yard, the ground beneath their feet changed from clouds to solid earth.
Upper Yard was once part of Gaya Island before being propelled into the sky by the Knock-Up Stream 400 years ago, along with its legendary City of Gold. This event led to the tragic death of Mont Blanc Noland, who was branded a liar by the world.
At his shrine, Enel frowned. The outsiders weren't cowed by his thunderous display. Interesting.
His excitement grew. Cowardly ants were boring to toy with. But bold, defiant ones? That made the game far more entertaining.
With a grin, Enel commanded his four priests, "Go. Let the Survival Game begin. I want to see how many of them survive. Yahaha!"
The priests bowed and departed.
The four priests were Enel's strongest subordinates, each an expert in manipulating cloud shells and skilled in Mantra (Observation Haki). Their Survival Game had a perfect record—no one had ever lived to tell the tale.
For Enel, this was a game of death. He delighted in watching despair consume his victims, treating humans as mere ants to crush at will. Ruthless by nature, he even destroyed his own homeland.
The priests descended to the grounds of Upper Yard. While they typically operated independently, they unexpectedly encountered another group of intruders.
The priests sneered.
"Shandians? Hahaha! What perfect timing. We'll kill you along with those outsiders!"
Ohm, the priest of the Iron Trial, grinned wickedly.
The Shandians were the indigenous people of Gaya Island, brought to the sky along with Upper Yard 400 years ago. The land's soil was precious on Sky Island, considered sacred, and the Shandians' homeland had been stolen by the Skypieans and now occupied by Enel.
The Shandians had fought relentlessly to reclaim their land, forming a guerrilla force led by their warrior chief, Wyper, known as the "War Ghost."
Wyper, a muscular man wielding a rocket launcher, glared at Ohm with unbridled hatred.
"You and Enel are nothing but filthy thieves! Die, you bastard!"
He launched a rocket directly at the priests.
The priests exchanged amused glances, like cats toying with mice. Ohm easily deflected the rocket with his Iron Cloud and transformed it into a whip, lashing Wyper's shoulder and leaving a deep, bloody gash.
"Captain!" the Shandian guerrillas cried out in alarm.
Fortunately, Ohm didn't follow up with another strike. His attention shifted to a new arrival.
Gan Fall had arrived, leading Alastor and his crew.
Seeing the four priests, Gan Fall's eyes burned with resentment and frustration. He knew firsthand how powerful Enel and his subordinates were. He stood no chance against them.
The priests mocked him cruelly.
"Lord Enel was merciful enough to spare your pathetic life, and yet here you are, daring to return."
"How shall we kill you this time? Whipping? Hanging?"
"Those outsiders with you—are they from the Blue Sea? Good. Lord Enel loves playing with new ants."
The priests had severely underestimated their opponents, treating the Hundred Beasts Pirates like mere pests.
It was a fatal mistake.
Without waiting for Alastor's orders, a dozen members of the crew charged forward like a pack of wild beasts, grinning savagely.
"You damn priests! We'll rip you apart and feast on your bones!"
What followed was a scene that Gan Fall and the Shandians would never forget.
The four priests, previously seen as invincible, were swarmed by monstrous figures who transformed into beasts before their very eyes. Claws, fangs, and raw, primal power overwhelmed the battlefield.
The priests, caught off guard, launched attacks in desperation. Iron Clouds and Impact Shells struck their foes, but the beasts shrugged off the damage, their ferocity only increasing.
The tide of the battle was one-sided. The priests, once feared, were torn apart—literally. Limbs were ripped off, heads crushed, and gore splattered across the sacred ground.
Gan Fall and the Shandians watched in horror. Many vomited at the gruesome sight.
Alastor remained impassive throughout, his expression unreadable.
He could already sense Enel's presence with his Observation Haki. The so-called god was finally on the move.
"So, you're ready to face me yourself?" Alastor murmured, a cold smirk curling his lips. "Playing god is bold... but foolish."
In his shrine, Enel had begun to move, using the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to travel at lightning speed. His face was dark with fury.
He hadn't expected these outsiders to annihilate his priests so effortlessly.
"Damn them!" Enel growled. "I'll incinerate them all with thunder until there's nothing left but ash!"
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