"That monster… he really defeated Enel!"
"Damn it, that kind of power… is he a god, or a monster?"
"Wait, Wyper, they're talking to each other?!"
From a distance, Wyper and his two companions were excited when they saw Aeridar defeat Enel, but then they saw the two of them conversing intimately, which left them with a bad feeling.
"There's no way… God Enel… lost?!"
"How could such a monster exist in the Blue Sea? It's terrifying!"
"Wait, that monster is talking to God Enel."
"What does that monster want?"
On the other side, the four priests, who had hidden themselves far away, peeked out nervously. Every time they saw Aeridar, a hint of terror flashed in their eyes.
On the rubble of the collapsed hill, Aeridar and Enel had finished their discussion.
As a condition for joining the Chris Pirates, Aeridar would personally teach Enel Haki and martial arts. Enel wouldn't be a direct subordinate; his relationship with the crew would be similar to the White Mane Pirates, the Triangle Pirates, and the Paperman Pirates.
However, Enel's ark, the Maxim, was not yet complete. He wanted to wait until it was finished so he could make his grand debut on the Blue Sea.
Aeridar did not refuse this, as he wanted Enel's hair and nails. With them, he could make a Vivre Card and precisely track his movements.
Enel also promised to provide the blueprints for the Maxim. This way, even if he escaped to the moon in the future, Aeridar would be able to capture him.
"Hmm?!"
Enel's eyebrows twitched, and he snarled, "A few small mice are spying on us… those Shandian ants."
Zzzzt, zzzzt, zzzzt!
Enel slowly raised his arm as several bolts of lightning crackled around it.
Smack!
Aeridar suddenly grabbed Enel's wrist and shook his head. "Wait!"
"Huh?!" Enel looked at Aeridar, confused.
"You've already subjugated the Skypieans. Only the Shandian tribe is still fighting you. However, their forces are a bit weak to create a complete Sky Island base. Besides, the Blue Sea is vast. Why don't you allow them to enter Upper Yard on the condition that they become our subordinates?" Aeridar explained calmly.
"Upper Yard is the Island of God. Why would 'God' compromise with a bunch of native ants?" Enel asked, a little dissatisfied.
"Island of God, my ass. Upper Yard was originally a part of Jaya Island in the Blue Sea. It was carried up to the White Sea by a rising current 400 years ago and then taken by the Skypieans," Aeridar said, rolling his eyes. "Because it's the only island in the Sky Sea with dirt, the Skypieans see it as a holy land. The Blue Sea has countless islands. If you can gain the loyalty of a tribe by giving up an island, why not?"
After all, the Shandian tribe wasn't weak. Although they lacked high-level fighters, they were a good choice for subordinates.
"But those natives are stubborn. They probably won't agree," Enel said with a frown, knowing the Shandian tribe's character.
"If they don't agree, then we'll exterminate them! This place will be our base in the future. Leaving behind a hidden danger is not a good idea," Aeridar said with a cold tone.
"Exterminate them! What a wonderful word. I suddenly hope they don't agree. Yahahahaha!" Enel laughed cruelly.
The corner of Aeridar's mouth also curled into a cold, eerie smile. "Hehehe… What a nasty guy you are."
"Tch. You're no better than me." Enel wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and rubbed his chest. He felt three broken ribs and a hint of deep fear flashed in his eyes.
"Let's go back to your temple. There's no rush; we can take things one step at a time," Aeridar suggested.
"Follow me!"
Enel did not object. He turned and walked toward his residence, shouting, "Gedatsu, Shura, Ohm, and Satori! Come to me, now!"
"God Enel is calling for us!" Satori exclaimed.
"But… God Enel is with that monster," Shura said, his body trembling. It seemed Aeridar had left a very deep impression on him.
"Yes, should we go?" Gedatsu, who was usually absent-minded, actually asked a question this time.
"Of course we should. It's God Enel," Ohm said with a complex look in his eyes, but he was firm.
And so, the four did not dare to delay and rushed over.
When Enel saw his four priests, he didn't say anything. He just led the way toward his temple. Aeridar simply glanced at the four priests, paying them no mind.
Seeing that the two powerful men weren't saying anything, the four priests also kept silent. They just secretly glanced at Aeridar a few times before following behind him.
Watching Aeridar and Enel's group leave, the three Shandian warriors were dumbfounded.
"What the hell is going on?" Wyper growled, holding his rocket launcher.
"Didn't that monster defeat Enel? Why?" Braham said, pulling at his hat in frustration.
"Did that monster take Enel as a subordinate? Or did they team up?" Kamakiri asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Damn it! Why didn't they fight to the death?! Why didn't he kill Enel?! Damn it! Damn it! Why do monsters like him even exist?!" Wyper gritted his teeth and pounded his fist on a tree trunk.
After witnessing Aeridar and Enel's terrifying power, he was truly shaken. They were practically natural disasters!
The battle had only lasted a short time, but it had already destroyed a quarter of Upper Yard. If it had gone on any longer, the entire Upper Yard would have probably been leveled, and that wasn't even a stretch.
As for the monster named Aeridar, he would have killed them with a single shockwave years ago, let alone now. And as for Enel, they couldn't even beat his priests and soldiers. What could they do?
Kamakiri turned his head with difficulty and asked, "Wyper, what do we do?"
"We leave!" Wyper said, his voice strained. "We have no chance of winning. Let's go back."
As the descendant of the great warrior Kalgara and the first warrior of the Shandians, Wyper naturally had a responsibility to protect his tribe and reclaim Upper Yard. But in the face of insurmountable power, he knew when to retreat.
Kamakiri and Braham fell silent. After staring at the devastated battlefield for a while, they turned and walked away, dejected.