Chapter 189 – Enel Appears
Boom!
Just as the fierce battle between the Navy and the pirates raged on, a violent thunderclap shook the heavens. The dull, rolling sound instantly drew everyone's attention.
"Look—what's that?!"
"When did such thick clouds gather above us?!"
"This is… a thundercloud… and with a range this wide… I suddenly have a very bad feeling."
High in the sky, no one knew when it had begun, but a massive thundercloud had formed, stretching across almost the entire Marineford and the surrounding sea.
Thunder rumbled constantly within the black clouds, and flashes of lightning writhed inside like serpents of destruction. The clouds seemed to sink lower and lower, as if the very sky were collapsing. Just looking at it made the air heavy, pressing down on everyone's hearts.
"Look! Something's coming out of the clouds!"
"Is that… a ship?! How is that possible? How could a ship fly through the sky, crossing thunderclouds as if nothing were there?!"
"Heheheh… it looks like another serious guest has arrived." From the top of the encircling wall, Gecko Moria grinned excitedly as he saw the vessel descending from the clouds. "First Teach, and now a flying ship… today is really full of surprises."
Both Hawkeye Mihawk and Boa Hancock raised their heads, surprised to see the strange ship slowly descending from the storm. Only Bartholomew Kuma remained expressionless, his massive frame unmoving.
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"Finally here!" On the battlefield, Ace forced back Aokiji with a blazing punch, then turned his gaze upward at the ship approaching from the thunderclouds. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Forced to retreat, Aokiji didn't immediately counterattack. Instead, he frowned deeply, eyes fixed on the descending ship. Ace's reaction only confirmed his suspicions, and a shadow of seriousness crossed his usually calm face.
"…A flying ship? Could this be from Skypiea? An unexpected ally, and not one who looks friendly." Kizaru stopped his duel with Marco, tilted his head lazily, and muttered while watching the vessel approach.
"Yahahahaha!"
A burst of wild, unmistakable laughter echoed from above.
At the bow of the descending ship stood a man—bare-chested, a white turban wrapped around his head, four large drums marked with tomoe fixed to his back, loose bloomers tied at his waist, golden staff in hand, lightning dancing at his fingertips.
It was none other than the self-proclaimed god of Skypiea—Enel!
The flying ship was the Ark Maxim, his thunder-powered vessel.
Behind him stood his four priests of the Kingdom of God and a dozen of his divine guards, their eyes cold as they surveyed Marineford.
"Captain Ace, I'm not too late, am I?!" Enel bellowed with manic laughter.
Ace chuckled, then shouted back: "Not at all—your timing is perfect!"
"Really? Excellent!" Enel smirked, guiding the Ark Maxim to descend. "The falling islands delayed me a little, and creating these thunderclouds took some effort… but now I'm here. Yahahaha!"
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"…Enemy?"
The Marines stiffened. Enel's words had made it clear—he was an ally of the pirates.
"He just called Ace his captain… are these monsters under Ace's command?!"
"Where in the world did that brat find a man like this?!"
On the Moby Dick, Marco narrowed his eyes. "So this is the thunder freak Ace mentioned? His hidden trump card?"
Whitebeard raised his head, gaze calm. He recalled Ace telling him he had prepared a powerful backup for this war. Seeing Enel appear now didn't surprise him—it only confirmed Ace's foresight.
On the Marine side, Kizaru appeared next to Akainu, his tone as casual as ever. "Sakazuki, looks like another troublesome opponent. What should we do?"
Akainu's jaw tightened. "It doesn't matter who he is. If he dares to interfere in our justice—he will be eradicated!"
His right arm erupted into molten rock, magma surging like a volcano. He thrust his fist upward.
"Great Eruption!!"
Boom!
A pillar of molten magma spewed into the sky, aimed straight for the Ark Maxim.
"Well, well…" Enel mocked lightly, raising one hand. "Attacking without even a greeting. Are all Blue Sea dwellers this rude?"
His body crackled with lightning as he pointed his finger.
"El Thor!!"
Crash!!
A colossal bolt of lightning split the heavens, slamming into the onrushing magma. The clash detonated in midair with a deafening explosion, scattering fire and thunder across the sky in a dazzling storm.
"Thunder…?! He's a Logia too!"
"That's… the Goro Goro no Mi—the power of lightning itself!"
"Whitebeard's side has another monster!"
"No… it's more than that. Look at those clouds. A thundercloud that massive can't form naturally. It's all his doing!"
"If a thundercloud of that size were to be unleashed…"
The thought alone silenced even Akainu.
The scale of destruction possible from a storm like that, under the command of a man who could freely manipulate lightning… it was terrifying beyond measure. If Enel detonated the storm, even the Admirals might survive—but most of the 100,000 Marines would be annihilated, and Marineford itself would be erased from the map.
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Enel's arrival was late, but his presence—backed by the Ark Maxim and the colossal thundercloud above—was an overwhelming deterrent.
Ace's body ignited with flames as he rose into the air, stopping before the Ark Maxim. His voice rang out for all to hear:
"Navy—this war is already lost!"
With a roar, he slammed his blazing fist downward into the frozen sea.
Boom!!
The flames shattered the ice, melting it instantly and freeing the frozen pirate ships trapped within.
"Retreat now!" Ace shouted to the Marines below, fire swirling around him. "Don't pursue us—or we will send all of Marineford to the bottom of the sea!"
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