Judging from the level of development Enel had achieved with his fruit, although he couldn't cause Michael much trouble, if it came down to pure clashes of power, it wouldn't have been resolved so easily either.
What's more, Michael's goal wasn't to kill Enel, but to take him away.
And at this point, the importance of personal knowledge became clear.
Enel, who had lived his entire life mixing around the White Sea, obviously knew nothing about so-called "Armament Haki" and "Observation Haki." Even when he awakened Observation Haki, he only referred to it with a localized name—"Mantra."
And up on the White Sea, the concept of Armament Haki didn't even exist.
So, it was impossible for him to guard against Michael's strike.
Enel probably mocked Michael in his heart, laughing at how such a normal attack could never harm his "divine body," right up until the moment he blacked out.
Just that simple difference in information directly resulted in Michael knocking Enel out cold with a single punch.
Hoisting Enel onto his shoulder, Michael casually patched up the damaged parts of the island cloud.
Without a word, he flew away from Bikka, carrying Enel along.
He had no intention of disturbing this secluded place.
Although they were ignorant, for those without strength, perhaps ignorance and seclusion were blessings.
"The god with white wings has saved us!"
"He took away the demon, restoring everything to how it once was!"
"He is the god of salvation and of the earth!"
The people of Bikka knelt down again and again before Michael, until his divine silhouette disappeared completely from their sight.
...
"To be honest, this is… really embarrassing." Michael chuckled awkwardly, tossing Enel onto the deck of the Seraphim, "All that kneeling and shouting 'god' at me… If it were a thick-skinned guy like Smoker, he'd probably have admitted it already."
"Damn it! Just because you're the leader doesn't mean I won't fight back!" Smoker was almost heartbroken at being slandered like this by the superior he admired like an older brother.
"Even if you beat me up, you'd still have to get on your knees and beg me not to die!"
"Saying the most cowardly words in the boldest tone..." Little Hancock couldn't stand it anymore.
"You really are something else, Secondhand Smoke."
"…Twelve-year-old brats shouldn't be giving people nicknames that cut straight to the lungs!"
Though there were plenty of noisy kids on board the Seraphim, there were also a few reliable adults.
Issho was using his fruit powers to keep the Seraphim floating.
Meanwhile, Hawk Eyes, Crocodile, and Stella stepped forward.
"The legendary Rumble-Rumble Fruit, huh? Judging from the destructive power and speed we just saw, it certainly lives up to its reputation." Crocodile sighed as he looked at Enel. "Comparisons really do make you despair."
Though his Sand-Sand Fruit was also a Logia, compared to the Rumble-Rumble Fruit...
Some people really were just blessed with good fortune.
"In that case, why don't we take care of him before he becomes truly powerful…"
Hawk Eyes spoke calmly, but his black blade, Yoru, was already raised.
Clearly, he intended to strike without another word.
Michael hurriedly stopped this cold-blooded killer.
Good grief!
It had taken him a lot of effort to recruit this man. There was no way he'd let Hawk Eyes just cut him down in one strike!
"Stop, stop, Hawk Eyes—you can't just put him directly in the enemy camp like that!"
"This trip to Skypiea—he's one of our two most important targets."
Hearing this, Hawk Eyes frowned but lowered Yoru.
This guy really did follow through on his word—utterly obedient.
Michael was certain that if he asked Hawk Eyes to stab him in the stomach right now, the man wouldn't hesitate in the slightest.
What a rigid man.
"An ability user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit… leaving him up here on Skypiea would indeed be a waste." Stella nodded. "And the other target?"
"Naturally, Skypiea's special products." Michael glanced at the endless White Sea. "Besides the strange cloud-based substances, there are also the so-called 'Dials.' They're the core technology of Skypiean civilization."
As he spoke, he pointed at a nearby island cloud.
"Stella, as a Cloud-Cloud Fruit user, don't forget to analyze these cloud-based creations. It'll be good for developing your fruit powers."
Stella nodded in understanding.
She had already noticed.
Beyond ordinary clouds, if she could merge the properties of 'island clouds' into her powers…
That would mean Stella could directly create entirely man-made sky islands, completely under her control!
The strategic significance would be extraordinary!
Michael wasn't exaggerating when he thought—even if Stella had no combat strength whatsoever, the ability to create man-made sky islands would make her a top-priority protected figure in the Navy.
Flying was already a rare thing.
Collective flying had only ever been achieved by the Flying Pirates under Golden Lion.
If Stella succeeded, she'd be able to let entire armies descend from the skies!
Michael could hardly imagine it: one day, deploying troops by parachuting down onto the Red Line!
What a sight that would be—like a painting come to life.
But for now, it was still only a dream.
Everything would depend on Stella's progress once she obtained these cloud-based materials.
"Hey, hey, wake up."
Michael patted Enel's face.
When he got no reaction, he infused his palm with Holy Light, then—
Smack!
A perfectly controlled slap, like a whip dipped in herbal balm.
"Hiss!"
Enel jolted upright!
Looking left and right instinctively, he realized he was surrounded by a group of strange people with mischievous grins.
Including the very man who had knocked him out with bizarre methods!
Still reeling in confusion, Enel watched as Crocodile and Hawk Eyes extended their hands, Armament Haki instantly coating them.
Escape through intangibility?
Not happening.
"Enel, we won't hurt you, and we don't want to hurt you."
"...If anyone else said that, maybe I'd believe them." Enel muttered, his face like a corpse's. "But saying that right after beating me up—isn't that treating me like an idiot?"
"Ahem, don't say it like that. I genuinely want to take you down to the Blue Sea for some adventure." Michael shrugged. "But before that, we need you to guide us…"
"Guide you? Where?" Enel glanced down at Michael's hand, still wrapped in that purplish-black Armament Haki, and sighed. "Let me be clear first—I only know the locations of God's Kingdom and a bunch of wild sky islands."
"That's right. We want to go to this so-called 'God's Kingdom.' There's something we need there."
Though only twenty years old, Enel had a quality that even eighty-year-old men might not possess…
A faint sense of death.
"Let me go, I'll take you there."
"Don't worry, I'm too lazy to run right now."
"Because, more than escaping, I'm curious to see what kind of trouble you people are going to stir up in Skypiea."
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