Chapter 18 — Ash vs Enel
"Damn it! Stop him! He can't be allowed to reach God Enel! If he does, even if we win the battle, God will still punish us!"
Ohm's expression twisted with fear as he shouted. As one of Enel's priests, he knew all too well just how brutal Enel could be.
"Hey~ hey~ are you pretending I don't exist?"
"Tai Chi: Blast Power!"
Suddenly, a shadow darted through the air. It was Tuan, the round-bodied martial artist who once mastered the Ordeal of Balls. With explosive speed, he dashed forward and intercepted Sadra, swinging a massive paw down with crushing force.
"Impact Dial!"
Sadra, sensing danger, quickly raised his arm and triggered the Impact Dial hidden in his palm. The device absorbed the impact and released it all at once, colliding with Tuan's attack.
BOOM!
The shockwave from their clash rippled through the forest. Trees bent backward in waves, their leaves rustling wildly as branches snapped.
"Holy! Smoke screen!" Ohm barked.
"Iron Whip! Whip!"
Responding to his master's order, the Sky Wolf named Holy released a dense cloud of smoke, blanketing the forest and concealing everything. Ohm prepared to use his Mantra—what Sky Islanders called Observation Haki—to attack with an edge. But what he didn't know was that Ash's crew member, Gin, had been honing that exact ability for weeks.
"Ghost Hammer: Frenzy!"
Gin burst through the fog and slammed into Ohm, fists flying. Despite having a Devil Fruit, Gin was deliberately holding back, using this fight to train his physical prowess and Observation Haki.
Meanwhile, on another front—
Poker, usually the timid one, took a deep breath. His resolve burned as he thought about the long road ahead and how badly he wanted to help Ash. Gripping his massive ring-blade, his body swelled from 1.7 meters to over 3 meters tall. His clothes tore away, save for his pants, revealing muscle and fury.
"Let's do this!"
Seeing Poker ready himself, Gan Fall—former God of Skypiea—stepped forward, sword drawn, and locked eyes with the priest Nirvana, the master of the Ordeal of Swamps.
"Two versus one. Seems like the odds are in our favor."
---
Inside the Heavenly Sanctuary…
Enel casually took a bite of an apple as his golden staff leaned against his throne. He barely lifted his eyes when Ash entered.
"So, Human… what business do you have with a god?"
Ash walked forward without hesitation, voice steady. "Name's Monkey D. Ash, born in the Blue Sea. I heard you're strong, and I'm building a crew worthy of the New World. I came to invite you to join me."
"Yehahaha! Are you kidding me?" Enel laughed arrogantly. "I am a GOD!"
"Oh?" Ash smirked. "Are you really that strong?"
"I'm invincible!" Enel declared without blinking.
"Then how about this: if I beat you, you join me."
"HA! A god never loses!"
"Then that sounds like a yes to me."
Enel blinked. "Wait, what?"
Ash cracked his knuckles and took a stance.
"Armament Haki…"
"Ordinary Punch."
Ash's arm darkened with black Haki as he launched forward using Soru, one of the Navy's Six Styles. His attack wasn't flashy—but it carried terrifying weight.
Enel, floating mid-air, scoffed. "What's a punch going to do to me?"
BOOM!
The punch struck home. It was simple, brutal, and precise—imbued with Armament Haki and the strength of One Punch-style training granted by the system. Enel was caught off-guard. He hadn't been hit in years.
Pain exploded through him as his body contorted mid-air. His pride shattered in an instant.
"Kneel."
Ash stood tall as Enel crumpled to the ground in front of him.
"God? That's it?"
Ash shook his head. "You've got a strong Devil Fruit, sure. But in the New World? There are plenty of people who'll kill you in one move if you act cocky."
"How—how could you hit me?" Enel asked, horror creeping into his voice.
"Simple. What you Sky Islanders call Mantra, we call Observation Haki. And this?"
Ash raised his blackened fist again.
"Armament Haki. It lets me touch your real body—no matter what Logia you have."
Enel gritted his teeth, then suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Yehahaha! You gave away your secret, fool!" He transformed into lightning and shot into the sky, trying to keep his distance.
"Feel the judgment of a god!"
"200 Million Volts: Thunder Strike!"
A colossal bolt of lightning split the sky and came crashing toward Ash. Thunder roared across Skypiea as the skies darkened.
Ash's voice echoed calmly.
"You done?"
He was already in the air.
"Serious Punch: Collapse!"
Ulla Ulla Ulla—BOOM!!!
Ash's fist blurred as he dropped from the sky like a meteor. A massive shockwave exploded beneath him. Enel didn't even have time to go intangible.
The punch cratered the sanctuary.
Enel's golden palace? Obliterated.
The surrounding sky island? Cracked and reshaped.
---
Back in the forest…
Shandians looked toward the heavens as thunder crackled overhead.
"Wyper! That lightning… it's coming from the Holy Land!"
"Did someone challenge Enel?"
"An angel?"
"Hmph, no way. They wouldn't dare," Wyper scoffed. "Let's go."
The warriors began their march toward the Holy Land.
---
Meanwhile, Enel climbed out of the rubble. Blood trickled from his nose. His golden staff trembled in his grip.
"You… you dare mock a god?!"
"30 Million Volts: Thunder Beast!"
Striking the drums on his back, Enel summoned a massive thunder wolf that howled and lunged.
Ash stood motionless.
He began to chant.
> The heavens bow, the earth yields.
I command the divine through golden light.
Return all illusions to the void."
"Golden Light Incantation… Disperse."
A golden radiance poured from Ash's hand and met the thunder wolf midair. There was no explosion—just silence—as the beast unraveled into sparks and vanished.
"No… this isn't happening," Enel whispered.
---
To be continued…