"I am a god!"
Faced with the looming threat of death, the ever-delusional young man Enel roared from the depths of his soul.
The lightning that had been coursing over his shattered giant form gathered once more
but in front of the descending fireball, all that accumulated energy vanished like snow beneath the blazing sun.
"I am… a god…"
Enel muttered again, dazed, as the fireball pressed down upon him.
BOOM!
The fireball exploded in a burst of light and heat, then dispersed into the sky.
Enel's lifeless eyes rolled back as his body plummeted from midair, slamming hard onto the ground.
Don lowered his hand, watching the fallen "god" with a faint smirk.
He's not broken already, is he?
That last line Enel shouted—Don had heard it loud and clear. There was a hint of mental collapse in it.
Not that Don had truly meant to hit him just now.
Although he had called the move "Flame Emperor," it wasn't the same as Ace's technique.
He didn't even know what Ace's version looked like.
What Don had done was compress every ounce of released flame into a single strike.
Had he actually thrown it… God's Island would likely be nothing but ashes.
His duel with Enel had really been about entering Enel's rhythm.
Enel's mastery over his fruit was impressive—but his reliance on it was absolute.
Against anyone who couldn't counter his lightning, he could win in an instant.
But against someone who could resist it… his threat level dropped sharply.
As Don descended, the flames that still burned across the island swirled toward him
ribbons of fire converging back into his body.
"Is it over?"
Robin's voice came from the ship as Issho steered it closer. She, Mihawk, and Issho stood at the bow, watching.
"Yeah. It's over," Don replied, glancing at her. "What you're looking for is in that direction. No one's going to stop you now."
He pointed casually toward a distant part of the island.
Robin followed his finger, then nodded.
"There's also a lot of gold here," Don added. "Mark its location. After you make a copy of the Poneglyph, come back—I'll need you to write something for me."
"Understood," Robin said simply.
She disappeared into the cabin, then emerged with a backpack slung over her shoulders. Waving at Don, she headed off in the direction he had indicated.
"He's dead," Mihawk remarked, gazing at Enel's limp form lying on the ground.
"He's not," Don replied, shaking his head.
And sure enough, Enel's heartbeat resumed. His faint breathing deepened as faint electric sparks danced across his chest—restarting his heart.
"He used his lightning to jolt his heart back to life," Mihawk noted.
"I didn't actually hit him directly," Don said quietly, just as Enel's eyes flickered open.
Enel sat up groggily—only to see the three men who had beaten him standing in a line before him.
His body froze.
Old memories flashed through his mind
the ridicule he'd suffered as a boy for dreaming of reaching the endless blue sea below.
Since eating that strange, bitter fruit, no one had ever made him feel that way again.
Until today.
For the first time in years, Enel felt the raw fear of being completely dominated.
"God, huh?" Don asked calmly, watching Enel's trembling frame as he stood.
"I… I am Enel. A man of Skypiea," Enel answered stiffly.
He still wanted to say "god," but the word died in his throat.
He hadn't taken a beating like this in over a decade.
He had almost forgotten what it felt like.
"From now on, you're one of my crew," Don said, glancing at him. "I'll have some tasks for you later."
Then his gaze turned toward the sky.
A man in armor rode down toward them on a strange bird-horse hybrid—Gan Fall.
Landing a short distance away, Gan Fall took one look at the battered Enel and the three imposing figures before him, and wisely chose not to come any closer.
"Of course," Don continued mildly, "you can refuse."
With a flick of his wrist, his blade flew back from the ship, landing neatly in his hand.
"So," he said, gripping the hilt loosely, "what will it be?"
Do I even have a choice?
Enel glanced at the hand resting on Don's sword hilt, then at Don's smile
and the cold expressions of Mihawk and Issho beside him.
If he refused, they'd probably cut him to pieces.
So this is how my dream of the Infinite Earth ends?
"I'll… join you!" Enel gritted his teeth and shouted.
"A wise choice," Don said with a smile, releasing his hold on the blade.
He turned and waved to Gan Fall.
Gan Fall dismounted, his expression tense.
"From today onward," Don declared, "Skypiea belongs to the Hunter Association. Until someone arrives to take over, you'll be in charge of managing everything here."
Gan Fall's brows furrowed. "What exactly are you planning to do?"
"I'm going to establish an examination site here," Don replied frankly. "In the future, candidates will come to this island to take the Hunter Entrance Exam."
Gan Fall's face filled with question marks.
He clearly didn't understand a word of that.
"You don't need to," Don continued. "Since Skypiea now belongs to the Hunter Association, it will also enjoy its protection."
Gan Fall was silent for a long moment before nodding.
Like Enel, he really had no other choice.
Even without Enel, the three standing before him were more than enough to annihilate the island.
"Gather the gold scattered around the island," Don ordered. "Someone from the Blue Sea will come to retrieve it. They'll also bring supplies in exchange."
"I understand," Gan Fall replied, bowing slightly before departing, still looking utterly bewildered.
He didn't fully grasp what had just happened,
but he knew exactly what Don wanted done.
Meanwhile, Robin worked quickly.
Most living things had fled God's Island during the earlier battle, so she met no resistance as she reached the golden city of Shandora—where the Poneglyph awaited.
Though she could read it, she didn't linger. After making a full rubbing of the text, she returned.
Back on Don's side, plans for establishing the Hunter Association's examination grounds on Skypiea were already underway.
Of course, Don wasn't about to handle the logistics himself.
He'd leave that to Crocodile.
It didn't have to be perfect—just functional.
The exams wouldn't start right away anyway.
After all, the Hunter Association still needed reputation—people had to want to join.
Robin faithfully recorded Don's every instruction, though she couldn't help sighing at his impulsive way of doing things.
Not to mention, Skypiea's location alone made access nearly impossible.
Their method of arrival couldn't exactly be replicated by ordinary people.
When she pointed this out, Don simply replied,
"Anyone who can't make it up here doesn't deserve to join."
Robin was left speechless.
"With standards that high, that's not what you said before," she muttered.
"What's the difference?" Don replied with a grin. "Those who pass are official hunters. Those who don't—are reserve hunters."
END OF CHAPTER
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