Inside God's Ruins.
The Straw Hat crew was gathered around Pagaya's "remains" in silent mourning when suddenly, the entire sky was swallowed by thick shadows. The clouds descended like a curtain pressed down by a giant hand, instantly blocking out the sunlight.
"Hey hey, why'd it get dark all of a sudden?" Luffy tilted his head upward, his straw hat slipping to one side as his face twisted in confusion.
Nami jerked her head up, her pupils contracting sharply the moment she recognized the silhouette in the sky. The massive golden ship hovering above the ruins, its cold metallic sheen glinting as the propellers whipped the surrounding treetops into a frenzy. "It's Enel's ship!" she cried out involuntarily.
"Here for round two?" Zoro's hand instantly found the hilt of Wado Ichimonji at his waist, beads of sweat forming at his temples as he kept a wary eye on the sky.
Sanji kicked aside a pebble at his feet, adopting a defensive stance, while Usopp immediately ducked behind Nami, trembling so badly he couldn't even draw his slingshot. "W-we're doomed!" he wailed.
"What's there to be scared of?" Luffy suddenly clenched his fists and jumped up. "We'll just knock him flying again!"
No sooner had he spoken than several figures leaped down from the ship's deck. Strangely, they appeared to be walking down invisible stairs, descending leisurely from the sky.
Nami instinctively raised a hand to shield her face from the windblown grit, her orange bob whipping wildly as she squinted at the bizarre figures. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly with each involuntary blink. "That way of walking through the air... it can't be him, can it?"
Having completed its deployment, the Ark Maxim suddenly accelerated, its golden hull piercing through the clouds like a meteor, leaving only deafening thunder in its wake.
Bahr led the group, stepping confidently on space barriers, followed by Mr. 1, Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, Paula, Nico Robin, and—most shockingly—Pagaya, who should have been "dead"!
"Hello there, Nami-chan." Bahr's lips curled into an amused smirk as his gaze shamelessly roamed over Nami's figure.
"Bahr..." Nami ground her teeth, the corner of her mouth twitching violently as she quickly turned sideways to avoid his scorching stare. Raising an eyebrow, she demanded, "What are you doing on Sky Island?"
She could hardly believe that at this altitude of 10,000 meters, she'd run into this infuriating man who'd been such a handful back in Alabasta.
"Call it fate." Bahr shrugged, spreading his hands in a carefree gesture.
Sanji, who'd been glaring daggers at Bahr, suddenly did a complete 180 when his eyes landed on the three strikingly different women behind him. Clutching his chest with both hands, his eyes transformed into heart shapes as he stammered, "Who are these beautiful ladies?"
At that moment, a tearful cry of "Father!" cut through the air. Conis's golden twin braids arced gracefully behind her as she ran, the white ribbons at their ends fluttering wildly. Beneath her billowing white dress, her slender legs moved swiftly, her beige sandals barely keeping up with her urgent pace.
The pure aura radiating from this Sky Island girl washed over them like a mountain spring.
Bahr's gaze lingered on the delicate wings trembling with her rapid movement, a spark of interest flashing in his eyes.
This subtle change didn't escape Miss Valentine's notice. The blonde's chest heaved dramatically, her red lips puckering so severely they could have held up an oil jar.
First he calls me sweetheart, now his eyes are glued to some new girl!
Clicking her stiletto heels angrily, she sidled up to Bahr, her ample curves deliberately brushing against his arm as she oozed jealousy through her perfume: "What's the boss looking at so intently?"
She drew out the last syllable, her eyes brimming with accusation as every movement screamed for attention.
Bahr took the opportunity to wrap an arm around her slender waist, his fingers tracing circles through the fabric of her dress as his smile deepened. "Just thinking... about giving you a new look tonight."
"You're terrible~" Miss Valentine playfully slapped his chest while simultaneously pressing herself closer, her generous assets swaying conspicuously with the motion.
Bahr smirked. For all her flaws, Miss Valentine had looks and figure in spades, and that cloyingly sweet act when she flirted always hit just the right spot.
After all, who could resist such an emotionally expressive "lemon"?
Conis, having just learned from Pagaya that Bahr had saved her father, approached cautiously. Her wings folded slightly with nervousness as she bowed deeply to Bahr, her voice soft but brimming with gratitude: "Thank you so much for saving my father."
Bahr's gaze lingered on the girl's fluttering wings, his usual rakish smile in place. "No need for thanks. It was nothing, really."
He even winked at Conis for good measure.
Conis's pale cheeks immediately flushed pink, her teeth lightly worrying her lower lip. While this man had saved her father, his blatant stare made her unbearably self-conscious.
After murmuring another thank you while nervously twisting her skirt, she quickly retreated to Pagaya's side.
"The boss pays attention to everyone, doesn't he?" Miss Valentine sniffed sarcastically, deliberately swaying her curvaceous form beneath her dress.
It wasn't that she objected to other women around Bahr—strong men naturally attracted companions—but she couldn't stand Conis's "delicate flower" act.
Trying to grab attention before her wings were even fully grown? Especially when Bahr had been sneaking glances while holding her—it set her teeth on edge.
What she wanted was always the boss's undivided favor.
Robin shot Miss Valentine a glance but couldn't be bothered to call out her jealousy. This woman was thoroughly under Bahr's spell.
She knew perfectly well that the boss didn't "pay attention to everyone"—he simply couldn't look away from pretty women, especially pure types like Conis with wings. It was practically tailor-made to his tastes.
As for Paula, her relationship with Bahr was strictly professional. She couldn't care less about these romantic entanglements, only stepping in when needed.
"Hey, Bahr, why did you come down from Enel's ship?" Nami crossed her arms, her orange bob cutting sharp angles in the wind.
Her eyes burned with wariness and confusion, and though Bahr's casual demeanor irritated her, she knew their current relationship gave her no right to criticize. More than his attitude, she wanted to know why he'd appeared on Enel's vessel.
"Oh... we happened to run into each other when Enel fell." Bahr tugged absently at his collar, his tone indifferent. "We're traveling together now."
That so-called "god" had claimed his ship needed repairs on the eastern side of the island, but really, he just couldn't face being beaten by the Straw Hat boy.
What a stubborn bastard, clinging to his "god" persona. Pride truly went before the fall.
At this revelation, the Straw Hats were stunned. They never imagined the self-proclaimed "god" Enel would team up with someone like this!
Only Sanji reacted differently, his eyes locked on Bahr's hand resting on Miss Valentine's waist as literal flames shot from his mouth: "Damn it... this guy's luck with women is unreal!"
Oblivious to the reactions around him, Bahr turned directly to Luffy: "By the way, do you know where that 'Golden Bell' fell?"
"Nope!" Luffy scratched his head with complete honesty.
Bahr sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose before asking for a general direction and turning to leave.
The moment Nami heard the word "gold," her orange eyes practically turned to shining coins.
"Wait for me!" she called hastily to her crew before anyone could respond, already sprinting after Bahr's retreating figure, her skirt fluttering over the rocky ground.