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Wyper watched from afar, completely stunned. That man... with his bare hands, he had faced down a terrifying thunderstorm and defeated a god.
In the distance, The chieftain, and the others, who had been drawn by the commotion, had witnessed the final punch.
They were all speechless with shock and terror.
The god who controlled lightning had been taken down by a single punch.
The image would be burned into their minds for the rest of their lives.
"A pity..." Jin said, taking a deep breath. Arcs of electricity still crackled across his skin, which was now slightly charred. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. "The lightning that dances at your fingertips is not the faith that burns in my soul."
He hadn't used his Haki to defend.
He had wanted to test the limits of his own body.
Could he bathe in lightning? In magma?
He had to admit, 200 million volts was more than a mortal body could handle. He had been injured by the thunderstorm.
But not seriously.
He grabbed Enel. A magic circle flashed at his feet, and they vanished.
Teleportation.
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Back to the demonic carrier.
"Ai, repairs."
"Right away, Master!"
The boiler burned, and golden flames enveloped his body, healing his wounds, the rich life energy flowing through him. In a few short breaths, he was completely healed.
And—
He clenched his fist. After being struck by lightning, his cells were more active, his resistance to electricity higher.
"My body, after the third evolution... I haven't even reached my limit yet."
With each evolution, his body grew stronger, and it became harder and harder to push himself to his "limit."
After a moment of contemplation, he let out a long breath.
What to do with Enel?
Kill him.
Take the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
But Jin didn't throw Enel's body into the boiler. Instead, he gave it to Judge for research.
Seraphim...
He thought of Vegapunk's research project. Could he get a piece of that action?
Normally, no. The World Government was watching. They would allow him to be a whimsical "gardener" king, but they would never let him get his hands on that kind of technology. The Celestial Dragons weren't all fools.
But... he remembered that Vegapunk's research facility, Punk Hazard, was due for a major accident.
Perhaps, in the chaos, he could get his hands on some of the data. And if that didn't work... he could always try to intercept Caesar Clown.
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"Enel has been defeated!"
"What??"
"Enel was defeated?"
The news of Enel's fall spread like wildfire, carried across the island by Gan Fall himself.
The people of Angel Island and the Shandia village were all stunned.
Enel's reign of lightning had been a dark shroud over Skypiea for so long that no one had ever imagined he could be beaten.
But after the shock came the cheers. A wave of celebration swept across the clouds.
Then, as the excitement faded, a new worry began to set in.
The old god was gone.
A new one had to take his place.
But who?
An ordinary person was out of the question. And Gan Fall—though the people yearned for his return, for a restoration of the peace and tranquility they had known before Enel's tyranny—was just an old man.
Yes, Jin had defeated Enel. But he was from the Blue Sea, wasn't he?
In the end, it was Gan Fall who convinced them.
It didn't take much persuasion.
Just one question.
"Enel was defeated, but his whereabouts are unknown. What if he comes back?"
That was all it took.
What if Enel did come back? Who could stop him? You? Me? Gan Fall?
If Gan Fall could have stopped him, he never would have been driven out in the first place.
Faced with such a threat, the people of Skypiea needed a "God" with the power to protect them.
Even if he was from the Blue Sea, they had to find a way to make him stay.
—————————————
Jin intended to become the ruler of Skypiea, but he wouldn't be the one to propose it. He would use the same strategy he had on Drum Island.
It wasn't that he wanted to be "God." It was that the people of Skypiea needed him to be. That was the only way to ensure a stable rule.
Something given freely is never treasured.
But something begged for—that is held sacred.
And for that, Jin needed Gan Fall.
He needed him to pull the strings. Like Dalton, he was a man of great prestige and reputation among his people. His words carried weight.
After Gan Fall had rallied the Skypieans to formally ask Jin to become their new "God," all that was left were the Shandians.
Jin invited the old chieftain, Wyper, and the other warriors to the Upper Yard.
Gan Fall represented the Angel Islanders.
The two 400-year-old enemies met face to face.
Jin watched from the side as Gan Fall proposed a truce.
"A truce?" Wyper scoffed.
"Yes. A truce between the Shandians and the Skypieans. From this day forward, there will be no more war over this holy land."
"The Shandians will never give up the fight for their homeland—not until the last drop of our blood has been spilled!" Wyper and the other warriors grew agitated. "On what grounds do you ask this of us?"
"Do you want this hatred to be passed down forever, until every last one of you is dead?" Gan Fall countered. "How many people are left in your village? Less than a hundred? And with that, even if you did retake your 'holy land,' how long could you hold it? If you don't make peace, will there even be a Shandora in another hundred years?"
"Even if only one of us remains, the Shandians will never yield," Wyper insisted, his voice thick with stubborn pride. "To light the Light of Shandora! To protect the city of gold! That is our tribe's mission! It is in our very blood!"
"I don't deny your mission," Gan Fall said wearily. "But when you are all dead, who will be left to carry it on? You speak of the past. We are discussing the present, and the future. The truth is, this 'holy land,' Angel Island, and Shandia... over the past 400 years, they have become one."
Jin—the "arbitrator" who had been silent until now—cleared his throat. "If I may say something."
All eyes turned to him.
Even the obstinate Wyper fell silent. He was a stubborn man, set in his ways. But in the presence of someone he respected, he would listen.
And Jin, by defeating Enel, had earned Wyper's respect.
In Wyper's heart—Jin was a great warrior, just like the legendary "Noland," who had once saved the Shandian people.
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