In the center of Upper Yard, within the Divine Sanctuary.
Inside the palace, a shirtless man with earlobes stretching down to his shoulders lounged on a throne. A ring of drums with tomoe patterns floated behind his back, and he was decked out in heavy gold jewelry.
His posture was lazy, yet arrogant. He radiated a cold, distant pressure—the kind reserved for divinity.
This was the man the people of Skypiea called "God"—the user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Enel.
Crunch.
Enel took a bite of an apple that had been offered up by the citizens. Fresh fruit was a luxury in the sky, but he chewed it with a look of utter boredom, as if waiting for something to happen.
He knew exactly what had been happening on the Sky Island over the past two days. Here, he was omniscient. He was omnipotent.
But there was one thing he was genuinely curious about...
"How exactly... did that island get up here?"
"Did they ride the Knock Up Stream and push the whole landmass into the sky?"
And then there was... him.
Enel looked at the image of Chrollo in his mind and frowned. He just couldn't stand the guy.
"Is that black-haired man the leader of that group? ...Dammit. Why is he better looking than me? I'm God!"
"..."
Enel actually picked up a hand mirror, adjusted his headscarf, and checked his reflection. After a moment of scrutiny, he begrudgingly admitted the truth: that guy had him beat in the looks department.
A man more elegant than God? How annoying.
People like that are better off dead.
He shifted his attention back to the invaders.
Despite the massive distance, he could hear Chrollo and his crew talking as clearly as if they were standing next to him.
"City of Gold? What's that... is it a specific spot up here?"
"Golden Bell? Historical text? What is all that gibberish..." Enel looked indifferent. "But, does this island have gold deposits I haven't found yet?"
"Perfect..."
Enel's eyes darted to the side, and the corner of his mouth curled into a smug, playful smirk.
Whatever secrets are on this island, they belong to me anyway.
"The Ark Maxim still needs a little more gold to be finished."
"I'll let them do the legwork. Let them find the stash, and then I'll make my grand entrance."
"That way... all the treasure is mine."
"Wahahaha!"
He pricked up his ears again, listening intently. Then, his eyes widened as if he'd discovered a new toy. "Oh? Their goal is to initiate a crusade against me?"
A look of genuine amusement washed over his face. "Not bad. They seem to have some backbone. I hope they can provide me with a little entertainment."
As for Chrollo's declaration about "hunting" him? Enel treated it like a joke. The ignorance of mortals was truly laughable.
Once they actually stood before him, they would realize the gap between a man and a God was an unbridgeable canyon.
His gaze shifted slightly, looking toward another sector of the forest. His expression turned playful. "Looks like we have a rat infestation today."
"That disgusting-looking man and his crew are almost at the inner circle of the rainforest? He can 'absorb' anything... what kind of power is that?"
"And that guy setting fires in the woods... a Logia type?"
His eyes landed on Buffalo and Giolla, and he paused, speechless. "And what are those two weirdos doing? Is this supposed to be comic relief?"
Is that propeller hair and floral dress a serious fashion choice?
And then...
Enel looked toward Hina's location and raised an eyebrow. "Even the Navy is here?"
"A Marine Captain..."
"And she's with Gan Fall? Does the World Government want a piece of the Sky Island now?"
"Doesn't matter... No army can conquer this place."
"Besides, I'm leaving for the Fairy Vearth—the Endless Earth—soon anyway. That is where God truly belongs."
What Enel didn't know was that Hina and the others had arrived purely by accident. The Navy had no active plans for Skypiea.
Enel popped a grape into his mouth, chewing contentedly. He didn't feel a shred of anxiety about so many powerhouses entering his territory.
To him, these people were just toys—little distractions to pass the time before his grand plan launched.
With his invincible "Mantra" (Observation Haki), teleportation, flight, insane destructive power, long-range sniping, mind-reading, precognition, and physical invulnerability... he had the capital to ignore any threat.
Enel picked up several black chess pieces, representing the invaders, and placed them on the board in front of him. He counted on his fingers. "One, two, three... twenty-eight. Plus the twenty-two Marines. Exactly fifty people."
"Then I'll send out fifty of my own to meet them."
He placed fifty white pieces on the board, setting up the opposing formation.
"One hundred people... sounds like the perfect number for a Battle Royale."
Enel looked excited. He turned to a servant girl standing nearby. "Pass down my command. Have Commander Yama lead fifty Divine Soldiers into battle. Objective: Wipe out all enemies."
"Yes, my Lord." The servant bowed nervously, then scurried off to relay God's will.
Enel looked back down at the chessboard. "The arena... will be Upper Yard. The harsh environment, the Dial weapons, the dangers lurking in the jungle, and the giant beasts."
"Throw in the generational hatred between the Skypieans and the Shandians, one hundred combatants, and... my four Priests conducting the Ordeals."
"Just thinking about it is fun, isn't it?"
Enel sat up straight, holding a black piece, hovering it over the board.
He rubbed his chin, thinking.
"First... let's arrange a little 'coincidence'."
"I don't know the relationship between these groups, so let's throw them together and see what happens."
He ignored the rules of the game and physically shoved the white pieces representing the Blackbeard Pirates and Machi's team together.
"God doesn't need to follow rules."
Enel mentally patted himself on the back for that move.
Then, getting into the spirit of it, he started moving pieces aggressively.
He guided Pakunoda and Shalnark's main group toward the Skypiean civilians (as Chrollo wanted), then moved Hina and Gan Fall together.
"I wonder... when faced with the former 'God,' will those Shandians be able to keep their cool and shake hands? Or will they snap?"
Enel grinned maliciously.
Next, he granted his own wish and moved Uvogin's group of four toward the Priests. He wanted to see if Chrollo's subordinates could handle the Ordeals.
Even if his Priests lost, he didn't care. If they could be replaced by stronger warriors, that was even better for him.
Finally, he set up the main event: Chrollo, Ace, and the Donquixote Family members converging on one point. "I wonder what kind of fireworks that combination will set off?"
With everything set, Enel leaned back into his throne, eyes half-closed in pure enjoyment.
"In this Battle Royale... I wonder who will survive to the end?"
"Before the Ark Maxim is fully built, I'll play with you all for a bit."
Enel spread his arms wide, as if embracing the chaos. He sank back into the cushions, lazy but anticipating the show.
"Let's see who can make it through this game of cat and mouse..."
"...and actually stand before me."