When Carl said he was heading to the moon, Shanks initially thought he was joking.
But before he could even ask, Carl's figure suddenly flickered—and vanished.
...
High in the sky, Carl unfurled the wings on his back. In the next instant, his entire body transformed into a black streak of light, nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, shooting upward at extreme speed.
Given Carl's current strength, the velocity he achieved at full power was terrifying. And since the Pirate World's planet was only about a quarter the size of Earth, it took him mere moments to pierce the atmosphere and reach space.
It was at this moment that the might of the Lunarian bloodline showed itself once again. Even though it was his first time entering space, Carl's body quickly adapted, allowing him to remain there for extended periods.
But Carl didn't linger long. He flared his wings again and rocketed toward the moon.
...
This moon wasn't large either, but the environment resembled Earth's—desolate, grey, with a pitted surface.
To Carl's surprise, as soon as he landed on the moon, he sensed breathable oxygen in the air.
Then he realized: if Enel had survived up here all this time, there must be oxygen.
After all, even Sky Islanders couldn't live without it.
Carl surveyed the area—nothing but barren wasteland.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, he felt faint electrical currents in the space around him. He smirked.
"Using Mantra? Saves me the trouble of tracking you down, Enel."
As soon as he finished speaking, a thick thundercloud appeared above him without warning, and a massive bolt of lightning crashed down directly on Carl's position.
...
In a crater thousands of meters away stood a shirtless man with elongated earlobes—it was Enel.
Behind him, the drums strung on his back crackled with blinding arcs of electricity. He casually dug at his ear and muttered,
"You dare speak the name of God so freely? Tch. I was actually kind of curious about that Blue Sea man."
Around him stood a group of short, mechanical automata. They appeared to be self-aware.
Having just witnessed Enel's display of "divine power," they dropped to their knees, worshipping with utmost reverence.
Enel always wore a blissful expression in moments like these. Coming to the moon had been the right move.
To him, these mechanical beings were far better than the people on Skypiea, who had constantly rebelled and never truly worshipped him as a god. They were all sinners.
As he basked in their adoration, a chilling voice suddenly rang out behind him.
"Kicked to the moon by a moron, and you're still up here playing god?"
...
Enel instantly bolted upright, eyes wide as he scanned his surroundings.
That was the Blue Sea man's voice.
Not only had he survived—he'd found this place!
Worse yet, Enel's prized Mantra, his so-called "divine ability," couldn't even pinpoint Carl's location!
Even with all his arrogance, Enel knew this foe was anything but ordinary. He'd already suffered a major setback back on Earth.
Enel looked around again, but aside from the confused automata, he saw no trace of his opponent.
"You call yourself a god, yet you can't even find me? Seems like even up here, you're still the same."
...
That line shattered Enel's composure.
His face twisted with rage, electricity crackled violently across his body.
"One Hundred Million Volts: Discharge!!!"
In the next second, a raging sea of lightning erupted in every direction. Everything in sight was swallowed by a blinding blue electric storm.
When the light faded, the land had been scorched black.
Yet, the mechanical beings—who'd been directly hit—didn't appear damaged. Instead, they were even more ecstatic, cheering for their god louder than ever.
What once brought him joy now grated harshly on his ears.
"SHUT UP!!!"
Enel roared, and the automata instantly fell silent, trembling in fear.
Brandishing a golden trident, he bellowed,
"Come out, you damn Blue Sea scum!!!"
No reply.
Veins bulged on Enel's forehead, but all he could do was rage in place, helpless.
The automata had never seen their god this furious before. They stood frozen, afraid to move.
...
Electricity surged madly from Enel's body as he unleashed bolts of lightning in every direction. The moon's surface was bombarded, forming crater after crater—until a swirling vortex of darkness slowly emerged from the ground.
The vortex gathered and took shape—Carl's silhouette emerged from within.
Enel's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he hurled a bolt of lightning straight at him.
The blast struck Carl squarely.
But when the light faded, Carl stood there completely unharmed—not even a scratch.
Enel's expression changed.
He had thought perhaps Carl was just dodging at long range, but this time he saw the lightning land—yet it had no effect!
Frowning, Enel muttered,
"Same kind of body as that rubber bastard?"
He instinctively gritted his teeth, remembering how Luffy had punched him into the sky.
Gripping his golden trident tighter, Enel shouted,
"Whatever you are, I am the ruler of this Infinite Earth! You're just a Blue Sea worm—DIE!! Electromagnetic Refinement!!"
BZZZZZZT!
The trident in his hands began to warp and melt under extreme heat, reshaping itself into a gleaming golden spear.
He raised it high, its shaft crackling with surging electrical energy.
Carl finally looked amused.
"Oh? You've developed electromagnetic force? That's... interesting."
...
Enel froze for a moment—then burst out laughing.
"Hah! So you know what electromagnetic force is? Then you must understand just how powerful it is! Don't worry... the pain will be brief."
Before he finished, the golden spear launched from his hand, amplified by electromagnetic force. It hurtled toward Carl with overwhelming destructive momentum, carving a trench into the moon's surface as it passed.
CRACK!
A crisp sound rang out.
Carl had caught the spear—between just two fingers.
Enel stared, dumbfounded.
Carl looked up at him and chuckled softly.
"Relax. The pain will only last a moment..."
-----------
+110 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg