The first half of the Grand Line, Gaya Island. While Cricket was salvaging, he was also exploring the path to Sky Island, but from the beginning, he had targeted the wrong goal.
For those without the ability to fly, the only safe route to Sky Island is the Western Heaven Peak. However, the entry to this path is far from Gaya Island. Cricket's only option to reach Sky Island smoothly is to ride the Sky-reaching Sea Flow.
For ordinary people, the Sky-reaching Sea Flow is a dead end, with a minimal chance of reaching Sky Island successfully, so Cricket had never succeeded.
With the information provided by the tavern owner, he became more purposeful in his efforts. His salvaging aimed to gather living expenses and accumulate commission fees. Whenever he met a pirate with a spirit of adventure, he would propose hiring them to take him to Sky Island.
Yet, he had never succeeded and had instead become a laughingstock to many.
Cricket's life hadn't changed much, but the environment here underwent massive changes. For half a month, loud thunder had frequently echoed from the sky.
Even though the sky was clearly blue, the thunder would resound unpredictably, day or night, as if there were battles happening in the sky.
Monstrous shadows would often appear on the sea surface, as if some beasts were battling in places beyond their sight.
Because of those monstrous shadows, some people in Demon Valley Town were restless.
Just as Cricket picked up a fishing net intending to go to sea and catch some food, the roaring of thunder echoed from the sky once again.
At this moment, ten thousand meters above, the Master of the Sky, Nolan, let out an angry roar into the sky, followed by a massive gathering of energy leaves behind it, shooting toward the figure in the sky.
"Beast, you are merely a wild animal. Now, I, the God, grant you one last chance. You have the opportunity to become my steed, assist me in ruling here, and journey with me to the Infinite Land in the future!"
In front of him, the man hovered in the sky bare-chested, holding a staff made of gold, with extremely long earlobes that hung down to his chest.
His back wasn't adorned with the common wing decorations of Sky Islanders, but with drums patterned with magatama on all four sides, the taiko drums embedded on his back.
"Enel! This is not where you belong. Sky Island has only one god. Other than the resurrected Ancient Gods, no one else is worthy of that title. The emissary of God is on their way here now; you still have time to leave!"
"Yahahaha, let them come! Only a god is worthy to be my opponent. I will make you understand who the more powerful god is!"
"You are courting death!"
The chieftain of the Shandia people angrily rebuked the man in the sky.
He knew the man's name because it was not the first time he had come here.
...
Half a month ago, which was when Cricket often heard thunder in the clear sky, Enel first arrived on Angel Island.
Sky Island is a general term for all the islands floating in the air, not a specific island. Shandora was swept by currents to the Sky Island known as Angel Island, but it is just one of them.
Due to its fame, when people mention Sky Island, most refer to Angel Island here.
Near Angel Island, there is another Sky Island named Birka, where Enel was born, but not long ago, he destroyed Birka with his own hands and led some subordinates to attack here.
His aim was to completely occupy "Apayado," which is the part of Gaya Island blasted into the sky.
Having mistakenly consumed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Enel was unbeatable in Birka, which gave him the illusion that he was a god.
Since Sky Island had no soil, Apayado was dubbed the Holy and Divine Island, becoming a territory Enel claimed as his own.
A Sky Island, benefiting from its advantageous location, resembles a paradise detached from the world. Few pirates from the Blue Sea could reach here yearly, and most weren't a match for the island's defenders.
The naturally warlike Shandia people, allied with the Sky Islanders defending their homeland, complemented by high-quality weapons from Ghost Island and DIY fancy equipment using Sky Island Shells, made the island's combat strength more than adequate for the first half of the Grand Line.
Even if they weren't a match, there was the giant Serperior stationed here until Enel's arrival disrupted the peace.
He pursued the Infinite Land, genuinely believing himself to be a god, caring not for the lives of ordinary people.
Conflict erupted the first day he appeared here.
The Shandia people refused to surrender their homeland, which they had reclaimed with great difficulty, and no one acknowledged Enel's claim to the title of "god."
At that time, Enel did not attack them immediately but waited for them to attack him. Having consumed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he believed he possessed an "undying body," unaffected by any attack, in Birka.
He was arrogant, intending to exhibit the difference in power this way to the Shandia people.
The first wave of attacks went as he expected. Arrows and spears passed through his electrified body, yet the Shandia were unfazed.
"A Logia-type ability user! Change rounds!"
To the inhabitants of Sky Island, the Hundred Beasts brought them not only resources but also knowledge.
The present Shandia people are no longer the primitives centuries behind but the new Shandia with more common sense.
Though they kept their traditions, the Hundred Beasts, through divine edict, ushered them to accept new things.
Due to its hardness and characteristics, Seastone from the outside world cannot be made into ordinary bullets. However, the Hundred Beasts could, possessing numerous Wano Kuni craftsmen capable of processing Seastone into various shapes.
Under the chieftain's command, the Shandia quickly rearmed, and bullets containing Seastone elements continued to assault Enel, but Enel's abilities were not limited to the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit, combined with his innate talent for Observation Haki, expanded his sensory range exponentially, granting him the ability to read minds, perceiving the thoughts of the Shandia people within.
Under these circumstances, he chose to evade.
For a god, avoiding human attacks was disgraceful. Yet, he interpreted that the weapons were divinely bestowed armaments, formidable divine weapons.
Thus, he wasn't dodging human attacks but divine ones. With this in mind, he quickly accepted the reasoning and acted accordingly.
The speed granted by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and his remarkable Observation Haki allowed him to effortlessly dodge the bullets. However, just as he intended to continue acting, a massive serpent revealed itself.
Previously, Enel had introduced himself using thunder, strategically striking the Shandia people's newly erected totem pole, inadvertently drawing out the Serperior.
Observing the serpent's tail striking toward him, Enel didn't evade. He wanted to complete the unfinished impression he aimed to create, but the next second, the massive serpent's tail swung him away.