Your comments, reviews, and votes really help me out so much and they make me super motivated to keep working on this story! Thank you! Pat**on : belamy20
Chrollo, Wyper, Bonney, and Nami followed the stream, heading straight for the "Divine Sanctuary" where Enel resided.
This route was essentially an express lane to the boss room. The only downside was the gauntlet of monsters along the way.
They ran into man-eating flowers, a giant snake that looked like it belonged to a certain snake-summoning ninja, and massive King Kong-like apes.
However, these monsters didn't even count as speed bumps for the four-person squad.
Bonney used her powers to de-age the giant man-eating flower into a harmless sprout.
Chrollo used his [Fun Fun Cloth] to shrink the giant snake and toss it into a pocket dimension.
As for the King Kong... it was beaten until its head was covered in lumps.
As they walked, the group continued their strategy meeting on how to deal with Enel.
"He can turn into an element, he can teleport, and he can read minds. Doesn't that mean our attacks will never hit him?" Nami asked, her voice laced with worry.
"It's not mind-reading, it's called Observation Haki," Bonney corrected her.
Wyper unwrapped the bandages on his hands, revealing a dark stone. "After years of experimentation, my people found that this stone allows us to physically hit Enel, even when he turns into lightning."
Chrollo nodded. "I know. It's called Seastone."
"My Armament Haki is also effective against him. The real issue is... how do we bypass his Mantra and actually land a hit?"
Chrollo looked at Wyper. "I suspect Enel's Mantra isn't just mind-reading or predicting movement based on muscle tension. It likely possesses... precognition."
Enel's Mantra was definitely not on the basic level of the four Priests. Chrollo was certain of that.
The insane range, the ease with which he handled multiple opponents, the ability to sense biological signatures, hearing the "voices" of everything, and predicting attacks...
All of it proved that Enel's Mantra was at least Advanced Observation Haki.
Based on the original story, where Enel sensed that five people would be left standing at the end of the survival game, it was highly probable that he had "Future Sight."
"Top-tier Observation Haki, huh..." Chrollo narrowed his eyes.
The only question is, how many seconds into the future can he see?
But regardless of the duration, that level of Haki was a game-breaking ability in the current era.
Chrollo couldn't help but marvel. How on earth did Luffy beat Enel with the basic stats he had back then?
Plot armor really is terrifying.
"Then isn't he invincible?" Nami looked depressed.
"No... there is a way," Chrollo said, shaking his head.
"What way?" Nami pressed.
Bonney's eyes lit up as well. She wanted to hear what this scheming man had cooked up to counter such a broken ability.
"Combat," Chrollo said mysteriously.
"?"
"What kind of answer is that? Of course we have to fight! Or do you think he's just going to gift-wrap his Devil Fruit and hand it to us?" Bonney pouted, annoyed.
Chrollo shook his head. "No, you misunderstand."
"I mean... combat. Specifically, a relentless, suffocating offense with zero gaps."
His eyes held a deep meaning as he explained. "No matter how many seconds of the future he can see, his physical body still needs time to react and dodge."
"In other words... if I launch a chain of high-speed attacks that give him absolutely no room to breathe, it doesn't matter if he sees it coming. If his body's specs aren't fast enough to keep up with his vision, he will still get hit!"
Bonney looked thoughtful. "No wonder you always say that fights between top-tiers eventually come down to a battle of stats."
"So... it's a stat check?"
Chrollo nodded. "Exactly."
"A true powerhouse needs their physical stats and their Haki stats to be in sync. Enel's Observation Haki is indeed top-tier, but..."
The corner of Chrollo's mouth curled up. "He relies too much on his Devil Fruit. As a result, his physical combat skills and base stats are incredibly low."
"It's the classic trap for Logia users. They seem invincible to normal people, but because life is too easy for them, they neglect their physical training early on."
"Crocodile was like that. Enel is the same."
Chrollo was in the middle of teaching Bonney—who was a talented student soaking up the knowledge—when he suddenly stopped.
A strange expression crossed his face.
I just finished talking about Logia users, and now one shows up to be the visual aid?
And... this one isn't just any random pirate.
Chrollo briefly glanced toward a patch of grass nearby. His basic Observation Haki had already picked up Buffalo and Giolla hiding there, but he didn't have time to wonder why the Donquixote Family was on a Sky Island.
His entire focus was drawn to the scarred figure standing in front of them.
The iconic cowboy hat. The messy hair. The shirtless chest. The Whitebeard tattoo on his back.
Roger's son... Portgas D. Ace?!
What is he doing here?
Chrollo noticed the bruising on Ace's stomach and the cuts lining his face and arms.
He's injured...
What happened to him?
Does this mean I should hunt him, or... Chrollo fell into deep thought.
While Chrollo sized Ace up, Ace was doing the same to him.
The moment their eyes met, Ace's instincts—sharpened by life on the Grand Line—screamed a warning.
This guy... is strong.
Ace had been keeping up with the news while hunting Teach. Seeing the black hair, black eyes, and black coat, he instantly recognized the man leading the group.
Captain of the Phantom Pirates. King of Bandits—Chrollo Lucilfer.
Bounty: 720 Million Berries.
According to Navy reports, this man had caused unimaginable chaos in Alabasta and Drum Island. He was a monster.
Unknown territory. An overpowering opponent. Based on Ace's years of experience, he made a snap judgment.
A fight was unavoidable.
After all... they were pirates.
Combat was just how pirates said hello.
Ignoring the pain in his body, Ace wreathed his hands in flames. He punched forward, unleashing a roaring tongue of fire toward Chrollo's group.
The flames tore through the forest, crackling and snapping as they consumed the trees, eventually converging into a massive, thick dragon of fire.
"ROAR!"
The fire dragon screamed toward the four of them!
"?"
"What is wrong with people today? Attacking without even saying a word?"
"Didn't you learn anything from your two dads? Or did you only learn their violent way of greeting people?!"
[Door-Door Fruit: Air Door]
An Air Door opened directly in front of Chrollo, swallowing the fire dragon instantly.
Chrollo didn't hesitate.
He charged straight through the smoke... targeting Ace!