"!!!"
The three girls aboard the Twin Goddesses ship all jumped when they saw Enel get sent flying by a single punch.
"Why didn't Enel-sama use Elementalization to dodge? Enel-sama… is he going to be okay???"
Baby-5 clutched Yemu's legs anxiously, her eyes full of worry as she looked up at him.
"Relax."
Yemu looked utterly at ease. He watched Chinjao drop from the sky and stride over, then said calmly, "Enel's fine. As for why he didn't dodge… first, under Conqueror's Haki, Elementalization gets disrupted. Second, Enel chose not to dodge."
"Chose not to?!"
Everyone froze, completely thrown off.
"Why?!"
Only Flare, remembering Yemu's fight with Bullet, spoke with a stiff expression.
"Don't tell me he's being as stubborn as you."
"Hahahaha…"
Yemu looked delighted. He laughed as he turned to Flare and asked, "So what kind of person do you think your First Mate, Enel, is?"
Baby-5 immediately chimed in, waving her arms vigorously.
"Enel-sama is a… a really good person… He's really, really good to Baby-5."
Flare thought for a moment, then nodded.
"He's kind of arrogant and doesn't talk to people much, but… he's actually pretty decent."
Ayala spoke more cautiously.
"He's extremely competitive, I think. First Mate Enel trains hard every single day."
Yemu nodded, then summed it up neatly.
"You're all right, but you still don't really get him. Overall, as my little brother and your First Mate, Enel is a very tsundere, stubbornly competitive guy."
"Tsundere… competitive?!"
Those two words left everyone staring.
"Yeah. Deep down, he really wants friends and wants to get along with everyone. But growing up, other than me, he barely interacted with anyone, especially girls. He doesn't know how to show goodwill, so he hides behind that tough, arrogant posture. And because of some things he went through as a kid, he's also incredibly determined to win. I was the only one by his side back then, so I became the person he wants to surpass. If I can do something, he wants to prove he can do it too. If I have a kind of power, he wants it, and he wants to go beyond it."
"I see…"
By then, Flare understood completely.
"So this fight isn't just for the Kuro brothers, or for Tiger and Erik… it's also for Enel."
The moment Yemu finished speaking, as if answering him, a bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky. Enel reappeared in front of Chinjao, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His expression had turned into pure, unrestrained excitement.
"Hey, you bastard… where do you think you're going? Our fight's only just getting started…"
Chinjao halted mid-step, his eyes lighting up.
"You can still move after taking a punch like that?"
His gaze swept past Enel to Yemu on the Twin Goddesses ship. Seeing that Yemu wasn't even focused on them, Chinjao's brow furrowed slightly.
"So he's that confident in you, huh. Fine. Once I crush you completely, your captain is next!!!"
Armament Haki coated Chinjao's hands again. Enel didn't back down for an instant, throwing his fists up and charging straight in.
Boom…
Boom…
Boom…
Scrap Ship Island finally couldn't withstand the shockwaves of their blows. With a sharp cracking sound, it began to sink.
…
On the four massive warships.
Vinsmoke Judge stood watching the battlefield ahead, his gaze sharp and cold.
At some point, a small girl had appeared behind him. She had pink hair, curly eyebrows, and was dressed head to toe in pink. She looked no more than three or four years old.
"Daddy, everything's ready!"
Despite his daughter's adorable, childlike appearance, there was not the slightest hint of warmth in Judge's eyes.
"I know, Reiju. It's almost over. Prepare to clean up the battlefield."
"Understood, Dad!"
Judge's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward Yemu aboard the Twin Goddesses in the distance.
"I don't know what that great pirate from the New World wants with this man, or why he insists on capturing him. But it doesn't matter anymore. As long as we secure that pirate's support, the era of the Vinsmoke family ruling the North Blue will finally arrive!"
...
On the walls of Water 7.
After the earlier rounds of bombardment, the bosses of the Seven Shipyards and the mayor were now in a sorry state, hiding behind the ramparts.
"Damn the Vinsmoke family! How can they be this reckless?!"
"Do they really have no fear of the Marines or the World Government?!"
"What do we do now? This situation just keeps getting more complicated!"
"Neither Chinjao nor the Vinsmoke family were part of the plan."
"Do we give up!?"
"We still have the Seastone troops!!!"
As the argument grew more heated, the Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
"Operation canceled!"
"What?! Umit-sama, we—!"
"You idiots. Fifty billion Belly is tempting, but we absolutely cannot afford to lose Water 7."
"We… we understand."
"Prepare to withdraw… prepare to withdraw…"
...
The movements of the Seven Shipyards were quickly noticed by the pirate hunters stationed nearby.
That alone was enough to make the hesitant pirate hunters reach a decision.
If even the bosses of the Seven Shipyards had backed out, what chance did they have against the Happo Navy and the Vinsmoke family?
"Damn it…"
Unwilling as they were, they still chose to retreat.
...
Aboard the treasure hunter Mad Treasure's ship.
Wrapped in chains from head to toe, blood streaming down his forehead, Mad Treasure gasped for breath as he stared at the fish-man Tiger, who looked like a monster incarnate.
"Fish-Man Karate: Samegawara Seiken!"
Tiger poured all the strength in his body into a devastating straight punch, a blow no ordinary person could endure.
At the beginning, the two of them had been evenly matched. But as the fight dragged on and stamina drained away, the physically superior Tiger clearly took the upper hand.
The brutal impact sent force surging through the chains and straight into Mad Treasure's body. It felt as though he had been slammed by a small mountain. His bones felt on the verge of shattering, his muscles screaming in pain.
"Pfft…"
Unable to hold it back, Mad Treasure felt a heat rise in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Boss…"
By then, Naomi and Psycho P, who had regained consciousness, rushed over to their leader's side.
"We've got news from the other side. The cooperation's been canceled. We're pulling out!!!"
"Damn it!"
Mad Treasure wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face full of frustration. In front of him, Tiger was panting heavily, yet it was obvious he hadn't taken much damage. His condition was far better than Mad Treasure's.
"We're leaving…"
Mad Treasure gave the order, abandoning both the ship and the treasure.
If they hesitated any longer, they might not make it out at all.
Hearing the command, Psycho P was just about to use his Devil Fruit ability to cloak everyone and escape together.
But at that moment, a voice like that of a demon rang out behind the three of them.
"My apologies, but before you leave… could you answer a question for me?"
"Have you ever heard of Pure Gold?"