The last traces of lightning faded into the clouds.
Rowan lowered his arm and silently assessed the result.
He hadn’t transformed.
He hadn’t drawn on the Behemoth’s full power.
Most importantly, he hadn’t used Armament Haki.
He had taken Divine Judgment head-on with nothing but the durability forged through five years of relentless training.
And he had walked away without a scratch.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The Behemoth Fruit was even more absurd than he’d realized.
Every year of training had strengthened his body, and the Mythical Zoan’s passive enhancement had amplified those gains to a frightening degree.
Even in human form, he was no longer comparable to an ordinary fighter.
Across from him, electricity crackled through the air.
Blue lightning gathered into a glowing mass before condensing into a human shape.
A tall man emerged from the storm.
Bare chest.
White trousers.
Golden staff resting casually in one hand.
Four tomoe-shaped drums mounted behind his back.
Enel.
The self-proclaimed God of Skypiea.
His gaze swept across Rowan with open curiosity.
The fact that someone had survived Divine Judgment without being reduced to ash genuinely surprised him.
The surprise quickly became interest.
“Not bad.”
His voice carried effortlessly through the sky.
“Mortal.”
He pointed his staff toward the giant eagle.
“Leave the bird behind.”
Then his eyes returned to Rowan.
“Serve me.”
A confident smile spread across his face.
“And I may spare your life.”
The moment Enel appeared, Rowan’s attention locked onto him.
Or more specifically—
The Devil Fruit inside him.
The Goro Goro no Mi.
The Lightning Fruit.
One of the strongest Logias in existence.
Speed.
Destructive power.
Mobility.
Area control.
Combined with the Behemoth Fruit, it would complete nearly every weakness in Rowan’s current build.
The image formed instantly in his mind.
The overwhelming strength and durability of the Behemoth.
The speed and devastation of lightning.
Together, they would create something terrifying.
As long as he could bring Enel to the brink of death, the Black Coffin could do the rest.
The Lightning Fruit would become his.
The prize he had crossed half the world to claim was finally standing in front of him.
Yet instead of excitement, Rowan’s expression gradually grew serious.
Because there was a problem.
A very big one.
If he revealed Armament Haki now…
If he landed a clean hit and exposed Enel’s vulnerability…
What would happen?
Would Enel stay and fight?
Would he stand his ground and stubbornly battle to the death?
No.
Absolutely not.
Enel was arrogant.
He was narcissistic.
He was delusional.
But he wasn’t suicidal.
The moment he realized someone could actually hurt him, his entire approach to the fight would change.
And once that happened, catching him would become a nightmare.
A man made of lightning didn’t need to stand still.
He could retreat.
Reposition.
Attack from afar.
Disappear across Skypiea in an instant.
Rowan wasn’t faster than lightning.
Not yet.
Which meant brute force wasn’t the answer.
This battle had to be won before it was fought.
Through deception.
Through psychology.
He needed Enel relaxed.
Careless.
Confident.
Certain of his own invincibility.
A plan formed almost immediately.
Rowan looked up at him.
“You want my mount?”
A sneer appeared on his face.
“Keep dreaming.”
Then he lightly slapped the eagle’s neck.
“Let’s go.”
The Golden Eagle King reacted instantly.
His wings spread.
Without hesitation, he accelerated toward Upper Yard.
Toward solid ground.
The eagle didn’t understand.
From his perspective, Rowan should have been charging forward, not retreating.
After all, Rowan was the strongest creature he’d ever seen.
But years of experience had taught him a valuable lesson.
When Rowan did something strange, there was usually a reason.
So he obeyed.
Behind them, Enel laughed.
The sound rolled across the clouds.
“Run?”
His grin widened.
“Go ahead.”
“Run as much as you like.”
“This is entertaining.”
To him, this wasn’t a battle.
It was amusement.
A mortal desperately struggling beneath the gaze of a god.
Exactly the sort of spectacle he enjoyed.
Rowan ignored him completely.
Keep laughing.
Keep underestimating me.
The more arrogant Enel became, the easier this would be.
A short time later, Rowan landed on Upper Yard.
The moment his boots touched solid ground, a familiar sensation spread through his body.
Warm.
Steady.
Endless.
The earth answered him.
The Behemoth’s passive ability activated immediately.
Stamina flowed upward through the ground beneath his feet.
Slowly.
Constantly.
Like a river feeding an ocean.
A smile flickered across his face.
Good.
This was where he was strongest.
This was where the hunt would end.
A few seconds later, thunder crackled overhead.
Enel descended from the sky and hovered casually above the ground.
Completely relaxed.
Completely unconcerned.
A smug smile stretched across his face.
“Well?”
He spread his arms.
“Mortal.”
“You’ve stopped running.”
“Why not continue?”
Before Rowan could answer, several new figures arrived.
The Four Priests.
They landed nearby and watched with obvious anticipation.
Not one of them looked concerned.
Why would they?
To them, today’s outcome had already been decided.
An intruder had challenged God.
The intruder would die.
The end.
Rowan barely glanced at them.
Instead, he reached for the sword at his waist.
Steel rasped against the scabbard.
The blade emerged inch by inch. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
The sight immediately drew laughter.
The sword was a disaster.
Rust stained most of the metal.
The edge was chipped and battered.
Years of training, hunting, and fighting Sea Kings had left it looking more like scrap iron than a weapon.
Enel burst out laughing.
“HAHAHAHA!”
The priests quickly joined in.
The entire scene looked absurd.
“A rusted sword?”
Enel wiped a tear from his eye.
“That’s what you’re using?”
“You plan to fight a god with that?”
The laughter only grew louder.
Rowan sighed.
Honestly.
There was a reason so many villains lost.
And Enel was putting on a masterclass.
Without warning, Rowan moved.
WHOOSH!
The rusty blade flashed through the air.
Fast.
Precise.
Deadly.
But there was one thing missing.
Armament Haki.
This wasn’t an attack meant to win.
It was a test.
A probe.
He wanted information.
The sword passed directly through Enel’s neck.
No resistance.
No blood.
No damage.
The god’s body split apart into crackling electricity.
The priests gasped instinctively.
Then immediately relaxed.
Of course.
A Logia.
Completely harmless.
Exactly as expected.
Rowan had expected the result as well.
The attack itself wasn’t important.
Enel’s reaction was.
Or rather—
His complete lack of one.
He hadn’t dodged.
Hadn’t shifted.
Hadn’t even blinked.
He simply stood there and allowed the sword to pass through him.
Absolute confidence.
Absolute arrogance.
The kind of habit that got people killed.
And for Rowan?
It was wonderful news.
He slowly lowered the sword.
A small smile appeared on his face.
He’s even worse than I thought.
Lightning reconnected.
The split body reformed.
Moments later, Enel stood exactly where he’d been before.
Unharmed.
Smirking.
Certain of his superiority.
Certain of his invincibility.
Looking at him, Rowan almost felt sorry.
Almost.
Because at that moment, he understood something important.
Enel wasn’t going to run.
He wasn’t going to take Rowan seriously.
Not now.
Not after one attack.
Not until the moment reality punched him in the face.
And by then, it would already be too late.
Rowan met the god’s gaze and smiled.
Your arrogance is going to kill you, Enel.
The Lightning Fruit is already mine.