Not long after claiming Skypiea’s throne, Rowan arrived at the heart of Upper Yard.
And there, resting amidst the ancient ruins and towering trees, stood the Ark Maxim.
For a moment, even he paused.
The vessel was magnificent.
Its gleaming golden hull reflected the sunlight in brilliant waves, bathing the surrounding land in shimmering light.
Intricate engravings covered its surface, and at its center stood the massive character for God, carved with all the arrogance of its former owner.
The ship looked less like a vessel and more like a floating palace.
A monument to ambition.
A weapon disguised as a masterpiece.
Rowan slowly approached, studying every detail.
This was no ordinary ship.
The Ark Maxim was one of Skypiea’s greatest creations—a flying warship powered by the Lightning Fruit itself.
Transportation was only a secondary function.
Its true purpose was destruction.
Given enough electrical energy, the vessel could generate massive storm systems capable of blanketing entire regions.
At full power, it could even unleash Raigo, a monstrous sphere of condensed lightning powerful enough to erase an island from the map.
A terrifying machine.
And now…
It belonged to him.
A satisfied smile tugged at the corner of Rowan’s mouth.
“Not bad.”
His hand brushed against the golden railing.
A pirate crew needed a flagship.
A future empire needed a foundation.
The Ark Maxim could serve as both.
Turning around, he looked toward the Four Priests standing nearby.
“Search every corner of Upper Yard.”
The priests straightened immediately.
“Gather every piece of gold you can find.”
“Anything Enel left behind.”
“Bring it all to the Ark.”
The four men bowed deeply.
“Yes, Lord Thunder God.”
They departed without delay.
Rowan watched them go before shifting his gaze toward the distant ruins of Shandora.
Enel had spent years hoarding wealth.
A large portion had been consumed during construction of the Ark Maxim, but Rowan knew there was still a fortune hidden throughout the sacred land.
Gold wasn’t merely treasure.
Gold bought ships.
Gold bought information.
Gold attracted talent.
Most importantly—
Gold built crews.
The stronger his future crew became, the stronger the Villainous Crew System would become alongside them.
Every coin mattered.
Every resource mattered.
The path to the top of the world wasn’t paved with strength alone.
It required money.
Connections.
Influence.
All things gold could provide.
As Rowan considered his next steps, Observation Haki spread outward instinctively.
The moment it expanded—
Several presences entered his perception.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Approaching directly.
His eyes narrowed.
Then a faint smile appeared.
“They’ve finally arrived.”
A second later—
WHOOSH!
Several figures burst from the forest atop Wavers.
The cloud-powered vehicles skimmed across the terrain with astonishing speed before their riders launched themselves into the air.
Weapons drawn.
Expressions filled with hatred.
Their target already chosen.
“ENEL!”
A furious roar shook the ruins.
“Today you die!”
Without hesitation, the warriors activated their Dials.
Explosive energy erupted toward Rowan’s position.
Fire.
Shockwaves.
Compressed air.
Multiple attacks converged at once.
The assault was swift by ordinary standards.
To Rowan, it looked painfully slow.
CRACK!
Lightning flashed.
The attacks struck empty space.
BOOOOM!
The ground erupted.
Smoke and shattered stone filled the air.
For several seconds, visibility vanished completely.
Then the dust began to settle.
The warriors stared.
No corpse.
No blood. Get faster updates on g.com.
No sign of their target.
Only a smoking crater.
Confusion spread through the group.
Then a calm voice drifted down from above.
“So you’re the Shandians.”
Everyone instinctively looked up.
A streak of lightning descended from the sky.
BOOOOOOM!
The bolt detonated in the center of their formation.
Several warriors were blasted backward instantly.
They tumbled across the ground, smoke rising from scorched clothing and singed hair.
The attack wasn’t fatal.
Not even close.
But the difference in power was unmistakable.
The strongest among them slowly pushed himself upright.
Wiper.
The warrior who had fought Enel longer than anyone.
The pride of Shandora.
His sharp eyes locked onto the source of the attack.
Perched casually atop the Ark Maxim’s railing sat a young man.
One leg crossed over the other.
Completely relaxed.
As if the ambush had never happened.
Wiper frowned.
Then frowned harder.
“…You’re not Enel.”
The hostility in his expression eased slightly.
The lightning had fooled him for a moment.
But now that he could see clearly, the difference was obvious.
Different face.
Different build.
Different presence.
More importantly—
Enel would never allow anyone else to sit on the Ark Maxim.
Not in a million years.
Wiper’s eyes narrowed.
“Who are you?”
Rowan smiled.
“Rowan D.
Drake.”
The name drew no reaction.
None of the Shandians had ever heard it before.
Then Rowan casually added,
“And Enel is dead.”
Silence.
The forest went still.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Several warriors stared blankly.
One opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Then opened it again.
No words came out.
Eventually, Wiper managed to force out a response.
“…What?”
“Enel is dead.”
Rowan’s tone remained calm.
Matter-of-fact.
As though he were discussing the weather.
“I killed him.”
“You don’t have to fight him anymore.”
The words landed harder than any lightning strike.
For years, Enel had been an unmovable mountain.
A nightmare.
An enemy they could challenge but never defeat.
Every rebellion had failed.
Every battle had ended in blood.
The idea that someone had simply…
killed him…
It felt unreal.
Wiper inhaled slowly.
His gaze never left Rowan.
“You’re telling the truth?”
“As far as I know, lying about killing a god would be a strange hobby.”
Rowan pointed casually toward the deeper regions of Upper Yard.
“If you’re curious, go see for yourselves.”
“His body hasn’t gone anywhere.”
Some time later, the Shandians returned.
And everything had changed.
The tension.
The suspicion.
The anger.
Much of it was gone.
Several warriors were smiling openly.
Others looked dazed.
Some simply stared into the distance as though struggling to process reality.
Because they had seen it.
Confirmed it. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Enel was dead.
Not wounded.
Not missing.
Dead.
Completely and undeniably dead.
For many of them, the burden they’d carried for years vanished in an instant.
The relief was overwhelming.
One warrior actually laughed.
Another dropped to his knees and cried.
The nightmare was finally over.
Even Wiper’s usually stern expression had softened.
For the first time since arriving, he looked less like a warrior preparing for battle and more like a man who had finally been allowed to breathe.
Then his eyes drifted back to Rowan.
Specifically—
To the lightning still crackling faintly around him.
Wiper’s expression changed immediately.
The relief vanished.
His grip tightened around his weapon.
The other Shandians noticed as well.
Their smiles slowly faded.
A dangerous realization surfaced.
Rowan possessed the same power.
The same lightning.
The same ability that had allowed Enel to dominate Skypiea.
Wiper stepped forward.
“You used lightning.”
His eyes narrowed.
“The same power Enel had.”
The atmosphere grew tense once more.
“What exactly are you planning?”
The other warriors quietly shifted into position.
Not attacking.
Not yet.
But ready.
Because a frightening possibility had entered all of their minds.
What if Enel’s death changed nothing?
What if one tyrant had simply replaced another?
A stronger tyrant.
A more dangerous one.
If that was the case, then the war wasn’t over.
It had only begun again.
Wiper’s gaze never wavered.
“If you’re planning to rule us the same way he did…”
His voice hardened.
“We’ll fight.”
The Shandian warriors immediately nodded.
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Only resolve.
“We won’t surrender our freedom.”
“We won’t kneel.”
“We’ll fight until the end.”
The determination in their eyes was unmistakable.
They had just witnessed Rowan’s power.
They knew he was stronger than Enel.
Yet not a single one backed down.
Rowan looked at them for several seconds.
Then laughed.
Not mockingly.
Not dismissively.
Genuinely.
Because he was impressed.
Very impressed.
These people understood exactly how hopeless a fight against him would be.
And they still chose resistance.
That wasn’t stupidity.
That was conviction.
His gaze settled on Wiper.
The legendary warrior stood at the front of the group without the slightest trace of fear.
Like a spear that refused to bend.
“Even knowing you’ll lose?”
Rowan asked.
Wiper answered instantly.
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
No doubt.
“A Shandian warrior dies fighting.”
“We don’t kneel.”
“We don’t surrender.”
“We don’t abandon our freedom.”
The words rang through the ruins like a solemn oath.
For a brief moment, nobody spoke.
Then Rowan’s smile widened.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The future captain of the strongest pirate crew in the world suddenly found himself looking at Wiper in a very different light.
Not as an obstacle.
Not as a local warrior.
But as someone worth remembering.