Just as the light in Enel's eyes began to change.
"Bang!"
Behind a towering crater in the distance, a strange, muffled thud suddenly rang out, as if some heavy object had slammed into a rock wall.
"Hm?"
Sabo had just picked up some firewood. His gaze turned cold. Beside him, Mad Monk Urouge stopped rubbing his prayer beads and turned his rugged, smiling face toward the sound.
On Carina's shoulder, Beli instantly fluffed up his feathers.
"Caw! Someone's there! Weird metal cans! Caw!"
Beli didn't need to say anything else.
A group of strange, short figures suddenly emerged from behind the crater.
They looked like they were wearing bulky, fully equipped spacesuits. Some even had bizarre animal-shaped helmets, and they carried all sorts of strange guns. They poked their heads out like a pack of bloodthirsty moles.
The one at their head, a Space Pirate wearing a gopher-shaped helmet, spotted the Eclipse and the group standing together. He let out a string of nasty laughter.
"Heeheehee! We've been digging for gold in these ruins for days, and now a luxurious ship's flown right up here to die!"
"Brothers! These Blue Sea People are loaded! Take them out and steal their ship to use as our mothership!"
The Space Pirates who had been hiding in the craters erupted into a frenzy. Waving all manner of firearms and yelling wildly, they charged toward the camp.
Watching the bizarre bandits emerge from who knew where, Enel slowly drew the Golden Staff from behind his back. Frustrated and desperate for an outlet, his eyes had been somewhat dazed—but now they lit up again as he found the perfect target.
Blue lightning crackled over his body once more. This time, though, the flashing bolts were clearly wrapped in a layer of black Armament Haki.
"You