Barn and Luffy jumped aboard the Ark Maxim just before it rose, staring coldly at Enel as he controlled the ark's ascent.
But just as the Ark Maxim was about to lift off, it shook violently. Though its enormous propellers kept spinning, the ark failed to rise another inch.
"It's caught in the ground, but it's only a matter of time. It's steadily wearing the earth away!"
Barn spoke grimly as he sensed his surroundings with Mind's Eye.
Standing beneath the enormous Golden Idol, Enel ignored the horrific wounds covering his body and burst into crazed laughter.
"Yahahaha! This ark's functions have already begun operating!"
Enel wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spoke to Barn in a low voice.
"I call it Despair. It is the true savior of this world!"
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
The playfulness finally vanished from Luffy's face, replaced by a deadly serious expression as he demanded an answer.
"You'll find out soon enough."
Enel smiled as he spoke.
Behind the Golden Idol, at the very center of the ark, a pipe resembling a massive smokestack began spewing vast quantities of black clouds!
"What's that?"
Luffy stared at the emerging black clouds in shock. Though Barn couldn't see what was happening, a terrible premonition rose in his mind.
"Chief, the sky over God's Island looks strange."
At the Shandia base not far from God's Island, the residents who had stayed behind gazed at the black clouds that had suddenly appeared over the island.
"The sky?"
Hearing their voices, the Chief stepped out of his house and asked in confusion.
"Yes, it seems to have suddenly gone dark."
The same person continued. The Chief followed his gaze, then spoke with deep concern.
"This is the first time the sky over