Meanwhile, as ice dust and the lingering debris of shock waves rose over the distant island like an apocalyptic column of smoke, the warship's deck fell deathly silent.
Enel stood there, his Golden Long Staff hanging limply at his side.
It was as though his soul had been sucked out. He stood motionless, his eyes-usually filled with arrogance and languid indifference-now stretched wide.
They reflected the landscape of the distant island, which had been utterly transformed.
Ice mountains shattered and rose again, towering waves froze in an instant before being pulverized, and cracks still lingered in the air...
"Hmm?" Tesoro glanced at him, and a knowing smile tugged at his lips when he saw Enel standing there dumbstruck.
He was, after all, a seventeen-year-old kid from Sky Island who didn't even know what Haki was.
Arrogant as he was, it was only natural for his worldview to take a hit the first time he witnessed an all-out clash between Admirals.
A battle on this level really did lie beyond any normal understanding.
At that thought, Tesoro sighed and approached, intending to pat the stunned, delusional teenager on the shoulder like a seasoned veteran.
He planned to offer a few reassuring words along the lines of, "This is just everyday life in the New World."
But he had barely taken a step, his hand not yet raised, when he abruptly stopped.
Because he had finally gotten a clear look at Enel's expression.
It wasn't the fear, shock, or bewilderment of a shattered worldview he had expected.
It was... excitement!
An almost insane, naked, utterly undisguised excitement!
Enel's slightly upturned lips trembled. His breathing grew heavy and rapid, his chest heaving.
Finally, his lips spread upward entirely beyond his control, forming a twisted yet fanatical grin.
The next second, Enel whipped his