"I got here a while ago. I just concealed my presence, so you didn't notice me."
"Honestly, if you were already here, why didn't you show yourself sooner? Were you laughing at us?"
Shura asked him, his tone mocking.
"That's right. I just watched a bunch of monkeys perform, and it was pretty entertaining."
Faced with Shura's sarcasm, he responded in kind.
"Damn it! Are you looking for a fight with all of us?"
At those words, none of them could remain calm. They all glared at him, looking ready to attack if he said one more thing they didn't like.
"All right, all right! Stop it. First, let's discuss how to resolve this."
Enel spoke up then, telling them to stop and begin discussing what had happened that day.
"Before I came here, I heard that these pirates are from the New World. Their captain is a troublesome character with a bounty of over 400 million Beli."
Luo Chen told them what he had learned from those people.
"Hmph! They're just a bunch of invaders from the Blue Sea. Priest Luo Chen, you aren't scared, are you?"
Priest Shura mocked him.
"What, do you want another match with me, Shura? Haven't you lost enough?"
Hearing his sarcastic remark, Luo Chen couldn't help retorting. Over the past two years, his strength had steadily improved, and he had challenged the other priests one by one. At first, he had needed his ability to fight them to a draw, but now he could defeat them without using his Devil Fruit ability. Luo Chen had never been close to them, and this made him even less inclined to hold back as he mocked Shura in return.
Meanwhile, Shura, who had joined Enel's ranks before any of the others, had never liked him. Luo Chen's rapid progress over the past two years had only made Shura more displeased, and so things had come to this.
"You..."
Hearing Luo Chen mock his strength, Shura could no longer restrain himself. He drew his flame spear and pointed it at him, saying angrily:
"All right, all right! Put your personal grudges aside and discuss this matter first."
Seeing them on the verge of a fight once again, Enel intervened helplessly.
"Lord Enel, I'm sorry. It's my fault they've become like this. Please let me set them free, so there won't be any more disputes."
Priest Ohm wore an expression of compassion, two trails of tears running down his face. He wiped them away with the back of his hand as he spoke to Enel. Naturally, by setting them free, he meant killing both Luo Chen and Shura.
"Why don't I set you free instead, Ohm? Then you won't have to make that face anymore."
The hot-tempered Shura pointed his spear straight at him as he spoke.
"Idiots, idiots! Why don't you all fight and die already!"
Priest Satori bounced up and down nearby, fanning the flames without caring that he was making the scene even more chaotic.
"Hmph! That's right. You should all finish each other off! Lord Enel only needs a subordinate like me!"
Priest Gedatsu spoke as he repeatedly crossed and stretched out his arms.
"..."
Luo Chen said nothing, but the fists clenched at his sides had already expressed his thoughts.
"Smack!"
Enel slapped his forehead and looked at his subordinates again, his head aching. In the end, he spoke helplessly.
"All right, shut up, all of you. Luo Chen is right this time. These pirates really are no ordinary bunch. I also sensed a very strong presence among them. It should be their leader, and he's no weaker than me. This time, you'll each act on your own. You'd better save the residents of Sky Island too. Don't let them all be slaughtered. They are my people, after all!"
"Now, I'm issuing a divine command: all of you, get moving! Don't hold back anymore. If you accidentally get yourselves killed, don't blame me for not warning you. All right, the meeting is over."
With that, Enel turned into a bolt of lightning and vanished from the temple, paying them no further attention.
"Hmph! Honestly, he just leaves whenever he wants. How willful! Well, I should be going too. Don't all go dying on me. I still hope I can see you again. I'm off, then. Goodbye, everyone!"
Watching Enel leave so irresponsibly, Luo Chen shook his head and turned to the other four priests as he spoke. Then he spread his wings and left the temple, flying toward the part of town where the pirates were wreaking havoc.
Meanwhile, in the town on Sky Island.
A band of pirates from the New World had shattered its former peace. Vicious men armed with swords and guns stormed in, terrified screams rang through the sky, and the air of slaughter lingered overhead.
"Kill them!!!"
"Get moving! That marine's being held up by the captain and can't attack us. Hurry and strike while you can! Once we've robbed enough treasure, we'll go back to the New World, recruit more men, and defeat that man!"
A pirate who was a squad captain directed the others.
"Heh heh! First Mate Samo's right. You lot had better hurry too."
A pirate drew his sword, cut down a man, and snatched his jewelry as he spoke.
"Ah!!!"
"Someone, save us!"
"God, please save us!"
Amid the cries of terror and screams, some devout believers knelt on the ground and prayed to the heavens, begging Enel to save them.
"Puchi!"
"Ah!!!"
One of the pirates walked up to them and cut them down with his blade. With an arm around a young, beautiful girl, he mocked them.
"God? If there is a god, he must be a coward hiding in his shell. He doesn't dare show himself before us because he's afraid of us, doesn't he? Hahaha!"
Not only did he mock their actions, but his words also revealed his contempt for Enel and the others.
"How ignorant! If Enel heard that, who knows whether he'd even leave your bodies intact?"
After a short flight, Luo Chen had also arrived. Hearing the ignorant pirate's arrogant words, he shook his head and spoke.
"Huh??? Who are you? Are you the god here? Have you come to stop us?"
The first mate nearby was the first to notice Luo Chen, and he immediately questioned him.
"God? No, I'm just one of his priests. As for stopping you, Enel and the others are enough for that. But, sir over there, could you let the young lady in your arms go? I am one of this place's guardians, after all. It wouldn't be very good to just watch you do as you please!"
Faced with his questions, Luo Chen shook his head in denial, then pointed at the pirate who had just made those arrogant remarks as he spoke.
"Her? If you want me to let her go, that depends on what you can do! Zehahaha! Die!"
The pirate glanced at the girl in his arms and shoved her away roughly as he spoke. Then he picked up his blade and charged at Luo Chen with a savage grin.
"How ignorant! But I forgive you, because..."
"Crack!"
Watching him charge, Luo Chen magnanimously forgave his rudeness and spoke with a mysterious expression. Before he could finish, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck the pirate directly on the head, blasting him to nothing.
"Ah!!!"
The lightning startled everyone into stumbling backward. Only First Mate Samo stepped forward and glanced at the spot where it had struck, then loudly demanded an answer from Luo Chen.
"Was that... a Devil Fruit ability? You did that, didn't you?"
"Me? No, no, no, I didn't do it. But you were right about one thing: that was indeed a Devil Fruit ability."
When First Mate Samo asked whether he had done it, Luo Chen shook his head and denied it, then explained.
"Wahhh!!! Lord Enel, you finally acted! We're so happy you haven't forgotten us!"
Nearby, the White Sea residents who had knelt to pray to Enel wept with joy. They remained prostrate, kowtowing to thank him for remembering them and coming to their aid.
Lightning? I wonder if it's a Paramecia or a Logia. But if it's a Logia, that'll be a little troublesome.
First Mate Samo wondered to himself whether the lightning was a Paramecia or a Logia ability.