Inside the temple, the two stared each other down. Their auras rose and clashed, sending waves of force spreading in every direction. Caught between them, the temple seemed as fragile as a leaf floating on water.
"Whoosh!"
"Swish!"
"Boom!!!"
In an instant, Hogg drew his sword and clashed with Enel's Golden Staff. The impact produced a tremendous roar, and a shockwave rippled outward.
"Even if you're a Logia, you're still a long way from matching my strength! Hah..."
"Boom!!!"
With a shout, Hogg bore down and sent Enel flying. Enel slammed into the palace, smashing through buildings that collapsed around him. Dust filled the entire palace.
"Lightning Flash!"
Enel had taken little damage from the blow. With a thought, he turned into a bolt of lightning and moved swiftly through the air, appearing above Hogg. He extended both index fingers, pointed them at Hogg's head, and said softly,
"50 Million Volts: Discharge!"
His entire body glowed blue, and an electric current gathered at his fingers before coursing through Hogg's body.
"Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!"
Electric light engulfed Hogg, currents coursing all over his body with a fierce crackle as sparks scattered in every direction.
"Whoosh!"
Enel returned to his original position and looked solemnly at the figure standing in the distance. He asked tentatively,
"Is he dead? He took my 50 million volts head-on. There's no way he could still be alive, right?"
"Cough, cough! What a powerful attack. Should I say, 'As expected of the ability known as the strongest Logia'? If I'd been careless just now, I probably would've been finished."
Hogg's voice rang out through the dust. Then a hand emerged and swept downward, dispersing it all and revealing his somewhat scorched body. He looked at Enel and spoke calmly.
When Enel had appeared above him and unleashed the powerful current, Hogg had defended himself in time with Tekkai and Armament Haki, blocking most of the energy. Even so, a small portion of the current had left him in this sorry state.
"Soru!"
"Whoosh!!!"
Hogg flashed into view in front of Enel, extending his right index finger and thrusting it forward at the speed of a bullet.
"So fast!"
Seeing Hogg suddenly appear before him, Enel reacted instantly and hurriedly raised his Golden Staff to block.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
"Bang, bang, bang!"
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Hogg's finger struck Enel's Golden Staff as fast as bullets, producing a rapid succession of metallic clangs.
"Scrape! Scrape! Scrape!"
The force of Hogg's fierce attacks traveled through the Golden Staff into Enel's body, driving him steadily backward and carving two deep tracks into the ground.
"Armament Haki: Armament, Rankyaku: Kicking Bird!"
Before Enel could react, Hogg's right leg took on an inky black sheen and whipped into his staff. An eagle-shaped slash sent both Enel and his staff flying.
"Boom!!!"
"Crash!"
Enel smashed a large hole through the temple wall, and stones tumbled down from above, burying him completely.
"Huff, huff, huff!"
Hogg stood where he was, panting heavily. Clearly, the move had taken a considerable toll on him as well. Before he could recover...
"Whoosh! Boom!!!"
A bolt of lightning shot upward, blasting apart all the stones burying Enel. Amid the dust, Enel held his staff in his right hand and walked slowly toward Hogg, his face dark.
"Lightning Vine: Lightning Snake!"
He extended his left hand, spreading all five fingers. A snake-shaped bolt of lightning shot from his palm at Hogg.
"Clang!!!"
"Swordsmanship: Crosscurrent!"
Hogg drew his longsword with his right hand and swung it forward with all his strength. A white flying slash burst from the blade, as though it could cut across a great waterfall, and sliced the incoming lightning snake in half.
"Pfft!"
Its severed body fell to the ground and dispersed into streams of electricity.
"Whoosh!"
Enel appeared beside Hogg once again, spinning the staff in his hands. Lightning erupted from both hands, generating intense heat that melted and reshaped the staff into a halberd, which he thrust forward.
"Thunder: Thunder Metallurgy!"
Bearing powerful lightning and heat, the golden halberd surged forward with overwhelming force, threatening to pierce straight through Hogg's body.
"Clang!!!"
Faced with such a powerful move, Hogg did not let his guard down. His silver-white blade turned black in an instant and collided with the tip of the halberd.
Waves of sound rippled outward, while blasts of air rolled like clouds and sparks of lightning and fire scattered.
"How could a mere human ever defeat a god? Die!"
As he spoke, the current erupting from his body traveled into the halberd. The powerful current became a tremendous force that passed through the weapons into Hogg, hurling him high into the air before he fell helplessly.
"Lightning: Inazuma!"
Seeing Hogg fall, Enel pressed his advantage, turning his right hand into lightning and striking at him.
"Crack!"
The lightning blasted a large hole where Hogg had fallen, leaving the condition of the person inside unknown.
"Whoosh!"
Just as Enel was about to go over and check whether he was dead or alive, a figure shot out, landed on the ground, and looked at him.
"I was careless. I didn't expect him to be this strong."
The figure was Hogg. His hair was disheveled and he looked somewhat listless as he stared at Enel and spoke.
"Hahahaha! Well, mortal, have you witnessed the power of a god? If you surrender and admit defeat now, I, your god, can spare you and let you become my subordinate. What do you say, Blue Sea person?"
Enel put his hands on his hips and laughed, smugly extending the invitation to Hogg.
"Hah, don't be ridiculous. Giving up easily isn't in my nature. My dream is to become Fleet Admiral. How could I let you defeat me here?"
Hogg flatly rejected his offer, picked up his beloved blade, and charged at him again.
"Armament Haki: Hardening, Crimson Flame Slash!"
His blade turned black once more, and flaming sword energy coiled around it. He brought it down hard at Enel, sending out a crescent-shaped slash of flame.
"Boom!!!"
The flaming slash hurtled fiercely toward Enel with a terrifying force, its sword energy tearing open the ground along its path. As it suddenly cut through the air in front of him, the air could clearly be seen splitting in two as well.
"It's useless. Why would a god fear a mortal's move like this?"
Enel spread his arms and abandoned his defense, letting the slash cut him in half.
"Boom!!!"
The flaming slash flashed past, splitting Enel's body in two. Its power undiminished, it continued onward, carving a huge cut through everything behind him. It flew into the distance, then flashed like a shooting star and vanished into the sky.
"Huff, huff, huff! Did it work?"
Hogg looked at Enel's body, split in two and lying on the ground, and asked tentatively.
That last attack had consumed a great deal more of his stamina. Although he had made few moves since their fight began, every one had taken a tremendous toll. On top of that, facing the strange attacks of those priests and divine soldiers before coming here had also cost him considerable stamina. Hogg was already utterly exhausted.
"It's useless. I already told you, how could a god be defeated by a mortal?"
Both halves of his body spoke at once. Then the scattered pieces turned into electric current and gathered into a human form again. He walked over and looked down at Hogg.
"Well? Now that you've witnessed the power of a god, it's time to give up, isn't it? If you beg me now, I might just spare your life!"
"Cough, cough! How is that possible? That's a move the Admirals can use. How can you use it too?"
Hogg spoke in disbelief. Using an ability to keep any part of one's body in an elemental state at will, rendering even Haki ineffective against it-as far as he knew, only Admirals could do that.
"Admirals? Are they your superiors? What, can they use a move like this too?"
Enel grew interested and asked him about it.
"Whatever the case, why not consider my offer? Will you become my subordinate and live, or refuse and... die?"
He then shook his head and asked Hogg for his decision once more.
"Idiot, how could I ever become your subordinate and join you in your wickedness? I'll defeat you and save the people of Sky Island. That way, he... can be freed too, right?"
Hogg refused him again, and Enel's face gradually darkened. Hearing Hogg reject him again and again made him furious.
"Then I, your god, will destroy you here along with that laughable notion of yours!"