"60 Million Volt: Lightning Dragon!"
Enel struck the drums on both shoulders with the butt of his war spear. Bolts of lightning emerged from the drums, forming a gigantic lightning dragon that charged at Hogg.
"Crack!"
"Bzzzt!!!"
Hogg was charred black all over, wisps of white smoke rising from his body. His consciousness faded, and he fell with a thud.
"Hmph!"
Once Enel saw him fall, he paid him no further attention and prepared to turn and leave. After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned in a certain direction and spoke.
"Luo Chen, you've been watching for so long. Aren't you going to come out?"
Not long after the two began fighting, Luo Chen had arrived at the temple and watched their entire battle. This was Hogg's own choice, and he respected his decision, so he had not intended to intervene. Now that the battle was over and Enel had called him out, he had no choice but to show himself.
"Boom, boom, boom!!!"
Luo Chen flapped his blood-red flesh wings and came before Enel. He cupped his hands in greeting and said,
"I'm sorry, God Enel! Please forgive me for not intervening to stop this intruder earlier. I saw that you were fighting, so I didn't intend to interfere in your battle. Please forgive me!"
Enel studied him closely, staring until Luo Chen's scalp almost tingled. Only then did he look away and walk straight ahead, speaking in an indifferent tone.
"I know he's your friend. I thought you'd attack me to help him, but I didn't expect you to stay out of it. Still, that's for the best. Our relationship hasn't been damaged. Forget it, I forgive you. Go throw him back down to the Blue Sea."
Enel's first few words made Luo Chen tense up at once, and he had even prepared to fight. But to his surprise, Enel ultimately forgave his offense and left Hogg to him to carry out his deserved punishment.
Phew! Good thing he wasn't planning to attack me. This works out too. If I throw him down from here, he might still have a slim chance of survival.
Luo Chen said this silently to himself, then walked over to Hogg, placed a hand on him, and lifted him up before turning to leave.
"Wait, don't carry me away. I still have to fight!"
Hogg caught his left hand, and his faint voice sounded in Luo Chen's ear.
"Are you kidding? Your body can't take any more, and you still want to fight him?"
Hearing Hogg's voice, Luo Chen hurriedly covered his mouth and spoke to him. At the same time, he used Observation Haki to conceal all their voices from Enel, preventing him from noticing what he was doing.
"No, Luo Chen, let go and let me out. I have to defeat him. It's my duty as a marine."
Hogg's weak voice sounded once more, his tone unwavering.
"If you go like this, you'll die. I can't just let you go to your death."
Luo Chen continued carrying him away, refusing his request.
"And if you die like this, what will happen to your sister? She's still waiting for you to come back, isn't she?"
Luo Chen spoke again, hoping to dissuade him from making a pointless sacrifice and put the idea out of his head.
"Even if I sacrifice myself for this, I won't have any regrets!"
His resolute words echoed in Luo Chen's ears. He pulled a hand from his chest and pressed it firmly against Luo Chen's shoulder, then spoke again in a pleading tone.
"Promise me, Luo Chen. If I don't survive, you must take good care of my sister. You can consider it repayment for the favor you owe me, all right?"
Luo Chen turned to look at his pleading eyes. With difficulty, he nodded and put him down.
"Take good care of yourself!"
Looking at Hogg's weary expression, Luo Chen had nothing more to say to him. He could only tell him to take care of himself, then turn resolutely and leave, paying him no further attention.
"Cough, cough! Wait, Enel! Our fight isn't over yet. Don't think you can just leave!"
After finding his footing, Hogg coughed up the blood pooled inside him. He looked up at Enel's receding figure and shouted.
"Tch!"
Hearing Hogg's call, Enel stopped and turned to look at him.
"I didn't expect you to still be conscious. What is it? Why are you calling out to your god? Do you want to beg to become my subordinate?"
Looking at his swaying figure, Enel mocked him disdainfully.
"How could I? I'm going to become the Fleet Admiral and wipe out all the scum on this sea. You're one of my targets too. Why would I surrender to you?"
Hogg denied it outright and once again drew his beloved sword with his right hand. With a gentle gaze, he spoke to the companion that had been at his side for ten years.
"Old friend, this might be the last time we fight together. I'm sorry!"
"Yahahaha! Are those your last words? Then I'll grant your wish and let you die under my strongest move, Thunder God!"
With that, Enel released all the electricity in his body. Terrifying currents surged out of him and coiled around him, transforming him into a gigantic ancient deity-Thunder God. He clenched his right hand into a fist and brought it crashing down on Hogg's lonely, slender figure.
"Hahaha! Come on, then! I'll end all of this with the strongest move of my life! Black Blade: Great Majestic Storm Slash!"
Facing the Thunder God's fist, powerful enough to destroy everything, Hogg showed no fear. Laughing, he swung his sword to meet it.
"Boom!!!"
A blade of light flashed across the sky, and the enormous fist formed from Enel's lightning struck Hogg.
The entire temple shook abruptly several times. Immense shockwaves spread outward like ripples, and endless smoke and dust buried the place.
"Is he dead? Hmm... his voice has disappeared. It looks like it's really over this time. Now no one will defy me again."
Enel closed his eyes and sensed what was happening inside the deep crater blasted out by the lightning before him. After confirming once more that the voice inside had truly vanished, he finally spoke in relief.
"Honestly, this fight has left the place in shambles. How am I supposed to live here now? Forget it, I'll have those servants repair it. I'll go rest aboard the Ark Maxim for a few days. Luo Chen, you know what to do next, so I won't need to remind you. I'll be going now."
With that, he turned into a bolt of lightning and vanished before Luo Chen's eyes.
"As you command. I'll take care of it."
Luo Chen stared blankly at the deep, dark crater. Only after a moment did he come to his senses and cup his hands toward the sky in reply.
He then stepped forward and looked down into the crater. Tears welled up uncontrollably as he spoke in a halting voice.
"I told you to listen to me. Why wouldn't you? Couldn't you have endured it for a while? Was it really worth giving your life over a clash of convictions in that moment?"
Luo Chen mourned his friend. Though they had only spent half a month together, he had long since come to regard him as a close friend. Faced with his close friend's passing, Luo Chen felt immeasurable grief, yet he could not cry out aloud.
With Enel's Observation Haki covering the entire Sky Island, he could not let down his guard for even a moment. He could only weep and mourn silently in his heart.
Don't worry. In two more years, I'll return to the Blue Sea. When I do, I'll find your sister and take good care of her. That's my promise to you! Farewell, my dear friend.
Luo Chen spoke silently in his heart, then turned and left without lingering.
"Hmm..."
The moment he turned to leave, his Observation Haki detected many familiar voices entering Sacred Land Upper Yard and heading straight for this place.
At the same time, a loud voice rang out.
"Luo Chen, I know you've also sensed the intruders in the Sacred Land. I order you to drive them all out. I'm tired, so don't let these ants disturb me. Understood?"
Enel's voice sounded in his ear, speaking in an unquestionable tone.
"Heh, I understand."
Luo Chen responded indifferently. With that, he quickened his pace, wanting to release all the pent-up negative emotions in his heart as quickly as possible.