Lin Yuan naturally smiled and accepted Enel's challenge. With Enel's talent, the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, and Lin Yuan's training, he was certain to become an Admiral someday.
But as for catching up to Lin Yuan, or even surpassing him, Lin Yuan could only say with regret that it probably wouldn't be possible in Enel's lifetime.
It wasn't just because Lin Yuan's overall strength was already comparable to a Marine Admiral's, putting him at the pinnacle Enel could reach in his lifetime.
More importantly, Lin Yuan was younger than Enel. Though he wasn't as fantastical as those who could crush everyone at eight years old next door, the fifteen-year-old Lin Yuan was already among the very best in this world.
And Lin Yuan's strength had yet to reach its peak. Many of his skills still had room to improve.
He could now rival an Admiral, partly because the tremendous power of a Mythical Zoan Fruit made his abilities and physique no weaker than those of a current Marine Admiral.
The other reason was that his swordsmanship had reached the level of a great swordsman. With his powerful physique, Devil Fruit ability, and swordsmanship, he was no weaker than any Admiral.
The Three Types of Haki, however, still had plenty of room for improvement. Lin Yuan had been figuring them out on his own over the years, so his progress hadn't been particularly fast.
Even so, the power of the Zhu Jiuyin Fruit had helped him make considerable progress in both Armament Haki and Observation Haki.
"Still, Enel, at your current strength, if you want to beat me, even though it's impossible, you'll need more training. After all, a Devil Fruit alone isn't enough to make you a top-tier powerhouse."
"From now on, I'll also help you train your Armament Haki and Observation Haki. As for Conqueror's Haki, whether you can awaken it is up to you."
Lin Yuan wasn't optimistic about Enel awakening Conqueror's Haki. In the original story, Enel had become the god who ruled Sky Island and looked down on everything.
Though he had been something of a frog in a well, he hadn't awakened it even in that state. He probably didn't have the aptitude to awaken Conqueror's Haki.
"Hmph, you may be strong, but I'll definitely be stronger than you someday. Stop looking down on me."
Enel had taken Lin Yuan's other words to heart, but he was indignant at Lin Yuan's claim that he would never beat him in his lifetime.
"Sigh, you won't even believe me when I tell the truth. Forget it. In that case, do your best, young man."
Enel glared fiercely at Lin Yuan, the corner of his eye twitching several times. He took a vicious bite of his roast meat, as if he were biting a certain someone.
Lin Yuan didn't mind and chuckled cheerfully.
Enel vented all his annoyance on the roast meat, but he soon calmed down because he noticed something. Even now, Lin Yuan's strength was a mystery; Enel hadn't seen what he could really do.
That made him even more frustrated, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and spoke.
"Um, can I see your real strength? I want to know just how big the gap between us is right now."
Lin Yuan looked at Enel in surprise. He hadn't expected the guy to pull himself together so quickly, and for a moment he was taken aback.
Seeing Lin Yuan's expression, Enel thought he was unwilling and could only struggle to swallow his food.
"Um, forget it if you don't want to. I'll challenge you again when I think I'm ready."
"Hahaha, it's not that I don't want to. I'm just afraid that once you really see the gap between us, you'll be so discouraged you'll never recover."
"Hmph, stop looking down on me. I'm Thunder God Enel. I'll definitely become the strongest. There's no way you can discourage me."
Enel was practically bursting with anger. He hated how Lin Yuan kept saying he wasn't good enough. If he could beat Lin Yuan, he would have attacked to prove himself again.
"All right, since you want to see it, I'll grant your wish. But you'd better prepare yourself."
Lin Yuan put away his smile and stood up. Since he wanted to bring Enel completely under his command, he would give him a real shock!
"I'm a Devil Fruit User too. Now I'll show you my ability."
With that, Lin Yuan transformed before Enel's astonished eyes into a crimson dragon god thousands of meters long, with a massive body, crimson scales, and a length that seemed to have no end.
Enel's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He couldn't understand how the man who had been just over two meters tall a moment ago had turned into a monster whose body stretched beyond sight.
"Roar..."
Lin Yuan, in the form of Zhu Jiuyin, opened his jaws and let out a mighty roar. Winds and clouds surged across the sky, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled, as though heaven and earth were about to be destroyed.
Enel felt weak all over. A single eye of the monster Lin Yuan had become was larger than he was, yet despite its monstrous form, Enel sensed a noble, majestic, and divine aura from it for some reason.
"I'm a dragon god, and this isn't even my final form. Enel, now I'll let you experience what a real god is."
Lin Yuan's voice came from the dragon's enormous mouth, and Enel instantly felt his scalp go numb.
"This isn't even his final form? Is he really a god?"
But before Enel could think any further, he saw the monster before him slowly close its eyes.
As the dragon god Lin Yuan had become slowly closed his eyes, Enel discovered to his horror that the sky had gone dark!
Enel's mouth fell open uncontrollably. Before his eyes, as the dragon's eyes slowly closed, the daylight that had illuminated everything moments ago began to fade bit by bit, as if a curtain were covering the sky.
At last, there wasn't a trace of sunlight anywhere Enel could see. There was only terrifying silence and darkness.
Though he had been standing on a Sea Cloud, he could no longer feel it beneath his feet. Now Enel felt as if he had fallen into the void, with endless darkness all around him.
There wasn't a glimmer of light, a single sound, or the slightest sensation of touch. It was as though he were the only one left in the world, so lonely it could drive a person mad.
Enel didn't know how long he had been there. He had even lost all sense of time and felt only that everything about him had been swallowed by the endless darkness.
He wanted to scream, but found he couldn't make a sound, as if sound itself couldn't travel.
The sensation was terrifying-so terrifying that even Enel, who had always lived alone, felt as though he were on the verge of breaking down. He wanted to beg for mercy, but had no way to do so.
At the same time, although the Rumble-Rumble Fruit he was so proud of gave off a trace of color, it failed to illuminate his surroundings, as if all color had been stripped away.
No one knew how much time passed before the world changed again, just as Enel was about to go mad. Everything returned to normal.
But by then, Enel could no longer control his body. He collapsed to the ground, cold sweat pouring off him as tears and snot ran down his face.
At that moment, Enel was utterly terrified-terrified of Lin Yuan. He discovered that there was something in this world even more horrifying than death.
"Ah..."