Enel's blind confidence didn't surprise Takumi in the least; that was just how this guy was.
After a brief silence, Takumi asked, "Aren't you curious what the punishment will be if you lose?"
Enel casually cleaned his ears, his tone lazy. "I'm going to win, so there's no point thinking about it. You'd better get ready to serve as my crewmate for three days without whining. Ya-haha!"
Takumi, expressionless, continued, "If I win, you'll shut up for an entire week. And if you say even a single word during that time, you're jumping off the ship."
"Huh?" Enel paused for a moment, then said in disbelief, "You're actually going to kick me off the ship?"
Takumi shrugged, not bothering to elaborate.
Enel scoffed, clearly not taking it seriously. "Tch, there's a limit to how petty you can be. I built this ship, you know. It may have changed on the outside, but the internal structure is still the same, and I have the original design plans. Without me, this ship won't fly! If anything goes wrong inside, without those plans, it's game over for you."
Takumi's calm response poured cold water on his bravado. "You think I brought Kaku on board for no reason? Sure, the ship runs on electricity. And don't forget, I have lightning powers, too."
Though using his Lightning Cutter wouldn't power the ship and would likely destroy it, that was a fact only Takumi knew. As long as he didn't say anything, no one would question him.
Enel's expression changed, his cocky grin faltering as he stared at Takumi's unwavering face. "You're not seriously considering kicking me off, are you?"
"Leave whenever you want," Takumi said nonchalantly.
Enel's emotions were a mess.
Takumi hadn't explicitly said it, but Enel got the distinct feeling he was being tested.
Was Takumi testing his resolve to stay on board?
Damn it, just when I'd started seeing this brat in a better light, he pulls this!
Fine! If it's a test, I'll pass with flying colors!
"Hmph, do you even know who I am?" Enel's confidence returned. "I'm the Thunder God. Once I make a decision, it's final. If I say I'm staying, no one—not even you—can make me leave."
Takumi: "..."
What was this guy imagining now?
"If, and I mean if," Enel said haughtily, "I lose, then fine, I won't speak for a week. But I'm telling you now, whether I win or lose, I'm not leaving this ship!"
Alright then, looks like this'll be an interesting experiment, Enel thought to himself.
Takumi, fed up with the back-and-forth, waved a hand dismissively. "You're disturbing my fishing."
"Ya-haha! Fine, fine, carry on." Enel laughed as he backed away. He had planned to spend the time reading a magazine, but now found himself at the kitchen door, watching Kaku busying himself inside. As he stood there, he started thinking of ways to torture Kaku, to make sure he fully submitted to him and never dared to talk back again.
But just as Enel was deep in thought, Kaku called out, "If you're here, lend me a hand. It's getting a bit busy in here."
Enel blinked in surprise, staring at Kaku, who hadn't even looked up from his work since Enel arrived at the door.
How did he notice me? My footsteps were practically silent, and his Observation Haki isn't that good…
Could it be that Kaku's Haki has improved?
The thought of the bet he made with Takumi made Enel feel a slight twinge of unease.
Kaku, completely unaware of the wager, just wanted to improve his relationship with Enel to make his mission easier. After all, Enel's earlier threat about killing him if he ever betrayed them was a clear sign that he still hadn't earned their full trust.
When Enel didn't move, Kaku glanced at the door and smiled. "Weren't you hungry? If you help out, dinner will be ready faster."
Enel scowled. "Have you noticed your strength improving lately?"
Kaku, puzzled by the sudden question, nodded. "Yeah, I've definitely gotten stronger since leaving Water 7. In fact, I've improved faster in the past month than I ever did before. I'd say about half of that progress is thanks to you."
"Huh? Me?" Enel was genuinely confused.
Kaku laughed heartily. "Haha, yes, you! If it weren't for you constantly picking fights with me, I'd probably be dead by now. You never hold back, so I have to push myself to the limit just to survive."
Enel: "..."
"By the way," Kaku continued, "you're strong, no doubt. But aside from your Observation Haki and Devil Fruit powers, your other skills… well, let's just say they could use some work. I remember when we first left Water 7, you were pretty diligent about training your Armament Haki. But once we reached Sabaody, you got lazy. I haven't seen you train once in the past week. If you keep slacking off, people with both talent and hard work will eventually surpass you."
Enel's eye twitched. "Are you saying you're going to surpass me?"
Kaku laughed. "You're focusing on the wrong part. I'm saying you shouldn't be so lazy. If you dedicated just two or three hours a day to improving yourself, I guarantee you'd see noticeable results within six months."
Enel fell silent, contemplating Kaku's words.
Seeing that he had Enel's attention, Kaku continued, "So, I've got a suggestion. Every night before bed, how about we set aside three hours? One hour for Armament Haki training, and the other two for me to teach you some basic martial arts."
"Martial arts?" Enel asked, confused. "Why would I need to learn martial arts? My combat skills are already top-notch, aren't they?"
Kaku: "..."
Your half-baked fighting skills count as martial arts? If it weren't for your Devil Fruit powers, with your attitude, you'd be dead a hundred times over by now!
"Ahem, well… how should I put this…" Kaku scratched his long nose awkwardly. "Your hand-to-hand combat is, to be blunt, terrible."
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