Kai didn't even glance at the Shandians and the others, but turned to the crew. "Alright, let's move out. Time to keep going."
"Yeah!" The crew responded enthusiastically.
Kai walked to the stern of the ship, punched it, and once again, the Merry shot up into the sky.
Gan Fall, watching the scene unfold, felt his brain go numb. Is this something a human can even do?
Maybe... just maybe... they actually stand a chance against Enel...
Shaking off the thought, Gan Fall looked down at the Shandians floating in the White Sea and sighed.
"If only they had listened. I warned them not to act rashly, but no... now they're paying the price."
He shook his head, feeling a bit guilty. He couldn't just leave them there, after all.
Meanwhile, aboard the Merry soaring through the sky...
Kai sat at the front, staring into the distance. He was quite satisfied with how Luffy and the others handled the situation. They had learned well from the lessons he had been teaching them.
In Kai's view, Luffy and his crew from the original story were often too soft, too hesitant when it came to dealing with enemies. They didn't understand the importance of eliminating threats entirely—cutting the grass by the roots.
Like with that brat Momonosuke!
Kai swore, if Momonosuke ever tried anything with Nami or Robin, he'd kill him on the spot. And if the Red Scabbards dared to come for him, they'd meet the same fate.
Kai didn't have patience for that kind of leniency.
For him, having immense power meant using it without holding back. Otherwise, what's the point of having it?
As his abilities grew stronger, Kai felt himself adopting some of the traits of the great Monkey King from whom his power was derived.
He had started noticing that his temper was becoming more volatile, likely an influence from the Monkey King himself. After all, Sun Wukong never hesitated to eliminate those who offended him, no questions asked.
I'm no saint, Kai thought. I didn't spend time learning Buddhist scriptures or cultivating a Zen mind. Kindness? I don't have time for that!
Kai smirked to himself, feeling quite pleased with this shift in his attitude. It made him feel... free.
Meanwhile, in the temple atop the giant beanstalk...
Enel narrowed his eyes, biting into an apple.
"Huh? All the Shandians' life forces just vanished?"
Earlier, he had sensed a group of them charging toward him recklessly.
Rather than being angered by their audacity, Enel had felt a slight thrill. After all, he was planning to leave Skypiea soon, so it would've been fun to toy with them a bit before his departure. He wanted all of Skypiea to remember the name Enel.
But most importantly, he didn't sense the presence of the person who had struck him yesterday, which brought him great relief.
As long as that terrifying individual wasn't around, Enel had nothing to fear.
The others? A bunch of weaklings. Easy prey.
Taking another bite of his apple, Enel turned his gaze to the sky. "Endless Vearth, here I come!"
Still, something nagged at him, as though he had forgotten something important, but no matter how hard he thought about it, it wouldn't come to mind.
What was it...?
Unable to figure it out, Enel shrugged. Ah well, it doesn't matter. I'm a god. What do I have to be afraid of?
Little did he know, if Kai appeared before him now, Enel might remember exactly what he had forgotten: Kai's terrifying presence.
Some time later...
The Merry landed just a few dozen meters away from Apayado.
Luffy, bubbling with excitement, leaped off the ship. "Gold! Gold! Here I come!"
"Luffy, wait!" Kai called after him, a little annoyed. "Do you really think you'll find gold running around like that?"
"Why not? Maybe I'll get lucky!" Luffy grinned.
Kai was about to argue, but then he remembered that in the original story, Luffy did stumble upon gold in the belly of a giant snake. Kai felt a bit embarrassed but wasn't about to admit it.
"I know where the gold is," Kai said, changing tactics. "But someone might not be so eager to give it up."
"Are you talking about Enel?" Robin asked calmly.
"Exactly. Enel controls this island. He has four priests and fifty warriors under his command."
"If we go in, we're bound to run into them. But... they're not much of a challenge," Kai added with a smirk.
Zoro, who had been looking forward to some action, frowned. "Weaklings? That's no fun."
Kai chuckled. "Weaklings compared to me. But for you guys? Haha..."
He didn't need to say more. It was clear what he meant.
Zoro's competitive spirit flared up. "I'll show you how quickly I can take them down. I'm not a pushover like that curly-brow over there."
"Green algae head, you wanna die?" Sanji growled, his mood shifting instantly.
"Don't come crying to me when you get stomped by one of those priests," Zoro taunted.
"Haha! I'll finish my opponent in ten moves," Zoro boasted confidently.
"Five moves for me," Sanji countered coolly.
"Three for me!" Zoro shot back.
"One move!" Sanji snapped.
(•̀へ•́╬)
"You two..." Nami muttered, grabbing both of them by the neck and delivering a quick punch. "Knock it off!"
Kai shook his head, chuckling. "Let's head in and see what we find."
The crew ventured further into the island, and soon, they found themselves standing before four large gates.
Kai gestured toward them. "Each gate leads to a different priest's trial. Once you enter, follow the Cloud River. We'll meet up at the Altar of Sacrifice. So, which trial do you want to pick?"
"I'm taking the Iron Trial!" Zoro declared confidently, marching through the corresponding gate without hesitation.
"This moss head! Always trying to one-up me!" Sanji grumbled as he dove into the nearby Rope Trial.
Luffy laughed, "I'll take the Ball Trial! It sounds fun!" And with that, he ran into the Ball Trial passage.
Kai turned to the remaining crew members, eyebrow raised. "What about you guys?"
To his surprise, they all looked back at him.
"Uh... shouldn't you be the one going in first?" Usopp asked nervously.
Kai: ???
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.