After watching Hiro disappear into the body of the Lord of the Sky, Natsu took his time to relax, knowing that Enel, the self-proclaimed "God," wasn't going anywhere. The defeat of one of the Sky Priests would surely have caught Enel's attention, as his "Mantra" (Kenbunshoku Haki) combined with the power of his Thunder Fruit allowed him to monitor the entire Sky Island region.
With a smirk, Natsu thought, Who knows? Enel himself might come to us.
Suddenly, Natsu turned and stared intently at a large tree nearby, having sensed a presence through his Kenbunshoku Haki. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
From behind the tree, a figure emerged—a middle-aged man with a white mustache, wearing a knight's armor. "Relax, young one. I mean no harm. I was just passing by."
The visitor was none other than the former "God" of Sky Island, Gan Fall. After yet another failed negotiation with Shandian leader Wiper, he had been on his way home when he saw Natsu and his crew fighting the Lord of the Sky. Just as he was contemplating lending a hand, Natsu's swift victory left him utterly shocked. As he was about to slip away, Natsu caught him.
"Whoa, old man, that mount of yours is so ugly." Kumo squinted at Gan Fall's steed, Pierre, with barely concealed disdain.
"Hey! Watch your mouth, you little brat, or I'll roast you!" Pierre squawked in irritation, lunging at Kumo and grabbing his head in his beak.
"Hey, let go!" Kumo cried, wrestling furiously with the bird. As the self-proclaimed vice-captain of the Smile Pirates, he couldn't let such disrespect go unanswered, punching Pierre until the bird was dazed and hid behind Gan Fall, glaring fearfully at Kumo.
"All right, all right," Natsu said, sighing as he massaged his temples. "You did call his mount ugly, after all."
"But it is ugly!" Kumo mumbled under his breath.
Natsu stepped forward, offering a hand to Gan Fall. "Nice to meet you. My name is Monkey D.Natsu. We're from the Blue Sea, and we could use a guide. You're a local, so I'm sure you know where to find this 'god' Enel. Would you mind taking us to him?"
Gan Fall's expression shifted as he looked Natsu over. "You're planning to confront Enel? That man is... highly dangerous. Mercurial, unpredictable. I strongly advise against it."
"Pfft! Old man, my boss is the strongest. Just take us there, and I'll show this 'god' what's what," Kumo scoffed, picking his nose in defiance.
Gan Fall looked from one determined face to another, sighing internally. Ah, the recklessness of youth. They'll learn soon enough.
After a full hour of waiting, Hiro finally emerged from the serpent's body, dragging a long bundle of gold behind him.
"Mission accomplished, Natsu!" he shouted with a grin, his face covered in a mix of blood and who-knew-what else. Hiro, however, seemed unfazed, flashing his teammates a broad smile.
"Go wash your face first," Natsu replied with a chuckle.
Meanwhile, Karina had already opened the bag of gold, her eyes gleaming as the shimmering contents spilled out. "We're rich!" she squealed, clutching fistfuls of golden trinkets.
"All this gold... just imagine how much meat we can buy!" Kumo whispered excitedly, eyeing Natsu to see if he could get his hands on a little of it himself.
Watching his crew, Natsu sighed with a smile. Even though he had expected this haul, seeing all this gold was still quite the shock. His mind flashed to the System Shop. One berry per point. It was practically highway robbery!
The system chimed in. "You can always choose not to redeem points. (▔,▔) "
Gan Fall cleared his throat. "So, Natsu , you're really determined to go after Enel?"
Natsu nodded. "Lead the way. After today, Sky Island will be free of Enel's tyranny. You won't have to live in fear anymore."
With a heavy heart, Gan Fall began leading them toward Enel's residence. I hope you're right, he thought, reflecting on all the suffering Enel had brought to Sky Island.
Meanwhile, in Enel's sanctuary, the self-proclaimed "God" himself—a man with a lazy, almost detached air, wearing a white turban and golden rings, munching on an apple—watched his three remaining priests.
"They're coming here? Then deal with them," he ordered coldly.
The three priests exchanged glances before rising in unison, gathering their weapons and heading out to intercept Natsu's crew.
Up ahead, Gan Fall pointed to a massive stone structure. "This is Enel's stronghold."
Natsu grinned. "Thanks for guiding us."
A sudden rustling of leaves announced the arrival of three formidable-looking warriors who stepped into view, eyes fixed on Natsu and his companions.
"So, you're the ones who defeated Shura," the tall, broad-shouldered priest Om sneered, drawing a massive sword.
"Yeah, and here I thought you Sky Priests were supposed to be strong. Guess I was wrong," Natsu replied with a smirk.
Om's face darkened. "You'll regret those words!"
Just as Om raised his sword, preparing to unleash a powerful slash, Gin appeared in front of Natsu, effortlessly intercepting the attack in his Mythical Zoan form, the Bird-Bird Fruit: Ghost Bird Model. He blocked the sword slash with ease, flames flickering ominously around his body.
Om's eyes widened. "Impossible!"
"These three are all yours. I'm going after Enel," Natsu said, nodding to his crew.
"Don't worry, Captain. We'll make them regret standing in our way," Gin replied, eyes blazing.
Hiro cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Time for some action!"
Without another word, Natsu vanished from sight, speeding toward Enel's sanctuary with blinding speed.