Chapter 86: Thunder Dragon!
Meanwhile, Sanji and Usopp had arrived at the entrance to God's Ordeals. Beneath a giant Buddha head structure, four finger-shaped cave openings yawned, their dark depths seemingly bottomless. As for Zoro...
Who knows.
"The Ordeal of String has already been handled by Reiner. The remaining ones are Iron, Swamp, and Ball."
Sanji stood on a large tree branch, smoking a cigarette, gazing down at the entrance connected to the cloud road. "You pick first."
"Ah, let me see... emmm, which one to choose?"
Usopp stroked his chin, his expression grave. He stretched his neck, carefully examining the options for a while, then clapped his hands. "I choose Ball!"
Recalling that Shura of the String Ordeal manipulated Rope Cloud, Usopp guessed the remaining ordeals were likely cloud-related too. Both Iron Cloud and Swamp Cloud sounded very dangerous.
In contrast...
"A ball made of fluffy white clouds... how dangerous could that possibly be?"
Usopp speculated internally, stating firmly, "It must be this way! I'll choose the Ordeal of Ball!"
"Is that so? Then I'll pick Swamp," Sanji casually chose one.
"So how do we get in?" Usopp asked, puzzled.
"This size should be just right." Sanji glanced down at the thick tree branch beneath his feet, then lifted his leg high above his head and brought it down with a powerful chop!
Bang!
Creak~
Cracks began to spread. Sanji forcefully kicked the broken branch towards the cloud road. "This should do it. Let's go."
"Could you at least consider... Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute!"
Before Usopp could finish, Sanji directly kicked his rear end, then, repeating his earlier trick, kicked another section of a branch onto the cloud road.
Jumping onto the branches now floating on the cloud path, the two entered their respective Ordeal caves.
After a while, passing through the dark, deep cave entrance, Usopp arrived at the grounds of the Ordeal of Ball.
Surrounding him were similarly tall, giant trees. However, in the mid-air of this forest clearing, perfectly round, cotton-white spheres of uniform size floated about.
"So this is the Ordeal of Ball? Looks pretty soft and fluffy." Usopp knelt趴 (sprawled/crouched) on a tree branch, looking up and observing the numerous floating spheres around him, a wave of joy instantly filling his heart.
"Haha! I knew it! This Ordeal looks like the easiest one!"
"Yosh! Get a grip, Usopp! You're the man who's going to become a brave warrior of the sea!"
Usopp psyched himself up, stood up from the branch, reached into his waist pouch, took out his slingshot and an iron ball, drew it back fully, and aimed at a sphere.
"It is an ordeal, after all. Better check the situation just in case."
Biu~~
A pellet accurately struck a floating white ball. The next moment, intense white light erupted from within.
BOOM!!
Accompanied by a violent sound, wind pressure spread outwards, blowing away all the nearby spheres.
"It actually exploded!" The sudden explosion startled Usopp. "So they're bombs!?"
"Oh~ho~"
A strange voice sounded. Usopp discovered, right above his head, a person with a yellow hat, looking just like one of the white balls, sitting cross-legged atop a sphere.
"Welcome to the Ordeal of Ball. The survival rate here is ten percent. I am the Priest presiding over this ordeal, Satori of the Forest."
Satori's obese body bounced up and down on the sphere, a wide grin on his face as he looked down at Usopp. "Long-nosed man! Guess what the next ball will be?"
As he spoke, a white ball flew towards Usopp on the cloud road.
"Another bomb?" Usopp quickly raised his slingshot, drew it back fully, eyes fixed on the incoming white ball. "Just need to detonate it before it gets close! Special Steel Ball!"
Duang. Duang. Duang.
The struck white ball suddenly sprouted three small bird heads, which opened their beaks and shrieked at Usopp.
"What the heck is this!?" Usopp yelled speechlessly, then turned his slingshot towards the Priest calling himself Satori of the Forest, saying gravely:
"These things are useless against me! This great one is a sniper who hits a hundred out of a hundred shots!"
"Oh~ho~ Is that so? Is that so, indeed?"
Satori grinned, leaping down from his sphere. "This isn't fun anymore. Guess I'll have to execute you myself."
Usopp's brow furrowed in concentration. His bandaged hand immediately raised the slingshot, aiming at the descending Satori.
"Oh~ho~ Aiming for my head, are you?"
"He saw through it!?" Usopp was shocked. With no time to re-aim, the special pellet shot out.
He saw through it even before I fired! Is this the Mantra Reiner was talking about? But... whatever! Even if he knows, it doesn't mean he can dodge it!
The pellet suddenly exploded in front of Satori, dozens of iron nails flying towards his massive body.
"Damn it! Why didn't I sense this!?"
The smile on Satori's face vanished instantly. He quickly thrust out his palm towards the nails, and a sudden impact force scattered most of them.
However, the impact's range was too small; several nails still tore through his pristine white clothes, leaving a few scratches.
"Bastard!"
Satori landed on a white ball, glaring furiously. Even if it was an area attack, I should have sensed it! You long-nose! What trick did you use!?
"Hehe! Being able to predict someone's attack doesn't make you invincible!" Usopp stood tall, declaring proudly:
"This great one randomized all his pellets! Even I don't know what I'll pull out next! How are you going to predict that!?"
This... is the power of intellect!
Meanwhile, at the altar in the center of the deep forest, Reiner stood on the Going Merry, with Nami and Chopper hiding frantically behind him.
Seeing Enel get blasted into a tree, the two couldn't help but shout in pleasant surprise.
"Nice job, Reiner!"
"Show him your strength!"
"It's not that simple. Don't underestimate him."
Reiner's gaze remained locked on the smoke cloud. Armament Haki could only hit a Logia user's physical body; it couldn't prevent them from transforming.
"Bastard! Bastard!"
Blue light flashed within the smoke. Enel, eyes bloodshot with fury, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, then transformed into several arcs of lightning, reconverging on another tree.
He glared furiously at the golden-haired man on the ship, roaring savagely, "Insolent fool! How dare you offend this God! Now I shall show you the difference between God and mortals!"
He swung his golden staff, twirling it, then pointed it towards Reiner. Berserk lightning continuously surged forth, crackling menacingly, sending shivers down one's spine as it rushed fiercely towards them.
"Be reduced to ash by the power of God! Two Million Volt... Discharge!"
"Two million volts!?!"
"Quick, think of something, Reiner!" The sudden attack clearly threw Nami and Chopper into a panic.
Frieren, standing before them, had already raised her staff and waved it before Enel even made his move. Countless fine grains of sand surged forth, swirling around.
Crackle! Crackle!
A giant, round sand shield materialized. Lightning struck it, flashing blue, but the berserk electricity couldn't break through this defense, its energy gradually dissipating.
The thick sand shield wasn't pierced, only bearing a large scorched black area on its surface. This defense, composed of fine sand, hadn't even utilized Armament Haki.
Through an opening that appeared in the sand shield, Reiner could even see the shocked expression on Enel's face.
"How is this possible!?" Enel's eyes widened. His power, which had always been unstoppable, was actually blocked by a mere shield made of sand!
"Nothing is impossible," Reiner said coolly, hands in his pockets, a slight smirk on his lips. "Regrettably, sand doesn't conduct electricity."
Although it wasn't a perfect counter like Luffy's rubber ability, blocking lightning of this level at least wasn't difficult.
How could he possibly underestimate Enel? The Rumble-Rumble Fruit possessed extremely strong attack power and speed; not preparing a billion tricks wouldn't do.
"I see! No wonder you're so fearless!"
Enel glared fiercely at Frieren below. This one is tricky. Her Mantra intensity is on par with mine.
Otherwise, it's impossible she could have prepared a defense at the exact same moment I launched my attack.
"Originally, I thought I might gain a decent subordinate. Looks like I must eliminate you here today," Enel said, looking down condescendingly at Reiner from his high perch.
As his words fell, Enel struck the large drum on his shoulder. Lightning surged forth, transforming into a giant blue bird that spread its wings and flew towards them at extreme speed.
"30 Million Volt Hino!"
Reiner sent a mental command. Frieren waved her staff, and several sand pillars as thick as water buckets erupted, sand pythons writhing wildly as they lunged towards the lightning bird, opening their maws to reveal fangs.
Several crimson sand pythons bit onto the lightning bird, tearing at it ferociously as if fighting over food. The blue lightning bird shrieked continuously, struggling.
Arcs of berserk electricity leaped across the sand pythons with crackling sounds. Soon, unable to withstand the savage assault, it gradually dissipated into arcs of lightning that vanished into the air.
The charred black sand pillars crumbled, then, under Frieren's control, continued to gather, forming new sand pythons that lunged towards Enel.
"Tch!"
Enel gritted his teeth, leaping up to dodge the sand pythons' surprise attack. He continuously struck the two large drums above his head. Lightning poured out from them, coalescing into a dragon.
The dragon's head was lifelike, complete with whiskers and horns, radiating a terrifying aura. Just looking at it made one's heart pound with unease. Its long body coiled around Enel.
With a swing of his golden staff, Enel grinned savagely, roaring at the pythons attacking from below,
"60 Million Volt Julungul!"
Blinding lightning flashed as the ferocious long dragon danced and dove downwards, its massive form smashing hard against several sand pythons.
A battle between dragon and pythons erupted in the arena, coiling around each other, interweaving and tearing savagely. Several crimson pythons ganged up on the massive blue thunder dragon.
The berserk lightning, condensed like liquid, carried extremely terrifying high temperatures, continuously scorching them. One by one, the crimson sand pythons were electrocuted black and began to disintegrate, vanishing along with the thunder dragon whose energy was also depleted.
"Ye hahaha! Interesting mortal! I hope you can entertain me to the fullest!"
Enel laughed wildly, continuously beating the tomoe-patterned drums on his back. Thunder birds, thunder beasts, and thunder dragons formed one after another in rapid succession.
"Trying to compete with me in stamina? You're still far too lacking, Enel."
Reiner, hands in his pockets, grinned lightly. "I quite like this untamed look of yours. Please maintain it, Enel."
At one end of Frieren's staff, countless grains of sand surged forth, continuously coalescing into pythons, their massive bodies radiating unstoppable momentum.
Simultaneously, she raised her hand and waved. A sky-filling sea of fire ignited from thin air, billowing and spreading, covering the heavens and obscuring the sun. Billows of scorching heat washed over them.
The entire space around the altar filled with blue lightning, a red sea of fire, and crimson sand. Dragons, snakes, tigers, and lions confronted each other, all exuding terrifying auras.
(End of this chapter)
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