radicalducati Chapter 80 Let's have a banquet!
Chapter 80 Let's have a banquet!
Chapter 80 Let's have a banquet!
"But," Norton changed the subject, his tone softening slightly, "you are very talented."
Enel paused, taken aback.
Norton continued, "To have developed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to this extent, even touching the edge of awakening, shows that your talent is quite remarkable!"
"They also have ideas for how to use the abilities; those Thunderbird, Thunder Dragon, and Thunder God forms are quite creative."
"But the Sky Island is too small, Enel!"
"You act like a king here, like a frog at the bottom of a well roaring at the small patch of sky, thinking you rule the whole world."
"Qinghai is the real stage!"
"There are stronger beings than you, warriors skilled in Haki, powerful organizations, and countless challenges and opportunities!"
"Come work for me, Enel! I'll show you the real world!"
Norton grinned, his smile radiating madness.
Enel was completely stunned. The anger, shame, and confusion on his face froze, then slowly crumbled.
Reorganization.
Subordinate? Working for someone else?
This was an unimaginable identity shift for him.
He is a god; others have always knelt at his feet!
But----
Qinghai? A bigger stage? Stronger opponents? The real world?
These words, like sparks, fell into a long-dried but never-extinguished corner of his heart.
Enel suddenly remembered a long time ago, when he had not yet obtained the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and was just an ordinary boy on Sky Island, he had been lying on the clouds of Angel Beach, looking at the unchanging white sky, and vaguely wondered: What is beyond the sea of clouds?
Later, he gained power and became a "god," and his childish curiosity was buried by power and arrogance.
He was content to be the tyrant of the Sky Island, ruling everything with fear and using trials to select the "fun" toys.
To this day, this silver-haired man from Qinghai has used the most violent means to drag him down from his self-deceiving throne and throw him into the cold reality.
Enel's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably as he struggled internally.
Arrogance roars, reason whispers, and on a deeper level, a long-suppressed desire for the "unknown" and "challenge" is quietly sprouting.
Time passed second by second.
Outside the ruins, the wind howled through the broken walls. In the distance, faint sounds of explosions and shouts of battle seemed to drift in—
Is it over at the altar? Enel thought vaguely, but his mind was completely focused on the choice before him.
Finally, Enel closed his eyes.
"If I say no—will you kill me?"
"No," Norton laughed, his answer crisp. "I'll knock you out and take you away. Once we're on the ship, you'll have plenty of time to figure things out."
Enel: "...
—."
What kind of logic is this? Robbery logic?!
But for some reason, he felt a sense of relief.
At least, the man didn't threaten him with death.
"----I see."
Enel lowered his hand and looked at Norton. The last trace of arrogance belonging to a "god" on his face finally completely peeled away, revealing the real, tired, yet still proud "Enel" beneath.
"Lead the way."
His tone was still a little awkward and hesitant, but he finally said it.
Norton's smile widened. He casually patted Enel on the shoulder, then turned and walked towards the shrine's approach.
"First, I'll deal with those men who are still fighting, and then—it's time to pick up my crew."
Enel watched his retreating figure, remained silent for a few seconds, and then followed. Barefoot, he trod over the scorching gold fragments, over the charred marks of lightning strikes, and over the ruins of his former "divine authority."
He turned back one last time to look at the crumbling golden palace.
Then he turned around and never looked back.
When Norton and Enel found the White Pearl on God's Island, Gan Fall was on high alert.
"Enel!!"
Gan Fall instantly raised his spear, and Pierre let out a wary screech.
The former god's eyes were filled with shock and confusion—why would Norton stand shoulder to shoulder with this tyrant who destroyed the peace of the Sky Island?
Zoro's hand was already on the hilt of his sword, his eyes sharp as a wild beast.
Zeff entered a battle-ready stance, and even Nami turned pale.
Only Fu Ning remained relatively calm. She carefully observed Norton's expression and Enel's state, and seemed to realize something.
"Put away your weapons." Norton smiled. "Let me introduce you. This is Enel, my new subordinate."
Gan Fall gaped, nearly dropping his spear.
Pierre tilted his head, seemingly not understanding the meaning of the sentence.
The crew on deck were in an uproar.
Enel stood half a step behind Norton, his expression stiff.
Enel felt extremely uncomfortable being stared at by so many people with such complex gazes.
He instinctively wanted to raise his chin and adopt his usual arrogant posture, but as soon as he moved his shoulder, he remembered that he had already lost and was now just someone else's "subordinate".
This realization made him feel a tightness in his chest.
"The silver-haired young man—" Gan Fall's voice was strained, "You mean—Enel—"
"Alright, we'll talk about the details later." Norton waved his hand, then leaped onto the deck with ease.
Nami snapped out of her daze, turned and ran into the cabin, soon emerging with a heavy little box in her arms.
The box was opened, revealing neatly stacked Sky Island currency, Ex—which they had exchanged for some Qinghai supplies in Cute Street.
"Ten million X's, as agreed. Thank you for your help, Mr. Gan Fall."
Gan Fall took the box, his expression complex, and bowed solemnly to Norton: "In any case, thank you for ending Enel's reign of terror. Skypiea—will remember this kindness."
Norton nodded and turned to Enel: "Get on board."
Enel silently leaped onto the deck. The moment he stepped onto the deck, the surrounding crowd instinctively took a half step back, forming a semi-circular vacuum zone.
Enel's lips twitched slightly. He didn't say anything, but walked to the ship's side, turned his back to the crowd, and looked at the distant sea of clouds.
Norton, unfazed, clapped his hands. "Alright, stop standing around. Those who need bandaging, bandage; those who need repairing, repair. The feast is tonight!"
"oh-!!!"
After a brief silence, deafening cheers erupted on the deck.
The banquet was held on an open space next to Angel Beach. It was an unprecedentedly large event.
The entire Norton Pirates crew, Gan Fall and his subordinates, and the Sky Island residents who came to express their gratitude upon hearing the news totaled over a thousand people.
Dozens of bonfires were lit, and the island's specialties, such as cloud fish, shellfish, and various exotic fruits and vegetables, were piled up like small mountains. Barrels of wine were also placed all over half of the beach.
Norton sat in the main seat, with Nami and Frynn on his left and Zoro and Zeff on his right.
Enel was seated a little further away, and still no one dared to approach him. Only a few bold members of the Norton Pirates would occasionally come over to offer him a toast, which he ignored with a cold face.
Gan Fall sat opposite Norton, having changed out of his armor and into loose-fitting traditional Skypiea clothing, discussing with Zeff the brewing process of some kind of Skypiea spirit.
The atmosphere at the banquet was initially somewhat delicate, after all, a great battle had just taken place, both sides had wounded, and Enel, the former "big villain," was sitting there.
But as the drinks went on, the atmosphere gradually became more lively.
Especially after Zoro, carrying a barrel of sake, staggered up to Shura and poured a big gulp down his throat.
"Drink!" Zoro wiped his mouth, his eyes already a little glazed over. "If you lost, just admit it! Don't give me that sour look!"
Shura coughed, choked by the alcohol, but after swallowing it, the hostility on his face actually subsided somewhat. He muttered, "—You're very strong."
"Nonsense!" Zoro poured him another gulp, then took a big gulp himself. "You're not bad either."
The two of them stood there, one tied up and the other standing, taking turns drinking.
Meanwhile, Shadley was tearfully showing Nami and several female crew members his treasured "Amazing Cloud" toy.
This fat priest seemed to revert to a childlike state once he was out of combat.
Gaidaz—he was still trying to pick up a piece of cloudfish with his chopsticks, but his poor coordination caused him to fail time and time again. Finally, he got so angry that he buried his face in the plate, which drew a burst of laughter.
Ohm was the only one who remained serious. He sat in the corner, his sunglasses broken, sipping a glass of sake, his eyes occasionally glancing at Norton in the main seat before quickly looking away, lost in thought.
Enel did not participate in any interaction; he simply sat there, not touching the food in front of him, and only drinking one glass of wine.
His gaze was mostly fixed on the campfire, occasionally sweeping over the revelers, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Norton noticed it, but didn't pay attention; some knots in his heart needed time to untie themselves.
As the banquet reached its climax, a group of Sky Island elders, supported by a young man, approached Norton.
The elderly man at the head of the group, with his white hair and beard, bowed tremblingly to Norton: "Respected Qinghai warrior, thank you for defeating Enel and restoring our freedom. On behalf of the inhabitants of the Kingdom of God, we offer you our sincerest gratitude."
Norton put down his glass: "No need for formalities."
The old man shook his head and gestured to the young people behind him to bring out a huge tray covered with pure white brocade.
When the brocade is lifted, a cloud-like object radiates a soft, luminous glow. It is meticulously woven into the shape of a bed, its surface as smooth as silk.
"This is the Sleeping Cloud," the softest and most comfortable cloud type in the Sky Island, extremely rare. "The old man said respectfully.
"We heard that you wanted a bed made of clouds, so we took out all the sleep-inducing clouds from our collection and wove this mattress for you."
"It requires no support, can float anywhere, and always remain soft and clean."
Norton's eyes lit up, and he reached out to touch the cloud bed.
The feel—it's hard to describe.
Softer than the finest velvet and lighter than the warmest feather, when your fingers sink into it, it feels as if you are enveloped in gentle clouds, yet it provides just the right amount of support.
Just touching it makes you want to lie down on it.
"Very good!" Norton nodded in satisfaction. "I'll accept this gift."
The old man and the other Sky Island inhabitants smiled with relief. Being able to repay the powerful man's kindness brought them peace of mind.
The cloud bed was carefully moved aside, and Norton returned to his seat, in high spirits. He raised his glass: "To freedom! To the cloud bed! Cheers!"
"Cheers—!!!"
The cheers erupted.
The banquet lasted for a day and a night.
The next evening, while most people were still drunkenly sleeping on the cloud beach, an alarm sounded from the White Pearl's lookout tower.
"King! A ship is approaching! It's rushing up from the sea of clouds below!"
Norton was taking a nap on the makeshift cloud bed—he couldn't wait to experience it, and it was indeed as wonderful as he had imagined.
Upon hearing the sound, he opened his eyes and appeared on the observation platform in a flash.
Looking in the direction the hand was pointing, a black dot could be seen rapidly enlarging on the edge of the distant sea of clouds.
It wasn't a shell-shaped boat reminiscent of those in the Sky Island arcades, but rather a typical three-masted sailing ship from Qinghai. The hull was long and slender, painted a dark brown, and it sailed at extremely high speeds. There was even a faint airflow swirling around the hull, clearly indicating it was equipped with some kind of propulsion system.
"That is—" Norton squinted.
The ship quickly approached Angel Beach, and a figure leaped directly from the side of the ship, landing on the beach.
That's a woman.
She looked to be in her thirties, with a beautiful face and an exaggeratedly voluptuous figure, especially her chest, which was so large it almost seemed to burst her tight-fitting black combat vest.
On his forehead, a striking red spot resembled some kind of mark.
As soon as she landed, the woman's sharp gaze swept over the drunkards lying haphazardly on the cloud beach, the embers of the campfire, and the White Pearl, which was clearly the result of a major battle, before finally settling on Norton on the lookout tower.
"Finally found you." The woman's voice was a little hoarse. "You bunch of lads, you've really gone far enough to hide on a floating island."
She strode toward the White Pearl, her boots rustling on the sandy beach. Drunk crew members along the way were casually kicked aside by her.
The movements weren't gentle, but they cleverly avoided vital areas, simply letting them roll to the side and continue sleeping.
Once ashore, she looked up at Norton: "You're the sucker who spent a billion Berries to hire an instructor, right? The Vivre Card points to you, isn't it?"
Norton jumped down from the observation tower, remembering that this was the instructor Tomogens had found not long ago, and he never expected that he would actually find the Sky Island.
"You're Steelhand?" Norton asked.
"It's just a code name."
The woman shrugged, a movement that caused her chest to jiggle wildly once more.
"I'm too lazy to mention my real name. That birdman Morgans should have given you my resume, right? A bounty hunter from Roger's era, proficient in all three types of Haki, skilled in Armament Haki Ryuo—and I'm not exaggerating."
Norton smiled and extended his hand. "Welcome to my fleet, Instructor."
Steel Hands grasped his. Her hands were not delicate; her palms were calloused, and her grip was incredibly strong.
"Let's get this straight," Steel Hand released his grip, holding up one finger, "all-inclusive accommodation and meals. I'm a very picky person."
"No problem," Norton said without hesitation. "The money is ready. As for food and lodging—Zep!"
Zeff, who was dozing against the mast, opened his eyes.
"This is our new instructor, Miss Steelhand," Norton introduced. "For the time being, you will be in charge of her meals. Feed her the highest standard."
Zeff glanced at Steel Hand and nodded.