_________ POV Narration _________
Things had been rather quiet on the Sky Islands ever since Shiki joined the fray. The worry of simply drifting off and being found by government agents completely vanished.
With his precise control, they were now in a somewhat fixed position, ignoring the wind and slowly orbiting around the coalition of islands that he had gathered.
Francisco and the Golden Lion still got along rather well. Garp hung around them for a while but didn't really join the conversation still.
Gan Fall did end up joining them though, he even got along quite well with Shiki. The two of them had both been good friends of Roger, at least Shiki liked to think he was one.
They had a lot of stories to share, and Francisco was rather happy to hear more about the man that had taken down his captain.
The more Francisco heard, the more he understood that the Pirate King truly deserved his title.
Roger had fought Xebec a bit before his prime, it was a fight in which he grew immensely both as a swordsman and Haki master.
Francisco was rather confident from the stories he heard, that Roger had at least become as powerful as Xebec had been in his prime.
Garp was still as wary as he was in the beginning. But he was also less worried, knowing that it was about time Enel actually showed up on the island, and he figured Enel's presence would at least even things out if something were to happen.
Francisco was strong, sure, but Garp was confident that he could take him on with a bit of support from the Lighting Emperor.
Things did become complicated when Shiki got involved, but Garp was somewhat banking on the fact that Enel was strong enough to face the Golden Lion while supporting him.
Francisco sure had more attacking power, but Garp was still confident that his endurance and armament would win in the end, if of course, he managed to convince Bonney to return him to his prime.
Though not weakened greatly by his age, he couldn't afford to even be weakened slightly when facing someone like Francisco.
The problem was that Bonney herself was a pirate, not only that, a pirate that seemed to be getting along really well with Francisco...
It was really annoying for Garp, but at least the recruits were mostly on his side.
Wyper and Bellamy were still stuck in their training, with Garp now drilling every single Sky Guard a lot harder, actually doubling their training and the amount of effort that they had to put in.
His training was considered difficult in the past, but now it basically left everyone unable to feel their bodies midway through the routine.
Garp drilled them like they were animals, and it was gruelling.
Barely a few days had passed since that new training routine had started, and virtually no one had gotten used to the increased workload yet.
The only people that were managing to hold on properly were Wyper, who was physically the strongest on the island among the recruits, and Bellamy, who was surprisingly resolute about growing stronger and also had a better base than most other recruits.
Garp made sure to give the two of them some attention after seeing that they had more resistance. That attention resulted in a lot more work for them, to the point where they passed out after every session.
Wyper being Francisco's pupil in Conqueror's Haki wasn't an issue to Garp, at least not at first. Though the Old Sword Master did complain that Wyper was left too tired to train with him.
Garp was forced to take it easier on him from that day. As the old marine realized the importance of Francisco's training.
Having another powerful Conqueror's Haki user in their midst was not a bad thing, and Garp knew that there were few people in the world more qualified than Francisco when it came to Conqueror's Haki.
And since Wyper was taken, Garp decided to take in someone as well... And that person ended up being Bellamy.
Garp didn't care much about him being some petty pirate. It was already clear that he was loyal to them from the resolve he showed.
It had also been Enel's choice to let him join their training, so Garp decided to trust his judgement once more.
Bellamy took the opportunity in stride, and he immediately started sticking to Garp and trying to learn everything from the former marine hero.
Shiki didn't really get involved in the training, nor did he try to. He was also a master of Conqueror's Haki and Armament, but he had his own men to worry about.
His armies were actually more numerous than that of the Sky Islands. But they weren't a lot stronger.
Shiki didn't really have any major retainers though, as he had been in hiding for a long time. The people gathered under him were mostly lowly pirates, with one good scientist, that was about it.
The Golden Lion didn't bother drilling them either, but he made sure they behaved and respected him well.
They were also forbidden from setting foot on the Sky Islands. Not that they could fly over to them without Shiki's help anyway...
The training went on for another week. A full week of training, in which the blimps of the Revolutionary army were slowly but surely making their way towards the flying islands.
Their convoy wormed around in the new world and then the Calm Belt, sailing above the clouds using the wind that Dragon was controlling to make their blimps go faster, allowing them to somewhat keep up with Enel's newer, lighter ship.
Dragon and Enel both made sure to control the clouds as much as they could, allowing them to have a constant cover so that no one below would notice their convoy.
They were up high, and the temperature reflected that as well, as some of the blimps had even caught thin layers of ice on them.
The Lightning Emperor usually took care of that, his control over his devil fruit was precise enough to allow him to simply melt the thin ice without burning the blimp itself.
Enel's ship was transporting all of the marines and a few elites of the Revolutionary Army. Including Larthy and Robin, who were more of a package deal at that point.
The two of them needed to be together to discuss and compile all of the information that they had.
They all had separate rooms underneath the deck of the ship. And Oven stood by Enel's side at all times.
Enel sat down for most of the week, his palm sparkling with electricity as he touched the arm of his chair, his head was tilted to the side as his cold eyes scanned the stars in front of him.
From time to time, his observation haki would flare up alongside a stream of electromagnetic waves, spreading within the massive range that the Lightning Emperor covered with ease.
As to not tire himself, Enel periodically used the radar at fixed intervals and for a fixed time.
He was after all supposed to be awake for two weeks, keeping up both the engine of his ship and making sure that their convoy was both unnoticed and unfollowed.
Dragon helped a bit on the unnoticed part, but his Observation Haki was nowhere near as developed as Enel's.
His lack of radar also meant that he was unable to see through any stealth technique that could slip by his regular Observation.
Enel had inadvertently created the perfect advanced observation technique that couldn't be replicated by anyone that wasn't him.
Well, technically anyone could do it, as long as they had absolute control over electromagnetic waves...
Enel's emotionless eyes scanned the stars without any reaction. Oven was asleep at that moment, passed out on the ground. He had stayed awake as much as he could, but in the end, still fell asleep.
His earlobe twirled around and reached for a table that stood by his side, clasping around a large metallic cup of cold coffee.
As he brought the coffee cup closer to him, his earlobe sparkled a bit, and the cold coffee instantly started releasing steam.
'I will never get over how convenient this power is...' Enel sighed as he sipped some warm liquid with a small smile, his emotionless visage breaking for a few seconds, though his eyes still remained cold, thoughtful.
'So much has happened in the past few months... It can't even be compared to the decades I had spent with my nose buried in books...'
Enel couldn't help but ponder on how uneventful his previous life had actually been. Fleeting, hard to recall even.
The only notable thing he had done was find that ancient civilization... Which was still a result of his obsession and study.
In that new life of his, he had gotten to see a lot more. He had explored the world and seen places that not many had the pleasure to witness.
The view from above the clouds was a strange one at first, but now it felt like home to Enel. The most exciting part?
'There is still so much to explore...'
Enel simply felt as if his curiosity would never truly be sated. The more he looked, the more there was to look for.
The mythical beasts being real, the origin of devil fruits, the truth about Nika... So many questions had risen up in his journey...
'This is truly enjoyable...' Enel couldn't help but release a relaxed sigh when thinking about that.
Then, his eyes spotted someone approaching him. His cold look immediately turned into something much warmer.
"Enel..." A gentle voice rang in his ears, as the wind around the emperor seemed to quiet down.
"Robin! Glad to see you are healthy." Enel said with a warm smile on his face as he took another sip of his hot coffee.
His other earlobe extended towards the kettle that was on the table beside him, he filled in another cup of warm liquid and formed a chair right in front of him.
"Take a seat..." Enel said as he placed the cup on the armrest in front of him. Robin simply nodded, shivering slightly as she walked sat down on the chair and warmed her hands on the cup.
The temperature was really low after all, most of the people on board weren't bothered by it, including Larthy, but Robin was still significantly weaker than the others.
She had made a lot of progress, but she was still far from mastering Armament Haki or the 6 powers. Especially since she had put most of her free time into reading Poneglyphs.
Staying inside was not a problem, but outside where the wind flowed freely was a lot colder.
"So... I see that you've gone through a few things..." Robin said as she sat down, the chair underneath her becoming warmer as she did, making her smile a bit as she realized Enel had likely noticed her shivering.
'He's as attentive as usual... Even though he doesn't seem to be in the best of places himself...'
"Hmm... I guess you could say that! Yahahaha" Enel laughed a bit as he looked at his missing arm, an issue that seemed rather small compared to the other things that were constantly on his mind as of late.
The lightning emperor then stopped laughing, looking to the side at Oven, who was slumped to the side and snoring slightly.
"..." Robin didn't quite know how to proceed with that. She had always been smart in the way she talked to people, she was always good at manipulating others.
But sometimes people were simply difficult to read. And Enel was one of those people.
"I appreciate the concern, Robin." Enel's warm smile resurfaced as he settled his gaze upon her once more.
"But I am fine as I am now. Whether I lose an arm or all of my limbs, my will shall remain unhindered." Enel spoke as his Haki flared up naturally for a second, Enel immediately suppressed it, allowing only some specks of red lightning to come out of his eyes as he shook his head.
Robin blinked a few times when seeing that momentary change, and could only smile when seeing his resolve.
"I am glad that you're in high spirits then... I guess this late-night intervention wasn't needed after all..." Robin raised an eyebrow as she spoke, a cheeky smile rose to her lips as she took another sip of the coffee Enel had given her.
"Now now, I wouldn't go that far..." Enel coughed a bit as he didn't quite like what he had heard. "As I've said, your concern is greatly appreciated. Having people care about me is always nice."
Robin smiled even more when seeing the slight blush on Enel's cheeks.
'This is the first time I've seen him actually blush... He's not one to get easily flustered...' Robin sighed internally as she continued smiling at her accomplishment.
To the side, Oven, who was still pretending to be asleep had his eyes wider than the cannonballs he shot out of his arm.
'HOLY SHIT?! Enel actually acting like this is not something I expected to see in my lifetime!'
To Oven, it felt like he was watching a world-changing moment. He quickly closed his eyes though, not wanting to ruin whatever was happening with his presence.
'I never thought I'd be acting as a wingman(of sorts, I guess) to an Emperor...'
"Never seen you make that face before... I guess I should spend more time around you. Who knows what other faces you might start making?"
Robin said as the calm smile on her face seemed to turn more and more mischievous.
"Enough about that-!" Enel said as he made a large X with his earlobes in front of Robin's face and turned his head slightly to the side.
He looked at the stars for a few seconds before turning his head back to Robin, having composed himself already.
"Would you mind telling me more about the stuff you guys found? The cliff notes of everything were interesting, but I'd love to hear more from you..."
The Lightning Emperor said as he ignored Robin's mischievous smile.
"Of course... There is plenty to talk about." The Archeologist simply smiled as she started speaking.
Their conversation went long into the night, with Oven falling asleep at some point during it, and Enel attentively listening to the entire time.
In the morning, Enel was also visited by a few marines, which prompted Robin to leave. Aokiji seemed to want to talk to her, again, but Akainu simply tapped him on the shoulder and prompted him to move along.
'Some things can't be fixed, no matter how many times you apologise, or if you do it at all.' Enel sighed a bit at that thought.
He realised that it was difficult for Robin to be on the same team and on the same ship with the people that had taken part in the murder of her entire family and island.
Honestly, he had expected her to actually be more fearful of them. But whether it was due to his presence, or the presence of the revolutionaries, it seemed that Robin's fear had already vanished.
The following days were a lot less eventful. With Robin visiting a few more times and keeping him company alongside Oven, Larthy and a few others.
Enel didn't spar with Oven or anyone at all during the entire journey. Though Enel truly wished that they could have.
More specifically, Enel wanted to beat up Oven after the Sweet Commander had winked at him the morning after Robin left for the first time.
Unfortunately, he needed to conserve his energy the entire journey, so as to not have any stops along the way.
And it had thankfully paid off.
As they had managed to complete the journey across the world in only a bit over two weeks. The Sky Islands were ironically somewhere in the skies in the East Blue, smack above the sea that was Garp's home.
Enel could only sweat a bit when he looked at the scene in front of him though.
'Were there always this many islands? What the fuck happened here?'
It was only now that Enel somewhat regretted not visiting the Sky Islands at all during his journey...
__________________________________________________________________
Hope you liked the chapter! Enel finally returned to the Sky eh?
Also, more character interactions ;)
If u want to support me look up VeganMaster(Vegan Cult) on Patre_on, you'd also get 10 chapters in advance (or 5 depending on tier)
_________ POV Narration _________
Things had been rather quiet on the Sky Islands ever since Shiki joined the fray. The worry of simply drifting off and being found by government agents completely vanished.
With his precise control, they were now in a somewhat fixed position, ignoring the wind and slowly orbiting around the coalition of islands that he had gathered.
Francisco and the Golden Lion still got along rather well. Garp hung around them for a while but didn't really join the conversation still.
Gan Fall did end up joining them though, he even got along quite well with Shiki. The two of them had both been good friends of Roger, at least Shiki liked to think he was one.
They had a lot of stories to share, and Francisco was rather happy to hear more about the man that had taken down his captain.
The more Francisco heard, the more he understood that the Pirate King truly deserved his title.
Roger had fought Xebec a bit before his prime, it was a fight in which he grew immensely both as a swordsman and Haki master.
Francisco was rather confident from the stories he heard, that Roger had at least become as powerful as Xebec had been in his prime.
Garp was still as wary as he was in the beginning. But he was also less worried, knowing that it was about time Enel actually showed up on the island, and he figured Enel's presence would at least even things out if something were to happen.
Francisco was strong, sure, but Garp was confident that he could take him on with a bit of support from the Lighting Emperor.
Things did become complicated when Shiki got involved, but Garp was somewhat banking on the fact that Enel was strong enough to face the Golden Lion while supporting him.
Francisco sure had more attacking power, but Garp was still confident that his endurance and armament would win in the end, if of course, he managed to convince Bonney to return him to his prime.
Though not weakened greatly by his age, he couldn't afford to even be weakened slightly when facing someone like Francisco.
The problem was that Bonney herself was a pirate, not only that, a pirate that seemed to be getting along really well with Francisco...
It was really annoying for Garp, but at least the recruits were mostly on his side.
Wyper and Bellamy were still stuck in their training, with Garp now drilling every single Sky Guard a lot harder, actually doubling their training and the amount of effort that they had to put in.
His training was considered difficult in the past, but now it basically left everyone unable to feel their bodies midway through the routine.
Garp drilled them like they were animals, and it was gruelling.
Barely a few days had passed since that new training routine had started, and virtually no one had gotten used to the increased workload yet.
The only people that were managing to hold on properly were Wyper, who was physically the strongest on the island among the recruits, and Bellamy, who was surprisingly resolute about growing stronger and also had a better base than most other recruits.
Garp made sure to give the two of them some attention after seeing that they had more resistance. That attention resulted in a lot more work for them, to the point where they passed out after every session.
Wyper being Francisco's pupil in Conqueror's Haki wasn't an issue to Garp, at least not at first. Though the Old Sword Master did complain that Wyper was left too tired to train with him.
Garp was forced to take it easier on him from that day. As the old marine realized the importance of Francisco's training.
Having another powerful Conqueror's Haki user in their midst was not a bad thing, and Garp knew that there were few people in the world more qualified than Francisco when it came to Conqueror's Haki.
And since Wyper was taken, Garp decided to take in someone as well... And that person ended up being Bellamy.
Garp didn't care much about him being some petty pirate. It was already clear that he was loyal to them from the resolve he showed.
It had also been Enel's choice to let him join their training, so Garp decided to trust his judgement once more.
Bellamy took the opportunity in stride, and he immediately started sticking to Garp and trying to learn everything from the former marine hero.
Shiki didn't really get involved in the training, nor did he try to. He was also a master of Conqueror's Haki and Armament, but he had his own men to worry about.
His armies were actually more numerous than that of the Sky Islands. But they weren't a lot stronger.
Shiki didn't really have any major retainers though, as he had been in hiding for a long time. The people gathered under him were mostly lowly pirates, with one good scientist, that was about it.
The Golden Lion didn't bother drilling them either, but he made sure they behaved and respected him well.
They were also forbidden from setting foot on the Sky Islands. Not that they could fly over to them without Shiki's help anyway...
The training went on for another week. A full week of training, in which the blimps of the Revolutionary army were slowly but surely making their way towards the flying islands.
Their convoy wormed around in the new world and then the Calm Belt, sailing above the clouds using the wind that Dragon was controlling to make their blimps go faster, allowing them to somewhat keep up with Enel's newer, lighter ship.
Dragon and Enel both made sure to control the clouds as much as they could, allowing them to have a constant cover so that no one below would notice their convoy.
They were up high, and the temperature reflected that as well, as some of the blimps had even caught thin layers of ice on them.
The Lightning Emperor usually took care of that, his control over his devil fruit was precise enough to allow him to simply melt the thin ice without burning the blimp itself.
Enel's ship was transporting all of the marines and a few elites of the Revolutionary Army. Including Larthy and Robin, who were more of a package deal at that point.
The two of them needed to be together to discuss and compile all of the information that they had.
They all had separate rooms underneath the deck of the ship. And Oven stood by Enel's side at all times.
Enel sat down for most of the week, his palm sparkling with electricity as he touched the arm of his chair, his head was tilted to the side as his cold eyes scanned the stars in front of him.
From time to time, his observation haki would flare up alongside a stream of electromagnetic waves, spreading within the massive range that the Lightning Emperor covered with ease.
As to not tire himself, Enel periodically used the radar at fixed intervals and for a fixed time.
He was after all supposed to be awake for two weeks, keeping up both the engine of his ship and making sure that their convoy was both unnoticed and unfollowed.
Dragon helped a bit on the unnoticed part, but his Observation Haki was nowhere near as developed as Enel's.
His lack of radar also meant that he was unable to see through any stealth technique that could slip by his regular Observation.
Enel had inadvertently created the perfect advanced observation technique that couldn't be replicated by anyone that wasn't him.
Well, technically anyone could do it, as long as they had absolute control over electromagnetic waves...
Enel's emotionless eyes scanned the stars without any reaction. Oven was asleep at that moment, passed out on the ground. He had stayed awake as much as he could, but in the end, still fell asleep.
His earlobe twirled around and reached for a table that stood by his side, clasping around a large metallic cup of cold coffee.
As he brought the coffee cup closer to him, his earlobe sparkled a bit, and the cold coffee instantly started releasing steam.
'I will never get over how convenient this power is...' Enel sighed as he sipped some warm liquid with a small smile, his emotionless visage breaking for a few seconds, though his eyes still remained cold, thoughtful.
'So much has happened in the past few months... It can't even be compared to the decades I had spent with my nose buried in books...'
Enel couldn't help but ponder on how uneventful his previous life had actually been. Fleeting, hard to recall even.
The only notable thing he had done was find that ancient civilization... Which was still a result of his obsession and study.
In that new life of his, he had gotten to see a lot more. He had explored the world and seen places that not many had the pleasure to witness.
The view from above the clouds was a strange one at first, but now it felt like home to Enel. The most exciting part?
'There is still so much to explore...'
Enel simply felt as if his curiosity would never truly be sated. The more he looked, the more there was to look for.
The mythical beasts being real, the origin of devil fruits, the truth about Nika... So many questions had risen up in his journey...
'This is truly enjoyable...' Enel couldn't help but release a relaxed sigh when thinking about that.
Then, his eyes spotted someone approaching him. His cold look immediately turned into something much warmer.
"Enel..." A gentle voice rang in his ears, as the wind around the emperor seemed to quiet down.
"Robin! Glad to see you are healthy." Enel said with a warm smile on his face as he took another sip of his hot coffee.
His other earlobe extended towards the kettle that was on the table beside him, he filled in another cup of warm liquid and formed a chair right in front of him.
"Take a seat..." Enel said as he placed the cup on the armrest in front of him. Robin simply nodded, shivering slightly as she walked sat down on the chair and warmed her hands on the cup.
The temperature was really low after all, most of the people on board weren't bothered by it, including Larthy, but Robin was still significantly weaker than the others.
She had made a lot of progress, but she was still far from mastering Armament Haki or the 6 powers. Especially since she had put most of her free time into reading Poneglyphs.
Staying inside was not a problem, but outside where the wind flowed freely was a lot colder.
"So... I see that you've gone through a few things..." Robin said as she sat down, the chair underneath her becoming warmer as she did, making her smile a bit as she realized Enel had likely noticed her shivering.
'He's as attentive as usual... Even though he doesn't seem to be in the best of places himself...'
"Hmm... I guess you could say that! Yahahaha" Enel laughed a bit as he looked at his missing arm, an issue that seemed rather small compared to the other things that were constantly on his mind as of late.
The lightning emperor then stopped laughing, looking to the side at Oven, who was slumped to the side and snoring slightly.
"..." Robin didn't quite know how to proceed with that. She had always been smart in the way she talked to people, she was always good at manipulating others.
But sometimes people were simply difficult to read. And Enel was one of those people.
"I appreciate the concern, Robin." Enel's warm smile resurfaced as he settled his gaze upon her once more.
"But I am fine as I am now. Whether I lose an arm or all of my limbs, my will shall remain unhindered." Enel spoke as his Haki flared up naturally for a second, Enel immediately suppressed it, allowing only some specks of red lightning to come out of his eyes as he shook his head.
Robin blinked a few times when seeing that momentary change, and could only smile when seeing his resolve.
"I am glad that you're in high spirits then... I guess this late-night intervention wasn't needed after all..." Robin raised an eyebrow as she spoke, a cheeky smile rose to her lips as she took another sip of the coffee Enel had given her.
"Now now, I wouldn't go that far..." Enel coughed a bit as he didn't quite like what he had heard. "As I've said, your concern is greatly appreciated. Having people care about me is always nice."
Robin smiled even more when seeing the slight blush on Enel's cheeks.
'This is the first time I've seen him actually blush... He's not one to get easily flustered...' Robin sighed internally as she continued smiling at her accomplishment.
To the side, Oven, who was still pretending to be asleep had his eyes wider than the cannonballs he shot out of his arm.
'HOLY SHIT?! Enel actually acting like this is not something I expected to see in my lifetime!'
To Oven, it felt like he was watching a world-changing moment. He quickly closed his eyes though, not wanting to ruin whatever was happening with his presence.
'I never thought I'd be acting as a wingman(of sorts, I guess) to an Emperor...'
"Never seen you make that face before... I guess I should spend more time around you. Who knows what other faces you might start making?"
Robin said as the calm smile on her face seemed to turn more and more mischievous.
"Enough about that-!" Enel said as he made a large X with his earlobes in front of Robin's face and turned his head slightly to the side.
He looked at the stars for a few seconds before turning his head back to Robin, having composed himself already.
"Would you mind telling me more about the stuff you guys found? The cliff notes of everything were interesting, but I'd love to hear more from you..."
The Lightning Emperor said as he ignored Robin's mischievous smile.
"Of course... There is plenty to talk about." The Archeologist simply smiled as she started speaking.
Their conversation went long into the night, with Oven falling asleep at some point during it, and Enel attentively listening to the entire time.
In the morning, Enel was also visited by a few marines, which prompted Robin to leave. Aokiji seemed to want to talk to her, again, but Akainu simply tapped him on the shoulder and prompted him to move along.
'Some things can't be fixed, no matter how many times you apologise, or if you do it at all.' Enel sighed a bit at that thought.
He realised that it was difficult for Robin to be on the same team and on the same ship with the people that had taken part in the murder of her entire family and island.
Honestly, he had expected her to actually be more fearful of them. But whether it was due to his presence, or the presence of the revolutionaries, it seemed that Robin's fear had already vanished.
The following days were a lot less eventful. With Robin visiting a few more times and keeping him company alongside Oven, Larthy and a few others.
Enel didn't spar with Oven or anyone at all during the entire journey. Though Enel truly wished that they could have.
More specifically, Enel wanted to beat up Oven after the Sweet Commander had winked at him the morning after Robin left for the first time.
Unfortunately, he needed to conserve his energy the entire journey, so as to not have any stops along the way.
And it had thankfully paid off.
As they had managed to complete the journey across the world in only a bit over two weeks. The Sky Islands were ironically somewhere in the skies in the East Blue, smack above the sea that was Garp's home.
Enel could only sweat a bit when he looked at the scene in front of him though.
'Were there always this many islands? What the fuck happened here?'
It was only now that Enel somewhat regretted not visiting the Sky Islands at all during his journey...
__________________________________________________________________
Hope you liked the chapter! Enel finally returned to the Sky eh?
Also, more character interactions ;)
If u want to support me look up VeganMaster(Vegan Cult) on Patre_on, you'd also get 10 chapters in advance (or 5 depending on tier)
