HST: Chapter 60/61

Chapter 60: Obliterated

"This is the power of the thunder god. Are you afraid now, insect?"

Enel looked down at Caelan, his voice booming like thunder.

"You can't become a true powerhouse by relying solely on a Devil Fruit."

"Pathetic false god."

Caelan raised his head and met the gaze of the towering thunder god without flinching. His voice was calm and steady, but it resonated louder than any thunder crackling through the sky.

Seeing Caelan mock him so directly, Enel was incensed.

He was the true god, the one who commanded thunder, the one none could question.

Yet, again and again, his divine authority had been challenged by this mortal. It was the ultimate insult. And such blasphemy would be met with divine punishment.

"I'll obliterate you with thunder today!"

Enel roared, the sky rolling with thunder in response.

The massive Thunder God raised its right arm, blazing with blue-white lightning, and brought it down like a mountain crushing the earth.

"You've abandoned your only advantage. Now you've ensured your defeat."

Caelan shook his head, sentencing Enel with a cold and final tone.

The only real threat Enel posed to Caelan was his speed in lightning form. But Enel, blinded by rage, had given that up.

This Thunder God form might look overwhelming, but it was just a giant target.

"[Noble Phantasm]: Nine Lives: Shooting the Hundred Heads!"

Caelan raised his massive sword, gathering mana and power within his body into its edge.

The pressure surged skyward, scattering the thunderclouds above like smoke.

Boom!

Under Enel's stunned eyes, a colossal shockwave shattered the Thunder God's right arm. A heartbeat later, the entire Thunder God was obliterated.

Enel's Mantra sensed the danger, and he instinctively tried to become lightning to escape. But the wave moved faster than his thoughts.

Caught in the blast, he lost all breath and presence within that immense burst of energy.

Without the Thunder God's protection, the energy continued on, piercing the island itself. It even tore through the sea of clouds, carving out a massive trench that took a long time to mend.

The thunderous impact and spectacle of battle left everyone stunned, unable to react for several moments.

Caelan sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"Thank you, Mr. Caelan!"

Conis jogged over and bowed deeply.

Behind her, McKinley and his soldiers stood flushed with awe, unable to form words.

They had come expecting to die, never imagining they would witness such an epic battle. A so-called god had fallen before them—completely outmatched.

After the brief moment of joy, McKinley quickly sent several men to deliver the news back to Angel Island.

"Enel... is really dead?"

Gan Fall muttered, still in disbelief, as though sleepwalking.

The man who once defeated him and all his priests with ease, the self-proclaimed god who had ruled the sky for six long years, had truly fallen?

"Yes. Dead. Ashes-in-the-wind kind of dead."

Caelan answered with certainty as he looked at Gan Fall.

Enel had been completely annihilated, his body reduced to ash and scattered into the sky.

If someone could still return from that, then Caelan would be willing to call them a true god.

Hearing Caelan's confirmation, Gan Fall burst into tears, his whole body trembling.

The tyrant god of thunder was finally gone. This land was finally free again.

He had once dreamed of a warrior from the Blue Sea falling from the sky to defeat Enel.

He never thought such a fantasy would actually come true.

Beside him, Wyper stared at Caelan, questioning everything he had ever known.

Was this man really just a human? The Thunder God Enel had filled him with hopeless despair. But Caelan's counterattack was so overwhelming, so effortless, that it didn't feel real.

As a descendant of the great warrior Kalgara, this was the first time Wyper felt he could not raise his weapon against someone.

The thunder god they couldn't defeat—before Caelan, he was as fragile as a child. The gap was too enormous.

…

Back on Angel Island, everyone stared at the sky above Upper Yard in silence.

Massive thunderclouds churned above, and bolts of lightning occasionally flashed down.

They knew this power all too well. It was the power of God Enel.

"God is angry. Those Blue Sea people... and Conis... they're finished!"

The residents whispered in despair.

Pagaya, Conis's father, was already weeping, grief-stricken. Would his daughter even survive this?

If he had been there, he would have stopped her. He was old. He should have gone in her place.

But under such divine wrath, no one could survive. Not even the strongest warrior.

Then, suddenly, a massive beam of light pierced through the thunderclouds, dispersing them entirely.

The lightning ceased. The clouds vanished. A clear sky returned above Upper Yard.

That Blue Sea man… had really defeated Enel's power?

Could he really stand against the god of Sky Island?

The residents of Angel Island found it hard to believe. How could an omniscient, omnipotent god be defeated?

Soon after, McKinley's messengers arrived with the truth.

"The warrior from the Blue Sea, Caelan Alaric, has completely defeated Enel!"

One of the young warriors rushed through Angel Town, face flushed with excitement as he shouted the news.

"God has been defeated?!"

The people cried out in disbelief.

They had lived under Enel's rule for six years. None of them could imagine a power strong enough to overcome his.

But the spectacle they had seen in the sky… and now this news, delivered by warriors who had been there… it had to be true.

"Enel is dead! We're free!"

The entire island erupted in cheers and celebration.

For six years, they had been shackled in fear. One word of disrespect could mean death by divine punishment.

But now, those chains were broken. The island felt liberated for the first time in years.

They regretted not having the courage to go and witness it themselves, to see the face of the Blue Sea warrior who had brought down a god.

"Then... Conis is still alive?"

Pagaya asked, voice trembling.

"Of course. Thanks to the strength of Warrior Caelan, everyone is safe!"

The soldier who delivered the news smiled, full of admiration and gratitude.

"Good… that's good…"

Pagaya finally relaxed. The tears hadn't yet dried on his cheeks, but now they were replaced by a smile of pure relief.

Conis lived.
Enel was dead.
Angel Island had hope again.

…

Outside Upper Yard, the Shandian elder stood with Aisa and Raki, gazing up at the sky anxiously.

"Aisa, what do you sense?"

Even though he saw the thunder clouds vanish, the elder still could not fully believe it.

Aisa closed her eyes and used her powerful innate Observation Haki to scan the battlefield.

"Enel's presence is gone."

"The presence of the Blue Sea man wiped him out. He's even more powerful than a god."

Aisa opened her eyes, still in shock.

She had been tracking the battle with her Mantra the entire time. She had watched the Shandian warriors fall, seen Wyper collapse, and she had begun to lose all hope.

Then Caelan arrived and the invincible god had fallen.

"Good… very good! Let's go thank the mighty warrior from the Blue Sea."

The elder cried tears of joy and began walking with Aisa and Raki toward the battlefield.

They had followed their ancestors' vow for generations, to reclaim Upper Yard and reignite the light of Shandora. Now, that dream was finally in reach.

Halfway there, the elder suddenly paused and turned to Raki.

"Go back to the village and tell everyone the good news. Bring some gifts. We must honor him properly."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 61: I Was Just Joking

After a long and urgent journey, the Shandians finally arrived at the battlefield.

At this moment, Wyper could barely stand, and the other elite warriors who had been knocked down by the priests had also recovered to some extent.

"Great Elder, you're here. It was this powerful warrior from the Blue Sea who defeated Enel."

Wyper pointed at Caelan and introduced him.

"I already know. Aisa told me everything."

The Great Elder nodded, then quietly observed everyone present.

Caelan stood at the center, surrounded by Nami and the other women. Conis, McKinley, and the Sky Islanders were lined up around him, expressing their gratitude.

In contrast, the Shandian warriors were scattered and uncoordinated. Though they were also thankful, none of them had managed to approach Caelan.

The Great Elder couldn't help but curse inwardly. These muscle-headed fools had no idea how to read the room.

The Blue Sea warrior might not remember who praised him, but he would definitely remember who didn't.

"And that's Gan Fall, the last god of Sky Island. That old guy is still here too!"

The elder's eyes narrowed as he spotted Gan Fall near Caelan, praising him enthusiastically. A bad feeling surged in the elder's chest.

Before Enel came to Sky Island, the Shandians and Gan Fall's people were bitter enemies. Even if Gan Fall turned to ashes, he'd still recognize him.

"Great Elder, did you say that old knight used to be the god?"

Wyper, along with Braham, Kamakiri, and Genbo, was stunned. Seeing Gan Fall chumming it up with Caelan made their expressions turn sour.

Enel was dead, but who would now control Upper Yard?

Would they really have to fight Sky Islanders again over its ownership?

The Shandians had been fighting that war for 400 years. But after witnessing the battle between Caelan and Enel, war now felt meaningless. Their own struggles looked childish in comparison.

Any one of Caelan or Enel's attacks could've wiped them out hundreds of times over.

Now, Caelan clearly leaned closer to the Sky Islanders. If he supported them, the Shandians would have no chance of winning.

Their best option now was to further express their gratitude and make sure they did not become Caelan's enemies.

The elder took a deep breath. He saw that Laki was preparing to return and fetch the gifts. Without delay, he stepped toward Caelan.

"Mr. Caelan, thank you for defeating Enel and saving our Shandian warriors."

The elder bowed deeply, his gratitude genuine.

It was both respect for the strong and sincere thanks for saving their lives.

"Old man, you're being too polite."

Caelan replied casually. He had heard so many thank-yous by now that he was starting to feel numb to them.

"We Shandians admire you greatly. We've prepared a gift. I hope you won't refuse."

The elder smiled warmly, still full of gratitude.

A gift? Now he was listening.

Caelan raised an eyebrow, curious to see what surprise the elder had brought. If it turned out to be something like their sacred soil, he'd be annoyed.

The elder waved his hand. Laki led several strong men carrying a massive golden pillar to present it to Caelan.

"We don't have much in the Shandian tribe, so we hope you'll accept this local treasure."

The elder looked sincerely apologetic.

You expect anyone to resist this kind of temptation?

Caelan looked at the golden pillar, and his expression visibly softened. He even started to find the elder a bit more likable.

Nami's eyes practically turned into Berries. A golden pillar of this size had to be worth at least 700 or 800 million.

Even Vivi's jaw dropped. As the princess of Alabasta, she had never seen such a magnificent gift of gold.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Keep it for me. I'll take it when I leave Sky Island."

Caelan patted the golden pillar and smiled.

He didn't feel any guilt. After all, he defeated Enel. This could be considered a well-earned reward.

"Of course. We'll guard it for you."

The elder smiled and stroked his beard.

This was the tribe's most prized gold, taken when Sky Islanders occupied Upper Yard four hundred years ago. But it was worth it to win Caelan's favor.

Gan Fall, who had been watching, suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis.

The situation was clear now. Whether out of gratitude or fear, everyone on Sky Island needed to win Caelan's favor.

"Caelan, didn't you say you were interested in our special dials?"

"We're willing to offer all the types we have and help you refit your ship."

Gan Fall smiled respectfully as he made his offer.

Their island's gold had already been stolen by Enel. These shells were all they had left.

"I'll accept it. I'll bring them when I leave."

Caelan smiled back. He was growing more fond of Gan Fall. This old man with thick eyebrows knew how to read a situation.

"Mr. Caelan, we can help collect more dials too!"

Not to be outdone, the Great Elder raised the stakes.

"We also want to erect a statue of you in Angel Island to honor your deeds!"

Gan Fall countered with a powerful offer.

Conis and McKinley nodded in agreement. Erecting a statue for their savior was the least they could do.

"We'll build a statue for you in our tribe as well!"

The Great Elder fired back, unwilling to lose.

Alright, alright. This was getting out of hand.

Caelan looked at the two old men one-upping each other and couldn't help but laugh.

"Enough, enough. If you two keep this up, I'll end up ruling all of Sky Island."

Caelan jokingly separated the two.

"Forgive us."

The two elders flushed red in embarrassment.

Then, surprisingly, they looked at each other… and nodded.

"If you don't mind, Sky Island is yours."

Both elders spoke in unison.

"…Huh?!"

Caelan was stunned. He had only been joking!

(To be continued.)