Chapter 178 - Skypiea 14.

[Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]

Third Person POV

Skypiea, First Half of Grandline.

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Luffy entered the ship's prison, the sounds of his footsteps echoing off the metallic walls, creating a somber atmosphere. The dim light from the lamps illuminated the path to the cell where Enel was detained. Approaching, Luffy observed Enel's figure, chained and visibly downcast, with his head low and eyes fixed on nothing, yet conscious.

Enel, still conscious, didn't bother to raise his gaze to face Luffy. His face showed signs of exhaustion and dejection, highlighted by lack of sleep and food. The atmosphere in the cell was laden with a mix of defeat and resignation, a contrasting sight from the first time Luffy met that user of the Goro Goro no Mi.

Luffy stopped in front of the bars, silently observing Enel for a moment. "Enel," Luffy called, but there was no response. The former God of Skypiea remained still, as if lost in his own thoughts and defeats.

Luffy sighed, realizing Enel's state of mind. "You haven't eaten anything since you were brought here, huh? I came here to talk to you, I've decided what I'm going to do with you." Luffy commented, but still, Enel remained silent, his expression unchanged.

Finally, Enel lifted his head, facing Luffy with a look mixing curiosity and disdain. For a moment, Luffy couldn't help but be a bit perplexed. 

"Hm? I expected to find someone angry and full of hate for me, hurling insults at me, not someone... with a defeated expression..." Luffy commented, crossing his arms. He was still surprised by Enel's expression.

"What do you want, demon. Have you come to mock me?" Enel spoke for the first time, but his tone wasn't as arrogant as it used to be.

"Enel, listen carefully. I'm not here to mock your defeat." Luffy spoke dryly after recovering from the initial surprise.

Enel, with his empty and defeated gaze, met Luffy's eyes. "I've lost everything... My divinity, my power... What else is left for me now, what do you want??"

"You lost a fight, even I can't win them all, why are you so downcast?"

"I lost, I'm no longer a god! Are you happy now? I'm a fraud." Enel said, sounding like a boy losing his favorite toy.

"Hm?! So you take this thing even more seriously than I could imagine!" Luffy wanted to slap him at that moment. He expected someone arrogant, but Enel seemed just a shell of what he used to be, after losing a fight. Luffy put his fingers to his chin and thought about how to deal with a guy like this.

"You might have lost the fight, Enel, but that doesn't completely define you. Defeat is just a path to becoming stronger, we humans always learn from our mistakes and move forward improving, that's what makes us so special." Luffy said, adopting a thoughtful tone.

"I was a god, not a human..." Enel murmured.

"Whatever..." Luffy was holding himself back from punching this guy.

Enel, looking back down, replied, "To lose to a mere pirate who arrived on the same day... I am not worthy of being a god."

"You may have lost our fight, but do you still want to be a god, can you still be one?" Luffy asked casually, trying not to hit the guy.

Enel looked at him with some surprise. "I could? I'm no longer invincible." He grumbled.

"As I said, defeat is part of the path and the ladder. Enel, want your title of god back? Then defeat me in a fight, join me on my journey to the top of the world, and beat me by then, you will be considered a god again. To be a god, you have to be at the top of this world, and if you don't defeat my future self, you will never be the strongest in the world," Luffy spoke calmly, imagining he would be among the most powerful forces in the world.

"What would I gain by joining you and why would I do that?" Enel spoke in a slightly surprised tone.

"You'll gain power, fame, and riches, everything a god can gain, and not just in Skypiea. Your abilities are not yet at their peak, you can become much more powerful than now. There will be many powerful adversaries in that time, adversaries you couldn't even imagine beyond me. This journey is not just for you to grow stronger, but to reach the pinnacle of the planet, isn't that what you desire, Enel?" Luffy argued.

"This..." Enel was somewhat lost.

"Moreover, you've only lived on the sky island, you don't know the vastness of the blue sea. I'm giving you a chance to truly know this world, your chance to see and evolve your knowledge and strength, like a true god." Luffy decided to take this quite strange approach in his opinion, but if it results in a new powerful companion, he will do it, as he has approached some members of his crew in a very strange way too. He looked at Enel before the latter could respond and continued.

"But don't think it will be easy here, it will be a gain-gain proposition, you help me and I help you, aiming to conquer the entire blue sea of this world. In the end, you beat me and become a god again, recognized not just by this realm, but by a number of people thousands of times greater than the inhabitants of Skypiea." Luffy concluded.

Enel, surprised by the unusual and intriguing proposal of this demon, Enel called him that because of Luffy's final form, so he nicknamed him that in the end and saw only Luffy using his human form to hide that beast inside him. Enel pondered for a moment, his empty eyes reflecting a mix of doubt and despair. However, even in his defeat, the flame of ambition still burned within him.

"Are you... serious?" Enel asked cautiously.

"Absolutely," Luffy replied confidently. "I believe we all evolve constantly, in overcoming defeats, you'll become stronger and stronger. If you wish to be a god again, then accept the challenge. Prove yourself, not just to me, but to yourself. A god isn't the most powerful being if I reach the top of this world and you defeat me, who would dare deny your divinity?"

Enel, though hesitant, seemed to consider the proposal. He raised his head, a glint of determination returning to his eyes.

"I accept the challenge, demon. I will be your ally, but only until the top of the world. And when the time comes, I will surpass you and reclaim my place as a true god!"

Luffy cracked a knowing smile, recognizing the spark of resolve in Enel. "Great, then it will be an interesting journey, Enel. Get ready for what's to come, because you've had an easy life here, from this moment, you'll know what it's like to work hard to get stronger."

Enel, still cautious, agreed with a nod. "But don't think this is a forever alliance. The moment we reach the top, it will be my time to claim my place as a true god."

"Understood, Enel. Our alliance is until then," Luffy replied, maintaining his casual tone.

[System - Crew: Enel has joined as a member of your crew!]

'This is very good.' Luffy thought, now he had a second logia in his crew.

"Eat this and let's go outside." Luffy asked him to at least eat and Enel did just that, Luffy waited for him and as soon as the man had eaten his first meal in days, the new captain of the former god released him from his chains, asking him to follow him outside.

As soon as they left the ship, the main crew and fleet were on deck having their first meal, everyone looked surprised to see Luffy accompanied by Enel right behind him, astonishing people with this new character, if there had been one of the Shandies at that moment, they probably would have attacked Enel.

"I see you've recruited him, Captain," Zoro spoke from a corner, a bit surprised.

"Luffy and his charisma are unbeatable..." Nojiko commented.

"He must have been threatened," Nami said jokingly, mocking Luffy.

"Hello Prisoner-Sama, are you a new member of the crew?" Shirahoshi asked, approaching Luffy.

Enel, still adjusting to his new position, looked at the mermaid princess. "Yes, it seems so," he replied, his voice still carrying a trace of his former arrogance.

The crew's reaction varied between surprise, mistrust, and curiosity. Enel, noticing the stares, raised his voice, attempting to reaffirm his superiority. "Listen well, mortals, I am still Enel, the god of thunder. I am here not by defeat, but by choice. This... pirate," he said, pointing to Luffy, "proposed a challenge I could not refuse."

"Are you threatening Luffy-Sama?" Shirahoshi asked, a bit cautious.

"Yes, I will defeat him and reclaim my title as a god! So, I will eventually defeat him," Enel said firmly, but before he could respond, a punch enveloped in Haki struck him.

The other god once again fell unconscious on the deck. Enel was so exhausted from not eating and sleeping in the last few days that he couldn't react to the mermaid's punch beside Luffy.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The deck fell silent after that. Shirahoshi had just defeated the terrible and arrogant god with a single move.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! You don't need to act like that, Shira. We have an agreement that he must defeat me as long as he works with us from now on," Luffy commented, laughing.

"It seems this god is nothing..." Mikita murmured, looking at the fallen Enel in a corner.

"Anyway, Chopper, take care of him," Luffy spoke to his only doctor present.

"Yes, Luffy!" Chopper rushed to check on Enel.

"Hugo. As soon as Enel wakes up, get him familiar with the crew's operation and each member, and if he causes trouble, you can beat him," Luffy turned to his companion. Hugo had already mastered Armament Haki, something he had shown talent for.

"Leave it to me, Captain. I'm sure the god and I can become great friends!" Hugo said, cracking his knuckles, already imagining that he might have to hit Enel a few times.

"That's good. Anyway, I'm noticing some of you are missing, where are Reiju and Lami?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Reiju prepared breakfast and left with Lami, they had some kind of competition, as usual..." Vivi murmured.

Everyone knew how competitive they were with each other, ever since they started training in this realm. They had been competing at various times of the day in some corner of the upper garden, and Luffy had to call them for training; otherwise, they would spend all day competing and insulting each other.

"I see..." Luffy murmured and walked off to a corner.

"I'll deal with them, you guys can start the daily training, and Hugo, beat Enel until he loses his arrogance, it would be annoying to have someone talking like that all the time during our journey." Luffy said and jumped into the air, heading towards where his companions were at the moment, determined to end their competition in a way that he practiced with all his women when he was dissatisfied with something.

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Raccoon here: I used the same approach I did in the Brook fanfic for dealing with Enel, hope it was convincing.

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