Chapter 253
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Some things are cherished much more once lost than when owned.
And they become harder to let go of!
But if you never had it to begin with, naturally, there won't be as much reluctance to part with it.
It's like asking online: "If you had one million and were asked to donate nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, would you agree?"
Most people would agree because they don't have one million to begin with; the scenario is hypothetical, so it doesn't matter.
But if someone asks: "If you had ten thousand and were asked to donate nine thousand, would you agree?"
Everyone falls silent.
Because ten thousand they actually have!
However, thinking Enel could be subdued by just a few words is impossible.
Abel doesn't have the time to grind it out with him.
He immediately says: "Sign this contract, and I'll let you leave."
"Choose life or death, it's up to you."
Click!
Abel slaps the seastone handcuffs onto Enel's wrists.
"My powers are gone? What the hell is this?!"
Enel yells out in shock.
Even after his crushing defeat by Abel, he never showed such an expression.
There's one thing he cannot accept, losing the 'power of God'!
He would rather die than live like that.
"This material is called seastone, something specifically used to deal with ability users like you. As soon as it touches your body, your powers will be temporarily stripped away, leaving you weak."
Without the power of lightning, Enel is just an ordinary person; he has no way to remove the seastone handcuffs on his own.
He gnashes his teeth menacingly, "You devil, don't dream of enslaving a true god!"
Well, he's still lost in his world.
Abel really wants to give him a thumbs-up and express his admiration.
"Since you've chosen the path of death, I can only see you off."
"I wonder, when your corpse appears before others, will there be anyone who cries for you? Or will they all clap their hands in satisfaction, thinking you deserved to die, that it's good you're dead?"
Abel raises Onimaru in his hand, seemingly ready to execute Enel for real.
Enel's face twists immediately upon hearing Abel's words.
Clearly, these words hit a nerve!
Just thinking about the faces of those people makes him seethe with rage, unable to suppress it.
He had only recently acquired the 'power of God,' and before he could exact revenge on anyone, is it really worth dying in such frustration?
"Wait!"
Enel suddenly lifts his head, his eyes bloodshot as he stares at Abel.
Of course, Abel doesn't truly strike down; he knows he has already secured his victory.
"If I agree to be your crewmate, will you stop troubling me?"
"I'm always generous to my own people. Not only will I cease bothering you, but I'll also grant you greater power. However, empty promises won't do; you need to sign this contract."
"Fine, I'll sign, and I hope you keep your word. Otherwise, even in death, I won't lift a finger for you."
Enel has no other choice. Even knowing there might be a catch, he has to jump right into the pit.
If it's too much later, he can always find a way to escape.
His limited experience doesn't make him take the contract in front of him seriously; you could say he's naturally rebellious.
Unfortunately for him, Abel is still one step ahead.
As soon as Enel naively signs his name on the contract, this "Contract of Devil's Domain" instantly turns into two beams of white light, entering both Abel and Enel's bodies.This means the contract is complete, and from now on, Enel will be under Abel's absolute control, but his personality and such will remain unaffected.
In other words, Enel is still himself; he only unconditionally obeys when Abel issues a command, and he doesn't see anything wrong with this cognitively.
It's as if 'obeying Abel' is written in his genes from birth.
Abel nods in satisfaction, having gained a strong new ally.
"From now on, call me Boss. This is a Den Den Mushi for contact. Don't use it unless necessary. When I summon you, you must drop everything and come to me."
"I understand, Boss. Any other orders?"
After thinking for a moment, Abel says, "Before you leave, I will leave you the methods to train Observation Haki and Armament Haki. Then all you need to do is to get stronger, and keep getting stronger!"
"Do whatever you want until I summon you; I won't interfere. Just remember, be clear about your revenge and try not to involve too many innocents."
Enel's face shows an unresolvable hatred, prompting Abel to give up on persuasion.
He's no saint; he won't force Enel to give up on revenge.
After all, not everyone can have a tragic childhood and yet grow up to be optimistic like Naruto Uzumaki.
To put it bluntly, some ignorant and foolish villagers don't deserve the protection they get, dying a thousand times wouldn't be satisfying!
If you haven't suffered as they have, don't preach goodness to them.
So if there's hatred in your heart, let it out!
On this matter, Abel will neither help nor stop it.
This relaxes Enel considerably.
"Someone is coming."
Enel suddenly speaks.
Abel's Observation Haki also senses it, and it's a 'familiar face.'
"It's Gan Fall and his Divine Guards."
"That Gan Fall dares to call himself a god? He's nothing but a false god."
Enel looks disdainful, and if Abel hadn't beaten him black and blue, knocking out many of his teeth, perhaps his words would carry more weight.
It's not surprising that Gan Fall could find this place; the noise from their fight was so loud that a Thunder Dragon could be seen soaring into the sky from a distance.
Crack
First, Abel unlocks Enel's seastone handcuffs and then says to him, "Go, show your true power. From now on, there can be only one god in Skypiea."
Enel is stunned for a moment, then gets excited.
"That's right, there can only be one god in Skypiea, and that is me, God Enel!"
With a swoosh, Enel turns into a bolt of lightning and disappears from the spot.
Abel has a way with dealing with such delusional youths.
With the contract "Control over the Demonic," Enel is securely in his grasp.
Soon, there are sounds of thunder and intense fighting nearby.
Enel, having recently suffered a defeat, skips any probing attacks and unleashes a barrage of lightning attacks: Thunderbird, Thunderbeast, Thunder Dragon - all thrown out indiscriminately.
Gan Fall and his Divine Guards are caught off guard, completely overwhelmed!
In no time, they're all stunned and smoking from the electricity.
The two sides are simply not on the same level.
This helps the recently beaten Enel regain his confidence.
"So it turns out I wasn't weak; it's just that the Boss is too strong!"