4 Chapter 4 : Sky Island

The following day, a piece of news and two bounties made waves across the seas, catching the attention of major factions and thrusting the names Noel and Genos into the spotlight.

On a certain island, one of the Four Emperors, Red-Haired Shanks, looked at Noel's image in the newspaper with a grin, his eyes filled with amusement. "This kid's gone and plundered the gold of Celestial Dragons; he's truly gone mad."

"Boss, this kid's something else. Just setting foot on the sea, and he's already using Haki..." Lucky Roo commented as he gnawed on a chicken drumstick, his eyes fixed on the newspaper.

Shanks nodded with a smile. Indeed, the young pirate was both fearsome and audacious, showing great promise despite hailing from the East Blue. Thoughts of East Blue inevitably led his mind to Luffy, the boy who had set sail with dreams of becoming the Pirate King.

In the New World, on Dressrosa, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Donquixote Doflamingo, sneered as he read the newspaper. "Hmph, these two youngsters even dared to plunder the celestial's gold."

His words hung heavily in the room, leaving the other executives in quiet astonishment. They, too, were taken aback by the audacity of these two pirates who had just ventured out to sea.

"They're heading for the Sabaody Archipelago next," one of the executives remarked. They were all too aware that their young master had become a Warlord by plundering celestial's gold and then blackmailing the World Government. They also understood the immense value of the celestial gold and the repercussions of such an act, including the involvement of Naval Headquarters' admirals due to the gravity of the situation.

In the East Blue, in Windmill Village, Luffy and Ace also saw the wanted posters. After a month, they had finally caught wind of Noel's exploits, and both brothers were filled with excitement.

Noel, however, remained unaware of the concerns brewing among the major factions, as he and Genos had set their sights on the mysterious Sky Island.

"This world is truly astonishing," Noel remarked, gazing at the white clouds surrounding them. Seeing it in reality was a stark contrast to the depictions in anime.

Genos nodded in agreement, equally amazed by the otherworldly nature of Sky Island, defying the laws of physics.

"Let's go, Genos. We need to find our second crew member," Noel exhaled deeply and spoke with determination.

Their objective in Sky Island was clear: they aimed to confront Enel, the Logia user with the Thunder-Thunder Fruit ability. While Enel had been defeated by Luffy in the original story, Noel didn't underestimate his strength; he believed Luffy's protagonist aura had played a significant role. Enel possessed the power to transform into lightning and boasted advanced Observation Haki. Under these circumstances, losing to Luffy wasn't just luck; it was the protagonist's plot armor at work.

Enel's power was formidable, exceeding that of ordinary Vice Admirals, if not rivaling Admirals. As Noel and Genos journeyed onwards, their path remained relatively trouble-free, and they soon reached Angel Island.

Upon encountering four imposing figures blocking their way, Noel couldn't help but grin. These were the four priests of Sky Island; it appeared that Enel had anticipated their arrival.

Noel wasn't surprised by Enel's foresight; with his Thunder-Thunder Fruit powers, his Observation Haki could cover the entire Sky Island. Furthermore, when they entered Sky Island, the Angel at Angel's Gate would have undoubtedly notified Enel.

"Foreigners from the Blue Sea, trespassing in Sky Island without permission, breaching the forbidden zone on divine orders..." Ohm, the priest responsible for the Ordeals of Iron, began sternly before Noel interrupted him.

"What were you about to say about divine orders?" Noel swiftly appeared next to Ohm, placing a hand on his shoulder with a smile.

"Impossible... What speed is this?" Ohm, held by Genos, stared wide-eyed.

Even Satori, who possessed Observation Haki, hadn't sensed Genos' arrival. In an instant, the two had appeared beside them at an astonishing speed.

"The Flame Bullet..." Shura, the quickest to react, thrust his spear towards Noel.

"Domain—Suppression..." Noel calmly smiled, his voice unwavering.

As his words resounded, the surrounding space trembled, Shura's body shook, his movements faltered, and he sank into the ground under the weight of an overwhelming pressure.

Boom, boom!

The four priests found themselves anchored to the ground, their feet buried deep, shock etched on their faces.

"Repulsion-Shockwave." Noel released Ohm and slowly extended his right hand, taking aim directly at Shura.

Shura's eyes widened in fear as he stared at Noel's outstretched hand. Suddenly, he felt a powerful gust of wind rushing toward him.

Amidst the screams and the stunned expressions of the three other priests, a tremendous shockwave erupted from Noel's hand, striking Shura head-on.

The ground shook, blood spattered, and with a cry, Shura was sent hurtling away.

All of this unfolded in the blink of an eye, from Noel's initial attack to Shura being blasted away, leaving almost everyone else in shock and disbelief.

"Now, it's your turn," Noel's playful voice echoed in their ears as they stared at him in fear, and Genos, with a stern expression, at his side.

Gurgle...