Chapter 109 - A real lightning god

Arriving at the end of the road, Ryu and Yoruichi came face to face with a bizarre island.

The island was suspended amidst the clouds, its foundation a perplexing riddle, solid yet woven from the threads of billowing white clouds that glowed with a lustrous sheen in the golden sunlight. The clouds' whimsical dance resulted in an ever-evolving topography, with constantly changing roads and pathways that arched in different directions with each new movement of the ground they rested on.

The island's unassuming architecture wove a tale of wonder. Crafted from the very clouds it rested upon, it was processed to mimic the familiar forms of buildings, staircases, and bridges. The island contained an array of majestic towers and regal castles, their rounded roofs and spires soaring skyward.

A delicate network of cloud bridges served as the island's sinews, connecting its various domains with arches that stretched forth like tendrils of wispy mist, trembling ever so slightly in the gentle breeze.

The island was filled with lush vegetation, with towering trees and dense greenery seemingly sprouting from the clouds themselves. The trees swayed to and fro, their movements choreographed by the invisible hand of the winds, casting a variety of shadows upon the cloudy ground below.

Colossal cloud bridges of grand proportions connected the island to its brethren above, its flanks adorned with an entanglement of massive, twisted, tree vines. These tendrils, akin to nature's own ropes, rippled and swung with each gust of wind, their curved extensions curling and uncurling in a hypnotic dance.

As there was no dock, Ryu left the ship at the hands of the Shinobi before teleporting the Yoruichi and himself onto the island.

As their feet made contact with the island's unique terrain, a mixture of surprise and delight washed over them. The cloud beneath their feet seemed solid, yet it simultaneously yielded to their touch, the sensation akin to sinking into the softest of pillows.

"Wow, this feels so weird," Yoruichi commented with a wide smile, enjoying the new terrain.

"Yeah, but I like it. I think I even prefer it to regular ground. It's just so comfortable..." Ryu replied as he got on his back.

Yoruichi couldn't help but let out a chuckle heartedly as she hopped from one foot to the other, testing the elastic and fluffy ground beneath her. The clouds seemed to dance and swirl around each of her steps, giving her a heavenly look.

After a couple more minutes, Ryu and Yoruichi began to explore the island. The sunlight dappled their faces, casting golden highlights upon their hair as they wandered among the towering trees and swaying vines on the beach they arrived at.

The air was crisp and cool against their skin, carrying with it the delicate aroma of the lush vegetation surrounding them, an equal blend of dew-kissed leaves and fragrant blossoms.

As they ventured deeper into the island, Ryu and Yoruichi came upon a charming cloud village, the quaint structures taking on a life of their own as the island's inhabitants went about their daily routines. But as they saw the island's inhabitants, they couldn't help but be confused.

The inhabitants' hair grew upward and outward like the antenna of an insect, held overhead by carefully placed sticks. But why did they do that? What was its purpose?

Additionally, they had delicate, yet seemingly purposeless, wings adorning their upper backs. The wings, though small and adorned with thick, round feathers, were clearly not meant for flight, leaving the couple to ponder their significance.

As they reached the street's end, the two stumbled across a shop that advertised selling Dials.

going inside, the space was filled with shelves and displays of seashell-like objects in all shapes and sizes, arranged in neat and artful patterns that drew the eye. The shells themselves were a mix of colors and textures, from soft pinks and blues to rich purples and greens, and they ranged from tiny, delicate models to large, impressive pieces.

"What are these, exactly?" Ryu asked the shopkeeper as Yoruichi curiously examined a Dial in the background.

"Ah, you two are from the Blue Sea, yes? It's been a while since we had a visitor. These are our Dials. Although they look like Seashells, don't let their appearance fool you. Each one contains a unique ability," the man said as Ryu listened curiously.

"The one your friend is holding, for instance, is the Flash Dial so I recommend her to act fearfully before-" The man couldn't finish his words as an incredibly bright light flashed in the store. "Before that happens..." The man sighed as Yoruichi held her eyes in pain.

"Ouch! What the hell? Put a warning on these things!" She yelled out angrily as she rubbed her eyes. Meanwhile, Ryu was just about to collapse to the floor from a fit of laughter, bearly holding himself up by leaning on the shop's counter.

"Wow, that was so perfectly timed. You have a talent for comedy, Yoruihci," he wheezed while Yoruichi tried to blindly hit him. After regaining their composure, the two continued on their way.

As they crossed one of the delicate cloud bridges, Ryu and Yoruichi looked at the endless cloudy sea that stretched to the horizon. The bridge trembled beneath their feet, its wispy tendrils tickling their ankles and sending goosebumps up their spines.

Arriving on the other side, they strolled through the island's winding streets, pausing to admire the buildings that towered above them. Yoruichi traced her fingers along the walls of a towering spire, feeling the cool, smooth texture, and questioned at how something so ethereal could be so solid.

Continuing on their journey, they stumbled upon a quiet courtyard, where a crystal-clear fountain burbled softly. The water caught the sunlight and refracted it into a dazzling array of colors that danced across the courtyard's walls. They splashed their faces with the cool water, its refreshing touch washing away any remnants of fatigue and filling them with renewed vigor.

But as they were about to search for the next attraction, a local girl came to the fountain.

"Oh, hi! I didn't expect anyone else to be here," the girl said cheerfully as her curious gaze landed on Ryu and Yoruichi.

"Yeah, we're from the... How did he call it? Ah, Blue Sea. We came here to look around," Yoruichi explained as she crouched to reach the girl's eyes.

"You're from the Blue Sea?!" The girl asked excitedly.

"Yup," Yoruichi chuckled as she replied.

"Do you have a god down there too?" The girl asked, causing the duo to freeze.

"There's a god here? I don't sense divinity," Ryu said, confused.

"Of course, you wouldn't sense it here, silly. He's located in the Upper Yard, in his palace," the girl giggled.

"What's his name?" Ryu asked the girl.

"God Enel!" She replied jovially.

"Is that so? Let me check it out," Ryu said as he used Miru to scan the Upper Yard, eventually finding the man in question lazily sitting on a green sofa.

"So, is he a real one?" Yoruichi asked with curiosity.

"No, another fake. And he seems to be tyrannical too..." Ryu replied as he saw Enel suddenly look in his direction.

"But his Observation Haki isn't bad. Maybe I can have a conversation with him. hey, Faker, can you hear me?" Ryu asked the empty air. However, he knew Enel caught his words by the annoyed smile that appeared on his face.

"So that's a yes. Listen, dude, I don't know who allowed you to call yourself a god, but you are far from being one. Not only that, but you're dirtying our name. If you don't change it I'll have to kick your ass," Ryu said as he saw a vein bulge on Enel's forehead.

Enel lazily pointed at the sky, and Ryu felt a large electrical current appear above his head. Then, without warning, a giant bolt of lightning as thick as a house descended on Ryu with a thunderous roar, literally.

But in the face of the coming attack, Ryu stood calm and unphased. As the lightning was about to touch him, it vanished into thin air, the only thing indicating its existence being the townspeople's shocked expressions.

"So you like to play with lightning, huh? That's fine, let's play," Ryu said sadistically as he transformed his divinity into that of lightning and thunder.

The air around Ryu started to crackle with energy, and the skies above darkened as if sensing the impending devastation. With a casual flick of his wrist, Ryu unleashed a divine lightning bolt that struck with the fury of a thousand storms. The cloudy ground beneath him quaked as if trembling in anticipation of the sheer force that would soon be unleashed.

A symphony of thunder roared through the air, drowning out all other sounds as the atmosphere ignited into an inferno of searing white light. In an instant, the sky was torn apart, the very fabric of reality twisting and contorting under the overwhelming power. A storm of energy swirled around the skies of the Upper Yard, signaling that it was too late to flee.

Enel looked on in terror from his residence in God's Shrine, realizing too late that he started a fight with the wrong man. His eyes widened in horror, and his limbs trembled with the pathetic, desperate urge to flee. But there was nowhere to run, no refuge from Ryu's attack. Ryu's divine lightning bolt bore down on him and the Upper Yard with merciless retribution.

In the blink of an eye, the lightning bolt struck God's Shrine, vaporizing it in a blinding flash of light. The once-imposing structure was reduced to nothing, as could be seen by the clear hole that made its way all the way to the bottom of the Blue Sea. Enel's screams were lost amidst the deafening cacophony of thunder and destruction, his life snuffed out in an instant as the devastating power laid waste to everything he had known.

"Calling himself a god and not being able to even stand that, pathetic," Ryu scoffed in disappointment.

"You know that you just gave everyone here and below a heart attack, right?" Yoruichi giggled as she saw the realization on Ryu's face.

"Crap, I might've taken it too far," Ryu sighed as he ran his finger through his hair.

"I think it's time for us to go," Yoruichi laughed at Ryu's awkward response.

"Yeah... At least we managed to explore this place a little bit," Ryu scratched his head awkwardly as he teleported the two of them back to Iron Whiskers.