Chapter 76: How Does Haki Feel?

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The sacred site of Upper Yard is, in fact, half of Gaya Island, thrust into the White Sea by an upwelling current. At this very moment, a fierce battle is raging there.

"Kill them! This time, we must light the Lantern of Sandora!" 

The Shandians, equipped with pulley-like devices on their feet, wielded cannons, guns, and swords. Wyper pointed at the god soldiers ahead, who were armed with Impact and Slash Dials, and let out a commanding roar.

"Roar!" 

The Shandians echoed his cry, charging into battle with wild roars. But despite their determination, their magical weapons—Shock Dials and Slash Dials—proved insufficient. Before long, they began suffering heavy casualties against the god soldiers' relentless assault.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, several strange spheres fell onto the battlefield, landing near a confused Shandian warrior.

"Boom!"

In the next instant, the spheres exploded violently, enveloping both Shandian warriors and god soldiers in a fiery blast.

"Who dares?!" 

A tall, thin man with a mohawk, sunglasses, and a flaming sword—Kamakiri, one of the Shandians' key fighters—roared in fury.

"Hoo-hoo-hahaha!" 

A strange figure appeared, laughing maniacally. The man, resembling a ball, stood atop a bouncing sphere, dancing bizarrely.

"A priest?" Kamakiri narrowed his eyes, recognizing his opponent.

"This is the 'Ball Trial' with a mere 10% survival rate," said Satori, the Priest of the Ball Trial, with a twisted grin.

"Don't underestimate us!" Kamakiri roared as he swung his flaming sword toward Satori.

Elsewhere, a strong warrior carrying an iron cannon led a group of Shandians toward the massive vines.

"Huff, huff!" 

"Bah!"

A man with a spider-leg-like hairstyle appeared, biting his lip and rolling his eyes as he confronted them. The warrior stopped in his tracks, recognizing the threat.

"A priest?" 

His face turned grim.

"Gedatsu-sama! You can't roll your eyes like that; you won't see the enemy!" a god soldier nearby shouted.

"Oh! I forgot!" 

Gedatsu wiped the sweat from his brow, clearly rattled.

"Damn fool, are you mocking us?" The Shandian warrior's cheek twitched in anger.

"This is the Swamp Trial with a 50% survival rate!" Gedatsu declared, raising his hands.

"Kill him!" 

With a roar, the warrior charged at Gedatsu, only to be met with a cloud of swampy gas hurled at him.

"Up ahead! The temple is near! We must kill Enel!" 

Braham, a Shandian with a hat covering his eyes and two flash guns in hand, led the charge.

Suddenly, a white flash pierced through the battlefield, instantly taking down several Shandian warriors.

"Who's there?!" Braham growled, scanning for the source of the attack.

"Gulu... Gulu..."

The white flash retracted, morphing into a cloud sword wielded by a distant figure.

"This is my hunting ground—the Iron Trial with a 0% survival rate," said Ohm, the Priest of the Iron Trial, coldly. A large dog stood beside him, and in his hand, he wielded a 'Cloud Dial' capable of ejecting iron clouds.

"Don't get cocky!" Braham hissed, raising his flash gun and firing at Ohm.

"Boom!"

"Whoosh!"

Meanwhile, Wyper led a squad of Shandians through the dense jungle, eyes focused on the outline of the massive vines ahead. His fierce expression softened as hope flickered in his eyes. 'Once we reach the top, we'll find Enel!'

Suddenly, flames shot down from the sky.

"Boom!"

Wyper narrowly dodged, the sound of burning air filling his ears. However, two Shandians beside him weren't as fortunate; they were engulfed in flames, their screams echoing in the chaos.

"Hmph, you're quick, War Ghost Wyper," sneered a man riding a strange bird that spat flames from its beak. He held a spear arrogantly.

"Shura!" Wyper's face remained impassive.

"You've entered my hunting grounds. Don't expect to escape alive. This is the Rope Trial, with a survival rate of only 3%," Shura boasted.

Wyper's eyes narrowed as he heard the cries of his fellow warriors, now entangled in invisible rope clouds, unable to move.

He didn't pause to save them, his gaze cold and determined as he fired at Shura.

"Boom!"

"Whoosh!"

In the sea of clouds, a wild figure moved swiftly toward Upper Yard, leading a little girl by the hand.

"Aah!"

"Aisa? What's wrong?" Raki stopped abruptly, concern in her voice.

"The voices… they're disappearing… so many people are dying," Aisa whispered, her face pale with fear.

Raki's expression tightened as she gazed toward Upper Yard. 'Even if Enel is injured, his priests and soldiers remain dangerous. This all-out war…it's reckless.'

"Wyper, was starting this war worth the lives of your comrades?" Raki bit her lip, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Let's go, Aisa!" She quickened her pace, pulling the child along.

——

Back on the battlefield, the Shandians were suffering heavy losses. The priests, equipped with their heart networks, were overwhelming opponents for warriors unfamiliar with Haki. But in one corner of the battlefield, something different was happening.

"You're far too arrogant, Shura," Wyper growled, wrapping his legs around his foe. His bandaged hand pressed against his chest.

"A Shock Dial? That won't do anything to me," Shura said calmly, though Wyper's controlled movements caught his attention.

"Impact? No… this is ten times stronger than impact!" Wyper's lips curled into a feral grin as he roared, "Reject Impact!"

"Boom!"

The powerful shockwave hit Shura hard, knocking him unconscious. He and his bird fell from the sky, plummeting toward the ground.

"Huff, huff!" 

Wyper gasped for breath. Only warriors of his strength could withstand the recoil of a Reject Impact, and even then, his previous injuries from fighting Ace worsened with the effort.

"Well done, human." 

Wyper's eyes widened, and he looked up.

Perched on a nearby tree, a man with four large drums engraved with magatama symbols sat, watching him.

"Enel!" 

Wyper's expression darkened. 'Why is he here? Wasn't he injured?!'

"You actually killed Shura, so I'll give you a reward. You have three minutes—three minutes to attack me as much as you want."

Enel flashed a cruel, cat-like grin, holding up three fingers.

Boom!

Wyper responded instantly, firing a cannonball at Enel.

Whoosh! Boom!

The Dial passed straight through Enel's body, exploding behind him.

"Your attacks don't seem to work, do they?"

Enel smiled mockingly at Wyper. This casual dismissal enraged Wyper completely. But no matter how hard Wyper attacked, none of his blows landed, leaving Enel unharmed.

"I am Thunder—the embodiment of a power feared since ancient times. Fear itself... is God!"

Enel laughed, his voice dripping with arrogance.

"Damn it… I can't manage another attack."

Wyper gritted his teeth, feeling the pain of his injuries. If it weren't for the damage he had taken earlier from that punch during the attack on the people of the Blue Sea, he would have been able to unleash one more strike.

"Well, then, it's my turn now."

In an instant, Enel appeared next to Wyper, his index fingers pressed together as he slowly summoned a bolt of lightning.

"Twenty million volts: Discharge."

"Wyper!"

From a distance, Raki and Aisha arrived, their faces filled with horror as Wyper was engulfed in lightning. Aisha screamed, her heart breaking at the sight.

Boom!

The terrifying lightning consumed Wyper in an instant. His body, blackened and smoking, fell heavily to the ground.

"Go, Aisha… run!" Wyper, using the last of his strength, managed to speak before he collapsed, unconscious.

"Yahahaha!" Enel cackled madly.

Boom!

The sound of heavy footsteps signaled the arrival of the other priests, Satori, Gedatsu, and Ohm. At their feet lay the defeated bodies of the Sandians.

"Genbo, Braham, Kamakiri!" Raki gasped, covering her mouth in horror as she stared at the fallen warriors, unsure if they were even alive.

"Raki… their voices… they're disappearing," Aisha whispered tearfully.

"Oh? Can you hear their voices?" Enel's interest was piqued.

"Seems like there's some real talent among the Sandians if you can develop these abilities on your own. I'll grant you a place in the infinite land—feel honored, hahaha!"

"I don't want your infinite land, you bastard!" Aisha shouted, her voice full of anguish.

"Oh?" Enel's eyes turned icy.

"If you're not grateful, then go to hell." He extended his index finger and pointed at Aisha and Raki. 

Crack! 

Lightning began to gather at his fingertip, glowing ominously.

"He's invincible… there's no way to stop him." Raki's heart sank in despair as she looked at the lightning forming in Enel's hands. How can humans possibly fight against a god? She cursed Wyper's recklessness for starting this war without knowing the true power of Enel. Now, Sandia was ruined, and it was too late to turn back. Soon, she and Aisha would die, too.

"Twenty million volts: Discharge!"

Boom!

As the lightning struck, Raki instinctively shielded Aisha with her body, hoping to block some of the deadly charge and praying that Aisha might survive.

Whoosh!

Just as Raki braced herself for death, a powerful column of flame erupted from nowhere, smashing into the thunderbolt and dispelling it instantly.

"Who is that?!" Enel's eyes narrowed in disbelief.

Raki's eyelashes fluttered open, and through the haze of smoke and light, she saw a figure emerge from the jungle. It was a man, his body wreathed in flames, followed by several striking women.

"Hey, Enel, how does it feel to have your temple taken over by my Haki?"

Ace grinned as he stepped forward.

Enel's eyes widened in shock. "You!"

It was him—the man from the Blue Sea who wielded that strange black and purple lightning. So, that power was called Haki?

Enel seethed, enraged not only because Ace had wounded him but because, for the first time, he didn't know something. He, the self-proclaimed omniscient god, had a gap in his knowledge thanks to a mere human from the Blue Sea.

And then, there was another unsettling realization.

"A Logia…"

Enel's face darkened as he observed the flames surrounding Ace's body. Another Logia user, like himself, and not just any Logia—this man controlled fire, a force as feared as thunder itself.

"The Logia of fire," Enel muttered solemnly.

Throughout human history, fire and thunder had been regarded as divine powers. There had never been a definitive answer to which was stronger, but now this man from the Blue Sea had the power of fire.

"The embodiment of fire…" Raki whispered, awestruck by the sight.

"Can you hear many voices?" Ace asked kindly, turning his attention to Aisha and Raki as he crouched down before them, smiling softly.

Aisha, still shaken by what had just happened, nodded slowly.

"Having such powerful Observation Haki from birth is a rare gift," Ace said with a slight smile.

He extended his right hand, a strange glow emanating from it. "Let me help you control it."

"You dare disrespect a god, Blue Sea scum!" 

Ohm and Satori exchanged glances before leaping into the air, launching an attack on Ace from above.

"Impact!"

"Cloud Dial!"

Satori and Ohm shouted in unison as their weapons aimed at Ace. Enel stood by, watching calmly, making no move to intervene. He didn't care if his subordinates perished—this was just an opportunity to observe the Blue Sea man's other powers.

"Armament!"

In a flash, two beautiful women soared into the air, intercepting the priests' attacks.

Kaya's index finger glowed with dark energy as she focused her gaze. "Finger Pistol!"

Thud!

Her finger pierced Satori's heart, blood spurting out as the priest's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Why… why didn't I sense her attack with my mantra?"

"Armament!"

Another woman, Tashigi, drew her sword. Dark energy coated her blade as she swung it toward Ohm. 

"Iron Cloud is indestructible!" Ohm roared, believing his weapon would easily block her strike.

But in the next moment, his weapon shattered. Blood spurted from his chest as he fell to the ground, defeated.