Chapter 43: Above the Moon

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Similar to Absolute Zero in the world of Fairy Tail or the Reaper Death Seal in Naruto, both techniques demanded the user's life as a price. However, there was a key difference.

Those techniques were seals, guaranteeing success upon contact. Self-destruction, on the other hand, was a purely offensive maneuver, its power dictated by the user's strength. But Ian was confident that his fusion rate, strength on par with a Calamity Commander, augmented by the power of Devil Fruits…

…was more than enough to obliterate even an Admiral or a Yonko, leaving them either dead or crippled for a significant period, plagued by lingering injuries.

20,000 meters above the Blue Sea, the golden sun, several times larger than its earthly counterpart, bathed the cloud-based Skypiea in its warmth. But now, the pristine white clouds above the island darkened, transforming into a swirling vortex of inky black, dividing the sky into two contrasting halves: a breathtaking spectacle of light and shadow.

"Behold, demon from hell! This is the true form of a god! No one has ever witnessed this before. You are the first, the only one worthy of facing my wrath. After all, we are the same kind!"

Enel, consumed by his delusions of godhood, roared with laughter. Even Ian, well-versed in the One Piece storyline and familiar with the tropes of various anime, couldn't match the depth of his opponent's delusional grandeur.

Enel had transformed. His body, now a small giant composed entirely of crackling blue and white lightning, his hair standing on end, his gaze sharp and piercing. He resembled a Super Saiyan Blue from the Dragon Ball universe, a fitting comparison as both were considered gods in their respective worlds.

However, the chasm in their power was undeniable. One could effortlessly destroy planets, while the other struggled to obliterate a small island.

"..." Ian, now dwarfed by Enel's colossal form, simply looked up, observing the chaotic dance of lightning coursing through his opponent's body. He could sense the raw power contained within: heavy, explosive, paralyzing, sharp, and brimming with offensive potential. It was a force that transcended the limitations of a typical Logia, encompassing aspects of both natural and superhuman abilities.

Unless he encountered a unique Devil Fruit like Sugar's Hobby-Hobby Fruit, which could transform people into toys, Enel, had he not been defeated by Luffy and sent to the moon, would have undoubtedly become one of Blackbeard's targets. Now, he had been added to Ian's list as well.

Similar to Laxus Dreyar, the Lightning Dragon Slayer in Fairy Tail, and the Third Raikage in Naruto, both masters of lightning manipulation, Enel possessed a well-rounded set of abilities, making him a formidable opponent. Were they any weaker than Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, despite his mastery of five elemental chakra natures?

"Seeing you like this… it disgusts me, demon!" Enel snarled, his brow furrowed.

Firstly, their current positions were a stark inversion of their roles: Enel stood beneath a swirling vortex of dark clouds, while Ian was bathed in the warm glow of the sun. The god and the demon, their places reversed.

Secondly, there was Ian's gaze. His pale green eyes held no fear, only a hint of satisfaction, a glint of excitement, and a burgeoning hunger.

It was the look of a predator sizing up its prey. Enel, enraged, unleashed his fury. He had only displayed a fraction of his true power on Skypiea. Now, a demon had forced him to unleash his full potential.

He might have accepted that, acknowledging their shared nature as rulers of the sky and the underworld, but that gaze was unforgivable. With a roar, he launched his attack.

"Divine Judgment!" A bolt of lightning, far more powerful than his usual attacks, erupted from his hand. It resembled Luffy's Gear Third attacks enhanced with Armament Haki.

The bolt ripped through the already-ruined palace, carving a massive trench into the earth. Even the upper section, the massive beanstalk connecting Skypiea to the Blue Sea, was sheared off, plummeting towards the ground below with a thunderous roar that reverberated throughout the entire island. Countless Skypieans looked up in fear, their gazes drawn to the source of the commotion: the dwelling of their god and his priests.

"What is God doing today? First, he rang the Golden Belfry, then he severed the Giant Jack. Is he planning to destroy us all?" The Skypieans whispered amongst themselves, their hearts filled with trepidation.

Since Enel had usurped Gan Fall's position as God three years ago, he had imposed eleven strict rules upon the island, governing both Skypieans and those who ascended from the Blue Sea. While the Skypieans were aware of these rules and knew how to avoid transgression, those from the Blue Sea were often caught unaware.

But those who dared to break Enel's laws never returned. The Skypieans had learned to submit to his tyrannical rule.

"He's… fighting against God!" The three priests, Satori, Gedatsu, and Ohm, exclaimed in shock. While they had witnessed Enel's power firsthand during his takeover, his current display of strength was on another level entirely. He had been forced to unleash his full potential.

"It seems we chose the right man." Gan Fall and Wyper exchanged a knowing glance. At the very least, this confrontation would leave both combatants severely weakened. Then, the combined forces of the Skypieans and the Shandia could finally overthrow Enel. Peace was within their grasp.

Legends spoke of a time when the people of Jaya and Skypiea were one. Although Jaya had been launched into the sky 400 years ago by the Knock Up Streams, its inhabitants bore the same winged adornments as the Skypieans.

Fairy tales recounted stories of humans ascending to another world through a giant beanstalk, encountering giants and fantastical creatures. It was unclear who had journeyed to Skypiea or who had descended to Jaya and the Blue Sea.

Perhaps the Knock Up Streams of 400 years ago were simply guiding them… back to their true home, a reunion after centuries of separation.

"Vice Admiral Ian… I have to work harder." Tashigi declared, her resolve strengthened. Gan Fall and Wyper renewed their assault, knowing they didn't need to defeat Enel outright.

If they could wound him severely enough, the Skypieans and the Shandia could finish the job.

The priests' faces paled. Life offered no second chances. Three years ago, they had betrayed Gan Fall and sided with Enel, lured by his overwhelming power. Now, a challenger had emerged, capable of defeating their god. They knew that regardless of the outcome…

…neither the Skypieans nor the Shandia would forgive their treachery. No one tolerated betrayal. Who could say when they might betray again?

Unless they feigned ignorance, claiming they had been deceived all along. Perhaps then, they could be spared.

"Demon! Are you just going to keep running and hiding?"

Enel's booming voice echoed through the sky. The palace was gone, reduced to dust by his relentless assault.

His Divine Judgments had obliterated everything in their path, yet Ian had effortlessly evaded them with Sonido.

Both possessed Observation Haki, capable of sensing incoming attacks and predicting their trajectories. But there were always moments of vulnerability, lapses in focus that could prove fatal. Simply dodging wasn't a viable long-term strategy. He needed to confront Enel head-on. After evading yet another Divine Judgment…

"It's time," Ian declared, halting his movements.

"What?" Enel was puzzled. Why had the demon stopped? He sensed Ian's energy, barely surpassing his base form.

"Time for your demise." A smirk played at the corners of Ian's lips. Then, under Enel's incredulous gaze, he released his power. "Unleash your darkness, Murciélago!"

The partial horned skull helmet on his head extended, forming a pair of menacing horns. His fingernails elongated, transforming into sharp claws. His hair seemed to lengthen, and the tear marks beneath his eyes deepened and broadened, becoming more prominent.

He clenched his right hand, and a sword materialized in his grasp, a blade of pure spiritual energy: the Moonlight Sword ( Luz de la Luna ).

This time, however, the sun above him vanished, replaced by the same dark clouds that shrouded Enel. Black raindrops began to fall from the sky, and he felt a crushing weight settle upon him, as if an entire ocean had been lifted above his head.

"It's finally here!" Ian reveled in the surge of power coursing through his body.

After weeks of preparation, the massacre of over a dozen pirate crews on Jaya, reaching a 39% fusion rate, and absorbing the lingering souls on this divine island, he had finally broken through the 40% threshold.

Even during his encounter with Moria, he hadn't fully grasped his powers, relying solely on the overwhelming quantity of souls as fuel, a brute-force approach.

This time, it was a true breakthrough, signifying his ability to manifest his Zanpakuto entirely from spiritual energy, similar to Kizaru's Ama no Murakumo and Aokiji's ice saber, both created through their Devil Fruit powers. With sufficient strength, he could refine his control and create even more powerful weapons.

He had now firmly solidified his position as a Yonko Commander-level fighter, on par with Marco, Katakuri, and King, rivaling the strength of Momousagi and Chaton.

"Yes, that's more like it! That's what a demon should look like!" Enel's laughter bordered on madness.

One decisive strike would determine the victor. Their powers were evenly matched.

While Enel's massive form hindered his speed, his defenses and raw power were superior. This stemmed from his limited understanding of his Devil Fruit, his belief that power lay solely in outward projection.

If he could achieve a level of control similar to Luffy's Gear Fourth Snakeman form, channeling his full power through Armament Haki, his strength would be truly monstrous.

Ian's released form, Murciélago, possessed a similar level of refinement, a perfect balance of speed, power, attack, and defense. Perhaps if Enel could compress his lightning to its absolute limit, he could achieve a similar level of control. The combination of both approaches could lead to true invincibility.

"Raigo!" To Ian's surprise, Enel raised his massive hand, gathering a swirling vortex of lightning, forming a blue and white sphere of energy several dozen meters in diameter.

It paled in comparison to Ace's "Entei," which had engulfed half an island during his battle with Blackbeard, but it was still a force to be reckoned with. It seemed Enel wasn't incapable of controlling his Raigo; he had simply utilized the Ark Maxim to amplify its power, similar to…

"Let's see you dodge this!" Enel roared with laughter, launching the sphere of energy towards Ian. He was immune to his own lightning, but this demon possessed a physical body.

The explosion would engulf a radius of several kilometers. There was nowhere to hide. At least half of Skypiea would be caught in the blast.

"Interesting." Ian observed the incoming attack, opting not to counter with his own Cero Oscuras, the technique he had employed against the colossal toad during his fight with Moria.

Moria wouldn't have been able to withstand a Raigo, or even Gamabunta's Oil Bullet. A Cero Oscuras might be comparable in power to a smaller Raigo, but victory was far from guaranteed.

He could withstand the damage. His 40% Hierro and High-Speed Regeneration could withstand a severe injury. He wouldn't die.

Enel's assumptions, however, were flawed. While Ian was immune to lightning, he wasn't invincible against other elements. Otherwise, Ace wouldn't have been captured, and neither Akainu nor Aokiji would have lost limbs during their battle for the title of Fleet Admiral.

Did Enel believe Armament Haki was a mere decoration? Spiritual pressure could also affect the soul, explaining why Moria had suffered both physical and mental trauma during their encounter.

"Then taste my modified Moonlight Sword!" Ian channeled his entire spiritual pressure into the blade, infusing it with the power of three Devil Fruits: the Kilo-Kilo Fruit, the Bomb-Bomb Fruit, and the Spring-Spring Fruit, using the latter to compress the energy to its absolute limit. He even incorporated Armament Haki, coating half of the blade in a jet-black aura. The Moonlight Sword, once a pristine white, now pulsed with a terrifying, restrained power.

Whoosh! With a powerful flap of his black wings, Ian soared into the air and hurled the Moonlight Sword towards Enel's Raigo with a practiced throwing motion.

"Pathetic! Such a weak attack!"

Enel laughed, mimicking Byakuya Kuchiki's mocking stance as he witnessed Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai. The Moonlight Sword was indeed sharp, piercing the Raigo's core…

…but there was no immediate reaction. Ian's use of Armament Haki and the Spring-Spring Fruit had effectively concealed the true nature of his attack. Furthermore, Enel, in his heightened state, consumed by the power of his Rumble-Rumble Fruit…

…had lost focus, his Observation Haki dulled. He failed to sense the danger lurking within the Raigo.

"Is that so?" Ian smirked, watching the Moonlight Sword embedded in the heart of the Raigo. After a few seconds of inactivity, he was initially puzzled. Shouldn't it have detonated upon contact? Then, realization dawned.

"This is going to hurt." He chuckled inwardly, pitying his arrogant opponent.

Enel, equally confident, stared back. Did Ian believe he could withstand the full force of his Raigo? In the next instant, the Moonlight Sword…

…detonated. The Bomb-Bomb Fruit's power erupted from the core, engulfing the entire Raigo. It wasn't a collision of two opposing forces…

…but rather a fusion of their powers, amplifying each other's destructive potential. The combined might of their attacks, magnified exponentially, exploded outwards. The reason behind this synergy was clear to Ian.

The Bomb-Bomb Fruit, the Kilo-Kilo Fruit, and the Moonlight Sword's inherent properties, all aligned with the expansive nature of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Their attacks were all outward projections of energy.

They had merged into a single, devastating force.

Their combined power surpassed a simple doubling or tripling effect. It was a fourfold, perhaps even fivefold increase, unleashing a cataclysmic wave of energy that ripped through the sky. The Giant Jack, the massive beanstalk towering ten thousand meters high, was cleaved in two, a massive chunk of its upper section vanishing into the void.

Even if Skypiea were to fall back to the Blue Sea, it was unlikely that anyone could ascend its heights again. The explosion resembled an expanding Truth-Seeking Orb…

…a swirling vortex of inky black, silent and ominous, followed by a blinding flash of white, a sensory overload where colors and sounds reached their absolute limits, collapsing into a binary of black and white, silence and overwhelming noise.

As the world returned to its senses, a massive, spherical crater marred the upper section of the Giant Jack. Enel, his form returned to its normal size, lay within the crater, his body smoldering. The shockwave from the explosion reverberated throughout Skypiea, drawing the attention of both Skypieans and Shandia, who rushed towards Upper Yard.

They sought to witness the aftermath of this cataclysmic event, the disappearance of the Golden Belfry and the destruction of the Giant Jack.

"Is that… God?" The three priests, Gan Fall, and Wyper stared in disbelief. They had achieved victory, albeit through Ian's overwhelming power. Tashigi, wielding the power of the Clear-Clear Fruit and mastering Soru, had proven to be an insurmountable foe.

Even Ohm, with his Observation Haki and wide-ranging Iron Cloud attacks, was no match for her. Tashigi, too, possessed a rudimentary understanding of Observation Haki, allowing her to anticipate his attacks and evade them with Soru, her Clear-Clear Fruit and swordsmanship skills rendering her practically invincible. She had aided Gan Fall in defeating Shura.

Gedatsu's Jet Dial was no match for Wyper's Reject Dial, which had even nearly killed Enel in the original story. Enel had only survived thanks to his lightning manipulation, using it to restart his heart. A similar tactic…

…had been employed by Doflamingo, who specialized in string manipulation, using his threads to stimulate the heart. His lack of physical prowess had made him an easy target for Wyper, whose victory was a foregone conclusion.

Holy, the giant dog, and Nola, the giant python, had likely been swayed by Tashigi's kindness, aiding in her victory and even allowing her to ride them, much to her delight.

"Hahaha! I am a god! That demon was no match for me!" Enel roared with laughter, his body battered but his spirit unbroken. He scanned the surrounding area, but Ian was nowhere to be seen. Reduced to ashes, no doubt?

But why was he injured? Wasn't he immune to lightning? And why did he feel so mentally exhausted, a wave of drowsiness threatening to overwhelm him?

"Really? You foolish, fake god…"

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Word Count [2070]

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To Be Continued..

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