"Ten Thousand Thunder Surge!!!"
A storm of lightning, like a swarm of frenzied silver serpents, surged toward Barrett.
Taking advantage of the moment, Enel pulled back, creating some distance.
"Huff!"
He exhaled a breath of stale air, shaking his reddened fists, his expression dark.
He had never faced such a troublesome opponent before.
Faster reaction speed.
Superior Haki mastery.
Overwhelming strength and defense.
If this guy hadn't been toying with him, he would have lost in the very first exchange and found himself on the brink of death.
"Thunder Greeting!!!"
If Enel were to unleash this technique under normal circumstances, he would first need to summon storm clouds to generate the necessary charge. But here, on Raijin Island—once ruled by a previous Rumble-Rumble Fruit user—thunderclouds were ever-present.
In an instant, a portion of the clouds condensed, gathering together.
A pitch-black sphere of lightning formed.
"That kid's reckless," Moria muttered, pulling back to distance himself from the descending orb. Even the dullest observer could tell how terrifyingly powerful this attack was.
"This isn't enough!!!"
Barrett had just broken free from the entangling electric creatures when he was met with the sight of the incoming attack.
The sphere of lightning crashed down toward his face.
"BOOM!!!"
The dazzling explosion was blinding, even to those at the center of Raijin Village.
From a distance, Jenomi—who had evolved into a slacker—watched with widened eyes. He turned to his last two remaining subordinates. Noticing that they were also looking at him, he smirked lazily.
"It's time to prove our loyalty!!!"
"Oooooh!!! Charge!!!"
"..."
As the light faded, the sheer force of the explosion's shockwave had shaved off a layer of Raijin Island's solid ground.
Though Barrett lacked the Sun God's absolute resistance, he still survived.
His bare torso was covered in charred blackness, every inch burned.
Lowering his hands—now cooked only on the surface—he looked up at the sky and grinned savagely.
"Not bad at all! Let's keep going!!!"
"It's not over yet!"
Enel's form emerged from the storm clouds, accompanied by the enormous golden spear spinning behind him.
Barrett's pupils shrank. The grin on his face only grew wilder.
From the distance, the Catapult soared toward him.
Merging with it, he transformed into a mountainous giant—a mechanical colossus.
This was Barrett's second form.
Heavy Artillery Mode!
Like a celestial weapon descending upon the land, the golden spear accelerated from zero to its maximum velocity in an instant.
To the naked eye, it appeared as nothing more than a beam of light striking directly at Barrett's head.
His massive metallic fist, coated in Armament Haki, smashed forward to meet the incoming attack.
"BOOM!!!"
The collision alone sounded like thunder crashing down from the heavens.
The sheer force of their clash shattered the battle-scarred ground beneath Barrett's feet, fragmenting Raijin Island's hardened terrain bit by bit.
"Not enough!!!"
Barrett's deep voice rang out, his Armament Haki surging like a storm.
Slowly but surely, he pushed back the golden spear that had lost its momentum.
From the distance, the recently returned Moria watched with growing unease.
Even he wouldn't dare take that attack head-on.
How strong was this guy's Haki?
Yet, despite the danger, Moria's blood boiled with excitement.
A chance to fight such a powerful opponent—even if it meant death—how could he pass it up?
"Kishishishi! Hope you don't mind if I join in!!!"
"Take this back!!!"
"BOOM!"
Under Enel's shocked gaze, Barrett's mechanical right arm sent the golden spear hurtling back into the sky.
"Hahahaha! Come at me if you want!!!"
Glancing at Moria's approaching minions, Barrett remained unfazed.
"They're just my adorable subordinates. This kind of battle is beyond them."
Moria turned to his men, who were carrying a cage.
"Lend me your strength! Shadow's Asgard!!!"
"No, wait—!"
"Oooooh!!!"
The weak protests of newly captured prisoners were drowned out by the enthusiastic roars of Moria's devoted followers.
One by one, shadows flowed into his body like liquid.
In an instant, Moria's size surpassed even Barrett's colossus.
This was the power of two hundred shadows combined!
"Kishishishi! Let's do this! Shadow Greatsword!!!"
A massive blade slashed toward Barrett as Moria charged forward, his thunderous footsteps shaking the battlefield.
"Bring it on!!!"
Barrett made no attempt to defend himself, utterly ignoring the incoming blade and claws.
His colossal fists, coated in Armament Haki, struck toward Moria's onion-shaped head.
"BANG!"
Both attacks landed simultaneously.
Moria's greatsword and his shadow warrior's claws hacked into Barrett's head, while Barrett's massive fists smashed Moria's skull sideways.
Yet the outcomes were drastically different.
Barrett's powerful Haki reduced the damage he took to near insignificance, his face still wearing an excited grin.
But Moria's weaker Haki was utterly shattered by Barrett's brutal force.
His mind went blank for a moment.
"Your Haki isn't enough!"
"That's why I hate people whose Armament Haki is stronger than mine."
"But steel can't compare to my naturally powerful body!!!"
Moria and his shadow warrior encircled Barrett's colossus.
Blades and claws rained down in an unending barrage upon Barrett's true body within the machine.
"Oooooh!!!"
Yet Barrett still did not defend himself.
This was exactly the kind of battle he desired.
Attack after attack, fists and blades clashed relentlessly.
High above, Enel—having restored his energy—did not remain idle.
His body transformed into a surge of electricity, dispersing in all directions.
The power he had gathered still wasn't enough.
He needed more lightning.
More POWER!!!
....
Meanwhile, in a quieter corner of the battlefield, the Slacker Trio cautiously crept closer.
"Where did Lord Thunder God go?" Jenomi asked, puzzled. He had just witnessed the god's heroic form moments ago.
"Does this mean we can run away?"
"Who's fighting over there?"
"Idiot, that's the Devil's Heir, Barrett, and Lord Moria! This is too terrifying—we should escape, Captain Jenomi!"
Just as he was about to agree, Jenomi noticed the storm clouds above them growing restless.
He quickly backtracked.
"Fools! Lord Thunder God is everywhere! We must fight in his honor!!!"
As the clouds calmed once more, Jenomi sighed in relief.
"Then what should we do, Captain Jenomi?"
"Obviously, we wait and see if Lord Moria needs our help."
"That makes sense. You're so smart!"
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+220 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg