The next morning, the white clouds of the sky island were painted gold by the rising sun. Enel stood silently at the edge of Upper Yard, staring down at the sea of clouds that blanketed the Blue Sea far below. The wind whistled gently past his face as Tatsumaki approached, her short frame hovering inches off the ground, her expression focused but slightly tense. They both knew the task ahead would be taxing.
"You ready to head back?" Enel asked, casting a glance at the wrapped golden pillars laid out before them.
Tatsumaki nodded, but her brow furrowed. "Carrying these will drain me. Even with the Chōnōryoku-sha no Mi... they're heavy."
The Chōnōryoku-sha no Mi—one of the rare few Devil Fruits to be named like a proper title—granted its user unparalleled psychokinesis. It had no type classification, no clear lineage path, yet its abilities defied conventional logic. While still mastering it, Tatsumaki had already shown feats few others could hope to replicate.
Enel had heard of Shiki, the legendary pirate with the Fuwa-Fuwa no Mi, who had used his power to raise entire islands and wage war against the World Government. But Tatsumaki's fruit, though requiring constant concentration, offered a finer, more precise control. Her range and finesse far outstripped what Shiki had demonstrated.
Still, even she had limits. Flying from the White Sea to the Blue Sea while hauling that much weight would push her devil fruit to the edge.
"Take breaks when you need to," Enel said, his tone less commanding and more... reassuring. A rare tone for the man once known as a tyrant God. "I'll be close. If you drop, I'll catch you."
Tatsumaki blinked in surprise, then smirked. "You better. I'm not dying over a pile of shiny metal."
They stood in silence for a moment until she suddenly turned to him, curiosity dancing in her sharp green eyes. "By the way... what's up with your ears?"
Enel groaned, visibly annoyed. "What about them?"
"They're long. Like, freakishly long."
He shot her a glare. "I was born this way. Why are you so short?"
Tatsumaki's eye twitched. "I'm twenty-five! This is just how I look!"
"Sure, sure," Enel said, clearly enjoying himself now. "Maybe your devil fruit stunted your growth."
The two bickered like siblings, their voices echoing across the Vearth as birds fluttered out of the trees. It was a moment of strange levity, the kind that hadn't existed in Enel's previous life, and one he found himself strangely grateful for.
A few minutes later, they were ready. Wyper, the stoic warrior of the Shandians, arrived quietly at the edge of the forest. He gave Enel a respectful nod.
"Safe travels," he said simply.
Enel nodded. "Watch over the bell. It belongs here."
"We will."
With that, Tatsumaki lifted the wrapped golden pillars into the air with a focused grunt, her aura flaring slightly around her. Her eyes narrowed as she adjusted to the weight and strain.
"Here goes nothing," she muttered, launching into the sky with Enel following close behind, wings flapping in slow, calculated beats. Though he was ready to catch her if she faltered, Tatsumaki flew with impressive resilience, her control steady even under the weight of her burden.
The descent took hours. Unlike the adrenaline-fueled rise they'd made the day before, the return was meticulous and taxing. Enel remained vigilant, watching her closely for any signs of fatigue.
When they finally descended past the cloudline and spotted the jagged green trees of Jaya's coastline, relief surged through both of them. Tatsumaki touched down at a hidden inlet away from the port town, placing the gold carefully under a natural outcropping where it would remain out of sight.
She hovered down next to it, panting slightly. "I'm going to sleep for three days after this."
Enel landed next to her, arms crossed, expression unreadable. "You did good."
She looked at him, eyes narrowed. "So what the hell is this gold for? You never said."
Enel raised a brow, realizing she was right. He hadn't shared the full vision.
"We're going to build a ship," he said finally, voice laced with determination. "A real one. A ship of Adam wood, sturdy framing, and enough space to be a home for all of our future crewmates and the stragglers with pick up on the way."
Tatsumaki raised a brow. "Like the Moby Dick?"
Enel nodded. "Exactly. A floating fortress, the size of a small island. One to rival the greatest ships of the sea. A symbol of who we will be. Not kings. Not gods. But warriors who won't bend."
Tatsumaki crossed her arms, smirking. "Sounds expensive."
"That's what the gold is for."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, don't waste time then. Go find us a temporary ship big enough to haul this much treasure."
Enel grinned. "Way ahead of you. You rest. I'll handle the scouting. Keep an eye on our treasure."
As Enel walked off into the thick jungle paths of Jaya, the sun high above filtered through the canopy, casting golden light across his path. He was a changed man, one with a mission and a future not dictated by prophecy or inherited will, but by choice.
Tatsumaki leaned back against a cloth covered gold pillar, her eyes drifting closed, despite the lack of sleep. She was still skeptical about this whole crew thing. But Enel had surprised her more than once already. Maybe, just maybe, this wasn't such a bad start.
The era of freedom Enel promised had begun to stir the waters. And in the distance, the sea began to shift.