Chapter 178: Guts
"The sky was shattered by a giant fist, and then fragments of an island rained down. The south side of Skuld Island was completely destroyed. The ensuing mega-tsunami caused over eight hundred deaths, with more than a thousand still missing…"
"A great golden ark descended from the sky. A god and his winged angels came down from heaven. The disappearances that had plagued Skuld Island ceased, but in their place… came the merciless slaughter of an evil god."
"A small rumor suggests that the world's greatest swordsman, [Hawkeye Mihawk], has been missing for over six months. Some believe that, like [Crocodile], he may have been involved in some nefarious incident and was erased by the World Government…"
For several days, Kaito Shirogane did not act rashly. He began to dig, bit by bit, into this world's intelligence. He sifted through the jumbled newspapers and magazines, extracting every piece of information he deemed useful.
The records were filled with useless and contradictory information. For example, some said the terrible tsunami two years ago was caused by the island falling from the sky, but other reports claimed it was the aftershock of a battle between two terrifyingly powerful individuals at sea.
There were also discrepancies in the timing of Enel's appearance. Some said the golden ark descended a week after the tsunami; others said that long before that, the seas had already been under the control of a lightning storm, and that merchant and pirate ships had been getting destroyed.
Kaito was certain that the truth of this world's divergence was hidden somewhere in these reports. The problem was that the chroniclers were all mortals, lacking the perspective to see the full picture.
Skuld Island, like nearby Mock Town, was not affiliated with the World Government. It was an independent, lawless land, ruled only by a local family of security chiefs. Kaito, digging deeper, found that the origins of Skuld Island's residents were a mystery. They had first settled here over four hundred years ago, and the island's own history only went back that far.
From this, Kaito formed a hypothesis.
The residents of Skuld Island were the original inhabitants of Jaya from four hundred years ago. When Jaya was launched into the sky, the island's original residents had been split. One part had landed on Skuld Island, establishing a new, independent colony. And because this sea area was so prone to the giant Knock Up Stream, it had been left alone for four hundred years, untouched by war, unconquered by other kingdoms, and never joining the World Government.
"The mountain folk…"
Kaito's hands were a blur as he re-read the articles. He had found another strange point. After the fall of the sky island, the Shandian warriors had completely vanished. Had Enel killed them all? Or… were they the ones who, along with Coby, had become ghosts?
The more he dug, the more he felt that this world had a deep, underlying problem. And the key to it all, the reason for the ghosts and the disappearance of Alabasta's entire population, was connected.
A Reincarnator, possessing some terrifyingly powerful item or ability, had come to this world and used it, causing a catastrophic divergence. That person had likely reaped a massive reward and left, but the effects of that ability were still lingering.
And Enel, who had strangely remained on this island for two years instead of leaving for the moon, had to know what had happened.
Kaito looked up. If he wanted to solve this mystery and seize the greatest profit, he had to enter [El Dorado].
But the sound of the thunder storms at sea had long since faded. The Marine Vice Admirals had either successfully retreated or been killed. Enel was, once again, unopposed. Kaito's eyes shifted. He looked at the sun, now setting, and had an idea.
He stood up and walked out. Cindy, who had just returned with more newspapers, saw him, and her eyes lit up. "Big guy! Are you finally going to save Uncle Leo and the others?!"
Kaito glanced at the girl, who seemed incapable of feeling despair. He nodded, but then added, "I'm just going to get their bodies. Those men can't be saved."
Cindy looked down and wiped her eyes. But when she looked up again, the big guy was already gone. She went back inside and saw that he hadn't touched any of the food she had brought him. She smiled, picked up an apple that was only half-rotten, and took a large bite.
Kaito's senses were sharp. In the darkness, he quickly noticed another group of people moving stealthily. These elite Marines all had physical attributes over 10 points. They easily scaled the three-meter-high shop roofs. Vergo, his face a cold mask, barely even bent his knees as he landed on the roof.
Whoosh!
A faint sound of something cutting the air. Vergo, without turning, caught the stone that had been thrown at him. He turned and saw the young G-51 sailor, two hundred meters away, waving at him. Vergo gave a hand signal for his squad to hide, then, in a few quick leaps, he was in front of Kaito.
Kaito looked at the powerfully-built Vice Admiral. This man was strong, likely the strongest of Doflamingo's executives, a master of Haki and physical combat.
"Are you here to save Doflamingo?" Kaito asked.
Vergo's pupils contracted. He instinctively threw a punch at Kaito's head.
BOOM!
The air exploded. Kaito tilted his head, the shockwave grazing his cheek. He wasn't angry, just smiled. "Vergo. Don't be so excited. We're on the same side."
Vergo's body was coiled, his Armament Haki already covering his skin. He had already passed a death sentence on this man. No one who knew his and Doflamingo's secret could be allowed to live. But for now, he wanted to see what this man was planning.
Kaito, acting as if he hadn't just felt that murderous intent, continued. "If you want to save Doflamingo, you're going to have to cooperate. Otherwise, if you attack me now, I don't mind shouting that man's name."
Vergo's fist, which had been clenched, slowly relaxed. He knew that while this man was weaker than him, he couldn't guarantee he could kill him before he shouted "Enel." And if that monster appeared, his chance of saving the Young Master would be gone.
"What do you want?" Vergo's voice was a low growl.
"I told you. I want to take a look at that temple and the city of gold. But I need someone to draw that guy away. In return, I can find the proof you need to confirm that [El Dorado] is real, and... I'll save Doflamingo, if he's still alive."
Vergo's face was dark. Kaito continued. "That guy is strong, but he has a fatal weakness. He cares too much about what other people think of him. The moment someone speaks his name or insults him, he gets distracted, and he has to go and punish them, either with a long-range blast or in person. He never even considers that it might be a diversion…"
Enel's arrogant personality, in Kaito's eyes, was a massive flaw. But Kaito's own strength was, for now, far inferior. Without Haki, he could only rely on his energy attacks, like the Dodon Ray, to fight. And a single energy attack was no match for a monster who could control lightning at will.
Vergo remained silent for a long time, and finally nodded. He understood Kaito's plan: he wanted him and his squad to spread out and use communications to lure Enel away. Vergo agreed because he also knew he had to sacrifice his men to confirm his Young Master's safety before the Marines launched a full-scale assault.
Kaito watched as the G-5 elite Marines fanned out, disappearing into the town, and began to make their calls.
One by one, lightning bolts began to fall. And then, with a furious laugh, Enel left his temple.
Kaito watched Vergo, who had become a phantom, instantly infiltrate the temple. The giant dog, [Holy], didn't even have time to bark before it was knocked out. Kaito smiled, and pulled out a high-explosive grenade. He knew Vergo didn't trust him and would go for Doflamingo himself. But Kaito's true target had never been the temple. He just needed a strong enough fighter to actually get Enel's attention.
BOOM!
Just before the explosion, Kaito had already cut the three pillars, grabbing the corpses of the Marines from the temple square. The massive explosion at the temple entrance instantly drew Enel's attention, and another, even larger, bolt of lightning struck.
Kaito, having deposited the three corpses back in the white district, had already suppressed his breathing and pulse and was now moving into the forbidden mountain. This time, he had to see the truth hidden in [El Dorado].
He moved with incredible speed, using his [Rakshasa Demon] ability to glide, and in a few breaths, he had arrived at the ruins. A massive, golden city. A number of winged Skypieans, armed with Dials, were patrolling. But Kaito, moving like a ghost, stayed in their blind spots and slipped past.
He followed the torches deep into the ruins. He was moving without a sound, his breathing and heartbeat gone. If not for his shadow, he would have been a true ghost.
CRACKLE!
The sound of a distant thunderclap. Kaito flashed out from the shadows. With a flurry of hand-strikes, several guards who were patrolling this deep in the golden tunnel collapsed, dead. He crossed the long, golden passage, a strange feeling growing. An ancient city that had fallen from the sky shouldn't be in this good of a condition. Had Enel rebuilt it? Why?
The explosions at the temple were beginning to fade. He knew Vergo had likely been defeated. He quickened his pace, and finally emerged into a massive, golden plaza. In the center was a pyramid, made of pure, solid gold.
And at its base, the Commander of the God's Guard, his white robes pristine, was... chained to it.
As if sensing Kaito's approach, the Skypiean, whose white wings were incredibly broad, opened his eyes. Kaito's pupils contracted. The man's eyes were pitch-black, with no white visible at all.
"You've come…" his voice was a dry rasp. "Guts. I can feel your presence…"
Guts?!
A flash of inspiration—the protagonist of Berserk? Before Kaito could confirm, the man slowly stood, dragging his chains. Kaito now saw that his lower body was no longer human. Four thick, brown limbs, like those of an arachnid, emerged from under his robes.
"Old friend. Your spirit still will not rest? Then come and kill me. Only by killing me can you be at peace!"
The next moment, the man grabbed his own left arm and, with a powerful rip, tore it from his body. As his muscles moved, Kaito could see that his entire body was inhuman. He then hurled the severed arm at Kaito.
Kaito dodged.
SPLAT!
The arm exploded against the golden wall. A dark, black blood, and a foul, black mist began to spread.
[You are being eroded by the Abyss. Performing Spirit check…]
[Check Passed. You have resisted the erosion.]
CRACKLE!
Lightning flashed in the sky above. Kaito's scalp tingled. He immediately threw all of his remaining grenades at the pyramid and, activating [Setsuna], he turned and fled.
The last things he heard were the mad laughter of the white-robed man, and the furious roar of Enel.
"Demon! You cannot escape!"
Enel, as a bolt of pure lightning, grabbed the entire bundle of high-explosive grenades, flew them high into the sky, and they detonated.
Kaito had already vanished from the range of the God's Guard.