Chapter 40: Recruiting A Chef!

Laki stared blankly at the scene before her. The earth was shattered into countless pieces, giant trees had fallen, the sky roiled with black and purple lightning, and a massive ravine marked the spot where Enel had been punched away. Enel, the incarnation of thunder who had left her entire Shandian tribe hopeless, was beaten to the point where it was unclear if he was even alive.

"Ace..." Conis whispered, still in shock. The man who had come to Angel Island four years ago and overthrown the previous god in just one day, ruling the entire island and its surroundings with an iron fist, had just been brought to his knees. The terror of Angel Island, who punished anyone defying his will, had been rendered powerless by Ace's single punch. If Conis had even a fraction of the power that Vivi, Kaya, and the others possessed, she thought, she could have stood up to Enel instead of living in constant fear.

"Ace, you're getting stronger again," Robin observed, her eyes rippling with emotion. Though Enel was indeed a frog in the well compared to Ace, his Thunder Fruit was one of the most invincible Logia abilities, with terrifying destructive power and speed. Yet, in front of Ace, he was utterly vulnerable. Robin's thoughts lingered on Ace's combat mastery—it seemed as if he could predict Enel's every move. Could Ace see the future? She shook her head, dismissing the thought as impossible, but the evidence of the battle was undeniable.

"Our captain is very strong, isn't he?" Nojiko teased, noting Conis's astonished expression. Conis nodded heavily.

"La-Laki," Aisha murmured, her eyes wide with shock. "Enel's voice disappeared."

Laki's pupils contracted. "Enel, dead?" she whispered in disbelief. Enel, who had brought despair to all of Shandia, had truly been defeated by Ace's punch?

"No, not yet. It's indeed Electrotherapy. Interesting," Ace said, a red light flashing in his pupils. Enel's survival intrigued him—he could use Enel's Thunder Fruit to complete the last step of his Mera-Mera Fruits Awakening.

Enel lay like a ragdoll at the base of a giant rock wall, his head drooping, blood oozing from his every pore. Suddenly, a faint arc of lightning flickered in his chest. This last surge of lightning stimulated Enel's heart, which had stopped beating.

"Boom!" Enel's heart began to beat weakly again. "Pfft!" He coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs.

Enel's eyes opened with difficulty. Every cough sent waves of pain through his body. Shock and anger filled his gaze. He had almost died! The moment Ace attacked, he had felt a suffocating sense of near-death. In that moment of extreme crisis, Enel had unleashed his full potential, using every ounce of his Thunder Fruit's power. Though he couldn't fully elementalize after being caught by Ace, he managed to partially transform at the last second, mitigating the damage but still suffering a devastating blow.

"Damn it," Enel cursed internally, assessing his injuries. His internal organs were traumatized, and his ribs were nearly all broken. The Thunder Fruit's stimulation was the only thing keeping him alive. He didn't dare move, knowing any encounter with Portgas D. Ace now would mean certain death.

Haki?! What kind of power is that? Enel's bloodshot eyes widened in terror as he recalled the punch that filled him with despair. Was there truly a power greater than his Thunder Fruit? He didn't want to believe it. Since obtaining the Thunder Fruit, he had considered himself invincible, a god of omniscience and omnipotence.

He had used the Thunder Fruit to obliterate his hometown, Birka, and easily overthrown Gan Fall and his team to rule Angel Island. Feeling invincible, Enel deemed nothing on Sky Island worthy of him and set his sights on the legendary infinite land. But now, that dream lay shattered. With one punch, the Blue Sea man had brought him to the brink of death. Haki had captured him in his lightning form, utterly crushing his control over everything.

If that Blue Sea man punched him again... Enel's arrogance dissolved, leaving only deep fear. Even the Thunder Fruit could no longer sustain his vital signs. "How could I die here!" he roared, letting Thunder Fruit stimulate his kidneys. "I have to see the Infinite Land!" A warm current surged from his kidneys to his brain, numbing his pain and restoring his strength, but he knew it was temporary. He needed to reach the Ark Maxim.

Although the Ark Maxim was incomplete, it was enough to create massive thunder clouds and turn Angel Island into a sea of thunder. "Bury you with Angel Island, Portgas D. Ace!" Enel snarled, his body crackling with lightning before disappearing.

"Enel ran away?!" Laki exclaimed, watching in shock. Conis's face paled. If Enel sought revenge on Angel Island and Shandia, they were in grave danger. But Ace reassured them with a confident smile, his Observation Haki locking onto Enel. "Don't worry. He can't escape. His Thunder Fruit belongs to my navigator."

Ace's confidence and control over the situation brought relief to Laki and Conis. He had played with Enel in the palm of his hand and nearly killed him with one punch. What he said would come true.

"Wyper!" Aisha called out, surprised to see Wyper's voice weak but present. Wyper, struggling to stand, looked around in disbelief at the devastation. "What happened here?!"

A chuckle made Wyper turn, his expression darkening. "Blue Sea people!" he snarled, aiming his gun at Ace.

"Stop, Wyper!" Laki shouted, raising her own weapon at Wyper. "What are you doing?" asked the injured Braham, Jiebao, and Kamaqili, struggling to rise.

"Blue Sea people, what did you do to Laki?!" Wyper demanded, aiming at Ace with a fierce look.

"Show some respect!" Laki retorted, angry and exasperated. If not for Ace, Shandia would have been wiped out by Enel due to Wyper's recklessness.

"This man is Portgas D. Ace! He saved us all by defeating Enel with one punch. Your pride almost destroyed us!"

Wyper's face contorted with disbelief. "Enel, defeated by a punch? Laki, you've betrayed us!"

"You traitor," Wyper growled, raising his weapon, only to be shot by Nojiko. "It's disgusting to point weapons at your comrades," she said coldly.

"Wyper!" Braham, Jiebao, and Kamaqili reached for their weapons, but Aisha's tearful plea stopped them. "What Laki said is true!"

Gan Fall arrived, confirming Laki's story. "I saw everything. Ace's power is unimaginable. He defeated Enel like a Adult Facing off against a child."

Wyper, looking at the devastation around him, finally accepted the truth. "I told you we'd see each other soon," Ace said to Gan Fall, smiling slightly.

"Please don't blame Wyper and the Shandians. They just want their homeland back," Gan Fall pleaded.

Ace looked at Gan Fall, then at Laki. "So what should I do, my future chef?" He extended his hand to Laki, smiling gently. "What?" she asked, surprised

Laki stared blankly at Ace's gentle smile, a blush spreading across her wild and pretty face.

"What? Didn't you say you wanted to go to the Blue Sea with us?" Ace asked. "My Observation Haki, which is the power of hearing that Elsa has, sensed that you are a very talented chef, and I happen to need one on the ship. How about it? Come to the Blue Sea with us."

"I, I was..." Laki stammered, her face turning red. She had blurted those words out of disappointment and anger. But looking at Ace's gentle smile, she couldn't bring herself to explain.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her Shandian companions. Wyper's face was dark with the pain of his shattered self-esteem after Enel was defeated by Ace. Braham, Jiebao, and Kamaqili remained silent, their expressions unreadable. Laki felt a pang of disappointment.

Looking back at Ace's gentle smile, she bit her lip. When she was at her most desperate, Ace's flames had been a beacon of hope. Maybe going to the Blue Sea wasn't such a bad idea after all. She raised her head.

"Laki..." Aisha held Laki's hand, her eyes filled with reluctance. "Are you going to the Blue Sea?"

"I..." Laki opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.

"Don't force it, Laki," Ace said, his smile like a small sun. "You are always welcome to join my ship until we leave Sky Island. If you want to see the Blue Sea, explore its lands and islands, and pursue your own life, then come with us. Follow your heart and make your choice."

Hearing Ace's words, Nami, Kaya, Vivi, Nojiko, and Tashigi smiled brightly. Ace always supported their dreams and the lives they wanted to pursue. They welcomed Laki to join them, admiring her courage for standing up to Wyper for Ace. She was a girl who understood right and wrong, knew how to repay kindness, and was worthy of trust.

Conis's eyes also sparkled. Ace faced the enemy with unwavering reliability and his friends with ultimate gentleness. Robin felt a ripple in her heart as she watched Ace's warm expression.

"Ace..." Laki's eyes shimmered with emotion. "I will make a decision before you leave Sky Island."

After soothing Aisha's worries, Laki looked at Ace seriously.

"Okay, I will wait for you," Ace replied, a strange red light flashing briefly in his eyes.

"Then it's time to bring this hunt to an end" Ace muttered as he raised his head and looked into the distance.