Chapter 112: Preparations for the Endless Vearth

"Alright, we've seen enough. Time to leave," Doflamingo prompted Robin, who was still nestled in his arms.

"Okay!" Robin agreed readily. There was nothing more to keep her here; the inscription on the ancient stele was now firmly committed to her memory.

Doflamingo carried Robin back aboard the Ark Maxim. Settling onto the throne once more, he signaled the end of the test flight. He had to admit, he was thoroughly satisfied. The renowned craftsmanship of the Skypiean artisans was no mere boast; they had executed his instructions perfectly.

Enel hadn't been present for this particular test flight. Following his conversation with Doflamingo the previous night, he had already taken a contingent of men and departed for Birka.

Therefore, Doflamingo settled in to enjoy life on Sky Island for the time being. After all, with key personnel still absent, he couldn't very well leave just yet.

Meanwhile, after a hurried journey that still consumed considerable time, Enel finally arrived back in his homeland, Birka. His feelings towards this place were a tangled knot of complexity, so intricate it bordered on a desire to utterly destroy it.

"Yahahaha! This great one has returned!" Enel boomed from the bow of his ship, the familiar sight instantly dissolving his travel fatigue.

"Welcome back, Lord Enel!" Kapac Usman, having received advance notice, was already there with an organized party to greet him.

"Yahahaha! Usman, not bad work!" Enel praised, observing the neat ranks assembled for his arrival.

"Thank you for your praise, Lord Enel. Any success I've had is entirely thanks to the Young Master's blessing," Usman replied humbly, careful not to take undue credit.

"Lord Enel, please come this way! The banquet is ready and awaits only you," Usman said, gesturing for Enel to follow him.

As Enel walked through the streets of Birka, he noted the change in the residents. Their former arrogance was gone. Seeing him now, their faces showed no trace of the old hatred, replaced instead by apprehension and fear. Enough time had passed that they might have believed they'd never see him again. His unexpected return filled them with dread, terrified he might finally settle old scores.

Clowns! Enel sneered inwardly. His Observation Haki, keenly sensitive, easily picked up the fear and worry in their eyes. He found he no longer had much desire to personally exact vengeance upon them. Witnessing the vastness of the Blue Sea had broadened his horizons somewhat. Besides, he'd thought of a much more amusing approach: let them live. Let these clowns stew in their perpetual anxiety and fear. Games, after all, were much more entertaining when played slowly, weren't they?

The banquet in Birka proceeded as planned. Enel, the guest of honor, ate and drank to his heart's content. However, while some reveled, others worried. Most people here were, in fact, Enel's former enemies. Though they plastered on smiles and offered flattering words, resentment simmered beneath the surface, though they dared not voice a single complaint.

The following day, Enel went to see the former "God" of Birka – the very being who had once held sway, looking down upon him from on high. The man's current state was pitiful. Years of imprisonment had aged him drastically; Enel almost didn't recognize him.

"Hey, Usman! What is the meaning of this?" Enel demanded, his face darkening with anger as he glared at Usman. "Is this broken shell really the 'God' who was once so high and mighty?"

"Lord Enel," Usman responded respectfully, sensing his fury, "this man's spirit is broken. He has accepted his fate!"

"Boring!" Enel scoffed, visibly disappointed. "And I made this trip especially for you." He waved a dismissive hand. "Let him go! Just let him live."

"Yes, sir," Usman replied, immediately ordering the guards to remove the former God's shackles.

"Enel... you..." the former God rasped, looking at Enel with complex emotions swirling in his eyes.

"Just live," Enel repeated curtly, already turning his attention away, and walked off alone.

The old God watched Enel's retreating back, a mixture of dejection and perhaps grudging respect on his face. He knew Enel disdained striking a foe who had lost the will to fight, even an enemy! Still... sometimes, merely living was another form of torment.

Usman hurried to catch up with Enel. "Lord Enel," he asked cautiously, "is dealing with him like this... really alright?"

"Yahahaha! No problem at all!" Enel replied, his usual boisterous energy returning in full force.

"That's good to hear," Usman said, relieved. "However, Lord Enel, there is something I wished to ask you."

"Spit it out! You're practically a Family veteran now, why are you being so indecisive?" Enel retorted impatiently.

"Yes, sir. I just wanted to ask... when the Young Master might consider transferring me from here. I too wish to witness the grandeur of the Blue Sea!" Usman confessed with a sigh.

"Relax, Doffy definitely remembers you," Enel reassured him initially, before adding bluntly, "However, with your current level of skill... you're not quite qualified yet."

"Ah..." Usman deflated, unable to argue with the harsh truth. He looked visibly dejected.

Seeing his disappointment, Enel offered a small concession. "Don't worry, I'll put in a word with Doffy for you."

"Oh, thank you very much, Lord Enel!" Usman immediately brightened, expressing his gratitude.

Back at the main shrine in Birka, Enel summoned the populace once more.

"Is everyone here?" Enel inquired. "Yes, everyone has arrived," Usman confirmed.

"Then watch closely!" Enel announced grandly. "Next, I will show you the kind of power only a true God possesses!"

"Cloudfall Burial Cascade!"

Before the assembled crowd, a colossal waterfall composed entirely of clouds materialized in the near distance. It surged downwards from the sky, crashing relentlessly onto the sea of clouds surrounding Birka. The immense power and noise of the display deepened the people's terror of Enel. Their eyes filled with anxiety, they bowed their heads low, afraid even to meet his gaze, terrified of provoking his wrath.

Having demonstrated his power, reminding them tangibly of the fear associated with his name, Enel observed their cowering forms with satisfaction. He had no intention of letting these people live comfortably. Periodic torment served as the best consolation for his past grievances.

He sat silently upon the God's throne, saying nothing, allowing the heavy, oppressive atmosphere to weigh upon these self-important, arrogant "children of God."

Such a twisted sense of fun, Usman thought helplessly from the sidelines.

Below, the people of Birka endured an agonizing hour, trapped between fear and uncertainty, unable to move or speak freely. Enel thoroughly enjoyed the game, but even the most amusing pastimes grow dull when patience wears thin. Finally, he rose and left, offering neither punishment nor pardon. For the people of Birka, his silence was perhaps the cruelest torture of all.

After spending a week in Birka, Enel's interest completely waned. He decided to return to Angel Island; this place was simply too dull now!

The news of Enel's impending departure brought overwhelming joy to the Birka residents.

As he stood on the deck of his departing ship, Enel looked down at the crowd gathered to see him off. "Don't worry, everyone!" he called out cheerfully. "I'll definitely come back to see you all! Make sure you live well until then!"

Hearing this, the expressions on the faces of the Birka people turned utterly miserable, as if they'd been forced to swallow poison.

Several days later, back on Angel Island, Doflamingo and Enel finally met again.

"So," Doflamingo began casually, "how did things go? Have a good time?"

"Yahahaha! Not bad!" Enel laughed boisterously. "Thanks to this great one's 'care,' those fools are living wonderfully!" His words dripped with the smug satisfaction of revenge exacted on his terms.

"Right," Enel continued, remembering his promise, "Doffy, do you still remember Usman?"

"Usman?" Doflamingo tilted his head slightly. "I remember him. What about it? Doesn't want to stay cooped up in Birka anymore?" He easily guessed Enel's point.

"Exactly. Seems the fellow isn't content with a quiet life," Enel said with a slight curl of his lip.

"I see," Doflamingo mused, then turned the question back on Enel with a knowing look. "But Enel... are you content with quiet solitude?"

"Me? Of course not!" Enel declared instantly. "Doffy, you know me better than that!"

"Fuffuffuffuffu! Good!" Doflamingo chuckled. "I wonder then... that place called 'Fairy Vearth'... still interested in going?" He glanced at Enel, a smile playing on his lips.

"Fairy Vearth?" Enel froze for a second, stunned. Then, pure, unadulterated joy exploded across his face. "Really?! I can go to Fairy Vearth?!"

Doflamingo simply nodded. He knew Enel would never truly be satisfied until he reached his lifelong dream destination. This trip presented the perfect opportunity to help him fulfill that wish.

"Yahahaha! Fantastic!" Enel cheered, practically vibrating with excitement. "When do we leave? I can't wait!"

"How about tomorrow?" Doflamingo suggested.

"Excellent! Fairy Vearth, here I, Enel, come! Yahahaha!"

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