"Damn!" Hearing the sound of thunder growing closer and seeing the terrifying figure of the eight-headed dragons, Enel felt irritated. He transformed into a bolt of lightning, leaving the Upper Yard and blocking Shin's path.
"Huh?" Shin glanced at Enel in surprise. "You actually came out directly, Enel?"
"Where did you come from, monster? Do you intend to invade the realm of God?" Enel asked, gripping his staff and pointing it at Shin.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Don't you even know about mythical Devil Fruits?" Shin, who had been labeled a monster, couldn't help but scoff. "Skypieans really are ignorant."
Recalling how Enel didn't even understand the properties of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit he had eaten—truly believing himself to be a natural god of thunder—Shin found it unsurprising.
"Damn monster! How dare you mock me!" Enel, unfamiliar with the concept of mythical Devil Fruits, only heard Shin's ridicule and flew into a rage. Without hesitation, he unleashed one of his strongest techniques.
Facing Shin, who bore eight heads and eight tails, with dragon scales covering his body and ominous horns protruding from his head, Enel felt uneasy.
Especially since Shin was clad in lightning armor, appearing to be his natural counter. Enel dared not hold back and immediately launched his most powerful attack.
"Thor!"
With a roar, Enel transformed into a massive lightning figure, regaining some confidence as he struck at Shin with a mighty punch.
However, Shin simply opened his mouth and exhaled a black mist that instantly engulfed the Thunder God's form. In mere moments, the towering figure of Thor vanished into thin air.
In terms of fruit abilities, the Dark-Dark Fruit could suppress almost all Devil Fruits!
"One-shot knockout... A guy who's useless except for his fruit powers," Shin remarked with a smirk.
At that moment, the Sky Islanders, who had been observing the battle closely, were left bewildered.
A bold Sky Islander murmured, "God... God? Was he just defeated like that?"
"No way..."
As soon as he spoke, he hastily covered his mouth and glanced around, expecting a bolt of lightning from above. When none came, his face lit up with astonishment.
"It's true! God was eaten by a monster—no, a divine beast!"
Shin, hovering in the sky, heard the cheers from below. Some of the Sky Islanders were even kowtowing to him, which made his expression turn slightly amused.
"This guy could only thrive in Skypiea. I always knew he was overrated, but this is beyond disappointing. Can this even be called a god? I finally understand how Hulk felt."
It was reminiscent of the moment Hulk had slammed Loki around like a ragdoll—his only thought afterward being: 'Puny god.'
After a moment, Shin landed on the ground, reverting from his dragon form to his human body. However, the Sky Islanders kept their distance, surrounding him from afar.
After all, Shin had effortlessly swallowed the so-called invincible god Enel. To them, he was a terrifying existence. His eight-headed dragon form alone had been enough to make them wary.
Not that Shin cared. He simply extended his hand, releasing the black energy, and spat out Enel. However, Enel was now devoid of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power.
Enel blinked in confusion, scanning his surroundings. "Where did the monster go? Did I scare it away?"
Shin rolled his eyes, unwilling to waste words. Now that Enel had lost the Lightning Fruit, it was only a matter of time before the Sky Islanders realized the truth and turned against him. There was no need for Shin to intervene.
With that, he absorbed his Azure Dragon into the dark dimension and, using the Rinnegan and the Super Light-Weight Rock Technique, took Pudding and the others into the sky.
A short while later, having altered their appearances with a transformation technique, Shin and his group—now indistinguishable from the Sky Islanders—reappeared on Skypiea.
Pudding pouted and turned to Shin. "Sir, why do we have to disguise ourselves to explore the island? Wouldn't it be better to interact with them as their savior?"
"Well," Shin scratched his head slightly. "I don't want to be stared at everywhere I go. It'd make it hard to actually enjoy Skypiea."
"Heehee, if that's the problem, I could just wipe all their memories. Then we wouldn't need the transformation technique at all," Pudding suggested playfully.
Shin flicked her forehead. "Let's not use that power so carelessly. If you rely on it too much, it won't end well."
Manipulating minds was undoubtedly convenient, but excessive reliance on such power would dull one's instincts and vigilance. The day she encountered someone immune to her abilities could spell disaster.
Generally, unless dealing with an enemy, Shin avoided using mental abilities. Using them frivolously for minor inconveniences was out of the question.
Pudding stuck out her tongue, understanding that Shin was looking out for her, and didn't argue further.
The landscape of Skypiea was vastly different from the sea below. The abundance of rare shellfish and the island's unique commodities left Pudding and the others astonished.
Fortunately, Berries could be used as currency in Skypiea. How exactly Skypiea maintained trade with the Blue Sea was a mystery, but it hardly mattered. Pudding, Violet, and the others were already waving their money around, shopping enthusiastically.
Violet, having been a princess of Dressrosa before joining Doflamingo's crew, had never been short on funds, regardless of her status.
Pudding, as Big Mom's daughter, may not have received maternal love, but she had never lacked material wealth.
If not for Shin's dark dimension storage, he and Kyros would probably have looked like walking mountains of shopping bags.
Once women began shopping, it didn't matter whether you were their captain or not.
After spending several days exploring Skypiea, Shin and his crew had seen most of what the floating island had to offer. However, they soon noticed a shift in the atmosphere—the tension in the air had grown palpable.
After some inquiries, they quickly learned the reason.
Due to Skypiea's geography, soil was nearly as valuable as gold. The fragments of Jaya Island, which had been propelled into the sky by the Knock-Up Stream, were as tempting to the Sky Islanders as the fabled City of Gold was to the people of the Blue Sea.