Enel stared at Kuina, at Wado Ichimonji, and at the unnatural black layer on its blade. His eyes widened, and he exclaimed in shock, "You... what is that?" He felt a power emanating from Kuina that was completely different from his Mantra, yet seemed to originate from the same source. He didn't know what it was, but the intense pain radiating from his body told him that this unknown power could harm him. This was the second person today, besides that silver-haired fellow who had trapped him through some unknown means, who could inflict damage upon him.
Feeling the searing pain from his six wounds, Enel willed a surge of lightning to erupt from his body, covering his injuries. He wasn't Crocodile; the heat from his lightning could seal such wounds. As black smoke rose, he felt as though he had returned to his past, being bullied by others on Skypiea. A ferocious, wolf-like glint flashed in his dark eyes. How long had it been since he had been wounded? How long had it been since he had felt such pain? He thought he had forgotten, but these memories were buried deep within his heart, resurfacing only now, after being wounded by Kuina. He wasn't some greenhorn who had experienced nothing! His lifelong experiences had taught him that only by reaching the pinnacle of power could he truly enjoy life's blessings. Therefore, these wounds were not a major issue for him; instead, they ignited his ferocity.
Kuina gazed at Enel, her calm demeanor vanishing, replaced by a look of gravity. She felt he had changed. Previously, while he had felt dangerous, the threat hadn't been overwhelming. Now, it was different. She raised Wado Ichimonji, its blade etched with dark patterns, ignoring Enel's question. This man possessed Observation Haki but had no concept of Haki itself. His Observation Haki was incredibly strong, and hurting him from now on would not be easy. But "not easy" was just that – not easy.
Bending her knees, she pushed off the ground. As the earth beneath her cracked, Kuina shot towards Enel like an arrow loosed from a bowstring. "You want to know what this is? Then feel it properly!" she declared. In an instant, she appeared before Enel and swung her blade down with great force.
*Clang!*
"Don't get too arrogant, woman." A red light flashed in Enel's eyes. As if foreseeing the attack, he raised his golden staff, crackling with blue lightning, to block the blade before it even arrived. He knew his bare hands couldn't withstand the sharpness of Kuina's sword. So, just as Kuina had enveloped her blade with an unknown power, he wrapped his lightning around his weapon. As expected, the seemingly unstoppable edge was deflected by his lightning. Although his lightning was severed by the blade upon contact, it had indeed blocked the attack.
One had to admit, this man was a true genius. He hadn't eaten the Rumble-Rumble Fruit for many years, and information about Devil Fruits was scarce on Skypiea. Yet, through his innate talent, he had developed his fruit's abilities to a level comparable to Crocodile's. He had uniquely discovered the electromagnetic capabilities of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, using electromagnetic waves to enhance his Observation Haki. Now, with just a glance, he had grasped the technique of Haki infusion. Although he used lightning, his talent was undeniably terrifying. Had he been born on the sea, with such talent and proper guidance, he would likely have reached Admiral level by now. But there were no "what ifs" in this world.
Kuina stared at Enel. She raised her right hand, then brought it down with even greater speed.
*Swoosh!*
Before Enel could react, his weapon was severed. Even with his immense talent, once Kuina closed the distance, and considering he, like Crocodile, never trained his body, his strength and reaction speed were no match for Kuina's.
Feeling his grip loosen, Enel immediately transformed into lightning, attempting to escape. He had already sensed Kuina's power. If this continued, even if he could sense her attacks, he wouldn't be able to dodge her strikes that could harm him. Sooner or later, he would be defeated. He needed to create distance and use his fruit's mobility and long-range attacks to wear Kuina down.
However, reality often defied expectations. Since Kuina had gotten this close, escaping wouldn't be so easy. Kuina stomped on the ground, her body moving at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, leaving an afterimage as she appeared directly in front of Enel's chest. She retracted her right hand, bent her legs, and looked up at the surrounding lightning, her pupils reflecting a cold glint. Without hesitation, she slashed her sword upwards.
*Slish!*
She cut through the lightning, revealing the wriggling flesh beneath. Armament Haki couldn't nullify Logia elementalization, but if struck by Armament Haki, even a Logia user, after having elementalized, would still be injured. Of course, the attacker's Armament Haki couldn't be too far behind the Logia user's fruit development. If the gap was too large, even if the Logia user stood still, they couldn't be harmed.
Despite being wounded, Enel paid no mind. The lightning he had transformed into shot upwards towards the sky with a blinding flash and a hum.
"Trying to run!"
At this moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl around Kuina. She stared at the ascending lightning, her pupils, illuminated by the blue electric arcs, shimmering with a cold, sword-like light. Her body sank slightly, then she swung her right hand, sheathing her sword. She pushed off the ground, her body becoming like a drawn sword, lunging directly towards the lightning. The two strands of her hair by her ears fluttered like dragon whiskers.
"Iaido: One-Sword Style: Azure Dragon!"
A phantom azure divine dragon materialized around her, let out a skyward roar, and then charged directly at the lightning. Time seemed to stop. The only sounds in the world were the rumbling of thunder and the roar of the azure dragon. Perhaps a long time passed, or perhaps it was just an instant. The lightning froze in place, and Kuina's body, at some unknown moment, appeared in the sky behind the lightning. She stood with her back to the lightning, her right hand gripping her sword, performing a flourish before sheathing it.
*Clink!*
Only then did everyone see it: a thin, black fissure, as if it had severed space itself, extended diagonally upwards from the ground all the way to where Kuina's sword tip had been.
*Crack! Crackle!*
Sounds like shattering glass reverberated through the space, as if this single blow was meant to cleave the world in two. However, the world ultimately triumphed over this blow, which lacked any subsequent power. As the fissure began to widen, the surrounding space, as if touched by a divine hand, rippled and disappeared. The cracks vanished, and everything returned to its original state, as if the fissure in the sky had never appeared.