Growing Heart

Ch 8 - A Natural Defense

"Again, what is this rubber?!" Sid demanded.

Nami's eyes widened and she looked at Sid, as if seeing her for the first time, "That's right...You guys don't know what rubber is. It must not exist on the White-White Sea."

"Why not? Where does it come from?" Sid asked.

"It comes from a rubber tree."

"A tree?!"

"Gum-Gum...WHIP!"

"Mantra!"

Luffy's extended leg came swinging across the fake god, who closed his eyes and easily avoided the blow by disappearing in a spark of blue light, only to reappear on the other side of the deck the same way.

"Spear!" Luffy shouted, back flipping to his hands and shooting out his clamped feet towards Enel, who again flashed out of the way.

Nami's whole body broke into a sweat. "He's predicting Luffy's moves perfectly."

"Mantra..." Sid growled as Enel started to whack Luffy around the deck with heavy blows from his metal staff.

Luffy slammed against the wall of metal and Enel thrust the base of his staff at Luffy's throat, pinning the captain's head back. The fake god lifted the captain up into the air. Luffy's sandals fell to the deck below and his bare feet dangled in the air while his throat remained crushed under the staff.

"Don't push your luck," Enel said, "Lightning can do more than send electrical shocks. Once I know it won't work, I'll fight accordingly."

"Luffy!" Sid gasped. She was about to make an attempt to save him from getting choked but then was stopped by Nami.

"Wait. It's fine."

"What do you mean it's fine? Do you not care about your captain at all?!"

Sid's question was answered right then when Luffy grabbed the staff and yanked it away from his throat. He only dangled under the staff for a breath before swinging his leg out and towards Enel. "Physical attacks won't work on me!" he screamed just as Enel disappeared in a flash of light again.

"Lightning doesn't work. Physical attacks won't work, either...Just what is this rubber?" Enel asked, voicing aloud Sid's own inner thoughts. He then lifted his staff horizontally in front of him. "Grom Puddling!"

"Eh?!" Sid and Nami watched with widened eyes while Enel used his power to shape his staff into a sharp trident.

"See if this won't work!" Enel shouted, lunging forward at the captain.

"Ah!" Luffy yelped. He leapt to the top of the ship, barely the tips of the trident.

"As I thought," Enel laughed, "Slashing attacks are your weakness."

"Yeah," Luffy admitted, which did not go over well with both Sid and Nami.

"Don't tell him that!" they seethed.

Luffy jumped off of the top and reared his arms back. "Gum-Gum...Gatlin-"

Enel didn't even wait for his opponent this time. He disappeared again and this time, he did not reappear right away.

"LUFFY! Behind you!" Sid cried as a stream of blue lightning came streaking up the yellow metal.

"He's moving through the gold!" Nami gasped.

"Gold? What is gold?" Sid demanded.

Nami did not answer. She could only watch in fear as Enel formed out of the yellow metal with his trident at the ready. He shot out of the wall and towards Luffy, who grabbed the staff but let out a painful cry at the same time.