Chapter 20: Scarlet Tears.
Erza couldn't believe what she was seeing. Painful memories of the Tower of Heaven, when he saved her and Natsu from Jellal's magic blast costing his life. Simion is seen in front of her.
"Erza..." Simon said slowly.
"H-How is this possible?" Erza asked a bit startled.
"I know…I don't know what happened eith-" Without warning, she ran and gave Simon a big hug with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"It seems that you guys are having a family reunion or something," Motaharu said as he turned around and walk away. "I'll go see what the others are doing."
"I know you have a lot of question...but I can't talk to you here," Simon whispered.
"What why?" Erza asked startled.
"Because...I don't want to endanger you or the others on Skypiea..." He whispered. "I'm not even supposed to be here, but I risk everything to see if my dream means anything...Guess I was right."
"What do you mean by risking everything?" Erza asked again.
"Skypiea may look beautiful...but it's just a blanket covering the real issue..." He replied. "If you're just sightseeing...then avoid going to the Upper Yard."
"Upper Yard?" Erza asked.
"That is all I can say…" Simon said as he turned away from her. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay long...I have to get back before they know I'm gone."
"Wait…!" Erza couldn't stop Simion who disappeared instantly. She didn't know how to react to this. She shook off her shock and walk back to the shoreline.
"That was way too close," Zorro panted as he dragged his captain out of the water.
"Well it would have been if you two idiots didn't stand there rambling," Kuroko scolded.
"Shut up, you weren't helpful at all too!" Zorro snapped.
"Don't yell at her!" Sanji defended. He was carrying Karine bridal style. "You were the one who past Karine!"
"I'm so sorry," Pagaya said. "It was my fault for allowing a novice to try it."
Usopp dragged Chopper out as well. "Why did you jump Chopper?"
"These waivers are built very light for the sake of speed," Pagaya. Explained.
"So only people who understand the sea could ride it right?" Weiss asked.
"I've been practicing when I was a child," Connis said. "You can get ready in about 10 years."
"T-Ten years!?" Jaune and Hime stuttered. "That's a long time!"
"This is awesome~!"
"Nami's riding it~!?" Usopp exclaimed.
"In one day~!?" Hime added.
"She's amazing!" Wendy praised.
"Go Nami-swan~~!" Sanji called out.
"Hey~! No fair I called dibs after Luffy!" Natsu whined.
"I can't believe it, is this really her first time?" Pagaya asked.
"How come she can do it, but I can't?!" Luffy said in shock.
"There's a trick to it~!" Nami called out, looking like she answering Luffy's question. "There's a delicate touch to it!"
"So in simpler terms, idiots like Luffy, Natsu, Misaka, Ruby, and Touma, can't be able to use it," Raymond summarized.
"Whoa, we didn't even try it~!?" Natsu and Ruby exclaimed.
"And don't lump me with those idiots~!" Misaka and Touma added.
Karine grumbled at Nami. "Oi Orange head~! We are going to have dinner with the guy's house so get off that thing stupid~!"
"Yeah, get off of it stupid~!" Luffy roared.
"Shut yer mouth brat~!" Sanji axed kick Luffy in the head.
"Stupid waver hog~!" Luffy added still annoyed.
"That insult makes no sense," Cynthia sweatdropped.
"You guys go on ahead~!" Nami called out. "You don't mind if I continue riding the waver!?"
"No not at all," Pagaya answered. "Just be careful!"
"Hey~! Has anyone seen Erza or Motaharu?" Yuko asked.
"We're here~!" Motaharu called out, from the forest with Erza behind him.
"Where have you two been?" Touma asked.
"We've been exploring some pleasant areas," Motaharu winked.
Erza delivered an elbow jabbed into his stomach.
"It's nothing like that!" Erza lashed out blushing a bit.
"Did Erza just...?" Megumi asked, but the menacing glare from the scarlet mage cause her to shut her mouth.
Everyone minus Nami, George, Accelerator, and Jackal were climbing up the stairs to Pagaya and Connis's house for dinner.
"Hey~!" Ruby called out. "Is that a factory over there~?!"
"Indeed it is," Pagaya answered. "This is our cloud quarry site. It where our clouds are manufactured and cut to make all types of needs.
"...Say what?" Karine exclaimed.
"Did you said manufactured?" Hibiki asked. "How does a cloud get manufactured? You make it sound like there concrete or something."
"I didn't know you can cut clouds," Zorro stated.
"But you can't," Misaka sweatdropped.
"You all got here by the milky road current correct" Payaga asked.
"You mean that crazy rollercoaster cloud stream?" Natsu asked.
"Yes, that canal was constructed by our engineers and made using natural clouds we gather," Pagaya explained.
"So that current we were riding on was artificial?" Awatsuki asked.
"There are actually two types of natural clouds on this island," he explained. "Your ship travel on top of what we called sea clouds and the ones that flat on that we are standing on, building and float are island clouds."
"These clouds aren't normal clouds we are used to in Academy City," Misaka noted. Luffy, Natsu, Nora, Usopp, and Happy were bouncing through the clouds instead of using the stairway.
"That is correct," Pagaya confirmed. "There's condensation is different from the ones you usually see. It has something to do with minerals found in the Blue Sea world called Sea Prism stones."
"Sea Prism Stones?" Ren repeated. "Those were the stones that were on Jackal."
"What effect does that have on the clouds?" Robin questioned.
"Inside the sea prism are subatomic particles called 'Pryonbloin' during volcanic eruption these particles gain moisture and ascend into the sky. Our clouds are formed based on the density of the moisture."
" You lost me at eruption," Natsu noted.
"Aye," Happy added.
"Oh yeah," Luffy absently nodded. "I've heard about those things."
"Sure," Usopp nodded sarcastically. "I remember that from when I was a kid! We used to always play with subatomic particles in the yard!"
"Quit Lying~!" Kuroko comically grimaced.
"In all actuality, there are three types of clouds we use in our everyday lives," He continued. "The sea and island types are natural. The man-made ones come from the island clouds."
"So Sea Prism stones make this all possible?" Touma summarized. "Who would have thought. The same material that's between a demon and many lives taken."
After departing from Erza, Simon was sitting on a rock far away from the Going Merry. He noticed the same red-headed girl who was on the ship was slowly dragging herself out of the water. "Yozouro are you okay?"
"...I'm fine," Yozouro answered quietly. She stood up causing Simon to turn away blushing. Her clothes were questionable with the upper exposed a bit. "I was able to touch two strong people and leave without them knowing…"
"Were they from the Blue Sea?" He asked. She silently nodded. "That means Erza must be on that ship...But why and how?"
"What should we do Simion?" Yozouro asked. "We have no way to get to the Upper Yard, and the others are doing their best distracting the priests."
"Don't worry Yozouro, I think backup will," Simon nodded. 'Knowing Erza...she'll ignore my warning and go up to the Upper Yard.'
"Blech~!" Kanade gagged after tasting a cyan-color sauce from the fridge.
"What's wrong Kanade?" Sanji asked.
"T-This sauce taste horrible~!" She flinched.
"It can't be that ba-HUR!" Sanji took a lick and felt the same thing as Kanade.
"What happened?" Pagaya asked concerned.
"This sauce you have here taste really bad," Kanade answered.
"How bad,"
"My tongue is swollen, and it's making me dizzy," Sanji said.
Pagaya sweated nervously. "I'm sorry...it seems that you drank some spoiled sauce."
'THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE THIS STUFF SITTING AROUND!?" Sanji yelled tossing the jar away.
"So this is a Dial?" Index asked confused. Connis gave Index a dial.
"It' looks just like a seashell," Hummy added.
"Yeah at first, but why don't you try putting it at your mouth and speak into it," Connis asked.
"Like this~?" Index placed it to her mouth and spoke. "...Hibiki and Touma are idiots!"
"Why are you targeting us!?" Touma and Hibiki exclaimed.
"Let me try~!" Luffy grabbed the shell. "Usopp and Hime are idiots!"
"What did we do?!" Usopp and Hime comically yelled.
"Children," Weiss rolled her eyes.
Connis giggled, "Then you have to press the apex of the shell."
"Apex?" Luffy repeated confused.
"It's mean the highest point of an object," Index answered. "Which means the top part of the shell."
"I don't think pressing the top going to do anything," Hime doubted as she pressed it.
"...Hibiki and Touma are idiots!"
"EH!?" Luffy exclaimed in shock. "The shell is making fun of Hibiki and Touma!"
"This shell dial is like a tape recorder, we have back home," Blake commented ignoring the four. "It records any sound and plays it back."
Connis nodded. "We call this the Tone Dial. It's a shell from the White White sea. We use it to replay whatever it hears."
"Hey hold on," Zorro mentioned. "If there's no bottom in the sea where do those shells live?"
"Oh they live on the shallow end in the cloud reef," Connis replied.
"I still don't get how a small shell like this can cause a waiver to move, especially with a guy riding it," Kuroko stated.
"That's because this is the kind of dial that powers up the waver," Connis replied, showing them a bigger shell. She set the shell near some wind chimes and gently pressed the apex. Immediately air began to come out of the opening of the shell, causing the chimes to move a bit.
"~Oh," Index, Last Order, Nora, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, Wendy, Cynthia, Megumi, Hime, Hummy Ruby and Hibiki were awed.
"So that one blows wind from its backside," Usopp concluded.
"Like a fart," Yang added.
"Seriously you went there?" Lucy questioned.
"This is called a Breath Dial," Connis introduced, "This dial can store a good amount of air and expel it in your control. So if you have it face the wind in 30 minutes then it will then release 30 minutes worth of wind."
"Like this?" Luffy began winding the shell back 10 times. After the tenth swing, Luffy aimed the shell at Index, pressing the apex causing air to gush out into Index's face. "This is neat!"
"How much wind can the breath Dial store?" Hime asked.
"It depends on the size of the shell," Connis said. "If you put it on the right stern of the ship, then you can move swiftly.
"I never heard of anything like that," Robin admitted.
"Me neither," Shervan agreed. "So the waiver is moved by streams of air coming out of the dials."
"We use propellers for water scooters in our world," Yuko mentioned. "So it's similar to the waver in this world."
"Dials don't just power wavers," COnnis continued. "They also power skating dials or board dials."
"Do they have Fire Dials?" Natsu asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Connis answered. "I haven't seen it before, but they use it to light up the night sky."
"I wish I was on that thing instead of Nami," Luffy pouted noticing her in the distance.
"You're still complaining about that?" Jaune asked.
"That reminds me...you mentioned that you guys have one as well?" Connis asked. "How are you able to get one in your world?"
"It's really hard to even call it a waver," Gray said. "It's over 200 years old. There's no way it will work."
"That might not be the case…'" Connis said. "Dials are remains of dead shellfish. They can last for eternity as long as the shell isn't broken."
"If that's the case, then I call dibs~!" Jaune announced.
"Wanna fight me for it?" Natsu grinned.
"N-No no I'll go after you," Jaune mumbled.
"Fearless leader," Weiss rolled her eyes.
"Hear that~! I told yah so~!" Luffy cheered.
"No, you didn't," Hime dope slap the captain.
"Are there other kinds of dials that store different objects or elements?" Wannai questioned.
"Yes, there are Lamp Dials that store light, Visual Dials that store everything the user sees, and Flavour Dials that store scent and aroma."
"So it's just like a lightbulb, fragment and a video camera in our world," Touma concluded.
"I wonder if we can store you know what in the flavor dial," Happy whispered tp Natsu.
"That would be so funny," Natsu snickered.
"Note to self: Keep Natsu and Happy away from Flavour dials," Cynthia whispered to Wendy.
"To be honest we really could substance our life here in the clouds without dials," Connis confessed. "Our culture evolved with dials the same way as they adapted in the White White sea."
"Interest, a culture adapted with Dials," Erza said, but she was focused on Simion and his warning.
"Sound like you guys were having fun gathering information," Kanade called out as she Sanji and Pagaya brought out some dishes.
"Ooi!" Megumi, Hime, Ellen, and Shirabe awed at the plates.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Sanji introduced."We have your Sky Lobster with a side of special sauce and the side of island fruit that I can't pronounce."
"They look so good," Luffy, Index, Hibiki, Natsu, and Happy said drooling bit.
"Let's dig in~!" Chopper and Nora announced, causing everyone to reach for their food.
"Hey does anyone know where Nami is?" Sanji asked.
"She's still riding the Waver," Charla answered. "But I haven't seen her yet."
"She probably went too far," Index replied while stuffing food in her mouth.
"Index you know I told you to not eat when your stuffing food," Touma lectured.
"Sorry, " Index apologies.
"I'm a bit worried father," Connis whispered. "Do you think she's okay?"
"Yeahs I have my concerns, I just hope she didn't go up there."
"What do you mean up there?" Kuroko asked.
Connis hesitated before speaking, "In the clouds, there's an island called the Upper Yard that no one is ever allowed to set foot. It not too far from this area, in a waver it's a bit quicker to get there...I"m afraid that Nami might have gone there out of curiosity."
"Really now…" Ruby said looking a bit curious too. "What's over there that it's forbidden to go to?"
"Is it full of monsters?" Jaune asked worriedly.
"It's a Sacred Ground," Connis answered.
"Sacred...Ground?" Index and Misaka repeated.
"It's more than that…" Connis said frightened. "It's where our great Mighty God lives."
"...
…
...WHAT!?"
Yozouro is seen swimming towards the Going Merry, acting all sneaky and silent. However, she wasn't looking where she was going and bumped her head on the side of the ship. She quickly hid under the clouds once she heard footsteps on the side.
Accelerator walked out from the deck and noticed Jackal all alone. "Where's the big guy?"
"He thought he saw something and went out," Jackal answered.
"And how long have you tried to break free puppy," Accelerator chuckled.
"Shut up albino freak!" Jackal shot back.
"Albino freak...I've been called worse," Accelerator shrugged it off. "Say...I was wondering. How many lives have you taken?"
"Why do you wanna know?" Jackal asked angrily. "Are you frightened that I'll go after your bra-!"
Accelerator responded by kick a pebble on the deck that broke part half of the ship. Coincidentally, Yozouro was climbing on that part and end up falling in the ocean.
"In your realm, you demons think your high up under all humans," Accelerator informed. "However you were beaten by Pinky and the hero."
"What's your point?" Jackal growled.
"In my world, I've figured out 100 ways to kill a person with my powers," Jackal actually flinched. "Crushing them, electrocution, dust explosion, plasma and blood manipulation...I was the top dog in Academy City...Even when I lost to the Hero and got shot in the head by one sick bastard."
"W-Wait that boy, beat you?" Jackal exclaimed.
"Why are you surprised? That guy gave you a chance to live, just be glad that you were fighting him..." Accelerator suddenly grinned crazily. "Because I would've given you a taste of your own medicine."
For some reason, Jackal felt scared of humans, more than they're are scared of him. 'Does it really matter if I'm a demon or not? Damn it!'
"Man these Skypian fish are tasty," Kaito said as he scarfed down the fish. "Thanks Gonta~!"
"Don't thank Gonta, thank Gonta's friends for catching them," Gonta stated.
Kaito turned to Maki who appeared. "Hey, Maki aren't you going to try some of this? It's tasty!"
"Maybe later…" Maki mumbled. "I just heard that there are Blue Sea dwellers who just came to Skypiea without paying the fine."
"So? We didn't pay either," Kaito answered with his mouth full.
"You really are an idiot," Maki sighed. "What I mean is that Miu's invention works...for once. Her dumb mutant she sent to the resort was supposed to lure Exp#1 out of the open."
"Do we really have to call them experiments?" Kaito groaned. "They're humans like you and me."
"They're not...we're only thinking that way because we look like humans, but we are Ultimates: Human weapons for Crimson Blood," Maki stated.
"Did you just said a God lives there?!" Ren asked a bit puzzled. He along with the Straw Hat group was shocked, frightened and stunned by Connis's words.
"Okay, I had a hard time believing Devil Fruits, Demons, magic, and an island in the sky," Kuroko continued. "But a God? Sacred Ground? This is just too much."
"So you're saying that God lives in a place where we should never step foot in?" Megumi exclaimed in shock.
Connis nodded, frowning a bit. "It's called the God's land and is ruled by the all Mighty Eneru."
"Eneru?" Index repeated. "I never heard of a God name Eneru before."
"So...you here that Luffy?" Natsu lightly nudged him with a smirk. "A place where God lives…and we are not allowed in there."
"Yeah…" Luffy smirked the same way.
"...OH NO, YOU DON'T~!" Hime hollered while grabbing both of them by the collar. "You better not be thinking what I think you thinking!"
"Yeah, you heard what she just said right?" Touma added. "No one should not go to the Upper Hard island~!"
"Ah, I see…" Luffy grinned. "...A place nobody can enter…"
"...A place that no one should enter... huh?" Ruby nodded while munching on an apple.
"With an all mighty God…." Misaka pondered.
"Not you too~!" Kuroko groaned.
"Let just say if we do go in…" Cynthia joined in. "Couldn't God forgive us is we obey his law? Walking on his island doesn't seem like a big deal."
"She wants to go too," Wendy, Charla, and Shervan thought with a sweatdrop.
Connis sweatdropped. "B-But breaking the rules from God is the same way as Disobeying God."
"Oh well, that doesn't matter…" Misaka, Ruby, Natsu, and Luffy nodded.
"They'll go even if they'll die in the process," Shervan and Wendy mumbled.
"So what kinds of consequences does God deliver if we enter his grounds?" Gajeel asked.
"We don't really know for sure his punishments, but rumors stated that if you go there, then you'll never come back alive," Pagaya answered.
"T-They'll die?" Megumi stated shocked.
"Then we need to go get Nami quickly before she sets foot there," Hibiki stated.
"Yeah~!" Luffy cheered. "Let's go find Nami!"
"You just want to do the exact opposite of what you've been told!" Hime comically shook him.
"Whoa~!" Nami parked her waver and observed the Upper yard trees in the distances. "Those are the biggest trees I ever saw. They gotta be hundred years old. That or they grow faster in the Sky…?"
Nami noticed a girl standing on one of the branches. She had short white hair and wore a whitish komodo. "...A girl...that means there are people on this island…"
Nami was about to ask her something, however, the girl turned away. "Wait…! Who are you and what is this island called?"
"...CHAK!"
Nami slowly turned to froze in fear. The same Gorilla that attacked them before was behind her aiming its bazooka at her.
"Huff...Huff!" A man is seen running in the forest.
A bald man wearing glass is seen on the top of the branches. He whistled with his fingers and out came a giant dog lunged at the man. "AH!"
"Fire Phoenix Blazing Talons~!" A male voice shouted, from above, shocking all three of them. He flew downward delivering a flaming white kick to the dog's cheeks. The force rocket the dog into a tree.
"Damn it!" The bald man cursed. "I thought Gedatsu was keeping you busy!"
"He was, but I gave him the slip before he could do his weird cross eye expression!" He playfully stated.
"T-Thank you!" The man shuddered gratefully.
"No need to thank me, just follow the misty trial, and you'll be out of here." He replied, the man nodded and ran ahead.
"You must be out of your mind if I'm going to let you and the guy leave alive, Get em boy!" The man called out.
The big dog was able to recover from the kick and growl angrily at the boy responsible for it. He just chuckled as he winds his fist. "It seems that I need to teach this dog some new tricks."
Elsewhere in the forest, and an aerial battle is seen going on. A man riding on a bird, holding a big javelin is clashing with a guy who looks similar to the other one, only with red hair instead of brown. He was levitated in the air.
"It seems that you're growing a lot weaker than before eh? And you call yourself a God Slayer?" The Birdman taunted.
"Tsk," The man clicked his teeth as he launched a funnel of wind from his hands. The birdman dodged by flying around it and jabbing his javelin in the man abdomen, causing a bit of blood to come out.
"You seemed to forgotten that I can see through your little trick," The man taunted, however, he quickly frowned.
"...You seem to forget how a God Slayers work," He inhaled the air in his mouth, the man quickly reattached his javelin from the boy's body and flew out of the way. "Sky God Boreas~!"
He let out a powerful funnel of black wind, causing the tree trunk that it came into contact with to crash down.
Nami didn't get the chance to even move as the Gorilla fired her bazooka. She closed her eyes, waiting for her end. However, after a few minutes of no pain, she opened them realized that he was aiming at the girl she saw before. Nami stared in horror as she didn't see her body like she was completely obliterated.
'What's going on here?' She asked herself. She then noticed the man who was being chased earlier.
"Help me please~!" He begged to Nami. "You gotta get me off this island~! I'll pay you whatever you want~!"
"Sorry but this Waver is only for one person," Nami answered a bit freaked out. "If we both got on then we'll sink!"
The man gasped as he noticed the Gorilla behind her. "W-Wype-!"
Suddenly from above, a massive pillar of electricity came crashing down towards the man. Killing him and destroying part of the island. Nami had to cover her eyes and steady herself from the impact.
"Damn Eneru~!" the Gorilla cursed. "How dared he do that to the varse!"
Nami watched as the man fled, ignoring her. Nami stood there a bit shocked until he heard more voices and quickly drove her waver behind a tree.
"It sounded like he was talking to someone," The bald man stated.
"He must have been that Guerilla," responded a figure who was big and round like a ball. "He fled once he saw Eneru's powers."
"Bark Bark!" The dog continued barking.
"Can you shut your stupid dog up," The bird man snapped.
"He' was begging for his life," The bald man defended.
"Mmmh!" A tall guy with black odd hairstyle appeared.
"Ah, Gedatsu it seems you got your but beaten by the Firebrat," The Birdman scoffed.
"Mmphphphm!"
"We can't understand a word you saying with your mouth closed!" Bird guy sweatdropped. The tall man eyes widen in shock.
"It seems we've got a report from Old lady amazon," Gedatsu announced. "More trespassers have arrived on the island. She said that she saw 48 Blue Sea people on board."
"Hmm, 48 huh? I guess 12 for each of us," The bird man replied.
'No way they hunt people for not paying the toll?' Nami thought in disbelief. 'Who are these guys? What is this place?'
"Shh~!"
Nami did a double take when she realized the girl from before was floating beside her. Her lower body was faint misty. Nami wanted to scream, but held her mouth, not wanting those men to find her.
"Follow the mist path," She informed. "They won't see you if you go through it."
"T-Thanks," Nami said she drove the waver through the thick fog area. 'I gotta warn the others about this.'
Next Chapter: Class 2 Criminals