Chapter 25: Sacrificial Alter
*WHACK*
"OW!" I winced as I feel the goose egg on my head, "What was that for?!"
"For forgetting such an important detail!" Nami screamed at me, "If we have known about such a thing, we wouldn't have been labelled as criminals!"
"…Nami, we are PIRATES…"
"You know what I mean!"
"Do you really think it would change anything whether or not we know of such a law or not?" Usopp pointed out, "We probably would have used force to get through anyway."
"You. Shut up."
After that large ass-whooping our monster trio did, the White Berets all left the beach with threats of judgement by the priests or something along those lines. That left us on the beach with our two locals and a very pissed-off Nami. And apparently, she thinks this is all my fault for forgetting something this important and basically blamed me on this whole mess!
How was I supposed to know we did an equivalent of illegal immigration?! This arc's starting portion isn't as entertaining as the major points and this entire arc has an extremely slow build up to its main plot element! I bound to have forget some things! Give me a goddamn break!
"Come on, it's not that bad." Luffy shrugged off, "Also, why did you come back? We were about to go to 'The place that no one should ever enter' for a big adventure–Wait, I mean…"
"I knew coming back was a smart move…" She groaned before poking our captain in the forehead repeating while ranting off, "Big adventure?! I told you! There are some really scary guys on that island! You just saying that because you didn't see them yourself! Even though I don't know if they're really gods or not, their super and illogically immense power is real! An island like that, I will never go there a second time!"
"Well, fine then!" Our captain grumbled, "You can stay here. We'll go by ourselves."
"NO! Pursuers are coming! We're leaving this country right now!"
"LEAVE?! Don't talk crap like that! Just think! Which is more important, ADVENTURE, or your life?!" He asked.
"My life! Followed by money!" She stated out firmly.
"Ah, then followed by me~?" Sanji asked.
"Shut up!"
*BONK*
Nami punches Sanji away with a fist before he can even come close to hugging her.
"Oh, I JUST realized something." Usopp stated in a panic, "We kept trying to get to Sky Island, but we never thought about how to get back!" He turns to Conis with a worried expression, "Is there a safe way back?! Can we even go back to the Blue Seas?"
"Well, there are two options… but with your current situation, there's only one path you can take." She explained, "You must go back down to the White Sea and head to the far east to a place called 'Cloud End'."
"Cloud End… Okay, I got it." Usopp nodded understandingly.
"Even so…" The angel turned to the side slightly guilty, emotions of guilt and fear radiates from her in huge waves. Is she… hiding something from us?
"What's the matter?" Zoro asked.
"…No, it's nothing…" She muttered, "…I just… the Sky Ocean is very big…"
"It's alright." Nami assures her, "We're used to such things already. Plus, if we stay here, we'll just caused more trouble for you."
"Ah! Mister, can I take all the food from earlier?" Luffy asked.
"Oh, of course." Pagaya tells him.
"All right! Sanji, get the lunch boxes!"
"You don't miss a thing, do you?" Sanji sighs dejectedly.
I ignored the rest of their conversations and walked back to the Going Merry to help with the preparation. I saw Chopper getting back on the boat with his clever use of his Devil Fruit powers as Robin puts down the rope ladder for the rest of us. I climbed onto the deck and heads right into the cabin to change out of my attire into something more combat worthy.
I puts on a beige short-sleeved blouse that is left opened that still reveals my top and my decorative rope is exchanged with my usual sash as well as putting back on my boots.
But just as I put on my boots, the boat starts to shake quite violently. I, along with Nami who have put on a shirt, races out on to the deck to see what's going on. I looked down from the edge of the boat and finally notices the giant lobster under the Going Merry dragging us away.
"W-What's going on?!" Nami cried out in a panic, "Where did this giant lobster come from?!"
"I don't know! It just appeared from under the clouds!" Chopper cried.
"Crap, where is it taking us?!" I cried out panicking.
"Quick! Everyone abandon ship!" Zoro shouts out.
"W-What about the ship?!" Our doctor cried out, "If they take our ship…!"
"Don't worry. I'll stay here!"
"Like hell you are!" I screamed at him, "What can you do on your own?!"
"I don't think that's a viable option for us…" Robin pointed out, I followed her gaze to the huge horde of flat shark-eel fishes rushing towards us with maws and sharp fangs ready to take a bite from us.
"…This just fucking blows…" I growled.
"W-What are we going to do?!" Chopper cried.
"…Maybe… IT has begun…?" Robin stated.
"Heaven's Judgement, you mean?" Zoro growled, "So instead of sending pursuers after us, they make us come to them… Cunning bastards…"
"Waitwaitwait, are we going to that island again?!" Nami cried before screaming at the top of her lungs, "LUFFY! USOPP! SANJI-KUN!"
I just barely dodged the Sky Shark swimming towards me, my eyes thankfully protected from the cloud-sea by Usopp's old goggles. I glanced to my side to see Zoro struggling with one of them with his sword blocking their jaws from biting into them. I watches him break surface before it diving back into the clouds and swimming past me.
I swam up to the surface to get a huge gasp of air before diving back to take on the Sky Shark that was after me. I readied my sword, aimed properly and…
"Tail Spike!" I stabs my blade right into its eye, the shark struggles against me violently as I pushed Raitou further into its eye socket. I felt my back break the surface of the sea, and took a big breathe and twist my weapon before slamming it in as hard as I could, I felt my weapon break bone and the blade goes right down into its hilt just as I hit the water.
The shark twitches for a moment, before finally goes limp and dead. The carcass floats into the surface, I got broke surface and with a struggle, I pull out my sword from its eye, "Yeesh…" I grimaced at the blade covered in blood and some pink-substance that I don't want to know what it is.
"GET OUTTA MY WAY!"
I then saw another shark bursts out of the water with Zoro punching the animal out of the cloud-water. Okay… a swordsman punching his opponent into submission…?
…Wait, I did the same with Wapol so…
When that lobster… shrimp…? When that shellfish has brought us into an island with enormous trees the size of skyscrapers, where it left us on some kind of platform in the middle of a large lake. From the stones' carving, it resembles an altar of some sort. And then, Zoro have this great idea to try to swim to shore and I'm an idiot to follow his suggestion. Things happened, and we are just barely managed to defeat two giant sharks.
"Hah… hah… looks like we won't be able to swim ashore…"
"You don't say?!" I growled at the swordsman as we climbed up the stairs back onto the altar.
"But… where are we?" Zoro wonders.
"All we know for certain is that this is somewhere in Upper Yard." Nami pointed out.
"It looks like a sacrificial alter…" Robin pointed out.
"Please don't say that, please…" I groaned as I pulled the goggles off my head. The last thing I need right now is that kind of images…
"Looks like we've been brought to a real dangerous place by that damn shrimp…" Zoro stated as he wringed out his wet shirt. I would do the same, but I'm only have my tube-top to cover my chest so…
"…I wonder if Heaven's Judgement is to let us starve in this place…" Robin wonders.
"Would something that normal really be done by god?" He asked as Nami tossed him a dry blue sleeveless shirt.
"I don't know." She shrugged, "I've never met him."
I got back on board and head down into the woman cabin to change out of my wet clothes. It's a good thing I took off my blouse before jumping into the lake, so I just have to change my top and pants. I'm now changed into a dark red one piece swimwear under the blouse with a dark green pants and my usual boots, an orange rope around my waist to hold onto my sword and my gloves.
By the time I got out of the cabin, I saw Zoro swinging on a vine while performing a really bad imitation of Tarzan.
"Where is Zoro going?" I asked Nami worriedly.
"We are going to explore Upper Yard a bit." Robin tells me.
"We're finding history~!" Nami cheered.
"…Robin mentioned treasure, didn't she?" I mentioned with what I assume is a deadpanned expression on my face. Her whistling answers it for me.
After that, the two girls manages to swing to shore, leaving me and Chopper in-charge of guarding the boat. I've asked Chopper about the hull's situation and he said that it isn't that bad, but there are some parts that need patching up. Thank goodness for that… it was the Skypiea arc that really did the final nail in the coffin for Merry…
With that information at hand, I went into the kitchen to pick out some Dials to use. I remember I asked Sanji to kick at the Impact Dial with as much strength as he can as fast as he can. With that much power behind it, it should be enough to knock back anyone.
Let's see… maybe I should-
*PIIIIIIIIIIIIIH~!*
"The whistle?!" I quickly dashes out of the door with sword drawn just to witness Chopper slammed into the mast hard, his body denting the mast a little from the impact. "CHOPPER!" I looked to the side to see a man in a world war two pilot attire on the deck with a large metal lance in his hand, flapping next to him is a weird large bird. I felt a ping on the back of my head as I saw a vision of the bird blowing fire at the mast overlapping my sight.
Crap! That isn't good!
I ran at it drawing my sword in the process and stabbing right at the bird, I manages to graze under its eye leading to it crying out in pain and the blast of flame shoots passed the mast and into the air not damaging anything.
"R-Rein…" Chopper panted out as he got on his feet, "Be careful, that lance burn stuff!"
"A woman and an animal…" The man stated as he raised his pilot goggles.
"Who are you?!" I shouted at him pointing my sword at him, "Why are you here?!"
"I have no need to introduce myself." The man declared, "For sacrifices have no need to know my name."
"Sacrifices?"
"This here is the Alter of Sacrifice." He continued to speak, "As we speak, your other friends are risking their lives to come here. On this island, there are four separate territories governed by us, the priests. When the target enters one of them, no one other than the corresponding priest may attack them. That is the rule."
"But this altar, on the other hand, is not part of anyone's territory. A free area, so to speak. It's free game for any of us." He explained, "Well, that's only if the people being tested are dead."
"W-What?! T-Then…" Chopper realized, "If Luffy and the others made it here and save us, we are allowed to escape from here?!"
"Yeah, that's it." The man scoffed, "IF you can escape this free area that is…"
"So it would be a battle-royal either way…" I noted.
"That WAS the original rules of judgement. But depending on the situation, the rules are changed to fit. Like… for example…"
"Three of the sacrifices uses the vines to escape into the forest."
…
…
…
"GODDAMN IT ZORO!" I shouted out in anger. Of course it is his fault! He HAS to go exploring! Who does he think he is, LUFFY?! And damn it, Robin, Nami! Why do you guys have to go with him?! Why didn't I go with him?!
"For the crime of running away, someone must pay for it with his life as 'Sacrifice'." The man explained, "That is the way of the world. When they come back, they will also be punished. So they can realized their mistake." He then leaped towards us, "You must give your life to God!"
"Fuck off!" I charged right at him and swung my sword from below. He moved his lance a bit up so that I would miss his timing and I just barely dodged an image of his incoming fist before the real deal flew passed my head. Thanks to his own confusion, I charged at him with sword raised to strike. He then stabs his lance right at me, I seen the path and place my blade at the right angle so I could redirect the blade and run my blade along the side of his weapon towards him.
"A pommel strike? No, a stab."
Before I could realize what happen, he duck under my stabbing blade and punches into my gut hard. I coughed out air before a hot hit on my face as I'm tossed onto the mast hard. I felt the side of my head a little, feeling the probably scorched portion before I saw a vision of his lance stabbing into my head. I manages to get my sword up to block it, the tip of the lance pressing hard against the edge of my sword.
"Get off her!" I hear Chopper yelled as I notices at the edge of my eye Chopper rushing towards him with a fist ready to punch him. The assailant got his lance off my blade and swipe at the doctor, flame bursting from the cut. "Chopper!" I then saw another vision and I blocked the priest's fist with my handle which unfortunately meant I'm defenceless. And he took that chance by kneeing me in the gut again.
I nearly fall to my knees but I stood firm as I got ready to redirect his weapon stabbing right at me. With one hand on the blade, I read the path of the lance and pushes his lance to the side avoiding the mast and I charges right at him. "From above." I stopped mid-swing the moment he said that before slamming my pommel down right into his palm. I then with my spare hand grabbed onto his weapon arm's wrist.
I saw another vision and decides to counter, "No kneeing for you!" I sweep my foot under his as such my thigh is on his. And then with one movement sweep up his foot and then stomps my other foot onto his pivoting one and pushes him down onto the deck.
The man let go of my pommel, the image of him punching my side flashes in my eye for a split second and that allowed me to try and block his fist with my bicep.
"I am right…" He stated glaring at me, "You have Mantra as well…"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Nothing, just pointing that out." He stated before slamming his forehead onto mine, knocking me off him before with his lance stabs into my bicep hard. I screamed out in pain as I felt my flesh being cooked and burn by his flaming lance, causing me to let go of my weapon. And with his lance still in me, he tosses me onto the railings, where I slammed onto by my tail bone.
I slumped down on the rails before I felt his lance stabbing into my gut. Another scream left my mouth as the burn starts to intensify, "That took longer than I intended." He says before he pull out his lance and aimed the tip of his lance right at my throat.
Is this it…? Am I going to die here…?
"Rein!"
"Die."
And just as I thought I'm done for, I saw a figure in the distance riding a large bird coming towards us. And in the next moment, the man swung his lance back to block an attack from our savior's opening strike. "Sorry for the wait."
"KNIGHT OF THE SKY!" I hear Chopper cheered as I saw the two man broke their clash and got on their bird and took to the skies. I stared into the sky as I witness the two men clashes against each other over and over again at intense speeds. It's like jousting but in the sky at lightning speeds.
"Rein! Are you okay?" Chopper asked as he got close to me.
"As good as someone who got two holes in her." I lightly chuckled.
"Hold still, I got to disinfect your wounds…"
As he got to work with that, I looked back at the fight going on in the air. Gan Fall clearly had the advantage in this, that man is getting pushed back. But there this aching feeling at the back of my head that something bad is going down. I then heard something, the tightening of strings…?
And then, Gan Fall suddenly stopped in the air, both him and Pierre just froze in the air unable to move. And that priest took that chance to stab his burning lance through the old knight. "Knight of the Sky!" Chopper cried as we witness the old man dropped into the cloud sea below, the Sky Sharks starting to swarm the area.
I then saw our doctor jumping into the water much to my shock, "C-Chopper, wait a minute!" I flinched a little as my wounds start to act up. No, I'm not letting it stop me!
I ignored whatever babbling that priest is saying and with all my might, dived into the watery clouds below. My wounds burn and ache under the salty clouds as I felt my legs cramping up. I ignored the stiffness of my limps and tried to swim towards the two sinking bodies. I barely got Chopper and just about the grab onto Gan Fall when I suddenly felt numb. Energy just left my body as I could barely move an inch.
Damn it! Move, body, move! I'm not going to die here! I'm not going to get kill by some sharks of all things!
Dammit! DAMMIT!
That was my last thoughts as the unconsciousness took hold on me.
…
To be continued…
Done! Finally, after many procrastination, I finally finish this chapter! It is pretty short though, forgive me for that... So yeah, Rein's battle with Shura. Not the best written fight, but I'm still working out on how does Observation Haki works on a first person perspective. Hopefully this is good enough.
So yeah, I want to point out that I might be rewriting the first chapter of his fic. There have been quite a few complains on how I wrote it and so I'm planning on editing a few things, which makes me want to know.
What should I've done with the first chapter? I like to hear some suggestions honestly. Anything is game, just let me know and I see what I can do with it.
With that, I thank you for reading this!