Chapter 50

Thunder

The beautiful blue sky that had perpetually enveloped Skypiea was quickly vanishing under the pitch black clouds spewing out of the Ark Maxim. Hawke's eyes trailed over the advancing edge of the dark front. She found the exact point where black switched abruptly to blue and traced that line through the air. The black pushed on and on, never relenting in its advance. The scout briefly wondered if that was representative of Enel, or of the Shandians... or of Luffy.

A bit of each, I suppose.

"Pierre, hang in there!"

Hawke jumped a little at the faint shout below her, almost dropping Sanji in the process. Adjusting the unconscious man in her arms to carry him bridal style, she flipped over in the air and swooped toward a group of figures clustered on the cloud beneath. Her eyes flit to a bright splash of colour glaring up from the sea of white and green and she gawked at the Pegasus.

Pierre, his polka-dotted head smashed against the ground and his tail stuck high in the air, was barely visible under a pile of bodies. Usopp was draped across the horse's back, Nami lay sprawled over the sniper with her foot poking Aisa, who was hanging between the horse's ears, in the head.

As Hawke watched, Usopp fell off, dragging the navigator with him. They landed with a thump next to a large golden ball.

It was then that the scout realized how fast she was approaching the groaning group and had to avert her attention in order to land properly. Her feet touched down a little ways away, bouncing lightly on the cloud ground. She staggered as a spasmic tremor ran through her legs, causing her to cradle Sanji tighter against her chest.

Her eyes roved over the blond's relaxed face, taking in the parallel swirls of his exposed brows, the scuffs and blackened bruises that showed just how hard his fight had been up here, and the peaceful calm that had settled over his features in his restful state.

This man had just saved her life.

Hawke felt a warm sensation blossom within her chest and she quickly looked up, her eyes now searching for the others who had put their own lives before hers.

Usopp. Hawke felt the warmth moving along her arms and down into her stomach as she watched the sniper help Aisa to her feet. This man had followed her demands without question when she had been trying to distract Enel. And he drew the lightning man's direct attention despite his incredible cowardice.

Nami. The navigator was still laying on her back, groaning and grumbling under her breath. Hawke felt the flush moving up her neck and into her cheeks as she recalled how Nami had leapt in front of her to take a direct attack from the lightning man. And the words she had spoken in Hawke's moment of weakness would forever be etched onto the scout's heart.

These people… this crew… Here was what she'd been searching for. It had been here the whole time.

Hawke shook her head. God, she was an idiot… a complete idiot.

"Come on! You can do it! Get up, Pierre!" Aisa was now kneeling beside the bird's head.

"Thanks for catching us," Usopp rubbed his rear and stretched his back, "I thought we were goners for sure."

"P…Pieeee…." The creature's limbs twitched as he attempted to right himself.

Nami finally sat up with a pained grunt and reached over to whack her fist on top of a straw hat.

"Damn it, Luffy!" she gave and exasperated sigh, "You didn't have to be so rough!"

The heat in Hawke's chest grew along with her heart-rate as her eyes fell on her brother. He was crouched down and leaning against the golden ball, frowning at the shining surface. She watched his face in the golden reflection and wondered how she could have ever doubted his choice to bring her along. She really hadn't trusted him, had she? No matter how many times she'd told herself that she did… she was always doubling back or looking over her shoulder to make sure he was still there, to make sure he hadn't left her again.

Hawke's eyes narrowed and her fingers clenched slightly around Sanji's shoulder.

"That stops now!" she growled, then jumped and glanced wildly around when she realized she'd said that out loud.

Thankfully Luffy's grumbling had covered up her low outburst.

"I can't move properly with this thing!" the captain growled as he yanked on his arm, "Damn that Enel!"

He turned his frustrated eyes up to the Ark still flying above them, leading the others to do the same as they were suddenly reminded of the reason they had all tumbled from the sky. The group waited in tense silence as the air ship continued to rise up the beanstalk. Loud clanks and bangs shook its massive hull and the black smoke choked and then stopped billowing from the chimney.

"Looks like God isn't coming for us," Usopp finally broke the silence.

Everyone visibly relaxed, though the tense atmosphere didn't let up in the slightest.

"Y-yeah, I think Sanji might've done something," Hawke let out her breath and adjusted the chef in her arms.

All faces turned to the scout as she approached. A few involuntary twitches made her movements jerky, but she hoped the residual shocks would soon leave her sore and exhausted body. A bit of brown caught her eye and she blinked at the waver laying a ways off on the clouds.

Nami followed her gaze and smiled, quickly standing and walking over to her vehicle.

"It's a wonder that it's still in one piece," she said as she inspected the waver, "Almost no damage."

Hawke followed slowly after the navigator and carefully bent to her knees. She laid Sanji down, placing him gently into the hull before drawing a shaky breath. Then she lifted her face and met the strained stares of her crew.

"Whatever Sanji did, it isn't going to be enough," she panted, "Enel is still going to try and destroy this whole island."

The air thickened as fear began creeping into the group.

"We- we have to get out of here then!" Usopp exclaimed, his fingers tapping nervously along his chin.

Heads began to nod but -

"No."

All eyes widened and turned to Hawke.

The scout blinked and then her eyes widened in realization. I said that out loud?!

"No?!" Usopp and Nami shouted at her.

Hawke winced at their outburst but stood her ground. Her eyes found Luffy's and her erratic heart rate steadied when he met her gaze with an unwavering stare. A new spark burst to life inside her, filling her with a determination so powerful that her body shifted forward and she had to jerk her leg out to stop from falling.

"I… I can't just run away and do nothing while the home of the Skypieans and Shandians is destroyed," she panted, suddenly out of breath for some reason, "This is the only place they have ever known. The City of Gold is the place the Shandians have been searching for for centuries. It's where they belong! Enel can't take that away from them!"

Usopp and Aisa sent her uneasy stares as Nami's face grew redder and redder.

"Are you planning to have another match with Enel?!" the navigator burst out, her voice rising higher in exasperation, "We just barely survived the last one! We'll all die if we stay here!"

Usopp nodded vigorously and hurried over to Pierre. He pulled the Pegasus to his feet and held him steady when the creature staggered.

Hawke opened her mouth but choked on her words. She couldn't ask her crew to put their lives on the line for her anymore than they already had.

Then Luffy stepped forward, the gold ball sliding along the ground behind him.

"You saw it right?" the captain tilted his head to Nami drawing the navigator's furious glare away from Hawke.

"Saw what?" her brows furrowed in irritation and confusion.

"The City of Gold. It really does exist! The diamond-headed old guy's ancestor... he wasn't a liar," Luffy leaned forward slightly, pulling at his arm, "So that old guy and those monkeys have to know! If we ring that bell really hard, I'm sure they'll hear it! They need to know the City of Gold is up here in the sky, or they'll keep on diving into the sea until the day they die!"

The crew sat dumbfounded, letting a few beats of silence go by while they tried to gather their thoughts. Stares moved between Hawke and Luffy before being exchanged with each other.

"But…," Nami's protest died on her tongue.

"I can't let that bastard Enel have it! I have to ring that bell so loud that everyone in the Blue seas will hear it!" Luffy lifted his eyes to the Ark growing smaller and smaller above their heads, "That's why I'm staying here… I'm going to ring the Golden Bell no matter what!"

Hawke remained silent, struggling to contain the strange feelings that wanted to burst out of her chest.

"B-b-b-but Luffy," Usopp stepped forward, his legs visibly shaking, "You don't even know where the bell is, if it's even still up here at all. And Enel is going to-!"

"It's gotta be up there!" the rubber boy pointed resolutely at the sky, "There's always gold at the top of beanstalks!"

"Well, can't argue with that logic," the sniper gave up, throwing his hands in the air and turning around to clamber onto Pierre's back.

"Umm, I think you're thinking of rainbows," Nami mumbled as she helped Aisa up to sit in front of Usopp.

"Yosh!" Luffy shouted, "You guys get outta here! I'm going to ring that bell and kick that spark guy's ass!"

Hawke blinked and a small frown pulled at her lips. The urge to move pulsed through her once again and she jerked forward.

"Luffy!" she staggered over to her brother just as he was adjusting the golden ball behind him, "Hang on. You can go ahead and beat the crap out of Enel. But let the Shandians ring the bell."

"Eh?" Luffy cocked his head back to her.

"It's their right," Hawke pushed on, "Their ancestors rang that bell for Noland, so they should ring it for Cricket. If you can keep Enel busy, I'll go find the Shandians."

Luffy blinked at her for a long moment before nodding.

"Make sure they ring it loud enough, Hawke," the captain stated.

Before she could reply Luffy had disappeared up one of the huge green vines winding ever-upwards. But she'd gotten the approval she needed. Hawke spun around and gestured to Pierre and Nami.

"Zoro and the others are probably still in the ruins below. Can you get everyone back to the Going Merry?" she called, adjusting her wings and giving them a few test flaps.

Pierre let out a whinny and kicked his front legs in the air, causing his two riders to cry out and frantically grab at the horse's mane.

"You're both crazy!" Usopp shouted as Pierre began galloping away.

"Be careful, Hawke," Nami sent her a grim stare as she hopped into the waver, straddled the still unconscious Sanji, and revved the wind dials, "We're counting on you to get Luffy out of there if things go south."

Hawke nodded and watched as the two groups set off towards the base of Giant Jack. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she leaned back to see the massive Ark had reached the tip of the beanstalk and was drifting slightly to the west.

Is the bell really up there? Has Enel already found it?

That strange burning determination seared through her veins in a fresh wave, causing her blood to rush against her eardrums. Hawke stretched her wings above her head and took off. A fresh breeze helped push her through the down-drafts created by Giant Jack and it wasn't long before she had reached the base of the Ark. Using the huge hull as cover, she flit up until she could peek over the rail. A frown pulled at her lips as she saw the vacant deck.

"Is he inside?" she muttered.

Just then a proud laugh drifted over from the area beyond the other side of the ship. Hawke climbed over the rail and fluttered across the deck. Taking care not to be too obvious in her movements, she crouched down and stuck her nose out over the rail.

From this height, all of Skypiea was spread before her and Hawke took the briefest of moments to take in the magnificent sight. The tip of Giant Jack waved in the wind as it sprung up from the center of Upper Yard. The ruins of a settlement were scattered around a small cloud below her. Perhaps that was God's Shrine? Under that, the sea of green treetops rolled outwards until it ended in a vast expanse of white and grey cloud. If Hawke listened hard she could hear shouts and screams coming up from the rooves of the far away settlement on Angel Island. They must sense that something's up, she thought.

A flash of movement caught her eye and she saw a glint of gold rapidly rising up the stalk. Luffy.

Hawke blinked and turned her attention back to her self-appointed task. She lifted her eyes and scanned the sky, only to immediately freeze up and stare at the massive object sitting on a cloud surprisingly close to where she now crouched.

There it was.

The Golden Belfry. The herald that had guided Noland through the storm and to ancient Jaya. Its golden columns, though choked with aged vines, still gleamed in the bit of dim light that could still make it through the stormy sky.

Hawke swallowed and watched the leaves of the vines dance in the increasingly erratic breeze. They bounced and dove, straining against their stalks in an attempt at freedom. Their faint shadows flit across the gold underneath, standing out against the rich glow that emanated from within the ancient, yet still surprisingly smooth, bell.

Yes. This needed to be rung. Its voice needed to cry out once more.

And it must be by the Shandians hands.

"Yaahahaha! Splendid!"

Another laugh snapped Hawke out of her ogling and she narrowed her eyes at the tall man standing on the clouds before the belfry.

Enel's arms were stretched outwards in admiration as he gazed up at his presumed treasure.

"So this is the grand belfry that was the pride of the legendary city, Shandora!" Enel laughed to himself, "Amazing! This is a perfect fit for me, the one who is God!"

His back was to Hawke, showing the two clumsily patched up slashes she'd inflicted on his lower body. But even without seeing his face she could hear the obvious greed and wonder in his voice.

Hurry up, Luffy, she thought, lightly biting her bottom lip and watching nervously as the lightning man approached the belfry.

"The bell that proclaimed the start of this land's 400-year-old conflict…" he strode forward and laid a hand on an area of unobstructed gold.

Hawke blinked and rubbed her eyes. Was it just her imagination…? She could have sworn that the bell shuddered under his touch. Shadows of ancient warriors flashed across the gleaming surface, locked in a raging battle, their features twisted in confusion and hate as they clashed with one another.

"To think that they carried on with this pointless battle for so many years, only to see everything disappear," Enel continued speaking, tilting his head back ever so slightly, "What do you think… little bird?"

Hawke stiffened but quickly recovered from her surprise. She should have expected it.

"Fighting for a place to belong is never pointless," she said as she hopped onto the rail and flared her wings out for balance, "Even more so if that place's very existence is being threatened."

The storm clouds above gave an ominous rumble and the distant sound of lighting crashes sent a shiver down her spine.

"Oh?" Enel turned and gave her a blank stare.

Hawke squared her shoulders and glared sharply back at him.

"I'm sorry, Lord Enel," she said, "But I cannot let you take this bell. It belongs to the Shandians. Not even God has the right to take it away."

Annoyance darkened the lightning user's features and he raised his golden staff.

"I see you still do not grasp my power," Enel said, his tone a mix between anger and pity, "Do not think that because you have weapons that can strike me that you are capable of bringing down God. It seems I must give a demonstration." He lifted his fist and a jolt of lightning shot up into the sky, disappearing into the inky black clouds. "RAIGO!"

Hawke meant to jump off the rail, but a hollow feeling shuddered through her gut and she completely froze up.

Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

She struggled to inhale, and that's when she noticed it. The air she was trying to take in felt like sand as it slid down her throat. Her stomach twisted into a painful knot of anxiety as a deathly silence fell over Skypiea.

The wind had stopped. The sky was holding its breath… or was it being suffocated….?

This was not good. This was not good at all.

Hawke could feel Enel's eyes on her but she didn't return his gaze. A whimper escaped her lips as she tilted her head back, searching for any hint of a breeze. She felt none, but the sight that greeted her drove the current source of her panic out of her mind and replaced it with one that was much greater.

Bright spots of light began twinkling in the ever darkening clouds above, almost as if an entire night sky was emerging from the brewing storm. The tips of her hair lifted to tickle her cheeks as a static charge ran through the dead air.

BOOOOOOM!

Hawke cried out and almost lost her footing on the rail as the sky shook around her. She crouched down and covered her ears as shock waves of sound rippled through the air. The static increased until she could see small currents of electricity leaping from the ends of her hair. But then her locks abruptly fell limp and a heavy blanket of silence fell.

Hawke remained motionless for a few moments before taking her hands away from her ears and standing back up. The air was so thick that it felt like she was rising through water. She cast a fearful stare out across the island below and the breath she'd been trying to inhale caught in her throat.

The strangest cloud she'd ever seen began descending out of the blackness above Angel Island and the beach the Straw Hats had arrived on. A massive, perfectly spherical, pulsating mass that had dark swirls tormenting its writhing surface. Hawke was uncomfortably reminded of the pearl and she instinctively reached for her neck. That thing's bad news…

The ball of cloud kept lowering itself towards Angel Island and the screams and shouts of its people grew louder as it approached. Hawke hoped desperately that they were running for their lives.

"Behold! The power of Almighty God!"

Hawke jumped as Enel let loose a booming laugh. She could do nothing but watch helplessly as the cloud made contact with the city.

Time seemed to slow down.

The leaves on the bell waved elegantly as a shock wave moved through the air.

There was a blinding flash of light and a muffled crackling sound, as if someone had turned the volume in her ears down way too low.

Tendrils of dark cloud and white smoke twisted elegantly through the air, slowly drifting out from the center of the silent explosion.

Another flash restored colour to the world and Hawke gaped at the… nothing. Which was the perfect word to describe what was left of Angel Island.

Nothing.

Not even the white clouds of the sky island remained. A black, gaping, empty, hole was all that was left of the bright and bustling city.

The… Skypeians…

"What did you do?!" Hawke meant to shout, but her voice only escaped in a low whisper.

"That is but a taste of what's to come," Enel replied, sauntering to the edge of the cloud, "I will have another Raigo destroy this entire island as soon as I have this belfry."

Hawke's eyes flashed to life and she dragged her gaze back to the lightning man.

"Oh? Do you wish to rejoin with me?" Enel lifted a pale eyebrow, "I'm afraid God is not forgiving."

Hawke's lips twisted into a snarl. Like hell!

"EEEENNNNEEEELLLLL!"

There was a flash of yellow and Hawke blinked as Luffy's red vest suddenly appeared inches in front of her nose.

"I'll take care of Enel, Hawke!" Luffy called over his shoulder, "You ring it!"

There was no hesitation. Hawke nodded at the red vest and spun around. Making a deep bend in her knees, she rocketed off the rail and plummeted downwards.

"Gum Gum Pistol!" She heard Luffy's shout as the fight began.

A smile tugged at her lips. There was no doubt in her mind.

He can do it.

The rush of air tearing at her face and hair served to clear her head. Hawke dove past God's Shrine in the blink of an eye, hurtling down to the destroyed area that had been under that priests dome.

Even as she flew, she could feel another change in the air. But instead of the dead air that had preceded Raigo, this time it felt tight, charged, ready to explode.

And that was when lightning began literally raining from the clouds above. Bolts of energy passed inches away from the scout's body and pierced the ground below, creating massive craters in the earth of Upper Yard.

But Hawke was seized once again by that intense determination and she banked easily out of the way of an incoming strikes; her instincts were so focused it was almost as if she could see where the lightning was going to pass before it did.

The ground rose up quickly to meet her and Hawke pulled out of her dive. She zoned in on the lone figure shifting around on the white cloud below, swooped down and, without even landing, reached her arms out and scooped Laki up as she sped by.

"Aaah!" the Shandian woman let out a scream before realizing what had happened, "H-Hawke, what are you doing? What's going on?"

The scout pelted into the forest, trying to retrace the route she'd made hours earlier. It was admittedly more difficult with lightning pulverizing the landscape. She flicked her gaze down to see harsh burns covering Laki's body, but the woman's eyes were open and still held their fierce glint.

"Enel is trying to destroy Sky Island," Hawke panted as she ducked and wove between both trees and lightning, "But he wants the Golden Belfry first. Luffy is going to beat him and you are going to ring the bell."

Laki spluttered something but Hawke spoke again before she could respond.

"I'm going to throw you up again," she panted as another figure, laying unmoving on the forest floor, came into view, "Catch my neck. Hup!"

Laki let out another cry and scrambled her arms around the scout. Her grip was much weaker than before and Hawke had to grab her wrists and pull them firmly around her neck. But Laki landed securely between her wings and had the strength to cling to Hawke for dear life.

"Hang on," the scout grunted before swooping down and scooping up Kamakiri in her now empty arms.

"W-why are you doing this?!" Laki panted in her ear, "If Enel still lives that means Wiper must be…"

Hawke let out a grunt as the fur of Kamakiri's vest tickled her chin. Images of the great Shandian berserker's last stand in the ruins of his homeland flitted through her mind.

"He's been gravely injured," she admitted, "But I don't think he's dead yet… not with that incredible spirit…"

Now, with the added weight of two people, Hawke swung her body around, dropped her legs towards the ground, and shot up through the canopy. Twigs smacked and scratched their faces as she burst up through the leaves and quickly oriented towards the Ark.

Luffy was still engaging Enel, lightning and the flash of gold crackled and glinted around the airship. Hawke managed to skirt the fighting and stumbled onto the small cloud supporting the giant belfry. She tried to land gently, but her legs buckled as they made contact and she went sprawling. Kamakiri's body left her arms and rolled forward to hit a large pillar before settling onto the soft clouds.

"Oops," Hawke staggered to her feet, "Sorry about the rough landing."

She glanced back and blinked when Laki wasn't there.

"All these centuries of searching…"

Hawke jerked her head around to see the Shandian woman pressing her hand against the large grey stone inlaid into the base of the belfry, staring up at it in awe.

"It's been waiting here the whole time," the scout panted.

Laki gazed up at the belfry for a few more moments before she stepped back and looked around. There must have been a rope or pole that the ancient people of Shandora had used to ring the bell, but it was long gone; either destroyed by the Knock Up Stream or rotted away over the centuries.

Laki struggled up onto the belfry and tried pushing at the huge sound bow.

"It's too heavy. I can't do this by myself…" she glanced down at the unmoving Kamakiri, then to Hawke.

The scout got the sense that Laki wanted her to help, but Hawke suddenly felt that she shouldn't touch the bell. She'd taint it somehow.

Instead, she nodded and rolled her shoulders. That determination still burned through her veins, pushing her to act.

"I was hoping that Kamakiri would be awake, but I know where one more Shandian is," Hawke muttered before spinning around and moving to the cloud edge.

Her eyes flicked towards the Ark Maxim as the crashes and explosions rose to a frenzied level. Luffy seemed to have thought up some new tactics to counter Enel's attacks and was still keeping the lightning user on his toes.

Hawke turned her attention downwards and stepped off the cloud. Once again she bent forward and plummeted towards the ground, dodging the giant bolts of lightning as she rocketed towards the ruins of Shandora.

But before she reached the depths of Upper Yard, Hawke spotted a group of figures huddled around the stem of Giant Jack on the level above the ruins. She quickly distinguished the Straw Hats along with her target Shandian. Why aren't they at the Merry yet?!

"You're still here?!" she gasped as she came in to a stumbling landing between Usopp and Chopper.

Everyone jumped at her sudden arrival.

"AH! HAWKE!" Usopp shrieked and leapt a foot in the air.

"Where'd you come from?!" Chopper wobbled a bit as he recovered from his startle.

The scout lowered her eyes to the reindeer and felt that warmth spread through her again. She reached down and pat his pink hat.

"You had me worried for a while back there," she said, "You looked pretty roughed up. I'm glad to see you're okay."

Chopper's cheeks flushed pink and he smiled.

"I could say the same thing to you, Miss Scout," a smooth voice drew Hawke's attention.

She shifted her gaze from Chopper to Usopp, then to Nami, and then the still unconscious Sanji lying sprawled on the ground, and finally settled on the archeologist, who was standing off to the side but offered a smile when Hawke met her gaze.

"Robin," a warm smile lifted her lips, "Thank goodness you're alright. I'm sorry about my… inaction before."

The woman's eyes widened and a brief look of surprise flashed across her features.

"There's… no need to apologize," Robin's cool expression quickly returned and she smiled.

Hawke's insides became all warm and fuzzy and she wanted nothing more than to envelope the whole crew in a big hug.

"Oi, weren't we getting out of here?"

The gruff outburst shifted Hawke's attention to the last members of the group. Wiper, Aisa, Pierre, and Gan Fall were sitting in a rough circle away from the others, but none of them had spoken.

Hawke's eyes fell on Zoro the same instant she remembered how she'd last seen him; unconscious and electrocuted on the ground beneath Enel's feet. Her stomach did an uncomfortable flip as the image rose in her mind.

And now here he was, his clothes and skin marred by burns and slashes and stained with blood. But his eyes were clear and his stance was strong.

He's okay.

"Oi," Zoro let out a low grunt.

Hawke jumped and lowered her gaze.

"I came down to get Wiper," she said, pointing to the Shandian squatting on the ground behind them, "I thought you guys would be on the Merry by now."

Hearing his name, the berserker stood and turned to her. Hawke was struck by the man's fierce aura; a shiver ran through her gut as his striking glare fixed on her. He'll be able to ring it for sure.

"What are you talking about, Blue Sea Dwellers?" Wiper growled, stalking over and crossing his arms.

A muffled whistling sound was all the warning they got. Just then a huge bolt of lightning hit only meters from the group, sending them all tumbling as the ground shook and chunks of heavy cloud and rock scattered everywhere.

"HAWKE! HURRY UP AND RING THAT BELL SO WE CAN GET OUT OF HERE!" Usopp screamed at the top of his lungs as he tumbled over the crouching scout and landed in a heap with Chopper.

"I'M TRYING!" Hawke shouted back as she stood up and hurried over to Wiper. The man was kneeling on the ground, holding his head in one hand and shaking it as if to banish a headache. "Hey," she leaned down and offered him her hand, "Come with me. I can take you to the Golden Belfry."

Wiper stiffened and his head jerked up. He did not take her hand.

"What did you say?!" he growled, giving her such a fierce glare that she stumbled back a few steps.

The determination that had been pushing her onward abruptly fizzled out.

"Uh- I-" she stammered.

"UUAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

A cry rent the air, making its way down to them even amongst the roar of the lightning. Hawke's blood froze in her veins and her head shot back so fast her neck cracked.

"Luffy!"

Her panicked exclamation drew the others gazes upwards and they all watched the red vest of their captain as he fell from the Ark and onto God's Shrine. Enel quickly took advantage of his blunder and began pummeling the ground with his volt attacks, leaving Luffy no other option but to dodge around while dragging the golden ball after him.

"Damn it!" Zoro growled, "What's that idiot doing?"

"Is Luffy going to be okay?" Chopper asked worriedly, running over to hug Hawke's leg.

"He's getting what he deserves," Wiper grunted, shifting his weight on his unbalanced skates, "You outsiders keep trying to meddle in our business!"

Hawke clenched her fists and glared at the Shandian Berserker.

"We're only trying to help!" she snapped, thrusting her finger up to the sky, "The Bell is there! Laki and Kamakiri are up there right now but they aren't strong enough to ring it."

"Laki and- ? Why don't you just summon that spinning cloud?" he growled, "That easily knocked Enel down before. It will make quick work of him again."

Hawke frowned in confusion.

"Spinning cloud?" she shook her head, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Please just come with me."

Wiper's glare moved over her shoulder to her wings, which she had kept out in anticipation of a quick retrieval. Something flashed through his eyes and he nodded his head, seeming to reach a decision. But Hawke wasn't sure if it was in her favour or not.

She was glad when Robin spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

"400 years ago, an explorer of the Blue Sea told a lie that he had seen the City of Gold," the archeologist said.

"Huh?" Wiper turned to her and his glare had lessened somewhat.

"His kingdom laughed at him," Robin continued as if there had been no interruption, "But his descendants believed his words and are still searching for that City of Gold on the Blue Sea."

Hawke caught the clench in Wiper's fists as he stared at the archeologist. A sparse line of sweat peppered the skin above his temple.

"Ringing the Golden Bell will tell those people that the City does indeed exist and that this man was indeed telling the truth. An inspiring reason, don't you think?" Robin cocked her eyebrow as she asked the question.

Hawke could only see Wiper's profile now, but she saw his jaw muscles working hard under his skin.

"And... what is the name of this descendant?" the berserker spoke lowly.

Robin met his stare and answered simply.

"Montblanc Cricket."

Hawke's eyes widened as she saw a mist moving over Wiper's eye. His shoulders began to shake as he was overcome with a strong emotion.

"And his ancestor of 400 years ago…" tears began flowing down the warriors cheeks, "Was that ancestors name… Noland?

"Yes."

"Yes."

Both Robin and Hawke answered at the same time and Wiper turned back to face the scout. Hawke's gaze became gentle as she slowly reached out and rested her hand on his unbandaged forearm.

"Cricket… and you, and the rest of the Shandians, the descendants of Calgara… they are all still waiting to hear the bell ring," she said as the warrior quickly wiped his eyes and fixed her once again with his fierce stare, "Please! Let me help you!"

The pair of them stood still for a few long seconds, ignoring the bolts of lightning crashing down all around them. By some magic none of the flying bits of rubble touched them, though Usopp let out a pained cry as a block of stone hit him in the head.

Hawke searched Wiper's face as he returned her stare. Try as she might, she couldn't read the Shandian's expression. His steel gaze moved from her face to her wings and then back again.

"Alright," Wiper finally nodded, "Take me to the Fire of Shandora, Rahven. I will light it, as I swore to do."

The scout's smile was dampened as she turned and motioned for him to grab her shoulders.

"My name is Hawke, dammit!" she snapped.

Her wings shifted as Wiper stepped between then and his arms wrapped around her neck. Strangely, having such a man pressing up against her didn't feel too uncomfortable. Hawke was careful not to grab his bandaged limb as she adjusted his hold, then she looked back to the crew.

"Now you guys get out of here!" Hawke called.

Then she wasted no more time and jumped into the air. It took a few strong wing-beats to gather enough lift this time, a feat made all the more difficult by her already exhausted body, but soon she was on her way back up Giant Jack. Wiper's steel arms tightened around her throat as his feet left the ground, but he soon began to relax against her back.

"This-this is-!" Wiper's sudden gasp blew against her ear and caused Hawke to startle.

She listed to the side around Giant Jack, swinging her body to gather more momentum to aid the climb. Once she'd steadied her pace again, she shot a grin over her shoulder.

The Shandian warrior was staring out over the landscape spread out beneath them. The horizon grew larger and larger as they rose. Soon they could make out the edge of Upper Yard, and then the black emptiness that had been Angel Island.

"This is… the land of my ancestors," Wiper muttered to himself as he swept his gaze over the sea of green below them.

Hawke didn't respond, leaving him to his thoughts, and turned her eyes upwards. Her blood suddenly ran cold in her veins.

"Shit!" she hissed through her teeth as she beheld the sky above them.

It seemed Enel was going to deliver on his promise of a second Raigo. Another spherical cloud was rumbling to life above Skypiea. But this one was easily five times the size of the first; its writhing surface bubbled and heaved as it grew ever larger.

"Shit shit shit shit!" Hawke flapped her wings harder, striving to reach the small cloud supporting the belfry.

Her feathers spread out to try and gather more air to push her upwards. Tendons strained and her back arched into Wiper's stomach. Her hands reached out, clawing at the air in a vain attempt to go faster.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught the flash of red that was Luffy as he ran up the tip of Giant Jack and leapt off. But the bell was finally within view and Hawke forced her attention on it.

The bell has to ring.

Her lungs burned with the effort of the climb as she drew level with God's Shrine.

Almost there.

"WhoooooooaaaaaAAAAAHHHH!"

Luffy's cry pulled her eyes briefly up to the Raigo just in time to see her brother pass through the clouds and vanish up into the sphere.

"Luffy!" she gasped out.

"Rah-Hawke!" Wiper's voice snapped against her ear and she looked ahead just in time to tense before they hit the cloud.

"Ouch!" Hawke tumbled head over heels.

Wiper's arms slid from around her neck and the warmth of his body vanished. Hawke rolled over a few times before hitting a hard object and crumpling to the ground. Her entire body was in pain, but she didn't have time to hurt. She lifted her head and saw Wiper picking himself up off the ground closer to the cloud's edge.

His face lifted and Hawke caught the exact moment he first gazed upon the bell. His eyes widen and his jaw fall slack, like his arms at his sides. His knees wobbled dangerously and looked moments away from buckling, but the Shandian warrior still held his head high.

"The… Fire of… Shandora," his ragged whisper barely reached her ears, but his tears spoke loud and clear.

What is it like? Hawke wondered, to lay your eyes on something your ancestors have been striving to find for generations?

"Wiper!" Laki's shout startled both of them as she leaned out over the platform and reached a hand down to her comrade, "It's too heavy for me to ring alone!"

The berserker sprang into action. He staggered over to the belfry and grabbed Laki's offered hand. The scout pushed herself to her feet as he drew level with her.

"Hawke…," Wiper's gaze was on the gold before him and his good arm was tensed and ready to pull him upwards.

He didn't say anything else. The scout let out a low sigh as she hobbled to the clouds edge.

"Don't thank me yet," she muttered, "This isn't finished."

Wiper let out a grunt and focused on his climb. Hawke turned her face towards the Ark Maxim just as a sudden white light flashed across the sky, searing her vision and momentarily blinding her.

"Ah! What was that?!" she staggered back and rubbed her eyes furiously.

Where was Luffy?!

Her vision was still full of spots as she lifted her head to see a beautiful blue sky.

"Eh?"

Where had all the storm clouds gone?

"You fool! You think I can't just make another one?!" Enel's furious shout came from the Ark.

Hawke turned to see that the lightning man had turned into a giant being made of pure electricity. His huge white body, reminiscent of a large bellied Buddha, pulsated with electric energy and sparks were flying out of him at random. His feet dug into the wooden roof of his airship as he shifted and gestured out into the sky with a huge golden spear.

"Yahahaha! All your efforts were in vain, Man of Rubber!" Enel roared, "Now fall to your death!"

Hawke's whole body tensed as her eyes followed Enel's line of sight and she watched her brother plummeting through the air. Luffy's arm was still encased in that golden ball. There was nothing he could do against gravity with that weight pulling at him.

No….

He was too far from Giant Jack. He would fall all the way back to the ruins below.

"Hawke!"

Luffy's call cut through her daze and she saw his hand outstretched and reaching for her.

The scout was in the air before her brain had even registered her take-off. Hawke sped down to her captain in the blink of an eye and caught him under his arms.

"I won't let you fall," she grunted into his ear.

The full strain of his weight yanked at her muscles until she was sure they would tear. Her wings stretched out to their fullest extent and the feathers billowed against a fresh gust of wind. Hawke soared upwards, forcing herself onward despite the immense weight of the gold.

"Yeah, Hawke!" Luffy exclaimed with a wide grin, "Let's kick his ass!"

He threw back his arm, getting ready to take a swing at Enel with the gold ball. The shift in weight almost caused her to lose her grip, but she managed to dig her fingers into Luffy's rubber shoulders just in time.

Her trajectory was taking her directly towards the Ark. Enel was still standing on top of his flying ship in his huge thunder-being form. His godly features fixated on her as they approached.

"What a pity," Enel sent her a frustrated frown as he lifted a flaming blue finger, "A fallen angel must be struck down to hell."

It happened so fast. Too fast.

Hawke watched the bolt coming at her in slow motion, but there was nothing she could do. The weight of the gold on Luffy's fist was too great, she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge. But if it hit her, she would drop her brother. The scout grit her teeth and mustered all her strength.

"LUFFY! FINISH HIM!" she screamed in her captain's ear as she threw him with all her might.

The moment he left her arms was the moment the lightning struck.

It was different than the first time. Instead of being blinded by light and pain, she was acutely aware of exactly where she had been hit. Her left shoulder and chest were burning, but the rest of her body was left untouched.

The leaves of Giant Jack whizzed by beside her. Luffy was growing smaller and smaller as he drew back his golden fist and launched it at Enel. Hawke watched as the god was unable to dodge the unimaginably fast attack. He was easily barreled over and launched downwards, carried on the golden ball straight through his beloved Ark Maxim.

A gaping hole was punctured through the vessel. The deafening chorus of clanks and bangs made it clear that the mechanisms inside were being damaged beyond repair. The air ship groaned loudly and began faltering and drifting away out of her sight.

Hawke could feel the wind licking along her legs and neck, across her face, along her right arm… She stared at her left hand and tried to clench her fist, but her fingers didn't move. Then a cold shiver ran through her gut as she felt, or rather didn't feel, something else. Something way more important due to her current height. The scout tried to stretch her wings back out, but nothing responded to her thoughts.

Oh no.

But just as panic was starting to take hold, the most beautiful sound Hawke had ever heard reached her ears and a peaceful calm washed over her heart.

The peal of the Golden Bell, the Fire of Shandora, rang out for the first time in 400 years. It rang so loud there was no doubt it would be heard ten thousand meters below. The cascade of sound, rippling down from heaven itself, sent the Southbirds flying and the air atrembling. The scout relished the rich vibrations as they made their way into her very bones.

They did it, she smiled.

She could no longer see the cloud supporting the Shandians and their beloved bell, but she could still make out the small figure that was her brother, his arms and legs spread wide, hand on hat, as he shouted into the sky.

It sounds heavenly. Can you hear it, Cricket? Masira? Shoujou?

The edges of her vision started to blur as the stem of the beanstalk began growing in girth. Hawke let out a grunt and looked over her shoulder to see just how fast the ground was rising to meet her. Come on wings! she tried to lift them again but got no response.

"I worked so hard on you. Now you're going to die such a pointless death."

Hawke stiffened as the phantom suddenly appeared, plunging headfirst alongside her. Her gut gave a squeeze as the lab coat snapped loudly in the wind, but then her emotions abruptly settled. She watched the scientist calmly, eyes trailing on the blank lenses of the gas mask, the dark hair floating around his shoulders like a spectral shadow, and those yellow gloves that had always yanked at her arms and hair.

And for the first time, she felt no fear.

"Hey…" she mumbled as the bean stalk continued to whizz by.

The ghost was silent. Hawke frowned as her shoulder throbbed with a strangely familiar pain. Something important was tugging at her mind but she couldn't quite grasp it. Instead, her mouth opened again.

"You know, that mask looks kinda silly from this angle…" she mumbled as the two of them fell in tandem.

Again, no reply.

Hawke tried once again to move her wings but only managed a weak twitch. A strange calm stole over her mind and spread down through her body.

"Well… if this is how I die… then at least I'm leaving happy… Luffy and the crew are safe. The Shandians …have returned to where they belong…" she smiled again, panting heavily against the pain, "I guess I should thank you… Zhivago… Despite all the horrible crap… you did do what I asked of you and that… made it easier to live… So thank you."

Still the ghost was silent, his blank lens reflecting the greenery beside her. Was it her imagination, or did the edges of his coat seem to be dissolving?

"And eventually… I did find… friends who accepted me… with or… without my wings," Hawke continued, though her voice lowered to a mumble, "That's all I wanted. That's all I ever…"

She closed her eyes as the phantom faded into nothing.

I didn't want to leave Luffy before we finished our journey, but I guess the sky is a pretty cool place to die…

WHUMP!

"GAH!" Hawke cried out as something hard slammed against her back. Bands of iron curled around her shoulders and behind her knees as the whistle of wind abruptly died away, though the sensation of rapid movement continued.

The scout frowned. This is not what I thought falling to my death would feel like, she thought, I'm pretty sure I'm still alive…? Then she cracked her eyes open.

"Ah! Zoro?!"

The swordsman merely let out a grunt, his eyes focused on the ground below them. His brow was shining with sweat and there were more cuts on his face than Hawke remembered there being. She felt him tense around her just before a massive jolt rocked through their bodies.

She cried out as pain blocked out all other thought, blossoming from her chest and washing through her like an unstoppable tsunami. She cracked her eyes open and barely noticed she was still in Zoro's arms. The green haired man was crouching in the ruins of Ancient Shandora at the base of Giant Jack, the stone beneath him had cracked and given way upon impact, but he had remained standing.

Hawke opened her mouth to thank Zoro, but her vision suddenly went hazy and her heart fluttered in her chest like a frail caged bird. She was vaguely aware that her wings had returned to tattoo form, though she didn't remember doing so. When she brought her hand to her shoulder she felt a warm, sticky stain that was spreading across her shirt.

Blood? From a lightning strike?

Zoro straightened and shifted her in his arms, cradling her closer into his chest. The movement jerked Hawke's hand and her fingers brushed against a slim chain. She frowned and held it up.

My necklace…, she eventually recognized the object in her hand. The silver chain had scorch marks on it near the pendant.

It must have been hit by the lightning, she thought.

But something wasn't right.

She squinted at the pendant, trying to see clearly through her blurring vision

But her eyes couldn't find the pearl. It wasn't there…

"Where is it?!" she gasped out loud, frantically jerking her head around.

"Oi! Don't move so much!" Zoro grunted as he wobbled.

Hawke ignored him, but the movement of her head shot pain through her neck and shoulder. She winced and looked down at her wound.

There was a deep gash on her chest, right above her heart. Blood was oozing out of the wound, staining her jacket and what was left of her shirt. Hawke struggled to narrow her eyes and saw a small black and purple fragment sticking out of her skin. She reached a shaky hand up and pulled it out, lifting it in front of her face.

The colour was unmistakeable. Her fingers knew the smooth surface between the jagged edges. There was no other option. It was a piece of the pearl!

As Hawke registered this information, the dark fragment dissolved into dust between her fingers and disappeared into the air. It was… gone.

A cascade of emotions tumbled through Hawke's chest. A mess of shock, disbelief, relief, excitement, happiness, and confusion washed over her. But they were all abruptly cut short when a sudden pain, so intense that her whole body curled in on itself, took hold of her.

Knives. Knives were digging and tearing at her chest, trying to carve her heart out.

"Uuuuunnnnnngggg!" she groaned and buried her face in the warm chest pressing against her cheek.

Through the spasms and piercing shocks burning through her body, a single, terrifying thought rose to the front of her mind.

She knew this pain. She'd lived this pain before.

She knew exactly what was happening.

And her body was already reacting in the best way it remembered.

A sudden burning, as if thousands of wasps had made their way into her veins and were stinging her from the inside out, took hold before being overwhelmed by a freezing cold. Her heart was rebelling against its cage of ribs and her vision tumbled around in a dizzying whirlwind.

She tilted her face up and tried blinking the black spots out of her eyes so she could see Zoro clearly. She wasn't one hundred percent sure, but his expression seemed more fearful than anything.

"Why the hell are you smiling?!" the swordsman exclaimed.

Hawke hadn't even realized her lips were pulled back so far that it was painful.

"Because..." she panted heavily as another wave of crippling pain tore through her body, "It hurts… so much…"

Her tunneling vision dwindled into nothingness.

"Hawke!" Zoro's worried call followed after her as she tumbled down into the black abyss.