Chapter 17

Burn

"OH SHIT! OH SHIT! OH WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I EVEN THINKING!?"

Maxwell experienced a sensation he never thought he'd feel again. Falling from the sky. He first did it when he came to this world, destroying a pirate ship in the process. However, this time there was no supernatural portal spitting him out like chewed tobacco. No, this time Maxwell had willingly jumped from a flying ark, with an unconscious Sanji in tow.

And he was very much regretting it. Perhaps Luffy was rubbing off on him a bit.

"SSSWWWWEEEEEEEEEETTTTT AAANNDRAAASSSTTTEEEEEEE!" He braced for impact.

*SPLASH!*

...

...

...

"GASP!"

Maxwell had landed in some island cloud. The stuff was solid enough to step on but permeable enough the go through. Small miracles, these sky islands. Nami must have come up with the idea to fall into this stuff! Give Nami a map and a breeze and she'll lead you anywhere. Although she would charge you an arm and a ledge for it. For now he just had another problem.

He was stuck, neck deep, in the island cloud.

"I'm alive!" Maxwell looked around, "Now how do I get out of this mess...?" He noticed ancient buildings were sticking out of the clouds in places. It definitely seemed like he was in some sort of ruin, though it didn't explain how they were all off tilter in island cloud.

"MAX!" "SANJI!"

Those were Nami and Usopp's voices! He could hear them over the sound of the waver! Max called out to them, "OVER HERE!" and sure enough, Usopp and Nami drove by and spotted them. Sanji was lucky enough to be lying on the cloud.

Nami knelt down in concern for the cook, "Sanji! Are you alright!? We're sorry you had to take that hit for our sake!" Usopp meanwhile started screaming his head off.

"AH! MAX GOT DECAPITATED!" "I'M NOT DEAD YOU IDIOT!" "GAAAAAHHH! HE'S CAME BACK TO HAUNT ME!"

"Sigh..." Maxwell wasn't really in the mood to argue, "Just help me out of here. I can barely move," Maxwell tried to wiggle.

"Ah... Right!" Usopp got control of himself and uncoiled the rope in his grappling belt. He knelt down to help out Maxwell.

It took a little digging, but they were able to string the grapple through his armpits. Even Nami helped out when she stopped checking on Sanji.

"Alright. Ready?" Usopp held onto the rope on the belt end, while Nami held onto the clawed end. Nami nodded, ready to pull Maxwell out, "Then HEAVE!"

Both comrades pulled on the rope and Maxwell felt the tug around his back. Usopp called out the tempo of which to pull him, and Maxwell tried to wriggle as they pulled. It was slow work, but they were eventually able to pull Maxwell out of the cloud.

"Thanks guys," Usopp nodded accepting the gratitude, but Nami was looking elsewhere, "Nami?"

"Look at that giant stalk!" Max decided to humour her and observe the giant plant. It really was humungous. About as tall as the half the length of the island. "If it's the same one that I saw back at the ruins... Then we're on an island cloud right above the ancient city ruins."

"Ruins...?" It then dawned on Usopp, "W-wait, you mean the City of Gold!? Does it actually exist!?"

"Yes... But Enel took all of the gold." She scanned the rubble around the beanstalk, "In any case, if the ruins are below us, that's where Zoro and the others should be as well!"

Usopp looked up at the Maxim, still hovering up in the sky. Dark clouds were already blocking out the sun, "Well I don't know exactly where is where, but I do know that this place ain't safe."

"Agreed. And if I know Zoro, I'll probably have my work cut out for me trying to heal everyone." Maxwell already knew of the Battle Royale staged by Enel. If everyone but Luffy had been taken out, they probably weren't in the best of shape.

Nami revved the waver, "Get on! We've got to find the others and escape this island!"

"Right!" Both men carried Sanji onto the waver and crouched into the boat.

"There's not a single safe place on this island anymore...!"

O O O

Maxwell performed some quick first aid to Sanji as they drove. The guys had all suffered injuries with all the electrical burns, but Sanji's were the most serious right now. He laid on Usopp's and Maxwell's laps while Nami piloted the waver. They still had to find Luffy and the others.

While the healing spells to precedence, Maxwell did take time to appreciate the scenery they were in. An island cloud surface with jutting old brown buildings. It reminded him that they were still someplace fantasticall. All the while a great green forest settled in the background with a black sky. Though the black clouds were far from a good thing.

Maxwell frowned as he thought about the Maxim. That ship was the source of those thunderclouds, and it's innards were certainly strange. The ship was completely self-automated, no crew slaved at it's inner workings. Giant gears and glass vats of water bubbled and turned within that ship. Pipes and rail guards navigated the entirety of the ark. Max shattered and melted what he could, but he wasn't sure that would be enough. If that giant boat was meant for one person, then Enel probably knew how to repair it. Maxwell knew he couldn't have taken on Enel, directly. That Horror spell, and javelin throw were all lucky shots. Time wasn't on his side back then, and he knew that. Max just hoped Enel triggered all those Searing Glyph spells he left inside the ark.

A shame, considering as everything in there was made of solid gold.

"OH!" Maxwell looked up as Usopp spotted something, "ROBIN!"

"Aisa! Thank heavens your safe!" Nami immediately drove where they saw Robin and their companions.

"Ms. Navigator! Mr. Long-Nose! Mr. Magician! Mr. Cook!" Robin's eyes widened as she saw more of her crewmates. Yet, she felt a strange sense of relief that everyone was gathered together again.

"Nami!" Aisa, a little Shandian girl ran and hugged Nami's legs as they parked. Maxwell carried Sanji out of the waver, but was amazed and horrified that there was a little girl here. She couldn't have been more that 7 years old.

Nami was equally surprised, though not horrified as Maxwell was, "Aisa! Where's Luffy? Wasn't he with you!?"

"Ah!" Usopp looked surprised to see who was unconscious on the ground, "Zoro! Chopper! Weird Old Man! AH! A-A-AND THE GUERILLA!" The last two he was referring to were Gan Fall, and a Shandian named Wyper. Though Maxwell also noticed Pierre the horse-bird was also unconscious.

"Dammit, they were all beaten! If only I was there when they all faced Enel—" Maxwell ignored Usopps fantasies in favour of actual news in the form of Aisa.

"Luffy was headed up the stalk to save you! He's running up to Enel's ship!"

"What!? So we just missed him!? ...And just when I thought I could stop him..." Nami was more eager to get off this island. Maxwell looked up the beanstalk planted in the middle of the island cloud. A double-helix of plant matter thicker than castle towers.

"Dammit! There's no time left! We need to get off this island now!" Usopp reminded them.

"...Don't worry," Nami steeled herself looking up the giant plant, "I'll catch up to him on my waver! The rest of you get back on the Going Merry!"

"What!?" Robin looked at the red-head surprised. Nami was usually the one to avoid danger.

But then she froze. Something had caught Nami's attention.

...

...

...

The wind had stopped.

And then Maxwell flinched as lightning began to fall.

It wasn't like you're usual thunderstorm. No rain fell from those black clouds above. No wind howled in the sky. It was all replaced by the thunderbolts. Trees splintered and caught fire as the electricity rained down. It was as if the heavens were throwing lances into the sky-born island.

*K-KR—BOOM!* And they were big, as they saw for themselves as one struck a tree closest to the treeline. It even had enough force for the shockwave to topple a man.

Usopp had been blown away, both literally and figuratively, "That lightning was HUGE! We'll be burnt to ashes if we stay here!" Maxwell didn't disagree. Enel had his ark up and running again and was the source of this destruction.

Nami immediately jumped on the waver, "Everyone! Get to the ship! I'll catch up to Luffy and bring him back there ASAP!"

"G-Got it!" Usopp responded as Nami drove up the beanstalk. He then knelt down to pick up Sanji, "Hurry, guys! Help me get them back to the ship someho—! ...Huh!?"

Wyper, the Shandian Warrior, had stood up. Maxwell took a closer look at the man. He should not be moving! Wyper was bruised, battered, and burnt, and one of his angel wings was torn.

Then Zoro woke up, "Mr. Swordman!"

Then Gan Fall sat up, "Weird Old Man!"

"Enel...!" The armoured knight coughed, his voice hoarse. Zoro didn't say anything, he just eyed everything from side to side.

"Great, you're up! We barely have any time! Can you walk!?" Usopp asked the injured warriors.

Gan looked up as he heard the cacophony of thunder, "So it's begun..."

Robin already cradled Chopper into her arms, "Let's hurry to the ship. There's nothing we can do even if we stayed here." Maxwell wanted to agree with her, but he was to busy trying to decided whether he should treat them here or at the ship.

"Wyper," Aisa looked up at her fellow Shandian. The man was just staring at the ongoing destruction, "WYPER!" Aisa tugged on the man's hand. "Wyper! We're all gonna die if we don't run away! Wyper!"

"Enel... What gives you the right... to steal everything...!?" Aisa could only whimper at the warriors words. She knew his pain, just as well as he did.

There was a particular crash out in the distance, and Usopp flinched. "Oh crap! He's not holding back at all! We gotta run away! This is the end of everything!"

Usopp then looked up, "WATCH OUT!" And they scrambled. Another bolt of lightning had struck, beside the beanstalk. No one got hurt, but it had pierced the island cloud both above and below it.

Robin looked up at the rising Maxim, "He's far above now. It's only a matter of time before his ship reaches the top of the vine." Maxwell looked at her in confusion.

"What is it that Enel wants up there?" Gan asked the archeologist.

"A golden bell bell at the top."

This had caught Wyper's attention, "Golden bell...? Did I hear you clearly?"

"Yes."

Usopp looked between Robin and the Shandian, "W-What are you talking about?"

Wyper ignored him, "And Enel is really flying towards it...!? How do you know... Just where is it?"

"Wait! How's not the time for this! We've gotta get outta here while we can! We promised Nami we'd wait for her at the ship, didn't we!? She said she'd be back with Luffy soon!" Usopp tried to interrupt, but Robin also ignored him.

"See the giant stalk over there..." Robin pointed at the oversized plant, "The bell is above it. Right below here are the ruins of Shandora... And the giant stalk has pierced through the centre of the city. However, the belfry was supposed to have also been located at the city centre, according to a map of the ruins. In other words, I can only come to the conclusion that the bell was dislodged from the city upon hitting the giant stalk and landed somewhere up higher."

The Shandian then started walking towards the beanstalk, "Wait, Wyper!" Aisa grabbed onto his leg, "It's no use if you climbed up now! There's no way you can catch up to Enel all the way up there!"

Usopp then saw something in the sky, "GET AWAY FROM THE STALK! SOMETHING'S FALLING DOWN THIS WAY!"

Everyone looked up and scrambled, again. Wyper quickly grabbed Aisa, Gan Fall with Pierre, Robin with Chopper, and Maxwell with Sanji. They had narrowly avoided a piece of the stalk falling on top of them.

"...The tip of the stalk...!? What's happening up there?" Robin looked at it surprised. The piece looked like it had been cut through with a blazing axe.

Maxwell looked around, "If I had to guess? Luffy. I don't see him fallen anywhere here."

"Wyper!" Maxwell snapped his head to see the Shandian had collapsed, "See, I told you! You're in no shape to climb up!" Maxwell went to assist him, but he pulled away to avoid getting hammered by a fist.

Wyper still struggled to get up, "It's right above me... At the top... The bell that... the Great Warrior Kalgara desperately tried to ring..."

*Bzzzzzt~!* The sound of crackling electricity filled the air, and Maxwell immediately looked for where it was coming from. Then he saw it. In the distance, part of the blanketed sky had congealed into a giant sphere of black cloud. Flashes of blue electricity sparked within it's confines and steadily descended, accompanied by beams of sunlight.

"It's right above Angel Island...!" Aisa looked at it in fear.

"THIS IS A NIGHTMARE! THERE'S NO WAY SOMETHING SO TERRIFYING COULD EXIST FOR REAL!"

Gan Fall watched the sphere intently, "Just what is he planning to do with that...?"

Then the ball landed, and Maxwell was blinded with a searing light.

*BOOM!*

The great cloud hand exploded into electricity. It shone like a miniature sun. Everyone could only look in shock and awe. And when the explosion finally dissipated, all that was left were sunbeams.

"W-W-WHAT WAS THAT EXPLOSION JUST NOW!?" Usopp was downright terrified, "AND THE LIGHTNING'S STILL RAINING DOWN WITHOUT ANY SIGNS OF STOPPING! I... I DON'T THINK WE CAN MAKE IT OUT ALIVE!"

"...He completely destroyed Angel Island...!?" Gan Fall trembled as he bowed and held his head, "...How... How can you do something so wicked... ENEL!" Maxwell knelt down and put a tentative hand on the old chevalier's shoulder. The mage knew all too well about not having a home to return too.

"...He's not going to come down, you know."

Maxwell looked over at Zoro, "What do you mean?"

Zoro sighed as he slouched sitting on the ground, "While we were out in the forest, Luffy said he wanted to ring the bell. For Saruyama guys back in Jaya..."

Maxwell's eyes widened, "For Cricket and the others...!?" He'd almost forgot that this place had been their goal for so many years. Looking for proof on the ocean floor.

"So then, he..." "Well, he did say so... But considering the situation..." "He said... He'd ring the bell...?"

"No, he's a guy who does what he says he'll do. Even if Nami went up there to bring him back, he's definitely not coming down... Because right now, he and Enel are aiming for the same thing."

Maxwell looked up the beanstalk where Luffy might have been, "...If Enel really is going after that bell. There is no way Luffy is going to let him take it..." The crew nodded in agreement. That sounded like Luffy, especially with his stance on treasure. Then Maxwell saw something floating in the sky, "...Huh?"

Usopp dived for the ground, "GYAAAH! EVERYONE TAKE COVER! IT'S A GIANT LEAF—Wait what?" It was indeed a giant leaf, and it landed gently on the island cloud.

Aisa looked at the leaf, "Hey! There's something written on it... Wait, it's a message! It must be from Luffy and Nami!"

"What!?" Usopp stopped cowering on the ground, "What does it say!?"

Robin read it out loud, "'...Make this giant stalk fall over, westwards.'"

"What!?" Usopp looks at the writing and the compass drawn on the leaf, "What's that going to do...!?"

Zoro looked over at Usopp, "Hey, which way's west?"

Usopp looked back at him surprised, "Wait, are we really going to do it!?" then looked at the stalk, "Err... I don't know. Where is west?"

"It's in the direction where Enel's ship is," Gan Fall responded. The Maxim seemed to have docked at another cloud high up. One that wasn't one of his thunderclouds.

"So that's the idea..." If the crew could topple the stalk towards Enel's ship, Nami and Luffy could use the waver to jet towards the bell. Or at least it would get them close enough for Luffy to reach. Enel must have found the golden bell on that cloud.

Speaking of clouds, the sky was beginning to brighten, "Wait—What!? ...Oh... Oh Sweet Andraste...!"

"ENEL!" "You fiend...!" The sky people's cursed.

Everyone was looking up at the sky now. The same sphere of thundercloud that destroyed Angel Island was now up above them. This one though was way worse, "I-I-It's several times larger than the last one... There's no escape from this country anymore...!"

"Then we make the most of it!" Maxwell energized Mordred's skull, catching everyone's attention, "Everyone! We need to topple that stalk!"

"WHAT!? WHY!?" Usopp looked at Maxwell, shocked at what he was suggesting.

"Nami and Luffy plan to use this stalk as a ramp so they can fly over to that ship!" Zoro got up, also catching onto their comrades' plan.

"But that's crazy!" Usopp protested.

Zoro sneered, "Fine, you go up there and try to stop them then."

"LIKE THEY'D LISTEN TO ME!"

"ENOUGH!" Maxwell cut between Zoro and Usopp, "It doesn't matter whether it's crazy or not. It's the only thing we can do, so we have to trust in them."

*KRR—ZAP!*

Everyone jumped away as another lightning bolt shot down at them, "Blight and Maker damn it—I thought we were done with stray lightning!" Thunder still rumbled throughout the sky.

The island cloud began to swirl, and Zoro called out, "Take cover somewhere with solid footing! We'll fall along with the ruins if we stay here!"

They retreated to the tree line with their unconscious friends in tow. It was the safest place they could manage at the moment.

"Let's do this then," Zoro put a hand on his katanas, "We just have to make the stalk fall over towards that ship, right?"

Maxwell looked up from their unconscious members, "Well yes, but—"

"The only one on this island who can reach Enel, before that giant ball of doom falls on us, IS HIM!" Zoro dashes off back towards the beanstalk.

"ZORO!" Both Usopp and Maxwell call out.

"Son of a hurlock—! Stay with them!" Maxwell turned to Usopp, pointing at their friends, and immediately runs off after Zoro. He and Zoro were the only people capable of taking down that stalk at the moment. Maxwell cussed, as he wished Zoro had at least waited for him first. He wanted to help Luffy too! "DAMMIT ZORO! WAIT UP!"

Maxwell raced across the island cloud towards the beanstalk. He didn't stand a chance against Zoro in a foot race, Maxwell knew that. But, he had no choice but to run. That stalk had to fall if they were going to save this island!

The mage had to constantly weave through his course. Enel had doubtlessly sensed what they were going to do, and so sent lightning at them. Maxwell could see that Zoro dodged them as they came, but Maxwell was left with the holes. He used an electric Storm aura to try and discourage any thunderbolts, but it wasn't always successful. He had to dive in order to dodge a few of them.

Maxwell then saw that Zoro was close to the stalk. The swordsman jumped towards a vine and swung his sword. Maxwell noticed he didn't use handle his usual Three-Sword Style. Nonetheless, the katana cut the vine. A giant wedge of the spiralling stalk fell out of the plant. However, just when Maxwell was about to cheer for him, Zoro was struck by lightning and fell into the ruins below.

"ZORO!" Maxwell quickly had to jump to avoid being electrocuted, "Damn it!" Maxwell kept running. The stalk hadn't even tilted even after that enormous chunk! He had to bring that stalk down now! And he had just the tools to do it!

Maxwell reached the edge of the hole, where he could see the ruins. The mage immediately energized his three focuses to start spinning around him in a circle. He didn't even realize what he was doing, he just needed this to work!

So Maxwell did something he never thought he'd catch himself doing: Chanting for a battle spell.

"Demon of Fear, burn this image into my mind...! Demon of Lust, light thy passion aflame...! Demon of Pride, topple all that stands before you...!"

He could feel the power! The Fade washed into him like a tidal wave, and Maxwell tried to channel it through himself and his three familiars. Mordred lit up like a bonfire, Mineive shone like a beacon, and fire poured out of Salem's pages like a great demonic fountain.

Maxwell's body split and cracked like marble veins. They glowed red with mana as his own eyes shone alight. He could picture the array, he just had to conjure it!

The mage spun his arms and the fire answered his call. It swirled around him like a churning furious hurricane. And then an intricate pentagram lit into existence, rotating as the flames flew towards it. However, there in the centre diagram, an eight pronged fire sun shone in it's image. Mordred, Mineive, and Salem shot forward in their anchors, towards the three corners of the magic circle. The fire was absorbed, and now the circle was complete!

"Searing Glyph. Blistering Pain. Wildfire. Lasting Flames.

Blazing Arcanum:

ARCHDEMON INFERNO!"

The glyphs turned green, and a great dragon shot forth from the pentagram. A raging, fiery, elemental of a dragon with burn red eyes. It flew forwards, spreading its eldritch wings of earth, fire, and shadow. Roaring with an shrill unearthly cry, as if it desired to devour Giant Jack.

The spell collided and the untouched vine was set ablaze. It consumed the stalk trunk like a cremation furnace, but Maxwell stood in control. Flames rolled like a corona on a sun's surface.

Something shook beneath his feet, but Maxwell didn't care. He reached out his hand, clenched his fist, and the fire disappeared like it had been sucked out of existence. The only evidence being a separated, black charred vines.

The stalk was going to fall.

And it was falling towards him. "SHIT!"

But he stumbled. Exhaustion was harrowing him from the inside out. He'd used too much mana. His technique was sloppy. Even with the three spiritual foci, the body wasn't meant to channel that much magic. Maxwell might survive the experience, but he won't survive being crushed by a pyrobloin-grown beanstalk.

He then then felt something collide with his back and Maxwell was suddenly falling through the chasm, "I am not going to let you die! NOT YET!"

It was Wyper. Maxwell wasn't sure why but the Shandian was rescuing him. Honestly he seemed kind of off-putting. It was strange, "Fall! Giant Jack!"

"Get... Him... Luffy!"

O O O

"Whoa! Did you see that firebal just now?" Luffy looked over the edge of the ruined island cloud he was on.

*VROOM! VROOM!* "It's starting to lean over...! LUFFY! IT'S TIME TO GO!"

Luffy jumped into the back of Nami's waver, "RIGHT! I'M COUNTING ON YOU!"

Nami psyched herself up, "Jet dial set on max speed! Certainly never tried this before. This speed's to much for even me to control!"

"LET'S DO THIS!" "OKAY!"

Nami let go of the breaks and rocketed towards the stalk. They had just the angle to ride up towards Enel.

"IT'S TIME TO FLY!" "LUFFY!" "RIGHT!"