Monster Hunter: Open Ocean

by Shadow Lugia of Orre

A rider and her monsters become stranded in a world covered by oceans. This world is locked in a Great Pirate Era, and, with the help of a certain pirate crew, Saurus and Navirou must make there way through this unknown world. Will she ever leave the world of One Piece?

30. Secrets of the Upper Yard

Chopper, Navirou, Pierre and I watched in horror as the wounded Gan Fall landed in the shark-filled lake below us, the white clouds turning red from his blood. Pierre hovered frantically over the lake, crying out for his master, but unable to fetch him due to his devil fruit.

"Waahh! Knight of the Sky!", Chopper cried out, "That lake is full of sharks!"

"Haah! Take that as Enel's wrath!", the priest mocked, spitting blood into the water where Gan Fall had landed.

Then, to my horror, Chopper leapt off the altar into the water in a foolish attempt to rescue Gan Fall.

"Wait Chopper! You can't swim!", Navirou yelled after him.

"Hey, isn't he a Zoan devil fruit user?", the priest questioned, watching him plunge into the cloudy depths, "What a fool."

"SHUT UP YOU BASTARD!", I roared, trying and failing to stand up due to my broken femur.

"Pathetic", the priest remarked, "Can't even stand on your own. Maybe I should put you out of your misery like your precious Gan Fall?"

He then noticed the panicking Pierre, and flew down behind him. Pierre spotted the larger Fuza behind him, and froze.

"Hmm, so you're a Zoan type as well", the priest mused, "Quite the hindrance, isn't it?"

He then raised his javelin, much to Pierre's horror.

"Why don't you join your master?", the priest taunted, before swatting the bird down into the lake. The poor bird sunk like a rock upon making contact with the clouds. Fuza let out a victorious cry, while his master just seemed disinterested.

"So boring. Mankind's weakness is really irritating", the priest complained with a sigh, "If this place was bottomless, they might've stood a chance. Unfortunately, this particular lake has a bottom. Now I just need to deal with those escapees."

I glared daggers at the priest as he and Fuza flew off, leaving me here alone. I tried to force myself up, but again, my leg wasn't able to support my weight. That fall had undone whatever splinting Chopper had done to it.

"Damnit...", I hissed, raising my kinship stone, "Silverfin, help me out here!"

The Ivory Lagiacrus appeared in a flash of blue light, looking around at the strange environment bewildered.

"Some of our friends fell into that lake Silv", I told him, pointing to the cloud lake, "Please, try to find them."

Silverfin nodded affirmatively and dove into the lake.

...with Luffy's group...

Luffy, Sanji and Usopp laid wounded on the forest floor, struggling to get up. Floating above them, a round man with reddish-brown hair and a white jumpsuit taunted them, dancing around on top of a large orb made of clouds. The entire forest was full of these strange orbs, floating freely and occasionally bumping each other. Between the man, who was clearly one of Enel's priests, and Luffy's group, was a large dragon made up of the cloud orbs.

"Huuhuuhuuhuu~ The end is near! I am one of God's priests! You can never win!", the round man taunted, gleefully hopping from foot to foot.

As he taunted them, the boat they arrived in, which looked like a crow, was floating freely down an elevated river of clouds.

"It... It's over...", Usopp wheezed, chest heaving with every word he spoke, "Too many... traumatic experiences... heart can't... handle it..."

"Don't have any more tricks, do you?", the priest taunted, spinning around on the orb beneath him, "Your boat is going to exit the forest soon!"

Upon hearing this, Luffy forced himself up, ignoring the blood and open wounds covering his face and chest. He glared up at the priest defiantly.

"When that happens, you're completely doomed! Huuhuu~", the priest taunted, enjoying the pirate's suffering, "Unless you guys can fly like birds, you'll never leave this place! You'll wander this forest until you die! Huuhuuhuu~"

Luffy, as if given new life, sprung up and swung a punch at the priest.

"I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN!", he boldly declared, though the priest dodged his punch.

"Huhuhu~, It will happen!", the priest mocked, spinning the cane in his hand. This pulled a large rope which controlled the dragon. "Behold the surprising orb illusion: ORB DRAGON!"

With a flick of his wrist, the dragon lunged at Luffy, who just narrowly avoided its giant jaws. The dragon then began chasing Luffy all around the jungle, with the priest controlling the monstrosity like a puppet.

"Huuuhuuu~! Which one is the fire orb?", the priest taunted, watching with utter delight as his horrendous creation chased the scrawny pirate around, like a cat would a mouse. "The orb dragon is made of surprise clouds containing bombs, and surprise clouds containing blades. If you touch one containing bombs, it's all over! The explosion will cause a chain reaction, and its huge body will cause a humongous explosion!"

While the orb dragon chased Luffy through the trees, Usopp was quietly making his way around the priest, hiding under tree roots as he went to avoid detection. Once he was sure the priest was focused on Luffy, he made a mad dash for the boat, knowing their time was limited.

While Usopp was retrieving the boat, the orb dragon managed to corner Luffy in front of an enormous tree, its tall roots acting like a corral that trapped the pirate. However, just before the dragon could reach him, Luffy bolted up the tree and jumped over the dragon's head. He soared over it and grabbed onto the rope used to control the beast.

"WHAT?!", the priest shrieked fearfully, knowing his little trick had been found out.

"So you're using this rope to control it?", Luffy deduced, gripping the rope between both hands and snapping it, "Then I'll just do this!"

"I can't control the dragon! You little brat!", the priest hissed, yanking the rope to pull Luffy to him, "Get over here!"

Unfortunately for him, Luffy hadn't let go of the other end, and was pulling the highly explosive dragon right towards him. Upon realizing this, the priest went pale, glasses-covered eyes widening and mouth agape in pure terror.

"WAIT!", he pleaded desperately, "LET GO OF THE OTHER END!"

Luffy refused to listen, and dragged the beast right to its controller. Right before making impact, Luffy let go, leaving only the priest to be caught in the explosion. True to the priest's word, the resulting explosion was humongous, completely flattening part of the forest as it burned any plants in its path. Nearby animals ran for their lives, and the sound of the explosions could be heard for miles. Blades trapped in some of the surprise clouds flew out in all directions, the force of the blast lodging many of them right up to their hilts.

When the smoke cleared, the priest was still standing, but unbeknownst to him, Luffy was holding onto his back.

"Hah... hah...hah...hah...that was dangerous", he panted, doubled over trying to catch his breath, "What an unbelievable idiot! Wait...perhaps he was actually planning to sacrifice himself? Damn! My training isn't complete! He messed up my rhythm in an instant! If I lose my cool over small things like that, I can't use Mantra."

Just then, Luffy made his presence known, poking his head over the priest's shoulder.

"Aya! That was really dangerous!", Luffy remarked, catching the priest off guard.

"YOU'RE NOT DEAD!", he shrieked, seeing the straw hat boy still alive.

Before he could throw Luffy off, Luffy wrapped his arms and legs around the priest, like a snake coiling around its prey.

"Let go of me you bastard!", the priest demanded, thrashing in Luffy's iron grip.

"Don't let go Luffy", Sanji ordered, catching both of their attentions, "Don't let that meatball move, no matter what!"

Luffy turned to see Sanji sitting cross-legged on a nearby cloud orb, casually lighting and smoking a cigarette. The look in his eyes was stone cold as he sized up the ensnared priest.

"Ah, Sanji! You're still alive!", Luffy shouted cheerfully, happy to see his nakama was alright.

"NO THANKS TO YOU!", Sanji snapped, annoyed by Luffy's recklessness, "CHECK YOUR SURROUNDINGS BEFORE YOU DO EXPLOSIVE CRAP LIKE THAT!"

He sighed and successfully lit his cigarette, taking a long drag from it.

"Now then, meatball man. You kept talking about a trial, but honestly, we're completely innocent", Sanji stated, voice starting eerily calm before annoyance starting bubbling up, "I don't care that we have to go through this damn trial, because there are three helpless ladies awaiting my rescue." Sanji looked the priest dead in the eyes, determination burning as hot as a Rathalos's fire. "In other words, this is a trial of love!"

The priest was befuddled for a moment, before turning angry and trying to throw Luffy off again.

"Damn you! Let go!", he hissed, "You're really despicable! This is a 2 on 1!"

"Kidnapping our friends, making a cute angel cry, and then trying to kill her! You're in no place to call us cheap!", Sanji roared, enraged.

"Yeah! That's right!", Luffy agreed. He then grinned mischievously, making the priest very afraid. "It's really cool that you can read our movements, but if you can't avoid our attacks, then it's pointless. Hehehehe!"

The priest began freaking out, the gravity of the situation hitting him like a ton of bricks.

"AHH! LET GO OF ME YOU IDIOTS!", he shrieked, again flailing wildly in a pathetic attempt to dislodge the rubber pirate, "STOP THIS YOU IDIOTS! I AM ONE OF GOD'S PRIESTS! LET GO OF ME! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING! IF YOU ARE NOT JUDGED BY A PRIEST, YOU'LL BECOME CLASS-1 CRIMINALS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!? ATTACKING ME IS THE SAME AS DECLARING WAR AGAINST THE ALMIGHTY ENEL!"

"Shut your mouth, or the flavor will escape", Sanji ordered, promptly ceasing the priest's pleas for mercy, "For example, if you want to cook with pepper, the most important thing is to brutally, swiftly, and completely dice the pepper!"

Sanji then leapt from the orb he sat upon, spinning rapidly in midair in an arc. The priest's eyes widened as Sanji flew right at him.

"That way, the amazing flavor will be released swiftly into the powders!", Sanji shouted, now right above the priest's head. He then brought the back of his right foot down hard upon the priest's skull, creating a loud cracking sound. "CONCASSER CRUSH!"

The force of the blow caused the priest's jaws to smash together, shattering both jaws and breaking off several teeth. The priest gave a faint, pained groan before Luffy let him drop to the ground, leaving the round man to lay unconscious in the crater made by the orb dragon's explosion. Both pirates then dropped to the ground, taking a moment to steady their breathing and let their heart rates return to normal. A few moments later, Usopp came running back to them.

"LUFFY, SANJI! I FOUND THE BOAT!", he shouted, catching their attention, "WE NEED TO HURRY BEFORE IT LEAVES THE FOREST!"

"Huh, looks like he's alright", Sanji mused, "I thought he was blown to bits when he disappeared after that explosion."

"Ohh! He found the boat!", Luffy gasped, "Let's hurry up and follow him!"

The two of them took off after Usopp, weaving their way through the forest as they followed the river of clouds. Usopp located the boat just a quarter mile from the forest's exit, and shouted back to Luffy and Sanji.

"GRAB ONTO ME YOU GUYS!", Usopp shouted, earning him confused looks from his friends. Still, the duo obliged, holding onto the sniper like their lives depended on it. Usopp locked onto their boat, and pressed a button on the front of his utility belt. This caused a grappling hook to shoot from a box attached to the button. The hooked rope wrapped around the neck of the boat's figurehead, the claw locking the rope tightly in place. The sudden pull yanked the sniper and his friends towards the little boat, all screaming their heads off. The momentum whipped them around violently as they rocketed towards the boat, smashing them into several trees along the way. Upon reaching the boat, the trio collapsed, their limbs dangling over the edges of the boat as they laid there completely dazed.

...with Saurus...

"Damnit, Damnit, Damnit, Damnit, DAMNIT!", I roared in a mix of rage and agony. My leg was busted, way worse than before, and I could feel the two halves of my broken left femur grinding against each other, the sensation making me grind my teeth in an attempt to fight the pain. I had tried to reset my broken leg so I could stand again, but this had only made my condition worse.

"Has Silverfin surfaced yet?!", I called out to Navirou, my voice growing hoarse from my pained screams.

"Not yet!", Navirou called back, turning to see me trying to stand back up. "Gyahh! You shouldn't try to move Saurus!"

Navirou sprinted over to me as I tried to force myself up again, another pained cry escaping my lips.

"You'll only make it worse!", Navirou warned, gently placing his paws on my leg.

A loud splash caught our attention, and we looked up to see Silverfin hauling himself up the stairs, head down with only a scrap of cloth hanging from his mouth. As he reached the altar, I could see it was a piece of Gan Fall's cape, making my heart sink. The bite marks around the edges resembled shark bites, meaning this was the work of the sky sharks. Silverfin gently set the scrap of cloth down, crimson eyes filled with sorrow and guilt.

I reached my hand out and grasped the cloth, gripping it tightly as my hand shook. I shook my head, pounding my fist against the hard stone floor. The force combined with the rough stone caused my hand to bleed profusely, but I ignored it. Silverfin and Skyforce whimpered loudly upon seeing my blood staining the stone.

"Coming to this damn place was a fucking mistake!", I hissed, slamming my bleeding hand against the floor again. My breathing got heavier as my anger grew, bubbling up like magma in an active volcano. I was angry, angry at Luffy for suggesting we come here, angry at Nami for attacking McKinley and getting us into this mess, but most of all, I was angry at myself. I lost to that priest, allowing him to not only kill Gan Fall, but also Chopper, one of my own crew mates. I was a seasoned fighter, a champion among riders, and yet I lost to someone in an air battle, where I should've held the advantage.

While I was dwelling on my failure, I almost didn't notice the pair of massive shadows flying overhead. Looking up, my eyes widened as they were met with the sight of two gargantuan south birds, easily 5 times the size of the one we caught on Jaya. The two birds let out a loud CHOH before diving into the lake, sending a large spray of clouds and water up. When they emerged, it felt like my heart stopped, tears of joy welling up in my eyes. Clutched securely in the bird's gigantic talons were Chopper, Gan Fall and Pierre, all unconscious, but thankfully alive.

The birds flew over and set the trio down carefully upon the stone altar, hovering overhead on colossal wingspans, easily 30 feet or more. After a few seconds, I saw Chopper's body twitch, before he started violently coughing to clear the water from his lungs.

"Chopper...", I whimpered, struggling not to cry, "CHOPPER! YOU'RE ALIVE!"

Once the reindeer recovered, he looked over to me, both confused and relieved. His eyes seemed to sparkle for a moment.

"SAURUS!", he shouted, running over to hug me, "YOU'RE ALIVE! THANK GOODNESS!"

I hugged the little reindeer tightly, fearing I would lose him again to the sky sharks. He was trembling, no doubt still getting over the shock of nearly drowning, and the sea water still having an effect on his body.

"I'm sorry I couldn't beat him, Chopper", I apologized, feeling responsible for what happened to him, "I failed you guys."

"Don't say that Saurus!", Chopper cried, shaking his head, "If you hadn't been here, that guy would've completely destroyed the Merry!"

Upon him mentioning the Merry, I sorrowfully turned to look at the battle-damaged ship. Her mast was gone, tossed into the lake to prevent the entire ship from burning. There was a huge crack that nearly split the hull in half, and the deck and rails were covered in holes and charred patches. Her cheery-faced figurehead was marred by deep gashes in the once pristine wood, a painful sight for me to take in.

"Did I really save her though?", I murmured doubtfully.

Chopper then sprung up with a gasp, remembering the wounded Pierre and Gan Fall. I watched as he quickly yet carefully assessed their conditions. Gan Fall was definitely in critical condition, as the priest's burning javelin left a gaping hole in the right side of his chest. Pierre was mostly in shock, his body also weakened from being submerged.

"I have to treat them!", Chopper declared urgently, before looking back at me confused, "but if you guys didn't save us, then who did?"

The south birds let out another CHOH, making Chopper spin around. Upon seeing the giant birds, he froze, eyes wide and mouth agape. The birds looked capable of swallowing the tiny reindeer whole if they wanted.

"H-how? How did such huge south birds get up here?!", Chopper gasped, taking a step back.

Despite their obvious advantages of size and mobility, I couldn't sense any malice from the south birds. The look in their eyes, it wasn't like the mischievous glint that their smaller cousins held. No, it seemed more, reserved and calm, almost gentle. The way they studied us showed an incredible level of intelligence, not unlike certain monsters back home.

"A-are you the ones who saved us?", Chopper asked timidly, feeling as small as an ant in the presence of the great birds.

"CHOH! Choh choooh!", the first bird chirped loudly, its booming voice echoing through the jungle.

"W-what? What do you mean?", Chopper questioned, confused as he turned to stare at Gan Fall, "He's God?!"

"What?! Gan Fall? A God?!", I wondered, staring puzzled at the wounded knight, "If he's God, then why do the people call Enel God?!"

I watched as the birds continued to converse with a very confused Chopper, who simply nodded his head at whatever they were saying. After a few minutes the birds flew away, leaving us with more questions than answers. Once they were gone, I tried to force myself up again, in case we were attacked. Skyforce shoved his head under my arm to stabilize me, and, with his help, I managed to stand up on my right leg. Once I was securely on his back, I dismissed Silverfin, and went over to help Chopper with Gan Fall and Pierre.

Slowly and carefully, we moved the duo to the infirmary, which had thankfully sustained little damage. We carefully set the duo down, and Chopper immediately set to work treating Gan Fall's wounds. Once he removed the knight's armor, the true extent of the damage was revealed. It was a gruesome sight, his chest had been pierced through, leaving a massive hole with large charred splotches around the edges. It was still bleeding, with most of the blood pooling beneath him in a red, partially congealed puddle. His arms also bore long cuts from his opponent's lance, though those were thankfully rather shallow.

"I'll have to start with his chest", Chopper stated, "It's not going to be easy though. A hole this size will need more than just a couple of stitches. I hope we have enough bandages."

"If anyone can help him, it's you Chopper", I said, confident in his skills, "you managed to patch up my arms when that spider tore them to shreds. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to fight at all."

"You don't need to thank me, you big jerk~", Chopper gushed, doing his little happy dance.

With that he set to work, and although I was impressed by his skills, I couldn't deny that watching the stitching process made me a bit queasy. I remembered vividly how the needle had gone through my skin when he was stitching up my arms, and couldn't help but shudder at the thought. Still, despite my disgust, there was no denying how artful it was, watching the skin being pulled back together like pieces of fabric. Morbid, yet also kinda beautiful, I guess was the best way to describe it.

Once he finished cleaning and stitching the wounds, he began wrapping them tightly with cloth bandages. As he was doing so, Pierre regained consciousness, and seemed confused at first upon seeing a reindeer treating his master's wounds. Thankfully he didn't go into full blown panic mode; the last thing we needed was a spooked bird in an enclosed space with lots of needles and glass.

Once Chopper was finished, he wiped his brow, washed his hooves, and turned to me.

"I'll have to reset your leg, too", he explained.

I nodded and carefully removed the pants of my armor, leaving me in my black shorts. The bandages had come loose during my fight with the priest, revealing inflamed, red flesh that was tender to the touch. There was a noticeable lump where one of the pieces of bones had shifted, but thankfully it had not broken the skin.

Chopper ran over to the shelves stocked with medical supplies, and picked out a bottle of alcohol, more bandages, and an herbal paste in a wide-mouthed glass jar. He brought the supplies over, careful not to drop the glass bottles. I straightened out my left leg as much as a could, wincing as I did so. Chopper opened the jar of herbal paste, and handed me a spoonful of the dark green mush. I winced as it hit my tongue, the texture grainy and slimy, like algae. The taste was extremely bitter, like eating a bitterbug wrapped in dragonvine leaves. As I swallowed it, Chopper began rubbing the alcohol over the site where the bone halves were.

He then shifted to heavy point, grabbing my leg where each half of the femur was.

"This might hurt, are you ready?", he questioned, concerned.

I nodded.

"Let's just get it over with", I urged.

Chopper counted down to three, before firmly grabbing the broken bone halves and moving them. A pained cry escaped my lips as he repositioned the halves, before pushing them back together so they could heal properly. The crunching sensation had me grinding my teeth, and I felt a shiver run up my spine.

Working quickly, Chopper created a splint and wrapped my thigh tightly, this time applying an extra layer of bandages to keep the wrapping from coming loose again. Once it was fully wrapped, I carefully slid my armor pants back on.

As I went to stand up, I heard Zoro's voice calling us from outside.

"CHOPPER! SAURUS! NAVIROU! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS!?", I heard him shout, "WHAT HAPPENED!?"

"Looks like they're back", I said, carefully sitting myself on Skyforce's saddle.

"CHOPPER! SAURUS! NAVIROU! WE'RE SORRY FOR GETTING BACK SO LATE! ARE YOU GUYS HERE!? ANSWER ME!?", Nami shouted, obviously stressed.

"OI, WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU GUYS!?", Zoro shouted, actually sounding concerned, "WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!"

Slowly, we peeked our heads out, and I was surprised to see that Zoro, Nami and Robin were all completely unscathed. I sheepishly waved at them, while Chopper started sobbing.

"I wasn't scared!", Chopper sobbed, trying to act tough for the others.

Another set of voices caught our attention, and we turned towards a little river mouth nearby. Sailing down the river and into the lake were Luffy, Usopp and Sanji, who all seemed pretty worse for wear.

"OH, ITS THE GOING MERRY! THAT'S THE ALTAR!", Luffy shouted excitedly, leaning over the front of the boat as he held onto the figurehead.

"YAAHH! NAMI-SAN, ROBIN-CHAN, SAURUS-SAN! I FINALLY PASSED THE TRIAL OF LOVE! AHAHA!", Sanji called out, full on swooning.

"WERE YOU GUYS SCARED!? WELL NEVER FEAR, CAPTAIN USOPP IS HERE!", Usopp boasted.

Banged up as some of them were, I couldn't help but feel extremely relieved when all my friends boarded the Going Merry, like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. They all seemed in pretty high spirits too, a nice change from the absolute misery Chopper and I had been through.

Once Usopp set foot on deck though, he became horrified at the sight of the badly damaged Merry. His mouth hung open in disbelief as he approached what was left of the burnt mast.

"The mast... it's gone!", Usopp gasped, staring mortified at the burnt stump of splintered wood.

"Ah, I'm sorry Usopp", Chopper apologized, trying to comfort the sniper, "Saurus and I fought really hard, but that guy was tough. He had a lance that could burn things! Gan Fall came to save us, but he got hurt too."

"I couldn't stop him...", I murmured, looking down in shame.

Usopp gave the burnt mast another once over, before turning back to us.

"Are your wounds okay?", he asked us, worried.

"Eh? Oh, yeah", Chopper replied.

"I'll live", I responded, shrugging.

"A lance that burns stuff, sounds like a tough opponent", Usopp commented, perking up, "Good thing you guys didn't get burned, hahaha! We'll deal with the ship later."

Despite his shift to a more chipper demeanor, I could tell Usopp was hurt seeing the ship's condition. I wasn't sure why, but he seemed to have a strong connection to the ship.

"I will become a dependable man!", Chopper suddenly declared, hopping up on one of the non damaged rails.

"Hey Chopper, where's that old guy?", Luffy asked, referring to Gan Fall, "He was hurt too, wasn't he?"

Chopper spun around.

"Yeah! The Knight of the Sky!", Chopper gasped.

He hopped down off the railing and led everyone to the infirmary. When we got there, the old knight was still fast asleep. He was resting on a thick mattress that Chopper laid out on the floor, with a thick, cotton blanket covering him. Pierre remained close by, not wanting to leave his master alone. The knights face bore dark circles under his eyes, a sign that he hadn't slept well in a while. His skin was sickly pale, and were it not for his shallow, steady breathing, I would have thought he was dead.

"He tried so hard to defend us", Chopper explained, the others staring down worriedly at the fallen knight, "If he hadn't come when he did, Saurus, the Merry and I would've been goners."

I looked down at my hands resting on my lap, clenching my fists tightly as I grit my teeth. Gan Fall risked his life for us, almost died at the hands of that damned priest, all because I was too weak. This was all my fault. A mix of anger, sorrow and disappointment welled up inside me.

Abruptly I stood up, catching Chopper's attention. Before he or anyone else could say anything, I ran out of the room, ignoring the searing pain in my leg. I hopped on Skyforce and gave his side a sharp nudge, making him take off. As he flew across the lake towards the woods, I could hear the worried cries of the others as they pleaded with me to come back. But I didn't look back, I couldn't. I didn't deserve to after fucking up so severely, and putting Chopper, Gan Fall, Pierre, Navirou and the Merry in such grave peril. Once we were a few yards into the jungle, Skyforce landed and I jumped off, running deeper into the jungle as the wyvern followed behind. I tore through the underbrush angrily, tears of shame streaming freely from the corners of my eyes. I ripped away any vines or ferns that blocked my view, not even faltering when my feet hit exposed roots.

I ran on until the light of the setting sun was gone, blocked by the dense, jungle canopy. The only light came from my faintly glowing kinship stone, and from the fireflies that had begun to emerge. After what felt like an hour, I finally stopped running. I was panting heavily, trying not to sob violently as I rested a hand on a tree for support. I took another step, whimpering loudly and slumping to the ground when my injured leg finally gave out beneath me, another reminder of my major fuck up, and of the hell this cursed sky island truly was. Skyforce whined and nudged my side, licking my face to try and soothe me.

Skyforce... I had let him down too. It was my fault he lost to Fuza, a mere bird of all creatures. He lost a midair battle, a fight where flying wyverns excel above all others, because of me. Angrily I stood, causing Skyforce to back up. I let out a cry of anger, no longer trying to stop my violent sobs, and struck the tree behind me with my fist. The rough, jagged bark splintered beneath the Deviljho fangs on my gauntlets, and I cried out again as I punched the tree over and over, letting all my pent up frustration and self loathing boil over. Splinters flew everywhere, with one nicking me under my left eye, but I ignored it and continued my frenzy. With each punch, I drug my fists down and out, carving a massive gash in the tree as sap flowed freely from the wound. The sticky sap coated my gloves, causing bark, moss and soft cambium to gunk up the Deviljho fangs.

As I thrashed wildly, memories of my previous losses began to bubble up, further fanning the flames of rage and hatred. Ever since coming to this new world, the losses had outweighed the victories by a long shot, and even those victories were only because the others helped. Longclaw was taken down in one hit, Deathwing was blinded in one eye, Bloodworm was badly wounded, Ratha almost died, Shiro lost a leg, and Kirika... I couldn't save her. All of those events, were because of me. At this point I was blindly clawing at the tree, the spikes and claws on my gloves ripping massive gashes in the tree like a Nargacuga's claws. The sticky sap had begun leaking past my fingers, down my palm and into the glove, causing it to stick to my wounded hands. It burned like crazy, which only drove me further mad.

"You're weak!", I thought, before screaming, "WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHYYYY!?"

My vision was blurred, tears flowing freely as my eyes became bloodshot. My throat burned as my voice became hoarse from the screaming, causing nearby animals to flee. I turned and struck the tree with a powerful kick, taking a chunk about a meter long out of the trunk. I then slammed my shoulder hard into the tree, ignoring the burning pain in my shoulder, and the sticky sap oozing from the open gash in the wood.

Shakily, and with heavy breaths, I back away from the tree, wincing in pain as I shook my head. I was a trembling, sobbing, bleeding mess, my hair ruffled and full of lichens and bark. My ears were ringing, and I swore I could hear a voice calling out to me. I didn't think much of it at first, dismissing it as remnants of my tantrum. That was until I heard the crunching of leaves behind me, and I turned to see Zoro standing there, a stern look on his face, like a disappointed parent. I backed away, eyes widening, knowing he must think I'm crazy. I tried to run again, but he grabbed my right arm and pulled me against him in a tight hug. He held me tightly, like a parent would hold their child after having been separated, and I just sobbed in his arms.

Zoro didn't say anything, didn't wipe my tears away or anything over dramatic, he just let me get it out of my system. Skyforce came over and nudged us both, trying to shove his head between us. Zoro gently pushed his head away.

"Give her some space", Zoro said softly to the wyvern.

Slowly, my sobs were reduced to the occasional hiccups and sniffles, as I felt oddly safe in Zoro's arms. Once I was calm enough to speak, I pulled away, though Zoro didn't let me fully out of his grasp.

"You scared the others", Zoro stated.

"I couldn't face them, Zoro", I explained, "Not after I failed them like that."

I carefully hugged Zoro, not wanting to press him against the Deviljho fangs on my armor.

"I couldn't protect Chopper, or save the Merry, and Gan Fall only got hurt because he was trying to protect us. If I had been stronger, I could've stopped that priest", I murmured, "I lost, Zoro, and because I lost, people got hurt, almost killed! There was no reason I should've lost that fight, I was in my element! And then, you guys came back, and I just couldn't face you after screwing up like I did."

I gripped Zoro's tank top tightly, hands trembling.

"Nearly every fight I've had since coming here has ended in either a loss, or a near loss for me, and someone's always gotten hurt or killed because of it!", I cried, "I thought I was strong, that I was better than this, now look at me!"

I half expected Zoro to laugh at this, he didn't strike me as the type to look kindly upon someone showing this level of weakness. Instead, he rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Have you let any of your losses stop you?", Zoro questioned.

"N-no, I haven't, but-", I stuttered, but he cut me off.

"Then why are you letting it stop you now?", he inquired, "People are going to get hurt, people die, that's how it is, especially when you're a pirate. That's why you have to keep moving, get stronger, and not let your losses hold you back."

Zoro then removed his tank top, revealing the massive scar stretching diagonally across his torso. Looking closer, I could see it wasn't actually that old, probably no more than a few weeks at most.

"I was in a similar position once, I got my ass handed to me pretty badly", Zoro stated, "I challenged a member of the Shichibukai to a duel, and nearly lost my life in the process!"

"He challenged a Warlord!?", I thought, eyes widening in disbelief.

"Even then, when I was bleeding to near death, I didn't let my defeat hold me back", Zoro continued, "I made a vow that day, that I would never lose again! I kept training, and still am, so that one day I can defeat that same Warlord!"

Zoro grasped my shoulders firmly, making me look him dead in the eyes.

"You're strong, Saurus, stronger than you realize. Everyone loses, what's important is that you get back up and keep fighting", Zoro encouraged, "Keep training and getting stronger, then you'll be able to protect the ones you care about. But don't you dare give up, you got that?"

I was shocked for a moment, before smiling softly and hugging Zoro.

"I won't give up. Thanks Zoro", I murmured. Though the burden was still there, it felt as if some of its weight had been lifted, meaning I'd no longer have to shoulder it alone.

...

On the way back to the others, we ran into Chopper, who was gathering ingredients for Sanji. Apparently, they had decided to camp on the shore of the lake for the night and discuss our plans for tomorrow. Some of the plants looked familiar, albeit warped into different forms by their environment above the clouds. Aloe, bananas, even garlic all grew up here, and, like the animals, had grown lighter forms to increase their chances of survival. The abundance of nocturnal creatures emerging from their burrows also provided us with extra food sources, as well as enrichment for a hungry Skyforce. The wyvern snapped his jaws as numerous lizards, rodents and frogs skittered past, occasionally snagging one and gulping it down.

By the time we reached the rest of the group, night had fully fallen, a beautiful full moon shining down upon us with an ethereal, silver glow. The hot, humid jungle had cooled to much more manageable temperature, which was a blessing to me since I was wearing thick Deviljho armor. Thankfully mosquitos weren't an issue, mostly thanks to the smoke from the bonfire Sanji had lit.

"Sanji, we're back!", Chopper called out to the cook, who was chopping up fish on a cutting board propped up on two logs, "and we brought lots of yummy things!"

Sanji looked over to see what we had brought, and perked up upon seeing me with them. Not in his usual love struck way, but rather he seemed relieved that I was here. I smiled shyly with a wave, and Skyforce trotted over to beg for fish scraps. Sanji chuckled and held up a piece of fish, making Skyforce raise his head.

"Sit buddy", Sanji commanded, to which Skyforce obliged. Sanji smiled and tossed him the piece of fish, which Skyforce greedily devoured.

"Keep spoiling him and he'll never leave you alone", I remarked.

"He's got better manners than Marimo over there", Sanji taunted, smirking back at a now fuming Zoro. Zoro tossed the rat he caught at Sanji, but Skyforce quickly caught it and trotted off to enjoy his prize. Sanji failed to stifle a laugh, while Zoro just growled and set to work chopping up the ingredients he and Chopper had gathered.

While everyone was helping Sanji cook, I walked to an isolated section of the lake to try and clean off the blood, moss and tree sap that was stuck to me. Thankfully this area was shallow, so no worries about sky sharks. I slipped out of my armor, leaving me in my black shorts and black tank top that I wore under my armor. I winced as I slid off my gloves, the sticky sap causing the leather to pull at the cuts on my hands. I washed the cuts out first, before wrapping them with some gauze I had leftover from the infirmary. The cuts from the Nerscylla bite had healed up, leaving only jagged, patchwork scarring in their place. The same could be said for my arms, though those scars were far larger, and certain sections of flesh hadn't fully healed back, leaving some small dips in parts of the scar tissue.

As I started cleaning my hair, a faint, green shimmer caught my attention. I spotted something floating in the cloudy water, and cautiously scooped up the object. Upon realizing what this object was, my eyes lit up. In my hands was a gorgeous dragon scale, mostly a silvery color, but with dazzling emerald hues mixed in. The scale was about 4-5 inches in length, 3 inches in width, and was shaped more like a fish's scale then a reptile's. Only by feeling it could you tell it was reptilian in origin. It was harder than stone, but somehow as light as a feather.

"But, where did you come from?", I wondered, looking around at the secluded jungle surrounding us, before turning back to the lakeshore. The scale looked familiar, but I couldn't place where I had seen one like it before. Shrugging, I pocketed the scale and finished washing up, tying my hair back into a ponytail and letting my wet bangs hang down to air dry.

When I returned to the group, armor set aside, Sanji had just finished dinner. I grabbed myself a bowl of stew and went to sit by Nami, who was looking over a map of Jaya while drawing something out on another piece of paper. It looked like she was drawing another map. I watched curiously as she drew out another map, occasionally pairing it with the old map of Jaya and the map of Skypeia that we found. Once Nami finished drawing, she cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Alright everyone! I now call the official Straw Hats "what are we going to do tomorrow?" meeting to order!", Nami called out. Everyone perked up at this, though Luffy seemed mostly focused on his food.

"First things first, a review of Noland's log book", Nami began, "Noland first discovered the City of Gold 400 years ago. But, when he returned to Jaya several years later, there was no trace of gold to be found. In other words, during those few years, this island, which is a fragment of Jaya, wound up in the sky."

"On the Knock Up Stream?", Chopper questioned.

"Makes the most sense to me", I thought.

"Yes, that's the only explanation", Nami confirmed, "Cricket said that the location of the underwater explosion differs each time."

"An explosion like that would send any island flying", Usopp commented.

"Just imagine what it would do to an island that was heavily populated. It would be complete chaos", I added.

"It's just hard to imagine that this insanely huge forest is the same one we saw on Jaya", Zoro mused, munching on his food.

"That's probably due to the difference between Sea Clouds and Island Clouds", Robin explained, "It seems there's something about Skypeia's environment that causes rapid growth in both flora and fauna. That would explain why the remains of the Jayan Civilization were swallowed up by the forest."

"The South Birds that saved us were huge too!", Chopper exclaimed, spreading his arms wide to accentuate his words.

"He's right, those things were the size of Rathians", I explained, "They could easily carry a grown human in their talons. Lucky for us they seem to be friendly."

"About that, why did those birds save you guys anyways?", Sanji asked.

"I don't know", Chopper admitted, "Maybe it's related to them calling the Sky Knight "God"".

This took everyone, especially Luffy and Zoro, by surprise, as the duo almost dropped their bowls upon hearing this information.

"So then we just need to beat up the old man, right?", Luffy asked, stupidly.

"Of course not you idiot!", Usopp scolded him.

"Anyway, think back to what was written in Noland's log about the City of Gold", Nami continued, getting us back on track.

"He said it was full of gold!", Luffy exclaimed, raising his hand like a student.

"That's obvious, you idiot!", Usopp snapped at him.

"He also mentioned gold ingots shaped like bells, and South Birds", Sanji added.

"And on the last page was scrawled a seemingly nonsensical sentence, supposedly the last thing he wrote before he died", Robin added, "'I saw gold in the skull's right eye'".

"That's it!", Nami shouted, having had a moment of realization. For a moment, she folded and rearranged the three maps before her.

"Look at this!", Nami beckoned, showing us the maps, "I rescaled a map of Jaya that Robin picked up, and paired it with an old map of Skypeia. It's an approximation, but when you line it up with the house on the seashore...", Nami showed us the new map, which showed an island resembling a skull, "See!? This is the shape of Jaya 400 years ago!"

"Amazing! So Noland wasn't lying after all", I thought, before looking over at Nami, "and Nami's pretty amazing too! She recreated the old map like it was nothing!"

"Noland was talking about the shape of the entire island, but since there was only half of an island left, no one could solve the mystery", Nami explained.

"It all makes sense now!", Usopp exclaimed.

"I see...", Zoro mused, though I was pretty sure he didn't fully get it.

"TREASURE!", Luffy shouted excitedly.

"Tomorrow we can head straight for this point", Nami explained, pointing to an area of the map that showed what looked like a flat topped pyramid, "We can't just abandon the ship though, so we'll have to split up into 2 teams. Make no mistake, a vast treasure trove of gold awaits us at this location!"

I felt a newfound strength suddenly surge through me, no doubt spurred on by the thought of finding long lost treasure. Even Skyforce seemed more energetic than normal, blue flames escaping his nostrils with every breath, his wings and tail flaring wildly as his golden eyes burned brilliantly.

"Ya hear that pawtner? All that treasure is out there waiting for us!", Navirou exclaimed.

I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I'm ready. And we won't let any more of Enel's dumb priests stop us", I declared, thumping my chest with my fist.

"It's getting late. I think it's best we put out our fires to avoid drawing our enemies' attention", Robin suggested.

"That's so ridiculous", Luffy remarked, eyes closed as he shook his head, "Did ya hear that? Put out the fires she says."

"Give the poor girl a break Luffy. Robin's lived in the dark, she wouldn't know", Usopp replied.

"What do you mean?", Robin inquired, seeming genuinely confused.

"WHEN YOU GO CAMPING, IT'S NATURAL YOU HAVE A CAMPFIRE!", Luffy shouted.

"EVEN IF YOUR LIFE IS ABOUT TO END, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A CAMPFIRE! THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS!", Usopp whined, being overdramatic.

"You guys are total idiots!", Nami scolded the boys, "Will you two cut it out?! You know how dangerous this forest is! There's Enel's priests, and the guerrillas out there! Plus, we don't know what else is lurking out there! There could be giant monsters roaming this forest!"

"Hey Luffy!", Zoro shouted, catching our attention. To my disbelief, he and Sanji were playing along, and had built a giant bonfire, "How's this for a bonfire?"

"NOT YOU GUYS TOO!", Nami growled at them.

"Sometimes I think those 4 share a brain", Navirou sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Maybe we should have some fun with them", I suggested, smirking deviously, "You boys go ahead and build your fire, but if you're not careful, you might attract a Deviljho."

This caught Luffy and Usopp's attention, and my kinship stone glowed behind my back.

"A Deviljho?", they inquired.

"Oh, you've never heard of a Deviljho?", I asked, feigning ignorance, "Gee, guess I should warn you then. They're giant, carnivorous dinosaurs that are constantly craving fresh meat. They don't ever stop eating, so they're always hunting for they're next meal. And they're particularly attracted to the smell of fires, especially if there's been food freshly cooked on those fires."

This caught their attention for sure, and I could see them getting nervous.

"Nuh uh, you're just saying that to scare us", Luffy accused, though I could see him shifting nervously. Poor Usopp looked ready to run for the hills.

"Okay, you can believe that", I said, shrugging, "But who knows, a Deviljho might come sniffing around while you're all asleep, looking for fresh meat to devour."

A pair of red glowing eyes peered through the trees behind them, making Chopper start backing up upon spotting them.

"Deviljho also prefer to eat their prey while their still alive and squirming, they can't be bothered to kill it before eating. Plus, they have acidic saliva that dissolves its struggling prey as soon as the Deviljho bites it", I continued, watching as the eyes glowed brighter, and a large shape emerged from the brush. Standing about 8 feet tall, covered in dark, olive green scales and sharp, rotten yellow colored spikes resembling teeth, was a large theropod dinosaur. Its mouth held countless rows of teeth, which spilled out of its mouth to decorate its entire lower jaw. Red streaks extended past its eyes like those of a Nargacuga, and the whites of its eyes were blood red, while its irises were deep, eerie gold. A massive tail, almost as thick as its entire body, swished behind it as it stared Luffy and Usopp down.

"Umm, Saurus, what do Deviljho look like exactly?", Chopper squeaked, staring wide eyed at the monster looming over the unaware Luffy and Usopp.

"Big, covered in green scales and spikes, too many teeth for their mouths", I replied, grinning as the Deviljho's head loomed right over the boys, and it started to drool. A thick blob of drool hit the ground in front of the boys, sizzling and killing the grass it touched. Upon seeing this, they quickly noticed the shadow engulfing their own, and slowly turned to look behind them. As soon as they did, the Deviljho roared loudly in their faces, sending the boys running for cover behind Sanji and Zoro.

"D-D-DEVILJHO!", they shrieked, causing me to burst out laughing. Zoro and Sanji both failed to stifle their laughter, and even Robin chuckled softly. The Deviljho stalked over to me, nudging me before shoving its head under my arm for some well deserved scritches. I chuckled as I scratched under his chin, kissing his snout repeatedly. Upon seeing this, Luffy and Usopp shouted, "HEY, THAT WASN'T FUNNY!"

"Sure it was!", Zoro laughed, smacking them both on the shoulder.

"In all fairness, you boys made it easy", I teased, "Didn't they, Sharptooth? Were they scared of the big, mean Deviljho? Oh yes they were!"

...

After my little prank on the boys, the night went on without issue. We befriended a pack of white wolves, who joined the rest of the crew in their drinking and dancing around the bonfire. Robin and I were content to sit by and watch, with Skyforce and Sharptooth both curled up on either side of me. There was a general feeling of merriment among everyone, even with the events of the day, and the impending threat of Enel and his priests.

I reached into my pocket and pulled the strange scale out, gently rubbing my thumb against the cool, smooth surface. It was pleasant to touch, and seemed to retain a constant, cool temperature, no warmer than 50 degrees.

"That's a pretty scale, where'd you find that?", Robin asked, staring at the glimmering scale with a small smile.

"Oh, I found it by the lakeshore", I explained, looking at her for a moment before focusing again on the scale, "It seems so familiar somehow, but I can't remember where I've seen it."

"Is it from a monster then?", Robin asked, curious.

"Definitely", I nodded, "But which one?"

I then thought back to that strange fin shape I had seen in the clouds when Icestorm fled, and again before we rode the Knock Up Stream.

"When Icestorm attacked us, before we reached Jaya... I saw something up in the clouds, right before he fled", I explained, "It looked like a fin."

"A fin?", Robin mused.

I nodded.

"Yeah, and I saw the same thing again right after we left Jaya", I continued, "Back home, there was this place called Yukumo Village, and the villagers talked about a dragon that lived in the clouds, never coming to the ground except to feed. They called it 'Amatsumagatsuchi', or as the Guild knows it, Amatsu."

"A creature that spends its entire life airborne...how fascinating", Robin mused, "So do you think the scale belongs to Amatsu then?"

"I don't know, but how else could a monster scale have gotten here?", I pondered, "Plus, there's not much else that would scare a Kushala Daora."

I held the scale up, letting it shine in the light of the full moon.

"But, if this is an Amatsu's scale, then does that mean it lives here in Skypeia?", I pondered, "I hope not. We already have to deal with Enel, having to fight Amatsu would be a whole other ordeal."

"It reminds me of an old tale my parents once told me".

Robin and I turned to see Gan Fall coming over to join us.

"A great beast that swam through the White Sea, resembling a serpentine dragon. It is said to be capable of conjuring storms whenever it chooses", Gan Fall continued.

"Definitely sounds like Amatsu", I commented.

"Of course, I haven't seen any such creature in my many years of life. Perhaps it is just an old myth, though from what you say, there may be some truth to it", Gan Fall said, before turning his attention to the others dancing with the wolves, "Even the cloud wolves are joining in. Heh heh, no one else would dare to frolic like this in the land of Enel."

"Is it okay for you to be up and about?", Robin asked.

"I came here to help, but I ended up a burden", Gan Fall sighed.

"You did more than I did", I reassured him, "Skyforce and I would've been killed if you hadn't shown up."

"She's right, we owe you many thanks", Zoro added, "There's still some stew left, would you like some?"

"No thank you, I can't eat right now", Gan Fall declined politely.

I could tell something was bothering the old knight, but I didn't want to pry. He seemed to be having as much of a rough time as we were, and, for all we knew, and even harder time.

"Oh?! Old man! You're up! Come on, let's dance!", Luffy shouted, pleading with the old man to join them.

"Join us, Sky Knight!", Chopper shouted gleefully.

Upon hearing Gan Fall was awake, Sanji perked up.

"Hey mister, how's Conis? Is she alright?", Sanji asked.

"What happened to Conis?!", I thought, worried for the girl's safety. I hope she wasn't caught up in this mess, she and her father were innocent.

"Yes, both father and daughter are at my house, rest assured", Gan Fall said, calming Sanji down.

"That's good, I was worried about them", Sanji sighed in relief.

I noticed Gan Fall tense up, eyes becoming focused.

"I overheard your meeting earlier", Gan Fall stated, "I understand this island was once called Jaya. In Skypeia, this place is considered sacred ground, do you know why?"

I titled my head in confusion, gently stroking Sharptooth's head as he snuggled closer to me.

"For you all, this land is something you take for granted", Gan Fall stated, long, bony fingers scooping up a handful of soil and letting it slip through them, "But here in the sky, this shouldn't even exist. Things can grow on island clouds, but they cannot be born there. Greenery and soil don't normally exist in the sky."

Gan Fall smiled for a moment, letting the loose, silky soil slip through his fingers.

"We call this Vearth", Gan Fall explained, "To those who live in the sky, this embodies our eternal hopes."

"So, if not for things like the knock up stream, then these people wouldn't have soil, and therefore, wouldn't be able to survive", I thought sadly, looking down at the soil beneath us, "Up here, things that already exist can grow and flourish, but without Vearth, nothing new can be born. Everything here is so finite, it really is a lonely world up here in the sky."

After a while, the fire started to die down, and the partying slowed to a stop. Everyone had fallen asleep around the clearing, even the wolves. Sleep took me not long after, though it was far from peaceful.

...

I awoke to find myself sitting before a large, golden altar surrounded by a sea of clouds, the faint rumble of thunder echoing around me. Touching the clouds around me sent a faint surge of static electricity through me. A sudden loud howling caught my attention, and I was forced to quickly avoid a massive paw smashing into the ground where I'd been sitting just moments ago. When I looked up, I saw the same monstrous Zinogre as before, the golden ring jutting from its back crackling with electricity.

I felt around for my weapon, but came up empty handed. This allowed the Zinogre to lunge again, pinning me beneath a monstrous paw as large claws dug into my flesh. I screamed in agony as I was crushed under the massive paw, desperately trying to break free. The Zinogre seemed amused, almost as though it enjoyed the pain it was inflicting. A loud screeching drew both of our attentions, and a Yian Garuga swooped down, landing in front of us.

The Zinogre seemed to smirk, and swatted me towards the bird wyvern. Before I could run, the Garuga seized me in its talons and took off, flying high above the clouds at dizzying speeds. Once we were at least a mile from the ground, the bird wyvern turned and dove down, wings tucked to allow it to reach maximum speed. I squirmed helplessly in its grasp, watching in horror as we drew closer and closer to the ground below. I closed my eyes just before we hit the ground, and felt a searing pain throughout my body as I was slammed into the earth. The wind was force from my lungs, not even allowing me to breathe.

I laid motionless on the ground as the Garuga towered over me, keeping me pinned before going in for the killing blow. It pulled back its head, before striking down with its massive beak. Then, everything went black.

...

When I awoke the next morning, my leg ached and throbbed, my broken femur leaving the surrounding flesh sore and tender. Hearing Usopp screaming, I forced myself to my feet, dismissing Sharptooth and hopping on Skyforce. I noticed the others, including Navirou had already returned to the ship, and had Skyforce fly me over. When we landed, I could clearly hear what Usopp was screaming about.

"Look, I told you somebody was here before!", Usopp shouted, face sheet-white and eyes wide in fear, "It wasn't a dream after all!"

"What are you talking about?", I asked, yawning as I rubbed my eyes sleepily.

"Someone fixed the Going Merry!", Usopp exclaimed.

This woke me up, and I looked around to discover that indeed, the ship had been patched up. The repairs weren't the best, per se, but they at least didn't fall apart upon being touched.

"What the hell is going on here?!", I thought, "How the hell did someone fix the ship last night, and without us hearing them no less? There's no one out here besides us and those damn priests, and I highly doubt they'd fix our ship after that bird bastard wrecked it earlier."

"Even the broken mast was reattached", Nami said, running her hand along the metal plates wrapped around the mast to hold it in place, "Sorry to say this, but they weren't very good at it."

"So there are still good people in this world", Luffy beamed, grinning from ear to ear as he sat on the fixed railing.

"I thought it was some kind of ghost", Usopp admitted, still clearly shaken up by what he'd seen.

"Considering where we are, who could it have been?", Zoro questioned, "There shouldn't be anyone friendly around here."

"Oh! The ship isn't in flight mode anymore!", Luffy commented. Looking around, I noticed that the wings and head crest were indeed, gone.

"I've been thinking about that too", Usopp murmured, rubbing his chin in thought, "How could the guy who fixed our ship know what the Going Merry originally looked like?"

As the others began preparations for our departure, I noticed Usopp standing over by the Merry's figurehead, talking to it.

"Hey Merry, who fixed you last night?", Usopp asked the ship, as though he was expecting an answer.

"Usopp, where exactly did you guys get the Going Merry?", I asked him.

"Oh, she was a gift from my dear friend, Kaya!", Usopp explained proudly, lighting up after saying that name. He was obviously close to whoever this 'Kaya' was.

"Were you two close then?", I asked, leaning on the rails.

"You bet! Kaya and I were thick as thieves!", Usopp stayed with a big grin, "She didn't have a lot of friends, or get out much since she was always sick. So I'd always visit and keep her company."

"Never took you for the romantic type, Usopp", I commented with a faint grin.

"I-it's not like that, Saurus!", Usopp stammered, clearly blushing.

"Sure it's not", I teased, clapping him on the shoulder, "Well come on Romeo, let's go join the others before Nami yells at us."

"H-hey! Saurus!", Usopp shouted after me.

When we joined the others, Nami started explaining the game plan.

"Look at the map. This is is the explore team's route: a straight line to the south", Nami explained, drawing a line from our location, to a shrine on the map. "In this 'Right Eye', there should be a ruin of some sort. Just watch out for enemies, and bring back the gold!"

"You're making it sound easier than it really is...", Usopp muttered.

"As long as we don't run into any more of Enel's priests, then we should be fine", I reassured him.

"Huh? You keep talking about the gold, but you're not going to get it yourself?", Luffy questioned.

"Duh, it's scary", Nami replied.

"Typical Nami", I thought, rolling my eyes.

"Anyway, at the same time, we will navigate the Merry through the island, which is also dangerous", Nami continued, "we will dock her as close to the ruins as we can. Then, the teams will meet at the shore and leave this sky island. Afterwards, we'll be known as 'The Rich Pirates', and we'll be able to buy anything we want!"

"Eh, not really my style, but okay", I thought. The others seemed pretty enthusiastic though, sans Zoro, of course. It was decided we would meet back up on the eastern shore.

The exploration team consisted of Luffy, Zoro, Robin and Chopper. The rest of us, meanwhile, would stay on the Merry and protect her as she traveled through the island's interior. I was initially against staying on the ship, hungering for payback against that priest and his damned bird. Like before though, Zoro convinced me to stay on the ship to help protect the others. I clenched my fists tightly, grasping my Duramboros hammer's handle so hard that my knuckles turned bone white. I would NOT repeat my previous mistakes!

Once the groups split up, Usopp carefully steered the Merry upstream through the cloudy river. Due to the milky road's currents pushing back against us, we were forced to rely on the dial within the little boat Luffy, Usopp and Sanji had ridden to move us along. It was weird, moving through a river that was basically floating in midair. A part of me couldn't help but wonder what would happen if we somehow fell through the clouds. Or, what if the ship somehow slipped over the edge of the river, with no banks to stop it? Despite these morbid thoughts, everything seemed peaceful for the moment. The weather was nice, not too warm, and there was a nice, cool breeze blowing.

"Hey, its time for the old man to have his medicine. Where did Chopper put it?", Nami asked, getting my attention.

My eyes traveled over the the wounded knight and his avian friend, and I smiled softly. The duo seemed inseparable, like a rider and their monstie. They battled like a rider duo two, moving with incredible agility, and always in sync during a fight. I noticed Skyforce staring at them as well, golden eyes burning with determination. There was no doubt he too looked up to the duo.

"They've likely been together longer than we have, so its no wonder they're able to stay in sync like that", I mused.

When Sanji went to give the old man his medicine, the knight spoke up.

"Please allow me to tell you a bit of this country's history", Gan Fall said, a grim expression on his face. This caught the others' attention, and we all gathered around to listen.

"I was, until six years ago, the God of this island", Gan Fall began.

"Did you hit your head, old man?", Usopp questioned, getting his head bitten by Pierre.

"The first appearance of this Upper Yard in Skypeia was, like you said before, roughly 400 years ago", Gan Fall continued, "It is said that before the appearance of this island, Skypeia was a very peaceful sky island. The people treasured items from the Blue Sea, which would occasionally arrive here via the knock-up stream. All the Vearth in the sky appeared in that manner. However, for a piece of land as big as Upper Yard to appear in the sky, was truly a miracle."

Gan Fall's expression became more sorrowful, as though his next words would hurt to speak.

"The people of the sky automatically assumed that this land was a divine gift from heaven. We were all very happy", Gan Fall explained, "But, this island already had residents, and so the war for the land began. Those residents were called the Shandians."

"They're the raiders?", Usopp guessed.

"That is correct", Gan Fall confirmed.

"So then those guys are part of the ancient civilization of Jaya?", Sanji inquired.

"Yes. They came here along with the island", Gan Fall replied.

"And they were forced out of this place!?", Nami snapped, appalled by such an act.

"That would explain their hostility. They've lost the only home they've ever known", I thought.

"That is so. The people of the sky robbed them of their home out of selfish intentions", Gan Fall continued, hands beginning to tremble, "For 400 years, the Shandians have been at war with the citizens of the sky. They are only trying to retrieve their homeland."

"That's sad", Nami commented.

"SO THEN IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!", Sanji and Usopp shouted accusingly, pointing fingers at the old knight. This resulted in Pierre chomping down on both of their heads.

"That is correct", Gan Fall confirmed, "It is as you have said."

"Gan Fall... he never intended for any of this to happen", I thought, heart aching seeing the old man battle with himself. I watched as he carefully took his medicine, coughing harshly as the liquid burned his throat. No doubt the stuff was unpleasant.

"What about Enel? Just who exactly is he?", Nami inquired.

Gan Fall set his cup aside, face looking deadly serious.

"Six years ago, when I was still God, he appeared out of nowhere leading a powerful army", Gan Fall explained, "He gave the God's Militia and the Shandians a devastating defeat. Since then, he has been in control of the Upper Yard. I heard that the God's Militia is being held captive somewhere, forced to due intense labor, though I do not know the details. But to the Shandians, it matters not who the God is. They simply continue ferociously trying to reclaim their home."

"If all they want is to retake their homeland, then why did they attack us?", Sanji questioned, clearly confused as to why they would target us.

"That is because the aforementioned militia sometimes attempt to escape on ships", Gan Fall explained, "They're enemies to the Shandians, so the raiders attack them without mercy. They probably mistook you for a group of escapees."

"But, wouldn't they recognize militia when they saw them? We probably don't look anything like them, so that doesn't seem right" I pondered.

"They tried to kill us just because of that!?", Sanji snapped.

"One of the reasons why I became the Knight of the Sky, was to help those escapees reach other sky islands safely", Gan Fall said, "They are considered criminals, so they cannot stay in their homes within Enel's sphere of influence."

"If what you said is true, then this so called 'God' Enel is nothing but a tyrant", Sanji growled, taking a drag of his cigarette to try and calm his nerves. He had become extremely tense during Gan Fall's explanations. Usopp attempted to get Sanji to take it back, no doubt fearing Enel's wrath, but Sanji wasn't having any of it.

"Tyranny? No, it is far worse than that", Gan Fall stated grimly, "Nonetheless, Enel uses various excuses to turn travelers like yourselves into criminals, then push citizens of Skypeia to take part in capturing them. Through this process, the citizens have developed an 'Awareness of Sin'. When on feels that one has sinned by one's actions, one becomes the most vulnerable. Enel knows this, he creates these 'lost lambs' and controls them as if he really is an almighty god. He is a powerful man indeed."

Gan Fall's words left a foul taste in my mouth. How could someone be so cruel, forcing those beneath them into capturing and killing innocent people, or making people 'repent' for their supposed sins?! All at the threat of death! This was beyond tyranny, this was outright torture! This place was no heaven, it was a hell, filled with lies, violence and bloodshed.

"When we first went to Angel Beach, I actually thought this place was a paradise", Nami admitted, "This is absurd. The ancient city of gold really went to an insane place."

"Yeah, an insane place we need to get the hell out of!", I growled, "We've been getting our asses kicked since we got here. At this rate, if Enel shows up we're screwed."

"Saurus is right, we couldn't keep up with that masked raider, and it took Luffy and I both to take down one of those priests. And even then, we barely made it out alive", Sanji agreed.

Gan Fall nodded, and I saw him pull a dial from his pocket. It was a spiral shape, with one side being dark magenta, and the other a soft coral tone. He brought the shell over and sat it on top of a barrel, magenta side facing upwards. In the center was a button-like section that could be pushed inwards, just like a tone dial. He then handed Sanji a hammer that was laying on the deck.

"When we first met, I presented myself to you as a mercenary because citizens of the Blue Sea are quite incompetent when it comes to sky combat", Gan Fall stated.

"Sky Combat?", Usopp questioned.

"Why are we doing this?", Nami questioned, confused as the what the old man's intentions were.

"You will know soon enough", Gan Fall assured us, "Now, try with all your strength to break that dial."

Usopp was against this, afraid Sanji would overdo it and potentially damage the Merry further. Sanji seemed calm about the whole thing, and, with all of his strength, swung the massive hammer down on the dial. To my surprise, the impact did nothing, not even scratch the shell or the barrel beneath it.

"Gotta say, not impressed", Navirou remarked, shrugging his shoulders as he stared down at the unscathed shell.

"I know I told you to take it easy, but that was pathetic", Usopp commented, "The barrel didn't even budge."

"Impossible! I swung as hard as I could, that should've made a massive hole!", Sanji exclaimed, puzzled as to how his strike had done no damage, "It's like this dial sucked in all the damage somehow."

I watched in confusion as Gan Fall instructed Sanji to hold the dial against the barrel, coral side facing the wood, and told him to press the button in the center.

All of us jumped back as the barrel exploded, a blast from the dial utterly annihilating the wooden boards. Even the metal rings at the ends of the barrel were warped beyond repair. My eyes were wide open as my mouth hung agape, the sudden loud bang leaving me frozen for a moment, and forcing me to cover my ears. Skyforce flapped his wings in a panic and screeched, while Navirou, leapt onto my shoulder and hid behind me. Nami shielded her eyes and screamed, while Usopp shrieked in pure terror. Sanji got the worst of it though, being thrown back and slammed hard into the railings behind him.

Gan Fall, however, wasn't even remotely fazed, his facial expression unchanging.

"That is called an impact dial", Gan Fall stated, "It absorbs and stores impacts to release them later. Normally they are attached to the hands with gloves. A direct hit is enough to kill an average person."

Sanji sat himself up, hunched over slightly as he regained his breath.

"Usopp, isn't this...", Sanji began.

"Yeah, that meatball priest used the same attack", Usopp confirmed.

"Why am I not surprised those priests are using them?", I mused, "We just can't catch a break."

"According to legends, there once existed an even more powerful type of dial among the sky islands. It was called the reject dial", Gan Fall continued, "It is now extinct, but its power is said to be 10 times stronger than an impact dial. However, it is also said that the dial was so strong, that it could kill the user himself. It is like a double-edged sword. For that reason, the reject dial was rarely used."

"Just like a blastblight weapon", I thought, gulping nervously.

"What a dangerous dial, it might as well be called a weapon!", Usopp gasped, terrified of the dial's power.

"I thought the dials were just like everyday accessories", Nami confessed.

"That is still true. However, any tools that can benefit men, can also harm men. It is all up to the user's intentions", Gan Fall warned gravely, "Dials are very beneficial. However, during a war, the power they provide can be devastating. For example, the heat dial can be used for cooking, but when attached to a lance, a heat javelin is created. On the other hand, a flame dial placed in a bird's mouth will allow the creature to breathe fire."

"Just like that priest and his bird", I growled, bitterly remembering my defeat at his hands.

Gan Fall nodded.

"Yes, the priest you face was Shura, along with his bird, Fuza", Gan Fall explained, "they are exceptionally strong, as are Enel's other priests. It is an impressive feat, lasting as long as you did."

I looked away, not feeling even remotely worthy of praise after such an embarrassing loss.

"So that's sky combat, or better yet, dial battles!", Usopp shouted, suddenly excited by the prospect of using dials. No doubt he'd try and use them for his different inventions.

"Correct. That is why the citizens of the Blue Seas, who know not of the dial's existence, have problems fighting. The same goes for engineered clouds. The warriors of the sky have been trained to use them so efficiently, that those who know nothing will be at a severe disadvantage", Gan Fall stated.

"What about that mind reading Mantra?", Sanji inquired, taking another drag from his cigarette.

"Mantra? What's that?", I asked.

"I do not know how to use Mantra myself, but from what I've heard, I imagine that Mantra is the ability to listen for the various sounds that a person's body makes", Gan Fall explained.

"Sounds?", Sanji wondered.

"Yes. I've heard that they can predict a person's next move just by listening", Gan Fall continued, "With training, the range of Mantra can be increased. The priests are all capable of picking up sounds from all over the island. Enel can further extend the range to cover every sound in this entire country. However, I do not fully understand the logic behind this power either."

"Whatever this 'Mantra' thing is, it sounds dangerous. No wonder that Shura bastard was able to keep up with me like that!", I thought, clenching my fist, eager to hunt the man down and smash his skull with my hammer, "Maybe it wasn't a good idea for us to split up then. If they can hear us from anywhere in Upper Yard, then who's to say they won't just pick us off one by one while we're separated?"

With Chopper...

"AHHH! SOMEBODY HELP ME!", Chopper cried, racing through the forest at top speed, taking the form of his Walk Point to maximize his movement speed. Behind him were several men in white robes, all bearing horns and strange flaps on the sides of their heads, making them resemble goats. They effortlessly flew through the jungle as through actually flying, leaping off of trees to gain extra momentum as they pursued the fleeing reindeer. Chopper was sobbing loudly as he fled, tears practically gushing from his eyes in a comedic fashion.

Chopper continued to scream for help as he ran, his high-pitched voice ringing out through the jungle as he made a mad dash in search of safety. The sound of voices up ahead caught his attention, and he skidded to a stop, thinking help had finally arrived. He was quickly proven wrong, however, as the voices belonged to a rapidly approaching group of Shandian raiders, no doubt looking to spill blood. Chopper's panicking increased as he bolted in the opposite direction, fleeing as the two groups began clashing. At one point, the reindeer looked back to see what was happening, and his eyes widened in fright upon seeing a raider blast a militia in the face with a rifle. This was all Chopper needed to keep going, never again looking back.

With Robin...

"Hmm... all of a sudden, this forest has lost its tranquility", Robin mused, noticing the lack of bird calls and buzzing insects. The forest had become oddly still during her trek, the air becoming thick as a sudden tension filled the spaces between the giant trees.

As Robin continued exploring, she came across a small, abandoned building, which had been partially swallowed up by massive tree roots, thick moss, and tangling ivy. Still, despite its dilapidated appearance, the building was still holding strong, with only a few signs of collapse.

"This was probably a small rural home", Robin guessed, approaching the house to take a closer look, "Thankfully, it is not too badly damaged by the forest. I wonder how the ruined city will hold up?"

As she was studying the building, one of the strange, goat-like men appeared, landing with a loud crash on top of the ruined home. The impact from his landing damaged part of the roof, smashing several stone bricks and kicking up a small cloud of dust. This greatly irritated Robin.

"WOMAN!", the goat man bellowed, trying to sound intimidating, "This path leads to God's shrine, you may not continue forward!"

"Please get down from there!", Robin ordered, not even remotely afraid of the man, "Do you have any idea how valuable these historical ruins are?!"

This puzzled the goat man.

"You are in no position to get angry!", the goat man growled.

"What are you going to do about it?", Robin questioned, not even in a mocking tone, just one of pure disinterest.

This enraged the goat man.

"ALRIGHT! UNDER GOD'S DIRECT ORDERS, I WILL USE THIS AXE DIAL TO DEAL WITH YOU AND THE SHANDIANS..."

"Six Wheel Fleur", Robin interrupted him, making seven arms sprout from the man's body, "Twist!"

Robin crossed her arms in front of her, making the limbs grab the goat man and forcibly snap his limbs, neck and spine. The man let out a strangled gasp and fell to the ground, unmoving as blood seeped past his lips.

"How ill-mannered", Robin scoffed, staring down in disgust at the goat man after he'd damaged the ruins.

With Luffy...

As Luffy trekked through the jungle, he sung a happy tune while swinging a stick around, completely unaware of the abrupt change in atmosphere within the jungle. A sudden bleating sound caught his attention, and he started scanning the tree line for a source.

"Is that a goat?", Luffy wondered, hearing the bleating sound repeat, "It's a goat! Why's there a goat in the forest!?"

A faint whooshing sound caught his attention, and he spun around and punched with great force. His attacker was another goat man, who was instantly KO'ed by the strike, landing head first in the mud.

"Geez! I thought you were a goat", Luffy pouted, "Made me excited for nothing."

With the goat man down for the count, Luffy continued on his merry way, picking up his tune where he'd left off. This jolly mood of his didn't last long though, as he felt another presence right next to him, this one far more dangerous.

Luffy turned to his right, and up in a low-hanging branch stood the same masked raider that attacked them upon arrival. Now, the raider's mask was gone, revealing the angry, tanned face of the tribal man. The sides of his head were shaved, with his brown hair forming a sort of mohawk before flowing past his shoulders in a long, segmented braid. An crescent-shaped tribal tattoo wrapped almost entirely around his left eye, matching the tattoos on his left arm and chest. He was also clearly injured, with small trickles of blood dripping from his nose and mouth. He glared down at Luffy, hatred and rage burning like a wildfire within his eyes.

"Ah! You again!", Luffy gasped.

"What are you doing here, brat?", the raider snarled, grip tightening on his bazooka, "didn't I tell you to get out of here?"

"You're annoying! Why should I listen to you?!", Luffy snapped, getting irritated by the man's presence.

"You should, because this island belongs to us, the people of Shandia!", the raider declared.

"Really? I thought this was God's island?", Luffy asked, looking around the forest puzzled, "If that's so, goodbye then!"

Luffy bowed his head politely, forgetting his anger as he turned to walk away.

"HOLD IT!", the raider shouted after him, making Luffy turn back to face him.

"What now?!", Luffy snapped, anger rising up once again.

"Nothing much. I just don't want to listen to your dumb excuses anymore", the man sneered, "You will be eliminated!"

"Well, well. You should have just said it outright!", Luffy responded, fists clenched as he shifted into a fighting pose.

With Zoro...

"YOU MUST BE DESTROYED!", an unfamiliar voice rang out, catching Zoro's attention. He turned to see a Shandian raider charging toward him.

"The raiders?", Zoro mused, staring bewildered at the raider.

The Shandian drew his spear and charged Zoro, attempting to run him through. Quick as lightning, Zoro drew Wado Ichimonji and blocked the raider's attack.

"For no reason, with no warning, you want to start a fight?", Zoro questioned rhetorically.

With one powerful sword strike, Zoro KO'ed the raider, sheathing his sword as fast as he'd initially drawn it. Zoro scoffed as he glanced back at the downed warrior.

"What were you thinking? You worthless punk!", he snarled.

"Meh! Please... forgive me!", another unfamiliar voice pleaded, drawing Zoro away from the downed Shandian. He spotted one of the goat men, badly wounded and backing away from an unseen threat.

Suddenly, a bright flash shown, and an unseen force threw the wounded goat man back, knocking him unconscious. He landed a few meters behind Zoro, and the swordsman grasped Wado's grip tightly. From the thick undergrowth leapt a lone Shandian, half of his face obscured by the basket-like hat he wore. A dark green coat lined with fur partially covered his torso, the front left open. An orange belt with red diamonds was tied around his waist, helping to hold up a short grass skirt, with a longer, light-blue fabric one underneath. In his gloved hands were 2 large pistols, which were nearly as thick as a human skull.

"Again?!", Zoro growled, "Hey! If you're not God or a priest, then don't bother me! I have stuff to do!"

The Shandian wasn't remotely threatened, and pointed his pistols at Zoro before pulling the triggers. A bright flash of light blinded Zoro, forcing him to hit the ground as 2 large bullets whizzed past his head. He was given no time to rest, as the raider fired shot after shot, forcing the swordsman to flee.

When Zoro came to a stop, he grasped Wado, ready to take on his atttacker. But, upon looking up, his attacker seemed to have vanished.

"What?! Where did he go?!", Zoro hissed, scanning the trees frantically in order to locate his foe.

A rush of wind behind him drew Zoro's attention, and he swung Wado just as the raider flew past. Zoro's strike missed, and the raider spun around, driving the ski on his right foot hard into Zoro's gut. The attack sent the swordsman flying back, though he was quick to pull himself up from the muddy ground.

"Impressive", the raider remarked, arms crossed and guns pointed out in front of him, "Pardon me, I think I accidentally hit you there, citizen of the Blue Sea."

Zoro stood up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, licking up whatever blood was left.

"No big deal", Zoro responded calmly, smirking as he held Wado horizontally in front of him, "I also have to apologize, I thought you were small fry."

Zoro then drew Yubashiri as well, and, for a moment, he and the raider stared each other down. The jungle had fallen dead silent once more, the only sound coming from a breeze that rustled the thick grass around them.

Then, a gunshot rang out, and the raider made his move. He immediately leapt up and over Zoro's head, flipping around to face Zoro while upside down.

"He made that jump without running to gain momentum?!", Zoro thought, turning to face the raider, who quickly fired off two more blinding shots. Zoro quickly dodged, shielding his eyes upon coming to a stop.

"Usopp said they have a lot of tools", Zoro remembered, "Those roller blades are probably one of them. They use some kind of explosion to fly around. And then those damned guns shoot flashing lights. Now I can't even locate his position!"

"Where did you go!?", Zoro snarled, trying to locate the evasive raider. A loud bang caught his attention, and he turned to see the Shandian had fired a round from a bazooka at him. Zoro quickly dodged, placing Wado in his mouth and drawing Kitetsu before dashing towards his opponent. Once he got close enough, he pulled Kitetsu and Yubashiri back behind his head, holding them parallel to one another as the aura of a giant tiger formed behind him.

"Three katana?", the Shandian hissed.

"Tora Gari!", Zoro roared, slashing downwards with all three swords. The raider managed to avoid the strike, leaping up into a nearby tree before raining down a storm of blinding bullets. Zoro quickly evaded the shots, dashing up the tree towards the raider. He then leapt towards the raider, who didn't even flinch.

"We have a lot of useful dials, swordsman of the Blue Sea. There's nothing you can do to win!", the raider boldly declared, tossing a familiar, auger-shaped spiral shell in his hand before catching it, "Do you know what this is?"

Zoro seemed confused, faltering when the raider leapt towards him with the shell in hand. Clouds shot out from the opening of the shell, forming a milky road beneath the duo.

"It's a cloud dial!", the raider shouted, getting right in Zoro's face before blasting him with his pistols. Zoro tried to block with his swords, but the force of the shots shoved him down towards a larger cloud river below. As he fell, a massive eel leapt from the clouds, it's colossal jaws filled with dozens of rows of sharp teeth.

"You don't need to be on preexisting sea clouds to do sky combat!", the raider yelled, watching Zoro fall towards the awaiting jaws of the sky eel. As Zoro fell, he turned and saw the sky eel below him. Just before he reached the eels jaws, he turned and swung his swords down, cutting the eel right down the middle. The halves of the dead eel landed in the river, and Zoro landed on top of one half.

"Maybe we could barbecue this guy up", Zoro mused, the thought of freshly grilled fish appealing to him.

Unfortunately for the swordsman, the Shandian raider gave him no time to rest, and quickly let loose another barrage of bullets. Several bullets grazed Zoro's left arm when he raised it to block the flashing light, and one scored a direct hit to his right thigh. Bleeding and panicking, Zoro leapt off the dead eel and fled for the trees, ducking behind one to catch his breath.

"Hah... hah... so dumb!", Zoro panted, gasping for air, his face sheet white as beads of sweat poured down his face and neck, "I'm such a dumbass!"

Once he'd managed to even out his breathing, Zoro's eyes narrowed into a glare as he cautiously peeked out from behind his tree. Upon spotting the raider not far away, he ducked back.

"This is bad! He's a lot tougher than I thought! I should get rid of that flash gun first! Maybe I can...", and then Zoro remembered the goggles dangling around his neck. Grinning with pride at his brilliant plan, he slipped the goggles over his eyes before stepping out to face his foe once more.

"How unfortunate! Look at my goggles! Your flash guns are powerless against me now!", Zoro taunted, unaware of the very obvious flaw in his master plan.

"Really? I don't see any shades on those goggles", the raider pointed out, much to Zoro's chagrin, "Could it be that you don't like my flash pistols? It seems a swordsman like you really is no match for me. Must be quite the painful thought."

"This is really bad", Zoro thought, feeling backed into a corner as he removed the useless goggles, "Even that damn eel tried to kill me! My training is far from complete."

The raider fired another round of flash bullets, forcing Zoro to head lower into the forest. Upon landing in the small clearing, the raider was immediately on top of him, firing shot after shot to force the swordsman put into the open.

"Trying to run away?", the raider taunted, staring down from his position atop the cloudy river.

"Sight, sound, smell, taste and thought- the senses of man contain good, evil and neutral. Men further specify each with purity, serenity and taint! They make up the 36 agonies of life", Zoro stated, sheathing Yubashiri and Kitetsu, and drawing Wado back until the blade was horizontally positioned behind his head.

"As of now, I have my cannon aimed right at you! You have a pistol, I have a cannon!", Zoro boldly announced, moving to crouch slightly, "In both range and power, my weapon is superior! If you still want to come, then come!"

The raider was unfazed by Zoro's speech and bold claims, leaping down and riding on a stream of clouds released by his cloud dial.

"Cannon? Did you hit your head? Where is such a weapon?", the raider taunted, unaware Zoro had him right where he wanted him.

"The flying slash, have you seen it before?", Zoro questioned in an ominous tone, grinning deviously as his opponent charged right for him.

"JOKE ALL YOU WANT!", the raider roared, twirling his pistols and preparing another shot.

Zoro crouched lower, arms tensed in preparation for a powerful attack.

"One Sword Style: THIRTY SIX POUND PHOENIX!"

Zoro then performed a circular swing of his sword, creating a spiral of pressurized air that shot towards his opponent with impressive, concussive force. His opponent had no where to run, forced to take the full brunt of the blow. The raider's flesh was cut as he was thrown through the air, head flying back as a blood spurted from him mouth. The raider hit the ground with a loud thud, blood leaking from his mouth as he let out a pained groan.

Zoro regarded his down opponent for a moment, before gathering up his misplaced satchel and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Thanks for the fight", Zoro thanked his fallen foe, "No hard feelings, but I'm not the kind of guy who'll just move aside when told to. I'm quite immovable."

With Saurus...

I watched in horror and disbelief as Sanji hit the ground, body badly burned by lightning. I snarled and glared at the intruder on our ship, who sat casually behind the figurehead.

Even sitting hunched over slightly, the man was huge, I estimated as tall as Crocodile. He was lean, but well toned, with pale skin and short blond hair beneath a sort of head wrap. He wore no shirt, only wearing baggy, black and orange striped pants that narrowed at the ankles, and a dark blue sash that held up a sort of short, dark teal skirt. Golden bangles decorated his ankles and lower arms, and his freakishly long earlobes each bore a golden, diamond-shaped earring with a dark red ruby in the center. From his back arose a large metal ring, with four yellow and black drums slightly larger than his head. Each drum had three black marks that swirled around each other. Cold, gray blue eyes stared us down like we were mere insects. A smug grin was plastered on his face, and it was obvious this man felt himself to be superior to those around him. My eyes narrowed upon studying the ring on his back.

"It's him", I thought, "the Zinogre from before. The one who will bring about a great collapse!"

"SANJI!", Usopp and Nami cried over and over, in a futile attempt to rouse the wounded chef. Usopp attempted to find a pulse, but failed, and cried out in anguish.

"You heartless bastard!", I hissed, tightly clenching the handle of my hammer.

"Hahaha~ What an idiot", the intruder mocked, "I'm not here to kill you, you know."

"THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE?!", Gan Fall bellowed, with a rage I never thought possible from someone as gentle as him. The man stared the knight dead in the eye, smug grin never leaving his face.

"Hah, such a cold greeting! Especially when we haven't seen each other in 6 years. Ex God, Gan Fall", the intruder taunted.

Then, it hit me.

"Enel", I snarled.

"Ah, at least this one has a brain to her", Enel remarked.

"That bastard, HE KILLED SANJI!", Usopp cried, clutching Sanji's lifeless body, "Sanji! Sanji! Damn it! If only Chopper was here!"

"Wait Usopp!", Nami stopped him, "That's his right side!"

Usopp, realizing he was feeling for a pulse on the wrong side, stopped his crying to check again.

"HE'S ALIVE!", Usopp shouted, a wave of relief washing over him.

"Yes! He's still alive, but he could still die!", Nami warned.

This caused Usopp to start shrieking again, but Enel silence him with a jolt of electricity straight to the head. Nami covered her mouth in horror, and I lost my composure. I lunged at the so-called 'God', water swirling around the rotating orb within the center of the hammer. I swung the hammer right at his smug face, but to my shock, he caught it with one hand like it was nothing. Just from him grabbing the hammer, I could feel a surge of electricity running through me.

"You talk to much", Enel remarked, casually shoving Usopp back with a light tap. He then glanced over to me, and I felt my blood freeze upon meeting those gray-blue orbs with my own steely-blue ones. "And you, I take back what I said. You're clearly as brainless as the others."

Lightning crackled around his arm, surging through the hammer before entering my body. I screamed in agony as the electricity wracked my body, nerves firing off wildly from the overload of electric signals. My Deviljho armor made it even worse, being naturally very weak against lightning-based attacks. After a few moments the shocks stopped, and I dropped to the ground, barely breathing. My hammer hit the ground with a loud thud, the heavy, Duramboros bone at the end creating a hole in the wooden deck below.

"SAURUS!", I heard both Nami and Navirou cry out.

"And you two stay right there, understood?", Enel questioned rhetorically, knowing damn well those two wouldn't dare try anything to provoke him, "Good."

"What do you want from us?!", Gan Fall growled, forehead veins throbbing with barely contained rage.

"It's been six years since those followers of yours fell into my hands", Enel gloated, "Even now, they are still quite full of spirit, some of them even had the guts to disobey! Anyways, after six years of work, I'm almost done. In other words, I have no more use for this island, I'm just here to say goodbye. That is all."

Enel smirked down at Gan Fall, who was forced to endure the God's boasting.

"This will make your people very happy, won't it?", Enel taunted, "Since all they see in this island is the big chunk of Vearth anyways."

"What do you mean?", Gan Fall demanded to know.

"The reason why we took over this island in the first place, is the same reason why these punks from the Blue Sea entered this place", Enel explained, "It is also the reason why the Shandians keep trying to take back their homeland. Everyone is interested in something on this island. That something is the legendary City of Gold from the Blue Sea! We're all searching for Shandora!"

"What are you trying to say?", Gan Fall questioned, not fully understanding Enel's intentions.

"WAHAHAHAHA! Cracks me up every time!", Enel laughed, "Be it the existence or the value of gold, only the citizens of this country are clueless about it!"

Enel climbed up onto the railing, getting ready to depart.

"Funnier yet, the ultimate survivor of this game will think that he has won all that gold for himself! Hahaha!", Enel cackled, before peeking up at the sounds of nearby battles, "Hm? I hear the sound of the celebration from the woods. Sounds like it's time for me to participate too."

"WAIT!", Gan Fall shouted, halting Enel, "HAS THE GOD'S MILITIA BEEN DISBANDED!?"

"That's something only the God can know", Enel calmly replied, before taking off like a lightning bolt.

...

Next time...

The battle for Upper Yard is heating up, as a three way fight between the Straw Hats, Shandians, and Enel's priests begins...

The God Enel has joined the fight himself, as the survival game clock counts down...

Will the Straw Hats survive the harrowing trials that await them?

Next time on Monster Hunter: Open Ocean...

Trials of Iron and Swamp! A Deadly Survival Game!

...