Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.
Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1)
Ryugetsu's speed, already capable of being faster than sound, was now nigh unrivalled. Each beat of his wings whipped up winds that rivaled even the worst storms. The trees in the Upper Yard were now bending at such unnatural angles that it was a wonder why they haven't snapped yet.
Gian pressed himself against the wind, but Ryugetsu was no longer fighting on equal footing anymore. Now, the skies were truly his dominion as he screeched across the clouds, the wind ever so vicious. Circling around his victim, he waiting for his chance to strike.
"Heaven's Dive!"
With one massive flap of his wings, the Pteranodon slammed downwards from above, bearing straight towards his opponent. Gian grimaced as he prepared to meet the charge, but soon realized he never received it. At the last moment, Ryugetsu changed direction and swerved upwards and away, leaving behind in his wake a hurricane forced gale, and a loud boom that made Gian felt as if his head was going to pop and knocking him down.
"Damn… I can't use a Rumble Ball anymore to fly, yet on the ground I don't know how I can reach him!" Gian growled as Ryugetsu continued to circle above him. Finding a time to strike would be crucial in this situation; if he misses there's no doubt Ryugetsu's speed would easily allow him to get close and take advantage of that opening.
As another Atom Ray scorched the skies, to no avail as Ryugetsu remained 10 steps ahead of it, down below those caught in the crossfire were fleeing the best they could. Even Robin was forced to go to a different location to seek cover.
As the two monsters crashed against each other once more, the archeologist wondered why it that she stayed to observe this battle. To say that this is dangerous is an understatement, as two colossal forces of nature clashed in tandem.
But at the same time, there was something that make her unable to pull away. Instead of going to safety she continued to observe what is happening. She can't explain it, but something had drawn her attention to the battle. Even midst the thundering blows she remained.
This wasn't just a battle between two opposing factions, this was a reenacting of a battle in an era now lost to the world. To other people it may just be two out of this world monsters appearing where they shouldn't be, but Robin knew better.
Life as an archeologist wasn't easy, especially not what she's seeking. To her credit, finding the Rio Poneglyph has been her main goal but that doesn't mean that she'd pass by chances for other traces of history.
It was by chance that she discovered the story of Kaiju, within the underground chambers of a library storage was where she found the dusty book that Gian now carries with him. The Kaiju-Zoan user had taken up an even bigger interest in the logs written. Nonetheless, the idea of Kaiju intrigued her; if such a powerful species once roamed the world while humanity were in their shadows, how did they disappear, and how did the current world form in their absence?
And why is it, in spite of that one book, sources on the matter were few and far between?
Through the book, and some other places, she had pieced together a rough thesis to answer that question. Of course, it still had many holes in it and is far from complete, but it did allow her to at the very least understand a bit about it.
Somewhere down the line, the Kaiju had something to do with the emergence of the Kaiju-Zoans. Those fruits were the only remnants of the once mighty race, confined to a prison to be unleashed by the bodies of another.
Case and point, the two individuals before her. Robin was some distances off now, standing on the forest floor. But even from there she could feel the cataclysmic battle, feeling the wind howl at each flap of Ryugetsu's wings and each crash of Gian's gigantic size. The two beings towered over her, seemingly oblivious to her presence.
They were reenacting a time when a battle like this was commonplace, however little they know.
Robin continued her observations; there were still so many questions. But for now, she hoped that these two could shed some light.
Of course, whatever she's thinking had little effect on what the two gigantic beings were currently affecting. With a combination of both Mantra and sheer speed, Ryugetsu was nigh untouchable. Meanwhile, the winds and sonic booms have begun to wittle Gian down slightly, making him disorientated. It was because of this that he reacted too late as two pairs of talons clasped around his neck.
"I think you remember this trick from earlier… except rather than follow you, this time I think I'll just let you fall."
Gian howled as he felt himself being lifted once more to the wing beats of a giant Pteranodon. In his Full Transformation, Ryugetsu was capable of reaching even higher altitudes. Soon, even the city was nothing but a mere speck in the distance.
It must be quite a sight for those observing on the ground.
"It's ironic… a sight so beautiful, normally meant for peaceful moments, is used in such a manner."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Gian snapped, but Ryugetsu ignored him.
"No matter how far I fly, no matter how far I leave the ground, I still feel chained… caged to a force I do not wish to associate with…" Ryugetsu's melancholy tone was what made Gian pause. There really is more to this story than he originally thought; he felt it even earlier during their fight. It seems that Ryugetsu was no mere henchman of Enel.
"I promise… no harm would come to it after this…" and Gian felt himself beginning to fall. A massive quake rocked the area when he landed, forming a crater that seemed to stretch for miles.
Disorientated, he barely registered that Ryugetsu's talons have latched themselves onto him again, carrying him skywards once more. He managed to register too late as to what his plan was as the acolyte whirled around and once again took a nosedive as he cracked the sound barrier once again. Gian's face once again slammed into the ground hard as Ryugetsu circled around for yet another assault.
The repeated rumbles could be felt by nearly everyone in the Upper Yard. To other involved, the original thought was that of an earthquake. The sight of the two beasts were soon able to dash that thought, as they witnessed as well the rise of two primordial beasts rise in front of their eyes for the first time.
Gian was panting; the speed of his opponent's attacks are truly something he can never match, at least not now. Steadying himself, he prepared to fire another Atom Ray only to feel Ryugetsu slam into his side, the sky warrior now carrying him back. Gian grunted in exertion as he forced his own weight back, putting the attack to a halt and causing the Pteranodon to fly off again.
"Come down and fight!" Gian demanded, but his snarl fell on deaf ears. Ryugetsu only snorted as he circled around the sky.
"Your challenge betrays your anxiousness, it seems that you know you are already beaten." The transformed acolyte began to gather speed again "the more you drag this on, the more apparent that becomes. Even your strength will wane eventually, I just need to wait."
"How long are you planning to keep this up?" Gian shouted "Look around, the two of us have already done more damage to the land than perhaps anything else!" indeed, the surrounding area was now akin to a post-disaster environment. Yards of trees were ripped from their roots or snapped in two, trenches of soil was dug up and blowing in the wind. Not to mention the massive crater where Gian fell earlier. In a place as delicate as the Upper Yard, such damage could be hard to fix, if not irreparable.
"Then all the more reason to remove you from this land quicker." It pains Ryugetsu to see the land he's watched over become strafed like this. It was never meant to bear the brunt of even one Kaiju, let alone 2 of them "Once you are gone, the people here will be safe again."
"Safety? Is that what's going on here?!" Gian demanded "You call an event where people of all factions are fighting to the death safety? Do you really think that Enel has been keeping these people safe?!"
"What Enel does is beyond my control. It's the presence of you and your group that instigated all of this." Ryugetsu seethed "I just want everyone to be safe… as long as they don't oppose Enel, obey his laws… then they will be safe. All I'm doing is-"
*BANG
And Ryugetsu was knocked out of the sky; he reeled as Gian's fist fizzled out of their atomic charge. The opposing Kaiju-Zoan user wore a mask of rage as he took every word in; he had to leap up for that last attack.
"I think I get it now…" Gian stepped closer, each stomp echoing in the air "I think I know why you're so concerned about the people down there…"
"In your previous homeland… you had people you cared about too, didn't you? That was before Enel, wherever he came from, took all that away, isn't it?"
"S-Stop… talking…" Ryugetsu hissed.
"You tried to stop him back then… but you failed… Enel defeated you, and somehow you ended up working as his underling." And as each word emerged, he noticed Ryugetsu's expression. His face showed that, although probably still lacking in some information, he was hitting pretty close to home.
"Now that you've come here, there are new people to look over. You hate Enel, but you can't stand up to him. So you do the closest thing to that which is to keep the people of Skypiea obeying the laws set by that madman. As long as they're good little sheep and listens to everything they'll be, in your mind, safe from the big bad wolf that will smite them as he will, am I correct?"
Ryugetsu grunted as he hoisted him up from the ground "So you understand what I have to go through then…? Then why are you in my way?!"
"If that was all there is to it, then I'd have no reason to stand in your way." Gian responded "But after confirming it, I realized that your misguidance is just as much to blame for all of this as we are."
"Come again?"
"You think the residence in the sky are any safer with you in the equation? You think that by keeping them in line all will be well? You're not a savior Ryugetsu, you're a shepherd!"
"Those people down there may have not broken any laws. But they live in fear everyday of a power greater than theirs! They walk with their heads lowered, know any minute a mad God is capable of bringing their death! They aren't even people in his eyes!"
"THEY ARE ALIVE!" Ryugetsu snarled.
"And without the free will to live, what is the point of it?" Gian growled "As a pirate, this is the only philosophy I know. To live without reason… is not worth living at all!"
A massive gust of wind almost bowed him over.
"How dare you… HOW DARE YOU ASSUME ANY OF THIS?!" and Ryugetsu flew at him again, the two titans locked in another struggle as his talons dug into Gian's arms.
"Birka was my home… all those people… THEY WERE PEOPLE I'VE GROWN TOGETHER WITH! All of it… wipe away in a second by a monster warped by his own hubris!" Ryugetsu slashed out again, forcing Gian to block. With a flap of his wings, he flew up again.
"Everything I've loved and cherished, everything that stood with me… ALL OF THEM ARE GONE!" angry tears were forming at the edge of the Pteranodon's eyes as he flew higher.
"You speak of freedom, what about the freedom of the slain?! They wanted the same thing as you did, to be free to live their lives. And they were paid by crackling thunder and lighting and incinerated where they stood!"
"Where is their reason to live? They had plenty of that, but what good is it if they aren't even ALIVE?!"
And with the screeching sound of winds howling as he began his descent, Ryugetsu cracked the sound barrier as he dive-bombed towards his target.
"I want nothing to do with Enel; if given the chance I will kill him in an instant! But I can't do that… and the only thing I can do… IS TO MAKE SURE NO ONE EVER HAS TO LOSE THEIR LIVES TO HIM EVER AGAIN!"
Ryugetsu collided with Gian's flaming fist at near light speed. The resulting collision causing a massive BOOM as trees and rocks alike bowed and cracked in a burst of primeval rage. The landscape around where Gian once stood erupted in a burst of debris as the force tore its way through the Upper Yard.
Everyone felt it, some with fear, and others with uncertainty. One individual grew even more ecstatic as he watched the battle of the beasts.
A normal person would be pulverized beyond recognition by that attack. The force itself was great enough that even Ryugetsu was shaken by the recoil as he landed on the ground, slightly dazed.
But a blue flash of light made him realize, in shock that his battle wasn't over yet.
"If you hate him so much… why aren't you doing something about it then?" Ryugetsu had to fly up immediately, as the ground beneath him exploded as the blue heat ray lanced into where he just was. Gian's eyes were now a burning amber color, emitting internal power.
"…Why… WHY ARE YOU STILL STANDING?!" Ryugetsu howled.
Gian winced; despite his defiance, that last attack had shattered the bones in his arm. They are healing as he speaks, but the pain was tremendous. His body ached; despite not as severe as his battle with Mr. 0.5, this fight was forcing more out of him. Back then it was a battle to survive, this time there is more on the line.
He now had a point to make.
"You claim you have nothing but hatred for Enel, yet you're acting in his steed? If you truly hold him in such a low regard, then why serve him?"
Gian had to brace himself as Ryugetsu locked his talons with his arms once more, rage evident in his face.
"You know NOTHING!" the talons attempted to flay his skin, but Gian gritted through the pain and pushed back.
"You're afraid of him, you've been beaten once by him and now you doubt whether you can ever stand up him or not. You look over these people because you know if Enel chooses to smite them, you won't be able to stop him! Not because you care about them!"
"BE QUIET! I will keep them safe… NO MATTER THE COST!" quicker than Gian could anticipate, one of Ryugetsu's talons lashed out far too fast to dodge. Gian roared in pain as the claws raked across their intended target; his left eye.
"This is it! While he's blinded, I'll start building up my top speed!" As Gian writhed around in pain, Ryugetsu's flight pattern changed to circling around his target which gradually grew faster and faster.
Gian, blood streaming in his eye, did not notice the small tornado gathering around him until it had picked up into a monstrous maelstrom. Over the howling gale and the screeching of Ryugetsu's unseen wings, he didn't notice the attack until it was too late.
Ryugetsu collided with him, the impact so forceful it dissipated the storm as Gian was pushed back, hard.
But to Ryugetsu's shock, rather than recoil, the opposing Kaiju-Zoan user grabbed him.
"W-what? How did you-" there was no way! With him reaching near blinding speeds along with the blood hindering his sight, it should've been impossible for his foe to realize him coming! But here it was, his foes gripping him as if he anticipated this attack!
"There's one thing I need to do before I leave… and that is to beat some sense into you!" as his eye reformed, Gian hoisted the Pteranodon over his shoulder in a devastating suplex. The edge he was looking for finally came back.
He didn't know how, but somehow, Ryugetsu's body was marked by a reddish brown tint of raw energy. At the moment he needed it most, he was somehow able to sense Aura again.
In this moment, he could feel every raw emotion from Ryugetsu, and the opposing Kaiju-Zoan user had a blender of that.
As he landed to the ground, sending clouds of debris flying, Gian realized that Ryugetsu was truly more complicated than he perceived.
"I can't lose… I CAN'T LOSE!" at his top speed, the sound barrier was completely ripped apart as Ryugetsu recovered and his body began to glow a thin white as his speed tore up the landscape with hurricane force winds. It was a simple technique, reaching his top speed and charging into his opponents with the power of a meteorite slamming into the earth. Anyone smashed by the impact would have their bodies broken beyond belief. And with his Mantra, Ryugetsu should have no problem landing this devastating strike.
Yet why is it now that his opponent was leaning out of the way mere seconds before the attack lands?!
"It can't be… how can someone from the Blue Sea know how to use Mantra?!" Ryugetsu was unable to process this; every time he swoops in for an attack, it was as if his foe instantly knew where he was going to be and acted accordingly. Unbeknownst to him, what Gian was using was something far more ancient than any sort of Mantra he was familiar with.
To Gian, the vivid outline of Ryugetsu's Aura was much harder to track than the previous time he managed to get it working. This is mostly, unlike Mr. 0.5, Ryugetsu has a much different attack pattern. With some concentration, he managed to trace the trails of spiritual energy emitted and with considerable difficulty managed to avoid some of them, though he still ended up getting grazed by a few attacks.
But more than that, Gian had experienced more with this connection of Aura, something he didn't see before. In the fight with Mr. 0.5, due to the goal being a battle to the death, he did not have much of a chance to feel deeper into him sensing his opponent's Aura; only very briefly was he able to sense the killer's bloodlust and savagery. Now a myriad of new feelings bombarded him, feelings that were transferred by none other than Ryugetsu…
It was what he felt before, the sorrow, the feeling and yearning of freedom, only this time it was multiplied hundred-fold.
This was someone who's lost far more than he could imagine. Someone who watched, helpless to do anything, as the hubris of a self-proclaimed God torn all that he knew asunder. Then the feeling of bitter helplessness as he was forced to work for the same individual that put him through this pain.
In a way, he could imagine how it would lead him to the actions he's done today.
"I can't even begin to imagine how you've been dealing with all of this, and perhaps I never could. But one thing I do know, I still have to protect those close to me. And if that means I have to face you…"
Each clash sounded like the earth itself is cracking apart, there was no holding back now.
"It doesn't matter if he figured out how to use Mantra… he's still a greenhorn to it! I've been using it my while life… I will come out on top!" Ryugetsu thought.
"I won't lose here… TOO MUCH IS ON THE LINE!" Both Kaiju-Zoan users roared as they slammed against each other. Ryugetsu unleashed a blast of wind from hs wings, uprooting multiple trees and tilling the ground as the air current pushed Gian back. Following up with another flight, his body was now whistling as air streamed from him in a white line. This time, Gian detected his Aura too late as he was barreled over; Ryugetsu's right wing slicing past so fast it actually opened up a huge gash within his torso, sending forth a spray of blood.
Gian gritted his teeth as his right fist ignited.
"I will protect these people…I WON'T LET ANYONE ELSE LOSE THEIR LIVES TO HIM EVER AGAIN!" Ryugetsu's body was glowing white now as the sound barrier cracked again. The supersonic flight screeched towards Gian, intent on crushing him with one last attack.
"IF YOU WANT TO PROTECT THEM… THEN GO AFTER ENEL! REMOVE THE SOURCE!" a split half second before impact, Gian brought his fist down. Hard.
"WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF?!"
And in that moment, Both Kaiju-Zoan users disappeared in a violent explosion of dust and debris, and the resulting shockwave obscured vision of the area completely…
The blast spread out quickly, making its presence known to all nearby. A few distances away Nico Robin finally emerged as it subsided, having taken cover behind a fallen log. Wordlessly she made it back to the scene of the carnage, and it was as if a storm had just passed through the area.
Rubble and debris littered the ground. Trenches, many yards long were dug out by either wind or flames. Multitudes of trees have been uprooted. Had this battle taken place within Shandora, it would be safe to assume the ancient ruins would no longer be standing.
And at the center of it all, two individuals that looked as if they've been keelhauled.
Gian's body was littered with bruises; his regeneration had slowed down due to the stress of the Full Transformation. Some shallow cuts bled openly, but nothing compared to the state of his right arm which was now twisted at an unnatural angle due to the blunt trauma inflicted earlier. Face white with agony, he endured it all in pained silence as his bones slowly knit back together.
Ryugetsu meanwhile was looking no better, the side of his face had a burn mark in the shape of a fist, while also sporting many fresh wounds. Unlike Gian, his would take much longer to heal. A few teeth laid scattered as his head rested in a pool of blood. Despite all this, he was alive and surprisingly still conscious. Robin noticed that, even from this distance, his face was stained with tears.
"I…I failed…" the acolyte gritted out "I'm still so weak…"
"Just to put it forwards… this is nothing personal." Gian gasped, his broken arm slowly realigning, "You did try to kill me after all…" his gaze then turned slightly sympathetic.
"Back there… we really showed each other our inner feelings… I can't even begin to imagine the magnitude of loss that you've felt."
Ryugetsu let out a humorless, curt laugh "You know nothing…"
"Here's me trying to show a bit of understanding and you're pushing me away… why do I even bother." Gian gumbled.
"There's nothing to understand…! The destruction caused that day… I just don't want a repeat of it…" Ryugetsu had a sad gaze in his eyes.
"Birka… that was my home. It was another Sky Island, just as Skypiea is. Very little is known of how we got there, but from that point, our civilization developed into a prosperous nation."
Another stray tear slid down his face as he continued.
"Because of our history, we have our own legends and folklore that have been passed down since ancient times. As it is a similar case here, material such as Vearth were sacred due to their limited source. I'd say we were less dependent on it, but it was important nonetheless. The same goes for Devil Fruits. To the people of the Blue Sea, they're simply fruits that give the eater abilities, but to us in Birka, it was much more."
"And you? The Kaiju-Zoan that you've eaten?"
Ryugetsu closed his eyes "To us, Devil Fruits were believed to be relics left for those worthy enough to ascend to Godhood… those who eaten them were given unimaginable power, skills that put them far beyond any warrior. Whatever it's form… they were a sign that these warriors would ascend to the pinnacle of Birka! Perhaps these so-called Kaiju-Zoans are more important elsewhere, but to us they were none more special than any other Devil Fruit."
"I see… of course not all places have the history of such things." Gian nodded. He then remembered "But if the Devil Fruits are of such importance, then Enel must have-"
Ryugetsu's face morphed into that of rage "Those who have eaten Devil Fruits were given powers as a reminiscence of Gods, and are to serve as the Guardians of Birka… we had the power, but we were not Gods." He seethed "Despite this… there was some that took this much too literally…"
"Enel…"
"In his youth, Enel was nothing more than a scholar and a priest. His role was to educate, to inform the citizens of Birka of their history and culture. He was a teacher, but more so he was a prospector for knowledge. The rest of the Island did not think of his thirst for knowledge, but we did not see it become a greed…"
"Slowly but surely, his messages became twisted, his proclamations became bolder, more outlandish. The idea that any child of Birka could become a deity themselves was heresy to the rest of the civilization, and for that we shunned him. Some of us still clung to hope, but most no longer paid him any mind." Ryugetsu sighed, more tears began to flow "How could we've been so blind to see such a virus already becoming far too great? His hunger for knowledge and power eventually led him to the Goro Goro no Mi, and it was at this point, his hubris truly overtook him."
"To think such a powerful Devil Fruit could be found so far up…" the conversing duo turned to see Robin walking up to them. Gian gave a light wave with his good hand, relieved that she had been out of the blast zone.
"Woman… you know of such a Devil Fruit?" Ryugetsu asked.
"The Goro Goro no Mi is of the Logia class, one type that is very rare and powerful, at least that's what the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia claims. Should the eater have enough mastery over such a power, he would be close to invincible." Robin explained "How did Enel come across such a Devil Fruit?"
"No one knows how… but what did happen after was that the madman finally put his thoughts into action. We failed to see just… how far his obsession went…" Ryugetsu fell silent, eyes shut. The sight of lightning streaking down and destroying the land that day was a sight that will haunt him for the rest of his life…
"I tried to stop him… at that time I was still young and had acquired my Devil Fruit only recently. Because of that, my mastery over it is mediocre at best…" Ryugetsu mumbled sadly "Enel's power sundered the guardians of Birka where they stood, all either perished in the incident, or disappeared in the aftermath…"
"That day Birka disappeared from the sky. I had originally thought that he was to kill me too, but by some strange chance, he thought that keeping me around would be bette… claiming that a power like mine is worth only to serve that of a God…" Ryugetsu spat spitefully "After that, he and his band of followers departed to travel to other places, and they eventually arrived here, where such an abundance of Vearth made him bold enough to claim it… that was 8 years ago, and since that day Enel quickly established himself as the new God of Skypiea when the old God Gan Fall was beaten…"
"8 years of having to look at such a power hungry fool flaunt his power over a group of helpless and fearful group… having to see that fear again is something I never want to witness again… I thought that as long as… I can keep them out of harm's way… Enel won't bother with them; the madman's too arrogant to look at anything he deems lower than him!"
"And so, for 8 years I endured of pretending to spread Enel's Will to the people below, as long as they went about their ways without breaking any laws, Enel would have no reason to go after them."
"But the cost of that, you had to sacrifice your own freedom." Robin deduced.
"What's one life in the face of thousands? Even with my perceived power, I am only one individual, but they are people that will live on for generations to come… I want to at the very least see some of that new generation live and grow…"
"And grow up in eternal fear of a wrathful god? Not that great of a tradeoff…" Gian frowned.
"It matters not… now I see, all that I had hoped, have been nothing more than wishful thinking…"
"How so? They say history is written by the victors, but it is the spirit that preserves that history. Even as others paint their own version of history, those who know the truth will forever hold that." Robin said "Birka may be lost, but I don't see how that should effect the people here?"
"What I think of my homeland is none of your concern!" Ryugetsu snapped. At this point, both Kaiju-Zoan users were starting to get their energy back. "It matters little now, I'd known from the beginning that these people, starting from today… would not be saved!"
"Wait… then what was all that for?!" Gian snapped.
Ryugetsu sighed "Perhaps I'm too sentimental, perhaps it's because I cling too much onto hope that just maybe I can protect the people of Skypiea from sharing Birka's fate… but it's all for naught, for the moment Enel announced his Survival Game, he had no intention to keep this land alive!"
"Then why are you still here?! Why are you not at the alter challenging him to such an audacious act?!" Gian demanded "I've said it before, and I'll say it again! You're scared! He's beaten you once, and now in your mind you're no match for him to put up even a sliver of resistance!"
"Gian, stop." Robin chided "This is more complicated than that!"
Ryugetsu glared for a while longer, before letting out a defeated sigh "No… he's right… I have resigned myself to my cowardice… 8 years ago I laid, burnt and beaten as he stood condescending above me… it broke every will I had about challenging him… But even if I hadn't what could I have done? What fight could I even begin to put up to try and-"
He never finished, for at that moment, the ground beneath them begin to give way…
While that was happening:
During the events mentioned, Zoro and company were still struggling against Ohm's Trial of Iron. The aforementioned fight hardly on their mind, they were still trying to survive.
The barb wired clouds once again strung the unprepared up, digging into their skin. It's safe to say that out of every priest encountered, Ohm was by far the toughest. To the combatants, the combination of his Iron Clouds as well as his own Mantra is enough to make him a fearsome foe. Be it Zoro's swords, Luffy's punches, Wiper's cannonballs, he easily avoid them all, hardly sustaining a scratch while his opposition were being torn to ribbons.
"There's a reason why my Trial has never been passed once" the priest sneered "Do not blame yourselves for your inabilities, you have been burdened far too much by life. Come, let me free you all!"
"He sure likes to hear himself talk…" Zoro growled as he charged again, only for Ohm's sword to wave around and parry every strike.
"Come on! There has to be some way around his Mantra!"
It was then that their battleground was rocked by a monstrous shockwave, so much so that some of the ruins were beginning to shake from the pressure. The power was so great that Ohm's makeshift Iron Cloud cage was torn asunder, leaving nothing but thread.
"W-what?! How could this-"
"Santoryu: Hyakuhachi Pound Ho!"
His mind elsewhere, Ohm realized too late that Zoro had sliced the air itself, causing a wind blade to streak towards him. He attempted to block with his own sword, but the slash was much too strong, carving through his sword and dealing a grievous wound. It was in this fashion that the last priest of Enel was defeated. A slam nearby showed Nola grabbing Ohm's pet dog by the scruff of his neck before tossing him in the distance, defeating him as well.
"So that's how it's done… If he doesn't know where the attack is coming from, his Mantra can't detect it." Zoro deduced, though his mind was elsewhere; what could've caused such a powerful blast?
"Good job Zoro! Now let's go find that gold in the city!" Luffy and Chopper cheered.
"Gold? I don't suppose you're speaking of the remains of Shandora?" Wiper barked.
"You know of it?"
"Shandora was the home of my ancestors. It's a place where other people should not step foot in without permission." Wiper warned "What business do you have with it?!"
"If you're looking for Shandora, then I'm afraid you're standing in the middle of it." Gan Fall spoke.
The Straw Hats looked around wide-eyed.
"Whaaa?! This is the City of Gold? But there's nothing here!" Nami groaned.
"This place of nothing was the birthplace of the Shandia! Show some respect!" Wiper snarled "Now I ask again, what business do you have with the City?!"
"Wiper, stop it! These people helped us!" Aisa coaxed.
"They may have aided us back there, but they are still our enemies! We have no idea what their intentions are, and they cannot be trusted." Wiper snapped back "That goes for you too, Knight of The Sky! Don't think we've forgotten whose people drove us from this place to begin with!"
"Please, I don't want anyone else to die today!" the child whimpered. Throughout the entire day she'd been listening to the voices fall silent one by one. This heinous Survival Game has gone for far too long.
Wiper hesitated slightly. It's true, as many of their own warriors have fallen in combat today. But here were a group of people, trespassing in his ancestral home. He can't just let this go by.
Nobody had the chance to do anything, for at this moment, the ground beneath Aisa suddenly cracked open showing a bottomless pit. The girl hardly had a chance to react before she hurtled down into the dark, screaming and flailing her arms.
"NO!" Wiper screamed as he was about to leap after her, but Luffy beat him to the punch, one arm stretching downward before latching onto her wrist. But he never had the chance to pull her up, for at that moment the ground gave way even further, causing Luffy to lose his balance too. Chopper was also caught in the fall as he lost his footing, and due to her large size, Nola was unable to escape either.
It all happened so fast, nobody had time to react. Before long, the four had disappeared into the darkness.
Nami let out a scream once everyone got a safe distance away.
"H-How did-" Zoro was pale before racing back to the edge of the pit "LUFFY! CHOPPER! WHERE DID YOU GO?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"
"I-impossible… the foundation of Shandora shouldn't have-" Wiper was devastated. Aisa was their youngest member, and although he'll never admit it even a hardened warrior like him had somewhat of a fondness for her. He was supposed to protect his people, and yet…
"We need to find a way to help them!" Nami shouted.
But nobody knew how.
Meanwhile:
"Gian! Are you alright?!"
No answer.
The pit formed without warning. Perhaps it was due to the ground loosening in the clash of titans prior, or the age had finally caught up to the Upper Yard, but regardless of the reason, there was a seemingly bottomless hole that formed within the aftermath of the battle of monsters.
Robin managed to form a line of arms to tether herself onto a nearby tree, one that was out of the pit's range. Gian, in his last moment, had also pushed her out of the way before falling, and he and Ryugetsu were swallowed up.
Letting herself down, she called out once more, but still no reply. How was she supposed to get him up?
It was at this moment a sudden thought pushed at her mind. Something about the city of gold… she only got a glimpse of it before the battle of monsters drew her attention, but she remembered one small detail.
Hurriedly she raced back towards Shandora; something about this situation was way too similar to something that was documented within it's walls…
Meanwhile:
"Uggghhhhh… what just happened?"
"We're still in the Upper Yard… and yet…"
Gian and Ryugetsu both groaned as they massaged their bruised body parts. Somehow they managed to emerge unscathed. Now however they were trapped an undetermined distance underground.
"Somehow, this is all your fault!" Gian pointed at the acolyte.
"…Is that all you can think of in this situation?"
"Ok, I'm probably just pissed off at the turn of events, but what do we do now? We have to get up somehow!"
"It would be easier to deduce that, if it were easier to see…" the surroundings was pitch black, neither could see more than a few inches in front of them. On top of that, they haven't fully regained their energy yet.
Elsewhere, the rubble shifted to reveal a massive coiled shape. Nola hissed lightly before looking down at the little ones in her coils.
"Everyone, are you alright?"
"I think so… what about everyone else?" Chopper looked around.
"Why is it so dark?" Luffy pouted.
"Luffy… we just fell down into a massive hole, we're probably miles beneath the ground right now!" Chopper said.
"Oh no! Then how are we supposed to get out of here?!" Luffy screamed.
"Not so loud!"
"This place seemed to be hollowed out beneath the ground… there's no place to climb out." Nola observed.
"Then how are we supposed-"
Aisa suddenly let out a gasp and fell to her knees.
"Aisa-chan! What happened?" Chopper cried out.
"V-voices… thousands of voices…! But they're not from people… it's like they're emotionless… Almost like they're controlled, and they're coming this way!"
At the same time, the two Kaiju-Zoan users were also looking for a way out.
"I think my strength is coming back… in this case, the best option would be for me to fly both of us out of here." Ryugetsu deduced.
"Then there's that. After this, you are going to pay Enel a visit because what I've said isn't just going to be forgotten like that."
"…I told you, it's not that simple!"
"The more you run from it the more its gonne-" Gian protested, but was cut off when Ryugetsu savagely thrusted his fist forwards.
A second later he heard the squelch of an unknown object from behind him and an agonized hiss.
"What's this?" the acolyte frowned, the object had a hard shell, but soft inside.
"…Whoa, how did you- Oh, yeah. Mantra or something like that."
"I was able to sense it, when I focus I'm able to sense the signatures of other living organisms." Ryugetsu explained.
Gian lit a small fireball in his palm, and what was revealed made the two of them wide-eyed.
It was an insect, but while most arthropods were small, this one far extended beyond that. Its body was around the size of a small dog, and its sharp mandibles seemed enough to slice skin with ease. Ryugetsu's fist had punctured its exoskeleton, its lifeless eyes now dull in the blue light.
"An insect? How is it so big?" Ryugetsu wondered.
"More importantly, what's it doing here? Gian frowned "From its shape, it looks very similar to a dragonfly nymph, but those are aquatic at that stage of life. There's not a drop of that here!"
"Um…"
"And the size is another thing, how has it not been crushed by its own weight yet? It has to have some kind of internal structure that supports its body like this."
"Oi…!"
"It's also living underground… a feature not common to most bugs, why has this-?"
"OI!" Ryugetsu barked.
"Ok! I heard you? What next? There's a bunch of them coming to avenge their dead comrade?"
Ryugetsu shot him a look "Raise your arm… look around."
And as he did so, Gian only had one thing to say.
"…Me and my big mouth…" he sighed as a symphony of screeches lit up the cavern…
A/N: Ok! We're back! It seemed like forever that I last wrote. Lots of stuff had happened these days, leaving writing as something that I've continuously held back. I hope this will be enough to satisfy everyone though! As you can see, Skypiea may be halfway done, but what's coming will leave the rest of the arc in a completely different direction! It's something I hope I can incorporate into future arcs as well, with Enies Lobby and Thriller Bark possibly having a similar magnitude of change!
In the meantime, thank you all for being patient, and the continued support of this story! I truly wouldn't have as much motivation to write if people didn't enjoy it so much! I promise, the next chapter would come much quicker! I'll see you then!
Responses to Reviews:
To Karsap:
There will be a time when Zilla will appear, I'm thinking about putting him with one of the Supernovas as of right now to be exact…
To Squeegywing:
A lot more Gian and Robin interactions will be shown in the following original arc I'm making after Skypiea, which I'm hoping to start in January at the latest probably.
G: And ah yes, EoH is a Jojo fanfest indeed!
To:keysjake36:
I'm gonna be honest, the Rumble Ball concept is probably gonna be few and far between in the coming chapters.
To SolanaLeonhart:
G: The Emoji Movie is a complete Fuckfest of everything you don't want in life. Seriously, it shouldn't have been made.
They cancelled a Popeye animated movie for that…
G: STILL TRIGGERED.
R: On another note, glad you like what my story offers! Originally I was gonna be more bland but Author-san gave me more of a background as he rewrote drafts in his head.
G: You are too polite sometimes.
To Chance Green G King:
Glad you liked it! And the action will pick up soon enough!
To pokemonking0924:
Soon they will come, if the end of this chapter has anything to say!
To JayH120:
She'll take another chapter or 2 to get here, but when she comes, the skies better be ready!
To Matt:
Who says there can only be one bad movie in the world?
To Guest:
I'ma comin'!
G: It's here!
To kitgirl91:
The Kid Pirates may be more familiar with Kaiju than we think! And if by good guys you mean helping Gian out, let's say Mothra is something like that!
To The Storm Master 567:
Glad you're enjoying it so much! You're actually pretty close with a couple of things you've said in the reviews, and that PM you sent me! I've just answered the PM questions today, so you can see that.
But no, this story won't have Lemons in it. I've debated on that for a while, and mainly due to I have no experience in writing more mature content like that, I'd probably wouldn't touch it. There are, however, moments where it's implied some more intimate things have happened. You can use your imaginations for what went on there, but full blown lemons won't be in the story, at least not for the foreseeable future.
And that's all for this time! We'll see you again soon!
Leave a Review and Gian will… do something!
G: You have no ideas left…