Chapter 14

Campfire

"...Ack! This job is boring!" Luffy rolled on the ground. With their camp set up, the crew was doing various jobs to keep themselves busy. The rest of the crew still had to eat after all. Robin, Chopper, and Zoro were out scavenging for tonight's dinner, while Nami was busy compiling her maps to make an ancient version of Jaya. Usopp, their go-to tinkerer, was out chopping timbers and trying to figure out how'd they get it to the Merry. Luffy was assigned to water distillation, which was basically a bowl, on top of a pot, over a fire.

"You don't have to keep staring at it," scolded Sanji. He was busy dicing vegetables for tonight's stew, "When you see water in the container, pour it into the canteens. That's all you need to do! We have to make sure everyone has water tomorrow."

And what was Maxwell doing? Well, the mage was busy working on a new staff. His... 4th staff since coming to this world of oceans, (the trident didn't count.) The oversized skewers from Luffy's shark barbecue were actually the perfect sizes for a shaft. Maxwell used the shark bones to make a sort of spiked mace head, mounting the vertebrae. Thankfully, he still had his whittling knife from the ship.

Just then Zoro and Chopper arrived. Maxwell looked up as the little doctor was the first to call out, "Sanji! We found a lot of stuff!"

"Ah! Good work," their cook looked impressed at how much they got.

"We got walnuts, aloe, bananas, garlic—" "—Rats and frogs." "Great. Throw them all into the stew."

"Hold it!" Nami looked up from her sea charts, "There's some weird ones mixed in there!"

Sanji just rubbed his neck bashfully, "That's true... I was careless. You don't like garlic?"

"That's not it, you idiot!"

"Ah, Robin, welcome back," Maxwell greeted the archeologist, who came not long after. She was carrying something in her arms, something that had also captured Nami's attention.

"Wow, Robin, what's that big blue crystal you found!? Is it a gemstone!?"

Robin chuckled, making sure she still had a grip on the cluster, "It's pretty, right? But no, that's not what this is."

Sanji looked at the rock in her arms, "Oh! Is that crystallized salt? That's a good find, Robin!"

"I found it by the shore, and thought it would be useful," Robin smiled back.

"Of course! In the game of survival, salt is very important!" Sanji was being a suck-up of course.

"Actually, Robin, could I take a crack at that...?" Maxwell eyed the glittering crystal, "I might be able to use a smaller chunk for my staff here."

"Go find your own rock, you damn geezer...!" "Of course."

"I'll take the aloe and some garlic," said Chopper, "Aloe for burn wounds and garlic for disinfectant..."

Zoro looked over at Chopper, "Uh-Huh. What about the frogs?"

"Don't need frogs."

"Hey Zoro! Get over here and help!" Sanji called from the crock pot.

Despite his better judgment, Zoro did end up helping Sanji, "Grr... My swords were not made for this sort of thing..." Sanji had him carry a flaming rock using his swords as tongs.

"Shut up, obey the chef, or starve!" Sanji scolded him. Not that he actually would let any of them starve. With the flaming rock dropped into the stew, Sanji closed the pot with a lid.

Luffy looked at it surprised, "Eh!? We eat the rock too!? Does it taste taste good?"

"Of course not!" retorted Sanji, "This is scotched-stone stew. We use the heat from the rock to cook the food in the pot. Besides, stew is great! All the nutrients are retained in the broth."

"...Okay. Finished!" Nami then turned to everyone else, "Alright, everyone! Let's do a mission-briefing and make a battle plan for tomorrow!"

"Okay~!" Everyone dropped what they were doing. Maxwell himself put down is unfinished staff. He still had to mount the crystal chuck he had broken off, but that could wait. Sanji also said that the stew was ready.

"This is delicious!" Luffy had almost downed the entire bowl after taking a spoonful.

Sanji's visible eye twitched, "Didn't you just eat an entire roasted sky shark?"

"Yeah, but that was just a snack! Sky Island's lunches are tasty too!"

"Everyone here?" Nami looked at everyone around the campfire, "Okay, firstly, let's review the contents of Noland's picture book. He first discovered the Golden City 400 years ago. Then a few years later he revisited Jaya, but the Golden City had already vanished without a trace. In other words, this island was part of Jaya, and in those few years between Noland's visits, it had come up into the sky."

"On the knock-up stream right?" Chopper questioned.

"Yes, that's the best guess. Since Mr. Cricket said that the location and explosion varies every time."

"With the size of it... It's not that weird to think so," Usopp accepted a bowl of stew from Sanji.

"Just one thing," Zoro voiced, "We went to the forest of Jaya before, and this and that forest are too different to have been the same."

"Hmm..." Robin told her own observation, "That is likely due to the strange substances inside the sea cloud and island cloud."

"The pyrobloin," Maxwell wiped his bearded lips, "the stuff that allows the White Seas to exist."

"Indeed," Robin nodded, "It seems to abnormally enhance plant and animal growth rates. If that's so, this theory can justify the ruins of civilization that were swallowed by the forest."

Chopper looked over at Max, "Those southbirds that showed up were so big!" The mage just nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, about that," Sanji took a seat with his own bowl, "Why did those southbirds show up?"

"I don't know, but those birds were calling the Knight of the Sky, 'God.'"

"GOD!? So then I just have to beat up that old guy!?" *WHACK!* "Ow."

The staff may not have been finished, but Maxwell still whacked Luffy on the head, "Wrong god, you idiot."

Nami waved her arms, trying to get everyone's attention again, "Anyways, let's think back on the information on the City of Gold, that we read in Noland's diary!"

"OOH ME!" Luffy put his hand up, "He saw gold!"

"No duh, you moron!" Usopp chirped.

Sanji looked up as if searching his mind, "There was something about some huge bell-shaped gold... then something about the southbird..."

"Hold on..." Maxwell brought out Salem's book, "Salem, do you think you can...?" The spiritual anchor opened up on it's own and Maxwell saw writing on the pages. "Haha! Thank you. Now then..." Maxwell scowered the pages with his finger.

"Here it is... 'Upon arriving at the island, we were immediately greeted with a cry from a most unusual bird from the forest, and the loud toll of a bell. The sound from this enormous bell reverberated throughout the island, as if strongly proclaiming the former glory of it's ancient city. When reminded of the civilizations that have risen and fallen throughout the ages across this vast sea, we, who barely live a few decades at most and yet act as if we know all there is to this world, we're to awestruck to utter even a single word. And so we simply stood there, silently listening to the bell ringing...' That's what Cricket told us back on Jaya. And the gold he found over the years, clearly depict these images as important."

"On the last page of the diary, there is something very unclear," Robin added in. She was the only one who actually read the whole log book, "The things he wrote before he died. It was, 'I saw gold in the right eye of the skull.'"

"That's it!" Nami took out her newly drawn rough draft, "Take a look at this! I combined the map that Robin found in Jaya, with the ancient map of Skypiea. When I combined them at the point of Cricket's home..." Maxwell took a look at the map. The combined islands really did look like a skull! Everyone gathered around looking just as excited, "Noland meant the whole of the island's body! But the island was split in half, so it was impossible to solve the riddle,"

Nami then pointed at the spot where the city should be, "We'll just go straight to this point tomorrow. But we can't just leave the ship here, so we'll split into two groups. There is no doubt about it! There's some huge amounts of gold waiting for us here!"

Maxwell scratched his beard, "You know... It might be possible that the gold has already been scavenged. There was civilization when we got here..."

...

...Nami just glared at the mage.

...

"...Or not..." Maxwell raised his hands. He didn't want to deal with a wrathful Nami right now.

Luffy laid back on the ground, "Phew~! I'm full! Tomorrow's gold!"

"Will it be sunny!?" "I guess. We are above the clouds."

"It's getting late. If we don't put out the fire we're not using, we will only expose our position to the enemy." Maxwell paused for a moment at Robin's reasoning. She wasn't wrong. They were technically still in enemy territory.

"Stupid..." Luffy sighed in disappointment, "Did you hear that Usopp? She wants to put out the fire!"

"Don't say it like that," Usopp talked back to Luffy, "Robin has been living a dark life, so she couldn't have known."

Robin looks at them confused, "...What do you mean?" Maxwell watched as both teenagers fell to their hands and knees.

"Lighting a campfire is an obvious thing, yeah!?" "It's the way of life to have a campfire on a camping night, even if we die tonight."

Max just facepalmed.

"You're the ones who are stupid," Nami walked up to the captain, "That's enough! You know very well how dangerous this forest is, no!?"

"No."

"There are those priest! Guerillas, too! Plus, forests are always more dangerous at night! There are beasts and monsters!"

"Monsters!?" Chopper yelled, starting to get scared.

"Yo! Luffy!" Everyone looked back at the swordsman, "How's this for a wood pile?" Both Zoro and Sanji were showing off a box stack of logs.

"Not you too!"

"Don't worry, Nami~" Sanji held up a torch, "Those beasts are afraid of fire."

That would have been a lot more convincing if there wasn't a hoard of angry eyes behind him. "Behind you, behind you! There are some beasts here already!"

O O O

Maxwell sometimes had to wonder, "How do we come across these events...?"

*Bong-bong-bong, bong-bong-bong-bong, bong-bong-bong,* *AWOOH!*

The bonfire was glowing bright. The crew was either drinking or dancing. And somehow the crew had convinced a bunch of bushy tailed wolves to dance with them around the fire. Usopp was the one banging the drum, calling this the "Pre-Gold Hunting Dancing Ritual."

Maxwell just sat with Robin and Zoro, watching the party. He had already finished his staff and was ready for tomorrow.

"...Even the cloud valves have been tamed," Maxwell looked back to see Gan Fall, wrapped in robes, walking towards them, "Haha... There is probably nobody else that would dare to cause so much noise in Enel's home..."

"You're awake," Robin then looked to Maxwell. Chopper was busy dancing with the wolves. "Mr. Magician, is he allowed to move around?"

Maxwell looked at the old man, "...I believe he'll be fine."

"Sorry to cause you trouble... I intended to be helpful, but..."

"What do you mean?" Zoro asked the old man, "You've helped enough. Thank you."

"There is some stew left. Want some?" Robin offered.

"Thank you, but I really don't have the appetite."

"Ooh!? Weird old man! You're awake!" Luffy had been dancing around in the circle when he saw him, "Thanks for earlier! Come dance with us!"

Chopper had also been with him, "Yeah! Come dance, Knight of the Sky!"

"Aren't you a doctor?" Zoro sweat-dropped at the reindeer's carefree attitude.

Sanji then danced around and spotted Gan Fall, "Oh! Mister, how is Conis!? Is she safe!?"

"Her and her father are in my home. Worry not!"

"Really? Great! I had been worrying about them!" Usopp, Luffy, and Sanji had explained earlier how Conis had risked her life telling them the truth about the trials. And who had called the giant shrimp to nab their boat. He wasn't going to declare names.

"...I overheard your conversations earlier..." Gan Fall watched as the men and wolves danced, "So this island was originally called Jaya... However, do you know why it is now called the Holy Land?" The knight scooped up a handful of soil, "For your people, having ground like this is quite typical, yes...?"

"Er... Well, yeah..." Zoro responded. Though this world was mostly islands and oceans.

"...However, in the sky, this thing was unheard of. Island cloud can nurture plants, but it cannot give birth to them. Greenery and soil are not things of the sky..." Gan then let the soil trail out of his hand, "We call this, Vearth... For us, it will forever be admiration itself."

"...Vearth..." Maxwell looked back at the fire. He's heard about valuing soil fertility in old texts before; but to worship soil itself? That was a new concept. Maxwell then stood up and grabbed his new staff, "I'll be back."

Both Robin and Zoro looked at him, "Where are you heading?"

"Training."

Maxwell walked until he could only see the glow of the campfire. He was in another small clearing, big enough to swing his staff around. Maxwell then levitated Mordred's skull, "...I think it's time I learned that new spell, Mordred," and the skull's eyes lit up.

O O O

We... Nmnn nmnnnn!? Nnnn mnnn... mnnnmn mnnnn!"

"Hey!" "Sky Breeder" Ohm just scowled at the idiot beside him, "Isn't it a little difficult to talk with your mouth clenched like that?"

"Squad Leader" Gedatsu's jaw fell open in realization.

They were the remaining Priests of God's army. There were originally four of them, but with the defeat of "Satori of the Forest" and "Sky Rider" Shura, they were all that remained. The two winged men stood before the gate. They were here, at God's Shrine, having been recalled from battle. They had fought the whole afternoon, having the savages on retreat. They had even planned to pursue them, until their summons. God had something to discuss with them, though neither priest knew exactly why.

Ohm and Gedatsu got into battle positions as the gates suddenly opened. It was as if they were expecting to be attacked.

"...Not again..." Another man walked up behind them, a rather tall and portly man in a toga, "What are you two doing? Hopeless, just hopeless..."

"Tsk, keep your words to yourself, Yama. I don't need any of the priests to unleash my true potential," The three angels walked into the courtyard.

"Hmph, how dull... Your trial is unworthy of mention!" Gedatsu crossed his arms in front of him, "Want to experience my ultimate Trial of Swamp?"

"Father Gedatsu! You will tire in that position! If you want to cross your arms, your hands should be under your arms." A servant showed an example of what it should look like.

Gedatsu's jaw fell open in realization.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Commander Yama scolded from his non-existent neck, "Don't forget that this is where God resides!"

"Chance!"

The two priests tried to react but it was already too late. The one who had yelled already caught them both with an aerial round kick. They were knocked to the ground and the figure cartwheeled towards the dais.

Enel, the God of Skypiea, landed on his side, lounging on his couch like throne. He just smirked condescendingly as he looked at his two priests, "You need to train. You are still not strong enough! You don't want to be failures like Shura and Satori, do you?

Both priests recovered, getting up from the ground, "What did you say!?" "Did you just call us here just to tell us trash like that?"

Enel then sat up, reclining on his throne, "Yehahahaha, I was bored! Come. Sit!" Reverent angels then came forward baring food. He tossed an apple up and down with a jovial attitude, "You don't seem to be taking those citizens of the Blue Sea seriously. Did you know that their target is the gold?"

"Gold...? How do they know about that?" Gedatsu steadily looked at Enel. Both priests just sat cross legged on the ground.

"This island came from the Blue Sea long ago," Enel reasoned, "So there's nothing strange about someone from the Blue Seas knowing about it."

He then stopped playing with the fruit, "They will undoubtedly start taking action... Shandia will also attack again," the god took a bite out of his apple, "Thus, for tomorrow, all of Upper Yard will be opened to both of you. It doesn't matter where or what trials you set up. Cancel all the rules. Do what ever you want!"

Both priests looked at each other, "Why the sudden change...?"

"That's because it's almost complete," Enel took another bite, "The Maxim."

The god then leaned forward, "Hurry and tie up all loose ends. Let us depart to a World of Dreams."

O O O

Maxwell walked in the dead of night, careful to watch his step. His staff was lit with fire as he navigated his way back, intent on returning to camp. The mage considered himself to be sufficiently remastered with his Inferno spells, and now he had a whole new spell thanks to Mordred's repository.

Necromancy was defined as the control of spirits. Or rather the manipulation of animated mana. Full Mortalitasi invited spirits to inhabit the consecrated dead as to give the corpse a second life. They believed spirits were the lost souls of the dead, as the Golden City was barred from all dearly departed. It was complete poppycock of course. The Mortalitasi were little more of a recognized death cult that was obsessed with corpses. Maxwell had no intention of raising the dead, but their research did have some valuable knowledge.

Maxwell fully intended to learn the recorded curses down the line. The main difficulty was manipulating the Fade in such a way that the spell would reduplicate and build itself. Mordred had described it as taking raw spiritual essence and forming it to their purposes. These essence were essentially the seeds that would flower into new spirits. From his familiars observation, Islander Spirits took such pieces and consumed them. As to why? That was anyone's guess. Maxwell just needed to learn how to control these energies.

The mage snuffed out his fire as he stumbled into camp. The bonfire had burnt down to embers and everyone was asleep. Max assumed the girls were in their tent, as all the guys were sleeping in the ground. The wolves hadn't left either. They were sleeping on the ground right alongside them. Luffy even cuddled with one as a pillow. It seems like they partied themselves out.

Maxwell sat down and laid down his staff. He then yawned and closed his eyes. They were going to have to get up early tomorrow.

...

...

...

Wait a second. Where was Usopp?

Maxwell opened his eyes and conjured another flame. He took another look at the sleeping campers, and Usopp was indeed not there. Where was he?

"Argh...!" The mage stood up and walked off, intent on finding his friend. Maxwell suspected if Usopp was anywhere, it would be the lake. Any sort of enemy would have just attacked them all. He doubt Usopp was kidnapped. It wasn't like Usopp was their secret weapon or anything.

Maxwell reached the lakeside. It was foggy, and moonbeams seemed to trickle onto the alter that held their ship. He could then hear the snoring of their sniper. Max found young adult was curled up between two roots. As to why? Maxwell had no idea. He just extinguished his flame, and tried to pick him up, "Come on, Usopp. Let's get you back to camp."

However, before he could start walking, a figure appeared before him. It was the size of a child, in a yellow raincoat and big red boots. Maxwell couldn't see their eyes under the hood, but he did seen the smile on the kid's face. Somehow he knew exactly who this was.

"It's nice to finally meet you... Merry."

The klabautermann didn't make a sound, but it did act. Merry's smile opened and give him the thumbs up.

Maxwell frowned, "Why aren't you speaking?"

The spirit brought out a hammer, then pointed at the ship, and then her hand through her arm as if to show him something. Maxwell's eyebrows furrowed, "So... You're conserving energy in order fix yourself? Why not let us do that? It's our fault after all." The spirit picked up a stick and wrote something in the dirt.

FIGHT

"...They're not going to leave us alone tomorrow, are they?" Merry shook her hooded head at the question. Between the Enel's forces and the Shandians, the crew was going to busy tomorrow.

"You know... I still have to thank you for what you did," the spirit head perked up at that remark, "You really saved my bacon after everything back in Alabasta. You saved me from a coma, and emotional oblivion. I'm glad, that if it was any spirit that could have saved me, it was you. Thank you. Merry."

The klabautermann covered her mouth, as if to giggle, and wave him off. Then she jumped in surprise as she started glowing blue. Maxwell had a hand out, glowing, and pushing mana into her being.

"I might not be able to help physically. But this should give you an edge," Maxwell then smiled, "After all, you're part of the crew, right?" Mordred, Salem, and Mineive then lit up around his belt, as if in agreement.

The ship fairy looked at them as if stunned. Then it jumped in a soundless cheer and started running around in circles. Merry then leapt at Maxwell and hug him around his neck, "Hahaha! Okay, okay, alright." The spirit let go.

Maxwell grabbed one of Usopp's arms and tried to get the sniper's weight on his back, "I still have to get this idiot back to camp. You'll be fine by yourself, right?" Merry gave him another thumb's up.

The mage started to walk off, but then momentarily stopped, "...Do you know why Usopp fell asleep out here?" Merry swayed in place and pursed her lips as if to whistle, "Mischievous little imp..." The fairy only giggled.

"Have a good night, Merry. See you tomorrow."

And so Maxwell walked back into the forest, with Usopp on his back. Merry smiled and dispersed from the lakeshore. She had her own work to do.