Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora and Kai.

Okay, my lovely readers! Here's the next chapter. This is when things start getting hectic. And just a heads up... near the end of the chapter, Aurora and Kai get into a somewhat heavy discussion about her past. It'll give you a further glimpse into what Aurora suffered through 2 years earlier before she escaped.

Oh! And before I forget... Rose, Aurora's mother, finally makes an appearance!


Chapter 40

"Will Conis be alright?" Usopp wondered.

"Well, that strange mister didn't look like a bad guy." Luffy replied.

"We have no choice but to trust him. I'd protect her…" Sanji trailed off. "But we can't bring her with us."

Aurora's gaze flitted between the three boys. "Believe me when I say this… Gan Fall is the one person I trust most in Skypiea. Conis is safe with him. I promise."

The trio glanced at the angel, nodding. Aurora was their friend, and if she trusted the Sky Knight, then they did too.

"This thing is so slow!" Luffy grumbled.

"This boat is a few times heavier than a waver. It can't be helped!" Sanji snipped. "Don't be so picky!"

"Hey, look…! What's that?! That gigantic forest…"

"Cool~~~~! Is there a forest like that on the map?"

Usopp looked the map over. "Not really… there's a forest, but it's not specifically marked… it's just a normal forest."

"Don't let your guards down." Aurora warned. "It may look normal, but this forest is anything but. I learned that the hard way…" The angel's gazed hardened as they came upon an entryway marked by two large torches and various idols. "This is the entrance!"

"This'll probably be our last chance to go back… are you prepared, Usopp?"

"Eh? Then if we could, I'd like to go back…"

"Let's go!" Luffy cheered.

"You're not even listening to me!" Usopp shouted, the sniper becoming spooked the further along they got. A shadowy form appeared somewhere above them, a large bird cawing. "Huh?! Uwaa! There's something out there!"

"That's cause this is a forest…"

"No! Just look around us! Those are the wrecked ships, right?!"

"Because this is a forest!"

"What's that got to do with it?!"

Aurora stilled, cautiously surveying the area. "It's not the forest itself, but what's inside it that we should be worried about."

Shwuff!

"Ah… it's coming!" Usopp cowered.

"It's because there are many different kinds of forests…" Luffy continued to drone on.

"THAT'S NOT IT!" Usopp grew alarmed. "Ah! Full speed ahead! Everyone paddle! Paddle faster! Move the ship forward!"

"Why, what's wrong?"

"That's what's wrong!" Aurora shouted, releasing her wings and flapping, the added gust of wind providing the ship an extra boost. Mere seconds later, a large scythe cut through the spot they'd just been, cleaving one of the other ships in half.

"UGYAAAH! A scythe monster…!" Usopp screeched.

"Don't let your guard down!" Aurora yelled. "That's not the only one!"

Rattle! Rattle! Rattle!

"No… not just one…"

"PADDLE AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" Luffy ordered.

"UWA~~~AAH!"

Usopp and Sanji paddled as hard and as fast as they could, Luffy taking the wheel to steer the ship. Aurora continued to flap her large wings to help propel the small vessel forward. The swinging scythes kept dropping, one by one.

Swoosh!

Sanji chomped down hard on his cigarette. "What the hell's going on?!"

"Look! In front! Luffy, hit the brake!"

Squeal!

"It's too late! Take the wheel, Usopp!" Lufy stood as soon as the sniper did as he was told. "Gomu Gomu no…!"

"Hey! Luffy! You're supposed to aim this way!" Usopp pointed towards the front.

"Don't worry, just keep moving!" The boy stretched his arms. "BAZOOKA!" Luffy propelled the ship into the air, the group narrowly avoiding being chopped in half.

"Uhah…! It's over! That was too close!" Usopp was relieved. "Ah, but what's this?! The entrance… is already so far away…"

"How about we get off now?"

"We can't Luffy! It's too soon! We'll die!" Aurora chided.

A large creature surfaced from below the cloud sea. Sanji eyed it warily. "…I was thinking the same thing."

"HISSS!"

"Eh?" Usopp finally took notice of the new danger. "GYA~~~!"

"What's this? A snake?" Luffy asked, watching as Sanji swiftly took the creature out with a kick.

"It's essentially the sky version of a lamprey eel…" Aurora informed the group. "At a size that big, it'll do more than just suck our blood!" The angel faced forward, mouth drawn tightly in a thin line. "While we're on the Milky Road, we can't stop to catch our breath, or let our guard down… we have to keep moving forward!"

"Wow!" Luffy pointed. "This time there's a giant in our way!"

"Idiot! That's a statue…"

"Hey, looks like it's a dead end!"

"No..." Aurora fisted her hands hard enough to draw blood. "There are four openings up ahead. Each one represents a different trial. The Trial of Swamp, Trial of Iron, Trial of String, and Trial of Balls."

"Wow! Does it matter which one we go through?" Luffy seemed a bit too enthusiastic, considering the circumstances.

"So now God wants to play a game with us…?!" Sanji was pissed.

Aurora gazed upon the four openings with resentment. "To Eneru… everything is a game."


"There he is!"

"Zoro!"

"A shark!" Chopper cried out. "Zoro is losing to a sky shark!"

The large creature dove back down into the clouds, taking Zoro with it. The four pirates on board could only watch. Several moments passed by before anyone reacted.

Nami held her head. "Ah… he's not coming up… did he get eaten…?!"

"Gya~~~! Zoro's been eaten~~!"

"…If he was, the cloud would be turning red by now."

"Don't say such scary things, Robin!"

"Nico's not wrong though." Kai agreed, glancing down to the clouds below. "But don't worry. I can still sense the swordsman. He's alive."

Further proving his statement, Zoro emerged from the cloud sea, punching the sky shark in rage. "GET OUTTA MY WAY!" The swordsman managed to make his way back toward the dry docked ship. "Hah… hah… damn! Looks like we won't be able to swim ashore… where in the world are we?"

"All we know for certain is that this is a lake somewhere in Upper Yard."

"It looks like a sacrificial altar…"

"There's a bunch more sky sharks!"

"Seems like we've been taken to a dangerous place by that damn shrimp…" Zoro grumbled, taking off his white shirt and wringing it out.

"You're a swordsman, yet you used your fist to kill a shark!" Nami complained, the navigator having grabbed a new top for the green-haired man.

"Zoro's so strong~~!"

"…I wonder if Heaven's Judgement is to let us starve in this place?" Robin pondered.

"Would something that normal really be done by God?" Zoro retorted, Nami tossing the blue tank top she'd grabbed at his head.

"I don't know… I've never met him."

Kai snorted. "I highly doubt this is his plan. There's gotta be way more to it than that. My guess is he won't try anything until he gets the whole group together."

Robin glanced at her companion. "That's not a bad guess."

Kai smirked. "I try!"

Zoro ignored the two. "With the ship's bottom in this state, we can't put it in the water. Anyway, please try to repair it somehow, Chopper!"

"Eh?! Me? Understood!"

"Repair it… so what are you going to do?" Nami asked the swordsman.

"I'll enter the forest somehow and use this place as our gathering point. Luffy and the others will come here looking for us for sure." Zoro pulled the tank top on. "Isn't there an old saying, "When you're lost, stay where you are"?"

"The one who should stay put the most is you!"

"I'm with firecracker on this one." Kai agreed. "From what I've heard, you've got a horrible sense of direction. It'd be better if I went."

"Not a chance!" Zoro glared at the fallen angel. "Besides, God's on this island, right? I want to go meet him."

"What?! Why would you want to meet someone scary like that?!"

"…I dunno." Zoro shrugged. "That depends on him."

"Zoro… is more arrogant than God…" Chopper blurted out.

"Don't' you know there are also priests here?!" Nami reminded the swordsman. "You mustn't anger God! This is just common sense!"

"Again… I'm with her!" Kai chimed in once more.

"Sorry. I never pray to God!" Zoro smirked. "I don't even believe in God, so why should I care?!"

"Wow~~!" Chopper stared at the man in adulation.

"Oh God!" Nami began to pray. "I have nothing to do with that guy!"

"…Looks like we can use that vine." Zoro indicated one hanging above them.

"Ah… that's not a bad idea." Robin praised. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Eh? Ok, but don't get in my way!"

"Wait… Robin's going too?!"

"Take a look around!"

"?"

"This altar is at least 1000 years old." Robin informed the others. "Seeing such historical remains… makes me quite excited… plus, if we find some gems or treasures, we can use them… to repair the ship."

Kai jabbed a finger in Nami's direction. "Cue Ms. Firecracker."

"I'm going, too!"

"Huh?!" Chopper couldn't believe it. "But didn't you say it was scary…?"

"We're exploring history!"

The reindeer sweatdropped. 'Her eyes turned into beli…"

"Well…" Kai stretched. "I don't' feel like being left behind. Guess I'll tag along."


Sometime later…

"…Un! Ah~~~Uhun!" Zoro cleared his throat, grabbing hold of the vine and swinging. "AH~~~~~~~AH AH~~~~~~~~"

"What was that? A shout of resolve?" Nami shook her head, coming up next to grab the vine. "…This looks pretty high."

"It's probably 50 meters high." Robin guessed, the woman having been the first to exit. "If you fall, you'll die."

"Don't say thing like that!"

Kai rolled his eyes, getting behind the navigator and pushing. "Off you go."

"WAAH…!" Nami screamed. "Waah! Fast… too fast! I can't stop!"

Robin stretched her arm out so it was placed in front of Nami, the woman sprouting multiple appendages to halt the navigator's descent. "My, aren't you the brave one?"

Kai snorted in amusement, releasing his wings and flying over to the shore. He traipsed past a panting Nami, the orange-haired girl glaring at him in anger.

"…This is truly a big forest…" Robin marveled.

"Well then. We're leaving the ship to you, Chopper!" Zoro called back to the reindeer.

Robin waved. "Please take care!"

"We'll be back soon." Nami chirped.

"Ok! Don't worry about me! Come back safely!"


"What should we do…?"

"Okay! Let's go with balls!" Luffy decided. "Doesn't it sound fun?"

"None of them are fun, Luffy!" Aurora snapped. "They're dangerous!"

"But… I choose balls, too!" Usopp agreed with his captain. "It's the only one that doesn't sound violent… I hope…"

Aurora heaved a sigh. "I've been in contact with these four priests before, you guys. None of these trials will be safe. It doesn't matter which one we pick. They're each equally dangerous!"

"But… balls are fun!"

Aurora groaned in annoyance.

"Fine!" Sanji cut in. "It's decided then…! But we have to be careful. This is God's Island 10,000 meters above the ground!"

"Keep your guards up!" Aurora reiterated. "Anything can happen!"

"Let's go!"

"Oh~~~~!" Usopp steered the ship into the tunnel furthest to the right, eyes scrunched shut in fear.

"Hey, hey! The driver should keep his eyes open!" Sanji berated.

"Aah… they're open, but it's still pitch black…"

"Hey… doesn't this remind you of something?"

"Huh?!" Usopp glanced back at Luffy. "What is it?"

"There were four entrances, right? Maybe some hit and some miss!"

"Huh?! Why are you saying this now?! So what happens when you miss?"

Luffy thought about that. "…If you miss… oh! I know! You'll fall off of Sky Island."

Aurora slapped her captain upside the head. "That's not how it works!"

"Why would you say that?! You want to fall?!"

"We're 10,000 meters above the Blue Sea!"

"Do you know how many times you'll see your life flash before your eyes by the time you hit the ground?!"

Aurora groaned. "Would you please stop babbling? We're not going to fall out of the sky!"

The ship finally emerged from the tunnel. It soared off a cliff, momentarily hovering in mid-air. The boys froze, expressions horrified.

"Huh?!"

The ship began to fall.

"No~~! This can't be happening~~~!"

Their free fall came to an end, the small vessel crashing into the sea of clouds below.

"Hah… hah…! We're safe…!" Usopp rejoiced. "I really thought… I would fall 10,000 meters!"

Sanji kicked Luffy in the head. "Did you say that misleading stuff on purpose?! You bastard…"

"Uhahahah! Ah~~~~ I was scared! I thought I was gonna die for sure…" Luffy seemed unfazed, laughing in merriment as per usual.

"Guys!" Aurora got their attention. "We're here…"

Luffy perked up, taking in their surroundings. "Balls! They're balls!"

"Balls made from little bits of island cloud…"

"Hahahaha!" Luffy began to laugh. "So cool~~~! They look like gigantic snowballs!"

"The Milky Road goes up and down amongst the trees…" Sanji observed.

"…What kind of trial is in this place…?" Luffy continued to look around.

"You'll find out soon enough." Aurora supplied. "He hasn't made an appearance yet… but he will eventually. Remember what I said. Don't let your guard down. We're not even close to being safe yet." The angel turned to Sanji, who was now steering. "Let's keep moving."

"I'm thirsty. Let's have some tea!"

"Yeah, yeah! Not a bad idea. Open up the senbei in your backpack!"

"Ah… sounds good…"

"Why you…!" Sanji growled.

"Can we have a piece of sky senbei?"

"NO!" Sanji told the two boys. "Listen here! I'm going to steer, so you guys keep a lookout to the left and right!"

"Wow! We're really sailing high above the ground…!"

"…This is strange." Sanji muttered. "Why haven't we seen a priest?"

Aurora knelt down next to him. "He's lying in wait. It's part of their game. They like for the prey to come to them."

"Hey~~~!" Luffy's loud voice broke through their conversation. "Usopp, catch!"

"Oh!" the sniper held his hands up for the cloud ball. "Alright! Alright!"

"I said to be on the lookout!" Sanji roared.

Aurora lunged towards the two. "Wait! Don't touch that!"

The ball popped, a large snake emerging from inside. "HISSS!"

"Eeh?!"

Usopp screamed. "GYAAAAAAAH!"

Sanji's eye widened. "What…?! A snake?!"

Usopp ducked when the snake attempted to bite his head off. "Yahhhh!"

"You bastard!" Luffy kicked the ball far away. "Get out of here!"

"Hey! Sanji! In front! A cloud!" Usopp indicated. "Kick it far away!"

"Sanji, wait!" Aurora tried to warn.

"Why you…!" he kicked at the ball. "Are these floating things all snake eggs?!" The ball exploded upon impact, burning the group of pirates. Sanji growled. "WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON WITH THESE BALLS?!"

"Hohhohoh! It's fun not knowing what'll come out!" a voice rang out. "These are called "Surprise Clouds."

Usopp turned. "Who's there?!"

"Satori!" Aurora growled.

"Hoh ho hoh! Heso! Welcome to my trials of balls. Hoh ho hoh!"

Luffy glared up at the large, round man. "Yours? So this is your trial of balls?"

"Hoh ho ho!" Satori danced atop one of the balls. "Ho ho~~~!"

"Stop dancing!" Sanji snarled. "Who the hell are you?!"

"His name is Satori!" Aurora stated. "He's one of the priests!"

Sanji glanced back at the man in disbelief. "That's a priest…?!"

"…What the? He looks like an idiot, doesn't he?"

"Hey, Dango!" Sanji called up to the priest. "Are Nami and the others alright?!"

"…You mean the sacrifices? In that case, I don't know. They'll probably die if they are left alone. But if they escape, they'll still die…"

A vein throbbed in the cook's neck. "What did you say?!"

Aurora pushed him back. "Not now, Sanji!"

"You should be more worried about yourselves!" Satori warned. "I'll say it clearly: If you can't beat me, you can't move forward. Ho Hoh!" The priest began to bounce toward them.

"It's… it's coming!" Usopp screeched. "Luffy! Do it! Kick his ass!"

He began to wind his arm up. "Okay! I'll knock him down!"

"Hoh! Stretching?!"

"Gomu Gomu no… Eh?" Luffy blinked, Satori suddenly right in front of him. He shot his arm out. "PISTOL!"

The priest dodged, slamming his hand in Luffy's face. "AIIIIIIIII!" There was a large force behind the simple attack, blasting the Straw Hat captain several feet back into a tree.

"LUFFY?!"

The boy landed with a Thud!

"Eh?! Eh?! Luffy?!" Usopp couldn't fathom what just happened. "Hey, you okay? It was just a simple punch, so it shouldn't have any effect on you!"

"Punch…? There's a little difference."

"What's the difference?!" Sanji growled, moving in to attack.

Aurora whirled around. "Sanji, don't!"

"Hoh hoh…! An upper right kick…"

"Collier…" Satori moved out of the way, catching Sanji off guard. "What?!"

The priest placed his hand atop the cook's face. "A power given only to those who practice the art – Mantra!"

'Impossible…' Sanji thought. 'This guy can predict my movements…?!"

"AIIIIII!" Satori sent the cook sailing.

"Ah…! Uwah! Sanji!" Usopp cried out.

Satori popped up next to the sniper, dealing a blow to him as well. "This is different from a simple punch… IMPACT!" The sniper was blasted off the ship. "The shockwave causes damage directly… inside the body!"

"Gua…!"

"…Ugh…"

"Damn it!" Aurora growled. "That's enough! Leave my friends alone!"

"Hoh hoh!" Satori laughed. "Somebody grew a backbone while she was gone!" The priest suddenly appeared in front of Aurora, causing the angel to flinch. "As much as I'd like to break that spirit of yours, I've been ordered to bring you back intact. Besides… we both know God will take immense pleasure in doing so himself."

Aurora gulped, trying to fight back the fear, but failing. Just the mere mention of Eneru was enough to reduce her back to a simpering mess. She needed to get a hold of herself! The angel released her wings, flying away from the priest and landing near her injured friends.

"Damnit!" Luffy surged up with a growl. "Sanji! Usopp!"

"That bastard…" Sanji groaned. "What the hell is going on?!"

"No idea!" Luffy replied. "I just know he's really strong!"

The priest began to dance once more. "Hoh! Hoho~~~~! My name is Satori! I'm one of the priests who serve the almighty God, Eneru. The vearth in this Forest of Illusions is under my control."

"Forest of Illusions?" Luffy echoed.

"Yes. In this forest… one of the illusions is… your boat!"

"Aah! The boat is moving by itself!"

"From now on, it will drift aimlessly on the Milky Road… and will eventually exit this forest by itself."

"We can't get to the sacrificial altar without that boat…!" Aurora growled.

"That's correct! You have to get back on board before it leaves. Of course, these surprise clouds and I will not allow you to succeed… Welcome to the Forbidden Holy Land, Upper Yard… Hoh! In this Forest of Illusions, the chance of survival is 10%! It's the Trial of Balls!" Satori began to laugh once more. "Huhuh! Come, come! If you don't move quickly, the boat will be gone!"

"Hey, if we don't get the boat back…!" Usopp realized the gravity of the situation. "If it's really gone in this huge forest, it'll be very difficult to locate it!"

"Wait, Usopp!" Sanji tried to keep the sniper from running off. "If we don't stick together, the result will be the same!" The cook turned to his captain. "Luffy!"

"Go stop the boat!"

"And you?!"

The straw-hat wearing boy grinned. "I'll go take down that orb guy!"

"Huhuhhuh! I don't think so! I have luck and honor on my side! Huhuh!"

Aurora spread her wings, taking off after Sanji and Usopp. "Keep him distracted, Luffy! But don't get too reckless!"

The angel soared up high, faintly hearing her captain call out an attack. She hurriedly weaved in and out of the trees, trying to spot their vessel amongst the various milky roads.

"Hey! Do you see it?!" Sanji yelled.

"Yeah!" Usopp answered back, perched high up in one of the trees. "Found it!"

"Point me there!"

"Right above you!" Usopp guided the cook. "First you have to get up the tree in front of you! Then jump down from a branch to reach the ship!"

"I got it!" Sanji leapt, narrowly avoiding being hit. "This tree!"

"Huah!" Satori appeared. "Go, "Surprise Cloud Sniping Attack!"

"Get away from them!" Aurora swooped down, flinging razor sharp feathers at the priest. "Sanji, watch out! There's an orb flying towards you!"

"What?! Then what is Luffy doing?" The cook's eye widened as the ball got closer, knowing he wouldn't be able to climb out of the way in time.

Aurora thrust a hand out as it got closer, a shield surrounding the blonde-haired man. But something happened that none of them were expecting. The ball swiftly changed course, heading back towards Usopp.

"Ah! He was after me!" the sniper lurched, body falling off the branch of the tree. Unfortunately, he wasn't completely able to dodge. The tip of his nose brushed the orb. 'Ah! It's going to blow…'

Aurora shifted, throwing up her other hand to form a shield in front of Usopp. Turned out there was no point in doing so. A small pink flower popped out of the ball. There was no explosion.

"Oooh~~~~ Wrong guess!" Satori was smug.

"Gyaah, shouldn't have run!" Usopp screamed, the sniper unable to stop his rapid descent. Before he hit the ground, Aurora was able to dive underneath him. Her body cushioned the blow, the angel crying out in pain as she landed atop a tree root. She was unable to maintain her hold on Usopp. The sniper fell out of her arms, rolling to a stop just mere feet away.

"You bastard!" Luffy made a reappearance, charging towards the portly priest. "Gomu Gomu…!" He propelled himself off a ball, aiming for Satori. "GATLING GUN!"

"Huhuhuh!" Satori merely laughed, dodging the attack.

"Luffy, stop!" Sanji shouted, realizing that the boy was instead punching the cloud balls. "Don't hit those orbs!"

"Huhuhuhuh~~~~!"

"…Eh?" Luffy seemed to realize what he'd done as the balls bounced sporadically off the trees. "What? What? What?!"

"Oh no. It's too late!" Usopp shrieked.

"They're gonna come at you from all directions!" Sanji cried.

"Huhuhuhuh! You people are very interesting!"

"Wah!" Sanji barely dodged two balls that had headed his way. "Arrows and crabs?!"

"Oh! Four at once!" Usopp was petrified. Something popped out of one. "A bird?!"

Three more birds emerged from the remaining orbs, each singing a note. They then proceeded to beat up Usopp.

"Gyaaaah!"

A large ball of yellow energy flew past, blasting the birds away. Usopp jerked his head up, coming face to face with an angry Aurora. The angel glared down at the incapacitated birds, knocking one out again when it started to stir.

"Hot!" Luffy bellowed, the boy having caught on fire. "Hot! Hot! Water, water! River! River!" He jumped, attempting to land in the water, but instead ended up in the mouth of a large fish. "Waaah!" Luffy launched himself several feet in the air to get away, the fire now having spread to the fish. The boy came back down, falling through the milky road. "Ah, I fell through!"

"Luffy! Don't fall into that river!" Sanji grew alarmed. "It may be bottomless!"

"Eh?!" Luffy swung his arm out, managing to grab hold of a nearby vine. "Ku! AH~~~~~~~ YAH YAH~~~~~~!"

"Let go of it! You idiot!"

"Luffy!" Aurora flew after the swinging boy, attempting to grab hold of him.

"Ah! I remember! I still have that trick! Time for me to use that! New weapon, "Usopp Ah~~~Yah Yah~~~!" The sniper peered through his binoculars. "Perfect! The boat is right over there! I can get there! Setup!" Usopp fixed a belt around his waist, a grappling hook soon launched from it.

"Oh?" Satori took notice. "What is he trying to…?!"

Usopp gripped the rope in his hands. "Okay! I'll go in a straight path! If I miss this chance… the ship will get deeper into the forest and all will be lost!"

"Heh!" Sanji smirked in approval. "That's pretty good! Watch for the orbs!"

"I won't fail! Call me the King of the Forest!" He swung. "Usopp~~~~… Ah~~~~~ Yaah Yah~~~~!" The momentum the sniper gained got him close enough to the small vessel.

"Nice! It's perfect. Jump, and stop the boat!" Sanji cheered.

"Oh…?!"

Usopp fumbled with the rope, trying to detach himself. "Oh yeah! I forgot! The rope is fixed on the belt. I can't jump down!" He swung back to where he'd started, trying to reach out and grab hold of a tree branch.

Suddenly, Aurora found that she had more than just Luffy to chase after. Her captain continued to swing merrily along, whilst Usopp attempted to try and get back in the direction of the boat.

Sanji was ticked. "We need to talk."

With a frustrated growl, Aurora blasted the rope and vine that held the two boys up, swooping down to catch them as they fell. She deposited them none too gently next to Sanji. The angered cook proceeded to beat them up.

He sat down with a huff, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "I'll forget what just happened, but now you listen to my orders!"

"Yes! Sorry!"

"I'm really sorry!"

"…Now then, forget about the boat for now-"

"Sanji, are you sure?" Aurora interrupted the blonde. "I might still be able to fly after it."

"No. Sorry Aurora, but you won't stand a chance. Not as long as that daruma is still around."

The angel heaved a sigh, but nodded in understanding.

"Alright. Let's all-"

Satori suddenly appeared, thrusting a palm into Sanji's chest. The cook couldn't do anything to stop it. A garbled sound escaped him, blood pouring from his mouth. He collapsed.

"SANJI!"

"Life is pain…" Satori turned to his remaining prey. "Now then… three to go."


"This year's… pumpkin harvest is nice."

"Yes… I really do not know how to thank you… I apologize for causing you trouble…"

Gan Fall looked up from his gardening. "You would have been in danger and been treated like criminals… this is just my service. In here, not even Eneru's mantra can find you." The former God went back to watering. "How is Angel Island?"

"Yes…?" Pagaya wasn't sure what he meant.

Someone chuckled, a woman emerging from the house. She was middle-aged, dark berry hair styled in the typical Skypiean manner with the rest flowing down her back. Her dark lavender eyes shone with amusement. "I believe he means the produce. How was this year's harvest?"

"…Oh… It was very good." Pagaya answered, still unable to believe the company he was in. Not only was Gan Fall, the former God, here… but so was Rose, Aurora's mother, whom most had long thought dead. Turns out that the Sky Knight had brought her here for protection after Eneru took Aurora.

"Oh? That is nice." Gan Fall replied.

Rose leaned down, offering a cup to Pagaya. "Here. Pumpkin juice from the garden."

"It is quite delicious." The Sky Knight chimed.

"Excuse me. I will have a taste then." He turned to his daughter. "Conis! Conis! You too come try some!"

The girl didn't respond, but stopped in the middle of the tune she'd been playing on her harp.

"…Little girl, in the Blue Seas there are people called "pirates". Did you know that?" Gan Fall asked.

"…No, I didn't…"

"They are criminals who sail on the Blue Seas. They would put a black flag with drawings of a skull in the middle of their ships." Gan Fall explained. "The Strawhat and the others… are probably pirates."

"Eh?!" Pagaya couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You mean they have been criminals from the start?!"

Rose crossed her arms. "I highly doubt that, considering my daughter has been traveling with them."

"…Heh heh…" Gan Fall chuckled nervously. "Um… they are more like "people who don't follow rules…" There are different kinds of people in different worlds!" He trailed off. "…Between you two and them, what is the difference? It isn't unusual… to put it to an extreme… a hero during a war would be just another murderer in peaceful times. I had friends who were pirates, too. About 20 years ago, when I was still God, he came to visit me… He was a very open and affable person. I regretted having to part with him."

Rose smiled sadly, knowing just how the Sky Knight felt. Not a day went by that she didn't think of Akihiko. The man may have been a pirate, but he had been one of the kindest people she'd ever met. Not all of them were the same.

"Even though it does not seem that way, Skypiea has always been a warring country…" Gan Fall continued. "It is between us, "the citizens of the sky" and the ones we call the raiders… the people of Shandia. It is a never-ending war… even now, Shandia challenges Eneru."

"Yes, there is still war…" Rose began. "But when you were God, you tried your hardest to achieve peace with Shandia. You gave people hope that you could put an end to the war that had gone on for centuries… but…"

"Yes, when we almost had peace… Eneru took over as God. I apologize… everything came to nothing…"

Pagaya shook his head. "Ah! You do not need to apologize…!"

"…There was a legend in Skypiea…" Gan Fall began another tale. "Long ago, on the day that the Upper Yard was born, the island sang a beautiful song, heard throughout the country. As if to signal it, the war between the citizens of the sky and Shandia started. Thus, when we hear that song of the island once again… this war will end."

"The song of the island…" Conis finally spoke.

Gan Fall smiled. "Yes, that's when the Holy Land… sings once again. Surely someday…"

"Pieh Pieh~~~~! Pieh Pieh~~~~!"

Rose spun, eyes wide in concern at Pierre's cries. "Oh no! Did somebody blow the whistle?!" The Skypiean had been told everything concerning her daughter's return, including how Gan Fall had left them a whistle in case of an emergency. She could only watch as the older man hopped atop his companion to go help, praying her daughter was all right.

"Please watch my home! I am off to work! Let's go Pierre!"

"Pieh Pieh~~~~!"

The group merely watched them go.

Conis finally moved, heading over and picking up the glass of pumpkin juice. "…Wow. Father… this pumpkin juice is really delicious."

"Yes…" Pagaya worked on the waver he'd brought with him. "It tastes better than anything…"

Rose smiled, heading back inside the house. "Why don't I grab us some more?"


"Is that well really that significant?"

Kai glanced at the swordsman. "To her it is."

"…I've never thought that one would be buried under a tree." Robin crouched down, examining the well. "There is no sense of balance between nature and civilization."

"…Nonetheless, if we can't figure out a way to cross this river, there is no way to enter that forest. We won't see God at this rate."

"Maybe this is a sign we shouldn't be seeing God in the first place!" Kai griped.

Zoro ignored the fallen angel. "Hey, Nami!" He called up to the navigator. "See anything from up there?"

"…The island where God lives… Upper Yard…" she murmured to herself.

"Hey, why don't you say anything? Is God there?"

"What do you see?" Robin called to her.

Kai sighed in annoyance. "I'll go check on her." He released his wings, flying up to where Nami was. "Hey, firecracker!"

"Can it be? This island is…" Nami trailed off.


"Huhuhuhuh~~! Huhuhu~~~! The end is near… rest in peace! I am God's priest. You can never win!"

Aurora growled, slamming her shoulder against the orb. She didn't know how, but Satori had managed to trap her inside one of his orbs, effectively cutting her off from her friends. She could sense their auras, that fact at least giving her some peace of mind. They were still alive… but for how much longer? Aurora blasted at her prison, but her holy powers had no effect from the inside. She needed something to hit it from the outside so it could burst, but there was no chance of that happening as long as Satori remained perched atop the orb.

The angel went to ram her shoulder again when she froze. Aurora had spent plenty of time around Gan Fall growing up, so no matter how far away he was in Skypiea, she'd always been able to sense him. And she'd felt him just now, here, in Upper Yard. His aura grew considerably weaker.

'He's hurt…' Aurora realized. 'Why would he come here? Unless…' It hit her. 'Someone blew the whistle. That has to be it!'

"Don't have anymore tricks, do you?!" Satori's voice rang out. "Your boat is going to exit this forest soon! When that happens, you're completely doomed! Huhuhuh~~~! Unless you guys can fly like birds, you will never leave this place!"

'He's right!' Aurora thought, resuming her efforts to break free. 'I'm the only one of us who can fly. I have to get out of here and locate the boat!'

"You will wander around in this forest… until you die. Huhuhuhuh~~~~~!"

Luffy tried to attack the man. "I won't let that happen!"

"Huhuh, it will happen!" Satori dodged. "Behold the surprising orb illusion! Orb Dragon!"

"Wah!" Luffy jumped to the left, narrowly avoiding the dragon that Satori had made with his orbs.

"Huh~Huhuhuh! Which one is the fire orb? Please wait and see!" the priest laughed. "The orb dragon is made of surprise clouds that contain bombs and surprise clouds that contain blades! If you touch the ones that contain bombs, it's all over! The explosion will cause a chain reaction and its huge body will cause a humongous explosion!"

"WAAAAAAAAH!" Luffy ran.

'Perfect chance…!' Usopp saw an opportunity, Luffy effectively distracting the priest. He snuck off to locate the boat. 'I'll leave it to you, Luffy!'

"GYYYYAAAAAAAAAH!" Luffy ran up the side of a tree, vaulting over the dragon's head and wrapping himself around the rope that Satori used to control it. "Ah!"

"What?!"

"Ah! So you're using this rope to control it!" Luffy made the connection. He snapped the rope in half. "Then I'll just do this!"

"Ah! I can't control the dragon! That little brat!" Satori yanked on the length of rope he still held. "You! Get over here!"

"Eh!" Luffy held tight, keeping a grip on the orb dragon. "Waaaaahh!"

Satori gawked. "Huh! Release the grip on the other hand!"

Luffy refused, the priest unable to dodge as the Straw Hat captain came upon him. A large explosion went off, decimating the immediate area. Weapons of every kind littered the ground, some protruding from the trees. Inside her orb, Aurora began to panic. If she'd managed to survive the explosion, then that meant Satori had too.

She punched and kicked and blasted at her prison, but to no avail. 'I have to get out of here! The others could be hurt! Satori might have won! I need to… GET… OUT!'

"Hah… hah… hah… hah… that was dangerous…!" Satori panted, the priest having been able to avoid getting caught up in the explosion. "…What an unbelievable idiot…! Wait. Perhaps he was actually planning to sacrifice himself!"

Thunder began to rumble in the distance, streaks of lightning beginning to paint the sky.

Satori was too caught up in his own thoughts to notice. "…Damn… my training is not complete…! He messed up my rhythm in an instant. If I can't concentrate just because of small things like that, I can't use "Mantra"…!"

"Aya…" a nearby voice caught the priest off guard. "That was really dangerous."

He swiveled his head around, finding Luffy attached to his back. "YOU'RE NOT DEAD! Let go of me!"

A large crack of thunder sounded just above the two, both priest and pirate glancing skyward. There was a bright flash of light, and then…

Satori and Luffy both shouted out in fright as a bolt of lightning headed for them. The priest bounced from atop the orb he resided on, Luffy still clinging to his back. Mere seconds later, the orb was struck, a secondary explosion rocking the area.

Satori froze. 'W… Was that Eneru? But that makes no sense. Why would he order us to bring the girl in alive if he was just going to kill her…?'

A figure slowly became visible amongst the dissipating smoke. It was Aurora. The angel shook in exhaustion and fear, managing to lower herself onto a nearby tree branch. She leaned heavily against the trunk, taking no notice of the astonished look Satori sent her way. Her gaze was skyward, watching as the remnants of lightning began to vanish.

'Just like Alabasta…' she thought.

Aurora was aware that she'd caused the lightning. It was the same as what had transpired in her fight with Kai. But knowing she was the reason behind the attack did nothing to quell her fear of the element. The only upside was that it got her out of the orb… though it did sap her strength in the process.

"Don't let go, Luffy…!"

Aurora managed to turn her head, sighing in relief when she caught sight of Sanji perched atop a nearby orb.

"Don't let that meatball move, no matter what…"

"You…!" Satori became increasingly alarmed. He hadn't expected the trial to go this way. If anything, the boys should've been dead by now and Aurora well on her way to Eneru.

"Ah, Sanji." Luffy took note of the cook. "You're still alive?!"

"No thanks to you! Check the surroundings before you do explosive stuff like that!" He lit a new cigarette. "Oh well… now then… meatball man… you kept talking about trial, but honestly, we are completely innocent. I don't care that we have to go through this damn trial… because there are two helpless ladies awaiting my rescue. In other words…" The cook glared. "This is… a trial of love!"

Satori couldn't speak. 'Is this guy an idiot, too…?!' The priest cried out when Luffy wrapped his rubbery appendages around him. "Damn you…! Let go! You're really despicable! This is a 2 on 1!"

"Kidnapping our friend, making the cute angel cry, and then trying to kill her! You're in no place to call use cheap."

"Yeah! That's right." Luffy agreed. "It's really cool that you can read our movements, but if you can't avoid it, there's no point in mind reading! Heheheh!"

"Ah! You idiots!" Satori squirmed. "Stop! Idiots! I am a God's priest! Let go of me! Hey, you hear me?! In this country, if you are not judged by a priest you become a 1st class criminal! Understand? Attacking me… is the same as declaring war with the almighty God Eneru!"

Aurora stood, glaring at the man. "Perhaps it's time somebody did!"

"Shut your mouth or the flavor will escape. For example, if you want to cook using pepper, the most important thing is to brutally, swiftly, and completely dice the pepper!" Sanji geared up for an attack. "That way, the amazing flavor…"

"Wah! Stop idiot!"

"Will be released… swiftly into the powders!"

"Ah… ah… ah! Stop! Stop! Pain! It'll hurt a lot! Stop!"

Sanji slammed the heel of his foot into the priest's head. "Concasser Crush!"

Aurora watched as the man crashed into the ground, feeling a smug sense of satisfaction at Satori's defeat.

"LUFFY! SANJI! AURORA!" Usopp's voice rang out. "I FOUND THE BOAT! HURRY! IT'LL LEAVE THE FOREST SOON! HURRY!"

"Oh… isn't that Usopp?" Sanji saw the sniper first. "It seems that guy is alright. I thought he was blown into bits because he disappeared after the explosion. Heh."

"Oh! He said something about the boat! Let's hurry and get there!" Luffy began to head in that direction. "He actually found it."

Aurora swooped down behind the two boys, hauling them into the air. "Let's go!"

"This is bad…!" Usopp chased after the boat. "That upward road must be the exit!" He turned to yell at the others. "Hey-"

Aurora cut the sniper off, flying directly at him. "Grab on! I'll fly us up there!"

He flailed momentarily in surprise before hurriedly doing as told. The angel grunted at the extra weight, but flapped her wings hard, trying to get up to where the boat was sailing. Aurora was not used to carrying this many people. She could barely fly with one person! The angel could feel her grip on the boys beginning to slip and flapped her wings in one large movement, catching the air she needed to ascend higher into the sky. Thankfully, she managed to get right above the boat when her hold broke. The three boys crashed onto the tiny vessel, groaning in pain.

Aurora eased herself in next to them, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry…"

Dial boat Karasu-Maru and its crew safely passed the Forest of Illusion… and now they sail on to Upper Yard…


"Oi, Nami! Just tell me, what did you see?"

"Never mind that!" the navigator told the swordsman. "Just shut up and follow me! Somehow we must get out to the coast!" Nami stuck her hand out, needing help to maneuver from branch to branch. "…Give me a hand."

Zoro sweatdropped. "Normally, aren't people who say "follow me" supposed to be in the front?"

Kai rolled his eyes at the hot-tempered girl, grabbing her around the waist and jumping onto the branch Robin and Zoro presided on. Nami let out a shriek of terror at the sudden movement. The fallen angel struggled to escape her ironclad grip, the navigator having wrapped herself around him for fear of falling.

Robin blinked slowly at the display. "…So we'll know everything once we get to the coast, right?"

"Yes!" Kai grunted out, still unable to detach Nami. "We have to get closer to make sure… because even I can't believe what we saw!"


Moments Later…

"Haa… ha… look!" Nami sidled up to the structure. "Haven't we seen this before?"

Zoro was shocked. "…What the…? Wasn't that on the ground…? Is it the same one?"

"…No, it isn't!" Robin realized. "This is the other half of the one down there."

"Which means this island used to be on the ground…" Kai added. "Thought it was strange that this place wasn't made out of clouds."

"…I was wondering at first, because that house was two stories high…" Nami breathed. "But there were no stairs to get to the 2nd floor… and there was no reason to build a house on a seaside cliff like that… unless that cliff by the sea is the point of connection with this island!"

"Eh?! It's just a wooden board?"

"What?"

"The house was really only half… the rest was plywood."

"This is the other half of the island. This island… was originally Jaya!"

"…So for some reason… that island split in two… and this half came to the sky." Zoro deduced.

"It was on the ground… but the golden city Noland found didn't sink! For 400 years… Jaya had always been… floating in the sky…!" Nami abruptly cheered. "Woohah~~~~~~~~~! Thank you, oh God~~~~~! Ah… the place we tried so hard to reach… was actually the golden city… this must be my reward for being so good."

Kai sweatdropped. "Weren't you just afraid of God?"

"God?! Aiya… who cares about God?! Are they worth more than money?!"

Robin sweatdropped as well. "…Weren't you just saying "Thank you, oh God"…?"

"Straighten your thoughts…" Zoro griped.


"Where are we now?"

"It's the next trial." Aurora answered the Straw Hat captain. "There'll be another priest, so be careful!"

"What…? One trial is enough, damn it!" Usopp cursed. "Is it String?! Iron?! Swamp?!"

"It's just an average looking plain."

Aurora shook her head forlornly. "No… look more closely. See those poles? See what's atop them? They're human skulls."

Luffy peered over the side of the boat. "Ah! They are!"

"Oh?" Sanji saw something off to the left.

Luffy caught sight of it too. "Eh?! Something is coming!"

Usopp wailed. "IT APPEARED!"

Aurora could only watch with wide eyes, everything seeming to go in slow motion. Four figures soared over their tiny vessel. Three of them the angel was not familiar with. The one in the center… she knew all too well. They made eye contact and Aurora found herself whispering his name. "Wyper…"

The Shandian glared, flipping around and aiming his bazooka at the group. He let off a shot.

"That bastard!" Luffy jumped in the path of the projectile. "Gomu Gomu…!"

Wyper's eyes widened in shock when Luffy's body began to expand. "Paramecia…! A devil power user?"

"BALLOON!" The cannonball bounced off of Luffy, sent back in the direction it came from.

Wyper's companions stopped. "Wyper! Shall we engage?"

"No! Ignore them!"

"Hey, Luffy." Sanji recognized the man. "He's the masked raider we met in the White Sea!"

"Hey, what's your problem?!" Luffy shouted. "Want to fight?!"

"Giyah!"

Aurora slammed a hand over her captain's mouth. "Luffy, no! We're not his targets! Don't get into unnecessary fights!" The angel turned to address the Shandian. "Wyper, please-"

"Shut up, traitor!" he growled, Aurora flinching back at the hatred that laced his words. Wypers's gaze landed on the other three. "So you're the ones… the citizens of the Blue Seas that caused a racket in Skypiea… if you don't want to die, go back to the Blue Sea." He glanced at Aurora. "And take that bitch with you. If you try to do anything weird on this island… I'll treat you like Eneru, and eliminate you too!"

"Bastard!" Luffy tried to lunge, Usopp barely able to hold him back. "What did you say?! C'mon and fight!"

"Stop! Don't say any more!" the sniper wailed. "Ah!"

"What did you call my sweet angel?!" Sanji roared, Aurora having to wrestle the cook down. "Get over here so I can kick your ass!"

"Sanji, stop it! It's fine! They're just words!" the angel pumped holy energy into the blonde's body, attempting to calm him. She chanced a glance back at Wyper.

"…That is, if you have the strength to escape from here." The Shandian added as an afterthought, his group abruptly taking their leave.

Luffy glared. "…What's their problem?!"

Aurora sucked in a deep breath, releasing it heavily. "They're not too fond of outsiders… or Skypieans, for that matter."

"…One thing is for sure. They're God Eneru's enemy… but are they our enemy too?"

"Damn it… What's this island's problem?" Usopp moaned.

Aurora glanced back at the boys. "As long as we don't get in their way, we shouldn't have any problems with Wyper or the rest of the Shandians."

"Aurora…" Sanji gave the angel a questioning look. "That guy… How do you two know each other? And why does he hate you so much?"

"Wyper and I… we were… I guess you could say friends. He liked me better than the other Skypieans, at least. But then… there was a misunderstanding, and things just fell apart."

"…Does it have to do with Eneru?"

Aurora didn't say anything, but the look on her face was answer enough for the cook. The angel turned away from the boys, a clear sign she was done with this particular conversation. "…Let's just move on…"


Much Later…

"Wah~~~~ Ha Ha! This is great. Go Karasu-Maru! It's so fun sailing on the Milky Road~~~~! We've been sailing for a long time!"

"Yeah. Plus, nothing happened in that plain after all…"

Aurora glanced back in the direction they'd come from. "We have Wyper and the others to thank for that. No doubt their attack on Upper Yard is keeping the priests distracted. Hopefully, it'll be smooth sailing."

"…It's getting dark… the sunset is behind the cloud, can't see it…"

"There is sunset on Sky Island, too…"


"CHOPPER?! WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT HAPPENED?! CHOPPER?!"

"The mast of Going Merry is gone…" Zoro observed. "What kind of weird repair did he do?"

Kai sent the swordsman a bewildered look. "Repair? Think it's pretty obvious that he was attacked."

"…CHOPPER?!" Nami called for the reindeer again. "WE'RE SORRY FOR BEING LATE! ARE YOU HERE?! ANSWER ME! CHOPPER!"

"…Did the attacker chop him into pieces?" Robin wondered.

Nami whirled on the woman. "Don't make up scary thoughts like that!"

"Oi, Chopper!" Zoro began to shout. "Where the heck are you?! What happened here?!"

Kai rubbed his ears. "Would you quit shouting? I can sense him on the ship. Just give him a minute. He's terrified out of his mind."

A small figure shuffled into view. "…I… I wasn't scared." The tears streaming down the reindeer's face said otherwise.

"…I understand." Nami sweatdropped. "Be strong! Tell us everything that happened!"

"OH?! LOOK! IT'S GOING MERRY!" a voice rang out. "THAT'S THE ALTAR!"

"Oh!"

"Ah!"

"YAH~~~~~~~! NAMI~~~~ ROBIN~~~ I HAVE FINALLY PASSED THE TRIAL OF LOVE~~~ AHAHAHA~~~!" Sanji crooned.

Aurora shook her head in exasperation.

"What… that was the trial we needed to pass?"

"Were you scared?! Well Captain Usopp is here. You can relax now!"

Nami smiled, sighing in relief. "They seem full of spirit… that's good."


"The mast… it's gone…!"

"…Ah… that… Usopp, I'm sorry…" Chopper apologized. "I was fighting very hard… but they burned a bunch of things…"

"Are your wounds okay?" the sniper turned to the reindeer.

"Eh?! Oh… yeah."

"A lance that burns stuff? That's one tough opponent…! Good thing the one that got burned wasn't you! Hahahah! We'll deal with the ship later."

"…Huh!" Chopper was surprised by the sniper's attitude, but also motivated. "I will become a dependable man!"

"Hey, Chopper!" Luffy interrupted his moment. "Where's that weird Ossan?! He was hurt too, wasn't he?"

"Yeah! The Knight of the Sky…!"

The group ventured into the galley, Aurora already kneeling on the floor beside Gan Fall. The angel clasped one of his hands between hers, trying to use her holy powers to heal him as best she could. After all the man had done for her throughout her life, this was the least she could do for him.

Luffy crouched down on the opposite side. "He would try that hard… just for a free whistle he gave us…?!"

"If the Knight of the Sky didn't come, the ship and I would've been goners." Chopper explained.

Aurora blinked back tears. "He's willing to help those in need… even if it means putting his life on the line…" The angel reached out, slapping Luffy's hand away when he began to toy with Gan Fall's beard.

"There are a lot of things I want to ask him… I'll just wait until he wakes up!" Sanji turned to Pierre. "Thanks to you, too!"

"Pieh~~~~"

"With the ship like this, and the sky getting dark… we'll have to wait until tomorrow to go back to Angel Island." The cook pointed out. "Anyways, let's just go ashore in the forest. We'll go camping next to the lake! If something happens, it'll be a better place to fight, too!"

"WOOHOO~~~! YEAH! CAMPING~~~~~! PARTY~~~~~~~~~!"

Usopp's jaw dropped. "Eh?! Wait. We're in enemy territory! How can we go camping…?"


"Ooookay… thanks for everyone's report. Good work! With everyone's information, many things became clear." Usopp proclaimed. "However, the most important information is this! This island is actually the golden city that the Saruyama United Armed Force had been trying to find!"

"WOW! REALLY?!" Luffy exclaimed.

Nami grew annoyed. "Uh… I was reporting that earlier!"

"What about the mantra thing?" Zoro brought up.

"I only know that he used it to predict our next moves." Sanji answered. "Chopper, should it be finer?"

The reindeer turned. "Yes. Make it so that he can drink it… because his gullet has been injured."

Off to the side, Aurora and Pierre watched the unconscious man with concern.

Kai eyed the true angel closely. The others might've played off her behavior as part of her good nature, but he knew otherwise. The way she hovered over the old man in worry... it was the way a person worried over a loved one.

'And that brief interaction they had when we first arrived… they definitely know each other. But how? Are they friends? Maybe… family?'

"Gold, eh?!" Luffy's excited voice interrupted Kai's train of thought. "I've been waiting for an adventure like this!"

"Yup." Nami winked. "If you're interested, makes things easier."

Usopp began to sweat. "Oi, oi, Luffy! Did you forget… that raider's warning?!"

"The God will be angry!" Chopper added.

Robin laughed. "Heheh… sounds interesting…!"

"Searching for gold while evading the enemy?" Kai grinned. "Sounds chaotic… I'm in!"

Sanji was in too. "Nonetheless, with treasure up for grabs, pirates won't stay silent. Yeah?!"

"With plenty of enemies…! This is a game of survival!" Zoro smirked.

Aurora glanced over at her friends, not the least bit surprised that the mention of gold and adventure would sway them to stay. But it hurt that it seemed to make them forget her situation. Sure, she'd only told Luffy, Sanji and Usopp so far, but…

"YOOOOOOOOOSH! IT'S DECIDED! WE'LL GO AND FIND GOLD!"


"…" Luffy rolled over in frustration. "This job is so boring!"

Sanji gave the boy a cursory glance. "You don't have to keep staring at it. When you see water in the container, pour the water into the bottles. That's all you need to do! We have to make sure everyone has water tomorrow!"

"Sanji! We found a lot of stuff." Chopper called out, having returned from a quick trek with Zoro.

"Ah! Good work."

The reindeer held up a basket. "There are walnuts, aloe, bananas, garlic…"

"Rats and frogs." Zoro held up his catches.

"Great. Throw them all into the stew."

"Hold it!" Nami screeched. "There's some weird ones mixed in there."

"That's true…" Sanji sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I was careless. You don't like garlic?"

"No, no, no! Not that!"

"Oi, Firecracker! Take a look at what Nico and I found!"

Nami turned, ready to give the fallen angel a tongue lashing when she saw the object Robin held. "Wow, Robin, what's that blue rock you found?! Is it a gemstone?!"

"…Haha, it's pretty, right? But no, that's not what it is."

"Oh!" Sanji recognized what it was. "Is that crystallized salt? What a good find, Robin."

"Nico and I found it by the shore."

"We thought it would be useful…"

Sanji gushed. "Of course! In the game of survival, salt is very important!"

"I'll take aloe and some garlic. Aloe for burn wounds and garlic for disinfectant…" Chopper prattled. "These will be helpful to the Knight of the Sky."

Aurora perked up at having heard that, making her way over to the reindeer to help out.

"Uh-huh. What about the frogs?" Zoro asked.

"Don't need frogs."

"Hey, Zoro!" Sanji got the swordsman's attention. "Get over here and help!"

"Gr…" Zoro growled, balancing a hot rock atop his blades at Sanji's behest. "My swords were not made for this type of thing…"

"Shut up. Obey the chef or starve!"

He dropped the rock into the stew.

"Eeeeeeeeeh?! We eat the rock too?!" Luffy had never seen such a thing. "Does it taste good?"

"Of course not!" Sanji placed the lid atop the pot. "This is "scorched-stone stew". That is, we use the heat from the rock to cook the food in the pot. Stew is great! All the nutrients are retained in the broth."

"…Okay. Finished! Alright, everyone!" Nami got the other's attention. "Let's do a mission-briefing and make a battle plan for tomorrow!"

"Okay!"


"This is delicious~~~~! This stew."

"Didn't you just eat an entire roasted sky shark?!"

"Yeah, but that was just a snack!"

"Everyone here?" Nami's gaze roved around the circle, making sure everyone was in attendance. "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 asked as he passed by.

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

"What with the size of it… it's not weird." Usopp quipped, accepting a bowl of stew from Sanji.

"Just one thing: We went to the forest in Jaya before, and those two forests are too different to have been the same forest." Zoro pointed out.

"Hmm…" Robin mulled over the swordsman's words. "That is likely due to the strange substances inside the sea cloud and island cloud. The strange substances seem to abnormally enhance the plants and animals growth rates. If that's so, this theory can justify the ruins of civilization that were swallowed by the forest."

"The southbird that saved us was this big!" Chopper held his arms out wide to indicate its size.

"Yeah, about that…" Sanji tossed a bowl of stew to Zoro, who barely managed to catch it. "Why did those southbirds save you?"

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

At this, Aurora choked on her stew.

Kai stared at her warily. "You alright there, your holiness?"

"F…Fine." She answered, refusing to make eye contact. "Just went down the wrong way."

"God?!" Luffy glanced back at the old man. "So then, I just have to beat up that old guy?!"

"Of course not! You idiotic bastard!" Usopp grumbled.

"Anyways, let's think back on the information on the golden city…" Nami got the conversation back on track. "That we read in Noland's diary!"

Luffy raised his hand. "Oooh, me! He saw gold!"

"Duh, moron!" Usopp chided.

"There was something about some huge "bell-shaped gold"… then something about the southbird…" Sanji attempted to remember.

"On the last page of the diary, there is something very unclear…" Robin pointed out. "The things he wrote before he died. It was, "I saw gold in the right eye of the skull"."

"That's it!" Nami declared. "Take a look at this! I combined the map that Robin found in Jaya… with the ancient map of Skypiea. When I combine them at the point of Cricket's home…" She laid the finished product out. "Look! This is Jaya… 400 years ago!"

"Oh! It looks like a skull!"

It was true. The two maps combined together and laid out vertically showed that Jaya was once the shape of a skull.

"…Amazing!" Usopp was in awe. "So then, the "skull's right eye" is…"

Nami pointed to the map of Skypiea. "This place! Noland meant the whole of the island's body! But the island was split in half, so it was impossible to solve the riddle."

"…What? So that's it…" Usopp couldn't believe it was that simple.

"I see…!" Zoro understood.

Luffy shouted out in excitement. "Treasure!"

Nami pointed to a spot on the map. "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." The navigator adjusted her glasses. "There is no doubt about it! There's some huge amount of gold waiting for us here!"

'And so much more…' Aurora thought forlornly. She wanted desperately to tell the others what they were getting into, but found she couldn't. The angel had already told Usopp, Sanji and Luffy about being from Skypiea, not to mention her connection to Eneru. The mere thought of gold had seemed to make them forget though. It's like they thought that since the crew was back together, they were no longer in danger. But Aurora knew that wasn't true. Outsiders being in God's Land meant certain death. It was only a matter of time before one of the priests or Eneru came after them.

So why couldn't she get the words out? Why couldn't she tell them the truth?

'Because I'm still a coward…'


"Phew~~~ I'm full~~~ I'm full~~~ Tomorrow's gold!"

"Will it be sunny?!"

"I guess; we're above the clouds."

"It's getting late." Robin glanced at the darkening sky. "If we don't put out the fire we're not using, we will expose our position to the enemy."

"Stupid…." Luffy shook his head. "Did you hear that, Usopp? She wants to put out the fire!"

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

The woman was confused. "…What do you mean?"

"Lighting a campfire is an obvious thing, yeah?!"

"It's the way of life to have campfire on a camping night, even if we die tonight."

Kai's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "You two are the stupid ones! Do you even realize how dangerous this forest is?!"

"No." Luffy answered.

"He's right!" Nami was on Kai's side. "There are those priests! Guerillas, too! Plus, forests are always very dangerous at night! There are beasts and monsters!"

Chopper froze. "Monster?!"

"You! Luffy!" Zoro gestured. "How's this for a woodpile?"

Nami glared at the stockpile the swordsman and cook had gathered. "Not you, too?!"

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

The navigator shivered when multiple sets of eyes appeared in the darkness. "Behind you, behind you! There are some things here already!"


"Oooh! You guys dance well, too~~~~~!"

"Yah haha hahaa!" a drunk Nami laughed merrily as she danced around the fire.

Luffy danced as well, mimicking the wolves that had joined them in celebration. "Owooo owooo ouwwwwwwwww~~~~!"

"Wooooh awooo awooo~~~~~!" the wolves howled.

Usopp banged a drum. "Dance! Dance! This is pre-gold-hunting dancing ritual~~~!"

"The treasure will be ours~~!"

"Gold!"

Robin, who chose not to join the festivities, merely watched in amusement. Zoro had done the same, sitting a few feet away from the older woman and drinking from a bottle of rum. High up above, Aurora lounged in one of the large trees, unable to bring herself to enjoy the party. The angel just wanted time alone.

Unfortunately… it wasn't meant to be.

Kai flew up to where the true angel was perched, plopping himself down a couple feet from where she leaned against the trunk. "Somebody's in a bad mood."

Aurora cracked an eye open in annoyance. "Go away."

"No way. You've been acting weird this entire time and I'm not leaving till I get to the bottom of it."

"Just… drop… it!" Aurora hissed.

"Uh-uh." Kai shook his head. "I wanna know why Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes has been lying this entire trip. You're supposed to be the epitome of all that's good in the world… so why aren't you acting like it? What's your deal, sweetheart? I know it has something to do with this place…" The fallen angel's eyes narrowed. "…You're from here, aren't you?"

Aurora grit her teeth, not wanting to tell Kai of all people the truth… but he'd know if she was lying again. She didn't have much of a choice. "If I am?"

Kai smirked. "Then I'd say I'm intrigued. What is it about this place that has your panties in a bunch?"

She said nothing at first, gazing up to the star-studded sky. "…God."

Kai blinked, not sure what to make of that answer. "Uh… hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but… based off what I've heard, you're not the only one afraid of him."

"…I have more reason to be afraid of him than anyone else."

"Why's that?"

"Because…" Aurora choked, not wanting to say the words out loud. "I… I'm…"

"You're what?" Kai was getting impatient. "Spit it out!"

"I'm his queen…" The words came out as a broken whisper.

Kai's jaw dropped, the fallen angel not expecting that answer. He had so many questions, thoughts swirling in his head… but he couldn't seem to make the words come out. He didn't need to though. With that admission, Aurora suddenly found herself spilling her heart out to the man who'd once tried to kill her.

"I didn't ask for any of this. Everything was fine, and then he just showed up one day and took over. Eventually, Eneru found out about me and what I really was… and he took me for his own. To him, I was a prize that he needed to have." Aurora turned her head, tears streaming from her eyes. "I was 14… barely a teenager. He waited a year, until I had grown more, and then…" Her throat constricted. "He… he bound me to him…"

Kai actually started to feel sick. Sure, he was a being of darkness and chaos, but what the true angel was implying… no one should have that thrust upon them at such a young age. The dark-haired man cleared his throat. "You… were forced to marry him?"

Aurora curled in on herself.

"Did he… try anything?"

Her eyes became haunted. "Yes… but my holy powers never allowed him to get close enough to succeed."

Kai swallowed back the bile rising in his throat. Again, he may have been a fallen angel, but even he had some morals. The fact that Eneru had tried to rape Aurora…

"He found other ways to hurt me though." The true angel looked up. "Ever been tortured?"

Kai's eyes widened in alarm. "You're not serious…!"

Aurora nodded. "Think you can understand why I'm not so eager to be here now."

"Damn, sweetheart." He ran a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you say anything to the others? Then this whole trip could've been avoided."

"I couldn't do that to them. They were so excited to come here. Besides, if the lying wasn't already an indication, I don't like talking about that time in my life."

Kai growled in frustration. "You damn true angels! Always wanting to please people! You should've been selfish for once and nipped this whole excursion in the bud! Is your life really worth their happiness?!"

Aurora's downcast gaze was answer enough.

Kai wanted to strangle the girl. He stood, getting ready to fly down to the rest of the crew. "Fine. If you won't say anything-"

Aurora lunged, yanking him back down. "Don't you dare!"

"Seriously?! You pour your heart out to me of all people, but you won't tell the ones you're actually close with?!"

"I did!" Aurora defended, crossing her arms over her chest.

Kai raised a brow in skepticism. "Really?"

The true angel faltered. "I mean… Luffy, Usopp and Sanji know a little bit. I confessed that I was from here and that Eneru had wronged me in the past, but…"

"You didn't go into detail."

She frowned.

Kai threw his hands up in the air, flopping back on the tree branch. "Fine! You know what? I don't care! It's your secret. If you aren't gonna say anything, then I'm not either. It's not my problem. You wanna risk your life, then be my guest. I'm in it for the gold and nothing else. If we leave here without you, it's no skin off my back."

Aurora's frown deepened at the fallen angel's callousness, but she said nothing. Instead, she propped herself back up against the trunk of the tree. Down below, the party raged on, no one the wiser of the conversation that just took place.

A twig snapping caught the two angels attention, the duo glancing down to find that Gan Fall had awaken.

"…Even the cloud wolves have been tamed. Haha… there is probably nobody else that would dare to cause so much noise in Eneru's home…"

"You're awake." Robin eyed the man. "Are you allowed to move around?"

He came to sit between her and Zoro, Pierre not far behind. "Sorry to cause you trouble… I intended to be helpful, but…"

"What do you mean? You've helped enough. Thank you." Zoro told him.

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

Gan Fall waved it off. "Thank you, but I really don't have the appetite."

Luffy finally took notice of their new addition. "Oooh?! Weird old man! You're awake! Thanks for earlier! Come dance with us!"

"Yeah!" Chopper agreed. "Come dance, Knight of the Sky!"

Zoro sweatdropped. "Aren't you a doctor?"

"Oh! Mister, how is Conis?!" Sanji remembered to ask the man. "Is she safe?!"

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

"Really? Great! I had been worrying about them!"

Gan Fall said nothing, watching as the group partied on into the night. "…I overheard your conversations earlier… so this island was originally called Jaya. However… do you know why it is now called the Holy Land?"

"?"

"…For your people, having ground like this is quite typical…" He scooped up a handful of dirt.

"…Oh? Well, yeah…"

"…However, in the sky, this thing was unheard of. Island cloud can nurture plants, but it can't give birth to them. Greenery and soil are not things of the sky. We call this… vearth. For us, it will forever be admiration itself."