Hi, everybody! I hope that everything's good for you. Ready for a new chapter of this One Piece fic. In this chapter, a journey in the forest, meeting with the Shandian, the history of the island and divine plan.

Before starting, I would like to clear up a little detail that someone pointed out about Ash and the fact that he 'hates' Nami. In fact, right now, it's Nami who hates Ash since he spends his time putting her out of herself and making snarky remarks. If Ash does that, it is because he likes pushing people to their limit, making them lose their cool and he quickly understood that Nami is the kind of girl to have a really short fuse, which makes her a perfect target for his extreme teasing. Globally, their relation will get better as time goes by, if that can reassure you. And in case some of you were wondering, I still don't know if he'll have a girlfriend but even if he did, it won't be Nami nor Robin.

And one last thing, I am not the owner of One Piece.

HERE WE GO !

Chapter 5 : Shandora's heir.

Explosions, noise of metal colliding against metal, roaring and even thunderclap. It was all which could be heard in all Upper Yard, because of the battle royale actually taking place on the island, a battle between 3 'teams'. On one side, the Shandians, whose goal was to find and kill Ener, to get back their homeland, lost by their ancestors, although the exact objectives of the group remain rather blurry. On the other side, Ener and his henchmen, who were there to find and stop the intruders, their divine boss himself being a part of this battle. And in the middle of all this mess, the Straw hats pirates crew, being more interested in the city of Shandora for the gold of which she supposed to be built with that anything else but nevertheless got themselves involved in this conflict who became more and more complicated as time passed by. It's in the center of this forest that we found Ash, running like a madman through the trees, a bag carried over his right shoulder, containing what he had taken on the Going Merry before leaving the said boat. He had a very precise objective in his mind, which he kept repeating in his head like a mantra, as if he was afraid of forgetting it.

Ash: " I'm going to find brackets face and make him eat the overgrown watermelon he used as an ego. But the problem is that … "

He stopped, and for the first time since he had left the Merry, which was more than a quarter of an hour ago, looked around him before crossing his arms, pouting and frowning at the same time.

Ash: " … I am lost. "

A tumbleweed passed by.

Ash (roaring with all his might): " BUT HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE SO STUPID ! ASH, WHY DO YOU GO ROAMING WITHOUT HAVING EVEN THE SLIGHT IDEA OF WHERE TO GO ? "

Ash (calmly): " Probably because a city made of gold, I should be able to see it from far. "

ASH (roaring again): " EXCEPT THAT NOBODY ON THE SKY ISLANDS SAW IT, THAT NECESSARILY MEANS THAT IT IS HIDDEN, YOU DUMB ASS BITCH ! "

? : " Does the idea of facing God had driven you crazy ? "

Ash broke out of his monologue to turn his head toward the one who had just talked to him and was faced with several men in white togas, the same skates on their feet as the Shandians, with like everybody here, wings on their back. But what surprised Ash the most was that those mysterious men all had goats shaped heads.

Ash: "Wow. Who would have thought that there is a zoo on the sky islands."

? : "Why are you talking about a zoo ?"

Ash: "Well, you are goats, no?"

Group of ? : "ABSOLUTELY NOT, BÂÂÂSTARD !"

Ash: "You say that, but you bleat like one. If you are no goats, what are you ?"

? : "We are the soldiers of Ener's God militia. And you certainly have to be one of the criminals who entered the sky islands illegally with his companions."

Ash: "Companions is a very big word. But I have to say that if I were the one in charge of this group, I would have paid without any question. It is just that their navigator has sea urchins bigger than her boobs in her pockets."

Militiaman: "For us, it changes nothing. You remain a criminal and must be punished."

Ash (sighing): "I was already struck by lightning less than an hour ago. Isn't it an already big enough punishment ?"

But the only answer he got was to be attacked simultaneously by the 5 militiamen who were facing him until now. Understanding that these guys had to fight like the ball priest he already fought, he decided that it was better not underestimating them. Which means that he wasn't going to hold back.

SHOCK CLOTHELINE !

He welcomed the first one with a clothesline, straight in the neck of the militiaman, which was floored in one blow. Being a fighter of a quite different level that these guys, he felt an attack coming, that he evaded slightly by stepping to the side, the blow of an Axis Dial which would have cut him in two otherwise going to collide with the ground a little farther, whereas he counter-attacked by throwing one of his chains to the aggressor. The chain wrapped around his neck and Ash pulled him towards him, the militiaman approaching him head first.

SHOCK BROAD KICK !

Ash sent his right foot to the face of the poor militiaman, crushing his face and knocking him out.

AXE DIAL !

WAVE GUN !

One of the last militiamen used an Axis Dial in turn, but the attack was countered by Ash and his Wave Gun, the scarf wearing warrior throwing himself on his opponent, catching his face with his right hand, which began to vibrate.

SHOCK FACE GRAB !

The face of the militiaman was struck hard at point-blank range by the shock wave coming from Ash's hand, the young man releasing him so that he got sent far off. By feeling the 2 last militiamen coming towards him from his sides, he threw his 2 chains, which wound around the neck of the 2 goat shaped head.

SHOCK CHAIN : TWISTER !

Chains were stretched out away from Ash, the latter using his shock boost to spin on himself, his chains spinning fast, creating a real iron whirlwind on which the 2 militiamen were attached, spinning with it without having the possibility to free themselves.

SHOCK CHAIN : SLEDGEHAMMER !

He stopped spinning suddenly, unwinding his chains while using the momentum he accumulated to send the 2 militiamen against a tree, which broke under the strength of the impact, putting the 2 men out of commission. Once everybody was out cold, Ash realized something.

Ash: "I should have ask them where to find the golden city, in fact. Well it's nothing, I am going to manage it without."

He resumed his journey, reaching the border of the forest, in front of some kind of meadows covered by huge water lilies looking plants. In the middle of this very bucolic scenery, Ash found himself in front of a man, a Shandia judging by his clothes, still with the same kind of skates on his feet, with a strange hat covering his eyes. He was covered in blood, a rather deep gash on his torso, which was strange given that the militiaman didn't seemed to use swords. Seeing that this man was awake but suffering a lot, Ash approached, taking out some bandages of his bag and, without a word, began treating his wound, which of course made the wounded man react.

? : "Who are you ?"

Ash: "The name's Ash. And how should I call you ?"

? : "Braham. Aren't you one of these criminals from the Blue Sea?"

Ash (taking out an antiseptic): "and you are a Shandian. Given that we are both taking a stroll on the holy land of the 'God Ener', we are in the same boat. Watch out, this will hurt."

Braham (clenching his teeth): "Ghh. I don't see how we could be in the same boat when it's one of your companions who did that to me."

Ash: "A grumpy looking guy and rather stupid with three swords ? Don't take him to seriously, he is strong be also plain stupid."

/- At the same time, somewhere in the sky -/

Zoro: "Achooo! Who just made fun of me ? Bah doesn't matter. AND YOU, THE BIRD, GIVE ME BACK THIS BAG AT ONCE."

And the bird did, releasing the bag, and Zoro at the same time, making him free falling toward the giant snake the two were trying to avoid.

Zoro : "DAMN BIRD !"

/- Back at the water lilies field -/

Ash: "Anyway, this bandage is not going to be very effective, it's just a temporary way to stop the bleeding, but you need to be healed correctly. Your tribe, where is she hiding ?"

Braham (suddenly wary): "Why do you want to know that ? And why would I say it to you ? I do not know you and I have no reason to trust you."

Ash (half smiling): "Maybe, but you don't really have a choice in a way. Either you say it to me and I bring you to your tribe so you can be healed, or you kept being stubborn and I let you rot here, with almost no chance to be found by someone. The decision is yours."

Having balanced the pros and the cons, Braham had to admit that he indeed didn't have the choice and sighed, accepting the proposal of his 'rescuer'.

Braham: "Very well. But I don't really have the strength to stand up by myself."

Ash: "No problem, bro. Come here."

Ash grabbed Braham and helped him getting up before putting him on his shoulders, shaking slightly, Braham not being what we can call a featherweight.

Braham: "Are you sure that you're going to be okay ?"

Ash: "Don't worry, I've already carried things 20 times as heavy as you."

Braham: "And what, if I may ask ?"

Ash: "Your mother. So, we are we going ?"

/- Later -/

The duo progressed in the forest, Braham still on Ash's back, the latter having his face completely messed up, his eyes swelled, his mouth bleeding, and all because of Braham, who didn't really liked the joke Ash made about his mother. They had however been lucky because they had not met a single militiaman. It was a good news as much as a bad one. It meant that they hadn't been worried but at the same time that the number of participants in this battle royale was decreasing more and more, meaning that Ener was approaching its goal at the same time. Having carried Braham through all the forest, Ash, always with the Shandian on his back, had arrived at the edge of Upper Yard, facing the sea of cloud once again.

Ash (disappointed): "I believe that you made a mistake, buddy. There is nothing here except clouds."

Braham: "*sigh* There is more to that than just clouds. Just jump inside, you needs to pass through the clouds."

Ash was skeptical. There was a risk that Braham was lying to him and that piercing the clouds will send him down to the Blue Sea. But he quickly forgot these thoughts. After all, why Braham would lie to him while he was risking the same thing by being on his back ?

Ash: "Well, OK, if you say so. Hang on."

Ash jumped until he was above the clouds. Braham didn't understood what the citizen of the Blue Sea wanted to do and he was brutally cut in his thoughts by a light humming coming from below him. Looking down, he saw waves appearing on the legs of Ash while the latter changed his position in a way his legs are pointing toward the sky.

SHOCK SKYDIVING !

The shock was brutal for Braham. Ash and himself had been throw downward all of a sudden. Ash and the Shandian crossed the cloudy layer and Ash was surprised seeing that he had ended in a zone hidden inside the clouds.

Ash: "Right on time. Hey, bro, we have arrived."

He turned his head to Braham to realize that the latter was completely out cold, knocked out by the more than brutal stroll across the clouds which was slightly too violent for him. Ash stopped one moment on what he had in front of him. Wooden totems representing diverse animals acted as lampposts thanks to the flames in the bowls put above. Instead of houses, big tents were set up here and there. Far off, a kind of huge bean crossed the cloudy layers which framed the village. He didn't need a long time to figure out that this is where the Shandians were hiding since their ancestors had been forced to leave their homeland. And even if this village wasn't enough to convince him, the sudden apparition of dozen of Shandians would have make all those doubt disappear. Men, women and children looked at him, all really surprised to see a non Shandian here. The men had taken out their weapons, ready to defend their tribe, but they did not move, waiting for Ash to makes the slightest wrong movement.

? : " Wait !"

The voice of an old man stopped the guards, who moved away to let a man with a sort of robe with yellow and black vertical stripe and a hat shaped like a dog head, with some kind of red feathers on the top.

? : " I am the chief of this village. Whoever you are, please leave immediately. "

? : " Wait, chief. We can't let him leave like that. "

Ash: " Calm down, I have something with me which is going to be very interesting for you, I'm sure. "

With this, The Shandians looking at him, he bent to put down Braham on the ground, his wound having slightly opened once again. The sight of their companion in a so pathetic state make the Shandians ask a lot of questions, but Ash just brought some explanation to calm them all.

Ash: " I found him on Upper Yard in this state. I did what I could to stop the bleeding, but he needs some real healing. I'm not here as an enemy. "

After some moment of doubts, dissipated by a nod of their boss, the villagers rushed at Braham, taking him in one of the tents so he could be taken care of.

Chief : " It would seem that you also need medical attention. "

The chief and some villagers had stayed behind with Ash, the boss noticing the body still marked by his 'fight' against Ener. Ash looked at himself, understanding the concern of the old man, but he just shrugged it off by shaking his head.

Ash: " I'm going to be alright. I've had much worse. And anyway, I needs to return on Upper Yard. I have a score to settle. "

Chief : " I heard that citizen from the Blue Sea incurred the wrath of the God Ener. You are one of them, isn't it ? Then why would you return there ? It would be simpler for you to leave. "

Ash: " Regrettably, I'm depending of a pirates crew which is really interested in the golden city of Shandora. "

The faces of the villagers and their leader darkened suddenly, not liking that stranger can desire their homeland.

Chief : " Shandora does not belong to you. It belongs to our people, before the inhabitants of Skypiea attacked our ancestors to seize it. "

Ash: " When you talk about ancestors, you are talking about those that Montblanc Norland met 400 years ago, I suppose ? "

The chief froze all of a sudden, just like the rest of the villagers, absolutely not expecting to hear this stranger speak about Montblanc. Facing the surprised look of the villagers, Ash smiles before explaining to them.

Ash: " Below the clouds, on the Blue Sea, Montblanc Norland is known to be a legendary liar. After he discovered and left the golden city, he came back to his homeland to see his king to talk to him about this city. He led him up to the island of Jaya, but when he arrived, the part of the island where the city of Shandora once stood had already been sent to the sky. The king accused Norland to have lied to him and he was executed, becoming the man who had imagined the golden city. "

The villagers were shocked by what they had just heard. The friend of the legendary Calgara had been sentenced to death because of a lie which wasn't one.

Chief (in a low voice, head hanging low): " So this is probably for that that Calgara wanted to relight the flame of Shandora. "

The chief had spoken with a voice ever so quiet, as if he was talking to himself, but Ash had heard it and turned abruptly his head, his face filled with incomprehension.

Ash: " What flame? What are you talking about ? "

Chief : " At the center of Shandora stood a gigantic golden bell, one of the treasures of our people. A bell which could be heard for miles around. When Calgara and the warriors of Shandora tried to protect our earth 400 years ago, he had mentioned he wanted to relight the flame of Shandora, which meant ringing this bell. He had probably hope that the sound of this bell could reach up to his friend to warn him of what was actually happening. It is moreover what Wiper, Braham and the others want to do. "

Ash: " Wiper ? Is it the leader of the Shandians who are on Upper Yard at the moment ? A dude with a bazooka, smoking a cigarette ? "

Chief : " Yes, indeed. But there is no use to go there. Calgara wanted to ring the bell for his friend Norland. But after so many year, there's no point in doing it. They are going be massacred without a reason, I am afraid. "

Ash: " No, it is not too late ! "

This assertion from Ash created the surprise and the incomprehension of the villagers, no one understanding where the young scarf wearing man meant by that.

Ash: " The descendants of Montblanc Norland suffered during all those years from the so-called lie of their ancestors. All dedicated their whole life to prove that the golden city really existed, that Norland never lied. His current descendant, Cricket, spent his life diving into Grand Line, destroying is own health trying to find a proof of the existence of Shandora. If this bell can really be heard as far as you said, I am sure that Cricket will hear it and at least he will know that the legend of Shandora is true. It would be a way to make the last will of Calgara's true and to wash the honor of the Montblanc family. "

This explanation shocked the Shandians, including Braham, once again conscious although still laid out in one of the tents, and tears appeared in their eyes. What Wiper wanted to do was in the end going to honor the memory of Calgara, the hero of Shandora.

Chief : " I see, then this 400-year-old promise is finally going to be fulfilled. But for that, they will have to reach to Shandora. "

Ash: " And basically, that's what is going to happen. Upper Yard is actually witnessing a Battle Royale of some sort, the objective being Shandora. "

Braham: " then Wiper has to succeed. "

The Shandian warrior stood in the entrance of the tent where he had been patched up, holding onto some kind of crutch, having insisted on being a part of the conversation.

Chief : " Braham. Go back to rest, please. You are not in shape for … "

Braham : " I'm okay. I'm already better. As I said, by reviving the flame of Shandora, we can take back the land which the inhabitants of Skypiea take from us. "

Those words created waves of approvals among the other Shandians, until Ash interrupts them.

Ash: " Except that they too are victims in this story. "

The intervention of Ash made the other Shandians look at him with a dark look in their eyes, not understanding how the inhabitants of the sky islands could be victims of anything.

Braham: " What are you saying ? They have … "

Ash: " I know what they did, OK? But it was 400 years ago. Just like no one of you personally fought to protect Shandora, the current inhabitants of the sky didn't fought to take your homeland. Since Ener became 'God', he established rules and laws which force the inhabitants to do horrible things at the risk of being punished and killed. "

If the words of Ash had an impact on the Shandians, it's the more the increasingly dark expression of the citizen of the Blue Sea that took them most by surprise.

Ash: " This scumbag is not a God, but a tyrant who uses his status as a pretext to do what he wants without anyone telling him anything. (The image of a man, shooting down a young woman with white hair with a bullet in the head appeared in his mind.). I can't tolerate the existence of people like him who think they are above the other because of a status. That's why I will not leave this place as long as this guy will be there. To eliminate Ener shall mean solving all the problems which the sky islands face at the moment. "

Chief (after a short moment of reflection): " indeed, it will probably be the case. But why would you involve yourselves in business that doesn't concern you ? Wouldn't it be easier for you to leave this place while you can ? "

Ash (shrugging): " we have already offended God, so let's keep up with it. And then, as I said it, I refuse to leave a single island of this world in the hands of a monster. Besides, I have a feeling that the pirates captain won't let that guy do what he want too if he learns the truth about the history of the island, especially if he learn that he can help Cricket by ringing this bell. "

Braham: " There is something that I still don't understand. What is Ener trying to do exactly ? Does he has a plan, a goal ? "

Ash: " That's what I would like to know. Gan Fall said that he came out of nowhere 6 years ago because he desired Shandora. And while I was coming back to myself, I heard him talking to Gan Fall that he reached the end of his project and that he was going to leave Upper Yard. "

Ash was once again interrupted wildly by the Shandians, this last bit of information shaking them to their core.

Chief : " He is going to leave Upper Yard ? But then there's no need to fight. We just have to wait and we could get our homeland back without making a fuss. "

Ash : " Except that it won't be the case. " The silence fall on the crowd, their attention returning to Ash. " If he wanted Shandora, it was probably for the gold. And his project certainly involved this gold. Which means that he used it for something. "

Chief : " And what could he wanted to do ? And why with some gold ? "

Ash: " He have electric powers and gold which is an extremely conductive metal. And seeing that he talked about leaving, he certainly used this gold to build some kind of vehicle he could control using his own power. "

Braham: " Maybe, but I feel like thing aren't going to be so simple. "

Ash: " No, not at all. He doesn't seems like the kind of guy to leave just like that. He has something else planned. But I haven't the slightest idea of what it can be. "

It was the only piece of the puzzle that Ash was missing, and unfortunately, it was also the most important: the real purpose of Ener. Whatever it is, it couldn't be a good thing. Ash had a very bad presentiment, but he didn't joked about it : every time he did, it turned out badly for him and the other. But without expressing his opinion, he wasn't going to leave these people like that just in case his feelings are right : and in his case, they were right often.

Ash: " In the meantime, I think it would be best for you to leave the village. I have the feeling that whatever Ener wants to do, your village will be on his way. "

Without leaving the time for the Shandians to answer, he used his powers to jumped to the other side of the layer of clouds. Going once again through Upper Yard, he realized something.

Ash: " I should have asked them where to look to find Shandora before leaving. "

Ash (Roaring) : " OF COURSE, YOU STUPID IDIOT ! "

However, he noticed the huge bean standing up on the island, more exactly in the neighborhood of the place where the golden city were supposed to be according to the map Nami drew. Furthermore, he could see several white lines, looking like trails of clouds who ran along the huge plant.

Ash: " Or not. I think I found where to look first. "

On these words, he dashed to the Giant Jack, ready to even the score with God.

Here it is, one chapter down. I hope you liked it. See you !

Next time : The lost city. God, Fairy Vearth and the survivors. What thunder can't touch.