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Luffy, Usopp and Sanji stared that her in shock, Conis looked down in sadness and shame.
"S…S…Sacrificed?" Usopp stuttered.
"Yes…the thing that took your ship is the Super Speedy Expresses Shrimp," Pagaya answered "Whatever it takes goes to the sacrificial alter in Upper Yard and is made an offering to Enel and his priests,"
"NAMI-SWAN AND ROBIN-CHAN ARE GOING TO BE OFFERD TO GOD?!" Sanji panicked.
"You do know that Connor, Zoro and Chopper were taken too right?" Usopp asked, he had a feeling that Sanji was only worried about the girls.
"I know but if Nami-swan is sacrificed her shirt will come off and I won't be there to see it," Sanji reasoned.
"WHY ARE YOU STILL FOCUSING ON THAT?!" Usopp yelled.
"That dirty perverted god…how dare he do this," Sanji said angrily.
"Your one to talk," Usopp said.
"Umm excuse me but there may be away to save your friends," Pagaya interrupted.
The three pirates looked at him eager for an expatiation.
"But…won't they be offered up to Enel?" Usopp asked.
"Not right away, I've heard that those who are taken to the Alter receive one of the two forms of heavens judgment," Pagaya said.
"Two forms of Judgment?" Luffy asked.
"Yes Lord Enel has two different types of Judgment Sacrifice and Ordeals," Pagaya explained "Your friends are going to go through the first form of judgment… Sacrifice their lives are now in god's hands,"
"But you said we could save them," Usopp claimed.
"You can, your friends are essentially hostages at this point. Consequently the ones who are truly being judged are you three," Pagaya said.
"Us…what do you mean?" Luffy asked.
"Well…if I had a map it would be easier to explain," Pagaya said.
"Oh I have on," Usopp said and pulled the map that they got from the salvaged ship out.
Pagaya took it and walked over to the table examining the map; he and Coins sat down and opened the map on the table. Luffy Usopp and Sanji also came over and sat down.
"It's a bit old but it does tell us what we need to know," Pagaya said, he pointed to the town on the map "We're here and your friends have been taken here,"
Pagaya pointed to a small stone alter drawing on the map north west of town.
"This is the sacrificial alter, in order to get there you need to take a boat through Upper Yard," Pagaya claimed.
"Why can't we just take a boat and land on the Island and walk there?" Usopp asked "It would be easier,"
"You can't reach the alter by walking, this map is old so it does not have the Milky road on it," Pagaya answered.
"Milky Road?" Luffy asked.
"A series of Cloud Rivers that run through Skypeia and Upper Yard. There are a lot of different paths you can take but all of the Cloud Rivers that traverse Upper Yard lead to the Alter," Pagaya answered. "I have also herd that the milky road will lead you though many deadly traps and has man eating fish living in it,"
"MAN EATING FISH!" Usopp panicked.
"So if we want our Nakama and ship back we have to go through the front door," Sanji commented.
"So our ordeal is to survive the Milky Road…if we do we get our friends back," Usopp said.
"Yes but that is not the end of it, in order to survive you must also face the Priests unimaginable power," Pagaya said gravely.
"So we go to the Upper Yard, kick the Priests asses and we get our friends back," Luffy summarised "We're going to need a boat,"
"You can borrow ours, it's docked at the pier," Conis said.
"Alright, things are finally getting interesting," Luffy said happily.
The remaining Straw Hats packed up the supplies and lunch that Sanji had made, once they were ready to go Conis offered to take them to a port in the town beyond the beach.
Once they entered town Luffy began to look through the windows of all the shops around them, at one point he disappeared finding a dial shop on a higher cloud, he was not gone long as he soon fell from the sky landing in front of the group moments later.
As they walked through town Sanji, noticed that none of the townspeople even reacted to their captain's antics. He also noted that the residents were giving them a very wide berth and were eyeing them suspiciously.
"Why is everyone avoiding us like this?" Sanji finally asked.
"Word's probably spread that we're criminals." Usopp reasoned, "They probably don't want to risk being classified as 'friends or associates' of us."
They finally arrived at pier, it took longer than it should have because Luffy would not stop playing around and the straw hat were amazed at all the different types of boats.
"These are cool," Luffy stated, he eyed a big luxury one that he liked the look of.
"Which one is yours Conis-chan?" Sanji asked.
"It's just over here," Conis said and led the crew further up the pier.
Their faces fell when they saw the boat they were taking. It was a small craft that looked like it had been made form a life raft; it had a black birds head and a red and white striped umbrella covering the small sitting area.
Luffy expressed disappointment that they'd be riding a small gondola which was apparently based on a crow.
"I know it's not much to look at but it has two breath dials and it will get you to where you're going," Conis claimed.
"No, I want that one," Luffy said and pointed to the boat that he had eyed earlier.
Sanji beat him up for being rude and once Luffy's face was almost completely unorganisable he apologised and agreed to take the Little Crow boat.
"Right, if you take the gate marked as number two you it will take you straight onto the Milky Road," Conis explained while pointing outwards towards one of gates that led on to their own respective narrow cloud currents.
Luffy couldn't help but notice that Conis seemed nervous; she had been faking smiles and been down right terrified since they left her house.
"Conis, we appreciate everything you're doing for us but are you and your father going to be okay?" Luffy asked concerned.
"Now that you mention it...everyone in town has been avoiding us, but you and Pagaya have been helping us. Doesn't that make you an accomplice or something?" the sniper pondered concerned.
"Conis, you should have just told us where the boat was and where to go, we'd have been fine," Luffy agreed, he was genuinely concerned that his crew was risking Conis and Pagaya's wellbeing.
"No…that's…that's not it." Conis claimed nervously, she sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
"Then what is it?" Luffy asked.
Conis dropped to her knees.
"I've been leading you here…I showed you the path to take and provided a boat for you for a reason,"
At that, Usopp and Sanji overheard one of the townspeople nearby exclaiming fear that Conis was about to say something she shouldn't. Much to the pirate's confusion, everyone around them moved farther way from their group…even further than before.
"I… I was the one who called the express crab…" Conis finally admitted.
"What!?" Sanji and Usopp exclaimed, instantly outraged.
"You called that thing to take Nami-swan and Robin-chan away?" Sanji yelled.
"There are other people on our crew!?" Usopp yelled at Sanji.
"It's the duty of all the citizens of Skypiea…we ensure that all criminals end up on Upper Yard…I'm so sorry..." Conis explained and tears started to fall from her eyes.
"Wait… so Enel and his Priests are making you to do this?" Luffy asked.
Conis nodded.
"So why tell us at all!?" Luffy yelled furiously, "Now your life is in danger too!"
Conis was shocked. Luffy was not yelling at her with anger but with concern for her life. Even though she had betrayed them Luffy was still concerned.
"That's right." Sanji confirmed "we were heading Upper Yard anyway, you could have just performed your duty as a citizen without jeopardising your own life; it's our lives are on the line not yours!"
"I just couldn't bear deceiving you all, you've been so-" Conis continued with tears in her eyes.
She was interrupted by a bizarre change in the sky, white light started to emanate directly overhead. A light humming sound could also be heard.
"What's that?" Usopp panicked.
It matched Nami's description of Enel's supposed power. The Straw Hats and Coins looked up into the sky and watched as the light gathered. Sanji suddenly got a very bad feeling and he grabbed Usopp and ran away from the area.
"Run that thing is going to hit us!" He cried out.
Luffy Grabbed Coins and ran the opposite direction of his two crew mates as a massive pillar of lightning blasted downward from the light, a resounding crack sounded soon after.
The target was obvious, as the lighting headed straight towards Luffy and Conis. Luffy and Conis had a look of absolute horror on their faces as the lightning seemed to follow them; chasing them as if it had a mind of its own.
In an instant both the rubber man and the Skypiean disappeared, consumed by the monstrous power of Enel's lightning. Leaving a massive crater hammered deep into the ground, about 30 metres across with steam and smoke that was produced by the impact.
"Luffy?!" Usopp screamed out in pure terror.
"Conis-chan?!" Sanji yelled.
They desperately scanned the crater for their friends but they were nowhere in sight.
"Luffy…did you get killed?" Usopp asked fearfully.
"Don't worry Blue Sea dwellers. They are safe!" A voice called from above the group.
Usopp and Sanji looked up to see a familiar Old man in armour riding an odd pink pegauses, with Luffy and Conis draped over the back of Pierre like rag-dolls.
"Gan Fall!" Usopp cried happily.
Though he and Sanji were surprised to see the sky knight; Luffy jumped down from the bird.
"Thanks old man!" Luffy said gratefully.
"I thought you'd be busy protecting the people coming up to the lower White Sea," Sanji stated.
"That is where I'd usually be, but I heard that there was a group of Level 2 criminals passing through town and I wanted to make sure that none of the citizens of Angel Island got hurt by Enel for helping them," Gan Fall explained.
"Well I'm glad you did, we would have been toast if you hadn't come along," Luffy smiled.
"Indeed, I will take this lovely young lady to my home. It's out of Enel's range so she'll be safe there," The knight made sure that Conis was secure on the bird.
"Ok, but you better take care of Conis-chan!" Sanji growled.
"What are you three going to do in the mean-time?" Gan Fall asked, ignoring Sanji's aggressive tone.
"We're going to Upper Yard," Luffy said with excitement.
This seemed to surprise Gan Fall.
"You have seen this Islands true nature and yet you still chose to confront it?" Gan Fall asked in surprise.
"Well yeah, there our friends," Usopp said.
"Plus they're probably out having an adventure on Upper Yard without us," Luffy claimed "If we don't catch up than there won't be any adventure left for me,"
Gan Fall blinked and Luffy as he could not understand the captains' logic…or any logic behind what the rubber man said.
"Luffy we are going to save our friends not looking for an adventure," Usopp reminded him.
"Can't we do both?" Luffy asked.
"I see…well I wish you luck on your…quest," Gan Fall said and he and Pierre flew off with Conis.
Luffy and Sanji got into the Little Crow and Usopp pushed them off, the small boat started and headed out the number two gate leading towards Upper Yard.
With Luffy stood at the front, half leaning off of the Waver's bird figurehead, eagerly looking ahead for whatever dangers faced them. However that eagerness was short lived once Sanji Luffy and Usopp made the realisation on the flaw of traveling on such a tiny vessel.
"This thing is so slow," Luffy complained.
It wasn't an unfair observation, the Little Crow just not that fast even with two breath Dials it seemed to crawl along the narrow road they were travelling.
Eventually they came around a large bend on the road and the gasped in awe at what they saw it was the Island known of Upper Yard.
"Guys?" Usopp asked, bemused, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?!"
Luffy and Sanji could only nod, with widened eyes.
"That's…That's Upper Yard?" a bewildered Sanji exclaimed, "Those trees… they're massive!"
Luffy could only agree, the trees here were all around 70 metres tall at least and unlike the rest of the Skypiea these trees were in fact growing form Soil and not clouds
"Alright we made it to the entrance," Luffy cheered, staring ahead the tree-line approached.
As they passed the first trees on the road they also passed two large torches on either side of the road, with spears crossed through the centre of both, and what appeared to be the skull of an Ox or something fastened just above on both,
"I guess this is the point of no-return," Sanji observed, he then turned to Usopp "Want to head back?"
"Yes," Usopp declared.
"Too late," Sanji said.
"Stop messing with me!" Usopp yelled angrily.
Not long after they entered Upper Yard the small boat passed some odd stone idols which scared Usopp. They then heard some loud bird calls from the jungle, which scared the sniper even more and he began to look around the large forest for the birds but didn't see them.
"Guys….do you hear that?" Usopp asked fearfully.
"Yeah it's a forest, animals live in forests," Luffy pointed out.
"But they sounded close….what if the animals here are the size of the trees," Usopp panicked.
"Oh I hope they are, that way we won't go hungry," Sanji grinned.
Further up ahead they came across saw what appeared to be wreckages of ships which had been sliced in half, which seemed to scare the living daylights out of Usopp and put the rest of the crew on edge.
"What do you think happened to these ships?" Sanji asked.
Immediately after the cook had asked that a massive bladed pendulum swung down from the trees on their right, missing by inches and slicing one of the wrecks into even smaller pieces, the crew stared in horror however it was not only one pendulum.
"THERE'S MORE COMMING!" Usopp screamed as he hunkered down on the deck of the Crow.
"Paddle like crazy!" Luffy ordered in response.
Usopp, Sanji and Luffy begun to paddle like crazy as more and more pendulums swung down and they desperately avoided them.
Eventually the blades of death stooped as it appeared that they had cleared the pendulum trap. The Straw Hats breathed a sigh of relief that it was over, however their relief was short lived as hundreds of sharpened wooden stakes suddenly were fired at the group form the trees
Sanji was able to deflect many of the stakes as Usopp tried to get the boat to speed up and Luffy did his best not to be hit by the sharp pointed objects that would pierce his rubber body.
After a few minutes of the Straw Hats managed to get out of rage of the wooden stakes, just when it appeared that they had finally navigated their way to safety a bladed metal wheel came flying at them out of nowhere only barley missing them.
As Usopp steered the boat away, the object bizarrely appeared to turn around and fly at them again. It was soon followed by four more spinning blades of death.
"That's it I've had enough of this," Luffy declared. He ran to the back of the boat and stretched both his arms backwards into the air.
"GOMU-GOMU ROCKET!" Luffy yelled as he brought his hands down into the river.
The little crow was launched into the air and the spinning blades were unable to follow them, the boat landed several kilometres further down the river and the Straw Hats got on guard for whatever came next; but nothing came.
"Looks like we passed the traps," Usopp said relived.
"Yeah…no wonder no one comes back from Upper Yard," Sanji agreed and he sat down.
"Well we haven't met those Priests guys yet, so I doubt were done yet," Luffy said.
Usopp and Sanji groaned at this, Luffy was right; Enel's four priests were still a head. They continued down the Milky Road and it appeared that they had entered the part with the man eating fish. Fortunately these were easily dispatched by both Luffy and Sanji.
Finally after what had seemed like hours the Little Crow came across something odd. In front of them blocking the path was a massive stone head, similar to the idols they saw earlier.
Only there were four smaller heads, each one had a hollowed out entrance to a tunnels. Each head had something written above the entrance.
from left to right they read as "Ordeal of Swamp, Ordeal of Iron, Ordeal of String and Ordeal of Balls," Usopp read out "What do you suppose that means?"
"Mabye these are the ordeals Pagaya was talking about," Sanji suggested "he did say that all the rods on Upper Yard led to the Alter,"
"So…which one do we take?" Usopp asked.
The intent of the stone was clear; they would have to pick which ordeal they would take on.
The crew started to debate which would be the best to take.
"Ordeal of Swamp? That must have water in it, probably not the best pick since we have Luffy with us," Sanji reasoned.
"Going by that I guess we can't take the Ordeal of Iron either…especially if swords are involved," Usopp responded "but they all sound threatening to me,"
"What about the Ordeal of Balls. I like Balls," Luffy suggested, oblivious as to how his suggestion came out.
"You could misinterpret a lot from that sentence" Sanji joked.
"Huh? What do you mean? Balls are fun," Luffy stated innocently.
"Never mind," Sanji sighed. It would take too long to explain a joke about sexual preferences to someone as oblivious as Luffy.
"We should make the choice quickly; the gates are right on top of us." Usopp pointed out.
"Let's go with the Ordeal of Balls, it sounds like fun," Luffy declared.
Sanji and Usopp did not have any better Ideas and the Ordeal of Balls did sound the least threatening, so Usopp turned the ship to the far Right and as they went through the dark tunnel Luffys mind began to wander.
"Hey, what if this is one of those games?" The captain suddenly asked, with contemplative look on his face.
"Games?" Sanji questioned.
"Yeah, you know, like there's one correct choice and all the other choices are wrong…"
"What? There was a wrong choice? What would the wrong paths lead to?" Usopp panicked and the sniper desperately wanted to know the answer.
Luffy was silent as he contemplated the answer, a moment later he spoke again.
"Well…if you choose the wrong one, you fall off the island," Luffy finished.
He laughed at Usopps reaction to this information.
"Why would you say something so preposterous?!" Usopp shouted.
He punched Luffy on the top of the head.
"We're ten thousand meters in the air! I don't how many times your life could flash before your eyes during that kind of fall and I don't want to know!"
"You're both being childish," Sanji added. "That would never happen,"
It was at that point that the Crow finally emerged at the light at the end of the tunnel; the three pirates were momentarily blinded as their eyes adjusted to the change in light. When all of them had adjusted, they looked around, there were no trees in sight on either side, and the Milky Road had disappeared from beneath them.
Time seemed to slow down for just one silent second as they all processed this.
'Ten thousand metres above in the air,' was the last thought that went through the crews minds.
They looked at each other and upon seeing the expression on each other's faces. They let their feelings on the situation become known.
"AAAAARRGH!" 'They screamed as they fell off the Island.