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The Going Merry, Sacrificial Alter
The Going Merry had arrived at its destination; the Legendary Super Speedy Shrimp had perched the ship upon a massive stone structure, surrounded by a cloud-lake. The lake was surrounded by huge trees on all sides and the Straw Hats looked around.
Connor climbed on top of the railing to get a better view.
"Where the hell are we?" Zoro asked.
"It looks to be some sort of Sacrificial Altar." Robin guessed as she observed the stone Alter.
"S…S…Sacrifice?" Connor asked fearfully. He knew exactly what that meant as his people had often offered animal scarifies to the sprits that he and his village had believed in.
"Oh thank goodness," Chopper breathed a sigh of relief "I thought we were going to be cooked alive,"
"Well weather we will be cooked alive or not the fact does not change that our lives are now being offered up to God himself," Robin claimed.
Nami and Chopper's faces turned dark, Chopper fell off the side of the ship in shock, realising what Sacrifice meant. He rolled all the way down the steps that prefaced the building, and towards the water.
"Chopper!" Connor cried out.
Robin sprouted arms on the last step and caught the tiny doctor before he could hit the water. Chopper breathed a sigh of relief that he would not be drowning today.
"Nice one Robin," Nami praised.
However the relief was short lived as a massive shark like creature burst out from the water, it was a dark blue and more elongated then regular sharks and fifty times the normal size.
Nami and Chopper both panicked at the sight of it espesaliy since the shark launched itself at the tiny hybrid deer. Zoro jumped off the Merry and slammed his foot into the head of the shark slamming its mouth shut before it could eat the doctor.
While the creature staggered he grabbed Chopper and threw him back up to the ship; the doctor was caught by Connor.
Chopper had knocked Connor off the railing onto the deck and he held onto the boy tightly and with tears in his eyes from his near death experience. The shark having recovered from Zoros first attack roared and knocked the swordsman into the lake.
"ZORO!" Nami screamed on horror.
Connor put Chopper down and climbed back on the railing.
"What happened?" He asked urgently.
"Zoro got eaten by that shark thing," Nami cried.
"WHAT!" Connor and Chopper both screamed.
"Don't worry he didn't get eaten," Robin said calmly.
"You sure?" Chopper asked.
"Yes, if he got eaten the clouds would be red with his blood," Robin pointed out.
"DON'T SAY SUCH MORBID THINGS!" Nami yelled.
The Straw Hats watched the water for any sign of Zoro or his blood to pollute the lake but nothing happened. A minute later the shark that had tried to eat Chopper and knocked Zoro into the lake burst out of the water with a massive bump on its head.
Zoro resurfaced too and swam back to the Alter; he climbed the steps leading up to the Merry and the shark floated on the top of the lake.
"Zoro you're okay!" Chopper cheered.
"Yeah yeah piece of cake," Zoro said waving the doctor off, he took off his shirt and started to wring it out.
Nami went into the cabin and came back out with a towel and a fresh dry shirt for Zoro, she tossed them down to him and he dried himself off.
"Zoro, why did that shark thing have a bump on its head?" Connor asked, he was curious that he did not see any sword wounds on the defeated shark.
"Oh, I couldn't swing my swords properly through the water…so I punched it instead," Zoro answered casually.
"You…punched it?" Nami asked.
"Yeah, the result would have been the same either way," Zoro shrugged.
"Oh by the way, swimming back or across to the shore is definitely out of the question." Zoro claied "there's like a hundred more or so of those things in there,"
Serval fins appeared out of the lack and started circling the Altar and the defeated shark; Zoros actions had attracted their attention.
"There are more of those things?!" Nami exclaimed. "In fact, what even are those things?"
"They sort of look like Sharks," Chopper said.
"Sharks that live in the sky," Connor added.
"Sky-Shark." Robin concluded.
Zoro finished drying himself off and put the new shirt on, while he was down in front of the Going Merry he spotted that the hull was badly damaged. Zoro was suspected that when the Legendary Super Speedy Express had taken them the shrimp had punched holes in the side of the hull.
"We're not leaving on the Merry either, we'll take on water if we try," Zoro claimed, eliminating another potential escape option.
"So 'heaven's judgement' is to leave us stranded on an altar to starve to death? I'd expect something flashier from God," Robin commented.
"Does sound like a waste of time for a guy who can strike you down anywhere with lighting," Nami agreed.
Zoro tossed his wet shirt and towel back up onto the Going Merry and then started to survey the shore with a contemplative look on his face. Robin jumped down from the ship and began examining the Carvings on the Alter; she ran her hand gently over the stone work.
"Chopper, do you reckon you can do some repair work on the ship?" Zoro suddenly asked.
"Me?" The reindeer replied timidly.
"Yeah, why him? Are you going somewhere?" Nami asked sceptically.
"Supposedly God's on this island… And by the time I'm done with him, he's going to bow before me." Zoro finished with a smirk.
"So cool," Chopper responded with stars in his eyes.
Robin came around the front of the Merry.
"Do you mind if I come too?" She asked.
"Huh…sure just don't get in my way," Zoro said, he still did not completely trust the former Baroque Works agent.
"Wonderful," Robin smiled.
She climbed back onto the Merry and got a back prepared, she also grabbed her cowboy style hat and put it on. When she was ready Robin came back out onto the deck.
"How are you two going to get across the lake?" Connor asked.
"Good question," Zoro said. He knew swimming was out of the question but he could not see any other way.
"Wait a minute! Why are you two actively searching for danger?" Nami interrupted.
"Nami danger's going to find us either way," Zoro replied "Plus it's better than waiting to be sacrificed,"
"There may be more archaeological finds like this, and frankly I find them fascinating. This Altar itself appears to be at least one thousand years old," Robin claimed.
"One thousand years?" Nami asked, disbelievingly.
"Yes, just think of all the other ancient secrets this island must hold," Robin added.
Nami's eyes instantly turned to Beri symbols.
"Alright let's go and explore the Island," She declared.
"Nami, you're scary sometimes," Chopper said.
"But how are you going to get across the lake?" Connor asked.
"I've got it," Robin said and pointed to a vine hanging from a tree way above the mast, she used her devil fruit to drop the vine down. Zoro looked at Connor.
"Hey kid do you want to come?" he asked.
"No thanks, I think I'll stay put," The boy replied calmly.
Zoro shrugged and climbed the mast; he took the vine and swung over the lake, letting out a Tarzan like yell which he would come to call. Once he landed he threw the vine back to the ship and Robin caught it.
She swung out over the lake without hesitation and landed next to Zoro before throwing the vine back.
"You didn't do it right, you were supposed to let out a call of bravery," Zoro scolded.
"My apologies, I will remember to do so in the future," Robin apologised and she threw the vine back to the ship.
Nami caught it but she was quite afraid to swing across the lake filled with carnivorous giant sharks.
"Looks like Nami doesn't want the tressure," Connor observed.
Nami instantly jumped off the mast and swung across the lake, though Robin had to catch her from crashing into a tree.
"Good luck Chopper! Look after Connor!" Zoro yelled from the shore.
Chopper and Connor watched them wave goodbye before they disappeared into the forest. Chopper looked out.
"So why didn't you go?" Chopper asked Connor.
"I didn't feel like it," Connor responded "What about you?"
"I'm too scared to go out with the others into a giant forest filled with giant monstrous creatures…let alone swing across a lake filled with Sky-Sharks," Chopper clamed "So I'll stay we're it's safe,"
"Fair enough…but you do realise that two of most powerful members in the crew just left us here alone right…without back up," Connor pointed out.
It took a moment for Chopper to process what Connor was saying he then looked up and down the ship and the doctor realised that Connor was right. With Zoro, Robin and Nami gone Chopper was alone with a 13yr old boy, on a sacrificial Alter in a middle of a lake filled with monsters.
"GGGGAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! WE'ER THE ONES IN THE MOST DANGER!" Chopper sceamed.
Connor let out a sigh as Chopper ran up and down the deck in a panicked state.
"Chopper calm down," Connor tried.
But Chopper ignored him, the little doctor just ran around the ship in panic crying out about monsters that would eat him.
"Oh we'll he'll tire himself out…eventually," Connor said to himself.
Chopper eventually did calm down and after he got his breath back he went into the men's quarters and grabbed some of Usopp's tools to start attempting to repair the Merry. Connor helped by getting out the spare wood and passing Chopper the tools.
Chopper was focused on his task so they didn't talk, they both preferred it that way because neither of them knew what lived in the forest and neither of them wanted to know. A short time later Chopper dropped his hammer and it landed on the bottom step or the Alter; the one closet to the Sky-Shark infested lake.
"Well that's bad luck," Connor stated.
"What am I going to do?" Chopper panicked.
"Just go down and get it," Connor said.
"But…But the sharks…" Chopper said fearfully.
The two pirates looked down and saw several fins above the surface swimming around close to the steps and one of the sharks jumped out of the water before landing with a splash.
"I…I…I can't…." Chopper panicked.
"If your quite they won't notice you," Connor advised.
Chopper gulped and he slowly and carefully made his way down the steps, when he reached the bottom he tiptoed over to the hammer and picked it up.
"I got it…" he said happily.
"I GOT IT!" Chopper cried out loudly.
Up on the ship Connor face palmed he knew the doctor had just alerted the sharks to his presence. Suddenly a Sky-Shark burst out of the lake with its massive jaw wide open, it slammed into the Bottom of the Alter covering at least 5 whole steps.
Thankfully Chopper had managed to avoid been eaten by the shark but he also landed on the carnivores head. He grabbed on to the shark and held on tight as the monster started thrashing about in an effort to get Chopper off.
Chopper held on as hard as he could but was quickly thrown high into the air, Connor watched following the movement with his head as Chopper screamed and he flew over the steps and landed head first on the deck of the Merry.
"Well…that's one way of getting back," Connor stated.
He walked over to the doctor and helped him sit the right way up. Chopper was dizzy from the flight and was muttering how scary sky island was.
"Chopper…are you okay?" Connor asked.
Chopper shook of his dizziness and looked a t Connor.
"That was so scary….why is this place scary?!" Chopper cried.
Connor rolled his eyes; he then noticed the hammer on the deck.
"At least you got the Hammer back," Connor pointed out.
Chopper looked and saw the Hammer was next to him along with the Whistle that Gan Fall had given the crew. Chopper picked it up.
"Wasn't this attached to the mast?" Chopper asked.
"Maybe your landing knocked it off," Connor reasoned.
"Hey I know! We should call the Knight of the Sky to protect us," Chopper said as he held up the whistle.
"Didn't Nami say that was for emergencies only?" Connor asked "I highly doubt fixing the ship counts,"
"Yeah….your right," Chopper sighed "We should only use this as a last resort,"
Suddenly the two heard the beating of large wings above them, they looked up expecting to see a local bird or Gan Fall but what they saw instead was a man riding a large bird similar to Pierre only a lot more fierce looking.
The Man was tall with a thin, pointed moustache that split into two parts. He wore an orange fur-lined jacket, with brown swollen sleeves, loose matching orange pants held up by a belt, fur-lined gloves and boots and a purple scarf around his neck. He had dark hair under his aviator hat that was decorated with wings and goggles on the front. Like the rest of the inhabitants and on his back was a pair of wings. Strapped to his back was a lance.
He was standing on an enormous purple feathered bird with gigantic wings. It had red feathers around its neck, a white head and a very has a sharp beak. Its tail is further purple coloured with lighter extensions added into it. The claws underneath its legs are white with sharp black nails.
The man looked down at the two in disappointment and boredom.
"What…you're the only two I get to kill?" he asked.
Panic flashed across Connor and Choppers faces and Chopper instantly blew the whistle.
In the Forest
Zoro, Nami and Robin were following the river along the forest, the forest floor was covered in giant tree roots so progress was slow but they were quite far away from the Alter. Zoro was still keen to find god and beat him up.
Once they finally came to an area that was not covered in tree roots Robin noticed something odd.
"The ground…its soil…" She stated.
"Yeah why wouldn't' it be?" Zoro asked.
"Were on a sky Island…why is it not made up of Island cloud?" Robin asked.
Nami and Zoro looked down and realised that robin was right.
"Hey yeah…Payaga said that Island cloud could support plant life to some extent," Nami remembered.
"But then why are the trees so big? We don't have trees this big back in our sea," Zoro asked.
"Perhaps the soil is far more fertile hear than down in the Grand Line or the Blues," Robin suggested.
"That makes sense; this Island is over 10,000,000 feet above sea level. The pressure would compress the soil and created far denser and richer minerals," Nami explained "Combine that with all the moister in the air up here and it's perfect for gardening,"
"Of creating a forest to sacrifice people in," Zoro said "But why grow a forest this size in the first place?"
Zoro suddenly glanced back at in the direction of the Merry, for whatever reason he had a bad feeling about something.
"Hey…Do you think Chopper and the kid are okay?" he asked seriously.
"What brought this on?" Nami replied.
"I just got a really bad feeling…like we should not have left them," Zoro explained.
"Don't underestimate Chopper, he's resourceful and he's much braver than he realises," Robin claimed.
"Yeah and Connors no pushover either," Nami added.
Zoro took another long look in the direction that they had come from.
"I guess you're right, I'm probably worrying over nothing," Zoro conceded. He didn't want to underestimate his friends.
The Group kept walking deeper into the forest, Zoro ignored the bad feeling he got earlier and focused on finding god. After a while they came across a huge tree root that acted like a bridge between the two sides of the river.
While they were crossing it a Sky-Shark attacked but it was swiftly cut down by Zoro. Robin spied some old stone rubble was scattered around the roots of the trees and what looked like a well that had been nearly over grown by the tree roots.
Robin stopped to take a water sample and used her powers to do it, Nami claimed a tree with the aid of a strong vine to see if she could see anything interesting from up high.
"Why are we stopping? What's so important about an old well?" Zoro asked.
"Don't you find it odd that there are signs of civilization on Gods Island?" Robin asked.
"No," Zoro answered.
"Think about it, if this Island is supposed to be sacred and holy ground then why build on it in the first place?" Robin asked.
"I don't know, but this forest is two dese to support any form of civilization," Zoro said.
"Exactly so where did this well come from?" Robin asked.
Zoro had no answer for that.
"The way the trees have grown…I don't think that the ones who lived here had intended to let the forest grow out of control like this," Robin stated.
"So what there are other people here besides god and his priests?" Zoro asked.
"I can't say for sure but I do know that the balance between man and Nature is out of balance and this massive forest is the result," Robin said.
Zoro sighed; he didn't see what the big deal was. Who cares if Nature is out of whack it was not his problem. He looked up into the tree.
"OI NAMI! DO YOU SEE ANYTHING!" Zoro cried out.
Nami climbed down and ran off into the forest, Zoro and Robin ran after her.
"Nami slow down," Robin called out.
Nami stopped and looked back at them.
"No time, hurry up," Nami ordered.
They ran through the forest and Namis earlier fears and exhaustion of climbing over the roots seemed to just disappear, they came to another cloud river and Nami looked up and down it looking for a way across.
Robin as Zoro caught up.
"Nami what did you see that could make you run off like that?" Zoro asked.
Nami however ignored him, she climbed a nearby tree and using a vine she swung across the river without hesitation.
"Hurry Up!" she called back from the other side of the river.
"Well her bravery certainly has improved," Robin observed.
Once Zoro and Robin had swung across Nami ran off again and the other two had to follow.
"Nami where are you leading us?" Zoro asked. He was getting annoyed with her.
"Hang on, it's just over here," Nami replied and she went further ahead.
Zoro sighed, Nami was making things harder by not telling them what she had seen and where she was leading them. Zoro and Robin moved past some more trees and they found Nami standing near the edge of Upper Yard's north shore. However their eyes widened at what she had found stunned them. An odd stone structure which ended perfectly in line with the shore, a structure which looked half-complete.
"Is that what I think it is?" Robin asked.
Nami nodded.
"It's the other half of Cricket's house," Nami exclaimed.
Robin and Zoro stared at the half house in shock; they remembered the stone building that appeared to have been split clean in two before he had plastered that fake-palace front on to it.
"But how is that possible?" Zoro asked.
"Maybe…. the Knock Up Stream…." Robin started.
"You think it's powerful enough to tear an Island in half?" Zoro asked.
"It's the only explanation," Nami said.
"Think about it why would there be soil in an Island made of clouds? Why would the log pose point up if Clouds don't give off a magnetic field?" Robin asked "It must have happened close to 400 years ago…maybe slightly earlier,"
"Why do you say that?" Nami asked.
"Because 400 years ago Noland claimed to have found the city of gold and when he returned it was gone,"
"So if….Upper Yard…was once part of Jaya." Zoro started.
"Then the city of gold…it didn't sink into the ocean," Nami added.
"No…it's been up here in the sky all this time. For 400 years the city of gold has been above them not below," Robin finished.