A/N: Guess who's back! Back again! System's back, with a pen! I couldn't resist! First off, let me apologize for my long absense. Life outside the computer was hectic for various reasons, and I couldn't get into a typing mood. Hopefully, my absense won't be this long next time. Now, onto a problem I wish to address to you all. When I update, don't leave reviews asking for another update ASAP. It's annoying, and makes writing less fun. Second and final, someone has asked me to write a Spanish version of this fic. I do not speak the language, but if anyone wished to do so, they can with my permission. Now, to the continuation of Luffy's Renewed Adventure.
The Gold Extraction Team was calmly walking through Upper Yard in their search for the City of Gold. Grace was riding on Chopper in his Walk Point, Vivi was riding Carue, and Luffy, Zoro, Robin, and Gin were calmly walking along.
"This forest just seems like a big bore." Zoro yawned while Luffy picked up a stick with a grin. "I haven't seen anyone besides us walking through."
"Guess you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Gin replied.
"I'll say. Wish I could've taken a crack at that Priest." Zoro smirked.
"No you don't." Vivi added with a frown. "He could read all our moves and nearly burned everyone to cinders."
"Scary." Chopper added as he remembered the fight.
"I just hope we can find the gold and leave before any guerillas or Priests or whatever find us." said Grace while Carue and Chopper nodded in agreement.
"Half of you seem eager to find trouble while the other wants to avoid it." Robin chuckled.
"What's wrong with wanting to leave here alive?" Vivi asked her.
"Don't worry. We're stronger than anything they can throw at us!" Luffy grinned before continuing. "Besides, there's something I wanna do up here."
"And what's that?" Gin asked.
"Ring that huge golden bell!" he said with his signature grin. "A bell that big could be heard by everyone back on our own sea, right?"
"You're thinking about Cricket and the others." Robin said with a smile.
"Yep!" Luffy laughed before he suddenly stopped walking. The others all stopped and looked at him in confusion before he smiled again.
"What are you doing?" Zoro asked.
"Is that a tree root?" Vivi asked. Everyone looked to see her pointing at a giant stripped wall blocking the way they came. They watched before the tree root in question began to move, causing a few of them to stare wide-eyed at it.
"I don't think that's a root." Gin said as they looked around to see they were now surrounded by the same root.
"Sna...sna...sna..." Grace whimpered in fear as she found one end of the root, which turned out to be the head of a snake. "SNAKE!" Everyone turned to see a giant snake staring straight at them. Robin looked on with curious eyes, wondering if it's size was due to the environment up in the sky. Zoro glared while grabbing the hilt of one of his swords ready to draw in case they had to fight. Gin did the same as he drew his tonfa while Luffy just looked on with a smile. Vivi, Grace, Carue, and Chopper were all looking at the snake with terror filled eyes as the snake looked back at them all.
"Now what?" Gin asked. His answer came in the form of the snake roaring before charging at them. The others turned to run while Luffy stayed put, his right hand slowly rising. The behemoth of a snake was a few feet away before Luffy glared at the snake with a grin, a wave of Haki flowing out of him towards the python.
"Down." he said in a calm voice as he gently lowered his hand, the snake's head slowly following along. When the snake lay down on the ground before him, he turned to the others with a huge grin. "Nothing to worry about." he said before his smile fell to a confused frown. "Are we missing some people?" he asked when he noticed that only Gin, Robin, and Zoro were still there.
-Grace and Chopper-
"IS IT STILL BEHIND US?!" Chopper yelled in panic, his hooves moving faster than ever as he ran through the forest, with Grace gripping his fur to keep from being thrown off.
"DON'T KNOW! DON'T CARE! JUST RUN!" she yelled as she stared ahead, the wind whipping against her face.
-Vivi and Carue-
"QUUAAAAAAACCKKKKK!" came a sound that echoed throughout the forest as a massive dust trail lifted in a line above the trees, the sound of a woman screaming along the way.
-With Luffy's group-
"Guess they ran too far to notice they weren't being chased." Zoro offered as they all looked around to see if they could find them.
"Well, that's just great. Half of our team is now running around a forest of enemies!" Gin stated.
"They'll be fine." Luffy grinned.
"Still, what are we to do with our 'friend' here?" Robin asked as she gazed up at the snake.
"I was gonna have Chopper talk to it," Luffy said before humming in thought. "Actually, I'm gonna try something." The others watched as Luffy jumped onto the snake's head and walked towards one of it's eyes before sitting down in front of it. Both human and snake said nothing as they stared at each other while the other three watched with curious eyes.
"Is our captain attempting to read it's mind?" Robin asked.
"Don't know." Gin answered while Zoro took a few steps forward.
"Hey Luffy! What are you doing?" Zoro called up to Luffy. Luffy didn't respond before a gentle smile crept onto his face.
"I see." he said before he began to gently pet the snake close to it's eye. "It's okay guys! Nola won't attack us."
"You named the snake Nola?" Zoro asked in disbelief.
"No. She said it's the name that some humans gave her." Luffy answered to his shocked crew.
"Are you talking to the snake?" Robin asked. "How?"
"I don't remember." Luffy answered, a thoughtful look on his face.
"How do you not remember how to speak to a giant snake?" Gin deadpanned as Luffy looked back at Nola.
"Did you know about this?" Robin asked Zoro.
"No." Zoro answered with a shake of his head.
"Shishishishishi!" Luffy suddenly laughed. "Is that so? Then we both want the same thing! Don't worry! By the end of the day, everyone's gonna hear that bell ring!" The others just watched Luffy talk to Nola before they heard the sound of running water. They looked around before finding the source, which only added to their amazement. Nola, the giant python that tried to eat them moments ago, was now crying.
"SHAAAAAAA!" the snake cried out, it's head lifting off the ground and up towards the heavens.
"Whoa!" Luffy cried when he accidentally fell of her head and onto the ground.
"What'd you say to the snake?" Gin asked.
"She said that she's been waiting for a long time to hear the golden bell that a man named Calgara and his friend Noland rang a long time ago. I told her that I wanted to ring it too." Luffy answered.
'Fascinating!' Robin thought as she looked between Luffy and the crying Nola, her mind trying to comprehend what she has just heard. 'If what he's saying is true, then that snake is over 400 years old.'
"So we have a giant snake as an ally or something?" Gin asked.
"Better than an enemy. Everything else up here wants us dead." said Zoro as Luffy jumped onto Nola's head.
"Come on up guys!" Luffy yelled. "The guerillas are coming! I'm gonna see if they'll fight with us."
"Did you forget that they want to kill us?" Gin asked with his arms folded across his chest.
"They just want their home back. I'll just tell them that I'm not their to fight." Luffy explained.
"Do what you want." Zoro added to the conversation before turning and walking off. "I'm gonna find the others that ran off before they get killed."
"Good luck!" Luffy shouted before looking down at Gin and Robin. "What about you two?"
"I'm gonna follow Zoro." Gin answered before walking away. 'Somebody's gotta make sure he doesn't somehow walk off the cloud.'
"I'll head for our destination." Robin answered. "I'm curious about the ruins that are here."
"Okay." Luffy smiled before patting Nola's head, signalling her to slither off into the forest.
-Meanwhile on the Going Merry-
The Escape Team were sailing down the Milky Road towards their destination, where they'd wait for the Gold Extraction Team to rendevouz before leaving Sky Island.
"Our heading is good!" Usopp stated with his arms folded across his chest as he stood near the bow of the ship. "Everyone! Keep a lookout for any guerillas and such!"
"Aye, Captain Usopp!" some of them said while the rest rolled their eyes.
"It's a shame that we have to leave so soon." Alvida hummed, her mind going back to that peaceful beach they first landed on.
"It may look peaceful, but this island is anything but!" Nami stated with her hands on her hips. "If you saw what I did, then-"
"We get it." Nojiko interrupted as she tended to the tangerine trees. "Nothing we can do about it now except meet up with the others and run."
"I wonder how the others are doing." Valerie thought out loud while looking through the trees.
"I wouldn't worry about them." Johnny smirked with his arms folded across his chest.
"Yeah," Yosaku added in a similar pose. "Those guys can handle anything!"
"They better," Sanji added as he lit a cigarette. "Cause if they let the ladies get hurt, they're dead." As they all talked amongst themselves, Gan Fall and Pierre were silently observing the trees in case any enemies came to fight.
"You okay?" Gan Fall was snapped from his thoughts to see Alvida addressing him. "You seem out of it. Something wrong?" Gan Fall said nothing for a moment as the others all looked at him before he closed his eyes and spoke.
"Let me tell you all of this land's history." he said. Everyone gathered around to listen to him speak of Upper Yard's birth, the 400 year war going on, the Shandians, and Enel's appearance six years ago.
"Guess this place has a lot more dark secrets than we imagined." Nami mused with a glum look on her face.
"Actually, there's something that I've been meaning to ask." Gan Fall continued. "You all mentioned it last night, but I'm curious. What exactly is gold?"
"WHAT?!" they all shouted in disbelief.
-The Shandians-
The Shandian Warriors were riding atop the clouds towards Upper Yard, with Wiper leading them all.
"Our target is God's Shrine!" he declared. "Today, we take back our home!" The warriors released a battle cry at his proclamation as they continued, not knowing that a Blue Sea Dweller riding a snake would be there to greet them.