Basically, I own nothing here…

The walk back was awkward, to say the least.

He led them from a distance of several paces, far enough for the sound of his own footsteps to drown out those of the local group even as they together entered the town. The oppressive atmosphere had made it a difficult task to bridge the gap, physical or otherwise.

Skypiea, they called it. A constituent nation of the so-called White Seas, a name that served as a reminder of the frankly absurd location he was currently on, a floating landmass encompassing a major part of the flying Imperial Cumulus before the constant warfare scarred its land and divided its people. The very same people whose descendants claimed to be part of a race that was once one of the former residents of the moons themselves, though Sasuke did not know which one, who were forced to descend to the lower world because of scarce resources.

Sasuke remembered smirking as one of the many questions that eluded him was finally answered; a slow, widening smile that had eventually stretched so wide that had his friends seen it, they might have instantly declared him a madman— though he would forever insist that he had smirked rather than smile dumbly as a Naruto used to, but who else but a madman would even so much as entertain the very notion of his situation?

A daydreamer such as Shikamaru, perhaps, but he was anything but that, and no fleeting afternoon fantasy was as real as the world he saw before him.

He might have considered this second chance as a blessing years ago, back when revenge dominated his thoughts and anger clouded his rationality. But any sprouting feelings of elation he may have had at the thought of a world where he might not be judged for his sins— a world where he could finally be accepted were swiftly shattered, ground under the heel of the revelations of what a new life in this world would mean.

It would have been liberating had the circumstances been different, but the chains of uncertainty had taken their place. In this new world, he was nothing —had nothing. No identity, no family, no friends, no purpose. He'd even been stripped of his chakra and the constant hum of power reverberating through his body that had accompanied him his entire teenage had faded entirely.

This particular emotion was unfamiliar to him; few were the moments in which he was paralyzed by doubt. His intellect had always been a defining trait, and even now he knew his options, and what he had to do to make a life for himself here but it was his will that was being shaken. He alone was left to appreciate this dull tranquillity and he could not help but feel that he was the least deserving. The world he had left behind and those few who truly cared for him— precious people, as Naruto often called them…

Sasuke used his right hand to wave off the guards accompanying them as a part of the delegation departed with Urouge in chains made of stone, his mind was occupied by other concerns; namely, the revelations given to him by these people.

"Sasuke, was it?" began Wyper— apparently the leader of the God's Guards which was some sort of police force from what he could gather— a tall man with tanned skin and long braided hair that reached his lower back with a tattoo around his left eye that went down the accompanying shoulder. He trivially held a huge gun in his hand, and a cigarette loosely hung from his mouth as if it had always belonged there.

"I might not have believed what I had seen some time ago had my comrades not sworn that they witnessed the same with their own two eyes."

Sasuke inclined his head to show he was listening. The pause in the step of the delegation as they waded through the town he had seen before as well as the whispers that erupted from the onlookers told him he wasn't the only one.

"However, before we discuss them, I would like to offer an… apology, of sorts."

His eyebrows rose ever so slightly and he heard sounds of shock from the eavesdroppers as if they had witnessed something truly miraculous. Wyper continued undeterred.

"You were involved in an incident under our jurisdiction, forced to deal with a dangerous fugitive we should have dealt with." He paused, frowning as he clearly struggled with words. "Regardless of the ease with which you did so, a stranger should not have been forced to intervene in an event we were supposed to resolve. You have our gratitude for saving us from what might have been a crisis we were ill-prepared to face."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I shall have to humbly disagree with the latter segments of your statement." Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly, glancing back at the group following him with his lone raven eye, "The situation did not seem that dire to me, and it was certainly no national disaster. I imagine you warriors might have handled it on your own had I not decided to intervene."

Sasuke deliberately slowed his pace even as the others around them cheered in agreement until he was striding alongside the rest of the group and tried to ignore the curious gaze he was receiving from Wyper behind him who appeared to be more cautious than these other companions had been, a trait that would serve him well.

"Kuku! You heard him!" One of the warriors smirked, having mistaken his honest observation for praise. "We would have been fine even without any help. Those lawless pirates are no match for us!"

The others laughed as his back was thumped by another warrior who nodded in agreement even as others laughed. He very much doubted they would be entirely won over with praises, of all things, but it had served as an ample peace offering. Any lingering tension that might have arisen had now almost certainly disappeared— muffled by the soft patter of the group's footsteps, his own now indistinct among them.

"It remains uncertain whether we could have even repelled him without incurring heavy losses, the casualties that course of action would have caused was bound to put our nation in dire straits," Wyper finally broke his quiet, "Perhaps we could have dealt with Urouge himself but certainly not without considerable damages to both our people and our nation."

"The spirit of any kingdom undermines its defenses." Sasuke responded, "People rise against kings, new pacts are made, and even holy laws deteriorate. Your nation would not fall as long as its people continue to remember the ideals it stands upon."

"Wise words." Wyper smiled softly at his words, his tense shoulders relaxing as he too joined the rest of his comrades by walking alongside him. "You have sharp insight, Sasuke from the Blue Seas."

"Not as sharp as yours it seems," Sasuke glanced back at his temporary companions with cool regard as he remembered clearly what had happened before, "You were not surprised when I appeared nor were you astounded intervened in that fight, almost as if you knew what was about to happen."

Wyper stopped in his tracks, frozen in shock by the observation Sasuke had been questioning for quite some time. The emotion was shared by the members of his group, and even the demeanour of those that had been laughing beside him had shattered to make way for disbelief. Silence reigned and Sasuke did not miss the glances these warriors shared at his inquisitive words.

It was the job of a shinobi to look underneath the underneath— they knew something he did not and he was particularly eager to find out exactly what.

"Few amongst us are natural users of Mantra, and the rest have been learning from Aisa." Wyper frowned, visibly hesitating with dull indecision for a single fraction of a second before he responded. "It is only natural that your appearance could not surprise us, for we had already been informed of your impending arrival."

Sasuke instantly understood that he had been far too quick to assume that natural strength and Devil Fruit were the only weapons people of this world could hone, even as his mind immediately jumped to the implications. He had always known that people of this world were not as helpless as they originally had appeared but perhaps he had been far too arrogant for someone of his profession, allowing decadency to cloud his rational instinct as a shinobi.

"Mantra." He whispered, testing the word over his tongue.

"I have a question." Sasuke spoke, "Is this Mantra of yours some sort of natural power that one must be born with, or is it a technique that can be learned by anyone?"

"Some are born with it, but all can learn it." Wyper answered, "Aisa is perhaps one of the only Shandian born with the power, but with the information left behind by Enel we know that even normal people can harness its powers."

"And this Mantra, what exactly does it do?"

"Broadly speaking, it is an extrasensory power that grants the user a sixth sense that allows them to sense the presence, strength, intent, and even the emotions of others. It was what allowed us to sense your presence on the island before we even made contact."

"Which brings me to my next point," He continued, taking his silence as acceptance before turning towards Sasuke, "And that is your appearance here above the blue seas. It need not be said that we fully intend to repay the favour owed but we must know why an outsider has chosen to visit our lands above the Blue Seas. It must not be easy to reach our shores from down below, so you must have a purpose when coming here, "

Sasuke raised a brow and turned to face the group. These men were almost naked, clad in nothing but what appeared to be grass skirts and animal pelts. Decorating skin with ink and art also seemed to be common—Sasuke could see that almost all of them had numerous tattoos adorning their arms, their chests, and even their faces.

The streets were crammed with bodies, bustling with all different kinds of people. Some were shopkeepers rushing to work whereas others were simply shoppers going to the markets in search of a good deal and there was even the occasional guard mixed in with the crowd, either patrolling the street or simply out for a stroll.

People crowded the street, so densely packed together that all Sasuke had to do was swing his arm out and the odds were that he'd smack someone in the face. But the crowd seamlessly parted before their group out of natural respect, most of them greeting the group with respectful waves and curious looks which only increased when they saw him.

"Has this Mantra of yours not told you about my purpose here?" He asked after a moment, "Moreover, are people not allowed to enter the island or does the question stem from a personal curiosity?"

"No, it has not," Wyper answered, ignoring his other question.

Sasuke paused for a moment, his lone eye narrowing further as the men around him tensed in response before he made sure to visibly relax. It would do him no good to antagonize these guards for no apparent reason, he needed his information after all.

Moreover, he truly meant them no harm and Sasuke knew that the thought was only mutual. These people only seemed to be following orders, besides— If this world was anything like his, he would have been forcefully captured, interrogated, and if found wanting, killed without mercy were he to be caught by any law enforcement agency without proper proof of identification. In hindsight, this seemed almost tame…

"I had heard about this place before in Jaya, and I could not help but come here to witness it myself." Sasuke spoke, his eyes further softening as he decided to use words over force as he once might have done, "I must say, this place indeed does live up to its reputation as the legendary Sky Island— one of the most astounding archipelagos I have ever had the pleasure of visiting."

It was the truth, the island was perhaps one of the most magnificent wonders of nature he had the pleasure to see with his own eyes. The infamous turtle island of Kumo might come close but unfortunately, he had not had the opportunity to grace that island himself— having only heard tales about it from others. But in his humble opinion, which was almost always accurate, an island on the clouds would beat an island on the back of a giant turtle any day of the week, no matter what a certain blond may say.

The man wearing the hat beside him looked visibly elated when he heard his words and turned towards him with traces of happiness etched on his face that softened when he asked his question, "Did the sound of the Golden Bell reach the Blue Seas below?"

"Naturally so," Sasuke nodded. He could only guess what this Golden Bell was but just as truth need not always be right, some falsehoods were not wrong. "People of Jaya dream of it, they say it was the most beautiful sound ever heard. It is a dream of many people to one day visit this place, the legendary islands above the sky."

They were simple words but they cut through the tension as smoothly as his Kusanagi could cut through steel as the men around him all grinned, and some of the more enthusiastic ones cheered. Sasuke had always let his actions speak, but sometimes words could be of much more worth than power. Naruto had taught him that, Itachi had taught him that...

"You are fortunate." One of them laughed, his voice loud but welcoming all the same, "If you were here a few days ago we would have introduced you to death first and asked questions later. Count your lucky stars we have already announced our presence to the world."

"I doubt you would have received many answers from a corpse!" Sasuke smirked at the man in response, "Even if you could back your words with action, that is."

The man— Kamakiri, from what he had disconcerted, spluttered in mock indignation even as the rest chuckled at his expense. Some bystanders stopped work for a moment or two to glance at them but most seemed too busy with construction or work to spare more than a moment or two for an unknown stranger, wanting the new town to be completed as soon as possible.

"We are Kami's guards. It is our protect this island in Kami's name against any threat." He finally responded, speaking as if he'd rehearsed those words many times beforehand even as Sasuke only paused thoughtfully at his response. It was a topic of his interest and he had been meaning to breach the subject himself.

A God— Kami, as the locals called it. The concept of divinity had been associated with bad memories he would rather forget but he could not allow a lead about gods worshiped by people who were said to have descended from the moon to remain unchecked.

"Kami, was it?" Sasuke hummed, "So are you people some sort of warrior priests?"

"No! We are not priests," the happy Kamakiri protested even as the expressions of the guards around quickly tensed up at his question. Sasuke paused as took in the reactions, observing the way their hands clenched tightly at the mention of priests. Something truly dark had passed through the eyes of these warriors at his words, something Sasuke knew as well as he knew the sound of his own heart and the hum of his mother's voice.

It was hatred, raw hatred that burned hotter than any fire could…

"I apologize, it was not my intention to insult you." Sasuke spoke again after a moment, yet his voice had a hint of steel in it as he remembered the reminiscent emotion he had just seen all too clearly, "The comparison was not meant to be an affront, monks and priests are usually associated with Gods in the Blue Sea but it seems that I had spoken thoughtlessly."

"No, it's fine," Wyper responded with a sigh, "It was just that only some time ago, we were forced to risk ourselves against Enel's priests in order to get our homeland back so the comparison was not exactly flattering,"

"This Enel and his priests, who were they?" Sasuke asked, after a moment. "Why did they take over your home anyway?"

Wyper shared a long look with Kamakiri as Sasuke moved to take a closer look at the busy town around him. He seemed as if he were searching for something, his eyes constantly moved about but never stopped on anything for more than a moment. He decided to indulge him, Sasuke had done them a great favour and they had already declared the existence of Sypeia when that Straw Hat kid had rung the Light of Shandora for the world to hear.

Besides, this was no great secret to be guarded so resolutely.

"Enel was a tyrant who came here from another sky island named Birka about six years ago. He brought along his followers and wasted no time in taking down Ganfor, the Kami of that era—"

"Kami, as in God?" Sasuke asked, trying to hide his curiosity as well as he could.

"Yes, that is what we call our leader." Wyper appeared annoyed at the interruption and paused for a moment before he paused, "As I was saying before the interruption, Ganfor was defeated quickly but we did not care much about his fall for he too was our enemy at the time. When Enel took over as Kami, the only thing that changed for us was we had to fight him instead of Ganfor!"

And so he began…

He regaled to him a tale about grand events that spun through eons of history, singing of bravery and dictating poems that revered the honour and courage of the fallen. They told him everything about their struggle for a homeland, how islands were thrown into the sky, the history of Shandians and Skypieans, alongside Ganfor's struggle for peace. They told him about Enel's rule and the Light of Shandora.

Sasuke slowly drank in his every word, all too aware that someone needed to tell those tales and spread the word about the overlapping narrative that no one else knew of. History was not just a record of the past. It was also proof that civilization had advanced to the present.

"Who would have thought a place this beautiful has such sad history," Sasuke spoke honestly after it ended. "The brightest lights sometimes cast the darkest shadows,"

"Things are not always as they look." Wyper nodded in agreement. "Our people have struggled, but we have emerged all the greater for it nonetheless."

A soft quietness fell upon them, as they all thought of ideals greater than life with a thousand varying emotions. All of them aware that dreams do come true, but if only they wish hard enough.

"You ask a lot of questions!" Kamakiri broke the moment, seeming somewhat annoyed that they had been questioned to such an extent. "Far too curious for a simple traveler..."

At that, his gaze along with those of his companions turned expectant. It seemed that these people had a penchant for simple, catch-all questions.

"I simply want answers. To personal questions that are exceedingly important to me."

"And you believe we may be able to assist you in this endeavour?"

"You previously mentioned a favour owed for defeating." Sasuke instead answered, "I wish for each of my questions to be answered for as long as they do not pose a threat to the interests of the people of this island, in return I would answer any of your questions regarding the surface. A cultural exchange, if you will. I believe I am owed that much."

Wyper looked at the man before him for a moment, thinking about it for a moment before he nodded. He had indeed helped them, and if all he was asking for was simple information that would not harm his people then he could only comply.

Sasuke had remained awake, contemplating the previous events of the night.

In truth, part of him had still been trying to rationalize the existence of this world without chakra, as any sane person in his place would. Not that it necessarily mattered. He had never been the sort of fool to deny reality and allow himself to remain delusional for the little comfort denials would bring him.

But Sasuke allowed himself to relax and focus on the future that lay ahead of him. As whimsical as these people from Skypiea were, they were the sort to choose dance and storytelling over outrage and accusations, and lowering his guard here on the islands in the sky was far safer than doing so on Jaya.

His mind constantly played one question again and again on repeat. What was he doing?

How long had it been since he arrived here, in this world? How long since he had been mired in his own indecisiveness? Was he to ignore the trembling of his hands as he lay awake during long nights, thinking of home? Would he allow himself to stagnate, or would he move forward?

He'd once denounced both the Kage for their stagnancy and their refusal to pave a future, and yet here he was doing the same. It was staggering, the depths of his own arrogance.

To think he would be granted resolution if he just waited. No blond-haired dope would appear here to grant him a solution.

He had to keep moving onward and pave his own path with his own two hands.

In retrospect, the paths before him were simple— the Marines, the Warlords, and the Pirates.

Marines and Pirates, which consisted of both the just and the wicked, comprised the majority of this world's power base. The warlords had their own powerbase and hierarchy; the world's strongest swordsmen foremost among them, but remained unconsolidated in both allegiance and unity, instead dividing their resources for the government in the open and against it in the shadows. They could be considered the weakest of the three factions.

The existence of three, in fact, was a blessing. It allowed for a tentative balance, and though the current ceasefire looked unlikely to evolve into peace, no faction would act alone for fear of retribution returned twice-fold.

The power struggles of this world's residents, despite having fewer intricacies and positions, held an unerring similarity to both the system of Hidden Villages and that prevalent during the Clan War era; piqued no little amount of his curiosity. This world had not seen a full-scale international world war for the better part of a century, not in the manner of the Great Ninja Wars of his Elemental Nations but the current state of affairs was equivalent to, or perhaps even worse than that of his world during the Clan War era.

There had been constant conflict, and for the majority of the inhabitants of this world, life was an affair that could be brought to an end with circumstances unforeseen suddenly at any moment. Generations of people existed who had never seen a day without the concept of warfare.

The territory under the Four Emperors was independent, and the distant regions that did not fall under the reach of the World Government's authority operated largely under autonomy so long as they regularly remunerated the government with its Heavenly Tribute. Many kingdoms had seceded from the World Government to escape this tyrannical isochronism only to be destroyed soon afterward by unforeseen circumstances.

These larger power struggles were the least of his thoughts, however, and the majority of his investigations were comprised of queries about the structure of history and civilization as a whole. He would have preferred an equal understanding of the Government, Emperors, or the Warlords but acknowledged his lack of expertise on the matter as an unavoidable consequence of his geographical location, currently he was far removed from the power bases of each of the Factions.

The Government would not tolerate him; of that he was sure.

He could deceive them well enough though, joining their ranks in an effort to make contact with these Celestial Gods. It would be trivial enough to take the cloak and spend his time as a member of the Navy. But any sort of inclination he might have had to the idea— that is, none at all— was dissuaded by the macabre picture reflected in parts by the shadow of numerous untold circumstances that had been so blatantly suppressed before they could reach the world, the greatest amongst them being that of Ohara. That they condoned slavery was yet another reason behind his opinion that had long been set in stone.

The fact that the Government, instead of executing or imprisoning these human traffickers who illegally trampled upon the rights of the people they were sworn to protect and sought only to distance themselves from them; spoke volumes of their values for self-image and prestige.

Besides, such organizations had never been his calling, he did not need the red tape of bureaucracy slowing him down.

In that, the Warlords were also considered for a small fleeting moment, but with that organization, the problem lay in the cost of doing so. He had nothing to offer their faction that would match the worth of what he wanted in return. No deeds worthy of praise, no influence with which to negotiate; nothing he possessed could serve as an initial bargaining chip to join that group of criminals who fought for the world government.

Any attempts to affiliate himself with the other factions such as the revolutionaries would meet the same problems, and the various other fragmented organizations and powers were too scattered to be of use. The only option left to him was paradoxically his best one. He could work the intricacies of the only system that left him content with the ease of familiarity.

So, it had to be the pirates then.

An occupation that rewarded cunning, ability, and most of all power. He might lack the latter, for he was weaker than he ever had been, with his current situation, but did not need it to seek the answers he sought.

Moreover, by doing so he could have—

"Ah, Sasuke. So here you are, I was looking for you since the dawn." A rough voice called out, snapping Sasuke from his thoughts, "So you were cloud-watching all this time?"

Sasuke sighed and leaned backward, enjoying the warm sunshine and the gentle breeze that brought along with it a freshness that could not be found on the surface.

These ruins were abandoned, yet they created a spot good enough to relax in even after centuries of decay.

Sasuke felt the rustle of the leaves and experienced the rumble of the clouds. The flowers sang their own songs and the bees created their own rhythms. The gentle wind and the waves formed by clouds serenaded with distinct notes, even as the sun mesmerized him in her own melodies. Clouds came floating into the landscape, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to the sunset sky.

Sasuke sighed once again and closed his lone eye. Shikamaru Nara would have turned green with envy...

"The study of the clouds is considered a noble profession in Skypiea," Wyper spoke as he walked closer with loud clacking footsteps. "But I had assumed that the way of the warrior was more of your call, considering your accomplishments in the latter."

The man came to a stop beside him, and his clothes rustled blatantly for a moment before he perched himself beside him with a loud thud. Leisurely, Sasuke opened a lone eye to glance at the shirtless man covered by various tribal tattoos with his dark brown hair arranged in a mohawk that followed into a segmented braid that went past his waist.

"The study of the sky, you say?" Sasuke dully hummed, his tone flat with disinterest. "Sounds astoundingly interesting…"

"Coelumlogy generates solutions for everyday life and helps us to answer the great mysteries of the world. In other words, it could be considered one of the most important channels of our knowledge." Wyper grunted even as he slouched into the ground, the sarcasm completely flying over his head. "All sorts of things can happen when people are open to new ideas and playing around with things. Even mundane feats such as the integration of dials and the operation of cloud cutters were once thought of as inconceivable marvels."

Sasuke absently nodded, his mind wandering back to the strange devices used by those warriors when in combat against that pirate Urouge.

"And this Coelumlogy. You say it is taught here?" Sasuke asked.

"Some of it is, but to call Skypiea a trove of knowledge regarding the subject would be a falsehood," Wyper answered, shaking his head in denial. "In truth, the actual centre of Coelumlogy would be none other than the sky island known as Weatheria. A land of researchers and scholars who would love a proper mystery more than any pleasure of the greater world."

"Located atop a structure of large bubbles that keeps it suspended, the island itself is a moving adobe of researchers that meanders alongside the wind itself. Constantly changing in both location and structure, it is an artificial island created by the hands of learned men who know far more of the world than I do. The residents of Skypiea once encountered the island during a distant past when it was passing by and have remembered it fondly ever since."

"Perhaps I shall visit the place then, if I gain the opportunity in the future," Sasuke murmured absently, it seemed as if this world far surpassed his own in the realm of diversity in geography at the very least.

And it indeed was, to create an entire island capable of controlled movement laying above the range of almost everyone on the surface would have been a resource that could have changed the tide of history itself.

There were three factors even a novice genin recognized as critical to the eventual victor of any position- space, force, and time. Control over the skies could empower a group with an advantage over any other that could not counter it.

It was what made Deidara so fearsome, and was part of the reason why he had chosen to summon hawks as opposed to say bears or cats, with both of which he had an affinity. But that, of course, was not what was relevant here. Sasuke again glanced at Wyper before he closed his eyes.

Words, he decided, were curious things.

"As fascinating as this discussion is." Sasuke slowly spoke after a moment, "I doubt that an esteemed warrior such as yourself, came all this way just to talk about science and geography with an ignorant man who knows nothing of this world."

Wyper sighed at his innocent observation. Fragmented question-and-answer was perhaps not the best solution to this ordeal. Sasuke, as he had found, was not an easy person to deal with. He would have preferred to do this using a subtler, but his lack of expertise on the matter was unavoidable.

He finally spoke, catching Sasuke's undivided attention for the first time., "I imagine that my side of things would be quicker to explain and as much as I would like to give you your answers, there is something I wish to know first."

"Gan Fall, has already been told of yesterday's events," stated Wyper.

"Having said that, I would move on to my next point and that is your proposal regarding an exchange of knowledge," continued Wyper, taking his silence as acceptance, "It need not be said that Gan Fall fully intends to comply with it. The debts owed by the warriors of Skypiea are not so easily forgotten. However, I cannot fathom your interest in knowledge that you could have gotten yourself if you were so inclined."

The question was rather innocent, yet invasive. Wyper was looking at him expectantly as if the answer he provided would somehow explain everything. He took advantage of his patience, and spent the next few seconds in silence, considering his next words.

"I have a vested interest in the various cultures and histories of the world. Knowledge is precious to me." Sasuke sighed seeing that he was not convinced. "I value it far above any currency, and not simply because I have an excess of the latter."

"I simply want answers, as I have said before, to personal questions that are exceedingly important to me. Think of it as payment for the capture of Urouge. Moreover, I would not ask you to divulge any information that threatens the interests of your people, nor would I share any knowledge I learn with outsiders as long as it belongs to Skypiea."

Wyper spoke nothing of his words and regarded him with his piercing gaze for a moment. Carefully analyzing him in that single second even as a thousand thoughts flew through his head, before he shook his head and sighed. His personal thoughts about the matter were irrelevant, all he could do at this point was to discharge his spirit in service to his nation.

"Gan Fall has already accepted your proposal and has no objections to your conditions." Wyper grunted, "You are free to explore our nation. Send any questions you might have to me, and I shall relegate them to those who can answer them."

"Very well, I shall have to trouble you then. I hope my requests would not be too imposing."

Wyper blinked and suddenly in that single second, the outlander who had been lying on the back was now standing upright before him, peering down at him with those dark eyes of his that were so penetrating and resolute.

Wyper absently heard him say something in the calmest of voices, even though he took a step backward in surprise. The warrior of Shandia had not even seen Sasuke move. "Wha—?"

"To begin with," Sasuke repeated, annoyed "I want to learn everything of Mantra that you spoke of yesterday."

Fortunately for Wyper, he did not have to think much of the demand— for that was what it was no matter how humbly Sasuke asked, having already anticipated the first of his questions given that man had already expressed his interests in the subject quite clearly yesterday.

Accordingly, they had already reviewed the request and deemed it acceptable beforehand. It was not a loss for anyone of them, most of what they knew of Mantra came from the records left behind by Enel and his priests— the secrets of Mantra were not theirs to keep in the first place.

"O-Of course." He nodded, trying his level best to appear calm. "We knew of your curiosity regarding the subject and Gan Fall already has given his approval. We can begin as soon as you wish."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, his eye searching the very depth of his soul with the intensity of a thousand dying stars before they moved away, apparently satisfied with what he had found.

He turned around and moved towards the largest structure in the ruins he had been resting on— the top of the structure which resembled a pyramid that the ruins seemed to have been constructed around. Tangible clouds had covered most of the area and shrouded the seemingly endless ruins that seemed to be a remnant of some sort of an ancient city. The entire structure was covered; decorated by intricate snakes and winged men alongside ornamented symbols depicting the Sun in veneration.

They were everywhere…

It was apparent Wyper had spent no small effort in searching for him, for Sasuke himself would have missed these ruins if not for his keen eyesight

Shandora, it was called. The City of God he had heard legends of during his stay in Jaya. An ancient town that was once located inside the right eye of the island of Jaya but was later blasted to Upper Yard by the same torrent of water heading skywards that he had seen during his descent into this vast world known as the Knock Up Stream.

He had been looking for standard clues about the Otsutsuki— symbols that depicted the Byakugan, carvings that resembled the God Tree, legends of pale gods with menacing horns, or even whispers of the fabled Rinnegan…

But so far, he had not been able to find anything.

As far as he could judge, these people had not been associated with the parasites known who called themselves Gods. A fact that may seem pleasing but was forbearing at the same time.

Another dead end, it seemed…

"How old is this place anyways?" Sasuke asked after a moment, turning towards Wyper again who moved to stand alongside him with a grunt of effort, eager to answer questions about his people and his history for once.

Even the Light of Shandora, the enormous golden bell was created by their forefathers to tell the world that 'we are here.' It was meant to be a beacon to show their ancestors the way back to the island and to declare that they were not afraid of any intruders.

It was a representation of the days of the Shandorian glory and the history that must never be forgotten. The hope that Sasuke would record their celebrated past and spread it throughout the lower world was part of the reason why Gan Fall had allowed him to study their nation.

"Shandora is about a thousand years old." Wyper told him, "The city was once covered in gold and was known as the jewel of the seas but was destroyed in a great war around eight or nine centuries years ago!"

Sasuke's lone eye widened marginally in a rare moment of surprise. Even Kaguya had come to the Elemental Nations about one or two thousand years ago. These structures were perhaps as old as the history of his old world itself, an aweing thought in itself.

They were of perfect age and if there was any clue about Otsutsuki in this world, then it would most probably be in an ancient place such as this that was more than a thousand years old. He'd have to pay more attention to these sorts of ruins it seemed.

Spacious streets inside the ruins of the city were relatively intact even eons after its destruction. There were carved stone statues of people long dead and the recurring symbols of the Sun were abundant. There were some strange symbols carved on the walls and stone tablets, that together seemed to create a lesser subset of some sort of ancient language.

Sasuke had no idea what they meant but he had seen them before— inscribed upon an enormous stele in a sealed chamber locked inside the ruins and upon the Shandorian Golden Belfry.

Curious….

"Wyper," Sasuke called out, the warrior had not allowed him to stray more than ten feet away from him so far. "Could you tell me what is written here?"

"I cannot read it," Wyper answered with a shrug, that was not apologetic in the least.

"This is your homeland, right? So this must be your language?" Sasuke raised his eyebrow in question.

"Yes, this is our homeland but this city is more than a millennium old, and the knowledge of that language has long been lost to time. " Wyper answered truthfully. "There is only one woman in the whole world who can read the script."

"Who is it? Can I meet her?" Sasuke did his best to conceal the traces of eagerness that almost seeped into his voice otherwise stoic voice. He had been investigating for ages and had not found a true lead for ages, to think he would discover one here by accident.

Wyper glanced at him suspiciously for a moment before he shook his head and answered. "Her name is Nico Robin and she is currently a member of the Straw Hats pirates"

And that was the end of that…

Life, the avenger had found, was laced with unanswered questions, but it was the courage to seek those answers that allowed him to move forward. He could spend his life wallowing in despair, wondering why he was the one who was led towards the road strewn with pain, or he could be grateful that he was strong enough to survive it and move forward regardless. So what if Skypiea turned out to be a dead end?

He had another lead and he would follow it to the very depths of hell itself.

Sasuke nodded before he glanced back at the heart of ruins barely visible beyond the city, from this distance he could clearly see an altar of some sort and it had the image of the sun roughly carved into its two sides even as some kind of divine bird occupied the other two. A sun god, it appeared…

This Straw Hat Luffy and his crew, he had heard of them in passing before and they slowly turning out to be to be far more interesting than any pirate group he had ever seen before…

Sasuke turned away, his gaze drawn to the symbols engraved upon the ancient structure around him. The clean carvings in a language whose origins were older than that of Chakra itself.

A voice whispered at the back of his head, speaking with the authority of the world itself. It was a sound he heard from within, the murmur of the radiant sun in the warmest rays of sunshine— as if someone had given the soul a voice to be heard.

A melody that resonated with the universe around him in an embrace of power. It was the world itself.

"Poseidon…"

It seemed to say…

Yes, what Sasuke heard at the end was the Voice of all Things. He is subconsciously using Haki as Luffy sometimes did before time skip— seeing things in perfect detail tens of kilometers away, him knocking out those fools in the last chapter, and now the voice of all things.

Yes, the Skypeians acted somewhat out of character and used Haki more obviously, but I deliberately did this in order to show their growth following the departure of Luffy. They acted more maturely than they would have in canon and had more tricks up their sleeves than they originally did. I also wanted to show that Sasuke is no longer the murder-happy maniac that he used to be, he has grown after his fight with Naruto.

I think it can be clearly seen by the way that he avoids killing in general, and tries to negotiate first even if it might prove to be more troublesome later- as opposed to say, taking what he wanted.

The chapter might seem boring but I established the thoughts of Sasuke regarding the factions of the One Piece world, his securing a way to learn Observation Haki, his vested interest in the Straw Hats, and his decision to investigate the trail of Poneglyphs.

Anyways, thanks for reading.