THE STRAW HATS SEPARATED BUT NOT ALONE
Sky Island Saga - Skypiea Arc - Episodes 158 - 159
3rd POV: (From Now Onwards!)
"Luffy and crew managed to avoid the White Berets' demands, but a divine messenger suddenly dragged Nami and three others away."
Sanji lit a match for his smokes. "So, they're saying that if we want our friends and ship back, we just have to come in from the front." He puffed out some smoke.
"So that's our ordeal and… Heaven's Judgment?!" Usopp gulped, but Dakota thought it would be a little more complicated.
"Yes. In Upper Yard, four priests who are strong beyond imagination await you." Pagaya informed them, and Dakota looked at Conis, who looked back in fear for the Pirate group.
"Oh, then it's easy," Luffy announced, full of confidence. "To put it simply, all we have to do is beat up those priests, right?"
"You're as simple-minded as ever, Little Brother." Dakota joked, and he looked up, laughing.
"This is becoming fun!" He giggled, and Dakota saw the worry in Pagaya's eyes grow more intense, but she didn't know if it was just for them.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
The remaining Straw Hats begin their journey to Upper Yard, packing what they need for their ordeal into rucksacks that Conis and Pagaya lend them, though they don't expect to see the Blue Sea Pirates again. "Hey! Luffy!" Usopp shouts after his Captain, who rushes ahead.
"W-Wait up!" Sanji yells, trying to control the rubber boy as he runs down the steps that lead to the beach.
"What is it?" Luffy asks them, stopping and turning to face the others, holding his large rucksack, mainly filled with food.
"Luf, we need to stick together!" Dakota warns him, running to his side, carrying a black bag full of supplies and weapons on her shoulder.
"Where are you wandering off to all of a sudden?!" Sanji asks him, catching up with Luffy.
"You heard Nami. "Luffy replies. "We'll only burden Conis and the old guy if we stay here."
"Yeah, but where are we going?" He asks him again.
"Isn't it obvious? The sacrificial altar." The Captain questions, looking at them with a severe look.
"How are you planning to get there exactly?" Dakota asks her little Brother, making Luffy ponder.
"Quit thinking!" Sanji yells at him, seeing the gears turning inside the rubber Captain's head.
"We just need to swipe one of those ships and take the Milky Road." Luffy announces his plan, pointing out to the White-White Sea.
"Do you see any ships we can swipe?!" He questions, making the Captain think deeply again, angering the Chef. "I said, quit thinking!"
"This isn't like the Blue Sea, you know!" Usopp reminds him, pulling out the old map of Skypiea. "This old map doesn't give us details about Angel Island's geography, and even how to get onto the Milky Road is a mystery!"
"Man, what a pain…" Luffy sighs and looks up the stairs to see Conis following them, and the others look back to see her, too.
"Everyone…" Conis greets them nervously.
"Conis-chan! Did you come all this way to see us off?!" Sanji beams, looking at the blond Angel.
"My Father asked me to help you on your way to the sacrificial altar…" She informs them, and Dakota senses her unease.
"Oh? Pagaya-san did?" Usopp questions, smiling.
"I'll accompany you to the Angel Island docks. Once there, I'll prepare an appropriate boat for you." The blond Angel adds, seeming nervous about what she is doing.
"Wow! You're too perfect! Nothing like a certain scatterbrain, I know!" He replies jokingly.
"That's for sure!" Luffy agrees, smiling.
"I was referring to you!" The Sniper yells at him, swirling around to look at the Captain.
"We'd be delighted to have you accompany us, Conis-chan!" Sanji exclaims with hearts in his eyes. "Right, Luffy?!" Luffy stares at her, seeing the unease on her face.
"Sure, we'll take you up on your offer!" Luffy agrees, sharing a look with his Sister, who nods.
"G-Great!" Conis stutters before returning to the house with the others following her, with Captain McKinley watching them from the bushes.
"I won't let you escape!" Captain McKinley chuckles. "I'm going to send you to Upper Yard to receive Heaven's Judgment!" Unaware that Dakota can hear him, she frowns as she wonders why Conis and her Father seem scared. They walk towards the top of the stairs, heading for the main town area.
"Something isn't right," Dakota hums, looking at Conis as they follow her.
"What's that?!" Luffy questions, pointing at the buildings in the distance.
"That's Lovely Street. Once we're there, we'll be right by the docks." Conis explains as they grow nearer with McKinley and the other White Berets following them.
"Aren't they already headed for Upper Yard?" The soldier questions, watching the Pirates.
"Do we really need to be this secretive?" The other soldier asks.
"Fools!" The Captain snaps, making them flinch. "All the Blue Sea people who've come here have been the same! At first, they talk all cool about dreams and adventures, but they suddenly cry and beg for their lives once they're in danger!"
"I'm so excited to go to Upper Yard!" Luffy beams, growing giddy about the next adventure, making Dakota smile at his childishness, though her worry for the others is overpowering.
"Y-You could die, you know…" Conis warns them, getting scared for her new friends.
"Yeah. Everyone dies sometime." He replies, not bothered at all.
"You're not concerned?" She asks him.
"Nope! I'm excited!" The Captain grins, making Sanji and Usopp beat him up a little on the steps.
"Eh?" Usopp rages.
"Quit laughin'!" Sanji snaps at him, and Dakota moves to stop them. "Worry about Nami-san and Robin-chan, will ya?!"
"And the Going Merry and Zoro and Chopper, too!" He adds, both of them kicking their Captain.
"Please stop; he's learned his lesson," Dakota tells them, pulling them away from a beaten-up Luffy.
"S-Sorry…" Luffy mutters, and Dakota picks him up, dusting him off before heading into the town.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
The group heads into Lovely Street with Conis leading them, and they look around in awe at the fantastic place. "Wow! This place is great!" Luffy grins, glancing around at the buildings.
"Lovely Street is the only downtown area on Angel Island." Conis tells them.
"Check it out!" He runs off, looking around with excitement. "The stores are floating!"
"They've been built using the qualities of island cloud." She informs him as he looks at the high shops that float on clouds above their heads.
"Wow! Any yakiniku shops?" The gluttonous Captain wonders, and they continue walking down the street, getting dodgy looks from the locals.
"Please, just go straight there…"
"Just get outta here…!" The Angel Island residents all think as they give a wide berth in the street for the four Pirates and Conis.
"Is it just me, or is everyone avoiding us?" Usopp questions, stopping and looking at the scared locals.
"Can't blame 'em." Sanji comments. "Word's probably already gotten out that we're criminals."
"Yeah, you'd better get used to it." Dakota remarks, walking past him.
"This feels great! All of downtown to ourselves!" Luffy laughs, walking behind Conis happily.
"All the angels are avoiding me…" He grumbles, and they walk past Captain McKinley as he crawls through the alleyway.
"Oh? There sure is a lot of weird stuff for sale!" The rubber man says, inspecting the fruit stand and poking the strange fruit on the stand, making it blossom. "Ooh! If only I had money! Is a treasure payment plan okay?" Luffy asks the shopkeeper, who is cowering behind the stall, and declines his offer. Luffy walks away, following the others and accidentally tugs on one of the ropes that leads to a floating shop.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
Luffy flies up to the entrance and sees all types of dials around. "This must be a dial shop!" He walks around, seeing a sizable blue dial in the middle of the shop. "I wonder if the Going Merry could speed along like a Waver if it had two of these big Breath Dials?!" He touches it and accidentally presses the button, setting off the dial that sends him out of the shop and back onto the street again.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
Luffy lands with a yelp and a thud in front of Sanji, and Usopp with Dakota ahead of them with Conis. "Luffy!" Sanji scolds him, looking at their Captain. "This ain't the time to be foolin' around! Nami-san and the others are gonna be sacrificed!" Luffy gets to his feet, looking at the Cook. "Are you even serious about saving 'em?!"
"Save them? They're gonna be fine! Zoro was caught with them!" Luffy reminds them, angering the two, mainly the blond, at the mention of the green-haired Swordsman.
"Like we can really count on him!" He snaps, making Dakota stop, looking at the three boys.
"I just hope the ship isn't any more damaged, but things've been so crazy lately…" Usopp grumbles, thinking of the Going Merry.
"Huh?!" Luffy questions. "There's something in the middle of the street!" He changes the subject, walking away past Dakota and Conis, surprising the blond woman.
"Eh?" Conis wonders, watching him strolling towards a dirt statue in the middle of the cloud-white street.
"What a weird face! What is this? A seal?" He wonders, looking at it close inside the seal, protecting it from damage.
"Looks like a weird mud figure, but it's probably a religious statue," Sanji suggests, looking at it.
"Morons!" Usopp argues. "This is art! I can tell!"
"I think it's a little more special than that," Dakota reasons, looking at how protected the statue is and how they treat it with such care.
"It's 'Vearth.' The people of the sky have forever admired it," Conis explains with a sad, soft smile.
"Vearth?" Sanji repeats.
"Eh?! You guys admire this thing? You must be crazy…" Luffy remarks, looking at the native, who can't help but giggle.
"Yes, I'm sure it must be difficult for Blue Sea people to understand." Conis replies.
"We see it every time we land on an island. It's all the same to us. But to them, it's sacred. I bet that's what Upper Yard is made of." Dakota explains to the boys as Conis steps away.
"I suppose, I guess we'll find out," Sanji muses.
"Oh, the docks are this way!" Conis announces, pointing and walking away.
"Eh?! We're already leaving town?!" Luffy exclaims in disappointment.
"What're you talking about?! This isn't our destination!" Usopp reminds their Captain, and Luffy steps away, following Conis.
"C'mon, can't we hang around a little more?" He asks, enjoying his time exploring. The others follow their Captain as the townspeople watch them, growing uneasy with the looming threat of God's punishment.
"Looks like it worked…"
"They went straight to the docks…"
"We're saved!"
The townspeople mutter amongst themselves, unaware of the Red Devil who can hear them. She frowns, wondering what has them so scared. Captain McKinley crawls through the street as everyone watches the Blue Sea Pirates and Conis quietly leave the town for the docks. The White Beret Captain chuckles to himself as he watches them.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
The four Pirates and Conis arrive at Gondola Port, exciting Luffy and Usopp as they see all of them lined up along the deck. "Oh! So many boats!" Luffy beams, looking at the different sizes and colours.
"There are all kinds of boats anchored here," Conis explains calmly, though Dakota can hear her erratic heartbeat. "From hotel ships where you can stay the night to speed-oriented boats loaded with giant dials." She gestures to the boats in question, seeing how different they appear. "There are many other kinds that-."
"Whoa!" Luffy exclaims, spotting something. "Check out this gondola!" It's a giant red boat with a green top and a bull for a headpiece. "It's so cool! Let's take it!" He jumps around in excitement, making Dakota giggle at his enthusiasm. "Look behind it! This one can move on its own, like a waver! This could turn into a fun gondola ride!"
"You idiot!" Sanji snaps at him, stepping up to their Captain. "We're rescuing Nami-san and Robin-chan! Get serious!"
"Oh, your boat is over here," Conis tells them, walking past them with the others following.
"Right!" He beams, following her blindly.
"Eh?!" Luffy exclaims in disappointment but follows with a chuckle, with Dakota slinging her arm around his shoulder. Both of the siblings have big grins on their faces. "Oh, boy! What kind of gondola is it?!" They continue walking along the deck with Captain McKinley not far behind, not being stealthy at all.
"The Crow!" Conis announces, stopping near the end of the pier with a tight smile, showing them the odd-looking boat that looks like a crow with a pink sun umbrella atop it.
"You can't be serious!" He stutters in shock, looking at it, a little disappointed after seeing the others.
"Crows… aren't even waterfowl," Sanji comments, not trying to say a bad word to Conis.
"I used it until just recently when I learned how to ride Wavers," Conis explains. "It's not fast like a waver, but it does have two Breath Dials on board! Please feel free to use it!"
"No…" Luffy answers. "I'm not going." Surprising Conis, filling her with dread, and Captain McKinley watches with a frown, his thoughts are confirmed.
"Just as I expected! He shows his true colours at the last minute!" Captain McKinley mutters, glaring at the four Pirates. "There's no one in this world who doesn't value his life!" He peeks his head back, afraid to be spotted by them.
"I prefer that one instead," He announces, pointing at the big red one.
"He was just being selfish?" The White Beret Captain questions, frowning.
"Typical," Dakota sighs and sees the tension release from Conis' shoulders.
"Y-You don't like it?" Conis stutters tightly, turning to look at them. "I'm sorry. But…"
"Sanji, attack," She orders the Love Cook, who complies, kicking their Captain in the face.
"You damn ingrate! Apologise!" Sanji shouts as he kicks Luffy in the face. "Apologise to Conis-chan from the bottom of your heart! You scumbag!" He stops his assault on the Captain, letting him go. "Pay no attention to his selfishness!"
"Sorry!" Luffy apologises, turning around to show his bruised and swollen face.
"N-No problem…" Conis mutters, looking at him, and they continue to gondola as everyone watches. Conis suddenly stops, making the Pirates stop and watch her turn around to face them, seeming tense. "Your exit is Gate #2." She points out into the distance. "It will lead you to the giant Milky Road, which connects to Upper Yard. Y-You simply need to take that," She hangs her head in shame.
"Hey. Conis," Luffy suddenly says.
"Yes?" She replies, avoiding looking him in the eyes.
"Why've you been shaking ever since we left your house?" He asks her, surprising everyone who is within hearing distance.
"W-What the hell is he saying?" McKinley wonders as he hides behind another boat.
"D-Does it seem that way?" Conis questions, her eyes wide in fear.
"Yeah. It's like you're afraid of something…" Luffy questions and Dakota looks around, feeling the tension rising around them.
"No! She wouldn't!" Captain McKinley growls, fearing what could happen if she talks.
"Conis-chan!" Sanji laughs, trying to ease the tension. "You're worried about us! That's so touching!" Dakota looks at her as Conis sighs as if to stop herself from saying anything.
"Still, are you guys gonna be alright?!" Usopp questions. "Everyone in town is plainly avoiding us, yet you're lending us your boat and even giving us directions…"
"Impressed you noticed," Dakota muses, looking at the Sniper.
"Quiet, Killer. Doesn't that make you our accomplices?" He wonders, turning back to the blond Angel.
"Say, you're looking pale, too…" Luffy comments, stepping closer to her.
"And you're sweating, too…" Dakota adds.
"You should've told us if you were that scared," He tells her, caring for his new friends. "We would've come on our own."
"No." Conis denies. "I'm…" She struggles to say it, taking a deep breath as everyone watches in fear. "It's not what you think!"
"She wouldn't!" An onlooker mutters, fearing what will come next, all of them fearing the power of 'God' and what he will do to those who sin.
"Don't say anything you shouldn't!" Captain McKinley warns her under his breath.
"It's strange, isn't it?" Conis questions rhetorically. "Explaining the route to your 'ordeal,' guiding you here myself… It's like I want to lead you there despite saying how terrifying it is…" The townspeople watch with bated breath, and Captain McKinley can't hold it anymore.
"Stop it! Don't say anything foolish!" He shouts, leaning out of his terrible hiding spot.
"I was wondering when he would reveal himself," Dakota muses, looking over at the White Beret Captain as he hides again. She notices everyone taking significant steps away from them. "What is going on with this place?" She mutters, looking around, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand up as if something terrible is about to happen.
"Don't tell me they're all…" Sanji mutters, looking at the residence as they stand far away. Luffy looks at Conis, who seems on the verge of tears as she remembers what her Father told her to do and feels the guilt of leading their new friends to their deaths.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
Pagaya sits alone at home as he remembers earlier when he told his darling daughter to take the four Pirates to Upper Yard, and the man knows the heavy burden he has placed on her shoulders. "Forgive me, Conis-san…" Pagaya cries to himself at the thought of his child. "It is our citizens' duty. It is his will."
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
Conis is on the verge of tears and falls to her knees, failing to keep her tears at bay. "I'm sorry!" She cries.
"Stop!"
"What are you saying?!" The townspeople shout in a panic.
"I was the one who called the Super-Express Lobster!" Conis reveals, shocking Sanji and Dakota, thinking of the others.
"The thing that took Nami-san and the others?! You called it?!" Sanji yells in shock.
"While you weren't on board, I lied to them about a current that leads to Cloud End and had them raise the anchor. That was the signal for the Super-Express Lobster…" She explains in tears.
"Foolish girl! Do you want to die?! This is our duty!" Captain McKinley growls, and Dakota frowns, hearing him. McKinley grits his teeth, hating it as much as the civilians do, but knows he must punish those who break the laws.
"Once we know someone's a criminal, we'll be killed if we don't lead them to the place of judgement!" The blond girl cries out, and Dakota sees the dark look on her Brother's face and feels the rumbling in her chest, too.
"Stop it! Do you realise what you're saying?!"
"You're blaspheming against God!"
"Stop her!" The townspeople shout.
"This is our citizens' duty…" Conis cries with tears streaming down her face, trembling in fear, knowing what will happen next.
"Are you serious?!" Usopp gasps.
"I'm sorry!" She says. "It's all so strange, isn't it?!"
"Don't be stupid!" Luffy argues. "You didn't have any choice, right?!" He looks at her darkly. "Then…" All four of them have a dark look that overcomes them.
"... why are you telling us?!" The Pirates shout, surprising Conis, who stops her crying, and Luffy rushes to her, kneeling before her.
"Your life is in danger!" He shouts at her.
"It's all over!"
"We're too late!"
"Stay away from the girl!"
"The judgement is coming!" The townspeople shout, running away, and Dakota feels something coming from the sky and looks up to see a bright light forming above their heads.
"Luffy! Grab her!" Dakota shouts, seeing the light coming from towards them, and she grabs hold of Sanji and Usopp. "Demonic Shift!" She disappears and reappears a safe distance from the shot, spotting Luffy grab Conis and run with her, but the lightning beam is too big.
"No good!" Luffy shouts, looking over his shoulder. "It's too big!" The beam of light shoots into the ground, destroying a good portion of the port and the ground shakes violently, making the nearby houses rise, and the townspeople fall to the ground. The bright light disappears, and everyone coughs with the dust in the air.
"What was that?!" Sanji shouts, looking around. "What just happened?!" He sees the large hole in the middle of the gondola port.
"Luffy!" Dakota shouts, looking around for her little Brother.
"Conis-chan! Hey! Where'd you go?!" He shouts, looking around in worry.
"Luffy! Conis!" Usopp joins the shouting.
"It's no use…" A man says, stepping through the clouds of debris.
"The almighty God Eneru sees all…!"
"Shut up!" Dakota growls at the citizens, marching towards them, sensing Luffy and Conis. "Don't you dare! There is no God!" She stalks towards Captain McKinley, who grows paler, wishing he didn't have to work for God Eneru and for the past again.
"They are both safe," A familiar voice announces, making everyone stare up as a pink horse-winged creature appears.
"It's Gan Fall-san!" A man shouts from behind the three Pirates.
"Oh! That weird old man!" Usopp shouts in surprise, seeing the old man in armour with Luffy and Conis safely aboard.
"'Weird'?" Gan Fall repeats, looking down at them with Conis lying, seemingly unconscious, with Luffy beside her. "No, I am the Sky Knight! This one is on the house!" He pushes Luffy off Pierre, who lands in front of the others, and Dakota rushes to her Brother, checking him over.
"Thank goodness! Conis-chan…!" Sanji exclaims.
"Leave this girl with me. I will not allow Eneru to harm her," He assures them.
"Right!" Luffy agrees, straightening himself with Dakota's help.
"You know this land's true nature, as well as 'God's' power. What will you do now?" The Sky Knight questions, looking at the Captain.
"This land is none of our business," He argues. "Our friends are on 'God's Island'!"
"I see… May luck be with you," Gan Fall replies before flying away.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
Conis comes to her senses as they fly through the clouds.
"What about them?" Conis asks.
"They have chosen their course," He assures the young girl, knowing how much the burden has weighed on her shoulders. "It is no fault of yours."
"I know who you are," She reveals as she hugs around his chest, not wanting to fall off.
"I am the Sky Knight," The old man answers, lying through his teeth.
"No, we all know. Please come back…" The blond Angel mutters with sadness in her eyes. "...God!"
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
The townspeople look in shock as the Sky Knight disappears with Conis, and they watch the four Pirates board the Crow. "Get on!" Usopp demands. "I'll give you a strong push-out!"
"You're comin', too!" Sanji snaps at him, pulling him inside, almost on Dakota's lap. Luffy sits at the helm and presses down on the pedal, starting the dials, and they set off.
"Alright, let's go to Upper Yard!" Luffy cheers with a big grin as they drive through the clouds to Upper Yard.
"No…!" Usopp cries, wishing he was back ashore as he clings to the back, and Captain McKinley crawls towards the end of the deck to watch the four Pirates in surprise.
"The bastards actually left… With no hesitation or uncertainty at all…" McKinley mutters as he watches them head for Gate #2.
"Stop crying, Usopp," Dakota grumbles as she sits on the side as they pass the gate entrance onto the Milky Road. They see a brick wall on either side and a strange green twisted plant in the distance. "We're already on our way. Grow a pair."
"Why are you being so mean to me, Killer!" Usopp cries.
"I feel like it," She replies and sits in the chair with the wheel, pushing Luffy away, not trusting him to not let them crash.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
"After a great adventure, Luffy and company finally reached the Sky Island of Skypiea. However, Nami's group was taken away by 'Heaven's Judgement,' so Luffy and the others headed for God's island of Upper Yard, with Conis leading the way, but…"
Dakota sits at the helm chair beside Luffy, leaning his head on her lap as she carefully navigates the Milky Road. "Is Conis gonna be alright?" Usopp wonders as he sits on the side, looking into the trees. "She tried to save us and wound up as an accomplice! She's gonna have hell to pay for sure! That old Sky Knight said he'd hold onto her, but…"
"Nah, that weird old guy doesn't seem bad," Luffy argues, looking at his Sister. "Right, Big Sis?"
"Right," Dakota answers.
"Got no other choice," Sanji reminds them as he sits on the other side of the boat. "I wanna protect her, but we can't take her with us, either."
"Yeah, we probably are in more danger than her…" Usopp muses sullenly. "What with a 'sacrificial altar; and some 'ordeal' waiting for us…"
"Geez, this thing is slow…" Luffy grumbles, folding his arms on his Sister's lap.
"Of course it is," Sanji reminds him. "It's many times heavier than a Waver. Don't be picky!"
"Hold on!" Dakota warns them as they have a sudden drop, landing in a more extensive area.
"Hey, look!" Usopp shouts. "What's that humongous forest?!"
"Is that Upper Yard?!" Sanji exclaims, seeing the massive forest in front of them growing ever closer.
"Wow!" Luffy shouts. "Was there a forest like that on the map?!" He jumps up, nearly knocking Dakota off the chair.
"No, there is a forest here, but it's nothing like this," Usopp informs them, looking at the old map. "It's just a normal one."
"You realise that is over a hundred years old, right?" Dakota questions as they come closer, seeing how tall the trees tower over them.
"Indeed, people from 200 years ago had that map, right?" Sanji agrees with the redhead. "It might've been an old map when they had it."
"Exactly. It'd take at least a thousand years for such giant trees to grow! Even depending on what the growth rate up here is like." She adds.
"That's true…" Usopp mutters, nodding his head.
"But they sure are big trees!" Luffy cheers with a big grin. "I wanna climb 'em!" The Crow slowly approaches the giant trees, seeing an entrance of some kind with flames and torches towering over them. "It's the entrance!"
"Well, if we're gonna turn back, now's our chance. You ready, Usopp?" Sanji asks the resident coward.
"Eh?! Well, if it's possible, I'd like to go back-," Usopp pleads, shivering in fear as he looks at the stone figures lined along the edge of the Milky Road as they pass through the torches.
"Let's go!" Luffy cheers.
"You weren't planning to listen to me!" He screams at his fellow crewmates as they sail along, ignoring his face of pure terror. "I wanna go back…"
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
Sitting on the Crow, the four Pirates slowly sail through the ancient giant forest with shipwrecks lining the edges, scaring Usopp even more as strange noises come from within the trees. "There's things here!" Usopp shouts.
"Well, it is a forest!" Luffy argues.
"Yeah," Sanji and Dakota agree.
"No, wait! Look around, you guys!" Usopp cries. "These are wrecked ships!"
"It is a forest!" Luffy repeats.
"Yeah," Sanji and Dakota agree, winding Usopp up.
"How are they related?!" Usopp shouts at them. "Plus, they've all been sliced right in half…!" A rustling coming from somewhere close. "Not again!"
"Forests are full of all kinds of stuff, you-," Luffy argues, smiling.
"No!" Sanji shouts.
"Full speed ahead! All ahead full! Paddle! Paddle, hurry! Forward!" Usopp shouts, paddling with Sanji.
"Huh? What's going on?" Dakota asks, looking at them before she senses something and turns to see something fast and sharp heading towards them. "Hold on!" She shouts. "Demonic Shift!" The Crow disappears for a second as the pendulum of death slices into one of the shipwrecks, and they reappear a safe distance away.
"A sickle monster!" Luffy exclaims in shock, looking behind them.
"Don't let your guard down! Another one's coming!" Usopp cries, clinging to the side of the boat, shaking in terror.
"No… Not just one…!" Sanji groans, looking around, and Dakota comes up with an idea, pulling Luffy into the seat as she gets up.
"Paddle like crazy!" Luffy orders the others as he sits at the helm.
"Head straight!" Dakota orders them, jumping up as one of the other pendulums appears behind them; the boys panic, and she jumps onto the chain, climbing up quickly while the boys scream and paddle, trying to outrun them.
"What the hell is this?!" Usopp shouts, and Dakota gets to the top, swinging through the pulley system and snapping the ropes. The pendulum about to hit the Crow swings far, avoiding the gondola. "Watch where you're going! Hit the brake, Luffy!" The ropes and chains fall away, dropping the slicing traps into the Milky Road, and Dakota drops toward the Crow.
"No, we're not gonna make it! Take the wheel, Usopp!" Luffy shouts, jumping from the chair and moving to the back as Dakota lands behind him.
"Hold on tight!" Dakota warns the boys as the last of the pendulums falls into the cloudy water, creating a small wave which sends them further into the forest.
"That was close!" Usopp yells, and they come across another trap set.
"There's still more?!" Sanji groans, looking around as they hear the echoes of the traps being set off. Suddenly, wooden spikes fly through the air towards them, hitting the small deck and nearly getting Sanji.
"Now spears?!" Usopp yelps, looking from the chair behind him.
"Usopp! Right!" Luffy shouts.
"No, left!" Sanji shouts back.
"Stay straight!" Dakota orders.
"Which one?!" Usopp panics, moving the Crow from side to side.
"Just dodge 'em!" Sanji snaps at him as he kicks at them, defending the small gondola. "They just keep coming!"
"They're gonna get us sooner or later!" He cries, hiding as best as he can.
"What a pain! All together!" Luffy shouts, twisting himself as he takes two of the spikes. "Gum-Gum no… Pinwheel!" He spins around, throwing them around as they escape safely.
"Made it through…" Sanji sighs, looking around.
"I sure hope there's no more of this…!" Usopp grumbles, glancing around, and the hauntingly familiar noise reaches their ears. "Now what?!" A spinning blade flies towards them, and Usopp dodges it barely.
"We dodged it!" Luffy beams, watching it.
"No…" Sanji and Usopp groan as it spins around, coming back toward them.
"Stop jinxing us!" Dakota snaps at them.
"It's coming back!" Usopp cries.
"Dodge it!" Sanji shouts.
"Shut up!" Dakota yells at them.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
Meanwhile, at the Sacrificial Altar within Upper Yard, the Going Merry sits at the top, surrounded by the White Sea, filled with Sky Sharks. "That damn Super Express Lobster just deserted us here…" Zoro announces, looking over the side of the ship.
"Where exactly are we?" Chopper wonders, standing on the railing, growing scared and worried for the others.
"What's for certain is that it's the interior of Upper Yard…" Nami groans, looking around and seeing a torch with a skull and the word 'God' in front of them.
"It's almost as if this is a sacrifice altar…" Robin remarks, scaring Nami and Chopper.
"Sacrifice… altar?" She repeats slowly.
"Nami. what's a 'sacrifice'?" Chopper asks her innocently, making the others wish Dakota was there with them.
"It means being offered to God while you're alive," The Navigator answers.
"Oh, that's all? I thought it meant being boiled alive or something…" He replies calmly and looks back out at their surroundings.
"Actually, it's something like that…" Robin informs him, making him turn to look at her. "Whatever the method, your life is given to God."
"Eh?!" The reindeer shouts. "Does that mean we are going to be killed?!" Chopper grows scared, takes a step away, loses his footing and drops off the side, rolling down the steps.
"Chopper!" Nami shouts after him.
"Geez!" Zoro groans, jumping off the ship, following Chopper as he slows at the bottom of the stairs. Robin thinks quickly as a pair of arms appears at the last step, catching Chopper when there is a large rumble from within the White Sea as something comes from deep within. Chopper looks behind him to see a large, sharp-toothed, blue and black-striped Sky Shark leaping towards him; seeing it open-mouthed scares the little Doctor, who jumps out of Robin's hands. Zoro jumps toward the Sky Shark, slicing it across the face as Chopper screams and runs up the stairs, leaving the Swordsman.
"What is that?!" Nami wonders, looking at the giant fish-like creature.
"A shark… in the sky… A skyshark?" Robin ponders as Chopper screams and runs towards the Going Merry.
"Zoro! Zoro!" Chopper shouts at him, watching them from the top of the steps as the green-haired Swordsman drops under the clouds with the Sky Shark not far behind. Beneath the cloud-made water, Zoro swims through it, barely able to see, even with the goggles covering his eyes.
"Can't see much…! Where the hell is it?!" Zoro wonders, looking around, and the Sky Shark appears behind him just in time for him to swirl around and avoid being eaten. The giant fish snaps at the greenette as Zoro swishes away with his three swords drawn, and the Sky Shark knocks him away, trying to disorientate the Swordsman. "I'm way out of my element! I can't move as well as I can on land…!" He stops himself as the giant Sky Fish storms towards the human with its mouth open wide, and Zoro uses his swords to catch its teeth, preventing it from eating him.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Usopp curses as he tries driving the Crow through more traps, not wanting to be sliced in half by the spinning circular blade following them. "We dodged it!"
"Barely!" Dakota argues as it comes back.
"It's coming back!" He yells and watches it slice into some trees, cutting them cleanly. "I'm sick of this place! You couldn't have enough lives to survive this!"
"No, Usopp!" Luffy shouts at the Sniper.
"Shaddup! I'm Captain of the Crow!" The coward argues, swinging around.
"Since when?!" He snaps.
"Since now!" Usopp shouts back at the Captain.
"Does it matter!" Dakota growls at the boys.
"Even if we do go back, there's no guarantee we'll return safely. See?" Sanji tells them, pointing to the circular blade flying towards them.
"It's coming back!" Usopp screeches.
"Alright, you!" Luffy shouts, raising his arm, ready to fight. "Gum-Gum no…"
"That's it!" He cheers for their Captain.
"Get it, Luffy!" Sanji encourages him, but the spinning blade comes closer.
"I can't think of anything," Luffy announces, making Dakota roll her eyes and push him out of the way.
"Idiots! Row!" Dakota shouts at the boys, raising her hands and deflecting the blade away from them.
"Just dodge! Our only option now is to run!" Sanji shouts as Usopp steers, and he and Luffy paddle. Dakota jumps, kicking it away, and it diverts into a tree, splitting it in half as they slowly sail away, looking out for the circular blade.
"We managed to dodge it…" Usopp sighs, breathing heavily from his terror. "But this is bad! Now we can't even go back! We've come a long way from the entrance…!"
"Wanna get off here?" Luffy asks him.
"Don't be stupid! I'll die!" He argues, and Sanji spots something ahead.
"Yeah, probably," Sanji grumbles, making them look ahead to see a giant worm-like creature with sharp teeth about to eat them. Sanji jumps from the Crow, kicking it under the chin, sending it flying over their heads as Usopp screams in terror.
"What was that?! A snake?!" Luffy wonders, looking behind them.
"A lamprey. A 'Sky Lamprey,' I guess?" He replies. "One that big'll do more than suck a little blood!"
"What a neat forest!" The Captain beams, earning a smack from his Big Sister.
"Neat, my butt!" Usopp snaps. "If this is our 'ordeal,' I've had enough!"
"But we just entered the forest," Dakota argues. "I think it's further ahead than you think."
"We're in for big trouble if we stop or dawdle on this Milky Road…" Sanji frowns. "Looks like our only choice is to keep moving!"
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
The others all watch in silent horror at the white surface, waiting on bated breath to know what is happening to Zoro below. "What happened to you, Zoro?!" Chopper panics, close to tears. "What are we going to tell Ko?!" Suddenly, the surface begins to move as Zoro bursts out with the Sky Shark, still trying to eat him. "There he is!"
"Zoro!" Nami shouts as they watch.
"The Sky Shark is beating Zoro!" He cries, waving his arms around as they watch them return to the water. "H-He went under again! Zoro isn't coming back up!"
"Do you think… he got eaten?!" She says in horror, fearing the worst, setting Chopper off.
"Zoro was eaten!" The little Doctor exclaims.
"If he was eaten, the clouds would turn red," Robin assures them, though she is trying to hide her own inner turmoil.
"How can you say something so scary so calmly, Robin?!" Nami demands, snapping at her. Under the water, Zoro grows tired of the Sky Shark and pulls away.
"I'm sick of you!" Zoro shouts, pulling his fist back, punching the Sky Fish out of the water to the others' utter shock, and he comes out of the cloudy water, huffing before strolling up the steps, leaving an unconscious Sky Shark. He makes it to the top with the Going Merry as the others silently watch him. "This is bad… Doesn't look like swimming outta here will do us any good…" He declares, turning around and looking at their surroundings.
"You punched that shark!" The Navigator points out. "I thought you were a Swordsman?!"
"You're so strong, Zoro!" Chopper praises him.
"What happened to your so-called 'Swordsman pride'?" Nami questions, and he grows annoyed with her as he removes his soaking-wet shirt. Robin quickly turns around.
"Will you quit nagging about everything?!" Zoro snarls at her, and Chopper stops more shark fins in the water below.
"There wasn't just one! There's a whole swarm of Sky Sharks!" Chopper cries, pointing around them.
"We'll be here all night if we try to take on every single one," He reasons. "Can't even get to shore like this…"
"Though we can't just sit here, either," Robin argues, joining him, and there is a slight blush on her cheeks as she watches the shirtless Swordsman as he rings out his wet shirt.
"That giant lobster brought us to one hell of a place…" The greenette muses, eyeing the water.
"Do you suppose starving us here is 'Heaven's Judgment'?" She asks, and Nami approaches the railing with a dry, dark blue top for Zoro.
"Would God really do something so bland?" Zoro asks, and Nami throws it at him, making it land on his head.
"I don't know. I've never met him before," The newest Straw Hat crew member replies. "Though your God Killer might have," She says under her breath, thinking of their Assassin. Zoro takes the top off his head and spots the damage done to the ship.
"This is bad… We can't set sail with the hull like this," Zoro grumbles and looks up at Nami and Chopper. "Try to fix the ship somehow, Chopper."
"Eh?! Me?! Okay." Chopper readily agrees, wanting to be helpful and happy to help.
"Fix it? Are you planning to do something?" Nami asks the First Mate as he puts the top on.
"I'm gonna get into this forest somehow," Zoro declares. "We should probably make this our base of operations. I'm sure Luffy, Dakota and the others are headed here in search of us." he assures them, thinking of his girlfriend, growing worried for her. "It's like they say, 'If you get lost, stay where you are.'"
"Especially you!" Nami grumbles, looking at the directionally challenged man. Robin moves away from them, walking to the stone wall of the sacrificial altar, admiring the work.
"Say, Zoro. You said you're gonna go into the forest, but what for?" Chopper asks him, leaning against the railing, looking at him.
"God's on this island, right? I'm gonna go meet him," Zoro announces his terrible plan.
"I'm telling you, that's a bad idea!" Nami argues. "What if you run unto those freaks?!"
"Dunno. Depends on how they act," He grins, thinking of the fight.
"Zoro… You seem even mightier than God…" Chopper says, looking at the Swordsman with admiration.
"He has Priests on this island, too, you know!" Nami reminds him, having seen first-hand what God can do. "We can't make God angry! It's common sense, you know!" Zoro turns around to face them with a big smirk.
"Sorry, but…" Zoro replies with a smug look. "... I've never once prayed to God."
"So cool!" Chopper exclaims, looking at the Swordsman with stars in his eyes.
"Don't believe in him, either. So I got no obligation to him," He adds to the little reindeer's excitement.
"Oh, Lord! I have nothing to do with him! Please don't punish me!" Nami prays with tears down her eyes for dramatic effect.
"You're so awesome, Zoro!" Chopper cheers as Robin looks closer at them and glances into the distance within the forest, wondering what lies ahead.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
Meanwhile, the rescue team calmly stream through the water on the black bird-like gondola, wondering what lies ahead. "Damn… I wish this would end already…!" Usopp grumbles as he steers, and the others sit around the edges of the small gondola.
"This is our own faults for getting into this mess…" Dakota replies, leaning her head against the side of the boat. "We started it when we messed with the way things are here. Not that they don't help themselves."
"Very deep, Sis," Luffy muses, looking at his Older Sister.
"Thanks," She smiles at him, turning her head to look at him. "Ready for the next part of this 'ordeal'?"
"Yep. Supposedly, there are neat-sounding Priests waiting for us ahead!" He grins, growing excited to fight the Heavenly Priests, knowing he will win to help Conis and Pagaya.
"So, what, you're saying none of this was part of our 'ordeal'?!" Usopp asks in a panic, not realising till now that there is worse to come their way.
"Yeah, I doubt it. You saw that attack back at the docks," Sanji reminds him calmly. "I dunno how it works, but that's some incredible power. One hit from that, and you're a goner."
"Yeah…" He agrees, wincing at the thought of the burst of lightning coming down from the sky, creating a massive hole in the docks.
"This 'God Eneru' is mysterious," The Cook muses, making Dakota scoff, thinking of only one thing that can do that, and it wasn't a God. "Seems like he's been keeping constant watch over us…"
"Do you think God was in that town?!" Luffy asks, looking at his Sister, but remembers something she told him.
"He'd have to have been, to attack so accurately like that…" Sanji reasons, and Dakota shakes her head.
"Not necessarily…" Dakota argues, making the boys look at her. "I can sense things around me from my Assassin training, it's only within a certain radius, but if he covers the whole of Skypiea, he's a lot more powerful than we thought."
"Why do you have to say it like that!" Usopp whines, clinging to the wheel.
"Because we need to be prepared… because I think he's a Devil Fruit user," She reveals, making Luffy laugh. "And Luffy…" She looks at him seriously, and he stops. "... you're the only one who can stop him."
"Why him?" Sanji asks, wanting to save Nami and Robin.
"Think about it," The redheaded Assassin taps her head with a sneaky smirk, suspecting they are being watched, and she doesn't want to chance it that this God Eneru will try to stop them before they can stop him.
"All that said, looks like our next guest is here to see us!" Sanji announces, filling the silence and pointing ahead to another Sky Lamprey heading towards them. Usopp turns to see it towering over them and lets out a scream of terror.
"Not another one!" Usopp cries, making Dakota roll her eyes.
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
At the Sacrificial Altar, the other Straw Hats wait for their friends to rescue them with the Sky Shark surrounding them in the water below. "That vine looks usable," Zoro remarks, looking up at one of the branches that hang over the stone altar where the Going Merry is parked.
"You're right. Good idea," Robin replies. "Mind if I join you, Mr Swordsman?" She asks, wanting to explore the area, too.
"Huh? No, but don't be slowin' me down!" He warns her, not minding her company, though he wishes Dakota was there with them.
"Hold on!" Nami exclaims, moving towards them on the ship. "Where are you going, Robin?!" Not wanting to be left alone.
"Look at this," Robin turns to the markings on the ancient stone wall. "At least a thousand years have passed since this altar was built." She explains, surprising the others.
"A thousand years?!" Nami and Chopper stutter in shock, looking at it in a new light.
"Historical things like this make my body tingle…!" She smiles, surprising the others as they look at their newest crew member. "Where there is great history, there should be just as many old relics…" She turns to face the others. "I'd wager even a few jewel fragments would help out our ship." Money flashes through Nami's mind, changing her thinking.
"I'm coming, too!" Nami volunteers, leaving Chopper alone on the ship.
"EH?!" Chopper yells, looking at the Navigator in surprise and fear. "After you were so scared?!" She looks at him and he sees why she changed her mind.
"It's for historical investigation!" She replies, but he doesn't believe her.
"She has Berries in her eyes…" He sighs, looking at the money-hungry girl. Robin gets to work, getting off the stone altar, using her Devil Fruit, creating arms to grab the vine, loosen it around the branch, and throwing it down to them.
"How's that?" Robin asks, looking at Zoro as they stand atop the crow's nest with a few bags of supplies for their little adventure into the overgrown forest.
"Perfect," Zoro replies, smiling at her, though he shakes his head and grabs the vine tightly before clearing his throat. Nami and Robin look at each other in confusion as Zoro prepares himself and places his other hand around the vine tightly before jumping down, swinging over the water onto the forest ground while making a jungle call.
"What is that? A catchphrase?" Nami wonders, looking at him in disbelief. "If Demon saw that she would so dump his ass." Zoro lands safely on the ground without problems and throws the vine back for the girls. Robin steps onto the edge of the crow's nest and catches the vine, quickly jumping, leaving Nami as she swings over the unconscious body of the Sky Shark that fought Zoro and lost; the other Sky Sharks begin circling.
"Robin is amazing!" Chopper beams, watching, being closer to the news crewmate than the others, safely stands at the ship's railing.
"She did it so easily…" Nami mutters, catching the vine once it returns and climbs onto the edge of the crow's nest, the same as Robin and Zoro. Nami quickly tests its strength nervously. "I'm kind of high up…"
"It's about 50 meters. Mess up and you die!" Robin yells, warning her as they watch.
"Could you please not say that?!" She shouts at the raven-haired beauty as the other Sky Sharks devour their fallen friend. "I really am a goner if I fall!" She whimpers, watching the water.
"Nami…" Chopper mutters, watching her as she quivers, trying to pluck up the courage to move.
"Alright, fine!" The young Navigator decides. "I'm going! Is that what you want?!" She jumps from the crow's nest and swings low, keeping an eye on the swarm of Sky Sharks below, and heads straight for a tree. "T-Too fast! I can't stop!" She yells, but Robin helps her, creating multiple arms on her body, stopping Nami from crashing into the tree trunk.
"See, you have guts," Robin encourages her, and Nami drops into the dirt, breathing heavily from terror.
"I apologise for the inconvenience," Nami breathes, and Robin walks into the woods, leaving Zoro and Nami behind.
"Not at all," She assures her.
"That's what you get for not going, 'Aa-aa-aa!'" Zoro tells her, teasing her a little.
"Is that the issue here?!" Nami shouts at him, ready to lunge at him. "I'm telling Dakota on you!" She threatens him.
"And what's she going to do?" He questions, looking at her, not bothered by her little threat.
"This certainly is a big forest…" Robin muses, stopping before she goes any deeper without Zoro and Nami.
"Okay, Chopper!" Zoro shouts. "You're in charge of the ship!"
"We're counting on you!" She agrees.
"We'll be back soon!" Nami yells, waving at him.
"Right!" Chopper shouts back. "Be careful, everyone! Come back safe, now!" He watches them from the ship walk into the forest out of sight. "I guess Nami is okay since she has Zoro and Robin… I'm too scared to go… Everyone is so brave and amazing! I wonder if I'll be brave, too, someday?" He wonders, looking out into the trees. Nami, Zoro and Robin walk through the forest, going deeper and deeper, leaving Chopper alone on the ship to repair the Going Merry. "Anyway, I'll do everything I can now!" He gets Usopp's little red toolbox and hammer and gets started on the repairs. "Being all alone and in charge of the ship in this dangerous forest is proof that everyone trusts in me! I gotta do my best!" He picks up the toolbox and walks across the deck. "Yeah! I'm all alone in this dangerous place-," The realisation of it all comes to him, making him stop in terror. "I'm the one in the most danger!" He stands in fear, looking around. "KO!"
ONE PIECE - SKYPIEA ARC
"A lamprey!" Usopp shouts as it comes closer to the gondola.
"Hey, do you think that huge thing would taste good roasted?" Luffy asks, thinking about his stomach.
"Forget it. This is no time for cooking," Sanji tells him, shaking his head at the gluttonous Captain.
"Darn. Gum-Gum no…" He pulls his arm back, but Dakota beats him to it.
"Hellfire: Conflagration!" Dakota snaps, raising her hand, sending a burst of fire at the creature. The intense flames create a hole in the middle of the Sky Lamprey, which goes straight through the massive lamprey, even shooting up through the trees. The hit stops the Sky Lamprey before it falls into the water with a big splash.
"Sky Islands are scary… Sky Islands are scary…" Usopp whimpers, tears running down his face as he steers the boat.
"Wanna get off here?" Sanji jokes, looking at the Sniper, who glares back at him.
"Are you stupid?! You're asking me to die! I'm scared! Gimme a break!" He screams at him, not finding it funny.
"Stop teasing him," Dakota smirks as Luffy laughs, but he stops, seeing something ahead.
"Now that's a giant!" Luffy exclaims, pointing at a stone figurehead before them with four smaller ones that seem to lead somewhere.
"No. That's a statue!" Sanji confirms, squinting.
"Oh. But it's a total dead-end, isn't it, Sis?" He asks, looking at his Sister.
"Akuma-Akuma no Human-Demon Form: Eyes From Hell," Dakota closes her eyes and then opens them, looking at the four entrances and seeing writing on the top. "No, there are four entrances. This must be the start of the ordeal Conis and Pagaya were talking about."
"Don't tell me they each lead to different places?" Sanji grumbles, glaring at them, reading the top. The first one on the far left reads 'Swamp Ordeal', the second reads 'Iron Ordeal', the third reads 'String Ordeal', and the final one on the far right reads 'Ball Ordeal'.
"Not likely. They should all lead to the same place," The redheaded woman argues.
"'Swamp Ordeal'..." Usopp reads as they get closer. "'Iron Ordeal'... 'String Ordeal'… 'Ball Ordeal'..."
"Are we allowed to go in any one?!" Luffy laughs, pointing, not getting scared at all.
"Is God trying to play games with us or something?!" Sanji groans, wanting to get to Robin and Nami faster.
"Four ordeals… Which do we choose?" Usopp asks the others as they get closer, needing to decide quickly, or it will be too late.
THANK YOU FOR READING! I'm sorry it's taken so long but with having just recently moved and also starting my new job it has been a pain. Thank you again for reading and I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and look forward to updating again in the New Year. 2024!