This is the 36th chapter. I don't own the series of One Piece.
Enter God Eneru!
Upper Yard, Sacrificial Altar
After the party, they finally decided to get some rest since they got plans to find the City of Gold and get out of Skypiea, which Luffy would rather fight against Eneru, and the fight between the Shandorians and Eneru's priests continued to rage on. Usopp decided to make repairs for the Going Merry, but too scared to go on his own and he kept hearing a banging sound while tried to go take a leak somewhere. He decided to convince Zoro to help him out, which the swordsman want no part of it.
"Aw come on, Zoro! Be a pal!" Usopp whines.
"Forget it! I'm not going with you!" Zoro refuse. "If you're scared, just hold it until morning and quit whining, you big baby!"
"I would if I could, but believe me!" Usopp complains, tried to hold it.
"Just go take a leak by yourself." Zoro told him.
"Ugh, that's cold, Zoro, that's really cold." Usopp complains again, but since Zoro refuse to go with him, he'll just have to suck it up and move on.
Once Usopp ventured deep further into the forest while try to find a spot to take a leak and to have some privacy, about to take his pants off after taking the sash off when he then heard a hammer banging sound. It got his attention, widen his eyes in fright.
'What was that noise?' Usopp mentally questions, followed the source that leads to the altar and slowly looks at the ship being repaired by an unknown shadowy figure banging the hammer in the foggy night. 'There shouldn't be anyone on this ship at this hour.'
"Geez, this fog is so thick, I can't see who it is." Usopp muttered as he quietly jumps into the tree trunk, losing his balance but quickly recovers, and jumps to another while slowly slides down, looking at the altar as he notices the fog is starting to clear a little and saw a shadowy figure repairing the Going Merry with the hammer which gotten him scared when the figure turns to him with a smile, causing him to scream in panic that's loud enough to hear and then faints.
Zoro, Leon, and Ventus got up and find Usopp after the scream coming from him, making their way to him and notices him in panic mode, twitching.
"What's your problem, you moron?" Zoro asks. "Did you fall asleep and went piss? That's pathetic."
"You're a grown man, how could you piss your pants and scream like you saw something?" Leon adds in annoyance.
"I...I...saw...a..."
"Hey, snap out of it! What is it you're trying to tell us?" Ventus said.
"I saw...a ghost...a ghost...a ghoooost!"
Though, neither Zoro, Ventus, nor Leon were convinced of Usopp's answer because they know how much of a liar he is. They dragged him back to campsite and getting him to sleep.
Skypiea, God's Shrine
At the God's Shrine, both Gedatsu and Ohm have arrived after the long fight against the Shandorians, but they didn't care of the deaths of Satori or Shura because they know full-well of how arrogant they were, and it causes them to lose control of their 'Mantra'.
"Why are we..."
It got Gedatsu bite his lower lip, which it's more like he's chewing his own and Ohm glances at him an annoyance.
"If you're gonna say something, spit it out! Don't just stand there chewing on your lip!" Ohm said, leaving Gedatsu flabbergasted with his jaws dropped and eyes widen.
"Sorry." Gedatsu said.
"Also, we both know why, because the Shandorians got instead of killing them! But we should let the Shandorians struggle, you know as well as I do all their pathetic efforts are doomed to fail." Ohm told him, glances at him. "And they will fall like mere insects before our power."
"God Eneru should have left it to me!" Gedatsu said with a scowl. "I could've taken care of those Shandorians by now! They'd be gone and I'd be reaping the rewards for my victory! Instead, I'm standing with you awaiting his punishment."
"Please, there's no way you could handle it alone, you're stupid." Ohm points out.
"I'm what?!" Gedatsu exclaims, chews his lower lip.
"And you would do well to remember your place is." Ohm continued. "If you're not more careful, you'll lose control of your 'Mantra' and end like those clods Satori and Shura. I doubt you want that."
Gedatsu had enough of Ohm's insult as he readied his fighting stance, earned his attention when he draws out his blade.
"Don't think I notice your intention on killing me, Gedatsu! I won't be taken lightly, unlike those two." Ohm said with a snarl.
"Amusing!" Gedatsu remarked with a smirk as they began the fight.
But inside of the shrine, a massive priest known as Yama is next to Eneru to inform the news of the priests arrival.
Yama is an obese man with a triple chin. He has a round body shape with long black wavy hair and tanned skin. He has bags under his eyes and thick lips. He wears a white toga with black vertical stripes, three on each side. Over his toga, he has an orange sash, connected by strings, and has red linings and dark orange vertical stripes on it. He wears gold bracelets on both his wrists, and wings on his back.
"Your majesty, your priests have arrived." Yama informed him.
"Very well, open the gate." Eneru ordered.
But just as the door opens, they saw both Ohm and Gedatsu fighting each other which neither of them are amused at that, causing a huge priest to sigh in annoyance.
"Not again...What are you doing? This is disgraceful!" Yama called them, causing the two to stop fighting. "You should be ashamed!"
"That's a big talk, Yama." Ohm scoffs. "I've been held back for some time now, maybe it's time for me to teach you what the true meaning of power is if you think you have the guts! Let's see if you can handle the Ordeal of Iron!"
"Your Ordeal of Iron couldn't even touch the strength of a child!" Gedatsu retorted, but didn't crossed his arms correctly. "My Ordeal of Swamp is the ultimate challenge! Try that if you're not too afraid!"
"My Lord, Gedatsu, that looks extremely tiring. If you want to cross your arms, you need to hold them like this and rest them on your chest."
But as one of the priests informed Gedatsu how to cross his arms, it left him flabbergasted.
"Enough! Cease this chatter!" Yama shouts. "You're standing in the presence of God himself!"
"Then where is he?!" Ohm demands impatiently. "All I see is an empty throne! And if he really summoned us here, why doesn't he show himself?!"
"Yeah, where us God Eneru?!" Gedatsu adds.
Suddenly, the static of electricity was heard along with the booming sound of thunder. It got Ohm and Gedatsu's attention when they glances over, but lightning strikes and Eneru revealed himself.
Eneru is a pale-skinned man with a well-toned yet wiry build, standing very tall at 8'9". He has a slim face, usually seem with a relaxed, half-lidded expression accentuated by a calm, confident smile. He has platinum blond hair that's set in a large perm, albeit always tucked under a close-fitting, white skullcap. His eyebrows are contrastively black, rather thick, and top grayish-blue eyes with prominent bottom lashes. His nose is slim with a marked, flat bridge that has several lines run horizontally across it. Akin to buddhas, his earlobes stretch all the way to his chest due to being weighed down by gold earrings with diamond-shaped pendants. Upon his back, stuck centrally into his shoulder blades is a large, gray wing and attached to it four wooden shime-daiko drums set next to and above his head, each with cream-colored drum skin depicting a black mitsudomoe on the front and back. He wears a simple yet sumptuous-looking outfit, matching his 'godly' self-image. Fond of gold, he dons plain, rigid bracelets of said material, a quadruple set worn like bangles on each forearm and above each bare foot a wide, pearl-edged gold anklet double-lined in the middle, plus two gold rings on each hallux. Otherwise, bare above the waist, his only garments are on the legs: a flowing indigo sash encircles his waist, knotted in a small half-bow at his right hip, with one end of it hanging near-ground level. This sash upholds a dark turquoise fabric around his waist as a wraparound skirt, draping over the back and in the front, where it slightly overlaps, forming a large divide to show his pants below. Said pants are extremely baggy, ballooning ones gathered quite a bit below the knees with separate brown, short cuffs each holding a small, gold-buckled strap of light blue. Each pant leg is patterned in bright orange: many longish, rectangular/obround shapes touching in a slanting position, forming three separate rows of which the lowest comes out the cuffs; the upper and middle row each tops a single row of spaced dots, numbering fewer than the aforesaid shapes, and the rest of the pants is dark bluish.
"Surprise, boys!" Eneru shouts as he strikes them down with his lightning element, knocking Ohm and Gedatsu down, rolling them away as he use his acrobatics to back flip his way to his throne.
Both Gedatsu and Ohm managed to recover from the lightning attack while Eneru lays on the throne with a bored look on his face.
"You asked, here I am." Eneru said. "You boys are getting slow. You're out of practice, if that pathetic display is it any indication, you're all well on your way towards ending up dizmo failures, like Satori and Shura."
"What is the meaning of this?!" Gedatsu demands with a grunt.
"Why, God? Why do you mock us?" Ohm questions. "Is that a reason why you summoned us here to entertain yourself?"
"I was bored." Eneru answered with a chuckle, tossing the apple in air and catches it. "Now have a seat. You seem to have given too much thought to the Blue Sea Dwellers yet, have you?"
"God Eneru, if this is about Satori and Shura's failure, that idiot was too inexperienced and the other is too cocky because of his thrill of fighting." Ohm states as he pulls out his blade from the cloudy ground, placed it on his sheathe as he and Gedatsu approaches to Eneru, kneels.
"You're hardly in the position to talk, Ohm." Eneru told him. "Gan Fall still lives and the Prince of Dravania has arrived in Skypiea. Thanks to their dragon friend and the Reaper, both Satori and Shura were dead."
"What?! Are you saying he's here...in Skypiea?!" Ohm demands furiously. "And he's here to kill us?!"
"He only killed Shura, not Satori." Eneru corrects him. "What's more, they're seem to be hitting off quite well with the Blue Sea Dwellers. What a stubborn old man, eh?"
"And just what is it these Blue Sea Dwellers are looking for?" Ohm questions as Eneru catches the apple.
"Why they're looking for gold. That's obvious." Eneru answered with a smirk, leaving Ohm and Gedatsu shocked.
"What?! Gold!" Gedatsu exclaims in disbelief.
"Impossible! How...How did they know?!" Ohm adds.
"This island was originally part of the Blue Sea, it's not so odd that they should know about it." Eneru explains, then eats the apple. "Of course, they'll move tomorrow as well as the Shandorians. The rules state that each of you run in the area of the Upper Yard, and you're not allowed to each others area or interfere with one another in any way. Tomorrow, I'll allow you to go where you will, you may set up your Ordeals wherever you want. And there will be no restrictions, get as vicious as you like."
Both Ohm and Gedatsu are starting to get skeptical since Eneru usually berates them about the rules or the interfering, but the plans changed.
"Why are you being so generous all of a sudden?" Gedatsu questions.
"Because, my friends, I'm pleased to announce that the Maxim is almost complete." Eneru announced. "So, it's time for us to put an end to this wretched island and set forth on our journey, to the World of Dreams."
Upper Yard, Sacrificial Altar
While back at the Upper Yard, Gan Fall is the only one who remained awake and watches the Straw Hats and the wolves sleeping. He had a long thought about what has recently transpired and the thoughts in between Eneru and the Shandorians since the civil war is still raging.
'To think that these children could defeat Satori and Shura...They've managed to send Eneru against them for sure, and if I know the Shandorians, they won't pass up this chance for another attack.' Gan Fall mentally thought. 'Eneru...I wish I could figure out what it is you want...'
Upper Yard
While outside of the Upper Yard, Wyper stands and watch for the night while the rest of his tribe are sleeping. Wyper is still determined on getting his ancestors home back, kill Eneru and his priests, and taking down the Straw Hats. However, after what happen to his tribe, they may not get the chance on winning the fight or claiming their land back since Eneru's priests; Ohm and Gedatsu, are too strong. And Eneru might be sending more priests to take down the Shandorians.
'We did put up a good fight, and today, we will break into God's Shrine.' Wyper mentally thought, turns to the sun that's about to rise. 'And then...Eneru...'
Upper Yard, Sacrificial Altar
As soon as morning came in the next day, Usopp woke everybody up by screaming after claiming he saw someone from last night which neither Zoro, Leon, nor Ventus believed him.
"IT'S TRUE! I WASN'T DREAMING! SOMEONE WAS HERE LAST NIGHT!" Usopp yelled.
But once the Straw Hat pirates and Gan Fall were at the altar, they were shocked to see what the Going Merry looks like now.
"The Going Merry! She's being repaired!" The Straw Hats exclaims when they notice the ship is being patched up and repaired. Usopp cried in tears of happiness while everyone else were amazed at the repair, somewhat.
"I knew it!" Usopp claims. "See guys! I told you I wasn't insane!"
"I don't believe it. The mast is patched up." Nami said with a smile, looks closely at the main mast. "Hey, now that's service."
"You can say that again." Robin agrees with a chuckle. "Can you imagine what a chore it was, just to climb up without breaking yourself and try to keep it steady upright?"
"Well, I hate to say it, but they did a lousy job." Sanji points out.
"Well, whoever did it, sure is nice." Luffy states with a grin, chuckled.
"But neither of us repaired the ship, because we've been on watch last night in case if those Shandorians or Eneru's priests are coming." Ventus told them.
"Yeah, but there was somebody here. I knew I saw him." Usopp said, crossed his arms while walking a few steps.
"But who'd risk crossing the river full of sky-sharks coming out here to fix our ship for us?" Zoro questions. "I mean, as far as we can tell, the only people here at the Upper Yard are us and our enemies."
"And while we were there, that ship happens to be a flying model." Leon adds. "How did one person fix our ship and getting rid of the wings, tail, and a rooster head?"
"Maybe it's because of your figure head?" Sareena guessed, getting a good look at the figure head. "I'm no expert, but who got rid of it, sure went all that trouble."
"Hm, yeah, I've been thinking about it and it's really got me wondering." Usopp said with a ponder, remembering what the Going Merry looked like. "Huh, it just doesn't make any sense to me. How could this phantom repairman know what the Merry is suppose to look like? How did know she always have a comb or wing or a tail?"
"What'd you see, Usopp?" Chopper asks, swinging around with a rope on a main mast. "Who was it?"
"I still say he was partying too hard and was having a nightmare." Zoro states, leaning against the wooden railing, flinched when Chopper swings toward him and grabs hold of his face.
"And why are you two goofing off?" Nami asks in annoyance, noticed Zoto struggling and Chopper laughing. "There's lots of work to do or did you forget."
Seeing that Nami isn't curious about who repaired the ship while making a valid point, Chopper turns to her while Zoro clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"But Nami, aren't you even a little bit curious?" Chopper asks.
"About what?" Nami counters as Chopper slides down to the deck.
"About who fix the Going Merry for us, what else." Chopper points out.
"Who cares? If they wrecked it, that'll be another thing, but it's fix." Nami said, then walks away. "What, you wanna track them down and thank them?"
Before Chopper could say anything, Ventus glances at him.
"Let it go, Chopper." Ventus told him, earned his attention. "I'm sure whoever fixed the Going Merry is already aware of how thankful we are."
Chopper nodded in agreement to his words, but Usopp glances over at the figure head, trying to find out who fixed it.
"How could he possibly have known?" Usopp questions to himself, remembered about the figure fixing the ship. "Come on, Merry, just tell me who I saw..."
A little bit later, the crew had Usopp in charge of getting the Going Merry off the altar. He brought Chopper along as they drove the 'Crow' to the far distance at the altar.
"Right. Pay close attention as I, Usopp, the 'Might Chief Operating Officer' of Operation: Get the Going Merry off the stupid altar, swinging to action." Usopp said seriously.
'I'm assisting 'Chief Operating Officer' of Operation: Get the Going Merry off that stupid altar. Everyone's counting on me.' Chopper mentally thought, turns his head to Usopp, who's turning the 'Crow' around.
"Hey, what are you doing? You got a plan, Usopp?" Nami shouts with a question, confused when Usopp sails onto the other side of an altar and not answering the question.
'Alright.' Usopp mentally thought, turns his head and seeing the figure head. "Chopper!"
Chopper salutes as he take over by steering the wheel, while Usopp fires his 'Usopp AaaAaaAaa' right at the figure head.
"Alright!" Chopper cheered.
"Go!" Usopp shouts as the grappling hook wraps around the figure head and connecting it to the rope, making Sanji, Luffy, Nami, and Zoro cheered for him, but Robin, Leon, Ventus, Caius, and Sareena watches and seeing it won't end well. Usopp ties the rope around the 'Crow'. "Okay, Chopper! Get her all you got!"
"Awesome! You're awesome, Usopp!" Chopper said happily, steering the wheel and propel the 'Crow' at full speed while his crew watches them try to pull the Going Merry, which...the 'Crow' was suddenly taken to the air, unable to handle the ship's weight, and broke.
After Usopp and Chopper made quick work on repairing the 'Crow', he devised a backup plan.
"It didn't work, Usopp!" Chopper said. "What now?"
"Don't worry about it, I've devised a cunning super-secret backup plan for just such on an emergency." Usopp told him, earned his attention.
"Oh boy, can you tell me what it is?" Chopper asks, watching Usopp straighten up the wooden pole that has a rope attached to it.
"Sure...This river is full of huge sky-sharks, right?" Usopp asks.
"I'll say! They're swarms of them!" Chopper replied.
"So, what if we use their power?" Usopp asks again.
"The sharks power?" Chopper repeats, but starting to understand. "Yeah, that's a great idea, Usopp! They've got lots of power!"
"Thanks, Chopper, 'cause I've got a little job for you." Usopp said, finshed straighten up the wooden pole and turns to him with a smirk.
"Just name it! You can count on me!" Chopper said, not realizing. "I'll do anything!"
Usopp then approached him with a grin on his face.
"That's the spirit!" Usopp said as Chopper lets out a nervous chuckle, not liking what he's planning.
And next thing he knew, Chopper was all tied up and hanging from the back of the 'Crow'.
"Uh, Usopp, about this plan...did I miss something?" Chopper asks nervously.
"No, no, you're doing great! Keep it up, the sharks will try to eat you." Usopp told him with a smirk, holding the wooden pole and steering the canoe at the same time.
"You mean I'm bait?" Chopper asks tearfully. "No! No! I don't wanna be bait! I don't wanna be eaten! I-"
Before Chopper say anything else, the sky-shark swim towards them and it got their attention. Chopper starts to scream in panic and the sky-shark merges out of the sky water, about to eat him with one bite which Usopp found the opportunity.
"Let her rip, Sanji!" Usopp called him.
As he started the 'Crow', Sanji kicked the makeshift harpoon over to the sky-shark. The makeshift weapon pierced through its fin and held it back for attempting to eat Chopper whole.
"Okay, sharky, it's time for dinner." Usopp muttered, kept on driving the 'Crow'.
That didn't top the sky predator, as it came back for round two, using all its strength to unintentionally get the Going Merry off the Sacrificial Altar. Once it started to slide down, Zoro cuts the rope. This caused the sky-shark, which was using every ounce of strength to swim, to recoil into the air, missing the reindeer and flipped over the 'Crow'.
"Alright!" Usopp said with a proud smirk, noticing the ship lands on the clouds and both Nami and Luffy to cheer. "That's the way you get the ship off that stupid altar!"
But unfortunately for Chopper, he fainted the entire scene after screaming in panic since the sky-shark. He snapped out of his stupor, but screams again when the sky-shark is about to eat him. Ventus throws his lance right at the sky-shark and killing it. Then, they board the ship as they held one last strategy meeting.
"Okay, let's look at the map." Nami suggests, setting the map down. "The exploration team will be taking this route, moving south. There should be some old ruins, near the Skull's Right Eye. Keep an eye out for enemies and bring back that gold."
"You make it sound so easy." Zoro scoffs.
"There are actually some ruins here." Sareena said. "At least along the way, near the Skull's Right Eye."
"I'm looking forward to investigate in those ruins." Robin said.
"Hold on, you're the one who keeps talking about gold and more gold, but you're coming?" Luffy asks, confused.
"Of course not, it's way too scary." Nami answered.
'Well, isn't she the hypocrite.' Leon and Caius mentally thought.
'She wants the gold, but she doesn't want to risk anything to get it?! That's just too weird!' Chopper mentally shouts with his jaw dropped, but earned her attention.
"Did you say something?" Nami asks with a scowl, making Chopper flinched as he shook his head. "We'll be in danger, too, you know. We'll be taking the Merry down the river through the island. Then, we'll head for the beach near the ruins as fast as possible. We can meet up here, and then we can escape this stupid Sky Island. At long last, we'll be rich and powerful pirate crew, able to buy anything."
"Oh yeah! All the meat I can eat!" Luffy cheered, earned a bonk on a head from the young Dragoon.
"There are more important things that meat!" Ventus shouts in annoyance, then turns to Sareena. "But, what about you Sareena?"
That question brought in silent to the crew as they turned to her.
"What about me?" Sareena asks.
"What are you going to do after this?" Ventus clarifies. "When this is over, what will..."
"Oh that? I wouldn't worry about it. If it means getting you guys to the Skull's Right Eye, I'll be glad to help you out." Sareena said. "The worst that can happen besides putting your life on a line against the Shandorians."
"What do you mean by that?" Robin asked, concerned.
"My parents were killed ever since Garlean Empire overruled my home." Sareena explains, making the Straw Hats, except Leon and Caius, concerned. "When I was a little girl, I watched my parents and my people fought against the Garlean Empire at Ala Mhigo. They were overrun and the Garlean Empire took over my home, many of my people survived and was force to take refuge in different cities. So, day in and day out, I've been doing rigorous training in martial arts and started fighting against the Garlean Empire. At the time, I met Leon and Caius and became friends with them, joining the resistance to help the people, steal food and weapons, and fight the Garlean Empire. Though, we were like you guys, most rowdy of the bunch and...well, some are level-headed due to experience in battles. But several years later, the Garlean Empire somehow found our base and destroyed it, we were fighting them off as long as we could, but it wasn't enough...we were forced to flee while keeping a low profile. But some of us left the island in order to find help, including me, Leon, ad Caius."
The Straw Hats can tell that Sareena were like Leon and Caius, trying to take back what is theirs and end the Garlean Empire. Luffy's eyes shadowed under his hat as he heard the story.
"But after this, you know the rest. I've been stuck here with the Shandorians for months, and you already know what they look like and how hostile they were when it comes to intruders." Sareena continues. "And I'm sure I can handle this on my own."
"How can you be so calm at the thought of being stuck here on Sky Island?!" Usopp exclaimed.
"He's right! Aren't you even a little bit worried? You're basically fighting for your life on Sky Island!" Nami adds.
"When your like has turned into hell, the thought of trying to find help is like you're running from death and it'll haunt you." Sareena simply said.
Robin and Ventus couldn't help but see themselves in Sareena's place. Like her, they knew what it's like to lose someone they love and being alone in the world. She then looked over to Luffy, the man who prevented her from committing suicide.
'Are you going to do to her what you did to me?' Robin mentally wondered, but Luffy lifted his head with a smile.
"Okay, I've decided." Luffy said, points at the fighter. "You...Join my crew!"
"Luffy?!" The Straw Hats shouts, caught almost everyone off-guard.
"Well, why not? She's good! She can fight, she beat the sky-shark, and more importantly, she's Leon and Caius' friends!" Luffy told them. "She's joining this crew!"
"Wait, hold on a second! Don't I get a say in this?" Sareena asks shockingly.
"Even if you don't, you're most likely be joining us anyway." Sanji told the monk.
"Most of us didn't want to board, but this guy somehow managed to recruit us anyway." Zoro adds.
"Come on! Join us! I won't accept a 'no'!" Luffy said.
Sareena seemed to be thinking about the offer of being a pirate. Of course, she's part of the resistant fighters and she give one look at her two old friends, and Ventus, instantly made a choice.
"Alright, I'm in, but on one condition." Sareena said as it got their attention. "While we're looking for gold, I'd also want to help the Shandorians on taking down Eneru."
"WHAT?!" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper shouts.
"Despite everything, I can't leave Sky Island like this and Eneru had something planned for us." Sareena told them. "And I won't leave them suffering by the hands of him and his so-called priests."
"Oh no! That's not the part of the plan at all!" Nami cried.
"Yeah! It's scary enough to deal with a priest! You're telling us to kill God here!" Usopp adds.
"He's not a God, you moron! He's just some arrogant ass with the Devil Fruit power!" Ventus yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"Okay!" Luffy agreed to Sareena's condition, much to their shock. "She's helping us out to get the gold. We should help her out to fight God. Besides, I want to kick his ass anyway!"
"I wouldn't mind seeing whoever this God myself." Zoro concurred with a smirk.
"Well, this guy did make Conis cry." Sanji adds, smoking his cigarette.
"Okay! Now that said, let's go!" Luffy shouted as they began to set out.
That's it for the 36th chapter.