This is the 35th chapter. I don't own the series of One Piece.
Feelings for Vearth!
Upper Yard
The battle between Eneru's priests and the Shandorians continued to rage on in the Upper Yard. The Shandorians are starting to lose numbers because both Ohm and Gedatsu are too strong, but they won't give up when they charge after the bald priest, who leaps and slashes one of the tribal warriors while Holy spins his body, knocking the two of them out. Both Ohm and Holy were able to quickly avoid the explosion, much to Raki and Kamakiri's annoyance.
"Together, those two are a problem." Raki said as she and Kamakiri watches Ohm and Holy running, avoiding the explosions.
"We have to find someway to separate them." Kamakiri points out when Genbo is flying next to his tribe.
"Hey, I got an idea!" Genbo called out as he jumps ahead while Raki and Kamakiri follows him.
Ohm deflected the spear from one of the Shandorians with his blade, but Genbo fired his bazooka at the tree, earned his attention when he noticed a tree is starting to fall down to the ground. It causes both Ohm and Holy to dodge it while being separated, forced to fight against the Shandorians. Ohm lands on the tree trunk hearing the loud screams from the Shandorians were firing their firearms at Holy, but the bald priest whistles to his dog. He then uses his 'Mantra', predicting three Shandorians leaping in midair with their weapons ready. Ohm leaps after them, draws out his blade and easily defeats them by slashing at the Shandorians, leaving them heavily wounded as he lands on a tree branch and sheathing his blade, watching the three Shandorians fall into the ground. Raki fires her gun after seeing her tribe getting beaten, about to advance when Holy knocked her down with a headbutt. Holy growls after landing on the ground while Ohm holds her along with the bag of dirt by his sheathe.
"Raki!" Genbo shouts.
"You look so sad, dangling there while all of your hope drains away." Ohm mocks with a smirk, noticing the dirt spilling out of the bag. "That stuff important enough to die for?"
Raki scowls at that, using the waver skates to use a somersault and then aims her gun at Ohm which he noticed it with his 'Mantra'. Ohm grabs hold of her gun, making her miss her aim with a smirk on his face. He then pulls Raki down and lets go of the gun after drawing his blade.
"Raki!" Kamakiri shouts, using his waver board to quickly rush to her when Ohm was about to slash her, grabbing hold of Raki and Ohm slashes him instead as he and Raki fell into the ground. The Shandorians fired their firearms at Ohm which they missed their target and hitting the tree branch.
"Kamakiri! You gotta move!"
Raki grunts and slowly looked up at Kamakiri.
"Thanks, I owe you one after that, Kamakiri." Raki grunts, but widen her eyes in dread when she saw her hand covered in Kamakiri's blood. "Kamakiri!?"
Enraged, Genbo fired his bazooka at Ohm and the Shandorians withdraw to find their leader, who's fighting against Gedatsu, to inform of Kamakiri being heavily wounded.
"Wyper! Kamakiri's taking a hit!"
"Huh?! What happened?" Wyper exclaims, but Holy knocks the Shandorian with his paw, earned his attention when he notices a giant dog leaping in the air and lands in front of him. "Damn! So close to victory!"
"Ha! But you never even had a chance!" Ohm scoffs with a smirk when the Shandorians are behind their tribal leader. "When night falls, we'll have an even greater advantage."
With Ohm making a valid point, Wyper is starting to realize that his tribe are starting to feel fatigued and wounded after a long hours of fighting against Eneru's priests. But without any other options, Wyper swallows up his stubborn pride and gives them orders.
"We're moving out!" Wyper ordered. "Grab all our wounded and meet back at the rendezvous point! Now!"
And with that, the Shandorians withdraw while grabbing their wounded warriors and leaves. Ohm isn't amused that the Shandorians flees instead of continuing the fight.
"You're not getting away!" Ohm scoffs, about to go after him when Gedatsu lands on a tree branch to stop him.
"Ohm, wait!" Gedatsu called him, earned his attention.
"What is it?" Ohm asks, no in a mood.
"We have been summoned by Eneru." Gedatsu told him which pegs his interest while the Shandorians continued to flee.
Upper Yard, Sacrificial Altar
Meanwhile, the Straw Hat pirates were splitting up to do different tasks. Sanji and Sareena were doing the cooking, Zoro, Ventus, and Chopper were collecting ingredients, Nami was thinking of a plan while try to reminisce of what she and her crew have learned about the island became Skypiea and Noland's journal, Usopp was gathering the materials to fix the going Merry, Robin and Leon were wondering in the jungle. Luffy, on the other hand, was watching the boiling water out of boredom while Caius polishes his scythe and guarding in case either the Shandorians, Eneru's priests, or wild predators ever tries to come to the campsite.
With Leon and Robin, the two of them were walking along the shoreline of the cloud river, reaching what looked like a large, salt crystal.
"A salt crystal?" Leon guessed.
"Yes." Robin replied with a nod. "A large one at that."
"Here, let me." Leon said, drew out his gunblade as he slices the base of it and pulls it up. "The cook would be pleased."
"Let's head back to camp." Robin said.
Leon nodded and they went back the way they came, with Robin leading them. Robin looked back at Leon.
"Why did you want to come with me?" Robin inquires, earned his attention. "Aren't you supposed to be with the others?"
"It's not me they should be worrying about, Caius and Sareena can handle themselves. We both know they're not defenseless, and Sanji ordered me to protect you." Leon points out. "Not that you need it, considering of your Devil Fruit power."
"I guess you're right, but you know how Sanji gets when he acts like that." Robin said with a chuckle.
"Don't remind me." Leon said with a sigh in annoyance. "But would it kill him to shut up about it and let you, Nami, and Sareena do their own thing! It's like I'm dealing with that womanizing idiot."
Robin can tell that Leon doesn't like of how Sanji behaves toward women
"But you were dealing with a navigator when you kept trying to reason with her." Robin points out.
"That's because she wouldn't stop complaining." Leon answered, irritated as he recalled of their little trip. "She needs to learn that not everything in life is straight and easy."
Robin hopper over a large root, turning back to see Leon take a running leap onto it.
"I'm curious though. Despite the fact you, Caius, and Sareena fought the Garlean Empire, you looked over with serious look on your face." Robin said.
"Am I that obvious?" Leon asks, holding the salt crystal.
"You hardly ever smile or laugh. This adventure is exciting, here and there, but you aren't as excited as everyone else." Robin points out.
Leon hopped down off the tree root, looking back at Robin.
"I noticed that the battle is quiet, and if I'm right, they decided to call it a day while heal their wounds." Leon states. "Back at where I was from, I usually had some laughs with my comrades. Like your crew, they're a bit rowdy, but a bit on edge during times in fighting against the Garlean Empire."
"So, I notice." Robin said, hopped down next to him. "You're fighting in an inevitable battle that's been lost."
"Yeah, but we don't give up that easily. We've benn scattered to try to find some new recruits in order to join the fight while some are keeping low profile, so they won't get caught." Leon explains. "Even though, there are times whenever we get excited about something or laugh. But when it comes to them, it's not."
Robin can see that Leon had some good times back at his homeland, and most of the times were dark during the fight between the resistance and the Garlean Empire. She looked away, her smile fades and remembered of her past. It was a dark past she'd rather not speak of her crew, but Ventus learned from her since their past are similar. However, if the rest of the Straw Hats knew about it, they might not want to be around her, like everyone else. She'd rather keep it to herself than tell anyone of her crew, but Leon felt he hit the nail on a coffin, knew that something was off. Decided not to pry, Leon and Robin continued to head for their campsite.
While on Ventus' side of the jungle, the young Dragoon, Zoro, and Chopper were also heading to their campsite after gathering the ingredients they need. Both Ventus and Chopper turned their heads, noticed the sound of battle from the far distance is finally quiet. Zoro turns his attention to the two.
"Why'd you stop?" Zoro inquires.
"All that racket seems to be getting farther away." Chopper informed him.
"And from the sound of it, they withdraw and the Shandorians are gathering the wounded since the priests did a number on them." Ventus adds.
"Well, that's sounds like the right idea since it's getting dark." Zoro agrees, then walks away. "Let's go."
"Don't leave us behind!" Chopper shouts as he and Ventus catches up to Zoro.
"If you'd keep up, I won't." Zoro remarked.
"But you don't know where the campsite is." Ventus points out, making Zoro flinched in embarrassment. "Lucky you, I know where."
While at campsite, both Sanji and Sareena are doing the cooking while waiting for Ventus, Zoro, and Chopper come back with ingredients. Sanji is cutting the fish while Sareena cuts up the carrots and placing them in the big pot of stew. Luffy, however, is still watching the water boiling along with a steel bowl filled with some kind of grey dirt to hold the lid, which he's still bored.
"Ugh, boring!" Luffy complains with a groan, turns away.
"Nobody told you to watch the boiling water. You've only got one job, and that's to take the distilled water and fill the canteens." Sareena told him in annoyance. "Just make sure you do your job, we'll need fresh drinking water by tomorrow "
Luffy would rather fight Eneru and find the treasure instead of doing what they told him to do.
"Whatever!" Luffy scoffs when Ventus, Zoro, and Chopper arrived with the ingredients.
"Sanji! Sareena! We found tons of great stuff!" Chopper called them, earned their attention.
"Excellent! Let's see the haul." Sanji said as Chopper hopped down while Ventus jumps next to him.
"We found walnuts, aloe, bananas, garlic..."
"...rats and frogs too." Zoro finished his sentence lands on the ground.
"Nice! It all goes in the pot!" Sanji said with a smile, thrust his thumb to the pot without care which Chopper goes through the ingredients while Ventus skins the rats.
"Disgusting! You're not expecting us to eat that mess, do you?!" Nami yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"Oh, silly me! Nami, I promise...I'll take the garlic out." Sanji said with a sheepish yet goofy smile, placing his hand at the back of his head while missing the point.
"THE GARLIC IS THE ONLY GOOD THING!?" Nami yelled, air slaps him.
"Is our navigator having another meltdown?" Robin asks when she and Leon returned to their campsite, with the salt crystal he's carrying.
"Now that's what I call a gem! It's huge!" Nami said, impressed with the find in Leons arms.
"Big? Yes, but it's not a gemstone." Robin points out with a chuckle.
"Hey. That's a big salt-crystal!" Sanji claims with a smile, seeing a familiar object. "Nice find, you guys."
"We found it on the shore." Leon informed him. "Figured it'll come in handy."
"Not only is salt vital to survival, but without it, my food would taste awful~!" Sanji said with a goofy lovesick grin, regardless that Robin didn't find it alone as he chopped the fish.
"Oh brother." Leon muttered in annoyance as Sareena bonks the cook in the head.
"Knock it off, Romeo!" Sareena shouts in annoyance. "We're only here to cook, so no going goo-goo eyes on them, you understand?!"
"Sorry." Sanji groans, rubbing his sore head.
"Geez, what was that about?" Ventus asks, surprised yet amused. "It's almost like Sareena owns his ass."
"She doesn't take kindly to anyone who's either slacking on a job or acting like perverts who's been eyeing on women." Caius explains. "She's always a strict one during her time with the resistance."
Zoro smirked, amused of Sanji getting owned by the monk while Chopper is looking into the ingredients.
"If I take half of the garlic and aloe, then I can make antiseptic burn ointment." Chopper said.
"Yeah? Need a frog?" Zoro offers, turned his attention to the reindeer.
"No, no frog." Chopper replied as Sanji turns to Ventus.
"Hey, Ventus, you and Zoro aren't doing anything, I got a little job for you." Sanji called them, earned their attention.
The next thing they knew, Zoro was holding up a rock that's been heated up by Ventus' flame breath with two swords.
"Sanji! My swords weren't meant to be used like this!" Zoro groans.
"Yeah, but disobey the chef and you probably won't eat. So, it's your call." Sanji retorted as Zoro dropped the heated rock in the stew, having it boil at a faster rate than before while the cook closes it with the lid.
"Ah! You just dropped a rock in a stew!? Is it good?!" Luffy exclaims.
"You idiot, we don't eat it, it helps the pot cook. The stones heat cooked the stew from the inside out." Ventus explains which Chopper understands it.
"He's right, and you guys need all the nutrients and this dish to survive this place." Sanji agrees.
"Perfect then." Chopper said when Zoro and Ventus walks away.
"You really want to make use with everything the food has, do you?" Leon ask rhetorically.
"Smells like we got a winner." Luffy said, about to open the pot when Sanji kicked him on the head.
"Keep your hands off!" Sanji scolds with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"Sanji, I'm hungry!" Luffy complains.
"WELL, IT'S NOT READY YET!" Sareena and Sanji yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"Weren't you just cramming a sky-shark down your throat 10 minutes ago?!" Sareena demands.
"Yeah, but that was just an appetizer! I figured you know that!" Luffy retorted, but earned a kick to the face and landed on the tree with a grunt.
"Appetizer my ass! Your stomach is a bottomless pit!" Sareena shouts.
"He must have a rubber stomach, too." Nami adds.
"Yeah, tell me about it." Robin agrees with her arms crossed.
"How does any of you guys deal with that idiot?" Leon asks with a sigh.
Zoro and Ventus went into the jungle to look for Usopp since the food is about to be ready soon. They then noticed Usopp taking his shoes off after gathering the materials he needs for repairing the Going Merry.
"What are you doing, Usopp?" Zoro asks. "Sanji and Sareena's almost got dinner laid out for us."
"Oh, I figured since I wasn't doing anything away, I'd start hauling this wood over to the ship for repairs." Usopp told him, tossing the shoe next to the other.
"You're gonna swim over to the altar, right?" Ventus inquires.
"Yeah?" Usopp answered curiously.
"So, you don't have a problem with the giant sharks?" Zoro asks when they noticed the sky-sharks swimming while waiting their prey, which Usopp is starting to have second thoughts.
"The ship will still be broken tomorrow, I'll fix then! Let's eat guys!" Usopp said from behind, sprints away.
"What a moron." Zoro muttered, grabbing Usopp's shoes.
"You can say that again." Ventus agrees as he and Zoro returned to campsite.
"Yes." Nami said with a satisfied smiled, finally finished it.
"Soups on, but it's ladies first, got it?" Sanji suggests, extends the soup to Chopper.
"Sure." Chopper replied, walks away.
"If you would all please take your seats, I'll be around with your meals shortly and eat up! I don't want it getting cold!" Sanji called them which Luffy is close to the food while the rest are sitting somewhere.
"Now, if you would all listen up while you eat, I'll explain how we're gonna handle this tomorrow!" Nami said as Usopp walk towards Sanji.
"Ooh, it looks tasty." Usopp said when Chopper passes the soup to Robin, which she accepts while Zoro walk past the two.
"You said it-Thanks." Nami thanked Usopp as she grabs the bowl of soup and Chopper gives the soup to him. "Hey, this is important, you guys!"
"Then, I'm all ears, Nami sweet~." Sanji said, pouring the ladle filled with soup to the bowl and pass it to Luffy, but Ventus grabs hold of the rubber Captain by the neck with his tail which it got their attention.
"I think you've had enough, Luffy!" Ventus growls in a dragonic tone, surrounded in dark aura which made Luffy frightened as the young Dragoon flings him right at the tree trunk.
"Doesn't that idiot ever learn?" Sanji rhetorically asks in annoyance and Nami was also annoyed of Luffy's eating habits.
"No matter how many times we keep telling him, he just won't listen." Usopp states, eating his soup.
"Anyway, let's review Noland's book first." Nami suggests. "He discovered the City of Gold, 400 years ago. However, after leaving the island in returning with his king, he found the gold ruins have vanished. Luckily, we now know what happen to these ruins."
However, the review was cut off by Luffy, who recovered and kept eating the soup.
"Keep the ladle handy! I'll be back for more after I-"
But Sanji cuts him off by slamming Luffy in the head with the lid.
"Sanji! Pay attention!" Nami shouts.
"I was, but he was interrupting you!" Sanji shouts, but Ventus used his tail again, grabs Luffy and slams his down to the ground.
"As you were saying." Ventus said casually.
"Thank you, Ventus." Nami thanked him. "The point I was getting at is that the gold didn't sink into the ocean, but was shot up into the Sky Island by the Knock-Up Stream, just like we were."
"Do you really think a whole island could've done that?" Chopper asks.
"Well, it's the only thing that make sense." Leon points out. "Cricket said that every time this phenomenon occurs, it's in a different location."
"Yeah, that explosion is enormous." Usopp agrees. "I'm surprise it lifted an island."
"Hm, it's just hard to believe that the forest we're sitting in is the same one when we saw back on Jaya." Zoro said, looks up at the jungle.
"I believe that has something to do with the odd composition of the island clouds appear." Robin points out. "Look at all the trees, fish, and wildlife. Something about this environment dramatically increases growth rates, which explains how a society here could've been swallowed up by these Bergmann enforces."
"It explains how this island became known as Upper Yard." Gan Fall said, eating the soup. "After what you've truly discovered, I had no idea why this island became like it in a first place."
"No kidding, it would also explain why these South birds I saw earlier became gigantic instead of a normal sized bird." Sareena said. "I couldn't believe it."
"Yeah? 400 years of growing will do that to a bird." Zoro states when Sanji walks with two bowls of soup.
"Then why...here." Sanji said, tosses a soup to Zoro, who quickly catches it and looks at him in annoyance. "Why were you with these guerrillas few months ago?"
"Well, after they found me here, they took me in and told me that this Upper Yard was rightfully theirs. And they've been fighting against those priests for 400 years." Sareena explains. "But when Gan Fall came along, he decided to make a peace treaty to stop this ongoing bloodshed between the priests and the Shandorians. But..."
"When Eneru came along, he dethroned me years ago." Gan Fall finished his sentence.
The Straw Hats can tell Gan Fall felt guilty for not completing a peace treaty because of Eneru and his priests. However, Nami decided to change the subject since they still need answers about the island.
"Anyway, does anyone recall what Nolan's log said about the City of Gold?" Nami asks.
"I do! It's a City of Gold!" Luffy shouted.
"YOU'RE SUCH A DUMBASS! DO YOU EVER THINK BEFORE YOU TALK?!" Usopp yelled angrily with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"I think he wrote about the South birds and a giant Gold Bell." Sanji said. "Course, there could be a lot more."
"Hm, the last thing he wrote before his death, something about the City of Gold is located in the Skull's Right Eye." Leon recalled.
"That's it!" Nami confirmed with a smirk, leans against the two maps. "I've matched up Robin's map of Jaya with the old Skypiea map that we found in the shipwreck. Of course, this isn't exact and there may be some incorrect overlap, but when you match up the location of Cricket's house with a broken part we found up here, this is what Jaya look like 400 years ago."
Everyone gathered around and watched as Nami folds part of Jaya's map and connected it with Skypiea. As she put the two maps together, they couldn't believe what they saw.
"Neat! It's a skull!" Luffy said with a grin.
"It is a skull!" Chopper adds.
The crew were impressed with this new discovery.
"Well?" Nami asks with a smirk.
"Way to go, Nami!" Sanji praises her.
"We did it!" Chopper shouts excitedly, hopping up and down.
"Then, the Skull's Right Eye is here." Ventus said, pointed at their location. "The one structure that's actually inside of the eye, and no one has found it yet."
"Right, because of all the people who tried, we're the ones who had both maps." Nami adds, points at Usopp.
"Of course, we must be lucky pirates." Usopp said in dread, with his face pale.
"It kinda make sense." Zoro said with his raised eyebrow.
"HIDDEN TREASURE!" Luffy yelled.
"Treasure!" Chopper added.
"The only thing left to do is make our way to the Skull's Right Eye, but since we can't leave the ship unguarded, tomorrow morning we split the crew into two teams." Nami said. "This is our time. On the other side of this island waits more gold than we've ever dreamed."
Upper Yard
Later that night, the Shandorians are tending the wounded after the fight against Ohm and Gedatsu, but those who are bandaged up are either checking their weapons or helping out for another fight tomorrow. Wyper walks past his tribe with a deep scowl on his face, heading towards Raki and Genbo, who are worried about Kamakiri since he saved her and leaving him heavily wounded by the hands of Ohm.
"Wyper." Genbo called him.
"How serious are Kamakiri's injuries?" Wyper questions.
"Well, they're tending to him right now, he's back here." Genbo informed him.
"Is he going to make it?" Wyper asks again.
"See for yourself." Genbo said as Wyper looked at the bloodied waver board.
"I didn't expect him to be defeated like that." Wyper said, but it causes Raki to grit her teeth.
"What can we do? Ohm will not easily be beaten." Genbo points out.
"It's me." Raki said with guilt, earned their attention as she bit her lower lip. "It was my fault! He's dying because of me!"
Wyper and Genbo are beginning to wonder what she means as Raki begins explaining to her tribe.
Upper Yard, Sacrificial Altar
After the Straw Hats finish finalizing a plan for tomorrow, they decided to call it a night to get some rest. Though, that was the plan since they need to clean the dishes and utensils first while dosing the fire, which Usopp and Luffy kept it lit and warm.
"Now that's what I call a gourmet!" Luffy said with a satisfied sigh.
"Tomorrow, we get the gold!" Chopper said excitedly, carrying the bowls while heading to Sanji.
"You got it!" Nami agrees, carrying the utensils and follows him.
"You think it'll be sunny again?" Luffy asks, looks up at the night sky.
"We're above the clouds, so I guess yes." Usopp answered.
"Let's put out the fires if we don't need them, it's beginning to get late you guys." Robin suggested. "We don't want to announce our location to our enemies."
Luffy and Usopp, who were near the campfire, chuckled as if she's joking.
"What a rookie move. You hear that, Usopp? She wants us to dose the fire." Luffy said with a smirk. "What are we gonna do?"
"Huh?" Robin said, confused.
"I don't know, it's not really her fault though. She's never been exposed to that kind of living before, we should be tolerant." Usopp told him, stood up which Robin is even more confused.
"What are you two saying?" Robin asks, but next thing she knew, Usopp and Luffy are on their hands and knees, laughing.
"You're always supposed to have a campfire when you camp, that's what makes it camping." Luffy said.
Though, Luffy and Usopp are still laughing instead of crying which Nami and Ventus are very annoyed of their antics.
"It's never-ending with those idiots!" Nami said with a tick mark on her head. "Hey! Lay off the sob stories! You know how dangerous this island can be?! Let's not give it any help on killing us!"
"Don't care!" Luffy stubbornly denied.
"You should, because we're in the middle of the war between priests protecting Eneru and the Shandorians on full assault! And don't get me started on wild animals hunting at night!" Ventus told him.
"Not wild animals?!" Chopper exclaims in fright with his eyes bulging while Usopp has been reminded of how frightening the island can be, kept muttering 'Sky Island is scary'.
"Luffy, take a look!" Zoro called him, earned their attention and saw a logs stacked up for a bonfire. "Is this enough wood for your fire?!"
"Can you idiots think for one second?!" Nami, Ventus, and Sareena yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"I don't know why these guys aren't realizing the danger we're in." Leon muttered with a sigh.
"Don't worry, wild animals are afraid of fire! They'll stay away!" Sanji assures with a scoff.
But the moment he held up a torch on one end, there was a large number of shadows behind him with glinting eyes.
"I wouldn't be too sure if I were you." Ventus said sternly. "Because we're surrounded by wolves."
A wolf with a scar on its right eye walked up to them, growling and barking at them, causing Usopp and Chopper to scream in fright.
"Chopper, I think it's trying to talk. You mind translating." Sanji told him which it got the reindeer's attention as the alpha wolf growls.
"'You jerks are being so loud, we can't even hunt! Why don't you dumbass humans go to Hell and sleep already!'" Chopper said, translating.
"Who's the dumbass?!" Sanji and Luffy demanded angrily with white eyes and shark-like teeth, causing Ventus to whack them on the head, knocking them out.
"He's translating, you idiots." Ventus told them. "Also, both of you are dumbasses!"
The alpha wolf continued to bark at them.
"'You rotten two-leggers better not be trying to muscle in and take what doesn't belong to you!'" Chopper translates again.
"We were brought here against our will!" Sareena retorted.
"'This is our forest! You think you can just come in and start building fires?!'" Chopper translates.
"See? This is what happens when you morons didn't listen, and karma will always bite you in the ass!" Ventus warned them with a tick mark on his head, making Luffy and Usopp flinched.
"'Everything here belongs to us! The land, the trees, and the air!'" Chopper translates.
Before anyone knew it, Nami suddenly went and punched the alpha wolf hard on the head, knocking him out.
"Nothing's keeping me from that treasure!" Nami claimed.
"That's not what the wolf said!" Ventus, Sareena, and Leon yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth, but the wolves growled when they saw their alpha knocked out.
"Great! Everything's got worse again! Now we get eaten by wolves, didn't see that coming!" Usopp whimpered in fear.
"Do something!" Nami shouted, earned a bonk on the head from the monk.
"You're the one who struck him first, you moron!" Sareena retorted in annoyance.
Ventus turns himself into a humanoid dragon as he lets out a growl, warned the wolves to back off when the alpha wolf instantly recovered and give them a bark as the wolf pack backs down.
"'Back down, boys! We may have the numbers, but they have raw power and their friend here warned you to back off. It's not worth it!'" Chopper translates as the alpha wolf turns to Nami with a smirk. "'Girl, you pack one mean punch. Gotta say, you're my kind of angry!'"
Nami then smirks in return.
"So, uh, that's what happy ending looks like." Usopp said, turns to Zoro.
"I guess so." Zoro answered.
"Then, I have an idea! Campfire!" Luffy shouts.
And so, the bonfire started, and everyone has the time of their life, dancing around, even the wolves are dancing. Not only that, there were also some wine being passed along, made by wolves. The only one person who wasn't joining the party was Ventus, who decided to be on lookout incase if there were dangerous predators, priests, or the Shandorians ever decided to enter their campsite.
'Guess there's no point on reasoning with them, but someone has to be on lookout.' Ventus mentally thought.
"Hey." The voice of Leon said, causing the young Dragoon to turn and saw the Gunbreaker approaching him. "Not joining the party?"
"Someone has to be on lookout." Ventus points out. "Like Robin and Nami said earlier, there could be other dangers approaching us."
"So you say, but the Shandorians and Eneru's priests are resting for the night. And by tomorrow, the battle will continue while we'll be busy heading for the Skull's Right Eye." Leon told him.
"Maybe, but it'll be trouble if we ever encounter one of them otherwise." Ventus said which Leon agrees.
While back at the bonfire, Gan Fall approaches with a robe around him.
"I'm surprised you're getting along so well with the Cloud Wolves." Gan Fall said, earned her attention. "I know of no one else who could have suck ruckus festivities on Eneru's land."
"Yeah well, we just have to make the most of it once in a while." Sareena told him. "So, take it you're not joining them?"
"No, not right now. I'm fine right here." Gan Fall replied, politely declined as he crossed his legs and sat on the ground.
"Hey! Thanks for everything, Sky Knight guy!" Luffy shouts with a big grin. "Let's dance!"
"C'mon! Dance with us, Gan Fall!" Chopper adds, causing Zoro and Sareena to sweat drop.
"What a couple of idiots." Sareena muttered.
"Chopper, have you been drinking?!" Zoro shouts as the wolf is on Luffy's back while Sanji turns to Gan Fall.
"Hey, old man! I got a question!" Sanji called him. "Conis! Is she okay?"
"Very much so." Gan Fall replied with a nod. "I've sheltered her and her father at my house, they're fine."
"Great." Sanji said with relief. "I was worried she'll never see me again."
But Sanji is being piled on by a wolf and Usopp.
"So happy that the both of them are safe!" Usopp cheered. "Now, let's celebrate by Chopper!"
And with that, Usopp, Sanji, Luffy, and the wolves are tossing Chopper in the air which the reindeer is enjoying it. Gan Fall couldn't help but smile a little, watching the pirates and the wolves celebrating.
"I'm sorry for not much of help, but I've been doing a lot of thinking about how this island was known long ago by Jaya." Gan Fall said.
"Yeah, that's right." Robin replied.
"Is there something on your mind?" Caius inquires.
"I believe you have yet to hear the story of how this island which we sit came to be known as such holy ground." Gan Fall said which it got their attention.
Upper Yard
After hearing of Raki's explanation, Wyper wasn't at all amused at the revelation after learning of how Kamakiri became heavily wounded in the first place because of her being distracted over some dirt. But, as much as he wanted to lecture her, he knew that she was doing this for Aisa. He grabs hold of the bag of dirt, much to her protest as she looked up at him.
"Is this what was so distracting you in battle, Raki?! Are you here to sabotage us?!" Wyper snarls furiously. "Getting in our way to slow us down?!"
"No, I'm not! I feel awful for Kamakiri!" Raki retorted, turns away.
"We were fighting the priests! We can't afford to be off-task at all if we want to make it to God's Shrine!" Wyper said.
"Apologizing won't fix anything, I know that!" Raki snapped. "So, give that back to me, now! It belongs to Aisa! It's hers!?"
Raki then quickly grabs hold of the bag, which she and Wyper tugs the bag to each other.
"I promised I would bring back some Verth for her! Give it back to me, please!" Raki pleads.
"Shut up!" Wyper grunts.
"You have to let me have it!" Raki begs, but Wyper pulled the bag and about to throw it when Kamakiri stops him by grabbing his forearm which it got their attention. "Kamakiri!? You shouldn't even be standing right now!"
"I can still fight." Kamakiri said, letting him go and it causes Wyper to drop the bag. "You're right about this being the best time to strike the Upper Yard. With Satori and Shura gone, we prove today that we can defeat the remaining priests. I say we attack again tomorrow at first light.
Upper Yard, Sacrificial Altar
While the part continues, except Ventus and Leon who are still on lookout, Gan Fall spoke to the remaining Straw Hats who didn't join in the dance.
"The ground of the Upper Yard must remind you Blue Sea people of your home far below. It is similar, right?" Gan Fall questions.
"It is." Zoro answered simply.
"Yes, you're lucky." Gan Fall said. "What you see all around us and beneath our feet is something that does not naturally exist in the sky. Island Cloud can support plant life, but it cannot generate its own. Greenery and soil are both foreign things to our life here."
Gan Fall grabs a handful of dirt, scoops it up with a smile and tilt his hand, letting the dirt fall into the ground.
"Our people have our name for this, it's Verth." Gan Fall continued. "Those living among the clouds hold this sacred, it's what they all desire."
Upper Yard
Once Raki grabs hold of the bag, Kamakiri turns to her and his tribe as he spoke.
"Once we kill Eneru, there'll be no need for you to sneak around, obsessing over a single bag of Verth." Kamakiri said. "The time is now!"
The Shandorians are healing up a little after the battle, and they're ready to strike by morning.
"We will return after 400 years of exile, to the true home of the Shandorians." Kamakiri continued while Wyper can only stay silent with a scowl on his face, which the Shandorians are right making preparations to strike tomorrow.
Upper Yard, Sacrificial Altar
The Straw Hats and the wolves are continuing to party while Gan Fall watches with a smile, but Zoro glances to his crew and watching them party. Ventus and Leon, however, are still on a lookout since they need to be ready for tomorrow. The battle between the Shandorians and Eneru's priests continued.
That's it for the 35th chapter.