This is the 29th chapter. I don't own the series of One Piece.
Satori, the Mantra Master
Luffy and his crew have finally arrived in Skypiea. However, following a confrontation with the local authorities, Nami, Zoro, Robin, Chopper, Ventus, and Leon have been carried away to face Judgment in Upper Yard. In pursuit of their friends, Luffy and the others must now face the dangers of the forbidden land. Meanwhile, Zoro and his group have their own problems at the Sacrificial Altar. Zoro, Nami, Robin, and Leon have now made their way into the forest, leaving Chopper to repair the ship and Ventus to keep watch.
Skypiea, Upper Yard
Sometime later, Zoro, Nami, Robin, and Leon are now venturing deep into the forest to learn more about the Upper Yard, but a certain swordsman only cared about is facing against Eneru which it got him annoyed for not finding him. Nami however, only cares about treasure after Robin mentions about the discovery and not about the treasures. Zoro climbs up to the top of the tree root while Nami, Robin, and Leon follows him.
"Enough is enough, where is this 'God'?" Zoro asks as Nami pants heavily, wiping the sweat.
"That may not matter. If he really is a God, chances are he knows exactly where we are." Robin points out.
"So what? If he's distant between us and him, he's just observing us for his sick game?" Leon questions.
"We would know if he just come to us, I could get this thing over with." Zoro said as Nami places herself on the ground.
"You say that, because you haven't seen the things I have! There is someone or something on this island with the ability to destroy us!?" Nami retorted, recall to what she saw earlier when she came to the island alone. She then prays in teary eyes. "Oh, powerful one, we're but simple sailors...please leave us in peace! Oh...and also, please help us fins lots and lots of treasure!"
"That's all you cared about?" Leon questioned in annoyance.
"Nice prayer, Nami." Zoro said sarcastically, walking towards the river to see the other side of the forest. "Look, you can sit on your knees all day if you want, but it's not gonna get us outta here. I say we cross the river and see what's on the other side."
"Yes, I agree." Robin agrees while Leon feels the same way.
"And how do you plan to get across this time?" Nami asks. "I don't see any vines handy. Hey Zoro, maybe you can throw Robin across and she need-"
Before she could finish her suggestion, the ground near her foot started to give in, causing her to lose balance and start to fall into the cloud. As in right on cue, a sky-shark started to emerge with its mouth wide open.
"Blizzard Barret" Leon quickly fires his ice bullet right at the sky-shark, killing it while Zoro pushes Nami back and Robin uses her Devil Fruit power to catch her.
"Those things are everywhere!" Zoro barked with a pant, glaring at the cloud river full of sharks.
"If you think I'm crossing that now, you're out of your mind!" Nami complains. "We might as well just hop in and give the sharks a free snack!"
"Look, I get it you're scared, but there's no reason to get all huffy about it." Leon stated, frowning at Nami's demeanor.
"He's right, it'll be fine. We'll just keep walking upstream and hope we find a safe place to cross over." Zoro agreed.
"Give up, I'm not going!" Nami barked back. "If you want to go so badly, just leave me here!"
"You know what? Fine!" Leon snapped, had enough of Nami's complaints and started to walk away. "Let the spoiled little brat stay here and whine for all I care!"
"Watch your mouth!" Nami snapped back. "I thought you were here to help! You sure did a lousy job!"
And that was the last straw, Leon stopped and turns to Nami, the fierceness and anger in his eyes was enough to make her shock.
"For your information, I've been through hell way more than you could ever imagine and I fought worst enemies more than you could count. I've only just started becoming part of your crew and the first thing I did is observe you guys while I was here. I learned enough about you guys based on what I've seen, including your little issue, Nami." Leon said, started walking back to her. "I get it that you had a tough life beforehand, and thanks to Ventus, you are free. But that doesn't give you the right to act like some pampered-bitch who whines every time things don't go her way! Life is not as simple as you think! Life wants to make you miserable and the only thing you can do is endure it! You want to become a pirate and draw a world map? Then endure the storm of troubles and quit your whining, so that you can reach your goal!"
Leon shoved Nami away from him, who stumbled backwards, completely shocked. Zoro and Robin were surprised, but not as much. What he said was enough, and it was something that they all could agree on. However, the ferocity of Leon's words showed something about him that the two were able to understand; the Gunbreaker had endured a lot of hardships in his past life.
Robin looked down and realized something which she should've realized when they first arrived on Skypiea as she lands on the ground.
"Hey guys, look at this." Robin gestured, earned their attention as she inspects the land they were on.
"Look at what exactly?" Nami demands.
"It's dirt." Robin answered, turns to them.
"Yeah, am I missing something? Of course, it's dirt." Nami told her which she's not seeing this was going, but Leon realized what Robin meant.
"This is Sky Island. Dirt shouldn't exist here." Leon states as Zoro looks down to the ground.
"You're right. The grounds not fluffy." Zoro said, tapping the ground.
It took Nami a few more seconds to remember the important fact about the Sky Island.
"Oh right! I almost forgot, I notice that the first time I saw this island." Nami said, inspects the ground. "Sky Islands are made of clouds. It feels like it's been a year since I've touched dirt. So, why is this island different from the others?"
"Not sure, but the fact that it is different might be what makes this place so special." Robin points out. "At any rate, its reason enough to start exploring."
Skypiea, Upper Yard
Meanwhile, Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, and Caius continued to sail to the altar they saw that has four different selections of the ordeal ahead of them.
"Prepare for judgment, criminals! You have no choice but to receive it!"
"Select a gate, select from four ordeals!"
"For you, there could be no turning back!"
"You may choose your own trial, but we will decide your fate!"
"Swamp...Iron...String...Spheres...Choose your path, criminals!"
The four pirates on the 'Crow' were weary of the choices before them, all except the Reaper who kept his calm yet serious demeanor.
"So, what do we do?" Usopp asks, turns to his crew.
"Um, let's go with Spheres!" Luffy quickly declared, points at the Ordeal of Spheres which the Reaper figured he would choose without second thoughts.
"Why do you like that one?" Usopp questions.
"Spheres are like balls, right? Sounds fun." Luffy answered simply.
"That's your only reason?! There are Ordeals! They're not supposed to be fun!" Usopp protests.
"Um Usopp, this is Luffy we're talking about." Caius stated with a sigh.
"I guess, but then again, I don't disagree with him. Spheres is definitely the one that doesn't sound too violent." Usopp said which Sanji and Caius knew something terrible would happen. "At least to me, I mean, all swamp makes me think is..."
Usopp then imagines himself getting sunk down into the quicksand at the Ordeal of Swamp.
"...And I'm talking about the kind of sinking you don't come back up from." Usopp finished his sentence.
"Okay, what about Iron?" Luffy suggested when Usopp imagines himself and his crew barely dodging a 100 ton of iron at them.
"No thank you! Way too scary!" Usopp refused, shaking his head.
'Either he was thinking we would go through what we just went through, just more deadly, or is it just him?' Caius mentally questions, noticing his scared expression.
"Fine, String then!" Luffy groans when Usopp imagines himself tried to balance himself with the long strong, but panics when he noticed how far down the sea is.
"No way...it sounds so harmless, it's probably the worst." Usopp said, but then looks at the Ordeal of Spheres as he imagines himself and his crew being crushed by a huge sphere. "Come to think of it...Spheres doesn't sound all that safe, either...Maybe we should think this over!"
"We don't have time for a debate here, we're right on top of it." Sanji said.
"Alright, Spheres it is!" Luffy ordered which Usopp didn't like the idea as he looked at the Ordeals with fear.
"Okay...I guess we'll have to trust Luffy's instincts on this one." Usopp stammered.
"Then it's decided. Just don't let your guard down, guys. Remember, these are Gods islands, 10,000 meters above sea level, anything can happen." Sanji advised.
"Ready! Let's do this!" Luffy ordered with eager as Usopp turns the gondola to the Ordeal of Spheres.
As they sailed through the dark tunnel of the path to the Ordeal of Spheres, Usopp was having his eyes shut tightly, not wanting to see anything horrifying. Luffy, on the other hand, was just eager to see what the Ordeal had in store for them. Caius cautiously looked around while keeping his wits sharp, trying to see if there were any signs of trouble even though they just entered the pathway. Sanji was pretty much eager, but not that much.
"Driver, would you mind not shutting your eyes?" Sanji suggests with a smirk as Usopp slowly opened his eyes.
"No, it's just as dark when them open!" Usopp whined.
"Hey guys, what if this is one of those games?" Luffy asks, much to their confusion.
"Like a what?" Usopp asks.
"You know, if you pick the right door, then you get a prize." Luffy told them. "But if you pick the wrong one..."
"What are you talking about?! What if we picked wrong?! Why couldn't you have mentioned us before, Luffy?!" Usopp snapped, panicked with his shark-like teeth.
"Well, let's see here...um...if you pick the wrong one...then you fall off the island." Luffy told him with a grin.
"How could you say something so stupid?! We're thousands of meters in the air!" Usopp yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth. "I don't know how many times your life can flash before your eyes during the fall like that! And I don't wanna know?!"
"You guys are both being idiots." Sanji said with a sweat drop.
"He's right. Nothing like that is gonna-"
Caius was cut off as, the moment they were out of the tunnel, the four found their gondola had sailed off the edge of a cliff and they were currently floating in the air. The sight before them combined with the story Luffy made up caused all four of them to scream, eyes popping out of their sockets, tongues popping out of their mouth, especially Usopp and his teeth.
"NO! YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!" Usopp cried pout, as they fall to their deaths.
Or so they thought, when the 'Crow' landed on a cloud river with a huge splash and continued to sail. Some nearby flock of birds flew away in shock at its landing.
"We're alive..." Usopp said, scared out of his mind with snot streaming to his face, mentally scarred. "I seriously thought we were falling all the way back to the Blue Sea."
Luffy was the only one laughing at the experience as Sanji kicked his head, followed by Caius whacking him with the flat side of his scythe.
"That's because somebody had to make up a lame story to scare us!" Sanji accused with shark-like teeth, kicks Luffy repeatedly.
"I was scared! I thought I was a goner too!" Luffy said with a laugh.
"That's not something to laugh about!?" Caius yelled.
After taking some time to calm down after the horrifying experience, they're now taking in to look at the new surroundings.
"Alright, so what is this place?" Sanji asks, lighting his cigarette while steering.
"A forest...with balls." Luffy stated, noticing an area filled with white spheres.
"They're balls made of island clouds." Sanji said.
"Awesome! They look like really big snowflakes!" Luffy exclaims happily. "Now what could be scary about that? See, Usopp, it's okay!"
'He forgot this is supposed to be an Ordeal, is he?' Caius mentally questions while Usopp still whimpers in respond.
"Heads up, the Milky Road is leading us up into the trees." Sanji informed them.
"But the question is, what part of the Ordeal is this?" Caius questions.
"Who knows? It be great if there's nothing ahead, but somehow, I doubt it." Sanji said, which he seemed to have some thought about something.
"What if it was like one of those games and we pick the right door, and now all we have to do is float around in this giant snow looking for the others?" Luffy guessed when Usopp was starting to regain himself.
"Y-Yeah...maybe that's it." Usopp agrees.
"You're both idiots! They think we're criminals, and I doubt they'll let us off that easy!" Caius scolded them.
"He's right, use your brains for once!" Sanji adds with an agreement. "I wouldn't be surprised if there are more traps, like the ones earlier. We have to stay sharp."
Luffy and Usopp were tensed at the cooks words while the Reaper understands what he's telling them.
"Let's just keep moving!" Sanji suggested.
"What? Are you the Captain now?" Luffy asks, but changes the subject. "Can we at least have a snack?"
"Ooh, yeah! Whatcha guys got in the bag?" Usopp asks with grin, agreeing with Luffy.
"Come on, gimme!" Luffy whines.
"Come on, Caius! Have some!" Usopp offers.
"And who's gonna steer the gondola?! Look, we'll watch the front, you two take the side and back, got it?!" Caius demanded in a dark tone, making Luffy and Usopp flinched and nodded.
While Luffy and Usopp watches from each side of gondola as ordered from the Reaper, Sanji continued to sail the gondola and he and Caius kept watching on the front.
"Whoa, I didn't realize how high up we were getting." Usopp said with his mouthful when he and Luffy looks down to the ground.
'Something's not right, it's too quiet. There four priests, so I assume each time will lead to one. Why haven't we seen any of them?' Sanji mentally questions when the shadowy figure floats away. 'I got a bad feeling about this.'
Caius looked around the woods, saw one of the floating ball that had a priest. It got his eyes scowled and readied his scythe.
'That priest I saw, and I had a feeling we're not alone.' Caius mentally thought.
"Hey, Usopp, catch!" Luffy said, pushes the ball to Usopp.
"Okay, I got, I got it, catch!" Usopp said, then pushes the ball back to Luffy.
"I THOUGHT I/HE TOLD YOU TO KEEP WATCH!?" Caius and Sanji yelled in annoyance with white eyes and shark-like teeth when they looked behind and saw them playing with one of the spheres.
Usopp and Luffy couldn't help but whine when the snake popped out of the sphere, causing the sniper and the rubber captain to scream in horror with bulging eyes and shark-like teeth, quickly ducks to avoid the bite.
"Snake!?" Sanji exclaims as Usopp ducks again to avoid the bite.
"Stupid...snake ball!" Luffy grunts, kicks the sphere off the gondola. "Okay...didn't see that coming..."
"Now I see why this is the Ordeal of Spheres." Caius muttered. "Make sure none of these spheres get close to us!"
"GAAAAAAAH! Sanji, cloud ball!" Usopp yelled in panic with bulging eyes and shark-like teeth, points at the sphere behind Sanji. "Kick it away!"
"I do not like the idea of being surrounded by snake eggs." Sanji said with a scowl as he kicks it away.
Upon contact, however, the sphere started to glow and next thing they knew, the sphere exploded at them. Luckily, it was small enough to only cover them in soot and gave them frizzy hair.
'This can't be good.' They mentally thought as Sanji puffs the smoke out of his mouth.
"For crying out loud! What's with these things?!" Usopp cried out.
"Hoh hoh hooo! Silly children, these are 'Surprise Clouds'!" The voice of a fat Birkan told them with a laugh, which it got their attention as he floats down to them, spins around in a meditating position. "You'll never know what's going to come out of them."
"Hey, where's that voice coming from?" Luffy asks, looked around the woods while Usopp and Sanji did the same when they heard a laugh again.
"Heso!" The fat Birkan greets them.
"Who-"
"I'm so glad you picked my challenge, the Ordeal of Spheres!" The fat Birkan told them with a grin, laughing.
"Yeah, is that a talking dumpling?" Sanji asks with a sweat drop as they also sweat dropped of the appearance of the priest.
"I think that's the priest." Caius guessed as the priest started to happily jump on the ball he was on.
"This guys is one of Eneru's priests?" Sanji muttered which it got him and Luffy annoyed of him dancing on the ball.
"That's the Ordeal?! Ball guy?!" Luffy questions.
"Stop with the dancing and tell us who you are!?" Sanji shouts with white eyes and shark-like teeth, with the veins popping out.
Though, the fat priest didn't answer the question since he's still busy dancing on the ball.
"Gotta say, he's not as bright as I expected." Usopp stated.
"Didn't Nami and the old guy say these priests are strong? Cause I'm not seeing it." Luffy said, recalling about the priests, but Sanji is getting more irritated of the fat priests dancing.
"Hey! Dumpling!" Sanji called. "Nami and the others are better be safe!?"
"The sacrifices?" The fat priest asks. "They've escaped or they won't! Doesn't really matter which. If they escape, they'll die. If they're sacrificed, well, they'll die them too."
"What's that mean?!" Sanji demanded, getting pissed off.
"But I'd be more worried about yourselves. You'll have to beat me if you're going any further." The fat priest warned them. "But I really don't see that happening."
And with that, the fat priest jumps off the sphere over to their side of the gondola.
"He's coming right for us, Luffy! Get him!" Usopp shouts, points his finger at him.
"I hope you're ready for this!" Luffy said, winds up his fist. "Gum-Gum"
"Ooh, you're gonna stretch?" The fat priest asks with intrigue.
Caius heard that question and it got him realizing what the fat priest just used. As Luffy used his 'Gum-Gum: Pistol' attack, that fat priest somehow managed to avoid it. He then pressed his palm against Luffy's face, and, much to their, except Caius, shock, forced him away and sent him flying against the tree with a loud thud.
'No way!' Usopp mentally gasped.
"Luffy!" Sanji called as Luffy fell on the ground.
"Luffy! You're okay, aren't you?!" Usopp cried out. "A hit like that couldn't have hurt you that much!"
"Well, you see." The fat priest said, earned their attention. "It's not what you call a 'normal hit'!"
"I'll show you not normal!" Sanji snarled, went in to attack him.
'Right foot, high kick.' The fat priest mentally thought and like before, he managed to dodge Sanji's kick.
'There's no doubt about it, he's using Observation Haki.' Caius mentally thought.
"Only the most well-trained have granted the power of 'Mantra'." The fat priest said as he then knocked Sanji away with a palm strike, sending him flying towards the ground.
"No! Sanji!" Usopp cried out.
"I warned you didn't I." The fat priest said, making Usopp flinch as he sweat bullets. "Impact"
The fat priest then knocks Usopp like he did to them.
"The shock destroys the body from the inside out." The fat priest said when Usopp lands on the ground.
Caius then readied his scythe.
"Oh, try to attack me?" The fat priest asked which it didn't faze the Reaper as was about to dodge when the Voidsent appeared.
"Made you look. Blood Stalk" Caius said with a smirk as the Voidsent swipes the fat priest, making him grunt in pain. "Your Mantra is not as predictable as you think. Shadow Lash"
Caius then summons the shadow chains and flings the fat priest as he then lands next to his crew.
"Are you three alright?" Caius questions when they regained consciousness.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Sanji answered with a groan while Luffy placed his hat on his head. "What did that bastard do to us?"
"If I have to guess, that attack he uses isn't anything ordinary at all." Caius said with a serious glare as the fat priest lands on the gondola. "However, that 'Mantra' he was using is something I am familiar with."
"I got no idea what you're saying, but who is this guy anyway?" Luffy asks with a grunt, looked at the fat priest.
"My name is Satori, I'm one of the four priests of the Almighty Eneru who watched over the Upper Yard and see to the judgment of criminals, like yourselves!" Satori introduces himself, presuming the dance. "I own the Verth in this Lost Forest!"
"The Lost Forest?" Luffy repeated.
"Why yes, my forest! In all its glory!" Satori answered. "And now..."
He then pressed the gas pedal on the gondola and got onto the sphere while letting the ride run.
"...Your boat will be lost in its illusions!" Satori continued.
"We're using that!?" Luffy shouts in panic.
"She will now speed along the Milky Road, eventually, leading her way to this forest only exit. I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but if you lose a dial boat in here, it's the same as losing your way to the Sacrificial Altar." Satori told them. "That means you'll have to find the boat and board her before that happens. Of course, my hundreds of 'Surprise Clouds' and I will never all you that chance! Does that seem unfair to you boys? Welcome to the Upper Yard."
Satori then laughs while dancing on the sphere, which the Luffy and his remaining crew are gonna have to fight him.
"The Ordeal of Spheres, there's a 10% survival rate! So, good luck." Satori said.
"Survival rate...just 10%?" Usopp repeats with a whimper as Satori laughs.
Upper Yard, Sacrificial Altar
Meanwhile, Chopper continued to repair the Going Merry while Ventus keeps an eye on the area and watching the sky-sharks that's surrounding the altar in the clouds.
"How's it looking down there, Chopper?" Ventus questions, looking down.
"Not good, but it'll be a while to get it fixed before Luffy and the others are coming." Chopper told the young Dragoon.
Then, the sky-shark jumped out of the clouds right in front of the reindeer. Chopper quickly jumped back on the Going Merry and away from the sky-shark, who went back into the cloudy sea.
"At this rate, we'll be stuck here and these sharks are getting tired of waiting." Ventus said with a sigh. "But with Luffy and the others are coming, there's no telling what's out there for them."
"What do you mean?" Chopper inquires.
"If I remember correctly, Nami mention about the priests here in this area and all I can smell are four." Ventus explains. "And one of them is probably facing against Luffy and the others."
Chopper then started to realize what the young Dragoon is telling him, which it got him worried.
"D-Does that mean..."
"They're right now having an issue with him and as far as the other three, one of them is coming after us." Ventus told him which Chopper is right now frighten. "And Chopper, once that happens, we need to be ready for a fight."
Chopper didn't like the idea, but knows that Ventus was right.
"T-This is all Luffy's fault! If he hadn't wanna come to Skypiea so bad, then we wouldn't be stuck here!" Chopper stammered.
"This is Luffy, he's just wanted to go there for his silly adventures and he got what he wants." Ventus said in annoyance. "It's too late to turn back and with everything happening to us, we don't have any options but to wait for our crew to arrive back."
"Yeah, you're right." Chopper said with a sigh, but determined. "But still, all I had to do is stay alive until they show up! It shouldn't be long now before they get here! I just need to keep myself busy! I know, I'll work on fixing the ship like Zoro ask me to, I can do that!"
And with that, Chopper starts fixing the ship as best as he could. Ventus somehow doubts that because he knows there will be more danger ahead of them.
"Um, Chopper, you might wanna be more careful. Or you'll hurt your fingers." Ventus called, but Chopper was too busy caught up in his own world.
"They'll be so surprised when they see how well I'm taking care of the ship all alone." Chopper said with a chuckle, but instead he accidentally his fingers as he cried out and tossed the hammer away.
"I warned you." Ventus told him with a sigh as Chopper noticed the hammer fell at the last step.
"The hammer!" Chopper exclaimed, turns into his original form. "I-I have to get it back!"
Then, they noticed a sky-shark swimming around which it got him scared.
Upper Yard, Ordeal of Spheres
While Satori continued dancing on the sphere, the gondola continued to sail through the Milky Road without Luffy and his crew.
"You boys better catch up pretty quickly soon, she's getting away!" Satori warns them with a laugh.
"He's right, you guys. We need to get moving now before we lose sight of her." Usopp agrees while the gondola continues to sail further away. "If we lose her in this forest, finding her again could be impossible!"
"Usopp, wait! Finding each other won't be easy, either!" Sanji points out which Usopp already ran off as he then turns to Luffy and Caius. "Are you two coming?"
"You best catch up with Usopp, I have a feeling this priest won't make this easy for any of us." Caius told him, tipping his hat. "Once you catch up with Usopp and making your way to the gondola, send a signal when you retrieve it. Luffy and I will handle Satori."
"Are you sure?" Sanji questions.
"Hoo hoo, this should be amusing." Satori said with a laugh, still dancing. "Do you really think you can beat me?"
'I guess someone needs to deal with this pot-bellied freak.' Sanji mentally thought. "Just make sure Luffy don't do anything reckless, he has weird powers. We'll be back as soon as we get the boat."
"Great!" Luffy replied as winds up his fist while Sanji ran to catch up with Usopp, but Satori stops dancing. "It's just you and me now, fatso!"
"You grab that branch." Satori said as Luffy grabs hold of the branch, reaching the same height as him.
"And Gum-Gum..."
"Same move as before." Satori said.
"...Pistol" Luffy then launched his fist, but only for Satori to dodge again as he then grabs hold of his arm. Satori then lassoed him and spins him around until he hits Luffy in the head with a tree, knocking him out with him grabbing hold of the tree branch with a groan.
Caius then leaps off the tree in midair and readied his scythe.
"Also a head-on attack." Satori said, but Caius smirks.
'Shrouded Escape' Caius then vanished instantly which Satori was confused as the Reaper slices him from behind with a scythe. "Predictable."
"How could you predict my moves? Unless...you had the same 'Mantra' as me!?" Satori exclaims in shock.
"We'll leave it at that and it's like I said, you're predictable." Caius told him. "And it's easy because...I can match your 'Mantra' with mine."
Luffy then had the opportunity as he stretched his arm to grab hold of the branch behind Satori and starts launching himself.
"And I won't miss this time! Gum-Gum..."
"Your feint with punch, but follow with a kick." Satori said.
"...Whip" And just as he predicted, Luffy went in with a sweep and Satori dodges. "And again!"
Luffy then went on for another kick, but only to have Satori caught him in the leg which was what he wanted.
"Gum-Gum"
Before he could unleash that attack, Satori did another palm strike on him.
"Fool! Harpe" Caius then fires his dark orb at Satori and sending him flying against the other sphere. "Grim Swathe"
Caius then summons his Voidsent when it unleashes a dark fog, causing Satori to dodged and grabs hold of Luffy again, spins him around and tossed him right next to the Reaper. Before he could react, Satori unleashed a barrage of palm strikes at them. Usopp kept on running to find the gondola which he was having a hard time finding it and all he ever find was 'Surprise Clouds' and the Milky Road in the middle of the forest.
"Where is she?! Where's the Crow?!" Usopp cried out in panic. "If we don't get her back, we'll stuck here forever!"
Usopp stops as he looked around in the woods.
"I can't see anything from down here." Usopp said to himself, turns to the tree. "Up I go."
While Usopp starts climbing up, Sanji, however, tries to find Usopp in order to catch up and get to the gondola.
'Watch yourself, Luffy, Caius, these priests are far from ordinary. Got to find a boat and get the hell outta here, fast!' Sanji mentally thought, catches up with Sanji as he ran towards the tree.
Luffy was struggling pulling his head out of the tree, and Caius was holding his chest, seeping blood out of his mouth as he stands up and looked at Satori.
"Aren't you stubborn?" Satori mocks with a laugh.
All can Caius ever do is scowling at the priest, wondering if he could beat him at his current condition and hoping for Sanji and Usopp get to the gondola in time.
That's it for the 29th chapter.