Supernova 17 (Patreon)

-]|[-

Chapter XVII:

-]|[-

…and completely robbed the crew of their ability to breathe. All of them clutched at their throats as they sailed through the Imperial Cumulus clouds. It wasn’t as dark as they figured it would be, but the dimming edges of their vision and soupy endless gray combined to frighten the daylights out of the weaker crew members.

And then the ship pierced through the clouds entirely, allowing them all to take desperate gasps of air. Behind the ship, pieces of the repairs were crumbling and falling away. The wings ripped off almost entirely, and even the sail was coming loose. They had the barest moment to relax, before starting to scream again as the ship reached its apex and plummeted back down. “GAH!” Several of them shouted in pain as the ship slammed back down, before settling.

All of them were wet and gasping for breath as they lay there. “Ugh…” Zoro grunted as he sat up, “Are we all here?” Several coughs were his answer, and the first person he laid eyes on was Usopp, who was being his usual melodramatic self and laying there, looking dead to the world. “Cut it out, Usopp.” He jammed his elbow in his crewmate’s ribs, which got him to start coughing hysterically.

“D-Did we all make it?” Vivi asked as she shakily tried to get up and fell back down.

Luffy laughed as he used the ship’s railing to force himself to his feet, “I think we did!” He found his feet the quickest of all of them and beamed, “LOOK! WE’RE REALLY HERE! IT’S ALL WHITE!”

Zoro helped Nami to her feet and she staggered to Luffy, “It’s really true!” She started to laugh, “We’re sailing on the clouds!” Everywhere she looked, it was white. “How is this possible?!”

“It’s just sailing.” Luffy deadpanned as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“You can’t sail on clouds, damn it!” Chopper, Sanji, and Tashigi groaned from their places on the floor.

Valerie laughed, “Kyahahaha! The clouds we’re sailing on say otherwise!”

“Which way is the Log Pose pointing, Navigator-chan?” Hina asked, grumbling as she tried and failed to light a cigarette since they were all wet.

Nami raised her arm as she said, “It’s just Nami, Hina-chan.” She squinted, “Uhh…” She bit her lip as everyone glanced at it, “…Still up. How the fuck is it still pointing up?”

“Well, there are still clouds above us.” Robin pointed up, and they looked, realizing she was right. “There must be an upper layer.”

“Great.” Vivi grumbled, “And without a stupid Knock-Up Stream to send us higher.” She slumped in depression, “I thought Sky Island would be much more fun.” She pouted, thoroughly disappointed thus far.

Luffy laughed, “Cheer up, Vivi! We’re not even at the island yet!” He wrapped his other arm around her shoulder and pecked her on the temple. Sanji seethed behind them.

“Then first order of business!” Usopp threw off his shirt and shoes, “A nice, refreshing swim!”

He jumped off the side and into the clouds below before Sanji could even finish saying, “Hey, be careful! We don’t know anythi-”

Hina tilted her head, “Is he an idiot?”

“Yes.” Several people deadpanned.

They waited for him to resurface. And waited. And waited. “He’s not coming back up.”

Hina paled, “He’s… not trying to touch the bottom, is he?”

There was a moment of silence, “USOPP, YOU IDIOT! THERE IS NO BOTTOM!” Half the crew panicked as Luffy threw himself overboard. He shot a ball of plasma into the air before turning into it himself and flying straight down.

“LUFFY, YOU IDIOT!” Nami and Vivi screamed in panic, “GREAT, HE’S AN ANCHOR! NOW WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE TO RESCUE!”

And then a giant starburst above illuminated the crew with a blinding amount of light, and as they looked at the clouds, they realized there was a large hole leading straight down. The white ocean was almost draining into it, causing Zoro and Sanji to snap to attention and leap off the ship, using Geppō to force the ship away from it. It was closing, but slowly enough that Merry would have been sucked into it if they hadn’t acted.

And then a screaming Usopp came flying out of the hole, which sealed shut behind him. Robin cast a large arm out and caught him, returning him to the ship. A couple dozen meters away, Luffy burst through another hole and panted as he floated there for a moment, before making for the ship. “Why-” He gasped for air, “Was that so tiring?!” He panted.

His response was the White Sea below beginning to roil, before a giant sea serpent and a gargantuan octopus burst from the waves below, drawn by the bright lights. “Tch.” Zoro drew his sword and flew at the Octopus’s arm, “This isn’t so scary.” He commented as he sliced the tentacle trying to grasp the ship… and popped it like a balloon. “What the hell?!”

Down below, an electric shock from Nami and a Home Run from Valerie had sent the sea serpent flying. “Oh, what the hell?” Zoro’s knees wobbled as he landed, and Valerie had her hands on her knees. “Why do I feel so weak?”

“It must be the air.” Hina realized, “Hina read about this in one of Doctor Vegapunk’s journals! He theorized that life in the clouds must be even more difficult due to how thin the air is. Humans can have oxygen deprivation even as low as some of the taller mountains. We’re much higher than that.”

And then Usopp started screaming. “Oh, what now?” Vivi rolled her eyes as she turned around.

“Shut up, Usopp! You’re alive and it would have been your own damn fault if you weren’t!” Sanji snarled at the idiot crewmate.

“N-No!” Usopp writhed on the ground as he dug into his pants, “Something’s… EEEEEEEEE-” He almost broke their eardrums from his shrill screaming as he pulled something out of his pants and threw it onto the deck.

The males of the crew winced and crossed their legs in sympathy as they saw the sharp teeth on the thing. Robin curiously picked it up, “Oh, this must be a sky fish. Noland mentioned them in his log book. They’ve evolved completely differently from their aquatic cousins to survive in this bottomless sky ocean.”

“Hold on a second!” Valerie yelled, “That’s real cool and all and I’m going to let you finish, but I want to know how you did that, Luffy!” She pointed at him imperiously. He was too busy bringing the fish to Sanji for him to cook it to pay attention. “It’s been years since I was able to swim! Is this ‘water’ good for that since it isn’t actually ocean?!”

“I doubt it.” Tashigi said, “Luffy’s Devil Fruit is hot enough to melt steel from a distance.” He was therefore her natural enemy. “I think the water just never touched him.”

“Care to find out?” Robin smiled, forming an arm rope, and offering one to Valerie.

“Hell yes!” Valerie grabbed her hand and jumped off the side, “WEEEEE!” She said… up until she landed in the ‘water.’ Instantly, she felt all her energy vanish as she sunk up to her chest, and Robin tightened her grip to keep her from falling as her grip loosened. She reeled in her arms and Valerie became much livelier as she was pulled out. “It’s not fair!” She pounded her fists onto the deck once she was safely back aboard, “I wanted to swiiiim!” She whined piteously.

“Still, this is good to know.” Sanji said as he came back with the fish. “At least we don’t have to worry about one idiot. If he’s conscious when he falls in, at least.” He handed it to Luffy, “I sautéed it.”

Nami did a double take, “Damn it, we weren’t done with that yet!” She growled as she saw Luffy’s shining eyes and stomped over to take a bite before he ate the whole thing. “Wow, this is great! Come try this, girls!” Vivi ran over and Robin smiled as she snagged the fork from Nami with an arm on her shoulder.

As they enjoyed the small meal (and made mental notes to try to catch more of them for later), Chopper was using the spyglass, “…Hey guys, it’s another ship!” He squinted, “And a… perSON!” He started to yell halfway through the final word, “HE BLEW IT UP! THE ANGRY BULL IS RUNNING THIS WAY!”

“You’re not making any sense.” Zoro growled out as he, Luffy, and Sanji made their way forward.

“Wait, what’s that?” Sanji squinted. “Wait, he IS running on the clouds! Is that a human?!”

Luffy’s eyes narrowed, “No, he’s not running.” He got to the front of the ship. “What do you want?” He yelled as the man in the tribal-looking bull mask got close to the ship.

“To reject you!” He growled out, aiming the bazooka he was carrying at the ship. Luffy got in front of it before a large cannonball shot at him. Luffy casually slapped the cannonball back at the man, who inhaled sharply and dodged out of the way. He skated back on the air itself, allowing all of them to see the strange things he was wearing on his feet. He reconfigured his cannon slightly, before aiming once more.

“ENOUGH!” A new voice rang out, drawing their attention to a man in a suit of armor riding a very large bird. He jumped off the bird and used a lance to strike the Bull’s shield, sending him flying into the white waters below. The man landed clearly on the rail of the ship.

“Who the hell is this guy?” Vivi, Nami, and Tashigi asked.

He stood and turned around, revealing what would have been a very heroic sight…if it wasn’t for the fact that the man was in the twilight of his life and looked about as skinny as someone in hospice. “I am… the Knight of the Sky!” He looked at Luffy, “I thought you were Blue Sea people, but you handled yourself well against him.” He complimented the Captain.

“What do you mean, ‘Blue Sea people?’” Hina crossed her arms as she looked at him.

“Exactly what it means.” The knight said, “We live here in the clouds, so everyone from down below on the Great Blue Sea are Blue Sea People.”

“Oh.” Luffy said, “Yeah, that’s us.”

“You are, are you?” The knight raised a bushy white eyebrow, “I can’t believe that. This White Sea floats twenty-three hundred feet above the Blue Sea, and the White-White Sea is another ten thousand feet above us. Most Blue Sea dwellers can’t even breathe this high up.”

Luffy chuckled as he remembered the air balloons he was tied to in his youth, “Actually, this feels kind of nostalgic. I’m already used to it.”

“Yeah, same.” Zoro said, “Just have to take deeper breaths.”

“Speak for yourselves!” Valerie growled, and was visibly sweating.

“What?” The knight started to sweatdrop, “No, no, that’s impossible.”

“Who was that bull that attacked us?” Chopper asked.

The knight shook his head, “I’m sure you have plenty of questions, but let’s talk business first.” He sat on the rail, “I am a soldier of fortune. These seas are incredibly dangerous, and those unfamiliar with Sky Combat get targeted by the guerillas and become food for the many Sky Fish below us. I can aid you, of course. One whistle for five million Extols.”

Everyone deadpanned at him, “…What?”

The knight seemed offended, “Don’t be stingy! That’s an incredible bargain! I won’t go one Extol lower!”

Hina laughed, “I think, Mister Knight, that you might be mistaking us for regular travelers.”

Vivi giggled, “Yeah, what’s an Extol? And what do you mean about a whistle?”

The old man looked flabbergasted, “D-Do you mean to tell me you did not come here by Island Hopping over from West Peak?!”

Nami groaned, “There was another way.” She facepalmed, “Of course there was another way.”

The old man seemed to finally get it, “My word, you don’t mean to tell me you all rode that monstrous sea current!”

“Bingo! Kyahahaha!” Valerie chuckled, and just in the span of this conversation, she seemed to regain some of her color.

“I didn’t think people with this kind of courage still existed!” He exclaimed, “Did you lose anyone!”

“Nope. We’re all here.” Luffy told him.

“That sounds about right.” He chortled, “That current might be the most dangerous way to get up to the White Sea, but it is a single instance of danger. The other routes will crush you bit by bit. The death of a thousand slices. If you trust in your luck, then that current is actually the safer option. There aren’t many who still possess that kind of courage!”

Zoro chuckled, “Yeah, sounds like us.”

“Luck… Luck… Fruit.” Usopp was still laying on the deck, but he weakly raised his fist.

“Oh, is that a Devil Fruit one of you has eaten?” The old man asked curiously.

“So, you have those up here too, huh, old timer?” Tashigi asked, “And no, we haven’t. Though with our luck, I’m starting to second guess that.”

“Oh yes, we do.” The knight commented, and only a few of them caught the darkness that infused his tone. He tossed a whistle onto the deck, “Such courage deserves a reward. Blow that whistle if you are in terrible danger, and I will come down from the heavens to rescue you! By rights, you should pay me five million Extols for that, but you may have that one free of charge. You can use it to summon me at any time.”

“Wait, we don’t even know your name!” Vivi waved at him.

“It is Gan Fall!” He declared, “And I am the Knight of the Sky! This is my partner, Pierre!” They eyed the strange-colored bird as he began to transform. A cloud appeared in the perfect position to shadow them completely, bathing them in darkness. “Pierre is a bird, with the power of the Uma Uma no mi! He can transform into a winged horse!”

Vivi, Nami, Valerie, and Tashigi all squealed, “Oh, how beautiful! Just like a Pegasus!”

And then the transformation was over, and the cloud above moved on, revealing… a pink, red-polka-dotted horse with wings. “Pieee!”

The girls stared at the bird blankly as Gan Fall yelled, “Yes! A Pegasus! Good luck, brave ones!” He declared as Pierre flew away.

“…What a strange creature.” Sanji commented dryly.

The girls continued to stare, before Vivi wilted, “Well, there goes one girlhood dream.” She walked off, hanging her head. Tashigi was equally as disappointed.

Robin chuckled as she grew an arm to pat Vivi on the back, “We didn’t really learn much from him, did we?”

“No.” Hina deadpanned, “We still don’t know what an Extol is, nor what the conversion is between that and Beli.”

“Right back at square one.” Nami groaned, “How do we go higher up?”

“Let’s call the old man and ask him.” Luffy said, getting ready to blow on the whistle.

“I’ll take that.” Valerie plucked it away from his fingers, making the Captain blow into nothing. “We have a free rescue in case one of us gets in trouble. Let’s not waste it.”

Zoro raised an eyebrow, “Do you think anyone is actually going to be in any danger up here? That Bull guy wasn’t so tough.”

“Don’t be overconfident.” Hina said, “Hina has seen many promising sailors end up in the deep because of it. That knight’s strength may be on the lower end of power up here, and even if it isn’t, most of us aren’t at a hundred percent because of the thin air.”

“Suit yourselves.” Several of the stronger crew members shrugged, making Hina’s eyebrow twitch.

“Hey, what’s that?!”  Chopper called out curiously.

They walked over, “It looks like a waterfall.” Robin said curiously, “Perhaps there are different types of clouds in this strange sea?”

“Well, the Log Pose is pointing towards it.” Nami raised her arm and looked at the pose, “So I suppose we have our heading.”

They turned the ship in that direction and started to head towards it. About a quarter of an hour later, they grimaced as they saw what awaited them, “It’s a huge cloud bank. What do we do?”

Valerie giggled, “It looks almost like cotton candy.” She said airily, and laughed harder when Chopper immediately started looking excited.

“It’s certainly not a part of these sea clouds.” Hina declared, “Hina interested!”

“Well, if it’s a regular cloud, we should just be able to sail through it.” Nami said confidently.

“Robin, can you give it a whack to see?” Luffy asked the archaeologist.

“Certainly.” She smiled, “Cien Fleur!” She declared, “Ōkī Mano! Spank!” A very large arm extended from the front of the ship and spanked the cloud, making it jiggle like a jelly. She chuckled, “No, I don’t think we’re going to sail through that.”

“WHOOO!” Luffy, Vivi, Valerie, Usopp, Chopper, Tashigi, and Nami all jumped onto the cloud, which acted not unlike a trampoline. Vivi was laughing, “This is so much more fun than the Pegasus!”

“It feels so good!” Luffy was laying face-down on the cloud, “It’s so warm! I could fall asleep on this thing!”

“It’s better than a futon that’s been in the sun!” Valerie giggled as she sunbathed.

Nami grinned evilly as she pulled Vivi down next to Luffy, “I can think of a much more entertaining use for these than sleeping.” She murmured into their ears.

Vivi went red, “N-Nami!”

“Ehehehe…” Luffy turned up and wrapped the two of them in hugs, “The four of us should have some fun before we have to go back down to the Blue Sea.” He rumbled in Vivi’s ear. Down below, Robin chuckled. Hidden ears were so nice.

“Stop fooling around and see if you can find a way through!” Hina called up at them, before shaking her head, “Hina has never seen such a carefree crew.” She mumbled as she lightly scratched at her forehead.

“Sure!” Valerie, Tashigi, Chopper, and Usopp yelled back down at the ship, before jumping off.

“Oh, there’s something this way!” Tashigi yelled, “It looks like these big Pudding Clouds float on the regular ones we’re sailing on! There’s a tiny path towards the waterfall, and I see a gate at the bottom of it! We can sail right for it!” She adjusted her glasses.

It took a few minutes more (of discontent grumbling from the ones enjoying the Pudding Clouds) while Nami quickly sketched out a map, and then they were back on the ship and sailing on through. It took an hour of navigating before they made it to their destination, and all their jaws dropped.

“Heaven’s Gate?!” Several of them yelped, “And it really was a waterfall! That huge cloud is cascading down from up above!”

“Oh no!” Usopp was trembling and tearing up, “This is a terrible omen. We’re all going to die…”

Zoro chuckled, “Haven’t you considered that we’re already dead?”

“Yeah, that’s more likely.” Sanji played along, which freaked Chopper out.

“Stop scaring poor Chopper!” Tashigi growled, even as she picked the reindeer up and hugged him to her chest.

“Kyahahaha!” Valerie laughed lightly, shaking her head.

They sailed on into the gate, and someone came out. “Hey, look over there!” Vivi pointed at a set of doors.

An old woman with wings was taking pictures of them, “Are you tourists? Or have you come to make war? ” She lowered her camera, “It doesn’t really matter. If you want to go to the upper stratum, you’ll have to pay the entrance fee. One billion Extols per person. That’s the law!”

“How much is that in Beli?” Hina called out before anyone else could say anything.

“Hmm? You do not already know?” Amazon asked them, “It is ten thousand Extols to one Beli.”

“ONE-POINT-ONE MILLION BELI?!” Nami asked, looking enraged, “FOR AN ENTRANCE FEE?!”

“What’s the big deal?” Usopp asked, “We have way more than that.”

“It’s the principle of the matter!” Nami snarled, “There isn’t a single port on the planet that charges even half of that! Fuck! There’s not a single port I know of that charges a tenth of that!”

“What happens if we don’t pay?” Zoro asked the old lady.

“You may pass.” Amazon answered.

They all tilted their heads, “Are all Sky People idiots?” Usopp deadpanned. “Why the hell would anyone pay?”

Amazon chuckled, “If that is the choice you wish to make, it is entirely your own. I’m neither a gatekeeper nor a guardian. I’m merely asking if you wish to pay the entrance fee or not.”

“Of course not.” Nami crossed her arms.

“Wait, hold on now.” Hina interjected, “Hina concerned about what she is not saying.” They all looked at her, except for Tashigi.

“Hina is right.” The bespectacled swordswoman said, “If we don’t pay the fee, then we’ll likely be considered illegal entrants and treated as criminals.”

“Correct.” Amazon threw in, chuckling in amusement.

“What does that matter?” Luffy looked confused, “We’re pirates.” Tashigi and Hina twitched.

“Yeah, but we’re not criminals up here.” Vivi nudged them, “Which means if we pay, we can just relax without having to worry about any law enforcement. It would be a vacation.” Nami bit her lip, trying to prevent herself from agreeing with Vivi’s logic.

Robin chuckled, “Which leaves this as the only question.” Her smile widened slightly, “Would this of all crews be able to keep from running afoul of this or that law when we don’t even know what those laws are?”

They all stared at her, before Nami groaned and almost mechanically turned to Amazon, “I don’t suppose you have a list of laws, do you?”

“I do not.” Amazon smirked, “I suppose you will not be paying then.”

Vivi and Valerie leaned in on either side of her, “El Doradooooo~” They whisper-sing-songed in her ears.

“God fucking damn it!” Nami hissed out, before looking at Luffy, who merely shrugged and gave her the final say, “Fine.” Her voice sounded like two stones grinding together, “As long as you take Beli, that’s fine.” She then turned around and addressed the crew, “AND SO HELP ME IF YOU IDIOTS DON’T LAST AT LEAST THREE DAYS BEFORE SCREWING SOMETHING UP!”

The old bag looked surprised for a moment, before chuckling, “Very well then.” It was a matter of moments for Nami to stomp out of the ship with the bills, which Amazon accepted readily. Not a moment after Nami got back on the ship, a giant lobster rose out from beneath the ship and clamped onto it, “The famous Lobster Express of the White Sea will bring you to the White-White Sea!” The giant lobster was surprisingly speedy, moving so fast Usopp even was thrown off his feet. There was a giant ribbon of clouds spiraling upwards, which the ship rapidly began to climb. Down below, Amazon chuckled once more, “Amazon, Inspector of Heaven’s Gate reporting in.” She smirked maliciously, “This message is for the omnipotent Kami-sama and his vassals: Eleven people have entered Godland Skypiea. While they paid the fee, they made it quite clear that they’d likely be breaking laws eventually, even if unintentionally. It would not surprise me if they made for quite amusing sacrifices.”

-]|[-

Tashigi struggled to hold on to the rail from the speed. But that wasn’t really what had her attention. Rather she was a bit worried about a sound she was hearing, “Who is groaning?!” She yelled out.

“No one!” Luffy yelled back, blinking as he turned around with barely a hint of struggle. “What are you talking about?”

“Hina hears it too.” Hina said, “Everyone be quiet for a moment!” They all shut up, and then they heard it. It was really dull, but now that they were actually trying to listen for it, it did sound pretty bad.

It was rhythmic too, and Chopper gasped, “Wait!” He turned into Heavy Point and looked behind the ship, before running back, “I think it’s the lobster, guys! That sound is happening on every downstroke of its tail!”

“Huh, I didn’t know lobsters could sound like that.” Usopp said, “Bit of a relief though! I was worried about the repairs!”

Hina stiffened, bit her lip as she looked down at the ship, but said nothing. ‘…Please don’t be what I think it is.’ She had a feeling this crew would not like it if it was.

They would have time for that later though. They all looked up at the hole they were rapidly approaching, and then Merry breached it like a whale. “Woah!” They all gasped as Merry floated in the air for a moment, allowing them to take the sights in.

“Are those beanstalks!?” Valerie asked incredulously, “I know we’re in the sky and all, but I didn’t know it was a fairytale too!”

“Fascinating.” Robin smiled at the sights, “It appears that they’re even carrying the clouds.”

And then Merry reached her apex, and started to fall. “Shiiiiit!” Several of them screamed as they braced, before Merry let off a mighty splash of white clouds.

Yes, that was still breaking their brains slightly. “Ugh, that stupid crab.” Valerie shook her head once the ship settled, “It couldn’t have let us go gently?”

“It was a lobster, Valerie-chwan.” Sanji pirouetted to her and handed her one of his famous drinks.

“Same diff. Kyahahaha!” Valerie laughed.

Chopper’s nose twitched, “Well, I suppose that is the apex marine form with how many species ended up in the same place via convergent evolution.” He mumbled, which got some snickers from Tashigi, who was close enough to overhear him.

“A beach!” Luffy and Usopp cheered once they got a bit closer. The two popped off their shoes and rocketed onto the beach. “Oooh, it feels fluffy!” Luffy cried out as he bounced around.

Tashigi giggled again, “Like a little kid. This is the big bad pirate worth two-hundred-fifty million?” She asked rhetorically as Zoro started worrying about the anchor.

“Funny how he can be the same guy who nearly evaporated the ship trying to kill that Blackbeard guy.” Robin smiled, even as several of her crewmates shivered. Surprisingly, Sanji was the next one off.

Sanji chuckled, “Look at those two. They’re hopeless.” He said, trying to sound cool…while rolling up his pant legs. “YIPPEE!” He jumped overboard.

“Is the Log Pose pointing there, Nami?” Vivi nudged her girlfriend with a smile.

“Oh, right!” Nami said, “And I swear, if this is still pointing up…” She trailed off with some minor irritation as she raised her arm. She blinked, “Uhh… no, it isn’t.” She turned around, “It’s pointing off that way.” Her finger directed them to look into the distance, where they saw nothing. At least it was level now.

“Shoot.” Vivi frowned, “Should we call the boys back? It would be a disaster if we came all this way only for the Log Pose to reset away from our destination.”

“I doubt it will.” Robin said with complete surety, “Look at these land masses. They’re all clouds. I doubt they have their own magnetic fields. And even if they do, our Log Pose is still pointing the other way, despite how close we are to this land.”

“Hina agrees. I don’t think there’s any chance of the Log Pose resetting. Hina sure.” Hina nodded resolutely.

“Awesome!” Nami said happily… a second before she went overboard with a gleeful scream. Vivi was only half a second behind her.

The rest of the crew quickly joined them on the beach after getting Merry settled, and took in the sights. “WHOOOOOO! THIS PLACE IS AWESOME!” Luffy swung the first two of his ladies that he could reach, which happened to be a surprised-but-happy Robin, and Vivi around.

“It’s great! And we’re so high up but it’s really warm!” Nami exclaimed, “I expected it to be freezing like the Drum Rockies! Those weren’t even a third of the height!”

“Perhaps it’s because we’re so close to the sun on solid clouds?” Tashigi mused, tapping her chin. She smiled as she spread her arms and bounced on the clouds, “Oooh, this is the life!”

Valerie beamed, “We could work on our tans!” She then paused, “Hey, wait a minute, you lived in the desert, Vivi! Why are you so pale?”

Vivi laughed, “I got it from mom! Thankfully I didn’t get her sunburning genes too!” They all laughed.

Sanji turned around from examining some flowers and made the love sound, “!” Hearts popped out of his eyes, “Oooooh! The ladies look wonderful!”

The girls had indeed either just taken some clothes off or actually switched into beachwear while he hadn’t been looking. Nami was just in her bikini top and enjoying the breeze. Vivi was in a pretty modest bikini that matched her hair, having left her clothes strewn across the deck. Tashigi was in a one-piece bathing suit. Valerie was as well…with a whole lot of material replaced with some see-through material. Robin had found the time to don an entirely new outfit consisting of a light pink bikini top with some frilly material hanging off the bottom. The two straps on the tops of the cups joined at her neck, and then looped around it. Her bottom was being hidden by a yellow sarong. And then the one that nearly had him on the floor ended up being Hina, who was apparently a fan of really letting down her hair when she let down her hair. Her bikini bottom was the tiniest of all the ladies, and the top was strapless.

“Hina-chwaaaaan~” The love cook dove for her, and she quickly had him in irons and wiggling on the beach.

“Down boy.” She deadpanned, stomping on him lightly, before walking over to the rest of them.

“Kyahahaha! That’s more daring than I expected of you, Hina!” Valerie cackled, earning her a small smirk.

“H-Hina-senpai…” Tashigi blushed at the sight of it.

Luffy had spent a moment ogling Nami, Vivi, and Robin, before going back to exploring. “Hey, what’s this?” He called out, having climbed one of the leaning palm trees. “I think I found a nut!” He yelled, before grabbing it. It was as big as his torso and completely green. He grinned, “Itadakimasu~” He called out cheerfully, and chomped down on the skin. “YEOW!” He snarled as he pulled away, a small tear leaking from his left eye, “What the heck is this thing?!” He knocked on it, and was surprised to hear it sounding like metal. With the pain already gone, he grinned, “Hey Usopp! Check out this nut!” He chucked it, and his Sniper only had a moment to look up before being beaned in the head with it.

It soared into Robin’s arms as Vivi shook her head at the antics, even as Usopp surged back to his feet and started yelling at Luffy.

Nami, meanwhile, had joined Chopper in the little shaded construction and was trying out the chairs, which seemed to be made out of yet another different type of cloud that made it more solid than the others. And then there was a fox. “Suu! Suu!” The pure white little critter looked adorable. Like one poofy ball of fluff.

And then they realized they were hearing music from some sort of string instrument. “Look! A person!” Sanji, having escaped from his bonds, pointed out.

“Is it that bull again?!”

“Dumbass.” Zoro rolled his eyes, “You think that guy would play a harp?”

“It’s an ANGEL!” Sanji almost squealed, going into full love mode… up until Hina smashed him in the head and put him in bonds again.

“This is going to get tiresome.” She growled, “Hina irritated.”

They watched as the young woman, and apparently Sanji was right about her race, seeing as she had wings and everything, approached. “Heso!” She was blonde, had her hair styled into some strange balls.

“HUH?!” Luffy, Vivi, and Tashigi balked.

She got closer, “My, are you all from the Blue Sea?”

“That’s right!” Valerie grinned at her fellow blonde, “I’m Valerie.”

“Nice to meet you.” She replied politely, “I am Conis, and I welcome you to Angel Beach.” She then paused, and looked over at Sanji, “Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine. He’s just diseased.” Nami said carelessly.

Conis gasped and backed up a step, “Is it contagious?” She asked fearfully.

“Only if you’re a pervert.” Tashigi deadpanned, while some of the others snickered.

“Ah.” Conis let out a little laugh as she relaxed, “You’re quite funny, Blue Sea Dwellers.” She looked over at Luffy, “Oh, do you like Conash?”

“Huh?” Luffy asked, “You mean these?” He held up one of the fruits, “I can’t figure out how to get it open. I almost broke a tooth trying to bite it!”

“Not surprising.” Conis replied, “The shells are as hard as rocks, save for a single point up at the top.” She reached into her pouch to grab her knife, “If I ma-” She stopped wide-eyed, as Luffy let out a little exclamation of surprise, handed one of the fruits to Nami, and then stabbed his finger through the top, “My word! How did you do that?!” She gasped.

“Hehehehe.” Luffy snickered, “Just a little trick my grandpa taught me.”

“Here.” Conis quickly let go of her surprise and handed him a straw, “Much easier to drink with one of these.”

Luffy put the straw into the fruit and took a sip…which drained half of the damn Conash in one go, “WOAH! THIS IS FANTASTIC!”

Conis smiled happily as he passed the fruit to Nami, who was equally wowed, and then Vivi, who liked it so much she discovered she could also go into love mode like Sanji. It was just such a unique taste! “I am glad you enjoyed it!” She smiled brilliantly at them as she scooped up the fox, which was apparently her pet.

Sanji was again free of his bonds, “You could melt a man’s heart with that look.” He complimented the young angel, only for Vivi to yank on his ear.

“You interrupted me, Sanji.” She pulled him out of the way, “I had just been about to ask her if we would be able to get seeds for these.”

“Oh yes, they are abundant here in Skypiea.” Conis replied, “And they’re hardy little plants that need very little to grow.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but we have incoming.” Zoro deadpanned as he stared out into the clouds.

“Oh, it’s my father!” Conis replied as she caught sight of the man in the distance.

“Conis, heso!” The man called out to her.

“Heso, father!” She waved back.

“What the heck does ‘heso’ mean here?” Luffy asked, still weirded out.

“Oh, it is how we greet others here in the sky.” Conis smiled at him.

“Hina amused.” Hina had apparently found some dry cigarettes and was looking like she was in rapture as she lit one up, “It means ‘bellybutton’ down below.” She pointed at hers for Conis’s benefit.

Conis sputtered, but before she could respond, Usopp asked what most of them were thinking, “Hey, what’s that thing he’s riding? It’s pretty cool!”

“It’s a Waver.” The blonde replied.

“Pardon me. I’m coming ashore.” The man yelled out at them…and they blew right past them without slowing down and smashed into a tree. There was dead silence for a few moments as they all stared at the fallen man, before he rose shakily, “Is anyone hurt?”

“YOU’RE THE ONE THAT CRASHED!” Zoro, Tashigi, Vivi, and Usopp all yelled at him.

“Ugh, hold still. I’ll bandage this up.” Chopper said as he plodded over and helped stop the bleeding.

“Oh, thank you! What a kind tanuki!” Conis’s father smiled at Chopper.

“WHAT ARE YOU, BLIND?! I’M A REINDEER!” Chopper yelled at him.

“They probably don’t have those up here, Tony-kun!” Tashigi apparently liked Vivi’s nickname for him.

“Hey Luffy, didn’t we salvage a Waver before coming up here? It looks pretty similar, doesn’t it?” Vivi yanked on his sleeve as she pointed at the machine.

“Indeed. I believe Noland mentioned them in his log book.” Robin smiled, “How fascinating. Boats that function without sails.”

Conis’s father got to his feet once Chopper was done, “Are these friends of yours, Conis?”

“Yes, father.” Conis beamed, “They appear to be quite kind. They just came up from the Blue Sea.”

“I see.” He smiled, “Well, let me be the second to welcome you here to the White-White Sea. Pardon me, I should have introduced myself. I am Pagaya.” The crew spent a minute or two introducing themselves as well, and Pagaya smiled, though with how bushy his brown beard was, you could only tell because of his eyes, “This is perfect, actually. I was just out fishing for the finest catch in the White-White Sea. A sky lobster! Won’t you come to our home and enjoy the bounty of the sky with us?”

They all beamed, “Would we?!” They cheered, “Of course!”

Sanji gave Pagaya a thumb’s up, “I’m our ship’s Sous Chef. I’d be happy to learn about your cuisine if you’ll have me in the kitchen.”

“Certainly!” Pagaya looked surprised, “I’m certain I could learn from you as well, my good man.”

“Before that,” Nami said, “How does this operate? We saw something similar down in Alabasta, but it was powered by the rider’s Devil Fruit.”

“Interesting.” Pagaya said… though they caught how both him and Conis seemed to shiver at the final two words, “You must not know about Dials.”

“Dials?” They tilted their heads at the familiar but unfamiliar word.

“Indeed.” Conis smiled as she pulled something from her pack, “I suppose they only grow here in the sky, so it isn’t surprising that you haven’t heard of them.” She held up what appeared to be a shell, “This is a Breath Dial.” She introduced it to them.

“They look just like regular shells.” Usopp frowned, “What do they do?”

“This.” She held it out towards him and pressed the button gently. Immediately, a small breeze started to hit the group, earning her some gasps.

“You’re making wind?!” Nami had a gleam in her eyes.

“Not quite.” Conis giggled, “Dials do not make things. They store them.” She told them, “You capture thirty minutes of wind, and then are able to release that wind for thirty minutes. Their capacity is determined by their size.”

“Wow!” Nami looked over at the Waver, “So there must be a decently sized Breath Dial inside the Waver.”

“Exactly.” Pagaya said, before asking, “Would anyone like to try it?” He pointed at his Waver.

“BOY WOULD I?!” Luffy cut to the front of the line, making Nami puff out her cheeks. Pagaya spent the next few seconds showing Luffy how to accelerate and brake, and Luffy immediately took off at max speed, making Pagaya gasp in horror. “Whwhwhwhwh!” Luffy’s cheeks were flapping in the wind as he struggled to control the craft. “Why is it sh-sh-shaking so much!?” The slightest bump from the waves had him flying off of it.

“Oh no!” Conis clapped her hands to her face.

“I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have let him ride it alone.” Pagaya was sweating heavily.

“Don’t worry about it.” Came ten deadpan and unworried tones.

“But-!” Pagaya and Conis stopped talking as Luffy began to hop on the air. Their jaws dropped as he hopped over to the Waver, grabbed it, put it over his shoulder, and then hopped back over to the shore.

“This thing is insane!” He yelled gleefully, grinning madly as he put the Waver down.

“M-My word, how are you doing that?!” Pagaya yelped when he landed.

“I saw no Waver Skates!” Conis looked at his feet, “Where are you hiding them?” She pouted cutely at him.

Luffy laughed, “Nah, that’s another thing my grandpa taught me. Still though, how the heck do you control those things?!”

Pagaya was sweating, “They’re built extremely light for the sake of speed, so even a small wave can send them out of control. The operator must have good control over their own bodies and a high understanding of the sea to anticipate the waves.”

Chopper pouted, “That sounds so difficult! I wanted to try it too!”

Conis let out a nervous chuckle and put her hand on her chest, “I’ve been practicing since I was a child, and only recently learned how to properly pilot one.”

Pagaya nodded, “If you practice hard, you can be ready in about ten years.” He told them.

Usopp was about to freak out, but Robin interrupted with a chuckle, “Ufufufu, more like ten seconds.” She pointed at the sea.

They all turned their heads, and Pagaya and Conis’s jaws dropped again. “WEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!” Nami and Vivi yelled gleefully from atop the Waver, flying across the waves with even more skill than Pagaya. Nami was obviously driving, and Vivi was holding onto her waist. “This is great!” They shouted, waving cheekily over at the shore.

“H-How is this possible?!” Pagaya gaped, “I can’t believe my eyes!”

Hina chuckled, “Hina jealous. That looks fun.”

“Tashigi/Valerie jealous too.” The two decided to tease Hina again, getting a glower from the pink-haired beauty.

Even Conis got into it by raising her hand sheepishly, “Conis also jealous.” They all burst into laughter at Hina’s outrageous pout, “I can barely handle a Waver myself.” She chuckled nervously, “They can propel all sorts of things too. Skates, boards, you name it.”

Luffy laughed, “That’s Nami for you. If it has to do with the waves or the weather, there’s no one better.” He pouted, “I wanted to ride it too though. We even have one, but it’s old and beat up.”

“Yeah, after two hundred years, I doubt it would run.” Usopp agreed.

“Not true.” Pagaya surprised them, “A Dial is merely the shell of a dead shellfish. As long as it remains intact, it should function. I can examine it if you like. I am a Dial Engineer after all. As long as the Dial itself is intact, I will be able to repair it.”

“AWESOME!” Luffy beamed, “Should I go get it?!”

“Not yet.” Conis giggled at his enthusiasm, “I believe we’re all hungry, so we should go prepare the food first.”

“Right, food!” Luffy’s priorities immediately flipped, just like Nami and Vivi did as the mikan lover tried her first trick on the Waver, much to Vivi’s joyful squeals, “Nami, Vivi! We’re going up to Pagaya’s house for food!”

“Pagaya-san, can we stay out here while you guys go on?” Vivi called out, “This is too much fun!”

“Of course, but please be careful! And keep in mind the time limit! It only has two more hours of charge!” Pagaya called out, before quickly yelling directions to his home over to them. Nami gave him a thumbs-up, before the two took off with even more speed as Nami began to put it through its paces.

The rest of them started to follow Pagaya and Conis up the huge stairs, taking in the sights while Pagaya and Conis took turns explaining about the different types of clouds that could be found in the sky. They took in the Cloud Quarry and got an explanation on how the clouds formed at all via Kairōseki. Finally, they reached the top of the stairs, and gasped at how big and awesome Pagaya’s home was. It was so high up that it had one of the best views any of them had ever seen. Several of them would happily live in a home like this.

And Conis set about showing them other kinds of dials, “Here, try this one.” She said, “All you have to do is say something to it.”

Luffy grinned, “Usopp, you idiot!”

“Huh, what did I do?!” Usopp protested as Tashigi, Valerie, and Chopper giggled.

“Hee hee, now press the apex of the shell.” Conis instructed them.

Luffy did so, and the shell belted out, “Usopp, you idiot! Huh, what did I do?! Hee hee, now press…” It trailed off as the recording stopped.

“Wow, it recorded the sound!” Zoro didn’t really look as impressed as the others despite his words.

‘Heh… Uta would have loved one of these.’ Luffy had a moment of nostalgia hit him as he remembered his first friend ever. He wondered where she was now.

“What other kinds of dials are there?” Robin asked curiously. These Dials could be quite the potential boons for their little crew. “I imagine this is one.” She pointed at their lamp.

“Indeed, that’s a Lamp Dial.” Conis told them, before clicking it on, illuminating the room. Though it was bright daylight outside, and therefore quite unneeded. “We also have Heat and Flame Dials, which we use mainly for cooking. Cold dials to preserve food. Vision dials for pictures, and many others.” She explained, “The civilization of Skypiea owes much to Dial power. We wouldn’t be able to live up here in the sky without them.”

They then had a laugh over Sanji freaking out because Pagaya hadn’t thrown out a bottle of sauce that had spoiled months ago, so much so that it had turned blue. Sanji hadn’t known, and his tongue had gone numb when he had tasted it. But soon enough, dinner was served, and it looked incredible.

Conis was outright drooling over the dishes, something she hadn’t ever done just by looking at food, ‘Oh my, this Sanji is quite the chef.’ She thought to herself. “We should call Nami and Vivi back. Surely they won’t want to miss this meal!”

“Sure thing.” Zoro walked over to the window, before frowning, “…Huh, I don’t see them.”

“Yeah, they went out farther.” Luffy said, “They’ll be fine. They’re strong.”

“I hope she’s alright.” Conis began to fret despite his words… or perhaps in spite of them.

“Yes, I have a bad feeling about this, Conis…”

“Huh?” Luffy blinked, looking over at them.

“What’s wrong?” Robin asked, becoming more serious.

Conis swallowed, “In Skypiea, there is one place you must never step foot on, no matter what. The Sacred Land of Upper Yard. The domain of God.” She swallowed again, not noticing Luffy immediately perk up, “And it borders our land, so it’s easy to reach on a Waver.” She finished, looking altogether terrified at the thought.

…

“These trees are enormous!” Vivi exclaimed as they slowly sailed the Waver next to the island.

“Mhm…” Nami hummed as she held her arm out, “This is definitely it.” The Log Pose was pointing unerringly to the island.

“The other half of Jaya.” Vivi sounded awed as she looked at it.

Nami grinned, “Think we could find the other half of old man Cricket’s house?”

Vivi’s cheeks puffed up, “Pffft!” She sputtered and started to laugh, “Wouldn’t that be a th-AH!” She clapped a hand to her head as her Kenbunshoku practically screamed.

“What is it?” Nami asked Vivi.

“DODGE!” Vivi managed to get out.

Nami immediately slammed on the throttle and threw the Waver into a corkscrew through the air, dodging a cannonball. As they landed, Nami growled, “YOU AGAIN!” She glared at the man in the bull mask.

“Wasn’t….wasn’t aiming for us.” Vivi managed to say, “Whoever is on that island is strong.” She panted as the smoke cleared and a bleeding man slumped over the edge of the island.

Nami and Vivi both looked as he screamed, “HEY, HELP ME! GET ME OUT OF HERE! I MISSED THE SHIP! PLEASE, I’LL PAY YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT!”

“Sorry bub, but we’re full right now!” Nami yelled back at the same time that Vivi screamed, “GET US OUT OF HERE, NAMI!”

Nami had never heard Vivi sound so panicked, and the reason why became apparent as she smelled ozone and felt her hair stand on end, ‘Lightning?!’ She gasped as she looked up. And then the lightning struck, like no lightning she had ever seen. The massive blast was tens of meters in diameter, and disintegrated the land before them. The entire White-White sea roiled, and the light was utterly blinding. It was as if she was looking at one of Luffy’s attacks!

“No, it’s Enel!” She heard the bull-masked man yell, “HOW DARE HE DO THAT TO THE VEARTH?!” As he ran away.

Nami and Vivi made tracks as well, racing away at the Waver’s top speed.

…

“A place no one is allowed to go, huh?” Luffy was grinning widely.

“That’s right!” Conis said, sweating as she saw his smile, “This is Godland, the realm of the omnipotent Enel.”

Usopp immediately panicked, “Stop smiling, Luffy! You heard her! It’s forbidden! F O R B I D D E N!”

Robin shook her head slightly, ‘How long have you been on this crew again, Usopp? You should know that now there’s nothing that will stop Luffy from going.’ She smiled behind her glass of wine, ‘And knowing our luck, that’s absolutely El Dorado.’ Out loud she asked, “Why is it considered sacred, Conis-san?”

“Ah, well.” Conis shook her head, “It’s because of the Vearth.” She said softly, getting all of them to tilt their heads at the unfamiliar words. Seeing the reactions, she let out a little giggle, “Here in the sky, it is very difficult to grow food. Clouds are capable of growing them, but germinating is a different matter. It doesn’t matter how good our seeds are, if you stick them in clouds they won’t do anything. So, we require the Vearth to get the plants started.” She explained, “That’s why Vearth is the most precious substance we have in all of Skypiea, and it is difficult to come by.” She bowed her head, “Or at least, that was the case until four hundred years ago.”

“Hina understands.” Hina said, frowning lightly, “Down below, we discovered that the Knock-Up Stream cut an island called Jaya in half.” Conis and Pagaya weren’t really surprised to hear this, knowing their own history. They were surprised to hear outsiders realize that was the case, however. “That must be this Upper Yard.”

“So, if it’s so important to you, why is it forbidden?” Tashigi asked curiously.

“It wasn’t always…” Conis trailed off, “As I said, the omnipotent Kami Enel resides over Upper Yard. He has declared that no one may step foot on it unless directly summoned. You mustn’t incur Kami Enel’s wrath.”

“I see.” Sanji lit up a cigarette with Pagaya’s permission, “Don’t worry about it, Conis. That wasn’t what we were here for.” He said, and Conis and her father sagged in relief.

They totally missed Robin growing a hand on the other couch to cover Luffy’s mouth. “Good to hear, and hopefully Nami and Vivi haven’t done so by mistake.” Conis smiled brightly.

In a good mood, Pagaya asked, “Would you like me to take a look at that old Waver you mentioned earlier?”

“Sure!” Luffy managed to escape Robin’s hand. “Lunch was great, by the way!” He grinned at them, before taking the last piece of the lobster for himself.

As they made their way down to the ship, Luffy and Robin hung back, “Why’d you cover my mouth?”

“They don’t need to know our plans. It would likely get them into trouble if discovered.” Robin murmured back.

Luffy pouted, “I’m not that dumb.”

Robin giggled, “No, of course not.” She grabbed his hand, “But you are rather excitable and can sometimes let your mouth run before your brain does.”

Luffy shrugged with a grin. She wasn’t wrong. They quickly made their way down the shores of Angel Beach once more, and Luffy was quick to get the old Waver off the ship. “Here you go, old man!”

“Hmm, this does seem to be quite beat up.” Pagaya said, “Let’s see if the Dial is any good.”

“GUYS!” Nami and Vivi yelled, making them turn. Nami landed the Waver on the beach and the two hopped off.

“Hey, you’re ba-” Luffy stopped when he saw how pale they were, “What happened?”

“Oh no.” Conis said, “Please tell me you didn’t step foot on Upper Yard!”

Nami looked at her, “That the big island northwest of here?” She asked, still pale and clammy.

“Yes!” Conis took a step back, dreading her answer.

“Step foot on it, no.” Vivi said, hoping that whatever had Conis in a panic would be assuaged by the response. “We got pretty close, but we didn’t get off the Waver.” She said, and with the way Conis sagged in relief, it made her glad she kept her mouth shut.

“Oh, thank goodness.” Conis said, before she spent some time explaining the same things she had explained to the rest.

“Phew.” Nami wiped off her forehead, “Well, that’s good news then. No one went onto the island, so we didn’t break the law.” She just knew her crewmates were smirking inwardly at the idea that she had almost been the one to get them in trouble.

“It’s a relief.” Pagaya said, “Now, this old design isn’t one I’m very familiar with. It’s going to take me some time to disassemble it and figure out if it’s salvageable.” He smiled at them, “Conis, why don’t you take them to Angel Street?”

“Oh, good idea! I’m sure they’ll be interested in purchasing some Dials of their own.”

“Oh, you bet.” Usopp, for once, was the one grinning ominously. And once Nami heard about all the different things that Dials could do?

She had her own stereotypical villain laugh. As Conis led them to Angel Street, Nami and Vivi hung back, “Luffy.” She murmured quietly, getting his attention. “We’ve got a big problem.”

“The other half of Jaya is this Upper Yard, isn’t it?” Luffy smirked, causing Robin, who was also hanging back, to chuckle.

Hina smirked, “So much for not breaking laws. We can’t find El Dorado without going there.”

“That’s not what she’s talking about!” Vivi hissed, looking frazzled, and they all focused up at her tone.

“A man called out to us for rescue.” Nami said softly, “He was desperate to escape that island. He didn’t get the chance.”

Vivi bit her lip, “The sky above him lit up and our hair started to stand on end.”

Nami turned to Luffy, and she looked so frightened that he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “And then a bolt of lightning the width of five Merries completely annihilated him and the ground he was standing on.”

“!” Robin and Hina gasped, with Hina very narrowly avoiding inhaling her cigarette, “It can’t be…” Robin whispered.

“The Goro Goro no Mi…” Hina said reverently, and with complete terror.

“What’s that?” Luffy had question marks surrounding his head.

“A Devil Fruit.” Robin replied, “A Logia. One capable of turning you into lightning and allowing you to generate endless amounts of it.”

“It was last seen over six hundred years ago.” Hina said, “It was in the hands of a Marine Admiral. The stories say he brought peace to over seventy of the current one-hundred-and-seventy nations that make up the World Government.” She stopped, opened her mouth, and then frowned, “Though with the way things are now, I suppose it’s more likely he just conquered them.” She growled, glaring at her feet. “In any case, he went missing in the Grand Line, and the fruit hasn’t been seen since.”

“And it is one of the only fruits in the known world that has the reputation of being unbeatable.” Robin finished, before they all glanced at Luffy.

He had a megawatt smile and was practically vibrating in place. Nami and Vivi took one look at him and collectively said, “Fuck.”

-]|[-

“I don’t get it.” Satori groaned as they entered God’s Temple. “Why does Kami-sama bother sending us out if he’s just going to fry whoever he wants?” He looked like a walking, talking cream puff. He was also practically dancing around, and didn’t look like he actually weighed all that much.

“Mhmhmmmm, mhmhmmm” Gedatsu replied, except he was biting his bottom lip the entire time. He was a large man who was taller than all the others, with hair styled in dreadlocks that pointed upwards.

“Gedatsu.” Ohm, a bald man with huge, pointed eyebrows and a tattooed right arm sighed, “You realize that we can’t understand a word you say when you bite your lip like that, right?” Gedatsu gasped, as if realizing something important.

“He’s saying that almighty Enel summoned us because you let Wyper get away. AGAIN.” The final member of the four priests glared at the leader. He had an aviator hat on his head and a thin, pointed mustache. “You all dragged me down. I couldn’t release my full power because you were there.” He glared at the door to God’s Temple as it slammed open, “Enel-sama should just let me patrol alone. I’d do a much better job.”

“You talk big, Shura, but I’d be happy to show you how useless your powers are against mine.” Ohm smirked at him, before a fifth voice thundered.

“SILENCE, ALL OF YOU!” An… incredibly rotund man yelled. “You are in the presence of the almighty Kami, Enel!” Unlike Satori, he wasn’t just round. No, he was huge. He was twelve feet tall and looked like he weighed about a thousand kilograms.

“And where is Mr. High-and-Mighty?” Shura drawled, “His throne is empty.”

“You need to watch your Mantra more closely.” A sixth voice declared, making them all flinch, before all four of them were electrocuted. “Yahahaha!” The man laughed before somersaulting and landing on his throne as all the others fell down. He was just under nine feet tall, and had short, platinum-blonde hair. He had orange pants that kind of looked like some Dials, as well as golden bangles, anklets, and earrings. He even had rings on his toes! His earlobes were stretched down to his navel by their own heavy jewelry, and he wore a bandana. Finally, unlike all the other people of the sky, he had no wings. No, he had long-since rid himself of them, and had them replaced with a ring of four shime-daiko drums painted with mitsudomoe painted on them. “Did someone say Kami? I’m right here.” He had a look of supreme laziness and arrogance about him, “You four are pathetic. You need some serious training.”

“Ugh, did you call us here just to tell us that?” Shura complained.

Enel laughed, “Yahahahaha! Nah, I was just bored!” He took an apple, “I just had you come to notify you of some fun coming our way.” He bit down on the juicy fruit and let out a smile, “Seems those Blue Sea dwellers will be heading to Upper Yard sooner or later. They’re after the gold.”

“WHAT?!” Three of them yelled in shock. “How did they find out about the gold?!”

“It’s not that surprising. This island is from down below, after all.” Enel said, before tossing his half-eaten apple over his shoulder without a care, “Grapes.” He said lazily, and the beautiful slave hurried to follow his orders.

“Are we to hunt them down then?” Shura smirked, fingering his lance.

“Or perhaps order the White Berets to find a reason to begin God’s Judgement?” Satori grinned, feeling like dancing a little.

“Yahahaha! You four are certainly eager.” Enel smirked, “The Maxim is almost complete.” He declared, and the four Priests gasped, “And I’ve been quite bored with the mediocre sacrifices of late. I think I’d like to play a little game. Banana.” The slave again hurried to get him his new fruit. He spent a few moments chewing, before swallowing, “I’d like to invite both them and the Shandians over to the island for a little survival game beginning in two days’ time. Perhaps some of them would be worth bringing with us to Fairy Vearth. The women, especially.” His smirk took on a dark, hungry, malicious mien. “And that means I’d prefer them to be split up for the challenge.”

“The White Berets it is.” Ohm grinned as he rose to his feet, “And our territories?”

“Once they have accepted one of your trials, all bets are off. You can have whatever fun you’d like.” Enel declared, “And tell the White Berets not to bother until tomorrow unless they notice the crew of Blue Sea dwellers moving earlier than that. I’d like the ending of our little survival game to coincide with the Maxim’s reveal, and she won’t be ready until the day after.”

“Yes, Enel-sama!” They all followed Ohm in standing before bowing, and turning to leave.

“Oh…” Enel called out, and they all stiffened and turned, “And do try your best once the festivities begin. I’d be oh so sad to leave any of you behind.” His mocking grin told them everything the insincerity of his tone only implied.

-]|[-