Beist Sky Island
—Inside the Sky Pirate Alliance's grand stronghold.
A tall, muscular Skypiean stood in an elevated chamber, his sharp gaze fixed coldly upon the chaos unfolding below.
Beist Sky Island was a normal settlement-type sky island. Even a god could not control the thoughts of every Skypiean. So, traitors were inevitable.
They always fancied themselves noble, pure, and righteous — and thus helped several captured Weather Scholars escape. They completely ignored the welfare of Beist Sky Island as a whole.
But that didn't matter. The god had foreseen it all. In fact, this was exactly what he wanted to see.
Some time later, a knock echoed at the door. A priest entered respectfully and bowed to the burly man. "My Lord, they've successfully escaped."
"How many?"
"Three in total — one the first time, two this time."
"And the traitors who aided them?"
"One was executed in front of the Weather Scholars. Another detonated himself along with the divine soldiers to ensure their escape."
"How foolish."
The God of Beist's face remained expressionless. "They claim to act for everyone's future, yet they betray the collective for the sake of hollow morality. Even relying on the Weather Scholars' technology, it would take countless years with uncertain results. If the Sky Islands dissolve, all of us would fall and become Drifters of the Clouds."
The priest bowed his head, not daring to mention that those very Weather Scholars once aided them.Instead, he nodded and said, "Those traitors will die never knowing — our true purpose is to let those scholars return to Weatheria. Then, by using the Blue Sea dwellers' secret art, we'll locate that island."
"Forget that sentence once you leave this room."
The God of Beist glanced at the embarrassed, silent priest — then his body suddenly swelled. Feathers burst from beneath his skin as muscles and bones twisted. In the blink of an eye, he became a six-meter-tall raptor.
With a single flap, he smashed through the wall and took flight, roaring as if in divine fury. Only his cold voice lingered in the wind.
"I'll finish the act and deliver the goods. Keep the sky pirates ready to move."
"Yes, my Lord!"
The priest watched the god soar into the clouds — his reverence soon replaced by envy. The God of Beist was worshipped precisely because his power demanded it. He could transform into a mighty avian beast and crush resistance with ease.
Even the sky pirates feared him, which was why they agreed to cooperate.
However…Among Blue Sea dwellers, this form had a far less dignified name —some "something-something Fruit, Vulture Model." The god himself insisted it was "Mountain Eagle."
Best not to think about it, the priest told himself, suppressing the stray thought as he left to mobilize the sky pirates. Though they weren't the same faction, they still served the same camp. Under the name of the God of Beist, the disorganized pirates reluctantly ceded command.
Soon, they gathered at one edge of Beist Island, preparing their Wavers and weapons for battle.
But then —the sky changed.
From the blue horizon appeared a black speck, spreading rapidly within seconds. Like ink spilling through water, it darkened the heavens.
"What's going on?"
"Is it changing weather?"
"Looks like that 'rain' the Blue Sea people talk about… but this is the Sky Islands!"
The pirates looked up, uneasy. Their instincts were sharper than surface dwellers' — for they lived among the clouds.
"Could it be… because we—"
A divine soldier whispered half a thought before his comrade glared sharply.
"Don't question the god! Those Weather Scholars may have helped us before, but Beist's survival matters more! Or do you no longer wish to serve our Lord!?"
The soldier shook his head violently — but before he could reply, thunder cracked overhead.
Bolts of silver lightning snaked through the black sky. Violent winds tore through the cloud sea, churning waves that swallowed half of Beist Island in mist.
The suffocating pressure felt like invisible hands gripping everyone's throats — as if the sky itself weighed upon their shoulders.
What's happening? The god left only moments ago…
The lead priest swallowed hard, gripping the shell-based weapon wrapped in white cloth for comfort.
"Look— the sky! There's light!"
A pirate shouted, pointing upward — where twelve beams of golden light pierced through the clouds.
"What are those? Sky beasts?"
Before confusion could fade, one of the lights flared blindingly bright —and from afar, it streaked down like a golden sword, piercing the cloud sea.
BOOM—!
A blazing explosion tore the air apart. A golden shockwave engulfed hundreds of meters in seconds. The pirates didn't even scream before the inferno turned them to charcoal. Wavers shattered to splinters in the blast.
When the fire faded, a gaping fifty-meter crater punched straight through the island cloud itself.
Above the clouds,the fading starlight revealed a figure — Angel of Glory 001, wings of gilded armor spread wide. Her feminine visor faced the battlefield below. Cold, metallic silver armor shimmered with faint violet hues. Lightning from the storm curved toward her — only to have their power drained mid-strike by her Thunder-Draw system, gathering within her long spear-like weapon.
Sparks danced as her emotionless command echoed through the telepathic link:
"Target point one neutralized. Seventy to eighty-three hostile units eliminated. War armament charged. Units 002 to 012, commence combat."
Short, precise, merciless. Responses overlapped instantly in the mental network:
"Charge!"
"I'll use their skulls for bowls!"
"For our Lord!"
"Let the unworthy burn!"
Twelve golden lights streaked across the stormy sky.
"Enemy attack!"
"Sky pirates!"
"Kill them!"
The pirates rallied quickly. The squad leaders aimed their Divine Punishment Type-1 cannons and opened fire.
White beams rained like divine lances. Clouds glowed like daylight as the beams slammed down.
At last, they saw their enemy clearly —winged angels in shining armor, wielding massive chainsaw greatswords and tower shields, shouting disordered battle cries as they dived.
"Madwomen!"
The surviving priest crawled out of the ruins, scorched and furious. Though shaken, he smirked grimly — no one could survive a Divine Punishment volley. The white fire pillars covered hundreds of meters — surely nothing remained alive.
But just as he thought it over —eleven streaks of flame burst from the clouds like meteors, arcing toward them.
"What— they survived!?"
Panic rippled through the ranks.
"Fire again!"
The priest's roar restored some order — but it was already too late.
"The unworthy shall perish in flame."
Angel 001 pulled the trigger again. Her weapon howled — a golden cross exploded through the clouds, unleashing another devastating beam. Not as fierce as before, but wider — sweeping like a scythe of judgment.
Everything in its path was erased. The 2,000-degree flames devoured pirate after pirate, their screams echoing through the burning mist.
The eleven fiery meteors crashed down simultaneously. Shockwaves and fire rolled outward.
Those near the edges burned. Those at ground zero were pulverized.
A bone-crunching sound echoed — Angel 007 knelt on a pirate's chest, crushing his ribs into his organs. She rose slowly, dragging her chainsaw sword forward. Around her, other Angels of Glory moved methodically.
The pirates resisted fiercely, but the priest could only watch the wider battle unfold.
Divine Punishment Type-1... but why gold? If she fires a third shot, we're finished!
Fear prickled down his spine. He dashed forward —
WHOOSH!
A molten shield crashed into him.
"Two-Hit Combo!"
Startled, the priest blasted compressed air from his hands, deflecting the shield.
"The unworthy—shall burn!"
Angel 004 lunged from the smoke, chainsaw roaring. Others circled, waiting to strike.
"Who are you freaks!?" The priest raised his arm — Slash Shell!
A slicing wave of air shot forth—but it only left a shallow mark on her armor, its violet enchantment flaring.
"Enchantment: Protection 77%!"
"Sinner, you need not know. Die!"
004's blade whirled and came down.
"Foolish! Just Blue Sea metal—"
The priest vanished in a blur, fists pounding hundreds of blows.
"Flurry Strike: Two Hundred Hits!"
Bang—bang—bang—Each impact dented the armor but failed to slow her.
Then fire erupted beneath her feet. She rammed into him like a tank.
CRASH!
Her sword pierced his back, then ripped upward — splitting him clean in two.
Angel 004 looked up, spotting another descending figure — Angel 006. Her comm link beeped, but 001 muted her immediately.
Fuming, 004 glared as 006 tilted her head and said cheerfully,
"That was our combo finisher."
"No thanks!"
004 stomped away, sword dragging sparks behind her.
Nearby, Angel 007 smashed several pirates aside with her half-melted shield, her sword carving a bloody arc. A third golden beam flashed overhead, lighting the storm once more.
A terrified pirate dropped to his knees, sobbing for mercy.
007 tilted her head, planted her sword into the ground, and asked coldly:
"Would you like to hear the teachings of our glorious Lord?"
"???"
Farther away, Angel 010 stepped over a charred corpse and picked up a Divine Punishment Type-1. Light flickered across her visor — perhaps... joy?
But as she reached for it, more hands joined hers — then another pair.
010 looked up to see 008 and 005 gripping the same weapon.
"Inside—fire."
"Broken."
"Still usable."
"Yours worse."
"???"
They stared blankly at each other. Then sighed in unison.
All three dropped the weapon, stepped back into a triangle, and counted down.Three… two… one—Two fists, one open hand.
"Mine."
005 won, taking the cannon. The other two walked off toward the burning wreckage.
The fourth golden beam swept across the battlefield — the pirates finally collapsed into full rout.
Beneath the dark clouds, Angel 001 raised her blazing weapon, glancing back toward the swirling storm. Bolts of lightning converged into a funnel, spiraling downward — toward the deck of the Enlightenment.
There, endless blocks of Minecraft iron were being smelted, flames fanned by Nojiko, thunder drawn into a holy forge —where a new Angel of Glory was being born.
The process was dull, but Ren waited patiently beside it, recalling what he had just seen.
The Beist Island battle had been the Angels' first true combat. The results were… acceptable. No casualties.
They were newborns, after all — lacking experience. He understood their plan to dive through Divine Punishment fire, turning themselves into flaming meteors.
But they still hadn't grasped their Light-Heat Apostle nature. Without sunlight, they'd forsaken one of their greatest strengths.
And their armor loadouts hadn't been fully optimized — the pirates' attacks left significant dents. Still, no losses.
Ren was satisfied.
The Angels of Glory were growing fast. Even their little squabbles and quirks showed developing individuality —and in combat, their progress was terrifyingly quick.
Before long, the Enlightenment approached Beist Island. Ghost-shikigami swept across the sky as Ren dispatched the Iron Knights to assist the Angels — and to confront the boss awaiting above.
He didn't know why the pirates had gathered, but surely, the Weather Scholars' prison wouldn't be guarded so lightly.
Yet, as his forces advanced, news returned —the God of Beist had fled twenty minutes earlier, and the captured Weather Scholars had already been retrieved by the Iron Knights.
Their chatter quickly revealed the truth. Ren — and Zoro beside him — fell silent, sharing the same suspicion.
"If they wanted to use those scholars to find Weatheria, they wouldn't have let them escape so easily," Zoro said. "Feels deliberate."
"Exactly," Ren replied. "They want them to go back. They're confident they can find them afterward."
Ren's mind clicked — Vivre Cards.
A mysterious technique from the New World: special paper made from a person's fingernails or hair, resistant to water and fire, and able to track its owner's life force and location.
One of the rescued Weather Scholars hesitantly recalled seeing the pirates pocket some of their hair during interrogations —but he hadn't thought much of it. Torture was routine; few cared where their hair went.
"If that's the case," Ren said, "then yes — with a Vivre Card, they can locate Weatheria."
He touched his chin, eyes narrowing.
"Clear the battlefield. We're heading for Weatheria."
(End of Chapter)