The Shandians—A group Ren had mentioned before, another faction with their eyes set on Upper Yard.
From what Zoro knew of the truth, the island they now tread upon—Upper Yard—wasn't something that could naturally exist in the White Sea.
The entire Upper Yard was, in fact, a massive Vearth, a huge island of solid land. Once, it had been part of Jaya Island in the Blue Sea, a fragment of the Grand Line itself.
Later, after being struck by the Knock-Up Stream, half of the island was blasted skyward, landing in the White Sea.
Everyone knew how irresistible land was to the people of the Sky Islands.
And so, the first settlers of Angel Island coveted it. They drove out the island's original inhabitants, who eventually became the present-day Shandians.
Over four hundred years passed, and the descendants of those first Shandians had long forgotten their origins and customs.
They had been completely assimilated into Sky Island culture.
But one thing never changed—the wish passed down through generations: "To reclaim their homeland—Upper Yard."
And what they sought wasn't just the land itself… but the hidden city buried deep beneath it.
The Golden City of Shandora!
A legendary city of gold, famed as a glorious land of wealth forged from pure gold.
According to legend, every building in the city was made of gold—especially the great golden bell, whose chime would echo across the heavens whenever it rang.
That bell was also tied to an ancient story from the Grand Line's Jaya Island.
Ren hadn't gone into the details.
But—Zoro understood during their earlier meeting what one of the true motivations behind this expedition was.
Gold.
Wealth that could make their captain stronger, that could take their crew further on their journey.
"Don't get in our way, Shandians."
Zoro's hand rested quietly on his sword's hilt, his gaze sharpening with cold intent.
"Though I feel sympathy for you… and respect the will you've inherited—Ours is even more important."
"My ambition, my crewmates' dreams, my captain's ideals—they all matter more."
"If you don't know when to back down, you'll suffer for it."
At that moment, Ren tilted his head slightly, a faint ripple of Observation Haki—still immature—picked up on something.
He wasn't sure what it was, but seeing Zoro react in the same instant confirmed it wasn't his imagination.
It was likely the Shandians.
"Tch, unbelievable… is this what it means to be a natural-born genius? Even with all my 'investments,' I'm only barely catching up."
Ren's mouth twitched as he roughly guessed what was happening.
It seemed his swordsman's Observation Haki was on the verge of awakening.
Thinking about it carefully—Once he fully grasped the fusion between Qi and Haki and confirmed there were no side effects, perhaps it was time to teach it to Zoro.
Unlike the skills drawn from the roulette, the Qi cultivation system had the advantage of being teachable.
Not only Zoro—even Nami and the others could learn it.
The Purple Qi Foundation Technique was, after all, a cultivation art from the mainland—its entry barrier was low.
Differences in comprehension could be remedied through the Medical and Martial Knowledge Infusion Machine.
Poor talent could be compensated with resources. Good talent would only soar higher.
This way, the crew could grow faster—healthier, stronger.
The reason he hadn't brought it up beforewas simply because he himself had been fumbling forward blindly, still half a novice—hardly in a position to play teacher.
Now, however, he had completed his Foundation Establishment, and his Qi and Haki had achieved a stable fusion.
"It's about time I considered it."
As he thought this, Ren's group began to spread out, their figures disappearing into the depths of the forest.
Far behind them,deep within the sea of clouds, the Shandians watched their movements carefully.
"Another group of sacrifices entering Upper Yard?"
A shirtless, fur-clad Shandian man withdrew his gaze and turned to their leader. "Wyper, we're late. Those Blue Sea people will probably become prey for the Priests."
"But it seems they've split up. Maybe they'll distract the Priests' attention."
"Should we strike now—see if we can thin out some of the Divine Soldiers?"
"...We can try."
The cold-eyed man with the mohawk and braided hair, with fanged trinkets hanging at his waist, nodded slightly.
"But if you encounter a Priest, retreat immediately. Until we understand how to counter the Mantra, there's no point in fighting opponents who can read our thoughts and predict our moves."
"Understood!"
The five Shandians nodded and silently darted into the forest on their cloud skates.
All of this—was heard by the "god" above.
High atop a colossal vine that pierced the clouds stood a grand shrine—the dwelling of Enel, the self-proclaimed god.
Seated lazily within, Enel retracted his lightning aura and let out a yawn.
"Seems like today will be lively. And there's one particularly interesting mortal…A man who can wield lightning as a weapon—and speaks so arrogantly."
"If he manages to take down Ohm, I might just pay him a visit."
"Let's just hope he doesn't kneel and beg for mercy too quickly. That'd ruin my fun—after all, I am the God of Thunder."
"But then again…"
"If that Ren fellow is too clever and surrenders right away… should I spare him? Hmm. That'd be boring. I'd lose my entertainment."
And so, Enel's greatest struggle today—was boredom.
Upper Yard was a forested island, its soil rooted with towering trees. Even a "small" tree here required dozens of people to encircle it, while truly massive ones stretched endlessly skyward.
The ground below was a tangle of roots, coiling like serpents before diving into the earth.
Walking was troublesome—jumping, on the other hand, was far easier.
And thus…a peculiar scene unfolded.
"Ah~ oh~ oh~ oh~!"
A loud cry echoed through the forest. Zoro swung from a thick vine, landing smoothly on a branch opposite, then turned to look back.
Ren stood at the other end, twitching at the corner of his mouth. This must be how it felt to watch Tarzan in real life.
"What's wrong? Come on!" Zoro tilted his head, watching Ren leap—and immediately showing a look of disdain.
"In a place like this, you have to move like me!"
He grabbed another hanging vine, kicked off, and swung across the air again, shouting the same ridiculous call.
"Ah~ oh~ oh~ oh~!"
The cry of a jungle ape echoed once more through the woods.
Landing gracefully, Zoro turned back with an expectant look.
"..."
Ren stared.
Really? How old are you?
So childish.
Yet despite himself, Ren grinned and reached for a vine. With a soft push—he soared across the forest canopy.
"Ah~ oh~ oh~ oh~!"
Zoro nodded smugly. "See? I told you, that's the proper way to do it!"
Ren wanted to argue… but considering he'd just done the same thing, he simply shrugged.
It was, admittedly, fun. There was a strange satisfaction in it—like fulfilling a childhood dream.
He vaguely remembered doing something similar when he was younger. That afternoon, he'd swung from a branch, only for it to snap midair. He'd crashed into the mud and gone home covered in dirt—earning a beating.
Ah…Maybe that's why he'd buried that memory deep.
Ren grinned involuntarily and followed after Zoro.
And so—
From one Tarzan, there became two.
It might not have looked particularly manly, but as the saying goes: A man remains a boy until the day he dies.
"...Threads?"
A fiery comet streaked through the woods and landed on a branch. From the flames stepped Nojiko, her eyes narrowing.
She rested her hand against the trunk and glanced down—Thin, invisible threads had wrapped around her limbs, sturdy yet unseen to the naked eye.
Loose at first, but slowly tightening—A silent, deadly trap.
"If Ren hadn't warned us about the Trial of String, I would've fallen right into this."
"Seems I'm still not strong enough. Looks like I'll need to learn Haki from Mr. Zoro soon."
As she thought that, Nojiko drew a small, ornate object from her pocket—A crimson crown.
Blaze Crown!
The moment she brought it out, she was ready to fight.
"Oh? So you've noticed me? Looks like the god was right—today's going to be lively."
A cold voice descended from above.
A dark figure swooped down, astride a giant bird. The Sky Knight perched upon it sneered down at his prey.
"I thought there was only one intruder—but it seems today's prey is far superior to the usual."
"What do you say, stranger?"
"My name is Nojiko," she said calmly. "But you can call me the Flame Queen."
"Flame Queen? Hah, what a curious name. Is that how you Blue Sea people name yourselves? Very well, I'll tell you mine."
The great bird tucked its wings and dove. The knight landed firmly atop its skull, glaring coldly. "I am one of the Four Priests, master of the Trial of String, with a survival rate of three percent—Sky Knight Shura!"
"Sounds like we share similar taste," Nojiko replied with a faint smile. "My title was given to me by others too."
"Hah, mine as well—by those dying at my hands. They thought 'Sky Knight' was fitting, so I kept it." He grinned, baring sharp teeth. "Soon, you'll understand why."
Sunlight pierced through the canopy, illuminating his uniform—similar in style to that of a sky-based warrior.
"I see," Nojiko said softly, lifting her head, eyes shining with resolve. "Then it's convenient—because you're my prey too."
"Oh?"
Shura raised an eyebrow, gripping his spear tighter. "You really don't seem afraid. What gives you that confidence?"
"Right after sensing my trap, you drew something from your pocket. Is that what you think will help you defeat me?"
"How arrogant… so sure you're the predator in this hunt."
Nojiko placed the Blaze Crown atop her head, a red dragon flaring to life in her palm.
At once—Flames surged outward, the searing heat coiling protectively around its queen.
In an instant, the special cloud-threads crafted for the Trial of String burned away, the constricting web around her vanishing completely.
(End of Chapter)