Several people sat leisurely on mechanical naruto, heading deep into the forest.
Usopp held a pink thermos cup, leisurely sipping steaming tea. As he admired the surrounding scenery, he exclaimed, "Ah... this forest is really great for an adventure..." Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, creating dappled light and shadow, making the entire forest appear mysterious and tranquil.
Just then, mechanical naruto seemed to detect something unusual and suddenly accelerated. Before everyone could react, an ancient altar appeared before them. This altar was surrounded by dense vegetation and encircled by a pond where more than a dozen Sky Island sharks swam.
(They didn't enter through the normal trial entrance; they climbed up from the back where Nami was discovered.)
"Oh~ an ancient ruin!" Everyone explored the vicinity with great interest. Robin used the camera Orochimaru gave him to photograph various relics.
Orochimaru pondered for a moment, "This must be a Sky Island dungeon, right? It seems there are various trials that can increase Luffy and their strength. According to the game settings, do they need to defeat Arlong and rescue the princess in the end?..." Just as he thought of this, Orochimaru flapped his wings and flew over, using Water Release and Wind Release to clean the surface of the altar, then placed a cloud bed on it... He lay down peacefully, with his hands crossed over his abdomen, and erected a huge sign next to him.
"Please pass the trial levels and rescue the sleeping prince."
Robin, who was taking photos, noticed Orochimaru's sign.
"Hey... mina... look over there..." Robin pointed to Orochimaru on the altar and the sign, and thoughtfully pointed directional arrows: → [Trial Gate] and another ↓
(Trial Manual is here, Orochimaru's Special Strategy Version)
...Silence was the altar that night.
The few people wanted to speak but hesitated... Forget it... What can they do when they've spoiled him? There are a total of 4 trials, how should 7 people be allocated?
Robin looked at the strategy manual Orochimaru left behind and read:
Trial of Orbs (beneficial for Observation Haki training)
(Recommended candidate: Sanji)
Trial of Iron (large, agile opponent)
(Recommended candidate: Robin)
Trial of Ropes (aerial combat)
(Recommended candidates: Nami, Usopp)
Trial of Swamps (combat awareness training)
(Recommended candidate: Chopper)
Zoro, he'll get lost anyway, let him play by himself.
Luffy, he won't listen to anything, let him choose something fun.
"I'm waiting for you to rescue the sleeping me, good luck," Orochimaru left.
Everyone covered their foreheads. "What is this?... Is Orochimaru in a new mode again?"
Luffy excitedly rolled up his sleeves.
✧*.٩(ˊωˋ*)و✧*
"Yosh!!! Let's go rescue Orochimaru together!!! Orochimaru will be hungry when it gets dark!" Luffy shouted excitedly.
"Hai... hai..." Everyone walked somewhat speechlessly towards Robin to receive Orochimaru's so-called dungeon beginner equipment from her. When they opened the packages, their faces showed expressions of surprise.
Inside, there was only one of Orochimaru's special ration pills, which was said to prevent hunger after eating, but tasted very bad; there was also a bottle of stamina recovery potion, and a map with the route between the trial grounds and the altar marked.
Nami and Usopp looked at the items in their hands and couldn't help but shed tears like wide noodles. She actually didn't want to go, even though Nami possessed the clima-tact jointly made by Usopp and Orochimaru, she still had some fear of combat.
Usopp, in tears, reached out to the Mosshead's back in front and shouted, "Hey... Zoro, where are you going?... Don't get lost right at the start!... Come with us!"
Zoro turned his head and roared exasperatedly, "Urusai! I'm just going to look! How could I get lost!" After speaking, he turned and continued forward.
Usopp could only watch him go, hand outstretched, "That's the way we came from!"
Then he turned to Luffy, hoping he would change his mind. "Hey... Luffy... come with us... aerial acrobatics are fun too."
But Luffy refused without hesitation, completely ignoring Usopp's suggestion, and licked the lollipop with relish: "No, I want to play ball with Sanji!"
Usopp and Nami, on the verge of tears, looked pale. They could only support each other and nervously walked towards the Trial of Ropes.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru closed his eyes peacefully, a faint smile on his lips. He seemed to be immersed in the soft cloud, dreaming a sweet dream.
"Hmm... Clouds are indeed great for sleeping!" Orochimaru murmured, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction and comfort.
On the other side, Eneru detected Orochimaru's situation through his Observation Haki.
"Oh~ Blue Sea people invading the Holy Land? They certainly need punishment! To dare lie so openly on the altar, how interesting... Is he waiting for this god?"
Eneru's mouth curved slightly upwards, revealing a wicked smile, then he flashed and appeared beside Orochimaru. When he saw the sign, he also found it very interesting. It had been a long time since he encountered anything so amusing, so Eneru decided to try to wake Orochimaru without violence.
Moreover, Eneru had a good impression of Orochimaru, finding him very tasteful. Especially the magatama earrings Orochimaru wore, which Eneru admired greatly, as they perfectly met his aesthetic standards.
So, Eneru softly said, "Does the sleeping prince need to be awakened? How about an apple?" After speaking, he gently placed an apple on Orochimaru's forehead.
"Hmm... one isn't enough?" Eneru's mouth curved into an arc, a glint of cunning in his eyes. He began to outline Orochimaru with apples, piling up red apples around him.
The sun began to set, and Orochimaru remained quietly asleep, showing no reaction, as if completely uninterested in the surrounding apples.
Eneru ate an apple while deep in thought: "So apples can't wake the prince... Then... what about gold?..." His eyes flickered, and he looked at the golden staff in his hand, but still didn't place it next to him, as it was his weapon after all.
So, he could only use other methods? Eneru, deep in thought, suddenly remembered a Sky Island storybook, "The Sleeping Princess." He flashed back to the God's Residence, found a fairy tale book, and returned to the altar. He sat cross-legged on the edge of the cloud float bed, carefully read the fairy tale book, and recited it aloud:
"The princess lay sleeping there, surrounded by beautiful flowers. The moment the prince saw the princess, he could no longer tear his eyes away. The prince thought: My God, she is so beautiful. He watched the princess for a long time, and couldn't help but bend down and kiss her. A miracle happened, the princess opened her eyes and woke up! Not long after, they fell in love... and lived happily ever after."
Eneru closed the fairy tale book and looked at Orochimaru. This book was about a beautiful princess surrounded by flowers, and a prince who kissed her awake.
So, could a beautiful prince surrounded by apples also be awakened by a handsome god?
Eneru stood beside Orochimaru and lowered his head...
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