Chapter 89: Angel Beach"So Sky Island is just a place that makes you want to sleep!"Chopper curled into a ball, sinking completely into a cloud pile that felt like freshly kneaded cotton candy, so cute that one couldn't help but want to reach out and pet him.Nami stepped barefoot onto the cloud sand and stretched, her waist bending into a graceful curve:"Mmm—so comfortable. Here, I don't have to worry about being pursued by the Marine, I can finally take a good rest!""There are just too many fun things... I don't even know which one to play with first!"Luffy hung upside down from a coconut tree, his legs wrapped tightly around the trunk like vines, his upper body swaying back and forth.Below the tree, Usopp was squatting in the cloud sand, "getting to work." His hands quickly gathered the cloud mass, and before long, a cloud dinosaur with one claw raised and its tail curled stood up.He put his hands on his hips and shouted: "Take a look! Captain Usopp's special cloud beast—Urara!""Ink Meteor, charge!" Mark lay on Ink Meteor's back, gripping the mane tightly with both hands, galloping wildly across the cloud beach, kicking up cloud dust that trailed a long white shadow behind them.Sanji suddenly stopped, crouched down, and picked two purple-red flowers from the edge of the beach.He brought them to his nose and sniffed, his expression intoxicated, then turned and walked toward Robin in the shade of the trees: "Miss Robin, this flower matches your hair perfectly." As he spoke, he carefully tucked the flower into her hair.Then, flustered, he clutched the other flower, his head spinning like a rattle: "Miss Nami... where is Miss Nami?" After saying that, he took off and disappeared in a flash."Whoa! This fruit looks like a pumpkin, I'm going to dig in!"Luffy suddenly tore a glowing green "cloud coconut" from the tree and bit into it— "Ah... crack... so hard!"He frowned and shook his mouth, then gripped the fruit and knocked it against the tree trunk, the "bang bang" sound echoing across the beach.Catching a glimpse of the smug Usopp under the tree, a mischievous smile flashed in Luffy's eyes;He raised his hand and threw the "pumpkin" at the back of Usopp's head: "Usopp, catch! A super sweet fruit!""Bang!" Usopp was knocked forward, and he, along with the rock-hard "pumpkin," dove headfirst into the newly built cloud beast "Urara," cloud sand splattering all over his face.He climbed up with the "head" of the cloud beast still on him and gave chase, pulling out his slingshot, pinching cloud sand into the leather pouch, and firing: "Usopp Special Move—Cloud Star!"In the distance came Luffy's laughter: "Ah, haha, you can't hit me!"On the other side, Zoro stared at his ankle, which was stained with water droplets, frowning: "What's going on? It's clearly a cloud, how can there be water?"He saw the cloud sand on the shore, thinking it would be perfect for wiping his feet.He grabbed a handful of cloud to wipe his feet, but suddenly felt the "cloud" in his hand move, emitting a soft "xiu xiu" cry.He took a sharp look and scrambled backward in a panic: "Ah! I'm sorry!"It turned out a fluffy little fox was curled up in his palm; he had actually mistaken its tail for a cloud puff to wipe his feet.He crouched down and gently placed the little fox on the ground.Just then, the sound of a harp drifted over, like water flowing over blue stones in a mountain stream, or like a spring breeze brushing past newly sprouted leaves, lingering in their ears.Everyone stopped what they were doing—Luffystopped swaying, Usopp stopped chasing, and even the galloping Mark suddenly pulled on Ink Meteor's mane.As the song ended, Sanji stared at the girl walking toward them, pink hearts instantly popping up in his eyes, his mouth stretching almost to his ears: "This is a true angel!"The girl had snow-white wings on her back, and when she smiled, the corners of her eyes curved into little crescents: "Heso (Sky Island greeting). Sisu, come here."She bent down to pick up the little fox and walked over to the Straw Hat crew: "Are you from the Blue Sea?"Luffy jumped down from the tree with a "whoosh," still clutching the unopened "pumpkin": "Are you from here?"The girl nodded with a smile: "Yes, I am a resident of Angel Beach. Welcome!"The girl pointed to what Luffy was holding, her eyes curving: "You want to drink the coconut milk inside, right?"Luffy immediately handed over the "pumpkin," his eyes sparkling: "Mmh-hmm!"The girl took out a small silver knife and gave it a gentle twist in the center of the fruit;With a "click," she opened a thumb-sized hole, then pulled a transparent straw from her pocket and inserted it:"This is a cloud coconut. The skin is harder than steel, so you have to open it from here."Luffy took it and sucked in a big mouthful, his eyes instantly widening, and he couldn't help but stick out his tongue and shiver!Mark watched with envy, "scrambled" up the coconut tree, hugged the trunk, and started pulling down fruits;Mimicking her, he opened a hole and inserted a straw, took a big sip, then patted the trunk and shouted:"I've decided! This coconut grove belongs to the Mo family from now on! Even Jesus can't stop me, I said so!"The girl smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits: "My name is Conis. If you have any questions, you can ask me."Sanji leaned in, his eyes burning: "Miss Conis, your gaze is like the morning sun, healing my wounded heart that has been drifting on the sea—ah, ouch, ouch, ouch!"Nami twisted Sanji's ear, saying crossly: "Get out of the way!"Turning to look at Conis, Nami instantly switched to a sweet, well-behaved smile: "We're here in Sky Island for the first time, so everything feels fresh. There's so much we'd like to ask you!"Zoro suddenly spoke, his gaze fixed on the distant sea of clouds: "Hey, someone's coming."The roar of an engine grew closer and closer. Conis's eyes lit up, and she waved her hand vigorously: "Father!"The person riding it was on something that looked like both a boat and a motorcycle, with a round beard covering his chin;He had two soft antennae sticking up on his head and shouted from far away: "Conis, Heso!"Luffy was confused and muttered along: "Heso... Heso? What on earth is that?"Nami stared at what the person was riding, her eyes widening: "What is he riding?"Conis explained: "That! That's a wiper!"Luffy stared at the wiper, his eyes practically glowing: "Whoa! That thing is so cool!"The roaring sound grew closer and closer! Conis's father, Pagaya, shouted to the crowd:"Ah! Sorry! I'm going to stop now!" But he flew straight past the crowd and face-planted into the coconut grove.He struggled to push himself up, but his first words were: "Is everyone hurt?"Zoro couldn't help but retort: "Hey! You should care more about yourself!"Pagaya looked at Conis and asked: "Oh, Conis, are these all your friends?"Conis nodded: "Yes, we just met."Pagaya said rather embarrassedly: "I am very sorry, I must have scared you. My name is Pagaya."Usopp waved his hands in a panic: "No... not at all."Conis leaned over to look at Pagaya's basket and asked: "Father, did you catch any fish?"Pagaya patted the basket and said proudly: "Of course, a bountiful harvest."Pagaya extended an invitation: "By the way, I wonder if everyone would like to come to my humble home for a visit? Let's taste some local specialties together!"Mark, Luffy, and Sanji shouted in unison: "Really?"Sanji had already started rolling up his sleeves, volunteering: "If it's cooking, I can help!"Mark added: "Local delicacies? What are they? Sanji, make something spicy!"Sanji looked at Mark: "Leave it to me. Want to come along?"Mark nodded: "Yeah! It's definitely worth studying—Sky Island cuisine—since we'll need to do a big shopping run later."Just as the group was about to leave, Nami suddenly asked: "Excuse me, sir, what is the principle behind this wiper?"Conis asked in return: "Don't you know about Dials?"When Luffy heard "Dials?"He secretly jumped onto the wiper, stepped on the pedal, and shot off instantly. The "cloud mud" splashed everywhere, burying Chopper completely.Luffy didn't care at all. He cranked the wiper's throttle to the max, and all that could be heard was him shouting:"Ah! Ah... why can't I stop this thing? And it's shaking way too much! Oh no!"In the end, he and the wiper flew together into the sea of clouds.Conis covered her mouth, her face full of worry: "Oh no, I don't know if he's hurt."Pagaya also apologized hurriedly: "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have lent him the wiper!"Sanji folded his arms, looked toward the direction where Luffy had sunk, and asked:"By the way, what happens to Devil Fruit users on this sea?"Zoro rubbed his chin and guessed, "That's right, it's not an ordinary sea, after all. Maybe Luffy will float."Mark warned, "No way! This cloud contains Sea Stone!"Zoro pointed at the sea surface, "Sure enough, look, Luffy has already sunk." Luffy's last hand disappeared into the sea of clouds.Chopper jumped into the sea with a splash and shouted, "Luffy, I'm coming to save you!"A moment later, Sanji dragged Luffy by one leg and tossed him onto the shore, "That was close! Luffyalmost went straight through the cloud layer."Zoro stepped on Luffy's stomach and argued with Sanji, "It's all your fault for asking so many idiotic questions, otherwise I would have saved him already!"Luffy spat out a rainbow with a "pfft" sound, still feeling dizzy.Usopp also dragged Chopper ashore and said helplessly, "Geez... Chopper, don't you know you're a Devil Fruit user too?"Chopper's eyes were spinning, and he kept muttering, "Sky Island, so scary..."Pagaya explained, "It's all my fault. To increase power, the wiper's hull is very light, so even small waves can cause it to veer off course; it's very hard to control if you aren't familiar with the sea conditions!""I've been practicing since I was a child, and I've only just barely managed to drive it recently!" Conis bent down to help Chopper up!Chopper looked up and asked, "Huh... Is it that hard?"Robin's voice came, "But, Nami is already riding it!"Everyone looked in the direction she pointed, and Nami was riding the wiper steadily on the sea surface.Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp all opened their mouths wide, their tongues shaking, and their eyes bulging out.Only Sanji had hearts in his eyes as he shouted, "Miss Nami! You're the best!"Pagaya said in surprise, "It's truly unbelievable, how did she learn it?"Nami's voice came from the sea surface, "The best!"Luffy looked unconvinced, "It's so hard, why didn't Nami sink?!"Nami smiled and said from the sea, "Luffy, with your brain, it'll be very hard to learn, just give up!"Nami's words made Luffy's face look as ugly as if he'd eaten a bitter cherry pie. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, his cheeks puffing up like two little buns as he shouted at the sea: "Nami, get down here, we're going to the old man's house! Stupid Nami!" He looked just like a tantrum-throwing child.Sanji smacked Luffy on the head and retorted, "How ungentlemanly!"Nami smiled and waved, "Old man, let me borrow the wiper to play for a while longer! You guys go ahead, I'll be there soon!"While walking home with Conis, Usopp suddenly pointed at the elevator in the distance and asked, "Old man, is that a factory?""It's an Island Cloud processing plant." Pagayapointed at the cloud sand under their feet."When you first arrived on Sky Island, it was Sea Cloud, but what you're standing on now is Island Cloud—it can be cut, used to pave roads, and even made into houses. There are also artificial clouds; they have so many uses."Zoro raised an eyebrow, showing a rare hint of curiosity, "Clouds can be used like this? That's interesting."Upon arriving at Conis's house, Mark stared at the small house floating in the clouds and immediately took out a notebook to write: "Wow, this house is so pretty... Hmm, note it down, I'll ask if it's for sale later."Zoro leaned over to take a peek, his mouth twitching, "You've been writing since just now, what exactly have you been writing?"Usopp also leaned in to look, gasping, "My god, it's packed with things you want to buy! You even want to move the Island Cloud processing plant back?""I'm in charge of logistics, of course I have to satisfy everyone's needs." Mark said confidently, "The wiper must be bought... As for the villa, I'll see if I can swallow it whole; if I can't, I'll dismantle it and buy it in batches."Sanji retorted from the side, "Do you think Sky Island is your warehouse?"As they were talking, Usopp suddenly pointed outside the window, "Look! You can see Nami from here!"Luffy leaned over to look. Nami was riding the wiperin circles, which made him so angry he stomped his feet, "Why can she ride it so steadily?!"Luffy pointed his thumb downwards, "Sink... sink!"With a "bang," Sanji punched him again, "Stop being so childish."Luffy clutched his head and shouted, "Sanji, what are you doing! I almost bit my tongue!"Sanji ignored him and turned to Pagaya, "Old man, where is the kitchen?"Not long after, Sanji's scream came from the kitchen, "Ah! This tastes terrible! Ugh...! What is this?! It's so numbing and bitter! And it stinks!"Pagaya's voice called back, "Oh! That's some spoiled seasoning!""Crash!" The sound of a glass jar shattering on the floor rang out, and Sanji roared, "You should have thrown it away! You made me eat such awful stuff!"In the living room, Luffy rested his chin on his hands, "Sanji seems really fired up in the kitchen!"Usopp guessed, "He must have encountered some Sky Island ingredients and is excited!"Mark sprawled on the sofa, rubbing against the cushion, and muttered, "Ah! This sofa! So soft, note it down to buy later..."Robin sat on the sofa and looked at Conis, "Dial. Miss Conis, could you explain it in detail? I'm interested in this."Conis rested her chin on her hand, thinking, "This, huh! Where should I start?"Luffy picked up the seashell on the table, turning it over and over, "What is this?!"Conis reminded him, "Oh right, Luffy, speak towards the open side!"Luffy scratched his head, thought for a moment, and suddenly shouted, "Usopp is an idiot!"Usopp immediately bristled, "Why, why, why is it me?!"Conis pointed to the top of the seashell, "Okay, press the button on the top!"Luffy's face fell as he turned the seashell over and over without finding it, muttering, "Where is the top?"Usopp couldn't watch anymore; he walked over, pressed the top of the seashell, and said irritably, "Here, idiot!""Usopp is an idiot! Why, why, why is it me?!" the sound came out of the seashell.Luffy stared at the seashell, his face full of surprise, "Ah! There's an idiot Usopp talking inside!"Usopp retorted, "There's your own voice too, idiot!"Zoro raised an eyebrow, "Oh~ it can record audio! That's really rare!"Robin asked, "Is this what you called a Dial?"Conis explained, "That's right! This is a Tone Dial! There are also Stove Dials used for cooking, for example, the wiper is driven by a Breath Dial..."Chopper's eyes sparkled, "That's amazing!"Luffy looked at Mark, who was writing things down, "Hey! Mark."Mark didn't even look up, "Noted it down, I'll buy ten of each."Mark added, "Then when it's time to eat, let's call an errand runner first!"Usopp asked suspiciously, "An errand runner?"Mark took out a whistle, took a deep breath, and blew it; the crisp whistle sound drifted far away.Twenty seconds later, the sound of air being cut came from the sky along with a man's voice: "You actually used the precious help whistle so quickly; that's two used today!"The "clack, clack, clack" of armor came from the balcony, and Gan Fall stood there in his armor, striking a heroic pose:Mark stood up, placed his hand on his chest, and nodded slightly, "We meet again, great mercenary! We have encountered a big problem! We need your incomparably heroic help to overcome this difficulty!"Gan Fall waved his hand, his head held even higher, "Haha, just say it!"Mark leaned in and whispered a few words to him. Gan Fall nodded after listening, "Small problem. You're just afraid that strong people will rob you of your goods, so you want me to help you buy them, right?"Mark gave a thumbs up, "As expected, you are not only heroic but also incredibly wise!"Gan Fall reached out, "Give me the shopping list!"Mark handed over the notebook. Gan Fall opened it and stared, his eyes widening: "You... are you trying to empty out Sky Island? This won't do. Sky Island is where I have put down roots; my brothers, my beloved friends, and family live here. If you make me buy like this, prices all over Sky Island will skyrocket!"Mark sighed, "It really puts the great knight in a difficult position, then let's forget it!"Gan Fall suddenly changed his tune, staring at Markseriously, "No! What I mean is, you have to pay more."
Chapter 90: Divine Punishment"Lord Gan Fall!" Conis exclaimed, eyes wide with surprise, her hands covering her mouth."Young lady, I am merely a mercenary now." Gan Fall glanced out the window, his tone indifferent."I advise you all, whether you are here for adventure or tourism, do not go near that place."Usopp watched Gan Fall turn to leave, feeling a surge of irritation, and hurriedly chased after him:"What place? Hey, old man! Don't walk away!"Just then, Sanji's voice came from the dining room in Conis's house: "The food is ready!"The group walked into the dining room, and saw the table laden with dishes—Lobster, crab, Sky Island specialty fish, and several fruits whose names they didn't know, easily over a dozen courses.Sanji pointed to the table full of food and introduced: "This is the 'Full-Course Feast of Mountain and Sea Delicacies' featuring Sky Islandspecialties!""Awesome!""So amazing!"Praises filled the room continuously.Mark chewed on some crab meat and said: "Sanji, this Haven Sky Island crab tastes especially fresh!"Usopp kept stuffing food into his mouth and chimed in indistinctly: "Delicious... this is delicious too!"Zoro picked up a glass of magenta fruit wine, took a sip, raised an eyebrow, and said: "Oh~! Is this Sky Island wine? The taste is a bit bland."Mark looked at Sanji, who was walking toward the balcony, and asked: "Sanji, aren't you eating?""You guys go ahead, I'm going to go look for Miss Nami!"Sanji stood on the balcony, struck a match with a "snap" to light his cigarette, and scanned the distant sea.He shouted toward the sea: "Miss Nami, where are you? I saved you a love-filled bento!"Luffy, his mouth stuffed with food, asked indistinctly: "Is she not on the sea?"Sanji turned around, his brows furrowing slightly: "No!"Usopp took a sip of fruit juice and stuffed another bite of food into his mouth:"She definitely ran off somewhere else to play, don't worry about her!"Only Conis looked terrified; she placed her fork on her unfinished plate and asked softly:"Father, could she have gone to that place?"Pagaya put down his fork, turned to look at Conis, his tone grave: "Conis, I have a bad premonition too."Luffy, mouth full of shrimp, asked blankly: "What? What's wrong?"Conis scanned the group, her voice trembling: "On Sky Island, there is a place you must not step foot into under any circumstances."Her expression grew more terrified: "And that place is very close to here; if you ride a wiper, you can get there very quickly!"Usopp, full, leaned back on the sofa and asked:"Can't step foot into it at all? Is that the place the old man mentioned earlier?"Conis sat next to Usopp: "That's right, we locals call it the Holy Land.""That is the island where God lives, called the Upper Yard!"Luffy became instantly excited, ran over, and shouted: "God? Is there really a God?""Living in such an incredible place—if we go on an adventure there, what a huge surprise it would be!"Conis looked at Luffy and hurriedly warned: "Yes, this land is ruled by the Almighty God 'Eneru'!"Mark sat on the sofa with a coconut drink and said with disdain:"Almighty God? That sounds just like a cult leader!"Conis quickly put her finger to her lips, signaling nervously:"Shh! You can't say that; Eneru can know everything and master everything on the island."Usopp stood up in terror: "Doesn't that mean he knows everything we do?"Chopper looked up and scanned the surroundings, asking with great unease:"Is it like that even now?""Hmph! God."Zoro's eyes were full of disdain as he picked up his glass and took another sip.Chopper looked at Zoro's indifferent attitude and asked:"Zoro, don't you believe in God?"Zoro explained:"Who knows? I don't have a god in my own heart, so whether there is a god or not has nothing to do with me, and I won't go around denying those who do believe in god."Sanji walked over and asked: "Miss Conis, have you ever seen this so-called God?"Conis waved her hands frantically in a panic: "No, how could I? That place is a forbidden zone!"Luffy looked intoxicated, already immersed in the fantasy of adventure: "A place you absolutely cannot step foot into? We must go on an adventure there!"Usopp grabbed Luffy by the collar and shook him hard:"Hey! Luffy, wake up! Did you hear clearly? That's a forbidden zone... it's a forbidden zone! There might be monsters inside!"Usopp's words only made Luffy's desire for adventure firmer:"Monsters? Wouldn't that be even more interesting!"Mark crossed his legs and said:"Isn't it just 'knowing everything'? I can do that within a two-kilometer radius too."Zoro reacted immediately and asked:"Are you saying that this so-called God is actually just someone with strong Observation Haki?"Mark nodded: "Pretty much!"Luffy grabbed a piece of bread, swallowed it in one bite, and said: "Anyway, no matter what, it doesn't matter to me."Chopper asked, following up:"Does that mean even if the other person is a god, you're still going on an adventure?"Robin looked at Conis and asked softly: "Tell me, if one enters the forbidden zone, what happens?"Conis stammered, unable to finish a complete sentence for a long time: "...Will... will..."Pagaya finished the sentence for Conis: "You will be erased! We Sky Island people all firmly believe this."Usopp shouted in terror: "What? Then isn't Nami in danger!""Miss Nami..." Sanji's face turned terrified instantly, and the cigarette in his mouth fell from the corner of his lips.Luffy hurriedly changed his words, though he couldn't hide the anticipation in his eyes: "Then we should hurry up and adven... go find Nami!"Chopper and Usopp exposed him in unison: "You just want to go on an adventure, don't you!"Mark suggested: "In any case, let's go take a look first, let's not let Nami actually be in danger."On the shore, Sanji's voice resounded through the sky: "Miss Nami, where are you?"Luffy clenched his fists, his eyes firm: "If anyone dares to hurt Nami, even if it's a god, I will beat him up!"Suddenly, a point of light appeared in the sky, and it grew brighter and brighter.Usopp was blinded by the white light and asked suspiciously: "What is that?"Conis was so scared she sat on the ground, her voice trembling: "Heaven... Heaven... Divine Punishment!""Ah!"Chopper crouched on the ground, pulled his hat down to cover his face, not daring to look at all."Get out of the way!" Sanji grabbed Conis and rushed to the side, and Zoro also quickly grabbed Chopper and dodged.The moment they jumped away, white thunder crashed down.With a loud bang, everything was swallowed by the white light.Three seconds later, the light dissipated, and a deep pit three meters wide and bottomless appeared on the beach.Zoro got up from the ground, put Chopper down, patted the cloud sand off his body, and asked while coughing: "Is everyone okay?"Usopp stared at the deep pit and clicked his tongue: "This power is too scary! If you were in the center, you would definitely have been vaporized directly!"Robin stood up from behind Sanji and asked: "Have you seen Luffy?"Conis, next to Robin, was dumbfounded and couldn't say a word."Boom—" Another loud noise came.Sanji's face changed, and he hurriedly said: "Oh no! It's the direction of Miss Conis's house!""Father!"Sanji's words brought Conis back to her senses instantly, but this was a heavy blow—Her father was still at home cleaning the kitchen and hadn't come out at all.Looking from afar, black smoke was rising from the direction of Conis's house.Mark's voice came from the bottom of the deep pit: "Come pull me up...""Mark!" Usopp reacted first and hurriedly ran over.He leaned over and took a look; Mark was holding Luffy with one hand and gripping the island cloud at the edge of the pit tightly with the other, his whole body dangling precariously.Usopp gave a pull but found he couldn't move him at all, so he immediately shouted to Zoro: "Zoro, come and lend a hand!"The two of them worked together to pull Mark and Luffy up, and Luffy coughed, spitting out a few mouthfuls of seawater.Usopp asked: "Luffy, are you okay?"Luffy panted and said: "I'm fine, just almost fell to the lower level."He watched Sanji, Robin, and Conis running in one direction and asked puzzledly: "What's wrong? What happened?"Mark pointed at the direction of the smoke and said: "That's Conis's house."Luffy stared blankly at the place where they had just been eating happily—Now only a wisp of black smoke remained, proving it had once existed."Right, old man! The old man is still inside!"He suddenly grabbed Mark by the collar, his face full of self-reproach,"It's my fault; if I hadn't said I'd beat him up... it wouldn't have happened.""It's okay, don't blame yourself, Luffy! The old man was saved by Gan Fall!"Mark used Observation Haki to perceive it,"Gan Fall is riding his Pegasus and hovering above Conis's house; the figure on the horse's back is exactly Conis's father.""Really? Then it's great that the old man is okay!"Luffy let out a long sigh of relief, his tense body finally relaxing."Eneru!"Luffy shouted toward the sky, his voice spreading across the entire Sky Island.Not long after, a group of people wearing berets appeared in the distance; they were actually crawling on the ground.Usopp pointed at them and asked suspiciously: "Why are these people not standing up and walking?"Mark curled his lips: "Probably mentally ill."This group of people crawled to a spot two meters away from Luffy and the others and stopped.The man in the front wearing a beret, with a scar on his face and wearing blue clothes, spoke, his tone particularly harsh:"Who was just calling out the name of the Divine Lord?"Luffy took a step forward and said fearlessly: "It was me, what's the matter?"The captain showed an evil smile: "Very good, you have committed a third-degree crime of blasphemy against the gods, and now we are going to arrest you.""Then does this count?" Mark suddenly raised his middle finger toward the sky.Zoro's mouth hooked up, and he followed suit with his middle finger; Usopp gritted his teeth, also extended his middle finger toward the group.The captain was so scared by this action that he sat on the ground, his face pale:"You... you actually dare to openly provoke God!"He quickly calmed down, puffed out his chest, and said:"I'll have you know, I am the Beret Unit directly under the God's priests, and I can judge anyone's crimes!"After stating his identity, he felt confident again and grinned,The team members behind him also followed with evil expressions: "Now, we sentence you to death!"Luffy looked at Mark, Zoro, and Usopp, his eyes sharpening: "Nagging endlessly, so you're the priest unit, right?""Beat them up!" the three said in unison.The following scene was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep; the Beret Unit was beaten to the ground in no time, and the screams could be heard even by Sanji's group.Sanji looked at the father and daughter Conishugging each other, his eyes turned cold, and he muttered to himself: "What are those guys doing?"Boom, boom—the roar of the wiper approached from far to near."...Everyone, let me tell you, I saw something incredible... there's an island over there, and on it..."Nami had just started speaking in a panic when she saw the Beret Unit lying on the ground in disarray, and she exclaimed:"What exactly is going on here!"Luffy pointed at the pile of "people" and said lightly: "Oh, these people are the priest's unit.""We beat them up.""Ah! I was just about to tell you, don't go to that island..." Nami was eager to dissuade them, but was interrupted by Mark.Mark said: "The place we are going to is exactly the place you mentioned, Nami."Nami widened her eyes and asked: "Where are you going? What are you going to do?"Zoro put on his green bandana, his eyes terrifyingly gloomy, and said word by word:"God-slaying."
Chapter 91: Invitation Card and TransactionNothing remained of the seaside villa but a pitch-black crater, and the scorched earth still held a faint warmth. The Straw Hat stood around it, their faces filled with self-reproach — it was their arrival that had destroyed this originally peaceful place.Luffy lowered his brows and said, "I'm sorry, sir, it was my fault for involving you all." After saying that, he turned his head to look at Mark."Understood."As soon as Mark finished speaking, he raised his hand and pulled gold and Berries from his Rainbow Space, piling them on the ground with a "clatter." The golden light was so dazzling it made people dizzy.Mark looked at the terrified Pagaya and said sincerely, "I am truly sorry. This is not compensation; it is simply a small gesture from us."Pagaya waved his hands hurriedly, his voice trembling with fear, "Actually... you don't have to do this. We were already placed on the execution list by God, so you should take these riches back!"Pagaya looked up at the gray sky, his voice becoming even quieter, "My daughter and I might be gone in the next second..."Mark raised his hand and waved it toward the sky. The rainbow-colored mist spread out with a "hum," weaving into a semi-circular protective shield that enveloped everyone. He added, "This can block Observation Haki from probing inside."Ignoring the surprise of Pagaya, Gan Fall, and Conis, Mark walked over to Luffy, reached out to pull his cheek, and smiled, "Don't be so pessimistic, Mr. Pagaya."With a "pop," the rubbery cheek, which had been stretched a meter long, snapped back. Luffy stood in place, looking at the father and daughter duo with a blank expression.Mark continued, "This is our Captain, a rubber man, and also the bane of lightning — he is the reason we have the confidence to challenge God!"Mark pointed to the distant coast and said with certainty, "Luffy took a direct hit from the lightning punishment and is now completely unscathed. This is the best proof.""And," Mark pointed to himself, acting a bit proud, "I am also a Logia fruit user! We will pull that so-called 'God' off his pedestal right now. It won't be long before everything gets better."After he finished speaking — Gan Fall suddenly grabbed Luffy's shoulder, his hands trembling, "You are really not afraid of lightning..."Luffy picked his nose, looking bewildered, "Is that something amazing?""Hey! Luffy, that's more than just amazing! That's a trump card!" Usopp's voice changed pitch due to surprise, his eyes wide.Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly, "Phew...! I didn't expect Luffy's rubber body to have this trick. It seems this god-slaying plan can be downgraded from SSS-rank to A-rank."Zoro leaned against the nearby broken wall and muttered, "I thought Mark was just getting emotional when he flipped God off. Turns out he had Luffy as an ace up his sleeve." The voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears.Nami sighed while holding her forehead, "I'm telling you two, just how angry do you want to make God before you're satisfied! Now it's completely a fight to the death.""It's three." Zoro pointed at Usopp, his tone without ripples."I was just infected by Mark's momentum; I couldn't help it!" Usopp pouted in defense, though his eyes darted back and forth looking at the sky."Nami, the more someone elevates themselves, the more arrogant they become. Didn't he stop sending lightning punishments later? That's because he has the mindset of a cat playing with a mouse." Markspread his hands, his tone very calm.Mark suddenly stared at the top of the rainbow mist, his brows furrowed, and uttered a, "Hmm? Look, isn't that it?""What is it?" Zoro immediately gripped the hilt of his sword, his eyes instantly alert."Don't speak!" Mark waved his hand, and the rainbow mist "whooshed" back into his body.A giant bird circled in the sky. Its sharp eyes swept over the Straw Hat, and it immediately folded its wings and dove down!With a "clang," Zoro drew his sword to slash, but was stopped by Mark, "It's here to deliver a letter, don't attack."Gan Fall stared at the giant bird, his eyes instantly sharp. Even the owl, Pierre, beside him bristled, "This is a South Bird, Shura's partner."With a "thud," the giant bird landed nearby, holding a golden envelope. Cloud sand splashed everywhere, burying the small Chopper in a pile of sand.Chopper poked his head out from the cloud pile and shook the cloud debris off his head. The giant bird lowered its head and handed the envelope to him.Chopper was startled at first and took two steps back, stopping only when he bumped into Zoro's leg with a "thump." It took him two seconds to react.Chopper cautiously took the envelope and turned to hand it to Luffy.Luffy grabbed the envelope and tore it open with force. The heads of his companions immediately crowded around, all wanting to see what was written on the letter.Nami, who was closest, read the words on the letter: "If you want to see me, participate in the trials!""Trials?" everyone said in unison. Zoro crossed his arms and leaned to the side, saying casually, "Just these few words, it's really concise.""Could this be an invitation card?" Mark rubbed his chin, recalling the experience of being tricked by the Gluttony Invitation Card last time — though it wasn't entirely a trap.Gan Fall pointed toward the distant Upper Yard and explained, "These are the four trials of String, Swamp, Iron, and Ball. They are all on the island of Upper Yard, and each trial corresponds to a priest.""Hey, hey! That sounds like a trap just hearing it!" Usopp immediately shrank back, his face full of resistance."Why do we have to follow his arrangements!" Namialso frowned in agreement, her tone full of disapproval."Sigh! There is no other choice. This is the only way to see him." Gan Fall pointed into the distance, "Although this is the closest point to Upper Yard, it is surrounded by inaccessible cliffs. Even if you climb up, you must pass through those four trial grounds to reach the Palace of God.""Then what exactly should we do?" Robin asked softly."Taking a boat from the dock is the fastest. There is a special cloud route leading to Upper Yard — but most of those boats are for transporting criminals." Gan Fall paused, his tone a bit heavy.Conis stood nearby and added hesitantly, "There is also the Express Shrimp... which can take you directly to the Sacrificial Altar; the speed would be even faster...""Sacrificial Altar, trial grounds... just hearing the names, it doesn't sound like a good place to go." Usopp muttered.After listening, Mark summarized, "In other words, you can get to Upper Yard without passing the trials at the Sacrificial Altar, but to get to the Sacrificial Altar from the trial grounds, you have to defeat the priests?""That is indeed the case! I will also help you all." Gan Fall said, stepping forward, wanting to express his determination.Mark hurriedly stopped him and laughed it off, "Sir, you are getting on in years. Just leave this to us young people; you can just help us run errands!"Mentioning "errands," Gan Fall seemed to think of something, "By the way, although Sky Island also accepts Berries, it's best not to bring out gold — Eneru especially likes gold; almost all the gold on Sky Island is with him.""Gold!" Nami's eyes turned into ＄＄.Gan Fall took out Mark's shopping list again — "You want to buy so many things. To be honest, I can't help you. The consequence of such violent consumption is skyrocketing prices." Gan Fallfrowned, his tone very serious.Mark knew in his heart that Eneru wanted to build the "proverb" ark to go to the moon; he had known this for a long time, but the Straw Hat only thought Eneru was simply greedy for money.Mark suddenly thought of something and threw a cloth bag to Gan Fall with a "pop," "Old Gan, take a look at this. Can it be exchanged for the things on the list?"Gan Fall picked up the cloth bag in confusion and opened it. After seeing what was inside, his eyeballs almost popped out, and his voice went shrill, "Vearth... Vearth! It's actually Vearth!""What Vearth? Mark, are you hiding good stuff from us!"Usopp and Chopper immediately crowded over, but they were too short, and even on tiptoes, they couldn't see anything.Gan Fall stared at the contents of the cloth bag in a daze, his eyes extremely complex, filled with both shock and emotion."Stop looking, catch!" Mark threw another cloth bag to Usopp.Usopp cautiously caught the bag, afraid of damaging the "treasure" inside, but as soon as he opened it, he instantly bristled, "Treasure your sister!"He slammed the bag onto the ground with a "pop.""Mark, how could you bully an honest person! This is clearly just ordinary mud!" Usopp pointed at Mark, his hands trembling with anger."What?" Luffy immediately rushed over to pick up the bag, opened it, grabbed a handful, and stuffed it into his mouth. The next second, he spat it out with "ptui, ptui, ptui," and glared at Mark with a frown, "Hey! Mark, this really is mud! I misjudged you! Hmph!""Wrong!" Mark extended his index finger and shook it, smiling slyly, "To be accurate, this isn't mud; it's nutrient-rich soil. And not just any ordinary nutrient-rich soil — Luffy, do you remember the big pumpkins at Auntie Fatty's house in Windmill Village? They were grown with this soil!""Ah! So it's this soil! Then this soil really is a treasure!" Luffy instantly forgot his anger, his eyes filled with nostalgia."It has value, it has value, but it shouldn't be enough to make Old Gan this excited." Zoro raised an eyebrow, still not quite understanding."No! You don't understand!" Gan Fall finally came back to his senses, his voice filled with emotion, "You people of the Blue Sea call it soil, but we on Sky Island call it Vearth — this is the longing of everyone!""Island clouds can only cultivate a small amount of special plants, and you have to carefully maintain them every day to have a harvest. But Vearth is different; it can not only easily cultivate plants, but it can also make plants emerge on their own!"Gan Fall looked toward the direction of Upper Yard, his voice low, "We and the Shandians have been fighting for four hundred years over the very thing in this bag — that is why Upper Yard is called the 'Holy Land'.""Old Gan, I have a lot of this stuff. Are you taking this deal or not? We'll exchange it equally. You give me Sky Island supplies, and I'll give you an equal amount of Vearth." Mark looked at him, his tone very direct."For the sake of my homeland, my brothers, and friends... I still have to add a little bit of money! 2:1 and it's a deal." Gan Fall smiled slyly, with a bit of shrewdness, "But I'll waive the errand fee for you.""Great!" Mark jumped up in excitement — with the Sky Island supplies, he could finally build a hanging garden in his Rainbow Space! Trading some nutrient soil for island clouds was a massive profit!Gan Fall, however, had another plan in his mind: These people probably don't know that ordinary Vearth is precious enough, let alone this kind of special Vearth that can promote plant growth!Island clouds can automatically regenerate even if they are gone, and there are as many as you want; this deal is a guaranteed profit!Once they defeat Eneru and the country returns to my hands, and I give Upper Yard to the Shandians, it's just a bit of Vearth, right?By then, when permanent peace arrives, I will be the greatest leader — this is an absolute win!The setting sun stretched their shadows out long. They each harbored their own secret agendas, yet both wore expectant smiles on their faces, neither exposing the little schemes in their hearts."Ah! This invitation card is actually pure gold!" Nami's eyes instantly lit up. She couldn't help but lean in and bite the card with her teeth, having long since thrown the matter of scolding Zoro and the others for provoking God to the back of her mind!(Rubber is the bane of lightning...! And what is Nika? ⊙ ﹏ ⊙ Oda thinks it's reasonable, so it's reasonable! Respect the original work!)
Chapter 92: Splitting Up and Setting OffUsopp's gaze was locked tightly on the sky above. His Adam's apple bobbed as he squeezed out a voice: "Don't bite Miss Nami, and be careful of lightning from the sky!"As soon as the words fell, Nami immediately stuffed the pure gold invitation card into her close-fitting "pocket," her mouth pulling into a deliberately relaxed smile: "Aha! The gods are very generous; even if they gave me all the gold, they wouldn't get angry! Haha~"Mark's gaze swept over the companions gathered around him: "How should we choose? Should we take the Express Shrimp and go the direct route, or go challenge the trial games?""I want to go play the challenge games!" Luffy's voice suddenly exploded, his hand raised high."I'm going too. The trial grounds should be a good place for training." Zoro lowered his eyes, looking at the scabbards of the three swords at his waist, his tone steady.Nami, however, shivered violently, hugging her arms tightly and shrinking back, full of resistance: "Disgusting! I definitely don't want to go to such a dangerous place!"Robin rested her chin on one hand, her eyes filled with exploration of the unknown: "I want to go explore the history of Sky Island; I have a feeling there will be some very important discoveries."Sanji exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes carrying a hint of determination, his voice hiding a faint melancholy: "The trial grounds—just hearing the name sounds passionate enough."But the next second, his gaze swept to Nami and Robin, and he instantly switched to "lovestruck mode," heart-shaped symbols appearing in his eyes: "However, Miss Nami, Miss Robin, 'Trials of Love' are much more suitable for me! Nami-san... isn't that right...""Alright! Let the brave Captain Usopp go ahead and pave the way for you all!"Usopp sidled up to Sanji, but his legs were trembling uncontrollably inside his pant legs.Sanji glanced at him and unceremoniously raised his foot to kick his butt: "Stop shaking your legs! Get lost and go to the trials!"Chopper hurriedly pounced over and hugged Nami's leg, his eyes shining with glistening tears: "Nami, take me with you; I want to take the direct route."Seeing this, Mark no longer hesitated and decisively split the paths: "Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, come with me on the trial path; Robin, Nami, Chopper, Sanji, take the direct path!""Hey! Don't decide other people's paths without asking!" Usopp roared at the top of his lungs.But Mark ignored him entirely. He turned to Conisand offered a polite smile: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Miss Conis."Conis nodded gently: "Mm.""Let's go! Usopp."Luffy grabbed Usopp's ankle, dragging him along and leaving a trail on the ground, heading straight for the coastline.Gan Fall, who was to the side, turned to Conis and said: "I'll take your father, Pagaya, back to my house first, and I'll come to the pier to pick you up later. Don't worry, even Mantra cannot detect my house."Conis hurriedly bowed, her voice full of gratitude: "Thank you so much, Lord Gan Fall!"Gan Fall watched the backs of the young people as they walked away, then looked at the marks on the ground that Usopp had clawed out with his hands, the corners of his mouth curling up quietly.At the coastline—the wood used to reinforce the going merry was all synthesized by Mark's ability, so it didn't break as soon as it reached Sky Islandlike in the original, and at this moment it was still the ~ "Chicken You're Too Beautiful" ship!Conis pointed to the anchor and explained: "As long as you pull up the anchor, the Super Express Shrimp will soon come to guide you—the act of weighing anchor is the signal for the Super Express Shrimp!"Sanji stood at the ship's rail, immediately rolling up his sleeves to start pulling up the anchor, his movements crisp and neat.Robin quietly and carefully pulled up the rope ladder.Nami pulled the sail ropes to stow the sails—since they had a guide, the sails weren't needed.Chopper was busy running back and forth, only realizing at the end that the South Bird had been forgotten at the ship's rail. He hurriedly ran over, scratching his head in apology: "I'm sorry! I forgot about you!"The South Bird just let out a "caw," stiffened its hard neck, and flew straight in the direction of the Upper Yard.Sure enough, as soon as the anchor was stowed, two crimson lights suddenly flashed in the distance—those were the eyes of the Express Shrimp.Immediately after, a black shadow rushed rapidly through the sea toward the bottom of the going merry.When the shadow got closer, everyone could see clearly: it was a large shrimp covered in a dark red hard shell, its head wider than the hull of the going merry, with the letters "GOD" printed in black on its forehead.Its two thick front claws extended and firmly gripped the two sides of the going merry.The ship suddenly shook violently; even though everyone was mentally prepared, they were still startled by the sudden commotion and gripped the railings tightly.There wasn't even time to say goodbye to their companions on the shore before the ship was taken into the middle of the sea.Luffy put his hand over his brow to gaze at the large shrimp, full of envy: "Super Express Shrimp! So interesting! I really want to ride it once!"Usopp on the beach was about to cry from anxiety, waving his hands and jumping, tears streaming out: "Wait for me! I haven't gotten on the ship yet!... Hey! I haven't gotten on the ship yet..."Mark made a "please" gesture to Conis: "Let's go."Conis gently lifted her skirt, bowed slightly, and walked to the front, leading everyone toward the aerial corridor of Angel Lovely Street.Just after stepping onto the corridor and walking for a while, Mark pulled out the camera he bought in Mock Town— "Click," he pressed the shutter, his tone full of admiration: "This is what a vacation is; this is a place you must check in at.""Check in? You're using strange words again." Zoroglanced at Mark and turned his gaze to the buildings in the distant sea of clouds."Oh! Mark, take a picture of me!" Hearing the camera sound, Luffy immediately turned his head and shoved his face in front of the lens, his nose almost touching the glass.Mark pushed his head away, annoyed: "Sticking so close, do you want me to take a picture of 'rubber polymer'!"He directed everyone's positions: "Conis, stand in the middle, Zoro, stand behind her, Luffy, Usopp, stand on either side, don't move!"Seeing that Zoro still had a "wooden" look on his face, he added: "Zoro, give me some expression! Put your hand on Conis's shoulder! Yes!"With a "click," Mark gave an "OK" gesture.In the photo, Conis's cheeks were flushed a soft pink; Zoro's expression remained stiff, his eyes looking at the lens with dissatisfaction; Luffy had a hand on his Straw Hat, smiling brightly; and Usoppwas striking a flashy "The Thinker" pose."Hey! Conis, where is that over there? It's so pretty!" Luffy pointed to the clouds floating with colorful shops to the front right, waving his hand excitedly.Conis was still experiencing a racing heartbeat because of the hand Zoro had placed on her shoulder. Only when Luffy shouted did she snap back to reality and hurriedly explain: "Oh... oh! That's Lovely Street; you can reach the pier once you pass through the street."On the street, Mark stepped on the white island clouds beneath his feet, bent down to touch the texture of the cloud, and sighed: "This Sky Island is really clean, there isn't even a speck of dust. It's hard for me to get by here!"Luffy suddenly looked up, staring at the clothing store floating on the clouds and exclaimed: "Look! The shop is floating in the air!"Conis smiled and nodded: "This is designed by fully utilizing the characteristics of island clouds; it's very convenient."Luffy rubbed his sunken stomach, thinking about food again: "I wonder if there's a barbecue restaurant..."When passing by a fruit shop, Mark stopped and asked the owner: "Can I pay with treasure?"The owner shook his head like a rattle drum about to fall apart, his mouth clamped shut."What about Berries?" Mark continued to ask. The owner finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded hurriedly.Mark pointed to the fruit on the stall: "Then this one... and this one..."The owner was happily about to pack the fruit into a paper bag, but Mark suddenly waved his hand: "Don't want these two.""Pack up all the other fruit." Mark pointed to the stall next to it.The owner's face instantly turned livid: "If you don't want them, why the hell did you mention them!... How am I supposed to pack so much fruit? Am I supposed to pack it with my head..."He chattered on and on endlessly—originally thought to be a quiet type, but it turned out he was a chatterbox.Mark raised his hand and released a ball of colorful rainbow mist; the mist wrapped around the fruit and spun, and in the blink of an eye, it was gone—even the wooden frame of the fruit stall disappeared.The owner was so shocked his mouth hung wide open: "Um, this sir! I admit my voice was a bit loud just now!""It's fine, I still like your unruly appearance from before; revert back to that!" Mark said calmly, casually taking out a stack of Berries and placing them in front of the owner.The owner snatched the money: "What are you looking at? If you're not buying anything, get lost!""Damn! I told you to revert and you actually did, don't I have any face? Old geezer, are these melons ripe?"Mark rolled up his sleeves and was about to step forward to fight. Zoro hurriedly pulled him back: "Forget it, forget it, give me some face."The owner grabbed the money and dived into the back room, not even bothering to close the door, fearing that this "weirdo" would come up with new tricks.For the rest of the way, Mark performed this "buy out the shop" operation several more times.When the vendors saw him, they all rushed over with their best-selling items. The road that could have been walked in a few minutes was dragged out for an hour due to all the shopping stops.Arriving at the pier, Luffy stared at a huge ship with a bull's head and phoenix tail, his eyes fixed, his mouth slightly open, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground: "So cool! Let's borrow this ship! Look at the horns on the bow, and the phoenix tail at the stern!"Conis wiped the light sweat from her forehead, her tone apologetic: "Everyone's ship is over here."After walking another dozen meters, she pointed to a ship—jet black all over, the bow was a sloppy Crow's head, the stern didn't even have a tail, there were only four seats, but fortunately, a parasol was propped up in the middle—Conis's voice grew quieter: "This is it, the Crow-kun."Luffy was so shocked that N black lines slid down his forehead, his mouth forming an "O" shape: "How can it be like this?"Zoro also couldn't help but retort: "Crow... more like a water bird."Conis smiled awkwardly and explained: "This is the ship I used before I knew how to use a wiper; although it's not as fast as a wiper, it's equipped with two wind dials, so it has plenty of power. Please feel free to use it!"Mark looked at the pitch-black little boat that was completely outside his aesthetic, couldn't help but support his forehead, and the corners of his mouth twitched: "Is this... a twin-turbocharged 'Crow'?""I want to ride the one next to it!" Luffy was still thinking about the bull-headed ship, pulling on the ship's rope and refusing to let go.Conis persuaded him helplessly: "Even if you say that, the small paths in the jungle aren't suitable for a large ship to pass through; it will get stuck."Mark could only sigh helplessly: "Alright, this Crow-kun it is."A crisp bird cry came, and everyone looked up—it was Gan Fall riding a bird, arriving.Conis waved her hand in farewell: "I'll see you all off to here, have a safe trip!""Thanks! Conis!"Luffy leaped to the helm of the Crow, grabbing the steering wheel with both hands, his eyes lighting up.Zoro and Mark followed closely, stepping onto the deck and landing steadily.Usopp was still huffing and puffing at the stern of the ship, pushing it, muttering: "I'll just be responsible for pushing the ship, you guys go ahead and have a happy departure!"Zoro couldn't watch anymore, reached out with his sword hilt to hook his collar, and with a light flick, lifted him up and threw him onto a seat on the ship: "Get over here! Don't be a coward, our brave warrior of the sea!"Luffy stepped on the accelerator pedal, and the ship instantly roared, the wind dials at the stern continuously spewing white airflow.The Crow shot toward Gate 2 like a black arrow released from a bowstring.The pier was left with only the fading roar and Usopp's elongated "Nooooo—," which drifted far away in the clear wind of Sky Island.
Chapter 93: New Moves and TrialsThe crow maru sailed along the cloud road. At first, there were waterproof brick walls on the sides, but just after rushing down a steep slope, the scenery on both sides suddenly changed—Fluffy island clouds piled up on both sides of the cloud road, with scattered greenery dotting them, adding a touch of vitality."Honestly, this crow maru is not just slow!"Luffy frowned, looking disgusted. He stepped on the accelerator as hard as he could, but the ship still moved as slowly as if it were taking a stroll.Mark leaned lazily against the soft cushions on the ship's rail, his tone nonchalant:"It's much heavier than the wiper, after all, and with a muscle maniac like Zoro on board, it's normal that it can't run fast."Mark paused, then added: "You have to admit, although this ship is ugly, it's quite thoughtful—the rails are all padded. Do you think we should modify the going merry too?""Zoro is the heaviest, I raise both hands in favor of that! After all, his brain is full of muscles!"Usopp said, pulling his goggles over his eyes, clutching his slingshot and looking left and right, vigilantly searching for potential enemies.But just as he looked up with his binoculars, the lens was suddenly filled with Zoro's face, wearing a ferocious grin.The next second, a series of clattering sounds exploded.By the time Zoro sat back in his original spot, satisfied, Usopp was covered in bumps, looking like a cactus, with the bumps acting as the "cactus spines.""Why did you only hit me and not Mark?" Usoppasked, aggrieved, looking like a punching bag."Can't hit him. Logia is truly a pain."Zoro clenched his fist, his tone full of frustration.Mark suddenly turned his head, looking at Zoro with a puzzled expression."Right! Zoro, with your physique and training volume, you should have awakened Armament Hakilong ago, right?""I can feel that power, I just can't convert it into an attack."Zoro said in a low voice, a hint of confusion in his eyes."Damn! You really are a talent!"Mark rolled his eyes and said irritably,"Try covering it first! You want to skip the first stage and go straight to projecting Haki; are you trying to defy the heavens?""The crescent black light that Hawkeye slashed out, is that the second stage?"Zoro pressed, his eyes burning with expectation."Sigh! At least, maybe the level is even higher."Mark paused, suddenly thinking of something, his tone becoming a bit helpless,"You should first try covering your whole fist with Haki, then practice covering the whole sword—others only need to cover one weapon, you need to cover three swords with different attributes at the same time. Who knows how much effort that will take."Mark sighed inwardly. Zoro was already working hard enough, but in the manga, some people inexplicably awakened Haki coating. Just thinking about it was infuriating!"What is that unusually large forest!" Usopp's exclamation suddenly interrupted their conversation."Need you ask? It must be the dungeon for this time—Upper Yard!"Mark took out his camera and "clicked" a photo of the lush forest in the distance."Using strange words again." Zoro stared at the forest, pointed to the right, his tone firm: "Luffy, that seems to be the entrance.""Oh! Leave it to me!"Luffy grabbed the steering wheel and turned it hard to the left, his eyes fixed on the towering trees, shaking his head excitedly:"So big! I really want to climb up!"At the entrance to the trial grounds—Usopp's face instantly elongated, cold sweat dripping down his chin."The atmosphere is a bit off... and something just made a sound! Sky Island is truly terrifying!""You mean that bird call just now?" Mark pointed to the shipwreck broken in two ahead, his tone calm:"That is the signal that the game has begun.""Game?"Usopp quickly zoomed in with his goggles, and after seeing the clean cuts on the wreck, he gasped, hurriedly pushing Zoro:"It's all been cut! Is this trial about fighting a swordsman?... Go, Zoro!""No, the enemy this time is an inanimate object."Zoro drew the wado ichimonji, his gaze locked sharply on a small black dot on the right—It was a giant axe hanging by a chain, swinging toward them with a whistling wind!"Ah! Oh no, row! Row with the fastest speed!"Usopp's voice changed in fright, scrambling to find something to row the ship."It's fine, isn't it just an axe? Zoro can definitely cut it to pieces, relax!"Luffy remained calm, not panicking at all, even patting Usopp on the shoulder."There's more than one!"As soon as Zoro finished speaking, he tapped the deck and leaped into the air with a "whoosh."He curled his body into a ball, gripping the sword hilt tightly with both hands, eyes slightly closed;Just at the moment the giant axe was about to collide, he suddenly opened his eyes, the speed of his draw so fast that only a cold light remained:"One Sword Style · Iai: Draw and Slash!""Clang!"The giant axe was split in two, flying to either side of the ship,With a "thud"!It smashed into the water below the clouds, splashing water high into the sky."As expected of Zoro, truly impressive! Actually, it could have been easier."Mark turned to look at Usopp, his tone carrying a hint of testing:"Sniper, you handle the next one. Aim for the chain, use a tyrant iron bullet. You only have two seconds of aiming time—None of us will intervene. If not, the ship will be destroyed and we'll die.""Heh! Sorry, if it's a sniping mission, you might be disappointed!Special Move—Piercing Star!"Usopp quickly raised his composite slingshot, aimed, and fired. The whole process took only one second, his movements clean and crisp.The axe that had just swung over from a distance suddenly "boom" smashed onto the shore, a section of the chain on the axe broke, and it swayed before stopping."Not bad! Continue!""Special Move..."In the time that followed, Usopp was busy without a moment's rest, his fingers almost stiff from pulling;Luffy, Zoro, and Mark, however, were leisurely, completely unaffected.Mark even took out a few pumpkin coconuts, opened the lids, inserted straws, and handed them to Luffy and Zoro—Usopp naturally didn't get any; he didn't even have time to breathe.It wasn't until they passed the "axe-dropping game" that Usopp collapsed on the ship, gasping and complaining:"I say... you three... can you act like humans!""Alright! Good work!" Zoro took a sip of coconut juice, his tone flat."Just this bit of praise? Is it worth my effort?"Usopp sat down with a thud, turned his head, and threw a tantrum, pouting:"Anyway, I don't care... I want coconut juice too! The kind with ice!""Here! Take it!"Mark casually tossed a coconut over. Usopp didn't catch it, got hit, saw stars, and almost slid off the ship."Mark, you just wait! Sooner or later I'll shove you into the slingshot and shoot you out as a bullet!"Just then, a "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" sound of breaking air came—Countless sharpened wooden spears as thick as bowls shot toward the crow maru, chaotic and disordered, looking like they were about to hit the ship."I'll handle it."Mark stood up, walked to the bow next to Luffy, aimed his palm at the incoming wooden spears, and activated the new ability he gained in the rainbow mist:"Glutton!"A colorful vortex suddenly appeared in front of his palm, like a flat tornado, with the eye of the storm pressed tightly against his palm.As soon as the incoming wooden spears hit the vortex, they instantly disappeared."It's being fired by automatic giant crossbows on both banks."Mark scanned the shore, a smile curling on his lips:"Now it's my turn to attack! Retaliator!"The wooden spears that had just been absorbed by "Glutton" suddenly shot out from the vortex, ten times faster than when they came,"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."In the blink of an eye, all the automatic giant crossbows were pierced through by the wooden spears, and the sound of "crack" was endless. The fragments of the giant crossbows scattered all over the ground."So amazing! What kind of ability is this!"Luffy stared, his eyes wide, his jaw almost dropping onto the crow maru."So fast... feels like it's ten times faster than just now."Cold sweat seeped from Zoro's forehead, his eyes full of astonishment.Usopp stared at the pierced giant crossbows, unable to help but exclaim!"What the hell! This destructive power is on par with a cannon!""The principle is actually simple."Mark retracted his ability and explained: "By accelerating the space to speed up the wooden spears, and finally releasing them.""Your acceleration space can be used like this? I thought it could only be used for brewing wine."Zoro shook his head, looking at Mark with a bit more admiration, thinking to himself: This guy's brain is really smart.Meanwhile, deep in Upper Yard—The going merry was parked steadily at the top of a structure resembling a Mayan pyramid. The super express shrimp that had brought them there was nowhere to be seen."Rarely encounter such good ingredients, and it just disappeared like that. What a pity."Sanji looked in the direction the super express shrimp had disappeared, looking regretful, his mind already calculating recipes for spicy shrimp.Chopper hung on the railing, his legs dangling, his voice full of unease—"Are you a devil? Sanji! By the way, what kind of place is this?""What's certain is that this is inside Upper Yard." Nami looked at the surrounding environment, her brows slightly furrowed.She felt this place was eerie, looking at these skeletons, and the writing on the stone walls..."We should be on the Sacrificial Altar now." Robinstared at the pool of water below the altar, where black shadows were swimming back and forth."Sigh... Nami, what is a Sacrificial Altar?" Chopperstood on the rail, turning to ask Nami, his eyes full of confusion."It's just a place to offer lives as sacrifices to the gods!" Nami shrugged, her tone indifferent: "It's just that.""Scared me! I thought they were going to boil me alive and eat me!" Chopper let out a huge sigh of relief!"But it's about the same. No matter what method is used, in the end, life must be offered to the gods." Robin crossed her arms, speaking to Chopper with a calm expression."Eh?! In other words... will we all be killed in the end?"Chopper finally realized the meaning of Sacrificial Altar. His pupils instantly dilated, his legs went weak from fear, and he subconsciously stepped back out of habit—But it was this step that made him tumble off the railing, rolling down the pyramid steps, the steps making "thump, thump" sounds."Chopper!" Nami and Robin exclaimed at the same time, their voices full of anxiety."Honestly!"Sanji sighed helplessly, leaped, and chased down the stairs.Just as Chopper rolled to the last step, two hands suddenly grew on the stairs, firmly grabbing his hands and feet—it was Robin's Hana Hana no Miability.Robin let out a long sigh of relief, her hanging heart dropping."Great!" Nami also patted her chest, exhaling deeply. She had been worried to death just now.Chopper was not only a Devil Fruit user who couldn't swim, but there were clearly monsters in the water.But just as the three relaxed their vigilance, a black shark suddenly leaped high out of the pool,Opening its blood-red mouth, its sharp teeth glinting with cold light, its target was Chopper, who was closest to it!"Ah! No!" Chopper screamed in terror, his little legs kicking wildly in the air, but it was too late.At the critical moment, Sanji descended like a god, using the force of a backflip, his heel carrying a strong gust of wind, smashing fiercely toward the black shark: "Mutton Shot!""Bang!"His heel landed solidly in the center of the black shark's forehead, the force so great that the black shark instantly lost its life.The black shark rolled its eyes instantly, its snow-white belly facing up, floating on the water, no longer moving.The surrounding sharks were scared away by this commotion, not daring to approach, and even the pool calmed down."Don't waste it! Mark isn't here, and I was just worrying about what ingredients to use for dinner later!Isn't this high-quality shark fin." Sanji grabbed the black shark's mouth, dragged it lightly,And carried the black shark, which was bigger than him, onto his shoulders, turning to call Chopper, who was still dazed: "Let's go, Chopper.""Oh! Sanji, thank you! Waaaah..." Chopper reacted, rushed over to hug Sanji's leg, refusing to let go, his tears and snot smearing Sanji's leg.Sanji put the black shark he was carrying on his shoulder onto the deck of the going merry, his tone firm:"Deal with this shark first, get some food to fill our stomachs—Luffy and the others will get here sooner or later, no rush."On the cloud road, the voyage of the crow marucontinued."Is there no end to it! I can't even remember how many waves of attacks we've endured!"Usopp moved to the driver's seat, rubbing his sore arms, looking on the verge of a breakdown."This is just the beginning. I heard there are guys called 'Priests' waiting for us ahead." Luffy said, his eyes still shining with anticipation."Hey! Luffy, Priest is not a name."Zoro leaned against the railing, his tone lazy, but his eyes flashing with a combative light:"Hope they are some tough guys, the more the better, otherwise they won't be enough for us to divide—I'll take at least two!""What did you say? Then I'll take three!" Luffy's competitive spirit was instantly ignited, and he shouted loudly."Then... I'll take four!" The tone was more arrogant, not giving an inch."Ten!""One hundred!"The two argued back and forth, neither willing to yield."There's a giant ahead!"Usopp suddenly screamed, his eyes popping out, his tongue vibrating like a wave, and his voice turning sharp."No, that's a stone statue." Mark squinted and looked ahead, examined it carefully, and corrected."Looks like there's no road ahead." Luffy leaned forward to look, scratched his head, looking confused."No, there are four entrances ahead!" Usopp put on his goggles and said quickly, pointing ahead.When the crow maru got closer, everyone saw the appearance of the stone statue—It was a huge human face, with four oval-shaped passages where the mouth should be, like four side-by-side teeth, pitch-black and bottomless.Above the passages were four words carved: Trial of Iron, Trial of String, Trial of Swamp, Ball Trial."In other words, four trial grounds correspond to four Priests?"Zoro instantly perked up, his hand on the hilt of his sword, eager to try, his eyes full of excitement.Usopp looked at the four pitch-black passages, swallowed, and asked in a low voice:"So... which trial ground should we choose?"(The protagonist's new move is equivalent to a sudden increase in gravity! The acceleration obtained!)
Chapter 94 Upper Yard — The Island of GoldRobin lightly touched the stone wall at the top of the altar, her gaze falling on the faint square carvings.Her pupils contracted, and her voice trembled: "Unbelievable, this altar has existed for at least a thousand years.""A thousand years?"Three exclamations overlapped.Chopper's hooves scraped against the ship's rail, nearly slipping.Sanji's hand holding the black tea shook slightly.The teacup Nami had just brought to her lips paused in mid-air, her eyes fixed on the stone wall, full of confusion."Seeing such an ancient historical relic makes every inch of my body leap with joy."Robin's gaze was clear and bright.Nami finally drank the tea, pouting as she muttered,"I don't get why you're so obsessed with rocks; they can't turn into gold.""The older the ruin, the more precious the things sleeping beneath it often are — gold, gems, they all love to hide with these 'old rocks'."Robin's eyes curved into a smile.As soon as she finished, Nami's expression changed in a "flash."By the time she looked again, Nami had already slung her yellow backpack over her shoulder.Her footsteps had already crept to the edge of the altar.She reached out and grabbed Robin's wrist: "Let's go! Robin, let's hurry and find the ruins!""So, so fast! Just a moment ago you said you weren't interested in rocks!"Chopper stood on the going merry, shrugging his shoulders in surprise."You don't understand, I'm doing this to explore history!"Nami puffed out her chest and raised her head.But the "$$" clearly visible in her eyes couldn't be hidden at all.Chopper rolled his eyes and muttered to himself,"I don't believe you for a second, your eyes are almost shaped like Berries!""But, Miss Nami, Robin..."Sanji suddenly bit his shirt collar and leaned in.Tears were streaming down his face, leaving everyone stunned."What's wrong, Sanji? You're acting all hesitant."Nami frowned at him.Even Robin stopped in her tracks.Sanji's voice deepened."Mark gave me a death order on the shore... He said, 'Sanji, you must watch over the going merry; even if you die, you must die on the ship'."After he finished, his eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had realized something.He slumped onto the ground, clutching his chest, his shoulders heaving."Yes! This is the trial of love! Oh — God of Love, please forgive my selfishness!"Robin shook her head helplessly.White petals suddenly bloomed from her palms.Several arm-vines wrapped around the branches of the giant tree overhead, hanging steadily like a twisted rope ladder."Hold on to me."She said to Nami.She tapped her toes on the edge of the altar and swung with Nami to the opposite bank."Watch the ship well, we'll be exploring nearby!"Nami clung to Robin's arm, not forgetting to wave back at Sanji.They followed Robin into the dense forest."Miss Nami! Robin! How can you just walk away without looking back... My heart, it's going to break!"Sanji knelt on the ground, slapping the earth and wailing, his acting skills top-notch.Chopper leaned in and sniffed, his little nose wrinkling."I don't know if your heart is broken or not, but — the things in your pot seem to be burning.""Ah! My lovely bento!"Sanji sprang up like a gust of wind, rushing toward the going merry, forgetting to even finish his wailing.Luffy on the cloud road "slapped" his knee and stood up.He grinned, revealing two rows of neat teeth: "Let's choose the Ball Trial!""Why? It's pitch black inside, it feels so terrifying!"Usopp covered his eyes with his hands, only daring to look through his fingers."Because it sounds like so much fun, hee hee!"Luffy put his hands on his hips, his eyes squinting into slits from excitement.Zoro's gaze darted between the four doors."There are four of us, shouldn't we each pick a door?""I want to too... but we only have one ship. How about you carry me and swim over there?"Mark clicked his tongue, his tone full of annoyance."Don't you have the windmill?"Zoro's voice was lazy.But these words hit Mark like a thunderclap."That's right! I knew you were a genius, Zoro!"Mark's eyes lit up.He traced his fingertip in mid-air, and the rainbow mist's static space rainbow light door opened.Pushed by the rainbow mist, the windmill that Luffyhad first set sail on landed steadily on the water.With a "bang," Mark jumped onto the ship first.He patted the railing: "Now we can choose two doors, how do we split up?""I'm going to the Ball Trial!"Luffy pointed to the door on the right."The Trial of Iron, I'm going."Zoro straightened up, his tone firm.Usopp looked left at the Trial of Iron door, then right at the other two.He swallowed hard, his neck shrinking: "I, I'll go with Luffy to the Ball Trial... at least that one sounds like the death might be a bit more decent."Mark spread his hands and sighed helplessly."So I'm the only one with no choice? I originally wanted to tag along for some 'baseball', but now, I've become Zoro's driver.""I'll pass the trial alone."Zoro's tone was a bit reluctant, but he was stubborn."You? It'd be good enough if you could find the door to the Trial of Iron. Can you even get the windmill to move?"Mark teased with a smile.The windmill's blades slowly began to turn: "Come on up, I'm charging you three hundred Berries for the fare.""Why do I still have to pay? You're just like Nami!"Zoro frowned.He stepped on the railing of the crow maru and jumped over.He found a familiar corner and sat down cross-legged, his hand on the hilt of his sword, turning his face away from Mark.Mark leaned against the railing.He had a foxtail grass in his mouth at some point, the tip swaying as he spoke: "Nami does it for the money, I do it for the atmosphere.""Atmosphere? What's so good about this lousy atmosphere."Zoro snorted.His gaze drifted to the distant clouds, but he didn't refute it again."You're still young, it's normal that you don't understand."Mark shook his head.The foxtail grass brushed against his lips."As if you're so old."Zoro muttered.The two bickered back and forth.The windmill sailed slowly toward the Trial of Iron.And Luffy and Usopp also entered the door to the Ball Trial.The sound of Usopp's "No!" still echoed in the air.In the dense forest deep in the Upper Yard, Namislowly lowered the binoculars in front of her eyes.Her expression was panicked and terrified.Sitting on the tree branch, her gaze was locked on the scene in the distance.She even forgot to breathe."What's wrong, Nami? Did you see the ruins?"Robin placed her hand on the tree trunk.She looked up at Nami, then turned her head to look in the direction Nami was staring."Robin, come with me!"Nami flipped down from the tree branch.She grabbed Robin's wrist and rushed into the forest.On the way, she dodged several cloud shark attacks and ran to the edge of the Upper Yard without incident."Now... you should understand, right?"Nami leaned against the stone wall, panting.Her chest was heaving violently, and her eyes carried a light of excitement.Robin looked up and saw the building in front of her, and cold sweat broke out instantly.Her pupils shrank — the building was very similar to the one they had seen on Jaya Island not long ago!"How can this be... This house, we only saw it not long ago!""I knew I wasn't seeing things!"Nami panted and smiled."This earth-shattering secret, we actually cracked it."Robin touched the stone wall: "I always thought it was strange; Sky Island shouldn't have an earthen island.""After all, the fact that this island itself isn't made of clouds is very strange.""This Upper Yard isn't made of clouds at all — it was originally an island on the ground.""And Uncle Cricket's house!"Nami straightened up and walked around the building."It's clearly a two-story building, yet there isn't even a staircase to the second floor.""Why would it be built on the edge of a cliff for no reason? It turns out that cliff is the crack where the island split apart!""Could it be because of the Knock-Up Stream?"Robin looked up abruptly, suddenly realizing.Nami nodded heavily, her expression incredulous yet a bit excited:"The Island of Gold that Uncle Cricket spent half his life looking for didn't sink into the sea at all — it has been on Sky Island the whole time!""The Upper Yard is half of Jaya Island."
Chapter 95: Trial of Iron, Fire, and BallAs soon as Luffy and Usopp stepped into the entrance of the Ball Trial, the light before them was instantly swallowed by thick darkness."Don't close your eyes, Usopp! You're still steering the ship!" Luffy's nonchalant voice drifted out of the darkness.Usopp snapped open his eyes, which had been squeezed shut from fear, and said with utter helplessness, "Even if I keep them open, isn't it still pitch black!""Hey! Usopp, what do you think—are these four gates like a lottery? Are there winning prizes and 'losing prizes'?" Luffy suddenly popped out a strange thought."What the hell! Why are you saying this only now! What if we really hit a 'losing prize'?" Usopp's voice instantly tightened."If it's a 'losing prize'..." Luffy seemed to think for three seconds, then suddenly lowered his voice, dragging it out deliberately in an eerie tone, "The two of us will fall off the Sky Island, hahaha.""How is that possible! This is ten thousand meters above the Blue Sea! If we fall, our lives would flash before our eyes several times over! Even if there's a 'losing prize,' there has to be a limit, hey!" Usopp's voice trembled with panic at first, and by the end, he was shouting directly into the darkness."Haha, how could that be—I was just kidding..." Before Luffy could finish his sentence, the crow maru suddenly rushed out of the cave, wind gushing into the cabin, mixed with the rushing sound of the waterfall below.The next second, after the ship lost its support from the water, it plummeted uncontrollably."Waaaah—!" The two's screams twisted together; their eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets, their teeth felt like they were detaching from their gums, their hands gripped the gunwales tightly, and even their scalps seemed to be flying off."Ho-how could it... really fall down!""Bang—!" The loud noise of the crow maruslamming into the area below the waterfall instantly startled a flock of South Birds.The terrified bird calls echoed through the valley and didn't dissipate for a long time.Fortunately, there was soft sea cloud below, and the ship didn't suffer the slightest damage."Cough, cough, cough... saved!" Luffy sprawled on the gunwale, his Straw Hat topped with a clump of cloud debris.Usopp's mouth and nose were completely stuffed with cloud debris. He sprawled on the deck, lacking even the strength to lift his hand to wipe his face: "Where is this? Heaven?...""By the way, where is this?" Luffy pushed himself up on the gunwale, looking around curiously, the danger from just a moment ago already forgotten."Luffy! You jinx! Look, we really fell down!" Usoppsuddenly scrambled up, grabbed Luffy by the collar, and shook him violently."What! It was clearly you! Mark said it, you have to be careful with what you say! You long-nosed jinx!" Luffy, refusing to be outdone, reached out and tugged on Usopp's long nose."Mark said that's called a prophet! It's different from your jinxing!" Usopp, not to be outdone, reached out to pull on Luffy's rubbery mouth."Then go ahead and prophesy something for me to see!" Luffy hooked his fingers into Usopp's nostrils and pulled hard."Aren't we in the Ball Trial right now! I prophesy—we'll definitely run into a talking ball in a moment!" Usopp treated Luffy's mouth like an expander, stretching it over a meter long with a single pull."Hahaha! Are you an idiot? How could there be such a ball!" Luffy suddenly let go, clutching his stomach, laughing until he couldn't straighten his back, tears streaming down his face.Usopp rubbed his bent nose and gave a dry laugh: "Haha, actually, I also think it's unlikely!""Where exactly is this place? Big and small white balls are floating all around; by the way, why are they floating!" Usopp gazed at the vast white scene, unable to help but exclaim.Just then, an eerie laugh came from overhead: "Ohoho... Welcome to the Ball Trial, which has a survival rate of only ten percent!""It, it really appeared! A talking ball!" Luffy and Usopp looked at each other, both exclaiming in surprise, heads tilted back, eyes staring at the white ball overhead.A moment later, Usopp frowned again: "No! Someone must be standing on that cloud ball talking!""Ho ho! Have I been discovered?" That person hopped down from the cloud ball above Luffy's head, landing steadily on the white ball in front of the crow maru.What appeared in their field of vision was a humanoid creature that looked like a glutinous rice ball come to life—a spherical body topped with a chubby face, wearing wide red-rimmed glasses and a yellow bowler hat. Long Red Hair hung down from the brim, wrapping around half of the spherical body; it had no shoulders, waist, or neck."It... it appeared! A talking ball!" Usopp and Luffywere shocked again, mouths wide open, eyeballs popping out."Ohoho, not a ball, I am Satori, the priest of the Ball Trial! Ohoho."Satori stepped on the floating cloud ball, waving his hands back and forth, his feet jumping alternately as if on springs, looking just like a roly-poly toy."Priest? Gan Fall said he was pretty strong, but this guy looks like a loser no matter how you look at him." Usopp curled his lip; this "ball" in front of him really didn't make him feel vigilant."Hey! Rice ball spirit, are Nami and the others okay!" Luffy stood with his hands on his hips, head tilted up, his tone full of impatience."Ohoho, the Sacrificial Altar? If you don't do anything, they will all die!" Satori was still dancing an unknown dance, a punchable smile on his face."What did you say! Stop dancing, it's annoying just to look at!" Luffy's face darkened, completely forgetting that he was the originator of this kind of "weird dance.""Ohoho, you won't be able to proceed unless you defeat me!" Satori stopped dancing and shook his round body."Special Attack: Exploding Star!" Usopp wouldn't wait for the opponent to strike first; he lifted his hand and fired the Exploding Star, aiming straight for Satori's head."Ohoho, aiming for the head?" Satori just tilted his face, and the Exploding Star flew past his skull, slamming into a distant tree with a "boom"—the tree trunk, as thick as a washbasin, was blown apart directly, wood chips mixed with cloud tufts flying everywhere."Eh! He could even dodge that?" Usopp widened his eyes, looked down at the slingshot in his hand, and even doubted if something went wrong."Is it Observation Haki? Let me try!" Luffy stood firm on the deck, his arms spinning like a windmill for dozens of times, bringing up the sound of wind."Gum-Gum... Express Bullet!" The accelerated fist shot toward Satori's face like a cannonball."It's useless! I can predict everything you do—it looks like a fist, but it's actually a left-leg attack, right?"Satori said with certainty, and the yellow gloves on his hands accurately blocked the whip kick Luffysuddenly swept out, with a muffled "bang.""Hehe!" Luffy suddenly laughed, and Satori's face instantly fell—he just realized that Luffy's rubber hand hadn't been retracted at all.Luffy's initial target was neither the whip kick nor the fist. The fist hit the tree behind Satori as if it had struck a wall, and then rebounded violently, aiming for the back of his head!"Oh no!" Just as Satori wanted to dodge, his Red Hair was grabbed by Luffy's rebounding hand."Hehe, I predicted your prediction!" Luffy threw his head back violently, his forehead instantly coated with Armament Haki.This scene terrified Satori, "Ah! No... it'll be very painful!" But the only response he got was— "Gum-Gum... Headbutt!""Crack—" A clear sound of bones fracturing rang out. Satori's eyes rolled back, his teeth shattered until only three were left, and like a deflated balloon, he fell from the sky into the Cloud River, disappearing instantly."Def... defeated?" Usopp's wide-open mouth hadn't closed yet, and he rubbed his eyes in disbelief.The priest who claimed to be able to predict everything just a moment ago was taken out by Luffy with a single headbutt?"Heeheehee! What the heck, he really was just a loser rice ball!" Luffy retracted his fist and triumphantly adjusted his Straw Hat.He stretched his neck and curiously examined the floating cloud balls all around, "Usopp, these balls look soft and fluffy, are they edible?" As he spoke, his rubber arm reached out to grab the nearest cloud ball."Idiot! Don't just touch things randomly!" Usopp was so scared he quickly stopped him, "What if it's another trap! We are in the enemy's base camp right now!"He patted his chest with lingering fear, took a deep breath, and tried hard to calm himself down from the thrill just now.As a "brave warrior of the sea," he had to shoulder the responsibility of a scout.He raised his telescope and carefully observed this strange area. Countless white cloud balls floated quietly like jellyfish, emitting a soft halo in the hazy light; it was impossible to tell that a life-and-death battle had taken place here just a few minutes ago."It seems we've passed this 'Ball Trial'... Luffy, we need to find the exit quickly and go meet up with Nami and the others!""Oh! You're right! Meat... no, wait, Nami and the others are still waiting!" Luffy was instantly awakened, his fighting spirit ignited again.Deep in the Upper Yard, Chopper was staring at the river mouth—if Luffy and the others passed the trial, they would definitely slide down from here.Suddenly, a sound of piercing through the air came from the right. Chopper turned his head abruptly and vaguely saw a strange bird with a person sitting on its back."Is it Luffy and the others?" Chopper jumped down from the going merry and moved closer to the edge of the Sacrificial Altar.The giant bird flew extremely fast. The moment Chopper looked up, he happened to meet the gaze of the person on the bird's back.The giant bird stopped abruptly in front of Chopper, flapping its wings slowly."What's this, a killable sacrifice, and a raccoon dog?" The man shook his head, not even interested in getting up, his tone full of disdain."I'm not a raccoon dog! I'm a reindeer! You sunglasses jerk!" After Chopper yelled, he belatedly felt fear and shrank back."More than one? And a heartthrob cook. If you have the ability, come try to kill me." Sanji walked from the kitchen to the gunwale, blew a smoke ring, didn't even lift his eyes to the bird's back, his tone even more disdainful than when he despised Chopper.In the arena of the Trial of Iron—Zoro raised his hand to tighten his green bandana, and the aura of the three swords at his waist instantly spread out.He turned his head back to look at Mark, who was sitting on the deck of the windmill, and hooked his mouth in a triumphant grin: "I told you, we would hit the jackpot."Zoro pointed at the man riding a giant dog in front, "Good luck! It's someone who plays with swords.""Pitiful Blue Sea people, your luck is really not that great." Ohm drew his long sword, the cold and hard blade reflecting his sorrowful face!"Because in my Trial of Iron, the survival rate is 0." As soon as the voice fell, the air between the two suddenly froze. Sword energy intertwined, and the battle was on the verge of breaking out.