The ship approached Upper Yard, the island made of solid earth, unlike all the islands in the sky, which were formed from island clouds.
"Those trees are enormous," Vivi murmured.
"Many of them must be thousands of years old," Robin added.
"Look, a river," Mikita said, pointing ahead.
The cloud road ran straight through the middle of Upper Yard. On both sides stood enormous torches decorated with the skulls of Sky Beasts, but that wasn't all. There were also countless mud faces resembling statues of unknown creatures.
"What are those?" Allen asked.
These people were taking the whole "god" thing far too seriously. Had Enel even built mud statues of himself? One would have been understandable, but dozens were lining the shore of the Cloud River.
"This is Vearth," Conis said as she clasped her hands together in prayer. "They have been objects of worship for the people of the sky since time immemorial. They have nothing to do with Enel."
"I see." Allen smiled. "Then they're not doing a very good job protecting your people."
"Allen, don't say that," Robin said.
"Please forgive him, Conis," Nami added.
Conis shook her head. "No... Indeed, praying doesn't solve anything."
Allen laughed, reached out, and gently patted Conis on the head. Startled, the girl looked at him in a daze.
"As I said, you don't need to pray. If you're going to believe in someone, believe in me. I'm here, and I can answer your prayers."
Conis's eyes widened before she laughed. She had met all kinds of people from the Blue Sea, but this was the first time she had ever seen a young man trying to replace God.
"...?"
Allen frowned, withdrew his hand, and disappeared.
The very next instant, a massive axe crashed down onto the Milky Road. It was a giant pendulum axe, a classic trap, but Allen had destroyed it before it could even activate.
"Be careful," Allen said as he reappeared atop the mast. "It seems they're giving us a proper welcome."
More pendulum axes began dropping from both directions, but Allen appeared one after another, smashing them with simple punches before they could reach the ship.
Then arrows started raining down from every direction.
Allen, Tashigi, Hina, and, surprisingly, Nami protected everyone else from the arrows.
"You..."
Tashigi, who was cutting down the arrows, was shocked to see Nami calmly deflecting them with her staff as if she already knew exactly where they would strike.
"Heh." Nami laughed proudly before giving her a wink.
Tashigi felt frustrated and began trying even harder to cut down every arrow that fell. The next things to rain down were wooden spears.
"..."
Allen was irritated that they were actually trying to stop him with sticks and axes, so he vanished and reappeared at the location of the mechanisms hidden among the trees. They resembled giant crossbows modified with Dials to fire automatically.
Without hesitation, he destroyed them one after another.
When he returned to the Black Pearl, the girls looked at him with beads of sweat running down their cheeks.
The journey became much calmer until they arrived before an enormous stone face. Beneath it were four entrances.
– Swamp.
– Iron.
– String.
– Orbs.
"This is where you choose which trial you want to take," Conis said seriously. "Each one should lead to a different priest."
"What do we do?" Uta asked.
"Well, it doesn't really matter. We have to defeat all the priests anyway," Allen replied.
He shrugged. Since the Black Pearl could fly, it could simply switch paths after defeating each priest.
"In that case, let's take the Trial of String," Tashigi said.
"Why?" Kaya asked.
Why did Tashigi specifically want that trial?
"Well, because it sounds easy to cut."
"No, just because it's called the Trial of String doesn't mean there are actual strings," Vivi said.
"Can we do the Trial of Orbs?" Nami asked with puppy-dog eyes. "It sounds less dangerous."
Allen was speechless. This girl had just obtained Haki and reached Physical Level 10, making her roughly equivalent to a pirate with a nineteen-million-Berry bounty, and she still chose the "safest" route.
'No wonder Nami couldn't obtain Conqueror's Haki,' Allen thought.
[Well, becoming stronger doesn't necessarily change someone's personality.]
"Then we're taking the Trial of Orbs," Allen declared.
As they passed through the entrance to the Trial of Orbs, everything became dark. They were inside a cave.
Allen walked over, tapped Nojiko on the shoulder, and signaled for her to follow him.
The girl blinked in surprise before blushing, but in the end, she followed Allen. Nami, who now possessed Observation Haki, noticed that Allen had left with her sister and already knew what was about to happen.
Nami shook her head. She convinced herself this was simply about becoming stronger and that there was nothing wrong with it.
When the darkness cleared and they emerged from the cave, they had entered Upper Yard. The Milky Road no longer resembled a river but instead floated through the forest.
"Hm? Where's the captain?" Mikita asked.
Kaya narrowed her eyes and looked toward the captain's cabin.
"I already know where he is..." Kaya said with a cold smile.
The other girls understood exactly what she meant, and most remained silent, with the exception of Hina, who clicked her tongue, Tashigi, who cursed Allen, and Conis, whose head was practically steaming.
The Black Pearl continued along the cloud road, and they soon understood why it was called the Trial of Orbs.
Floating cloud spheres were scattered everywhere along the path.
"They look like soap bubbles," Mikita said as she reached out to touch one.
"No!" Nami shouted.
Nami had already "seen" what was inside and tried to stop Mikita, but she was too late. A venomous snake burst out of the sphere and lunged at Mikita, only to be instantly frozen.
"Why did a snake come out of it?!" Mikita cried as she fell backward.
"Be careful," Allen said, resting one hand on the now-frozen sphere.
He had appeared at the very last moment and saved Mikita.
Still upset, the girl grabbed Allen by the leg and complained.
"Captain, could you stop fooling around and get serious already?!"
"Sorry." Allen laughed, but his expression quickly turned cold. "What kind of cowardly priest are you? Just come out so we can finish this already."
A strange laugh echoed through the forest.
"Ho, hohoo~ I'm not hiding, nor am I a coward. I'm simply giving you the chance to experience the Trial of Orbs!"
One of the cloud spheres floated downward, and standing atop it was a man.
He had red hair, wings like Conis's, and an absurdly round body. He wore white clothes, round sunglasses, a hat, and yellow gloves.
As if his appearance weren't eccentric enough, he hopped around on one leg as though he were dancing.
"Thank you for choosing the Trial of Orbs. I am Satori of the Forest, ho hoho~."
"What are you supposed to be, round guy? Are you joking?" Allen mocked mercilessly. "Not only do you have absolutely no fashion sense, but you even act ridiculous. Is this really what you'd expect from one of God's priests?"
Conis turned pale, while half of the girls laughed and the other half sighed.
As for Satori, he froze. Even though he knew his appearance was rather unusual and was often teased by his fellow priests, this was the first time anyone had insulted him so bluntly.
"Y-You... H-how dare you?!"
Allen ignored Satori and smiled confidently at Nojiko.
"He's all yours, Nojiko."
"Yes, Captain!~" Nojiko smiled as she stepped forward.
"Don't ignore me!" Satori shouted.
Bang
A bullet passed right beside Satori's head.
"Hey, if you get distracted, you're going to regret it," Nojiko mocked.
The rest of the girls were surprised. This was the same Nojiko who used to spare her opponents. Why was she acting so much like... Allen?
"If that's what you want!" Satori smiled coldly. "Then let the Trial of Orbs begin!"
Nojiko rested her rifle on her shoulder and fired backward without even looking.
The bullet pierced one of the cloud spheres that had silently drifted behind her. Another snake fell out, this one already dead with a hole through its head.
"What?!" Satori exclaimed.
Everyone was stunned except Allen and Nami. It was true that Nojiko had become an excellent marksman, but what she had just done went far beyond simple accuracy. It was as if she could shoot without looking—and more than that, somehow knew she was being attacked from behind.
"Y-You..." Satori trembled.
Nojiko smiled and aimed her rifle at him.
'A shot is coming straight for my head!' Satori thought.
He had trained until he awakened Mantra. He believed it to be a divine gift bestowed only upon those chosen by God. It allowed him to anticipate his opponents' actions by "hearing" them, and thanks to it, invaders could do very little against him.
'The moment I dodge, I'll counterattack and finish her in a single blow!' Satori thought.
Bang
'Huh?'
Satori stared blankly at Nojiko as a drop of blood trickled down his forehead.
'I predicted it...' was Satori's final thought before he fell from his cloud onto the hard ground below.
Nojiko slowly lowered her rifle, exhaled quietly, and turned toward Allen, waiting for his evaluation.
"Excellent!" Allen said.
Nojiko: Cook
Physical: Level 8
Observation Haki: Level 8
Armament Haki: Level 3
Allen was surprised. Unlike Physical Levels, Haki seemed to develop differently depending on the individual. In Nojiko's case, she appeared to have a greater affinity for Observation Haki, while Nami was more balanced between Observation and Armament.
As for Allen, he excelled at everything.
"No way..." Conis fell to her knees, unable to believe a priest had been defeated so easily.
The people of the sky considered the priests terrifying beings, second only to Enel himself in terms of strength.
"This guy was pretty weak," Mikita mocked.
"Well, he was weak, but not that weak," Allen replied, drawing everyone's attention. "He had Observation Haki and a few tricks. Unfortunately for him, when his Observation Haki clashed with Nojiko's, they canceled each other out by predicting one another's actions at the same time, and he couldn't withstand a bullet coated in Armament Haki."
"Oh, I get it now... huh?" Mikita stared at Nojiko in disbelief.
She wasn't the only one. Hina dropped her cigarette onto the ground.
The cook knows how to use Haki?!
What kind of joke was that? In the Marines, Haki wasn't something everyone could learn. There were plenty of Captains who didn't even know it existed. Most CP agents couldn't use it either.
How could a girl from the East Blue know not just one, but two types of Haki?!
Hina leaned against the mast. If news of this reached Marine Headquarters, Nojiko's bounty would jump to one hundred million in an instant.
...
(A few minutes later)
"I found it!" Mikita exclaimed after pulling Satori's gloves off.
Inside were two Dials. She brought them over, and the moment Conis saw them, she covered her mouth.
"These are Impact Dials!"
"Impact Dials?" Kaya asked curiously.
Conis nodded. "They're illegal for the people of the sky. They can store impacts and release them as shockwaves. Depending on how they're used, they're lethal."
"Hmm... they might be useful," Robin said as she examined them.
"So, where do we go now?" Uta asked.
"..."
Allen thought for a moment.
After defeating Satori, he wondered whether they should continue down this path or switch to another trial. While the original plan had been to defeat all of the priests, Satori had been weak outside of his Observation Haki—far too weak.
Allen felt as though he was wasting his time, but then again, after fighting some of the world's strongest individuals, very few enemies in Paradise could still pose a real threat to him.
"Let's continue along the Milky Road."
Allen believed that, in any case, the remaining priests would come after them once they realized that they weren't running away but were going after Enel.
Also, they weren't following the rules of God's Trials.
According to Conis, the group should originally have been split into two. Half would have been sent to the Altar of Sacrifice to wait while the others attempted God's Trials. If they succeeded, everyone could leave. If they failed, they would all be offered to God as sacrifices.
So, the Black Pearl continued along the Milky Road.
....
"Damn them... they're not following the rules..." a man muttered from the sky.
He wore an outfit resembling that of a pilot: a brown aviator jacket, goggles, and a winged cap inspired by old pilot gear. However, instead of flying an airplane, he rode atop a strange purple-and-red Sky Bird with a white head. It belonged to the Fuhza species, and its name was also Fuhza.
The man had a distinctive pointed mustache and wielded a spear called the Heat Javelin, which contained a powerful Flame Dial capable of burning everything it touched.
He was one of Enel's Four Priests—the Sky Rider, Shura.
This priest oversaw the Trial of String and normally wouldn't interfere with another priest's territory. However, since there were no sacrifices this time and Allen had offended Enel, he had been granted permission to act outside the rules.
"There they are!" Shura exclaimed.
When he spotted the jet-black ship, he narrowed his eyes. Satori's defeat wasn't much of a surprise. The man ranked only third among the priests in terms of strength. Even his trial had a ten-percent survival rate, while Shura's had only a three-percent survival rate.
"I'd rather not kill people who passed the trial, but insulting God has consequences. Don't blame me! Let's go, Fuhza!"
SKEEE!
The Sky Bird dove toward the Black Pearl like a hawk.
Shura tightened his grip on his spear and fixed his sights on Conis. As a Sky Islander, helping sinners made her the highest-priority target for execution.
"...?!"
Shura's Mantra warned him that someone was about to intercept him. For a moment, he thought it would be Allen, but when he looked at the figure standing atop the mast, he saw an orange-haired girl holding a staff.
"Idiot! If you think a wooden stick can stop my Heat Javelin, you're dreaming!"
Shura attacked as his spear burst into flames. Not only would the staff shatter, but Nami herself would be incinerated in a single strike. Such was the punishment for offending Enel.
"Offer your life to God!" Shura shouted.
"I'd rather not!" Nami mocked as she tightened her grip on the staff and swung.
The instant the spear and the staff collided, something absurd happened. The spear, forged from special materials, shattered into countless pieces, while the staff continued its path and slammed directly into Shura's head.
"Imp—"
Shura didn't even have time to be shocked before his skull cracked from the impact, sending both him and his bird flying into the ground.
Nami landed gracefully on the deck as the girls stared at her in disbelief.
She already possessed nearly enough physical strength to rival Arlong. Adding Armament Haki—which essentially multiplied the power of her attacks—had made her strong enough to sweep through the entire East Blue by herself.
"You did well." Allen smiled as he patted her head.
"Hehe~" Nami grinned proudly.
Allen looked toward Shura's corpse without the slightest hint of pity. These people had used the excuse of being God's servants to kill who knew how many innocent people through their so-called trials. A quick death was almost too merciful for them.
"Well, that's two priests down. What are you going to do now, Enel?"
....
Enel opened his eyes. In such a short time, the voices of two priests had vanished.
It was unprecedented, and yet he couldn't deny it.
"So those women know Mantra as well... I see."
Enel didn't become angry. If his priests had been killed, it simply meant they were unworthy of serving him.
On the contrary, Allen's women seemed far more suitable.
"Perhaps I should spare the ones who know Mantra. After all, serving God might be a blessing far too great for mere mortals." Enel smiled.
The God had no idea how dangerous those thoughts were. Trying to kill Allen was one thing—Allen would probably find it amusing. But thinking about stealing his crew...
By the time Enel realized his mistake, death might well be the greatest mercy he could hope for.
====
A/N: Well, if there was any chance Enel would survive, it's gone now. 🗿
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