"According to this McKinley, the four priests are all ridiculously strong, so which gate should we choose?" Usopp asked, his voice laced with concern.
"It's all the same. With our strength, we won't be afraid of them. Teacher Carl said that we can conquer the Grand Line. As long as the opponent isn't a true god, they won't stand a chance against us," Zang Gao declared, adjusting his glasses confidently.
"That's right!" Luffy chimed in.
Usopp nodded, still hesitant about the decision.
At that moment, Luffy grinned. "How about the Ball Trial? It looks super interesting! And since the trial is supposed to punish prisoners, if we're all okay, these four priests will have to show themselves eventually, so it doesn't really matter which one we pick!"
With Luffy's enthusiastic suggestion, the rest of the crew readily agreed.
The Merry sailed smoothly towards the entrance of the Ball Trial.
The familiar sea of clouds stretched out before them, mostly unchanged, but now dotted with numerous white cloud balls of varying sizes floating in mid-air.
"This is... the Ball Trial?" Hina asked, a hint of doubt in her voice.
"I don't sense any danger at all," Jinbe added, nodding slightly.
Curiosity overcoming caution, Hina and Jinbe boldly poked at one of the cloud balls. Unexpectedly, the ball suddenly burst open, and a snake lunged out, aiming a bite at Jinbe's hand.
"Iron Body!" Jinbe reacted instantly, hardening his body with the defensive technique.
The snake's fangs failed to pierce Jinbe's hardened skin. Before it could strike again, Hina swiftly grabbed it and flung it towards another white ball. To everyone's surprise, that ball exploded upon impact, shattering the snake into pieces.
"Jinbe, are you alright?" Hina asked nervously.
"I'm fine. Luckily, I used Iron Body in time," Jinbe replied, visibly relieved by his quick reflexes.
They had initially assumed the white balls were simply filled with snakes, but it now seemed they contained much more dangerous surprises – perhaps even bombs. It was clear that the priests' trials were not to be underestimated.
Luffy, however, found the exploding balls amusing and grabbed another one.
A bird popped out of the white ball, only to be immediately pushed back in by Luffy. It popped out again, and Luffy repeated the action, thoroughly enjoying this simple game. If the priest in charge of the Ball Trial were to witness this, he would likely be infuriated.
Meanwhile, Zoro, Law, and Sanji all gazed intently at a large cloud ball floating high in the air.
The massive ball drifted slowly, showing no immediate signs of danger, yet all three could sense a presence within it.
"Ho ho ho! Welcome to the trial grounds! I am Priest Shura, and I oversee the Ball Trial, which has a mere 10% survival rate! You won't be passing through here today!"
A plump man in white robes and round glasses bounced up and down on the large cloud ball.
Judging by the priest's confident demeanor, it seemed a confrontation with the Straw Hats was inevitable.
"So, he's finally appeared! A priest!" Sanji exclaimed.
He immediately used Moon Walk to propel himself upwards, launching a preemptive barrage of kicks.
Just then, Shura's voice rang out, "Oh? Planning to kick my left side, are we?"
As he spoke, he swiftly dodged to his right. Sanji's kick indeed targeted Shura's left, and the priest easily evaded the attack.
But Sanji remained unfazed. "Oh? You've got Observation Haki, huh? Seems there are quite a few people on Sky Island who know about that."
Shura looked confused. "What are you babbling about?"
"I'm saying," Sanji retorted, his leg poised for another strike, "I'm going to kick you into a pig's head!"
Sanji unleashed another kick, this time faster than before. Shura leaned to the side, but Sanji's foot seemed to follow him, leaving him no choice but to raise his arms to block.
Suddenly, a powerful force erupted from Shura's hands, repelling Sanji's leg.
Sanji landed gracefully on a large tree branch, looking down at his leg with a frown. He noted that while the chubby priest didn't appear physically imposing, he was capable of generating considerable force.
What exactly is that? Sanji wondered.
Shura, equally surprised, mused aloud, "So that's the case. You also know how to use Kenbunshoku Haki? And it seems your skill isn't half bad, considering you're unharmed by my Impact Dial. Usually, a leg would have been broken by now."
The brief exchange of blows between Sanji and Shura surprised everyone on the Merry.
They knew Sanji's strength, but they hadn't anticipated that this priest would be so capable, with such peculiar fighting techniques.
"That ball seems to hold a lot of information," Little 3 couldn't help but comment.
"Indeed. No wonder Mr. Carl said this place is suitable for training Kenbunshoku Haki. It seems to be true. Back in the first half of the Grand Line, encountering someone with Haki felt like a fairy tale," Zang Gao added.
"You two! Aren't our Straw Hats the strange ones here?" Usopp couldn't help but retort.
...asking for flowers...
But in all honesty, the Straw Hats were truly exceptional.
Luffy had learned Haki shortly after setting sail and had even fought a Marine Admiral – something unheard of for most pirates.
So, encountering Observation Haki users on Sky Island shouldn't be considered strange. If they had the time to be surprised, they would be better off focusing on awakening their own Kenbunshoku Haki.
"Hey! You guys who haven't awakened Kenbunshoku Haki yet! Better start studying hard!" Zoro barked, glancing sternly at Usopp and the others.
Usopp, Zang Gao, Little 3, Hina, and Jinbe all visibly shuddered, immediately turning their attention back to the battle with renewed seriousness. The pressure on the Straw Hats' ship was palpable; if they didn't possess Haki, they would be weaker than their crewmates.
While there was no outright bullying among the crew, a sense of inferiority would inevitably creep in.
....0
It was a common understanding that Haki was essential. If everyone else knew it and you didn't, you'd likely feel embarrassed and lose face as a member of the Straw Hats.
Therefore, everyone felt a sense of urgency to improve.
Zoro's sternness was understandable. With Carl absent, as the second strongest member present and a seasoned veteran of the Straw Hats, he had to shoulder certain responsibilities – like motivating these less driven individuals.
Sure enough, after Zoro's sharp words, Usopp's somewhat lax attitude immediately shifted to serious focus. Even Hina and Jinbe, individuals with strong wills, were affected, showing no resentment towards Zoro's prodding.
Seeing this, Law couldn't help but glance at Zoro.
This is the person who aspires to be the world's greatest swordsman!
Sometimes, Law couldn't help but compare himself to Zoro. As Carl had pointed out, due to their different dreams, Zoro possessed a sharper edge and a stronger "heart of the sword," often making Law feel inferior in that specific aspect.
Of course, Law's own strong will wouldn't allow him to admit defeat, but he preferred to focus on developing his Devil Fruit abilities.
In mid-air, Sanji and Shura exchanged several more blows, with neither gaining a clear advantage. Shura primarily relied on his familiarity with the terrain, utilizing the numerous cloud balls to his benefit, as their size provided him with cover and hindered Sanji's movements.
However, Sanji's powerful kicks, combined with his mastery of the Marine Six Styles, held their own against Shura's attacks.
It was simply that Sanji's Kenbunshoku Haki had only recently awakened, leaving him at a slight disadvantage against Shura's more experienced usage, requiring him more time to adapt and fully utilize it.
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