During the intense battle, the Going Merry gently came to a stop along a riverbank.
Luffy stood at the ship's figurehead, his gaze fixed silently in one direction.
"Luffy, what's wrong? Why did you stop the ship?" Zoro inquired.
"No need to go any further."
Luffy's eyes remained locked on the distant point. "I sense people over there. We have to walk!"
Sanji frowned at his captain's words. He simply used Sky Walk to ascend to a high altitude, scanned the direction Luffy was looking, paused in momentary surprise, and then swiftly descended back to the deck, silently lighting a cigarette.
"Mister Black Leg, what did you see?" Law asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice. Sanji's expression had been rather peculiar.
"I'm just thinking, having such broad Kenbunshoku Haki is practically cheating," Sanji mused, exhaling a plume of smoke. "There's a massive beanstalk in that direction, growing straight up above the clouds. Generally speaking, such bizarre places tend to be the final destination."
Giant beanstalk?
Luffy grinned, adjusting his straw hat. "That's right! So, let's head to that place and get going!"
The four disembarked, marking their location on a tree by the riverbank. When Usopp and the others followed the Cloud River, they would know where the main group had gone.
As for the Merry, under normal circumstances, no one should bother an empty ship.
Even if someone did, the worst they'd do is steal it. If anyone dared to burn the ship, that person would surely face dire consequences.
The four moved swiftly. At one point, Zoro veered off course without permission but was promptly reeled back by Luffy's extending arm. Even with his awakened "lost child" tendencies, it was futile.
Luffy, despite his poor sense of direction, was stubbornly determined. He would walk in a straight line towards whatever he sensed, ensuring they wouldn't get lost.
That was the advantage of his wide-reaching Kenbunshoku Haki!
It wasn't long before they arrived at the ruins of an abandoned settlement. The sounds of fighting were still audible in the distance.
They immediately rushed towards the source of the commotion and soon came upon a hemispherical barbed wire fence bristling with thorns. Several individuals were engaged in combat within the enclosure.
Observing their attire, one side was clearly composed of Shandians, including the Weber they had encountered earlier.
Their opponents were Sky Soldiers and priests. The bald man riding a large dog was likely the priest of the Iron Ordeal.
The battle paused upon the arrival of the four Straw Hats. The bald man cast a brief glance at Luffy and his crew, but his expression remained largely unchanged.
"I am Ohm," the bald man announced, "a priest serving the gods, and I oversee the Iron Ordeal, which has a 0% survival rate."
"People from the Blue Sea, if you managed to pass the previous three ordeals, you possess some strength. However, your arrival here marks your dead end."
"There is no escape. This is the despair of those who seek!"
"Who's that guy?" Luffy asked, staring intently at the large dog.
"He already said he's a priest. Try to pay attention to what people are saying," Sanji said, taking a drag from his cigarette, his tone nonchalant.
"Zero percent survival rate, huh? This priest's boasting is even louder than the last one, and he looks like a swordsman," Zoro observed, not showing any immediate eagerness to fight. "Terran, is it you or me?"
This Ohm appeared strong, but Zoro wasn't particularly drawn to his style of sword pressure.
The sword in Ohm's hand was rather peculiar. The hilt ended in a large ball, which seemed to be some kind of mechanism. And with each of Ohm's attacks, the blade would soften and deform, sometimes resembling a whip, and other times transforming into a shield.
This kind of impure swordsmanship held no interest for Zoro.
Law remained indifferent. "Since Zoro is handling it, let me fight this priest. But their current battle isn't over yet. I don't think it's wise to intervene rashly. Let's observe for a bit first."
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji didn't object.
Moreover, the three of them set down the large bundles they were carrying, retrieved their pirate bentos, and began to eat.
Zoro even produced a bottle of sake, which he drank with great satisfaction.
Law was accustomed to the Straw Hats' bizarre behavior and didn't want to deny himself, so he pulled out a few special onigiri from his pack and ate them with relish.
While others were fighting, they were having a meal.
Ohm felt the veins on his forehead throbbing. What was particularly infuriating was that the Shandians, including Weber, showed no objection to Luffy and his crew's actions. In fact, they seemed to find Luffy and his companions sensible for not interfering in their battle.
This enraged Ohm.
Thus, the fighting within the thorny barbed wire enclosure continued.
Luffy and his crew watched with amusement as they ate, chatting amongst themselves.
"That priest's Kenbunshoku Haki seems decent. The Shandians appear quite passive; I wonder how long they can hold out."
"That sword is supposedly made of Iron Cloud, but it's still crooked, not the true path of a swordsman. Ultimately, this priest won't become any stronger."
"I think that priest's sword is quite interesting. Even if we don't use it, someone else might find it useful."
"Yeah! This is delicious! The bento is amazing!"
The carefree demeanor of the four even slightly annoyed the Shandians who had initially been indifferent. However, both sides were currently engrossed in their fight and paid little attention to the Straw Hats.
At that moment, a fluttering sound filled the air, accompanied by a strange bird's cry.
Luffy and his companions looked up and saw three figures riding on the unusual bird's back. One of them was Mari.
"Weber! I didn't expect Weber to be here!" Raki and Aisa exclaimed simultaneously.
"Raki? Aisa? Why are you here?!" Weber's expression was grim.
"But... but Weber, many people's voices have disappeared. I... I'm worried, waaaah—" Tears streamed down Aisa's face.
Seeing her distress, Weber felt a pang of helplessness.
Raki immediately dismounted, aiming his gun at the remaining Sky Soldiers outside the thorny enclosure.
Sanji, upon seeing the beautiful woman, had hearts practically leaping from his eyes. But just as he was about to approach her, Zoro held him back.
"Moss-head, what are you doing! Didn't you see I was about to strike up a conversation with a beautiful lady?!"
"Love Cook, the situation is a bit complicated. I advise you to keep quiet!"
Sanji merely scoffed at Zoro's words but didn't bother Raki. He understood that the Shandians were generally kind people, and a rash approach could unnecessarily provoke hostility.
Though they weren't afraid, it would be a troublesome situation.
"Mari! You're here too! Come join us for some bento!" Luffy called out to Mari.
"Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, and Law, you guys are really carefree," Mari said, dismounting from the strange bird. She silently spread out a mat, took a bento from Luffy, and offered biscuits and tea.
For a while, the five of them enjoyed a small picnic.
They briefly discussed the situation, and then there was nothing more to say.
Luffy wasn't worried about those who hadn't arrived yet. He had faith in his crew's strength, and their elusive teacher, Carl, hadn't made an appearance, so he figured the situation wasn't too dire.
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