107A tingling and numbing sensation instantly spread from her palm to her whole body. Nami couldn't help but let out a soft moan, subconsciously biting her lower lip.Her nervousness caused her palms to quickly break into a light sweat. She wanted to pull her hand back, but Luffy held it even tighter."I—I know!" Nami said, her face flushing as she tried to end this heart-pounding experiment."Know what?""Oh, I don't know!"Chapter 149: Angel LadySeeing her rare, shy expression—so different from her usual shrewd self—Luffy found himself growing interested.Nami like this was much more interesting than treasure.Moreover, he found that holding Nami's soft, warm hand seemed to allow him to control the compression of the electrical current with more precision; the soft, smooth sensation also made him not want to let go at all."Nami, your hand is so soft, almost like my Rubberhand." Luffy's thumb unconsciously rubbed gently against the back of her hand."Don't say such things!"At this, Nami's reaction grew even stronger. Her entire face turned so red it looked as if it might bleed, and her palm became even warmer and more moist.She seemed to lose all her strength, letting Luffylead her as she felt the weak current that continued to make her body feel weak.On the distant beach, Nika, who was playing with Merry, was tossed up. By chance, he glanced in the direction of the going merry and saw the two people on the deck holding hands and looking affectionately at each other. He couldn't help but curl his lips and let out a huff."Men, they only know how to use such tactics!"...Meanwhile, deep within the distant Island of God, Upper Yard, inside a magnificent shrine cast entirely of gold.A man with pale skin, a bare torso, extremely long earlobes, and four drums carved with three-tomoe patterns on his back was leaning comfortably on a throne made of pure gold.He was the God of Sky Island, a user of the Logia-type Rumble Rumble Fruit—Eneru.Eneru's eyes, which had been closed, slowly opened as if he had sensed something, and a playful yet cruel smile curled on his lips."Oh? Have more interesting Blue Sea Peoplearrived?Their presence seems quite a bit stronger than the trash from before."He lazily snapped his fingers.A tall, portly Priest wearing loose white coveralls entered at the sound and knelt respectfully on the ground."Have Blue Sea People arrived?""Yes, Old Lady Amazon reported that a group of Blue Sea People has entered."Eneru commanded in an unquestionable tone, "Bring those newly arrived Blue Sea People to me."The Priest subconsciously replied, "But Old Lady Amazon reported that they entered legally and paid the fees."Eneru's gaze instantly turned cold, and dangerous blue electrical arcs began to dance around him. "Hmm? Do you wish to defy God's command? Or would you like to play with me?"The Priest trembled all over, cold sweat instantly soaking his clothes as he hurriedly bowed his head. "I wouldn't dare! This subordinate will go at once! At once!"With that, he scrambled out of the shrine to gather the Divine Soldiers and Priests.In the empty golden shrine, Eneru shifted into a more comfortable position, propping his chin on one hand. His eyes flickered with the playful light of a cat catching a mouse as he murmured to himself:"The Shandians truly aren't peaceful at all.And now, some fairly strong Blue Sea People have arrived. Interesting, very interesting. My Ark Maximis also nearly complete. Before I leave this boring sky and head for the Fairy Vearth."His lips curled into a malicious arc."Let's play an interesting survival game. The rules are simple: to those who survive, God shall grant the qualification to follow me to the Fairy Vearth!"Luffy let out a long breath as the last trace of uncontrolled electrical arcs on his body dived beneath his skin like a docile little snake, finally vanishing completely.He stretched his limbs, feeling more refreshed than ever before; his control over the current seemed to have advanced another level.Luffy said, "Finally finished. Nami, let's go down the ship and play!"He turned to look at Nami, whose cheeks still held a lingering flush. She seemed to be dazed by something.So, without a word, he grabbed Nami's wrist and jumped down from the gunwale, landing on the soft White-White Sea beach.Nami's heart skipped a beat again at his sudden movement. Only when her feet touched the fine, warm white sand did she snap back to her senses. She gave Luffy an annoyed glare but didn't pull her hand away.They had only walked a few steps when they heard a terrified scream from not far away.Looking toward the sound, they saw a massive, ferocious-looking Cloud Fish emerging from the sea of clouds, opening its mouth filled with sharp teeth to pounce on a figure slumped on the beach.A Sky Island native?Because Luffy saw wings.It was a young girl, a beautiful golden-haired angel lady. She had smooth golden hair tied into two cute braids draped over her shoulders and wore a pink short dress. Her exposed skin was pale and delicate, and her features were soft and sweet.Though her outfit was simple, she was clearly a beauty. The pair of small, pure white wings on her back added an ethereal quality.At this moment, she was slumped on the ground, her beautiful blue eyes filled with terror as she watched the giant fish lunge at her.She subconsciously let out a cry of alarm."Hey, stay away from her!"Without thinking, Luffy's Rubber arm stretched back like a launched cannonball, and then he threw a fierce punch.The power was immense.The girl watched as the giant Cloud Fish right in front of her was struck directly in the head by this punch containing terrifying power. It let out a muffled whimper, its massive body sent flying to crash heavily into the distant sea of clouds, kicking up a huge cloud wave before sinking down dizzily.So strong.The rescued girl, still shaken, her chest heaving slightly, watched Luffy and Nami approach. She hurriedly stood up, folded her hands in front of her, and bowed slightly, greeting them in the unique Sky Island way:"Heso! Thank you so much for saving me!"Nami studied her curiously and asked, "Are you a Sky Island person?"Luffy also leaned in curiously and poked her wings. "Can these wings really fly?"Nami irritably slapped Luffy's hand away.Why was he touching her randomly? What if the Sky Island people had some tradition, like having to marry someone who touches your wings? Would they have to leave Luffy here?"No, they can't. They're mostly just for show, a characteristic of us Sky Island people... but there is still a sensation when they are touched."Nami held Luffy's head down. "Sorry, our Captainis a bit scatterbrained, but he doesn't mean any harm. His name is Luffy, and he's my Captain. I'm Nami, this guy's Navigator."Why did that sound a bit like she was asserting ownership?"Hello, my name is Conis."The golden-haired girl, Conis, blushed slightly, her voice soft and sweet. "Thank you very much for saving me, Mr. Luffy. That Cloud Fish is one of the overlords of the nearby waters and is very dangerous. If not for you, I might have...""No need to be polite.""Are you Blue Sea People?"Conis was equally curious about them; one rarely saw outsiders on Sky Island throughout the year.Chapter 150: Dare to Touch Our Ship? Die!To thank Luffy for saving her life, Conis warmly invited them to her home.Sanji was stunned when he arrived. The angel lady was actually smiling at Luffy?!"Why? I've been looking for an angel lady for so long, and she appears like this? I can't accept this!" Sanji knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly."Move it, perverted cook, you're in my way."Zoro was urging him on impatiently.Sanji grew even angrier, and the two were about to come to blows at the slightest provocation."Is—is everything okay?" Conis looked back; they were about to start fighting.Nami gave an embarrassed smile, explaining that this was just how they showed they were on good terms. Actually, even she couldn't quite explain the relationship between Zoro and Sanji; it was too complicated.The group walked toward the interior of the island along a path made of solid Island Clouds. Along the way, they saw many strangely shaped houses, mostly built from white cloud bricks and decorated with various shells, full of exotic flair.Luffy and the others were quite curious about Sky Island, and Conis, as a Sky Island native, answered them patiently."The energy we use daily on Sky Island mainly comes from Clouds and Dials."As they walked, Conis patiently explained to the curious Luffy and Nami:"For example, the Island Cloud we're stepping on is a high-density cloud capable of supporting heavy weights.""There are also Lamp Dials for lighting, Tone Dials for storing sound, Breath Dials for emitting air, and even Impact Dials that can produce shocks, and so on."She took out a purple shell and shook it, and a sound was emitted from the dial's opening.Sky Island really was interesting.Hearing this, Usopp, who was already extremely interested in various tools and inventions back on the ship, immediately leaned in, his eyes shining. "Sky Dials? Can these things still be used if we take them back to the Blue Sea?"Conis nodded with certainty. "Yes. As long as they are properly maintained, many types of Dials can be used normally in the Blue Sea."She then introduced three common types of Island Clouds.The ordinary Island Clouds they were currently on.Sea Clouds have lower density, similar to the seawater of the Blue Sea, but with less buoyancy; Nami was right, one could fall through if not careful.And then there are iron clouds, which are even harder and used for structures.Usopp listened as if entranced, seemingly seeing a bright future for his arsenal's next upgrade.Although he also wanted to watch Luffy and the others slaughtering everyone while he cheered from behind, letting Luffy and the rest handle the fighting.But Usopp also wanted the confidence to show off in front of Merry.Meanwhile, Robin, who usually had little interest in things outside of history, felt a spark of curiosity toward these Dials that contained a unique civilization.They arrived at Conis's home, a cozy and tidy cloud house. When Conis's father heard that Luffy had saved her, the kind middle-aged man welcomed them warmly.Conis even brought out several thick copies of the 'Sky Island Dial Encyclopedia' to give to Usopp and Robin.Usopp said, as if holding a treasure, "Thank you so much."Robin also smiled as she took it, offered her thanks, and began to browse through it with interest.Luffy, meanwhile, launched an assault on the Sky Island specialty snacks spread across the table, his cheeks bulging as he ate.He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.Nami looked at him eating like a starved ghost and couldn't help but facepalm, but under the friendly smiles of Conis's family, she felt awkward saying anything.Sanji also went to help, even preparing the Cloud Fish that had attacked Conis; a regular chef wouldn't be able to satisfy a bottomless pit like Luffy.However, the warm atmosphere was soon broken.Knock, knock, knock!"Who is it?" Conis's father asked upon hearing the knocking."It's me, McKinley of the White Berets.""Captain McKinley?"Conis's father went to open the door, only to see several men standing outside in matching white uniforms, with Breath Dial wings on their backs.McKinley, the Captain of the White Berets, stood behind the men and was quickly mouthing words to Conis.Divine Soldiers!"Divine Soldiers?"Conis's face instantly turned pale, her eyes filled with worry and fear.The Divine Soldiers are under the command of the God of Sky Island. Usually, they stay in Gods Landto serve the God, but whenever they are deployed, nothing good ever happens.The Divine Soldier Captain leading them swept his gaze over Luffy and the others in the room, let out a cold snort, and slapped a letter stamped with a thunderbolt mark onto the table with a bang:"By order of Lord God Eneru, I hereby deliver the Ordeal of God Invitation!""You Blue Sea People better prepare yourselves."It wasn't just Luffy and his group.Eneru's trial included his Priests, the Shandians, and the Sky Knight Gan Fall, the former God, who were all among those invited.
