Chapter 126: The Altar of Gods Island! At this moment, the lions are taking a nap.
Angel Beach, the afternoon sun spilled onto the white sand, everything appeared peaceful and serene.
However, not long after the Straw Hat Pirates had finished enjoying their delicious Skypiea lunch.
"BOOM!!!"
The sea exploded without any warning, and a huge splash sprayed dozens of meters into the air.
A'Super Express Shrimp', with a body comparable to a Marine warship and possessing two giant crab claws, broke through the water!
Before anyone could react, those two giant claws had already tightly clamped onto both sides of the Going Merry.
"Ah!!! That's an Express Shrimp! It's targeting the going merry!!"
Usopp screamed in terror on the shore.
"Give my ship back!!!"
Luffy reacted the fastest; he suddenly stretched his rubber arm, attempting to grab the stern railing of the going merry.
But the Express Shrimp wasn't named 'Express' for nothing.
The moment it clamped onto the ship, its tail snapped violently.
"Bang!!!"
A visible sonic boom cloud actually appeared in the air!
The Express Shrimp accelerated instantly with the going merry, its terrifying speed causing it to break free from Luffy's reaching hand, leaving only a blur behind.
"Stop right there!!!"
Sanji was washing dishes by the seaside; he dropped his plate and stomped on the air, attempting to keep up.
But that was a top speed that even priests had difficulty managing, and in the blink of an eye, he was left far behind.
"Damn it!!! I lost them!!!" Sanji punched the beach, his face full of anxiety.
...
On the going merry.
"Waaaaah!!!"
The terrifying acceleration caused the ship to tilt violently backward.
Nami was thrown into the air by the huge inertia, slamming heavily against the rear railing.
She watched as Luffy and Sanji rapidly shrank in her line of sight until they disappeared, and tears instantly streamed down her face:
"What is this situation! Where are we being taken!!"
"Waaaah! Help!"
Chopper was rolling around on the deck like an out-of-control marble, bumping into everything until he had lumps all over his head:
"Doctor! Hurry and call a doctor!! Is there a doctor on board?!... Ah! I am the doctor!!"
Amidst this chaos, only two people remained unusually calm.
Robin sat on a deck chair; even in this high-speed dash, she still elegantly used her Hana Hana no Mi ability.
"Twenty Fleur: Calendula."
Countless arms sprouted out, firmly securing the panicked Nami and the rolling Chopper.
Robin looked at the rapidly changing scenery around them with calm eyes:
"This speed of movement... it seems we are heading to a very distant place. And the direction is... that 'Gods Island'."
And the other 'calm' person was Zoro.
Even though the ship was shaking violently, and even though Chopper had rolled over him three times, the great swordsman still leaned under the mast, motionless.
A snot bubble grew and shrank with his breathing — he had actually fallen fast asleep!
As for Tatsuya.
At this moment, he was in his room.
He was focused on recording the data of the various dials he had collected from the beach just now in his notebook, the tip of his pen scratching away:
"impact dial for Usopp's slingshot... Flame dial to increase Sanji's kicking power... breath dial can be used to modify the Waver..."
...
I don't know how much time had passed.
The Express Shrimp passed through the winding and complex 'Milky Road' waterway and finally arrived at its destination.
"Boom!!!"
It released its claws, roughly dropping the going merry onto an ancient altar located deep in the forest.
Surrounded by giant trees that blocked out the sky, those plants known as 'Giant Jack' vines coiled around like giant dragons.
And in the water area below the altar, schools of Skypiea sharks with dorsal fins like blades were swimming.
"This... where is this?"
Nami stood up, trembling as she held onto the railing. When she saw the sign standing on the shore inscribed with ancient characters —'Sacrificial Altar' —
"Sacrificial... sacrificial..."
Nami turned completely gray instantly, her soul seemingly floating out of her mouth:
"It's over... we're going to be cooked..."
Just then, the surrounding commotion finally woke up that Marimo.
Zoro rubbed his sleepy eyes, stretched, and looked around blankly:
"Huh? Is it morning?... Why is it so noisy?"
"Click."
The cabin door was pushed open.
Tatsuya closed his notebook and walked to the center of the deck with a calm expression.
He looked at the eerie jungle around him and the suffocating pressure, his mouth curling up slightly:
"No, it's not morning yet, Marimo."
"However... it seems some guys couldn't wait to come and die."
With Tatsuya and Zoro, the two main combatants, standing their ground, the going merry, which had previously only been filled with panicked screams, instantly radiated a terrifying aura that caused the surrounding birds and beasts to scatter.
It was the aura of an apex predator awakening.
"Hee-hee-hee-hee!!!"
A strange laugh suddenly came from the sky.
A flame-like figure circled down.
It was the priest in charge of the 'Trial of String' — the Sky Rider Shura, riding the fire-breathing three-meter bird 'Fuza'.
Shura looked down at the people on the going merry with contempt in his eyes:
"Are these the monkeys of the Blue Sea? To think they could come here alive."
"I am Priest Shura! Since you have become sacrifices, accept the judgment of the 'Trial of String'!"
"First, let's cut off your escape route!"
Shura pulled the reins violently, and the thermal spear in his hand spat out high-temperature flames. Utilizing the dive speed of the firebird, he thrust directly at the main mast of the going merry.
He intended to burn the sails and mast first, leaving everyone in complete despair.
"No! The going merry!!" Chopper screamed in terror.
At the critical moment when the burning spear tip was about to touch the mast.
"Hum."
A pitch-black straight blade appeared out of thin air, blocking the path of the spear horizontally.
"Clang————!!!"
A deafening metallic clashing sound rang throughout the altar.
Sparks flew everywhere.
Tatsuya held the blade with one hand, steadily bracing against Shura's ready-to-strike thermal spear.
Although he didn't use his full strength, his terrifying wrist strength was like a mountain, making it impossible for Shura's firebird to move an inch, no matter how much it flapped its wings.
"Hey, bird-man."
Tatsuya raised his head slightly, looking coldly at the priest in the air:
"This ship is our home."
"If you are allowed to burn the mast... our Captain will cry."
"Wha... what?!"
Shura was shocked, his pupils shaking violently:
"You actually blocked the Heat Spear?! And this strength..."
Before he could react.
"Hey, Tatsuya, don't hog all the fun."
A lazy yet murderous voice came from the side.
Zoro had appeared on the ship's railing at some point, his three swords already drawn, flashing with cold light in the eerie jungle:
"Is this the priest of the Skypiea? Doesn't look like he can take much of a cut."
Locked on by both main combatants simultaneously.
In that instant, Shura felt an unprecedented chill rush straight to his crown from his spine.
This intense sense of crisis far exceeded any Blue Sea pirates he had dealt with before.
These people... are not ordinary monkeys!
They are man-eating lions!
"Tch! You're lucky!"
Shura didn't linger; he pulled the reins violently, used the firebird's superior mobility to rapidly gain altitude, laid a layer of invisible'String Cloud' traps in the air, and quickly retreated into the depths of the dense forest.
"Ran fast."
Tatsuya watched the fleeing priest and sheathed his sword.
He glanced at the sky filled with traps, turned around, and gave a comforting smile to Nami, who was still trembling:
"Don't worry, Nami."
"From now on, this ship is under our protection."
Tatsuya pointed to the deck under his feet:
"In this jungle, no one will touch a single piece of wood on it."
"Mm..."
Nami replied upon hearing this. Watching Tatsuya's confident back, although the fear in her heart dissipated quite a bit.
But thinking that she still needed to be protected by others.
Her expression inexplicably became a bit downcast.
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