"This!"
Shanks's expression suddenly changed. He swung his sword hard, sending slash after slash out in rapid succession and cutting apart the incoming pillars of lightning.
Crocodile also wildly swung both arms, turning the countless grains of sand into dozens of barriers that layered one over another in front of him.
But there was simply too much lightning, too dense, too fierce.
The two fought with all their strength to block it, yet they were still shaken back by the terrifying shockwaves. Only after they retreated more than a thousand meters did the sea of lightning finally stop pursuing them and slowly recede.
The two were charred all over, panting heavily and in a sorry state.
"Still no good."
Shanks wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said with a bitter smile, "Its strength isn't low. Once it senses a real threat, it will crush you completely at any cost."
"In other words, it also has its own limit. It's just that my strength isn't enough. You alone can't break through," Crocodile said in a deep voice.
Silence.
The two looked at each other, speechless.
When their strength wasn't enough, what could they do?
Shanks did hope Crocodile could be a little stronger. If there were two people with his level of strength, he was confident they could break the barrier before them.
But Crocodile wasn't, and neither was anyone else on the Going Merry.
Sanji might have this level of strength, but Shanks certainly wouldn't count him in.
If he hadn't known that Rosse had other ways to monitor them, and that Sanji following them was merely a bit of malicious amusement, he would have wanted to drive him away.
But it had to be said, Sanji's cooking really was quite good.
By comparison, Lucky Roux only had an amazing hand at barbecued meat, but he was far behind.
"Let's withdraw."
Shanks sheathed his sword, his expression solemn:
"Looks like we still have to think this through carefully."
"Mm."
Crocodile nodded, looking at that golden island that was close before their eyes yet as far away as an impassable gulf, unwillingness filling his eyes.
The two turned around, broke through the clouds, and swiftly flew toward Angel Island.
Behind them, that silent Upper Yard still quietly floated above the sea of clouds, as if nothing had ever happened.
———
Shanks and Crocodile broke through the clouds and returned. From far away, they could already see the white-as-jade harbor of Angel Island.
But when the two truly landed and stood at the edge of the pier, their hearts sank at the same time.
The Going Merry was docked there alone.
The scorch marks and cracks left by the battle on the hull were still clearly visible.
The sail hung halfway down, the deck was empty, and there wasn't even a guard in sight.
The entire ship simply sat quietly at the harbor, as if it had been abandoned, carrying an unsettling silence.
"Where are the others?"
Crocodile narrowed his eyes and looked around.
There were indeed a few scattered Sky Island residents walking around on the pier, pushing carts and carrying cloud-made vessels. Their expressions were relaxed, as if nothing had ever happened.
Shanks didn't answer. He only exchanged a glance with Crocodile.
The two understood each other without words.
The situation probably wasn't good.
Crocodile frowned slightly, his gaze falling on those Sky Island people walking in the distance.
After carefully observing them for a moment, he found that although their clothing carried some exotic characteristics, overall, they couldn't be considered particularly conspicuous.
Especially since there were actually quite a few among the crowd who had not grown wings.
Clearly, not all Sky Island people had those distinctive wings.
An idea flashed through his mind, and he made the decision immediately.
He raised his palm and moved his fingertips slightly.
Hum!
A layer of sand almost impossible to see with the naked eye suddenly spread from his palm, silently covering the faces and tops of the heads of himself and Shanks like a thin veil.
The sand seemed to possess a life of its own, carefully shaping and adjusting itself along the texture of their skin and the direction of their hair.
The next second, the appearances of the two quietly changed.
Shanks's distinctive red hair became somewhat duller, and his hairstyle changed from ordinary short, choppy hair into flowing long hair.
The contours of his face also became slightly unfamiliar through the subtle adjustments of the grains of sand.
It was still the same face, but without careful identification, there was no way to recognize that this was Shanks.
Crocodile himself also changed his appearance.
His distinctive horizontal scar was concealed by the grains of sand, his face shape was slightly adjusted, and even that unruly air about him was deliberately restrained somewhat.
He looked more like an ordinary middle-aged man with a somewhat weathered appearance.
"Your sand can also be used for disguise?"
Feeling the thin layer of sand attached to his face and head, with his hair and facial features having undergone slight changes, Shanks raised a hand and touched his own face with some surprise, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Just a little development of my Devil Fruit ability."
Crocodile said calmly, "Robin taught me. That woman is a true genius when it comes to developing Devil Fruit abilities."
When he mentioned Robin, there was some admiration in his eyes.
"Could it be..."
Shanks raised an eyebrow and said thoughtfully, "That this is actually an ability of the World Government? After all, Robin came from there. Most of what she knows was probably taught by the World Government."
As for Robin, Shanks didn't have any particular feelings toward her.
In terms of strength, that woman gave him a very dangerous feeling.
Like a sharp blade hidden beneath silk. Normally, she didn't reveal herself, but once drawn, it would surely strike blood.
But judging by her performance, she had never truly displayed her strength. Instead, she seemed more like she regarded herself as a clerical worker, spending all day holding books and studying those ancient characters that other people couldn't understand.
Shanks didn't have any particular thoughts about this.
After all, Robin wasn't the only person who could read the Poneglyphs.
To them, Robin wasn't indispensable.
The Revolutionary Army had also trained some people in this area over the years.
It was precisely because he compared the translations from both sides that he became certain that what Robin said was indeed true.
Compared with Robin, who had appeared suddenly, the Revolutionary Army, which had been cooperating with him for more than ten years, naturally had more of his trust.
Although Dragon had long since been expelled from the Revolutionary Army, and the Revolutionary Army's internal higher-ups had also once been captured by Rosse and treated as slaves.
But examples of such slaves escaping were common. Instead, Shanks was more inclined to believe in their hatred toward Rosse and the World Government.
However, whether Robin was a spy sent by the World Government, and whether she harbored ulterior motives, honestly, to Shanks, it made little difference.
If she wasn't, that was best. If she was, that was fine too.
His Observation Haki could also vaguely sense something.
Whenever Robin talked about the World Government or Rosse, the hatred that surged from the depths of her heart could not be faked.
Whether she could be trusted was hard to say.
But one thing could be certain: Robin was definitely an enemy of the World Government and Rosse.
"It's possible."
Crocodile shrugged, his tone carrying some helplessness, "But we don't have a choice either, do we? Sometimes I even think that if I had been born a few decades later, it would have been nice. If I had been born under the rule of the World Government, perhaps I would have had different thoughts."
He paused, a trace of complexity passing through his eyes.
When he first set out back then, he had personally watched Roger being taken to the execution platform.
The pirates of that era were unruly, arrogant, and free. Even knowing how powerful the World Government and Marines were, no one had ever lowered their heads.
After being full of ambition on the sea for decades, that unruly, wild nature had already been deeply carved into his bones.
He had long since grown accustomed to this kind of life, and it was impossible for him to change now.
To have him become a dog for the World Government and voluntarily put shackles on himself.
That was simply impossible.
If it really came to that point, he would rather choose death.
There were always some things that were above life.
"Maybe I would have too."
Shanks gently shook his head.
He had never thought about this question, nor did he dare to.
Because the more he thought about it, the more it would only weaken his will to resist.
Some roads, once you stepped onto them, could never be turned back from.
Some choices, once made, could never be changed again.
There was no turning back in life.
The two said nothing more. They restrained their auras and silently blended into the bustling crowd of Sky Island people.
On the streets of Angel Island, pedestrians came and went without end.
White buildings stood in neat rows, shop signs swayed in the wind, and the fragrance of cloud-made sweets filled the air.
Everything appeared so peaceful and tranquil, as if this really were a secluded paradise untouched by the outside world.
Shanks and Crocodile pretended to be local people casually wandering around, weaving through the streets and alleys, while their ears remained fully alert, taking in every conversation around them.
They were smart people.
For them, gathering intelligence was already something they were very familiar with.
Before half an hour had passed, the two had pieced together two extremely important pieces of information.
First: Luffy and the others had previously been defeated by the armed forces of the Sky Island authorities at the harbor, and had now been taken somewhere on the island and imprisoned.
Second: This Sky Island had always been under the rule of a god known as the Lord of Hell.
That god was said to live deep within Upper Yard Island, which was that golden island protected by the sea of lightning.
According to legend, that god controlled the authority over life and death and could even bring the dead back to life.
"The Lord of Hell? Tch!"
Upon hearing this title, Shanks and Crocodile met in a secluded alley and exchanged a glance, disbelief flashing in both their eyes.
"The ability to control life and death," Crocodile sneered, "There are quite a few abilities like this on the sea. It definitely isn't resurrection in the true sense. It's probably just some trick of a Devil Fruit ability."
"Mm."
Shanks nodded, but he also frowned, "But then again, if that god's Devil Fruit really is related to life and death, then what's going on with that lightning barrier outside Upper Yard? The two don't seem to match."
Both of them vaguely felt that something was wrong.
But for now, the information they had gathered was limited to this.
If they dug any deeper, they would inevitably alert the Sky Island authorities.
"Forget it. Don't worry about that god for now," Crocodile said in a low voice, "The urgent matter is to rescue Luffy and those people first. The more people we have, the easier things will be."
"I think so too," Shanks nodded, "Let's go and check out that place where they're being held."
The two once again restrained their auras and, like two ghosts, silently made their way toward the place where Luffy and the others were being held.
The place where Luffy and the others were imprisoned was not some heavily guarded prison, but a standalone three-story building that looked rather elegant.
The small building was entirely built from white cloud stone, giving off a warm luster under the sunlight. If not for the conspicuous iron bars on the windows, judging only by its appearance, it looked more like the residence of some wealthy merchant than a place of imprisonment.
But what truly drew attention was not the building itself.
It was the empty area surrounding it.
For a full radius of one hundred meters, there wasn't a single tree, stone, or place of cover.
That empty area seemed to have been deliberately cleared. It was extremely flat, leaving the small building exposed to everyone's view.
And at the edge of that open area, every few dozen meters, a squad of fully armed Sky Island guards was stationed.
They carried long spears, kept watchful eyes, and patrolled back and forth, guarding the small building as tightly as an iron barrel.
Shanks and Crocodile hid behind a low wall several hundred meters away, narrowed their eyes, and scanned the defensive layout inch by inch.
"There are quite a few people guarding this place."
Shanks frowned, his voice lowered to an extremely low volume.
It wasn't that he was afraid of these ordinary guards.
With his strength, if he really wanted to charge in by force, these people could be suppressed with a turn of his hand.
But the problem was.
When they had gathered intelligence just now, they had heard it clearly.
Earlier at the harbor, Yasopp, Lucky Roux, and the others had also fought back with all their strength.
But what was the result?
An old man called the Sky Knight had taken them all down with one spear thrust each, cleanly and decisively, leaving them no room to fight back.
Being able to subdue Yasopp and the others with a single move was not a simple matter.
At least, Crocodile couldn't do it.
What about Shanks himself?
It wasn't that he couldn't, but he would probably have to put in some effort, far less casually than that old man had acted.
This was already enough to show that the Sky Knight's strength might be greater than his.
And a powerhouse like that was only a Sky Knight, not the god of Sky Island.
Who knew how many other powerhouses like this were hidden on this island?
Even Shanks was unwilling to act rashly at this moment and charge in by force.
"Since we don't want to charge in by force."
Crocodile suddenly grinned, that smile carrying some slyness and confidence.
"Then come with me."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sand beneath his feet suddenly surged.
Hum!
The originally flat and solid cloud-stone ground actually turned silently into a patch of flowing sand under the erosion of the sandification power.
Immediately afterward, the sand split open a gap like a living creature, revealing a passage leading underground.
"Let's go."
Crocodile gave a low shout and stepped into the sandified passage first, his figure gradually sinking underground.
Seeing this, Shanks didn't hesitate in the slightest and followed closely behind, together entering the underground passage opened up by the yellow sand.
The two figures disappeared beneath the ground.
The sandified ground quietly returned to its original state in the next instant, as if no one had ever stepped there.
But the two had not noticed.
Just before they entered underground, not far behind them, on that lush cloud tree, a slender figure was leisurely sitting on a branch, swinging two snow-white little legs and smiling as she watched the direction in which they disappeared.
It was a young girl.
She wore a light, casual outfit, a pair of wings as white as snow gently spread behind her, and her long hair flowed like a waterfall, lightly moving in the breeze.
She rested her chin on her hand, her eyes full of a teasing smile, as if she were enjoying an interesting show.
"They look like two cloud mice that only know how to dig holes and don't dare show themselves."
Conis giggled, her voice light.
She turned her head and looked from afar at the small building surrounded by layers of guards.
Then, her slender figure silently faded away from that tree branch.