Sss…
Just as Luffy and the others were preparing to get their bearings and head toward Angel Island—the most distinctive part of Skypiea for sightseeing—
a group of magical figures suddenly appeared from the distant White Sea, riding something like skateboards as they glided across the cloud ocean!
One after another, the wild-looking Shandia cut through the White Sea, carving long trails of white cloud waves as they began circling the Merry in wide arcs.
Bang…
"Blue Sea people!"
A dark-skinned, gleaming Shandia leapt onto the Merry first.
He was Wyper, the strongest warrior of this generation of the Shandia tribe!
As the embodiment of Shandia pride, Wyper wore a solemn and imposing expression—yet the words he spoke hardly matched his dignity:
"Hand over all your supplies!"
"Otherwise, you'll end up just like this sailboat!"
As soon as Wyper finished speaking, he raised his right leg high and stomped down hard on the deck of the Merry.
A massive sound instantly rang out from the deck.
BOOM!!!
The deafening crash echoed for a long time, like two blocks of steel colliding violently.
Wyper's eyes instantly widened!!!
The Merry, which he had just stomped with full force, showed no change whatsoever.
The wooden deck remained intact and pristine, with only the dust from Wyper's footprint resting on it—as if mocking him.
This isn't what he expected!?
Wyper truly hadn't imagined that a wooden deck could be this hard!?
…
The facts proved that Luffy's gold coins were not spent in vain!
In order to keep the Merry from ever being damaged again, he had poured his entire fortune into her.
But how could a Shandia native who had lived his whole life in Skypiea understand the colorful wonders of the outside world?
"Pffft!!!"
Merry looked at Wyper—his right leg trembling from the huge recoil, barely able to stand, yet still trying to maintain composure—and couldn't hold it in anymore. She burst out laughing:
"Ahahahahaha…"
"Luffy, this guy is way too funny!"
"Let's not kill him, okay?"
Faced with Merry's adorable request, Luffy didn't hesitate at all and agreed immediately:
"Alright, we'll do whatever you say!"
…
"Wyper!?"
Sensing that something wasn't right, the Shandia watching from around the Merry all leapt up and landed on her deck.
Among them, a beautiful warrior who seemed like an infiltrator among the Shandia—the only woman with pure, fair skin among the dark-skinned men—Aisa suddenly stepped forward and called out to Wyper in confusion.
According to their usual routine, Wyper would go up, intimidate the Blue Sea people, and if they were sensible, they'd obediently hand over their supplies.
If they weren't sensible, they would use force and take the supplies by hand!
Of course!
After so many years of robbery, they had never encountered a sensible Blue Sea person.
…
Just as Aisa was about to call Wyper's name again,
Zoro suddenly revealed a mocking smile and called out to her:
"No need to call him!"
"He can't hear you."
Thud…
As soon as Zoro's words fell, Wyper, who was beside Aisa, suddenly staggered forward.
His powerful body, at that moment, seemed to lose all sensation and collapsed straight onto the deck.
He landed right on top of the footprint he had just made—the one that had humiliated him.
"Wyper!!?"
Startled by the sudden turn of events, Aisa immediately crouched down and held Wyper's dark body.
One black, one white—the two of them were the perfect embodiment of the word "contrast."
As Wyper was turned over, the first thing Aisa saw was his eyes—already rolling white, staring blankly and lifelessly.
He looked as if he had suffered an enormous shock.
It had to be said: as a descendant of the great Shandia warriors, Wyper was indeed very strong.
Luffy had just unleashed his full Conqueror's Haki to knock him unconscious.
His strength was at least on par with pirates worth over 100 million berries on the Blue Sea!
Unfortunately, today they had chosen the wrong target to rob.
In the first half of the Grand Line, there were probably only a handful of pirate crews that were truly special—ones you absolutely couldn't provoke.
And today, they ran into one of them.
As the saying goes…
Walk too often by the river, and eventually your shoes will get wet.
But this time, for the Shandia, it might not just be wet shoes…
Today, they might very well…
Get completely soaked!
"Wyper!!!"
"Wyper!!!"
Seeing Wyper's abnormal condition, the Shandia warriors all leapt angrily toward the Merry, preparing to check on their leader.
Unfortunately…
Luffy had no intention of letting so many nobodies step onto the Merry's hull.
"You'd better not come any closer…"
BOOM!!!
An overwhelming pressure suddenly burst out from Luffy's body.
That terrifying aura, like a raging hurricane, swept outward from the Merry, blocking every Shandia warrior in their tracks!
The Merry's hull suddenly sank slightly.
The White Sea—whose buoyancy was far weaker than real seawater—was violently pushed outward in all directions by Luffy's surging Conqueror's Haki!
Aisa watched in terror as her tribesmen suddenly floated in midair, then dropped like sugar cubes into the White Sea below.
Only then did she finally understand why Wyper and the others had ended up like this!
Everything was caused by this terrifying Blue Sea man standing before her.
And now, that demon was slowly walking toward her!
Wait!!!
What is he going to do!!?
Why did he knock out everyone else but leave me, the only woman!!?
He already has two beautiful girls by his side!!
Could it be that he wants even more!?
I…
What should I do!?
Luffy slowly walked up to Aisa.
Seeing her clutch her chest with both hands, eyes tightly shut, looking as though she would rather die than submit, he scratched the back of his head and asked in confusion:
"Excuse me…"
"I refuse!!!"
"Could you take us to Angel Island?"
"Huh!!?"
"Huh!!?"
…
Between two sponge-like, extremely elastic clouds, a vertical waterfall of mist poured straight downward!
In front of the cloud waterfall, Koby pulled the Shandia—who were tied together with ropes behind the Merry—out of the cloud sea one by one.
When Wyper finally emerged from the cloud sea, a series of violent gasps suddenly rang out.
"Ah!… Ha! Ah! Ha!…"
Having been submerged in the cloud sea for some time, Wyper began gulping air the moment his head surfaced.
"Eh~"
Koby looked at Wyper in surprise and said:
"You're awake already?"
That was Luffy-sama's full-power Conqueror's Haki!
For this man to wake up so quickly—his strength must really be impressive!
Koby kept thinking this to himself as he worked, but his hands never stopped, steadily pulling Wyper out of the vast white mist.
Thud!
Wyper fell onto the deck. He struggled slightly, but after realizing he couldn't break free from the alloy chains binding him, he glared at Koby and demanded:
"Who are you people!?"
"They're the Starry Sky Pirates."
Before Koby could answer, a gentle voice came from the other side.
The fair-skinned and beautiful Aisa looked at Wyper with concern.
Although the cloud sea contained plenty of air and wouldn't drown anyone, no one wanted to be thrown into misty water and dragged behind a ship for so long!
Wyper's inner fury was easy to imagine!
But…
He wasn't an idiot.
He could clearly see the vast difference between himself and these Blue Sea people.
Yet when he noticed that among the entire Shandia guerrilla unit, only Aisa was unharmed, a strange glint flashed in his eyes.
He directly asked Aisa, who was walking toward him:
"What exactly happened here!?"
Aisa merely shook her head gently and spoke softly to him:
"It's fine, Wyper."
"As long as they reach Angel Island, they'll let us go."
"Passing through that cloud waterfall is the border entrance to Angel Island."
"So you agreed to their conditions…"
Wyper suddenly said in a low voice.
Aisa looked at him in confusion.
"What did you say?"
But faced with her question, Wyper fell silent once more.
…
"Wyper?"
"Wyper!?"
Seeing that Wyper had completely stopped speaking, Aisa grew anxious and kept calling his name.
But Wyper suddenly lowered his head.
"What's wrong, Wyper!?"
Noticing his abnormal state, Aisa quickly stepped forward, supporting his body as she asked with concern.
Wyper's face remained gloomy. A strange, unfamiliar look appeared in his eyes as he asked her coldly:
"So…"
"You abandoned the honor of the Shandia, cooperated with them, and agreed to all their demands…"
"What…"
"Wyper, what did you just say?"
Aisa's face instantly turned pale with panic as she stared at the unfamiliar Wyper, unable to understand why he would say such things.
"I'm saying!"
"So you betrayed the Shandia!!! Became a sinner of the Shandia!!! A failed warrior!!!"
"It was you!!! Aisa!!!!"
Bound in chains, Wyper suddenly roared, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Aisa as if she were a mortal enemy.
"Cough… cough…"
At this moment, another chained Shandia gradually woke up, coughed violently twice, and immediately tried to persuade Wyper:
"Wyper! This isn't Aisa's fault!"
"Shut up!!!"
Wyper snapped again like a mad dog, roaring at the Shandia, then turned his gaze back to Aisa and shouted:
"Who knows what this woman did just to stay alive!!?"
"This is the shame of the Shandia!!! This is—"
SMACK!!!
Before Wyper could finish venting his rage, a clear handprint instantly appeared on his face.
Aisa's eyes glistened with tears, which swirled unceasingly in her sockets.
Just moments ago, she had thought Wyper was simply upset over his defeat.
But!
No matter how bad his mood was, he had no right to say such cruel things!
This!
Was not the Wyper she knew!!!
…
"Alright, Miss Aisa!"
"Our deal is complete. You're free to go."
"I don't intend to pay another toll for you."
While the Shandia were caught in this inexplicable argument, Luffy suddenly walked over and said to Aisa with a smile.
Wyper's face darkened even further.
=============
Completed version available on Patreon P@treon(.)com/Veltoria