Rowan naturally ignored Gan Fall's warnings. He had already locked onto his target: the lush, verdant island of Upper Yard.
It was the only island in the sky that possessed Vearth—true earth. It was the fragment of Jaya that had been separated and launched into the heavens centuries ago.
"Let's go."
Ignoring Gan Fall, Rowan snatched Cricket by the ankle once more and kicked off into the air.
"Mr. Rowan! At least give me a heads-up before you take off!" Cricket yelled, dangling precariously.
Rowan utilized Geppo, moving at a blistering speed.
"Stay where you are!" Gan Fall shouted, chasing them on Pierre. The bird-horse was surprisingly fast, but as Rowan glanced back, he simply increased the frequency of his kicks. In an instant, the knight's voice was swallowed by the wind, left far behind.
Meanwhile, inside Enel's shrine, a peculiar laughter echoed.
"Yahahahaha!"
"An interesting person has come from the Blue Sea," Enel sat on his divine throne, idly tapping a golden pole against the floor. "To dare defy my laws and even repel the judgment of my lightning..."
"God, let us handle him," one of the three Priests standing nearby stepped forward, bowing respectfully. This was Ohm, the specialist of the "Trial of Iron." He carried a long blade and looked upon the intruders with disdain. No one, whether from the Sky or the Blue Sea, had ever escaped his trial alive.
"Go, all three of you," Enel waved a hand dismissively. "I don't wish to hear this man's voice anymore."
"As you command, God!"
The three Priests—Ohm, Shura, and Satori—departed immediately toward the forests of Upper Yard.
By this time, Rowan and Cricket were already standing on the solid soil of the island. Rowan released the Southbird he had been carrying. The bird immediately chirped and flew into the dense canopy, vanishing into its natural habitat.
"Do you see that?" Rowan asked.
Cricket stared at the spot where the bird disappeared. "This place... it's exactly like the environment on Jaya. It didn't even hesitate to adapt."
Jio— jio—
From deep within the woods, the repetitive calls of multiple Southbirds echoed back. Cricket's eyes widened in realization. The Southbirds, which only live on Jaya... there's a whole colony of them here, ten thousand meters in the air?!
It was true. Everything Rowan said was true. the City of Gold was in the sky, not at the bottom of the ocean as Noland's final words had suggested. The realization that his decades of diving were based on a tragic misunderstanding brought tears to Cricket's eyes.
"From here, head due east," Rowan pointed. "Go through the jungle, and you should find the ruins of the City of Gold. Go. Once you've seen it, just shout for help; that Gan Fall brat will come to fetch you."
Cricket looked east, his heart pounding as if he could already see the gold reflecting in his eyes. "But... Mr. Rowan, what about you? Are you leaving me here?"
Rowan shook his head. He wouldn't abandon his guide, but a battle was coming—a battle that would likely level the surrounding area. It was better to keep the "brat" at a distance.
"I have business to attend to. Once I'm finished, I'll take you back to the sea... unless you prefer to stay."
Sensing a flicker of killing intent from the west, Rowan suddenly grabbed Cricket by the waist and, with a controlled heave, tossed him toward the eastern jungle!
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH—" Cricket's scream faded into the distance.
Rowan turned toward the west, narrowed his eyes, and threw a single, massive punch into the air.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A vast swathe of the forest was instantly leveled, creating a wide, clear path through the trees. It looked as if a giant harvester had driven through the island, stretching for kilometers until the White-White Sea and distant buildings were visible on the other side.
"Oho? The trial has begun. Yahahahaha!" Enel watched from his shrine as the trees collapsed, creating a clear line of sight.
Ohm, Shura, and Satori were already standing in the middle of this newly created "road."
"Impressive power!" Satori said, patting his round belly and looking toward Rowan's direction.
Ohm looked annoyed, his blade humming as if it were eager for blood. "Don't talk so soon. He's just a Blue Sea old man. He won't escape my Trial of Iron."
"He won't even make it that far," Shura added from atop his giant bird, Fuza. "He won't escape my Trial of Strings."
The three moved toward Rowan as one.
"Sending three brats... truly, you underestimate this old man," Rowan grumbled. He kicked the air, sending a massive Rankyaku (Storm Leg) flying toward them.
The vacuum blade sliced through the air with a high-pitched whistle, hurtling toward the Priests.
"It's coming! Block it!" "Easy!"
Satori stepped forward first, launching a row of Milky Dials to intercept the blade.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted as the shockwave hit Satori's spheres. Fire and pressurized air currents swirled violently, but the Rankyaku didn't dissipate. If anything, it seemed to gather momentum from the impact!
"Useless! Get out of the way!" Shura kicked Satori aside. "Ordeal of Strings: Dragon!"
Under Shura's command, a series of Cloud Balls shaped like a dragon surged toward the incoming vacuum blade. Another string of deafening explosions followed, but...
"What?!" Shura gasped. His attack seemed to hit a brick wall. The explosions did nothing to slow the Rankyaku down; it tore through the smoke and was now right in front of them!
"Move, if you don't want to die!" Ohm's face turned grim as he leapt to the front. "Iron Cloud: Thistle Slash! Iron Foil!"
Ohm swung his blade, unleashing layers of thistle-shaped iron clouds that whipped up a massive gale, colliding head-on with Rowan's Rankyaku!