Lovely Street had three excellent qualities: the food was fantastic, the technology made absolutely no fucking sense, and practically every person we encountered greeted us by saying 'Heso', which I initially thought was some kind of insult. Apparently, it was just how people said hello up here.
Wonderful place. Ten out of ten.
"Heso!" I enthusiastically greeted a passing elderly woman, raising my hand as she walked past.
"Heso!" she replied with a cheerful smile.
I turned toward Robin, who was examining a collection of strange shells displayed outside a nearby shop. "See? I'm practically a local."
"You've learned one word."
"An important word." I corrected
"You've also been saying it to people who've already greeted you."
"Enthusiasm is an important part of cultural exchange, Robin."
She smiled without looking away from the shells. "Of course. Perhaps you could exchange some of that enthusiasm for a little restraint when speaking to the merchants."
I glanced toward the stall we'd just left. In my defence, the man had offered to demonstrate an Impact Dial. How was I supposed to know that letting him absorb one punch and release it would send him flying backwards into his own merchandise?
Well, I knew what Impact Dials did, obviously, but I'd underestimated the recoil he'd have to deal with. The merchant hadn't been particularly appreciative of my scientific contribution, although the substantial number of Extols I'd handed him afterwards had improved his opinion of me considerably.
Now, as we made our way through Lovely Street, I had several Dials tucked into a bag hanging from my shoulder, a skewer of grilled Skyfish in one hand and what appeared to be a purple apple in the other. The apple was delicious, by the way. Tasted a little like a peach, with a strange sweetness that lingered afterwards. The fish, meanwhile, had enough seasoning to make me seriously consider relocating my entire operation to Skypiea.
"Mmm. Robin, you've gotta try this." I took another bite before holding the skewer toward her face. She regarded the remaining fish with mild suspicion, then took a small piece.
"Hm. That's rather good."
"RIGHT!?"
"Although I think you've eaten enough for several people."
"Growing boy."
"You're enormous."
I nodded with a smirk. "And still growing, hopefully."
"How unfortunate for our food budget." Robin sighed.
I grinned and continued walking while she returned to examining the merchandise. Honestly, I was enjoying myself far more than I'd expected. Watching Skypiea in the anime had been fascinating enough, but actually walking through the streets was something else entirely.
The architecture was unlike anything I'd encountered in the Blue Sea. Buildings rested on compacted Island Clouds, with rounded walls and curved entrances that gave the entire settlement an oddly comfortable appearance. Strange plants grew beside pathways, some with enormous leaves that caught the wind like sails, while others produced fruits shaped like absolutely nothing I'd ever eaten before. Naturally, I intended to correct that last issue.
Everywhere we went, people used Dials to heat food, illuminate their homes, record sounds and power small machines. A woman had demonstrated a Flame Dial that produced a steady fire without any visible fuel, while another merchant showed Robin how a Tone Dial could preserve and reproduce someone's voice. That one interested me considerably.
"So you're telling me," I said, turning the shell over in my hands, "that this thing can record anything I say?"
"That's correct!" the merchant answered enthusiastically. "Simply press here, speak into the opening, and press again to finish recording."
I pressed the shell. "Testing, testing. One, two, three. This is the magnificent Kai speaking. If you're hearing this, congratulations, you've been blessed with the sound of my beautiful voice."
After pressing it again, I activated the playback, and my own voice emerged from the shell, repeating the entire statement with remarkable clarity. Holy shit.
"Robin!" I exclaimed, waving at her.
"I'm standing beside you."
"IT WORKS!"
"Yes, Kai. That's generally the purpose of a demonstration," she said, smiling softly.
I spent the next several minutes experimenting with the device while Robin questioned the merchant about its construction. Apparently, certain Dials could store sound for extraordinary lengths of time, though their capabilities varied by type.
A civilisation with no obvious modern electrical infrastructure had developed devices capable of performing functions that would've required considerably more complicated machinery back on Earth. Recording technology, propulsion systems, energy storage, heating, lighting, and all of it came from fucking seashells.
Engineers could never. (you don't say .______. )
Robin seemed equally fascinated, although her interests were slightly more respectable than mine. She questioned the merchants about where Dials were obtained, how different varieties were classified, whether they degraded with use, and how long Skypieans had relied on them. One older woman explained that certain types had become scarce over generations, while others remained common enough to be used throughout ordinary households.
Robin made several notes while I bought another skewer. We were both learning.
…
We encountered Conis shortly afterwards. Or, more accurately, she encountered us when I became interested in a Waver parked beside the road. The machine resembled a small boat with handlebars, except it was propelled by a Dial rather than an engine. I'd watched several people race across the cloud sea on them, and naturally, I wanted one.
I was examining the controls when a young woman with blonde hair and small wings approached us. "Heso! Excuse me, are you visitors from the Blue Sea?"
"Indeed we are!" I said, turning toward her.
"Oh! Welcome to Skypiea!" She smiled brightly. "My name is Conis."
"Kai. This is Robin."
"A pleasure," Robin said.
Conis bowed slightly, then noticed my hand resting on the Waver's handlebar. "Oh, are you interested in riding one?"
"Extremely."
She hesitated. "Have you ever used a Waver before?"
"Nope." I shook my head.
"Ah. Well, they're rather difficult to control without practice..."
"How difficult?" I said, looking at it with fascination.
"Most people need several months before they can properly ride one."
I considered that, then looked at the handlebars again and shrugged. "Sounds like a skill issue."
Robin sighed while Conis tilted her head. "Pardon?"
"Nothing, nothing. So, how fast does this thing go?"
She began explaining the propulsion system, demonstrating the controls while carefully keeping the machine secured to its mooring. I genuinely paid attention, because these things were fucking awesome, and I'd already begun imagining what would happen if I combined several of their propulsion Dials with the Vesper's hull. Imagine the speed! The manoeuvrability! Robin's face when I explained my newest modifications! Actually, perhaps I should wait until we'd repaired the damage from my previous innovation.
Speaking of which... "Hey, Conis, you wouldn't happen to know someone who can repair a ship, would you?"
"Oh! My father might be able to help!"
Beautiful. Twenty minutes later, we'd been invited into a modest home overlooking Angel Beach, where Conis introduced us to her father, Pagaya. He was a pleasant older man with spectacles, a rather distinctive hairstyle and the unfortunate habit of apologising for practically everything. He also understood Dial technology considerably better than I did, which, admittedly, wasn't a particularly high bar.
"So your ship was damaged during the ascent?" he asked after we'd explained our situation.
"Little bit."
Robin quietly cleared her throat, and I glanced toward her. "What?"
"The mast is split, several fittings are damaged, the railing needs replacing, and the hull requires proper attention." Robin explained
I shrank a little as she listed off the issues.
Pagaya blinked behind his glasses. "Ah, well, that does sound rather serious."
"She'll survive," I assured him. "We've already made temporary repairs."
"...Perhaps I should inspect her myself."
"That'd be great!" I grinned, slapping him in the back
He offered to examine the Vesper later that afternoon, explaining that suitable timber could be hard to find in the sky, though salvaged materials and local craftsmen might help. We agreed on payment, then Conis brought out food, and, well... things escalated.
...
I was halfway through my fourth helping when Robin finally brought up the subject we'd actually come to investigate. "Conis, may I ask you something about your people's history?"
"Of course!"
Robin opened her notebook to the sketches she'd made beneath Lulusia. Several winged figures occupied the page, their outlines carefully reproduced from the ancient carvings we'd discovered. "Do these resemble any traditional depictions of your ancestors?"
"Oh!" Conis leaned forward while Pagaya adjusted his glasses to examine the drawings.
"They certainly resemble sky people," he said thoughtfully. "Although the wings appear somewhat different."
"Different how?" Robin asked.
"Well, ours are shaped like this." He gestured toward his own back. "But there are other peoples in the sky whose wings differ from ours."
Robin's pencil paused. "Other peoples?"
"Yes. Although our histories haven't always been peaceful."
Ah, there it was. I set down my bowl. "You're talking about the Shandians, right?"
Pagaya blinked. "You know of them?"
"Somewhat."
Robin turned toward me, and I smiled. She sighed. Beautiful. I loved when we communicated without words.
"The Shandians are a warrior people," Pagaya explained carefully. "They've fought over Upper Yard for many generations."
"Upper Yard?" Robin repeated.
"The sacred land," Conis answered. "The only place in Skypiea where the ground is made of actual earth."
Robin leaned forward. "Earth? As in land from the Blue Sea?"
"Yes."
I leaned back in my chair. "About four hundred years ago, a massive Knock Up Stream blasted part of an island called Jaya into the sky. The land ended up here, along with the city built on it."
Robin slowly turned toward me. "An entire section of an island?"
"Yep."
"And its inhabitants?"
"Some survived. Their descendants are the Shandians."
Pagaya was staring now, and Conis appeared equally surprised. "You know quite a lot about our history," she observed.
"Call me an...Ancient history enthusiast."
Robin gave me a very patient smile. "An extraordinarily selective one."
"Quality over quantity, my dear."
She ignored that and turned back toward Pagaya. "What happened to the city?"
"Much of it remains within Upper Yard, although the land is forbidden under God's laws."
"Forbidden?"
"Yes. Upper Yard belongs to God."
I snorted, and Pagaya stiffened while Conis immediately glanced toward the window. Interesting. Robin noticed their reactions too.
"Is something wrong?"
Pagaya lowered his voice. "It is dangerous to speak carelessly about God."
Ah, Enel. The bastard really had these people living in fear. I knew the broad circumstances of his takeover: six years earlier, he'd arrived from Birka, defeated Gan Fall, seized control of Skypiea and established himself as its supreme ruler. Anyone who challenged his authority risked being punished by lightning from an apparently empty sky. Understandably, that made people somewhat reluctant to criticise him.
Still, I wasn't particularly interested in causing problems for two perfectly nice people who'd just fed me, so I kept my mouth shut. For once.
Robin returned to the matter of Upper Yard. "And the Shandians believe the land belongs to them?"
"It was their homeland before it came to the sky," Pagaya said with a nod. "However, Upper Yard has long been sacred to the people of Skypiea."
"Because it's earth?" Robin asked.
"Yes. Vearth is precious here."
I glanced through the window toward the distant greenery rising beyond the clouds. There was something rather depressing about the whole situation when you thought about it. The Shandians had been living on Jaya for centuries before some geological freak accident launched their home into the sky. Then the local population discovered an enormous piece of actual land had appeared in their territory and promptly decided it belonged to them. Four hundred years later, both sides were still fighting over it.
Classic territorial dispute. Add religion, generational resentment and several centuries of warfare, and congratulations, you've created a problem nobody could solve without somebody getting very upset.
Robin was quiet for a moment. "Do you know the city's name?" she asked.
I smiled. "Shandora."
Pagaya's eyebrows rose while Robin repeated it slowly. "Shandora..."
"The City of Gold," I continued. "Or at least, that's what it was called back on Jaya."
"Gold?"
"Lots of it, apparently. Though I wouldn't get too excited; much of it has probably been moved around over the centuries."
She barely seemed interested in the gold. Instead, she was already turning pages in her notebook. "An ancient city transported into the sky four hundred years ago," she murmured. "That would place its original construction considerably earlier."
"Quite a bit earlier."
"And depending on how much survived, its records may have remained isolated from the destruction of historical material elsewhere."
Bingo. That's precisely why I wanted to bring her here. The Poneglyph was obviously important, but Robin's ability to examine the surrounding ruins would be far more valuable than simply showing her a stone and asking her to read it. Shandora had once been an important civilisation, and unlike Ohara, nobody had arrived with a Buster Call to erase every surviving trace of its history. Well, nobody from the World Government, anyway.
I glanced at Robin. "Interested?"
She closed her notebook. "Very."
Kah-ra-ra. Excellent!
…
We met Gan Fall later that afternoon. Pagaya had accompanied us back toward Angel Beach to inspect the Vesper, and Conis was helping Robin carry several Dials we'd purchased when a strange bird descended from above. Actually, calling it a bird felt rather insulting to birds everywhere. It was a large, pinkish creature with a ridiculous face, and riding upon its back was an elderly man wearing armour and carrying a lance. Pierre and Gan Fall, the former God of Skypiea.
He landed near the edge of the beach, dismounted and approached us. "Heso."
"Heso!" I responded enthusiastically.
His gaze settled on me. "Visitors from the Blue Sea, I presume?"
"Yep! Beautiful place you've got up here."
"Thank you. I am known as the Knight of the Sky."
"Cool title."
He regarded the Vesper behind us, particularly its damaged mast and bright red sails. "I heard an unusual vessel had arrived through Heaven's Gate."
"That'd be us."
"I see."
He greeted Robin, Conis and Pagaya, and the conversation remained perfectly pleasant until Robin asked about Upper Yard. "You intend to enter the sacred land?"
"Yes," Robin answered. "We believe there may be historical records within its ruins."
"I would advise caution. The land is forbidden under the current God's laws, and the Shandian warriors do not welcome outsiders."
"I know," I said.
Gan Fall studied me. "You speak as though you're familiar with the conflict."
"Enough to know it didn't begin with Enel."
His eyes narrowed slightly at the name. "Indeed."
I considered him for a moment. "You're Gan Fall, aren't you?"
Conis froze, and Pagaya made a small noise, but Gan Fall remained remarkably composed. "That is my name."
"Former God of Skypiea."
Robin glanced toward him. "Former?"
He regarded me for several seconds before nodding. "Yes. I held that position before Enel took it from me."
"Then perhaps you could tell us more about the relationship between the Shandians and your people," Robin said.
Gan Fall looked toward Upper Yard. "The conflict has lasted far too long. Attempts at reconciliation have been made, but centuries of hatred are difficult to overcome."
"Especially when one side's living on the other's land," I remarked.
He looked back at me, and I shrugged. "What? It's true."
Instead of arguing, he sighed. "Yes. That is part of the problem."
Huh. Credit where credit was due. I appreciated someone who could acknowledge an uncomfortable fact without immediately launching into a speech about destiny or divine entitlement.
We spoke for another twenty minutes. Gan Fall explained what he knew of Shandian traditions, Upper Yard's present dangers and the location of several older structures that might interest Robin. He also warned us about Enel's priests, which interested me even more.
"They possess extraordinary abilities," he explained. "And they serve a ruler who can hear voices across vast distances."
"Mantra," I supplied.
Gan Fall paused. "You know of it?"
"Little bit." I waved my hand sideways
"It is a power that allows its users to perceive things beyond ordinary sight. Enel's ability is particularly formidable."
"Yeah, I've heard."
He watched me for another moment. "You seem remarkably unconcerned."
I smiled. "I'm a remarkably unconcerned person."
Robin made a small noise beside me. "That is not how I would describe you."
"Traitor." I whispered
Gan Fall eventually departed after advising us to remain cautious, though he offered to help if we found ourselves in trouble. Nice bloke. Shame about the former employment situation.
…
Far above Angel Island, within the enormous structure overlooking Upper Yard, Enel reclined upon his throne. Ordinarily, the arrival of two Blue Sea visitors would scarcely have interested him. Foreigners occasionally reached Skypiea; some paid the entrance fee, others violated the laws of God's Land, and most eventually proved themselves insignificant.
These newcomers had paid. Their vessel had arrived damaged, and the larger of the two possessed an unusually powerful presence, but neither circumstance warranted particular attention. At least, not initially.
Enel had first noticed the white-haired man while extending his Mantra across the White Sea. His presence had been clear enough, and later his voice had carried readily through the conversations of Angel Island. Food, unfamiliar machines, the prospect of fighting someone; he was certainly enthusiastic. Nothing particularly mysterious.
Then Enel had focused upon him, and something shifted. The man's presence remained detectable, but the impressions accompanying it became strangely difficult to distinguish. His attention appeared to move in several directions at once, and intentions that had previously been obvious began slipping beyond Enel's perception.
Enel frowned and released his concentration. When he returned several minutes later, the irregularity was gone. How peculiar. He listened to the surrounding voices, catching fragments of conversations from Angel Island. The white-haired man was discussing Shandora, then Gan Fall, and finally Enel's own name.
His lips curved. "A rather informed little insect."
He concentrated again, and this time the unfamiliar resistance returned almost immediately. Enel sat forward. He could still identify the man's location, hear his voice and detect his physical presence, but the deeper impressions that ordinarily accompanied another person's actions had begun slipping away. It was as though parts of him were becoming indistinct.
Enel's smile faded. "Interesting."
…
I was beginning to develop an extremely inconvenient theory. Whatever was happening to my Devil Fruit was happening more frequently, and I was becoming increasingly convinced it wasn't connected to the atmosphere.
One of the shifts that afternoon had happened while I was eating. Eating! I'd been sitting beside Robin, enjoying a succulent Skypeian meal, when the wheel on my right hand moved beneath the table, just enough for me to notice. Perhaps fifteen minutes later, it happened again, and the sensation was stronger.
Robin had immediately taken an interest. "Another one?"
"Yep." I frowned.
"Have you noticed anything unusual?"
"Aside from my body doing mysterious wheel bullshit while I'm eating?"
"Aside from that." She chuckled.
I flexed my fingers. "Nope."
She took my hand and examined the mark. "Does it feel different from your usual adaptations?"
"That's the problem; it feels like it normally does."
Normally, my power responded to something: a physical attack, a hostile environment, a particular substance, some kind of pressure or danger. Even when I couldn't immediately identify the mechanism, there was usually an obvious connection between what was happening to me and what my body was trying to overcome. This time, I was comfortable, well fed, uninjured and not even particularly tired, yet the wheel kept moving.
I'd experienced something similar when Smoker's Logia powers began affecting me, although that had involved direct contact and a very aggressive Marine trying to introduce my face to the pavement. Then there was Crocodile. His sand forced my body to develop some useful responses, especially once dehydration became part of the equation. Here, though, nothing was actually touching me.
I glanced toward the sky. The bastard had Mantra, and his lightning abilities allowed him to perceive electrical signals over enormous distances. Could he be watching us? Well, yes, obviously. He probably was. But could Observation Haki itself trigger adaptation? I'd practised using it myself, but that hadn't taught me what having someone else's directed at me might do.
Perhaps being observed by someone with Mantra placed some kind of pressure on my presence. Perhaps Enel's Devil Fruit interacted with whatever he sensed, and my adaptation was responding to the way his perception worked. Or perhaps there was some completely different phenomenon at play, and I was blaming the nearest electrical narcissist because he happened to be available. All reasonable possibilities.
Mostly.
Robin recorded another observation before releasing my hand. "If it continues, perhaps we can identify a pattern."
"Hopefully."
"Until then, try not to provoke whatever is causing it."
I considered that advice very briefly. "No promises." She sighed.
…
We entered Upper Yard the following morning. Pagaya had inspected the Vesper and arranged for additional bracing and replacement fittings, although proper repairs would take longer. I'd paid him enough to cover the materials, and Conis had offered to check on Murdoch while we were away.
The little bastard appeared perfectly delighted with this arrangement, having spent breakfast stealing fruit from Conis and pretending not to recognise me whenever I called his name.
Unbelievable.
After settling matters with the ship, we'd borrowed a Waver to approach Upper Yard. Robin insisted on operating it, and when I objected, she reminded me that I'd already damaged one perfectly good vessel within the last twenty-four hours. Accurate, admittedly, but unfair.
Fortunately, she proved considerably more capable than I'd expected, and we eventually reached the dense greenery rising from the White-White Sea. Upper Yard smelled of actual earth, trees and damp vegetation, familiar in a way that the rest of Skypiea wasn't. Which made sense, considering the entire place had once belonged to the Blue Sea.
Massive trees towered above us, their branches disappearing into a canopy thick enough that sunlight reached the ground in scattered patches. Roots broke through ancient stonework, and strange animals moved between the shadows as Robin dismounted and crouched beside the shore, pressing her fingers into the soil.
"Real earth," she murmured.
"Yep."
"After everything we've seen above the clouds, it's almost strange to find something so ordinary."
I grinned. "Wait till you see the city."
She rose. "You've been rather vague about how much you remember."
"Have I?"
"Extremely."
I considered that for a moment. "Alright, fine. Shandora was part of Jaya. It was important during the ancient period, and its people protected something the World Government would've preferred forgotten."
"A Poneglyph?"
"Yep." Robin became very still, and I smiled. "Thought you'd like that."
"You knew there was one here?"
"Pretty sure. I remember where it's supposed to be, more or less."
She regarded me for a moment. "Kai, how much of Shandora's history do you actually know?"
Ah, there was the difficult question. "Bits and pieces," I admitted. "I know about the city, the conflict, a few important people and some of the stuff we're likely to find. But remembering something doesn't mean I understand all of it."
Robin tilted her head. "You've never explained where these memories come from."
"I know."
"And you don't intend to?"
"Not yet."
She considered that, then nodded. "Very well. But if you know something that could prevent us from damaging an important historical site, I'd appreciate being told."
"Absolutely."
"Before you damage it."
"You're never gonna let the volcano thing go, are you?"
"Not while our mast is still broken."
Fair. We continued into the forest, where I could've travelled considerably faster on my own, but Robin was examining practically everything we passed, and I wasn't about to rush her. After all, ancient ruins, forgotten civilisations and people whose historical records had survived centuries of political stupidity were her element. I was just the extremely handsome muscle, a vital role, obviously.
…
The first attack came from the trees: a projectile struck the ground a few metres ahead of us and exploded. As soil and broken roots scattered across the path, Robin stepped back immediately, and I looked toward the canopy.
"Really?"
Several figures emerged from the surrounding vegetation, armed with unusual weapons and wearing clothing that differed considerably from the Skypieans we'd encountered. Shandians, led by a particularly angry-looking man carrying a large bazooka. Wyper. Ah, wonderful. I'd been hoping we'd meet him, although his expression suggested he did not share my enthusiasm.
"Blue Sea people," he said sharply. "What are you doing here?"
"Tourism?" I relied.
Robin slowly turned toward me, while Wyper didn't appear amused.
"This land does not belong to you."
"I didn't say it did." I raised a brow.
"Then leave."
I sighed. Honestly, I understood the hostility; four hundred years of being kept from your ancestral homeland tended to produce some understandable trust issues. Still, having someone aim a bazooka at me before breakfast had properly settled was rude.
"We're here to examine the ruins," Robin explained calmly. "I'm an archaeologist."
Wyper's eyes narrowed. "An archaeologist?"
"Yes. I'm interested in Shandora's history."
"Then you can study it somewhere else."
I scratched the back of my head. "Mate, we're not here to steal your gold or claim your land. She wants to read some old rocks."
One of the warriors behind Wyper raised his weapon. "Watch your mouth!"
I glanced at him. "Relax, brother. Nobody's insulting your rocks."
Robin closed her eyes and sighed briefly as Wyper's grip tightened around his bazooka.
"Do you think this is a joke?"
"Nope." He studied me, and I let my smile fade a little. "Look, I know what happened to Shandora. I know your ancestors were thrown up here from Jaya, and I know your people have spent four centuries trying to reclaim their home. I'm not interested in helping Enel keep it."
The surrounding warriors exchanged glances, and Wyper's eyes sharpened. "How do you know about Jaya?"
"Because it still exists."
That got their attention. Several weapons lowered slightly, although Wyper remained motionless.
"The island," I continued. "The part that didn't get blasted into the sky. It's still down there. People live on it."
A woman standing among the warriors stepped forward. Laki, if I remembered correctly.
"You've been to Jaya?"
"Yep. Recently, actually."
Wyper stared at me, his expression holding something besides hostility for the first time. "Then you know of Mont Blanc Noland?"
Ah, there it was. I smiled faintly. "Yeah. The bloke who got executed because nobody believed him about the City of Gold." Several Shandians became very still. "His descendants are still looking for proof, you know."
Wyper's jaw tightened, and I continued before he could interrupt. "Not here, obviously. Down on Jaya. They've been searching for the city because their ancestor died insisting it existed."
Laki lowered her weapon completely, but Wyper kept his raised. "You expect me to believe that?"
"Believe whatever you want. Doesn't change anything."
He stepped forward. "Then why have you come?"
Robin opened her notebook. "Because your ancestors protected something important," she answered. "Something connected to the history of the world."
That brought his attention back to her, and she showed him a drawing of the Poneglyph we'd discovered beneath Lulusia. Wyper studied it without recognition, but his gaze lingered on the strange writing.
"Shandora was already ancient when it came to the sky," Robin continued. "Whatever knowledge its inhabitants protected may have survived here. I want to learn what happened to them."
Wyper's expression remained guarded. "And what will you do with that knowledge?"
Robin hesitated, although only briefly. "Remember it."
The forest went quiet, and I glanced toward her. She was still holding the notebook, her expression perfectly composed.
"Your people have spent centuries fighting to reclaim this place," she continued. "I imagine you have good reasons for wanting its history preserved."
Wyper stared at her for several seconds before slowly lowering his bazooka. "You can enter the ruins," he said eventually. "But we accompany you. And if you damage anything..."
"Lemme guess, I grinned. "You'll shoot me?"
"...Yes."
I nodded, walking forward. "Fair enough."
Robin exhaled quietly. Well! Diplomacy! Who says I don't do it?
…
I might sound repetitive saying this, but Shandora was fucking incredible!
Even ruined, the city retained enough of its original structure to make its former importance obvious. Massive stone walls rose between the trees, covered in weathered carvings and patterns that Robin immediately began examining. Broken stairways led toward collapsed buildings, while enormous roots twisted through ancient roads that had once connected the city's districts.
Here and there, traces of gold remained embedded in the architecture. There wasn't enough to make me particularly interested in mining, but there was enough to understand why the place had acquired its reputation.
Robin walked very slowly through the ruins, and I didn't mind. Her expression changed the moment we reached the first surviving inscriptions; she stopped treating the place as an interesting possibility and began examining it with the kind of attention she usually reserved for Poneglyphs.
She touched a damaged carving. "These symbols..."
I leaned over her shoulder. "Recognise them?"
"Some. The decorative language differs from what we found in Lulusia, but certain arrangements are similar."
She opened her notebook and compared the images while Wyper watched from several metres away. Laki stood beside him, occasionally answering Robin's questions about Shandian traditions. Apparently, many of the stories had survived orally even after their people lost access to the city: names of important warriors, accounts of ancient ceremonies, stories about the great bell and the promise that its sound would eventually reach the Blue Sea again.
I already knew the broad history behind that last one. Kalgara and Noland, whose friendship had ended because of circumstances neither man could control, followed by centuries of descendants trying to fulfil promises made before their time. One Piece could be an absolute bastard like that.
Robin listened carefully as Laki described the traditions, occasionally asking her to repeat particular names or clarify the meaning of certain ceremonies. I mostly helped move things, which sounds boring until you consider the size of some of the things I moved.
At one point, we encountered a collapsed passage blocked by a slab of stone considerably larger than the Vesper's cabin. Robin examined the surrounding masonry.
"There may be a chamber beyond this."
"Want it open?"
"If possible. Carefully."
"Say less."
I stepped forward, pushed my fingers into a crack along the stone and lifted. The slab resisted for a moment before the surrounding earth cracked, several roots snapped, and the enormous block began rising. Wyper's warriors backed away as I raised it above my head, shifted my grip and carried it toward an open section of ground Robin indicated.
"Here?"
"A little farther."
I moved a little farther. "Here?"
"Yes, that should be fine."
I lowered the stone, shaking the ground and sending a shower of loose dirt down from the surrounding walls. Behind me, one of the Shandians whispered something deeply appreciative involving the word monster.
I turned. "Thank you!"
He looked considerably less appreciative, while Robin smiled and entered the newly exposed passage.
We spent the next hour examining what appeared to have been a series of ceremonial chambers. Many were empty, while others contained damaged reliefs, broken furnishings and fragments of inscriptions too weathered to translate completely. But the architecture itself told a story. Robin identified repeated motifs associated with guardianship, preservation and what she believed might have been references to a much older conflict. Certain chambers appeared to have been designed for storing records rather than ordinary religious worship.
"These weren't simply ceremonial buildings," she explained, examining a row of narrow recesses cut into the stone. "Something was kept here."
"Books?"
"Possibly. Or tablets, documents, objects of religious importance..."
"Treasure?" My eyes widened.
She smiled. "Not all treasure is gold, Kai."
I waved her off. "Spoken like someone who's never been broke."
Wyper made a quiet, irritated noise behind us, and I wisely decided not to expand upon the economic advantages of archaeology.
...
We found evidence of Shandora's own Makora tradition inside a partially collapsed sanctuary. It wasn't a Poneglyph, which was interesting. The chamber appeared considerably less monumental than the structures surrounding it, with narrow stone walls and several damaged panels arranged around a central platform. Most of the carvings had been worn beyond recognition, but one surviving panel made Robin stop so abruptly that I nearly walked into her.
"Kai."
I followed her gaze to a familiar circular symbol carved into the surface: an enormous wheel with eight spokes. Oh, now that was interesting.
As I moved closer, I could see the carving differed from the one beneath Lulusia. The figure associated with it was considerably less detailed, and several sections had been destroyed, but the wheel was unmistakable. Robin opened her notebook so quickly that several loose pages nearly escaped, and I caught them.
"Thanks," she murmured absently, already comparing the images.
Wyper approached. "What is it?"
"A symbol we've encountered before," Robin explained. "In an ancient sanctuary on the Blue Sea."
Laki leaned closer. "The turning wheel?"
Robin paused. "You know it?"
Laki frowned thoughtfully. "Some of the older stories mention one."
Now THAT got my attention. "Go on."
She looked toward Wyper, who gave a small nod. "Our ancestors preserved many stories from before Shandora rose into the sky. Some were passed down through families. Others were recorded in the old ceremonial halls."
Robin's pencil was moving. "And this symbol?"
Laki studied the carving. "I remember hearing about a warrior who changed whenever calamity struck him. The old stories said that no disaster could defeat him twice."
I grinned. Beautiful. Absolutely fucking beautiful. "Did this warrior happen to have a name?"
Laki hesitated. "I don't remember it clearly."
Robin turned toward the writing beneath the wheel. "Makora," she murmured.
Laki's eyes widened slightly. "That sounds familiar."
I folded my arms. Hehehe. Ladies and gentlemen, we were cooking.
Robin kept examining the panel, identifying enough surviving characters to connect it with the inscriptions she'd translated beneath Lulusia. There were significant differences, however.
"The account here is older in its language," she explained. "Or at least, it preserves older forms of several words. The Lulusia inscription described a warrior whose legend was brought from elsewhere. This appears to associate him with a group of people who came from the heavens."
"Like the winged figures?"
"Possibly."
Wyper frowned. "Our ancestors came from the heavens?"
"Not necessarily," Robin answered. "It may refer to a people your ancestors encountered, or a tradition they inherited. These accounts have passed through many generations." She carefully traced several damaged characters without touching the stone. "The important thing is that the stories resemble each other. The wheel, the warrior, his ability to survive calamities..."
"And his absolutely magnificent physical appearance," I added.
Robin smiled. "Naturally."
"Don't forget that part."
"I'll underline it."
She continued reading, and what followed was fascinating. The records weren't particularly clear about Makora's identity; some described him as a warrior, while others used titles Robin believed carried religious significance, referring to him as something closer to a divine protector. One fragment seemed to describe a great calamity tied to his appearance, but the surviving text was too damaged to tell what happened. Another referenced a conflict involving unnamed enemies.
Much of the account was missing, which was frustrating, obviously, but also... holy shit. I might actually possess a Devil Fruit based on a historical deity. Not simply Mahoraga from Jujutsu Kaisen, or some reincarnated ability the Higher Beings slapped into a convenient fruit, but an actual legendary figure whose existence was recorded in this world's history.
I slowly raised my right hand, comparing the wheel mark across my knuckles with the carving. "Robin."
"Hm?"
"I think I might literally be a god."
She stopped writing, then turned toward me very slowly. "Kai."
"Think about it."
"I am."
"A divine warrior. Ancient religious traditions. People worshipping a bloke who looks exactly like my transformed state."
"That doesn't establish divinity Kai."
"It establishes excellent branding though."
She laughed quietly. "Historical accounts frequently exaggerate important figures. Particularly when those figures become associated with religious practices."
"Fahh! You're ruining my moment."
Robin shook her head, " I don't want your ego to be hurt, asl o I'm trying to prevent you from establishing a religion."
"Too late. I've already considered the uniforms." I smirked.
Wyper stared at us, and Laki looked thoroughly confused as Robin shook her head and returned to the inscriptions.
"Whatever Makora was, these accounts suggest that different peoples preserved related traditions about him. The similarities are too specific to dismiss easily."
"Meaning?"
"They may derive from an older shared source."
I considered that. "So someone originally told the story, and it spread?"
"Perhaps. Or several groups witnessed the same events and preserved different interpretations. We don't have enough evidence to establish which."
"Still pretty cool."
"Extremely," she admitted, before pausing over a particularly damaged line. "Hm. There's something strange here."
As I leaned closer, she examined the characters again and copied several into her notebook. "The language is inconsistent with the surrounding passage," she said. "I initially thought it was a personal name, but the structure doesn't fit."
"Another title?"
"Possibly. Although..." She frowned. "It almost looks like an attempt to reproduce a sound."
I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of sound?"
"Perhaps laughter. The characters repeat in an unusual pattern, but I can't translate them reliably."
She sounded mildly annoyed, and I looked at the damaged line. Unfortunately, the ancient writing remained as incomprehensible to me as it had been five minutes earlier.
"Maybe the bloke had a funny laugh."
"Perhaps."
"Wouldn't blame him. Being worshipped sounds hilarious."
Robin gave me an amused glance before marking the passage separately. "I'll preserve the original characters. We may encounter another version elsewhere."
"Excellent. Add it to the mystery pile."
"Our mystery pile is becoming rather substantial."
"Good! Job security." I patted her shoulder.
She smiled and returned to work while I stepped aside to give her room, glancing once more toward the wheel carved into the stone. For some reason, the whole thing was becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss as coincidence. The Higher Beings had certainly gone to extraordinary lengths to make their little experiment internally consistent, and I wondered how much of this history they'd arranged themselves. Or whether the legend had existed before they ever became involved.
Either possibility was interesting and, frankly, a little concerning. Still... historical deity! Hehehe. Fucking awesome.
…
Enel was no longer amused. The white-haired intruder had entered Upper Yard, which ordinarily would've been sufficient reason to punish him, particularly after the repeated references to forbidden history and the former God. Yet Enel had delayed, wanting to understand the strange irregularity accompanying the man's presence.
Throughout the morning, he'd concentrated his Mantra upon the intruders several times. The woman remained perfectly ordinary to his senses, and the Shandian warriors were equally straightforward. Their anger, suspicion and determination were familiar impressions, easy to distinguish despite the considerable distance separating them.
The white-haired man was different. When Enel first focused upon him, his presence remained clear, but then the impressions accompanying his movements grew increasingly unreliable. A momentary intention would register clearly, only to become difficult to follow several seconds later. At times, Enel could sense his location and hear his voice while the finer details of his attention seemed almost completely obscured. Whenever Enel withdrew his concentration, the irregularities became less pronounced.
His fingers tightened around the golden staff resting beside his throne. Impossible. Mantra had never behaved this way before. He could perceive the presence of practically every inhabitant of Skypiea, distinguish their movements and, through the extraordinary reach of his Devil Fruit, hear conversations unfolding across vast distances. Yet this single Blue Sea insect was becoming increasingly difficult to interpret.
Enel's expression darkened, and he took up the golden staff. "Enough. Shura."
A priest waiting beyond the chamber entered and bowed. "Yes, God?"
"Investigate the intruders within Upper Yard."
"Shall I eliminate them?"
Enel considered that, then smiled. "Not yet. I wish to see what they are capable of."
…
We eventually reached the ancient belfry, or at least what remained accessible. The enormous growth known as Giant Jack had spread throughout Upper Yard over the centuries, forcing its way between buildings and carrying parts of the old city far above the surrounding forest. The great golden bell had once stood in Shandora; now it rested high above the ruins, its location obscured by enormous leaves and branches.
Getting there was considerably easier for me than it would've been for most people. "Need a lift?" I asked Robin.
She examined the enormous stalk rising above us. "That would be helpful."
"Say no more." I crouched, and she regarded me for a moment.
"You're enjoying this."
"Immensely."
Robin climbed onto my back, securing her notebook beneath one arm while several additional hands emerged along my shoulders to steady her. Wyper watched from nearby.
"You intend to climb that?"
"Yep."
"With her?"
"Yep."
His expression suggested he was beginning to regret allowing us into the city. Fair enough. I pushed off the ground, cracking the earth beneath my feet as we shot upward through the canopy. Robin made a surprised noise before tightening her grip.
"Some warning would be appreciated!"
"Sorry!" I caught an enormous branch, used it to redirect myself and continued climbing. Several large sections of the growth offered convenient footholds, although I occasionally had to punch my fingers into the surface when the angle became unpleasant.
Robin eventually stopped protesting and began looking around. The view was incredible: Upper Yard stretched beneath us, an enormous island of green surrounded by brilliant white clouds. From this height, the surviving sections of Shandora became visible between the trees, their ancient streets partially swallowed by vegetation. Farther away, Angel Island appeared as a pale settlement resting upon the White-White Sea.
Robin's grip loosened slightly as she examined the landscape. "Remarkable."
"Right?"
"Imagine what this city must've looked like before the forest overtook it."
"Probably considerably more golden."
She laughed softly, and we climbed higher until the enormous golden structure finally came into view. Holy shit. There it was: the Golden Belfry of Shandora. I'd known what to expect, obviously, but seeing it in person was another matter entirely. The bell was enormous, supported by ancient golden pillars and surrounded by decorative structures that had somehow survived centuries above the clouds.
And beneath it was the Poneglyph.
Robin went completely silent. I landed on the broad platform beside the bell and lowered her carefully, but for several seconds, she simply stood there. Then she approached the stone, raised her hand toward its dark surface, and stopped just short of touching the inscription.
I remained behind her. This was her moment. The stone had survived eight centuries, a violent journey into the sky, and four hundred years of war over the land beneath it, and now Nico Robin stood in front of it.
She began reading, slowly at first, then faster. I watched her expression as she worked through the ancient script, occasionally pausing to compare sections before continuing. Eventually, she spoke.
"Poseidon."
I smiled faintly. "There it is."
Robin traced another line. "The inscription refers to the Ancient Weapon Poseidon. It identifies Fish-Man Island as its location."
"Sounds about right."
Something named after the god of the sea was in the sea. Not even Shakespeare could come up with that.
She continued studying the Poneglyph, and for a while, neither of us spoke. Then she moved toward another inscription carved into the surrounding structure, her brow furrowing as she examined it.
"That's..."
I approached. "Roger?"
She turned sharply. "How did you know?"
I pointed toward the writing. "Lucky guess?"
"Kai."
"Alright, alright. I remembered there was something here."
Robin examined the inscription again. "It's written in the same ancient language, but the name..."
"Gol D. Roger."
She slowly nodded. The inscription was brief, recording Roger's arrival and his intention to carry the message onward toward the world's end. Robin stood quietly beside it.
"Someone travelling with Roger could write this language," she murmured.
"Apparently."
"That means..." She looked toward the Poneglyph. "He didn't simply discover these stones. He knew enough to understand their significance."
I considered telling her about Oden, then decided against it. There was no reason to deprive her of an investigation simply because I remembered parts of a story she was still living through. Besides, I wanted to see what conclusions she reached herself.
Robin spent several minutes studying the inscription, comparing it with the main Poneglyph before carefully recording both. When she'd finished, she stepped back.
"Shandora protected this knowledge."
"Yeah."
"For centuries."
I glanced toward the forest below. "And got dragged into a four-hundred-year war afterwards."
Her expression became thoughtful. "The city was already important before the Knock Up Stream. Its people defended something connected to the forbidden history, and the records we've found suggest they inherited traditions from an even older civilisation." She looked toward the pages containing our notes about Makora. "Perhaps these accounts are all connected."
"Wouldn't surprise me."
Robin closed her notebook and stood beneath the golden bell for a while, taking in the ancient structure and the immense sky around it. Then she smiled.
"Thank you, Kai."
I blinked. "Huh?"
"For bringing me here."
Ah. Well, that was unexpected. I scratched my cheek. "Don't mention it."
She smiled a little wider. "Although I suspect you also wanted to see whether you could lift the bell."
I stared at her, and she stared back. "Was it that obvious?"
"Extremely."
I glanced toward the enormous golden structure. To be fair, could you blame me?
...
We returned to the lower ruins later that afternoon. Wyper and the other Shandians had remained nearby, and although they hadn't exactly become friendly, their hostility had noticeably diminished. Robin showed Laki several of her copied inscriptions, explaining which traditions appeared connected to the city's older history, while Wyper listened without interrupting.
When she mentioned the Poneglyph and its significance, he remained quiet for a long time. "Our ancestors protected that stone," he eventually said.
"Yes," Robin answered.
"And you know what it says?"
"I do."
He considered her. "Then perhaps their struggle wasn't meaningless."
Robin's expression softened. "I don't think it was."
I glanced toward the forest. Nice moment. Very touching. Unfortunately, that was when something inside my right hand moved again, stronger this time. The pressure spread beneath my skin, reaching farther up my forearm than before, and I frowned. Oh, for fuck's sake.
Robin noticed immediately and stepped closer. "Again? Any different?"
"Stronger." I flexed my fingers, feeling the wheel shift. There was no obvious threat, no injury and no environmental change, but something was definitely happening. I looked upward. "Alright, seriously. What the fuck are you doing?"
Robin followed my gaze. "Do you think someone is watching us?"
I hesitated, then shrugged. "Maybe."
Wyper's attention sharpened. "Enel?"
"Could be."
The Shandians immediately became more alert, and Robin lowered her voice. "Kai, perhaps we should return to the ship."
"Not yet."
"Kai."
I glanced toward her. "Relax. I wanna test something."
She closed her eyes. "Oh, wonderful."
Before I could explain, a loud screech echoed through the trees as something enormous descended from above: a massive, bird-like creature ridden by a man in priestly clothing, carrying a long spear. Shura. Ah! There he was.
The creature swooped toward us, scattering leaves as it landed upon a ruined wall. Wyper immediately raised his bazooka while the other Shandians spread out, weapons ready. Shura regarded us with obvious contempt.
"Intruders."
I raised my hand. "Heso!" He stared, and I smiled. "Lovely weather we're having."
His spear lowered. "You have violated the sacred land of God."
"Oh, have we?"
"You will answer for your crimes."
Robin sighed beside me. "Here we go."
Shura's attention moved toward Wyper, and he smiled unpleasantly. "And the Shandian rebels... How convenient."
Wyper's bazooka fired. The projectile struck the wall beneath Shura, exploding in a shower of stone and flame, but the priest had already moved. His enormous bird carried him upward while the surrounding Shandians scattered, and he raised his spear.
"Fools! You think you can oppose God's judgement?"
I sighed. Oh, brother. Another religious nutcase. "Hey!" I stepped forward, and he looked down. "You're interrupting an archaeological expedition."
Shura sneered. "And?"
"And that's rude."
His spear suddenly ignited, flames spreading along its length before he drove it toward me from above. I caught the weapon just below its burning tip, stopping the shaft dead. Shura's bird kept moving for another fraction of a second before the whole creature jerked to a halt, nearly throwing the priest from his saddle.
I examined the spear. "Flame Dial?" His eyes widened, and I grinned. "Cool."
Then I pulled. Shura came off his mount so violently that his sandals left the stirrups behind. I swung the spear sideways, taking him with it, and drove him into the nearest surviving section of wall. Stone exploded as the wall collapsed inward, burying him beneath several tons of ancient masonry.
The surrounding forest went quiet. I stared at the rubble, then glanced toward Robin. "Sorry about the wall."
She regarded the destruction. "At least that section didn't contain any inscriptions."
Wyper slowly lowered his bazooka, and one of the warriors behind him muttered something I couldn't quite hear. Probably praise. Almost certainly. The enormous bird circled overhead, screeching in distress, and I looked up.
"Oi! Your owner's down there!"
It didn't seem interested in helping him. Fair enough. I walked toward the rubble, lifted a section of collapsed stone and found Shura lying unconscious beneath it, his spear broken and his robes thoroughly ruined. Still breathing. Good. I wasn't particularly interested in killing him, mostly because I suspected Enel would find the humiliation considerably more offensive.
I dragged the priest free and deposited him beside the remains of his weapon. "There. Return to sender."
Wyper stared. "You defeated one of God's priests."
"Apparently."
"That easily?"
I shrugged. "Wasn't exactly Garp."
Nobody understood that reference. Their loss.
Robin approached, examining Shura briefly before turning toward me.
"Well, that rather settles whether Enel knows we're here."
"Yep!"
"And I imagine he won't appreciate what you've done."
"Probably not." I looked toward the distant heights of Upper Yard as the wheel gave another faint movement. This time, however, something felt different. I couldn't explain it properly, but the pressure had become less intrusive, almost as though my body was beginning to recognise whatever had been affecting it.
Interesting. Very interesting. I flexed my right hand. "Robin."
"Hm?"
"I think I've got an idea."
She watched me for a moment, then sighed. "Should I be worried?"
"Probably."
…
Enel stared into the distance. Shura had fallen, one of his priests defeated almost immediately by a Blue Sea intruder. That alone was offensive, but the strange presence accompanying the white-haired man had become considerably more troublesome.
Enel could still sense him and hear his voice, and he knew exactly where he stood. Yet the impressions accompanying his actions had become increasingly difficult to interpret. Earlier, Enel had followed the man's intentions with little difficulty; now, the closer he looked, the less reliable those impressions became. It was as though his own concentration was interfering with the very information he sought.
Enel's fingers tightened around his staff. Impossible. He was God. His Mantra extended across Skypiea, and no mortal could simply become difficult for him to perceive.
And yet the white-haired man laughed. Enel heard the sound clearly, then heard something considerably more offensive: his own name.
…
By the time we'd finished examining the last of the ruins, the afternoon was beginning to fade. Robin had collected enough notes to keep herself occupied for several days, including detailed copies of the Makora inscriptions and sketches of the architectural features she wanted to investigate further.
I was extremely pleased. We'd discovered additional evidence connecting my Devil Fruit to ancient religious traditions, confirmed the existence of related accounts preserved by separate peoples and found several indications of a much older conflict. We hadn't learned precisely who Makora was, whether he'd ever existed as anything more than a legend, or why the Higher Beings had apparently decided to give me a fruit connected to him. But still. Progress! Wonderful, beautiful progress.
Now there was one final item on today's agenda. I turned toward Robin. "Alright! Research complete."
She raised an eyebrow. "Complete?"
"For today."
"Ah."
I grinned. "Time for the other thing."
Her expression flattened. "Enel."
"Enel."
She closed her notebook. "Kai..."
"Robin..."
"Please tell me you've considered what happens if you provoke a man who can throw lightning across an entire island."
"Of course."
She waited while I smiled, then sighed. "You haven't."
"Okay, I've considered parts of it."
"Which parts?"
"Primarily the lightning."
"That does not reassure me."
I laughed. She didn't. Ah. Fair enough. I glanced toward the distant settlements. "Look, I'm not gonna drag him into Angel Island. We're already on Upper Yard, and there's plenty of open space away from the ruins."
Robin studied me. "And the Shandians?"
"They can leave. Same with you."
Her expression sharpened. "I beg your pardon?"
"Not permanently, obviously. Just get somewhere safe while I handle him."
"Kai, lightning doesn't become harmless simply because you're standing farther away."
"I know."
"And we don't know whether your adaptation will be effective against it."
"I know."
She hesitated, seemingly surprised by that, and I folded my arms. "Robin, I've fought Logia users before. I know the risks."
"You've never fought someone capable of attacking you from several kilometres away."
"True."
"And you've spent the entire day experiencing unexplained reactions from your Devil Fruit."
"Also true."
She regarded me for another moment. "Yet you're still determined to do this."
I grinned. "Obviously."
Robin exhaled through her nose, then reached into her bag and removed a small Den Den Mushi. "At least take this, so I can contact you if something goes wrong."
I accepted it. "Aw, concerned for me?"
"I'm concerned about having to explain to your parents that you challenged a self-proclaimed god because you wanted to see whether lightning would improve your muscles."
I considered that. "Yeah, Mum would probably be pissed."
"Rather." She smiled faintly, though concern still lingered behind it.
I slipped the Den Den Mushi into my bag. "Fine. I'll keep the fight away from everyone."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
She regarded me suspiciously, then nodded. "Very well."
Beautiful. I turned toward Wyper, who'd been listening with increasing disbelief. "You lot might wanna head back."
His eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Because I'm about to annoy Enel."
Wyper stared, then actually laughed. It wasn't a friendly laugh, more the sort of noise someone makes when they've just discovered an idiot attempting to wrestle a Sea King.
"You intend to challenge God?"
"Yep."
"You're insane."
"I have been told."
He shook his head. "Enel will kill you."
I smirked. "Well, he can certainly try."
Wyper studied me for several seconds, then lowered his weapon. "Do whatever you want."
"That's the spirit!"
He began directing his warriors away from the ruins, though he remained close enough to observe what happened. Robin moved toward a distant ridge overlooking the clearing we'd selected. Good. Plenty of space, no settlements and no important archaeological structures, just an enormous stretch of open ground surrounded by ancient forest.
I cracked my knuckles. Alright. Showtime.
"ENEL!"
My voice echoed across the clearing, scattering several birds from the surrounding trees. I waited, but nothing happened.
"ENEL, YOU ELECTRIC FUCK!"
Robin covered her face in the distance. Beautiful. "I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!"
Still nothing. I folded my arms. "COME ON! YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING US ALL DAY, HAVEN'T YOU?"
The wheel on my hand shifted. There it was. I grinned. "THAT'S RIGHT! I'M TALKING TO YOU!"
A faint pressure passed through my right arm. Interesting. I glanced toward the mark, then back toward the sky. "YOU CALL YOURSELF GOD, RIGHT!?"
The wind moved through the clearing. I heard the distant rustling of leaves, the faint sounds of wildlife, and Robin calling something from the ridge. Probably advice. I ignored it.
"THEN GET YOUR ARSE DOWN HERE!"
Nothing. I sighed. "Seriously? You're supposed to be a fucking god, and you're hiding in your little palace?"
The pressure beneath my skin intensified. Oh? I smiled. "What's wrong? Scared of a Blue Sea visitor?"
High above the clearing, the clouds began to darken. I noticed, naturally, but I wasn't particularly concerned. I knew Enel's abilities and what he could do, and I was extremely interested to see whether my adaptation could respond to lightning the same way it had responded to everything else.
"COME ON, ENEL! I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS!"
A low rumble travelled across the sky, and I glanced upward. Clouds began gathering directly above us. Robin shouted something I couldn't quite make out, then a calm, arrogant voice came from somewhere above.
"You have quite the mouth for a mere insect."
I grinned. Oh. There he was. A figure stood atop a distant section of ruined stonework, apparently having appeared without making a sound: tall, bare-chested, with long earlobes and an enormous golden staff resting against one shoulder. Enel, the self-proclaimed God of Skypiea, looked at me with absolute contempt.
I raised my hand. "Heso!"
His expression darkened. "Do you understand who stands before you?"
"Yep!"
"Then kneel."
I blinked, then laughed. "KAH-RA-RA-RA-RA!" Oh, this bastard was hilarious. "Mate, I'm not kneeling for anyone."
Enel's eyes narrowed. "You trespass upon my sacred land, assault my priest and dare to summon me as though I were some common servant."
I shrugged. "Well, you took your sweet fucking time."
The air changed without any further warning. One moment, I was standing in a clearing, grinning at the ridiculous man who'd declared himself God; the next, every hair on my body stood upright. My smile faltered. Oh. That was new.
Enel raised one hand, his expression remaining perfectly calm. "Then receive divine punishment."
A brilliant sphere of electricity formed above his palm. I barely had time to register it.
"El Thor!"
The sky exploded. An enormous column of lightning descended directly toward me, its brilliance swallowing the clearing before I could even move. For the briefest instant, I saw Robin's arms blooming across the distant ridge, reaching desperately toward my position.
Then the lightning struck.
…
End of Chapter!
Word Count - 9669
a/n -
So...
Can we all agree that Kai should never be allowed within speaking distance of someone with a God complex?
Because apparently, the first thing this idiot does after discovering that he MIGHT be based on an ancient deity is challenge an ACTUAL self-proclaimed God to a fight.
There is something fundamentally wrong with this man. (￣▽￣)
ANYWAY! Welcome back, everyone!
Chapter 41 is officially done, and we have quite a few things to talk about!
First off, THE SHANDIANS!
I was really looking forward to introducing Wyper, especially because he's one of those characters I feel deserves considerably more appreciation. His people have spent four hundred years fighting to reclaim their ancestral homeland, and from his perspective, Kai and Robin are just another pair of outsiders wandering around somewhere they have absolutely no business being.
So naturally, I had Kai approach this delicate political situation with his extraordinary diplomatic skills.
"Tourism?"
Fucking brilliant, Kai. Really helping your case there.
Jokes aside, I particularly enjoyed the conversation about Jaya and Mont Blanc Noland. There's something quite sad about the fact that the Shandians have spent centuries trying to reclaim their city while Noland's descendants have spent generations trying to prove it existed.
They're all still carrying the consequences of something that happened four hundred years ago.
Then Robin comes along, tells Wyper she wants to preserve his people's history, and manages to accomplish something Kai probably would've tried to solve with his fists.
I liked that little interaction quite a bit.
NOW, ONTO THE IMPORTANT STUFF!
KAI IS APPARENTLY A GOD NOW!
Or at least, he seems to think so.
I nearly lost it imagining Robin's face when he started talking about establishing a religion and designing uniforms. This man has discovered evidence of an ancient, potentially divine figure connected to his abilities, and his immediate concern is BRANDING.
Priorities, people.
Although there is something interesting about the differences between the records found in Lulusia and Shandora. They clearly describe something similar, but the accounts don't entirely agree.
I'll leave you guys to think about that.
And yes, I wonder how many of you were paying attention to the smaller details in the inscriptions. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
The Golden Belfry was another scene I enjoyed, particularly Robin discovering Roger's message. It's pretty significant, especially since someone aboard the Pirate King's ship apparently understood the ancient language.
Kai obviously knows considerably more about that situation than he's letting on, but I liked having him stand aside and watch Robin work things out on her own.
Also, I genuinely considered having him try lifting the Golden Bell.
I really did.
It would've been so fucking stupid.
Maybe another time. XD
NOW THEN.
ENEL.
Oh, this poor, poor bastard.
Imagine spending six years ruling an entire civilisation as God, possessing the ability to hear practically everything happening across your territory, only for some enormous white-haired teenager to show up and start becoming increasingly difficult to read.
And the more attention you give him, the worse it gets.
I particularly enjoyed writing Enel's perspective because, as far as he's concerned, something that should be completely impossible is happening right under his nose.
Or rather, right under his Mantra.
I'm deliberately keeping some of the mechanics surrounding this development unexplained for now. You've seen how Kai's adaptation works under ordinary circumstances, but this situation raises a few interesting questions.
And I think Enel would very much like some answers.
Unfortunately, the person he's investigating is Kai.
Which means those answers will probably involve property damage.
Speaking of which...
Can we get an F in the chat for Shura?
My guy descended from the heavens, announced divine judgment, and got used to demolish a four-hundred-year-old wall.
And the WORST part is that Kai was more concerned about Robin being upset over the archaeology than the fact that he'd just folded one of God's priests.
Poor Shura. You deserved better.
Probably.
AND FINALLY, THAT ENDING!
I think my favourite part of the entire confrontation is just how ridiculously different Kai and Enel's expectations are.
Enel genuinely believes he's dealing with some arrogant Blue Sea insect who needs to be reminded of his place.
Meanwhile, Kai has spent the better part of two days looking forward to getting electrocuted.
An absolutely HEALTHY attitude toward combat.
But I did want that final moment to catch Kai off guard. He's usually the one forcing people into situations they haven't prepared for, and his confidence has only grown after everything he's survived.
This time, Enel doesn't even bother giving him a proper fight.
He just raises his hand.
EL THOR!
And suddenly our boy is introduced to several million volts of divine customer service.
Lovely.
I also wonder if anyone noticed Robin reaching toward him at the very end, despite having agreed to keep her distance.
Hmm...
Anyway, I'm not going to say anything about what happens next. You'll have to see how our favourite adaptation enthusiast handles his first proper introduction to the Goro Goro no Mi.
Assuming there's anything left to handle, of course.
Hehehehehe.
As always, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts! Particularly about the Shandians and Wyper's introduction, since I'm curious whether you guys enjoyed seeing Kai actually resolve a confrontation without immediately resorting to violence.
I'm also interested in what you think Enel has been experiencing through his Mantra, and whether you noticed anything unusual about the newer Makora records.
And, most importantly...
WHO THE FUCK CHALLENGES A MAN MADE OF LIGHTNING AND THEN ACTS SURPRISED WHEN HE GETS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING!?
This idiot, apparently.
Thank you all again for reading, voting and commenting! I genuinely appreciate the support, and I hope you guys are enjoying where the story is heading.
We've got a rather interesting situation on our hands now.
One self-proclaimed God. One potentially divine teenager.
And an archaeologist who probably wishes she'd stayed in Alabasta.
What could possibly go wrong?
See you in Chapter 42!
Bye bye! (￣▽￣)ノ