Before Bege and his crew could even traverse the island, a large group of Skypieans, clad in blue uniforms and white berets, came rushing towards them, completely surrounding them.
A stern-faced middle-aged man, seemingly the captain, stepped forward from the group. He held a stack of photographs, comparing them to Bege and his crew. His gaze was cold as he spoke, "We are the White Berets, responsible for Skypiea's security. We received a report from Amazon, the gatekeeper of Heaven's Gate, about a group of illegal intruders. It's you, without a doubt."
The White Beret soldiers under his command instantly raised their bows and arrows, aiming them at Bege's crew.
The stern-faced man continued coldly, "You are suspected of illegally entering Skypiea. According to Skypiean law..."
But before he could finish his sentence, Bege cut him off.
"We don't have time for this. Take them down," Bege instructed Modi. Modi and the others immediately sprang into action. The so-called White Beret squad was utterly powerless against them. Within two breaths, all twenty-plus members were lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
"Let's go," Bege said calmly, continuing on his way.
The stern-faced man, lying on the ground, roared in furious rage, "You will pay for your actions! God's Guard will not let you get away with this!"
Unfortunately for him, Bege paid his so-called threats no mind.
A faint, cold smile touched Bege's lips. He was here to overthrow God's rule, after all.
Passing through that island, they entered Upper Yard. Upper Yard was a part of Jaya Island that had been thrust upward by the Knock Up Stream four hundred years ago. It possessed soil, something Skypiea lacked.
They walked through the forests of Upper Yard, where the trees and vegetation were exceptionally tall. Not only the flora, but even the fauna were unusually large.
Some One Piece fans had speculated that the flora and fauna of the portion of Jaya Island that was thrust upward had undergone rapid growth due to the unique environment, becoming extraordinarily large.
Within the vast forests of Upper Yard were paths made of white clouds. Unfortunately, without Wavers, they couldn't use these cloud paths to quickly reach their destination.
As they were making their way quickly through the forest, two figures stealthily appeared behind them, concealed in the dense foliage.
One of them was Calsedon, whom Bege had spared earlier. They had infiltrated Upper Yard ahead of time, their objective being to observe Bege's crew's goals and strength in secret.
"Return to the village and have the warriors infiltrate Upper Yard immediately. Wait for my signal. If these pirates and the Skypieans inflict heavy losses on each other, then today is the day the Shandians reclaim Upper Yard," Calsedon said, a rare look of excitement breaking through his usually serious expression. He felt that Bege and his crew were the key to the Shandians retaking Upper Yard.
The Shandian beside him immediately turned and leaped onto a cloud path, speeding away.
"Don't disappoint me," Calsedon muttered, his form flitting through the forest, staying on Bege's tail.
After Bege's group had walked for a while, sounds of activity came from a nearby cloud path. Bege's keen eyes noticed a group of Skypieans in uniform speeding along the cloud path. They then jumped down from the path, leaping between the giant trees, approaching Bege and his crew.
"Probably the Skypiean army," Bege said.
"Let's hope they're not too weak," Moria grinned savagely.
The Skypieans quickly landed on the large trees surrounding Bege's group, their gazes hostile.
Among the Skypieans was a burly man, built like a black bear, wielding a massive white sword. He spoke in an indifferent tone, "I am Iron Sword High Priest Seamus, under the command of Skypiea's God. You have illegally entered Skypiea and attacked the Skypiean guard force, a grave offense. According to the law, I issue a warning. Illegal intruders, you face Skypiea's strongest force—God's Guard. No one escapes God's Guard. Lay down your weapons and surrender peacefully. It is your best option. We will deal with your crimes according to the law. Resist, and you will be killed without mercy."
"God's Guard, huh? Big talk. But this guy looks pretty strong. I'll take him," Moria stepped forward first, staring at the bear-like man. The shadow beneath his feet began to writhe. He was getting excited.
"Damn, he got to him first," Ricky cursed under his breath, his eyes darting around, searching the trees for an opponent worthy of his attention.
Seeing that Bege's crew wasn't taking them seriously, High Priest Seamus became enraged and roared, "Kill them all!"
The Skypieans on the surrounding trees immediately raised their bows and spears. One of the God's Guard soldiers jumped into the air, holding two enormous guns, each a meter long and resembling cannon shells.
He aimed both guns at Bege's crew and instantly opened fire. Blinding yellow light erupted from the two gun barrels, like two miniature suns, making it impossible to look directly at them.
Instantly, two sharp piercing sounds rang out as two fist-sized bullets shot out, hurtling downwards.
Boom! Boom!
The two oversized bullets exploded in mid-air. Modi had acted, cutting the bullets apart with his sword, not by sight, but by the sound of the wind.
"Those guns were emitting light!" the disciples exclaimed in shock.
"Those two guns are Flash Dial weapons," Bege said.
The surrounding God's Guard soldiers quickly descended from the giant trees, closing in from all sides. They rapidly opened fire. Their pistols were all Flash Dial weapons, the glare so intense it was hard to keep one's eyes open. Bullets flew, and several disciples were immediately hit.
Those struck were the weaker disciples. Modi and the others, even without using their sight, could evade the bullets by relying on their hearing and simultaneously counterattack.
Fierce gusts of wind swept through the area, sending the God's Guard soldiers flying. The wind, sharp as blades, ripped open wounds on their bodies.
Two high-pressure air blasts struck some of the God's Guard soldiers; if they didn't die, they were surely gravely injured. Tiny Shadow Spears skimmed along the ground, piercing the thighs of many.
Gilon, a master of close combat, had long since mastered the ability to discern positions by sound. His form flickered, dodging bullets while swiftly approaching the God's Guard soldiers. His fists and feet were a blur, and one by one, the soldiers were knocked away, colliding with trees and falling unconscious.
"These guys are actually this strong! Open fire!" Seamus's expression turned ugly. He waved his hand, and the soldiers on the giant trees carrying the massive cannons quickly took action. Several terrifying beams of blue-white flame shot downwards.
"Dodge!" Bege's brow furrowed. The destructive power of those Burn Bazookas was not to be underestimated.
Everyone quickly scattered. The blue-white fire blasts struck the ground, causing even more violent explosions, overturning the earth. The blue-white flames surged outwards in all directions.
"Hunt!" Seamus sneered, giving another command. The God's Guard soldiers on the giant trees darted among them, raising their bows and firing arrows whenever they encountered Bege's crew. The disciples quickly evaded the arrows, but when the arrows struck the ground, they erupted in scorching flames.
The tips of these arrows were embedded with Flame Dials. Even if the arrow attack was avoided, the widespread flames they released could still inflict secondary damage.
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