God's Land – Upper Yard
Dark clouds hung low over God's Land, and lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the crowd of people kneeling before the shrine. The Skypieans trembled, their foreheads pressed to the cloud surface, too terrified to look up.
"We welcome the Almighty God—Lord Enel!"
On the shrine's high platform, Enel lounged on a throne wreathed in golden lightning. He was bare-chested, his earlobes hanging to his chest, his posture relaxed, like a king commanding the thunder. He flicked a finger, and a small arc of lightning danced at his fingertip.
"Today's faith energy is... barely acceptable," he said lazily, his tone mocking and contemptuous, his lips curled into a cruel, empty smile.
This place, once called the "Land of God," had long since become a world of terror ruled by lightning. Two months ago, Enel and his four God's Priests had launched a surprise attack on the sky shrine. The former "God," Gan Fall, and his guard were no match for the lightning. Gan Fall was severely injured and barely escaped, his current whereabouts unknown.
Then, the hell of Skypiea began.
Resistors were struck by lightning and killed on the spot, their charred corpses hung outside the shrine for three days as a warning. The Shandian warriors' strongholds were destroyed one by one, the survivors hiding in the sea of clouds. Anyone who questioned "God's will" was turned to ash in the next second. The Skypieans were forced to worship at the shrine daily; any hesitation was met with thunderous punishment.
"God does not need questions, only obedience," was Enel's most common "divine oracle," and a nightmare that weighed on everyone's hearts.
To strengthen his rule, Enel created a death game called "God's Ordeal"—a bloody trial in a forest with an extremely low survival rate, where participants had to kill each other to survive. He instituted a system of collective punishment: if one person disobeyed, their entire clan paid the price. Under the threat of blood, everyone walked on eggshells. The entire Shandian tribe was razed by lightning overnight after one young man attacked a priest; not even the children were spared.
"The struggles of ants only make God laugh," he had once said mockingly, casually turning a boy who tried to escape into a pile of ash.
His staff was the golden Staff of Thunder; his eyes were the all-seeing eyes of a god. He not only ruled Skypiea, but sought to completely erase its history and culture. He forcibly requisitioned Skypiea's special "Dials" and "cloud iron" to build his great ambition—the massive "Ark Maxim," which would fly him to the "Endless Vearth." He burned the Shandians' ancient texts and scrolls to cover up the legend and history of the "City of Gold, Shandora." He destroyed the ancient murals and inscriptions in the shrine, trying to wipe the past from the minds of the Skypieans. He wanted to create a world with no history, no dissent, only "God."
And once the Ark was complete, he would abandon this sky and go to the "holy land of the moon"—what he called the true land of God.
In the four corners of Skypiea, his four God's Priests stood ready, each overseeing an "Ordeal" and monitoring the island with their "Mantra":
Gedatsu (Ordeal of Swamps, 50% survival rate): Silent and sinister, lurking in the cloud swamps like a venomous snake.
Satori (Ordeal of Balls, 10% survival rate): As crazed as a beast, setting traps with Impact Dials and toying with his opponents' lives.
Shura (Ordeal of String, 3% survival rate): A cruel hunter who fills his territory with deadly traps, treating the battlefield like a game.
Ohm (Ordeal of Iron, 0% survival rate): Cold and merciless, using cloud iron as his blade, killing with a single strike.
Like four horsemen of the apocalypse, they had turned the whole of Skypiea into a living hell under Enel's command.
In the silent, oppressive shrine, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the quiet. A priest rushed into the temple and knelt on one knee, his voice trembling. "Lord Enel! An unidentified warship has appeared in the sea near Angel Island!"
Enel slowly opened his eyes, golden lightning dancing in his pupils, a dark interest slowly appearing. "A warship...?" He walked down from his throne, and with a light tap of his golden staff, a bolt of lightning shot out, illuminating the entire shrine.
"What lowly ants dare to trespass into God's domain?" Enel's lips curved into a savage grin. "But, I was just in need of some new toys."
Lightning crackled wildly around him, his voice echoing through the temple like rolling thunder. "Prepare 'God's Ordeal'! Tomorrow, let these foolish invaders experience 'God's wrath' and the taste of despair!"
Angel Island – Edge of the Sea of Clouds
The warship was moored quietly in the deep sea of clouds, surrounded by mist, like a lonely boat floating in the sky. Roy ordered the sailors to remain on alert while he, Ace, Luffy, Law, Zoro, and Kuina set foot on the legendary "island in the sky."
"Wow! These clouds are so soft, like cotton candy!" Luffy bounced excitedly on the cloud surface as if he had found a new toy.
"Luffy! Don't run off!" Ace called out, but Luffy was already out of sight.
Just as they were about to follow, a patrol of Skypieans in white uniforms and white berets appeared, blocking their path. "Halt, Blue Sea dwellers!" the captain, McKinley, said coldly, his gaze sharp. "To enter Angel Island, you must pay an entrance fee of 1 billion Extol!"
"An entrance fee?" Ace frowned, flames already igniting in his palm. "We haven't heard of any such rule!"
Zoro also quietly gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze cold.
The atmosphere grew tense, but Roy, unhurried, stepped forward with a smile, placing a hand on both of them. He pulled a heavy pouch from his coat and tossed it to McKinley. "Of course, of course. A little gift for the tour~"
McKinley was taken aback for a moment. He caught the pouch, weighed it, and nodded in satisfaction. "You know what's good for you. You may enter."
After the patrol left, Ace glared at Roy, disgruntled. "They were clearly extorting us! And you just gave it to them?"
Roy shrugged with a carefree smile. "What's the big deal? It wasn't my money anyway."
"Huh?" They all stared at him, stunned.
Roy lowered his voice and said with a wicked grin, "That pouch of money... I swiped it from them just now~"
"..." They were all dumbfounded and speechless.
Kuina face-palmed, her tone almost pleading. "Mr. Roy... could you please not be a bad influence on them..."
After entering Angel Island, the group was immediately captivated by the wondrous sights. The buildings on either side of the street were made of white cloud bricks, and various shell wind chimes hung from the roofs, tinkling musically in the breeze. The residents of Skypiea, with small wings on their backs, moved gracefully along the cloud paths.
"Wow! They really have wings!" Luffy stared at a passing girl. "Ace, look! They can fly!"
Ace was equally curious. "Skypieans really are different from Blue Sea people..."
Zoro, however, had no interest in the scenery. His eyes scanned the area and landed on a tavern sign not far away. "There's a shop over there. Want to go check it out?"
"You're not even old enough to drink! What are you thinking?!" Kuina chided him.
Just then, a gentle female voice interrupted them. "Is this your first time on Angel Island?"
They turned to see a blonde girl standing nearby, her small wings gently flapping, her expression warm and friendly. "I'm Conis. Do you need a guide?"
Kuina smiled politely and stepped forward. "Hello, Miss Conis. We are indeed unfamiliar with this place. Would you mind showing us around?"
"Of course!" Conis smiled sincerely. "I'd be happy to introduce you to the culture and specialties of Angel Island!"
Under Conis's guidance, the group began their happy exploration:
Dial Workshop: Conis explained the unique "Dial" technology of Skypiea, such as the "Breath Dial" that could produce wind pressure, the "Impact Dial" for shockwaves, and the "Tone Dial" for recording sound. Luffy and Ace were wide-eyed, nearly clearing out the display shelves.
Cloud Sea Restaurant: They tasted the unique "sky fish" and "sky island jelly fruit." Luffy and Ace ate ten servings each, shocking the restaurant owner and nearly emptying the kitchen.
Angel Plaza: In the center of the plaza stood a giant angel statue, its white wings shining in the sun. Conis explained, "This is the guardian symbol of Skypiea. Legend says it once protected the entire island from destruction."
Skypiea History Museum: When the group excitedly followed Conis to the museum, they found the doors locked, with a "Temporarily Closed" sign. Conis looked embarrassed and explained softly, "Lord Enel recently ordered a reorganization, and many historical exhibits have been removed... It should reopen soon."
Law's gaze darkened slightly. He keenly sensed that when Conis mentioned "Enel," her tone suddenly became tense, and an unmistakable fear appeared in her eyes.
As the sun set, staining the sea of clouds a golden red, Conis walked them back to the cloud's edge. "It was nice meeting you all today," she smiled. "I hope you enjoy Angel Island."
"Thank you, Miss Conis," Kuina nodded.
Just as Conis was about to leave, Law suddenly spoke up. "Miss Conis, may I ask you a question?"
"Hm?" Conis turned back, looking surprised.
Law looked directly into her eyes, his tone calm but probing. "Who... is Enel?"
Conis's face instantly turned deathly pale, her lips trembling slightly. "He... is the God of Skypiea," she whispered. "Please... never mention his name in front of others. It will cause a lot of trouble..." With that, she bowed hastily and hurried away, her retreating figure filled with an undeniable fear.
The group looked at each other, the air suddenly heavy. Law narrowed his eyes, gazing at the massive, lightning-wreathed shrine towering in the distance.
"It seems," he said in a low voice, "that the secrets of this island are much more complicated than we thought."
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