The God's Army sent a letter?
Conis's face showed clear worry. The God's Army served directly under God Enel himself. Normally, they stayed within God's Domain, serving their divine master. The few times they did leave that place, something terrible always followed.
There were many islands in the sky, and from time to time, visitors from the Blue Sea (the surface world) would arrive. But almost no one who entered God's Country ever left alive. Most Blue Sea people who set foot there ended up offending God while searching for gold — and were executed.
Angel Island, on the other hand, welcomed Blue Sea visitors. They could trade with them for useful goods, and since anyone harboring evil intent would be punished by God himself, there wasn't much to fear.
But once someone entered God's Domain, their fate was almost sealed.
Conis glanced back nervously. The Straw Hat crew was eating happily, laughing and chatting as if they didn't have a care in the world. They didn't seem like the kind to cause trouble… surely they wouldn't, right?
"They're just visiting; I'll deliver the message to them myself."
"Then I'll trouble you for that."
Captain McKinley handed her a folded white paper and raised his hand in salute — index and pinky fingers extended.
"Salute!"
"Belly button!"
The White Berets behind him shouted in unison, mimicking the same pose. Then, under McKinley's lead, they dropped to the ground.
"Crawl backward!"
Conis bowed politely, then closed the door after them. Returning to the table, she knelt beside Reiner, who was seated at the outer edge.
"This was delivered by the White Berets. They said it's a letter from God's Army."
Reiner took the letter and set it on the table. Everyone leaned in curiously.
"What's this 'God's Army' supposed to be?" Zoro asked.
"The God's Army serves under Lord Enel," Conis explained with a trembling voice. "There are fifty soldiers in total — one Chief Commander, two Vice Commanders, and the rest are regular soldiers."
"Their duty is to protect God's Domain and eliminate all intruders. Their authority is second only to the Four Divine Priests."
"The Four Priests?" Sanji frowned. "Why does it sound like there's always more of them the more you talk?"
"I don't know much about the priests," Conis admitted. "Just that there are four of them — each governs one of the Trials of God."
She left it vague. In truth, she did know a little more — rumors about the strength of the God's Army and the powers of the Four Priests — but she dared not say it. If God heard her speak of such things, both she and her father could be killed.
"Well, whatever," Reiner said casually. "No point overthinking it — looks like we're going there anyway."
He unfolded the letter. Everyone's eyes followed.
It was an invitation, addressed directly to their pirate crew.
At the top, bold words read:
"The Final Trial of God!"
"Oh?" Reiner raised an eyebrow. "Sounds interesting."
"The Trial of God," Robin murmured. "That's what Miss Conis just mentioned."
"Wahaha! I can smell adventure already!" Luffy shouted with excitement.
The reactions were mixed — some intrigued, some unimpressed — but Conis and her father both went pale with fear.
"Why? Why would God issue the Trial to you?!"
Conis's voice trembled. "It's not some fun challenge — the Trial of God is horrifying! Many have entered, none have returned alive!"
While she spoke, Reiner was already deep in thought.
In his memories, the Straw Hats were only dragged into the Trial because they didn't pay the entry fee. The White Berets came to arrest them, which led to everything spiraling out of control.
But this time… he did pay.
Eight hundred thousand Berries, no less!
You've got to be kidding me, he thought.
Then again, the old lady guarding Heaven's Gate had said both paying and not paying were fine — conveniently leaving out that not paying meant being labeled "illegal entrants." She probably sold them out either way.
And the supposedly "gentle" White Berets, who normally got along well with the islanders, were oddly hostile only toward the Straw Hats — always nitpicking and making up absurd charges.
Now that he thought about it, maybe the money didn't matter at all. Whether one lived or died depended entirely on Enel's mood — that erratic, self-absorbed lunatic.
Conis continued explaining, and the crew began to understand what the so-called "Trial of God" really was.
Nami went pale. She had a bad feeling — she knew exactly what would happen next.
And sure enough—
"In that case," Luffy said, one foot on the table, fist raised high, "I've decided! We're going to take part in this Trial! Is there a reward if we win?"
"Luffy! Do you even know what's going on?!"
Nami's veins popped. "She just said it's dangerous — people die in that Trial! Don't you dare stand on the table, you idiot!"
Thunk!
"But look here," Robin said calmly, reading the letter closely. "This version of the Trial seems a bit… different from what Conis described."
Everyone leaned closer again. Reiner's brow furrowed the more he read.
"'Participating factions include the Shandians… who are they?'"
"Those guys we met earlier," Nami reminded him. "The Sky Knight called them guerrillas."
"'Location: God's Domain.'" Reiner read on. "So it's basically a battle royale between multiple forces?"
"'Receiving this letter automatically counts as acceptance. Refusal will result in divine punishment.'"
"Defeat a regular God's Soldier: 5 points.
Defeat a Vice Commander: 50 points.
Defeat the Chief Commander or one of the Four Priests: 100 points.
"'Duration: Three days and two nights. Anyone earning 100 points will be exempt from execution.'"
"'Those who perform exceptionally will be granted the honor of following God to the Endless Earth.'"
Sanji frowned. "Wait — aren't the God's Soldiers his own men? So he's putting bounties on his subordinates' heads and telling outsiders to fight them? That's just…"
Everyone knew what he meant — it was ridiculous.
But Reiner shrugged. "It's Enel. That's normal for him."
He continued reading. "Oh, there's more. We've been given point values, too. The Shandian guerrillas are on the list, and the God's Army gets points for defeating us."
He smirked. "No score for Enel himself, huh? Guess he thinks he can't be beaten. We'll see about that."
"I'm not going! No way! Who'd want to take part in something like this?!"
"This sounds way too scary! Oh no — I just developed a disease that kills me if I step into God's Domain!"
"Too bad," Robin said mildly. "It says here — receiving the letter means acceptance. And if we refuse, divine punishment will fall."
"That punishment doesn't sound pleasant either."
"Waaah! We're doomed!" Chopper burst into tears, collapsing flat on the white cloud sofa.
Meanwhile, in the Hidden Cloud Village — the secret stronghold of the Shandians, deep in the forest where even Enel's "Mantra" (Observation Haki) couldn't reach — or so they believed.
"Wyper! Look at this!"
A long-haired woman, Raki, ran into the camp holding a white letter.
"What is it, Raki? Why are you panicking?"
Seated on a wooden chair was a heavily tattooed man, bare-chested, with a mohawk braid — Wyper, the "War Demon," said to be the heir of the great warrior Kalgara.
"Priest Shura came here earlier — he threw down this letter!"
Wyper's expression darkened as he took it and read. The more he saw, the grimmer he looked.
"What should we do, Wyper? We've been exposed!" Raki said anxiously. "We were just preparing our full-scale assault, and now the Trial starts?!"
"Wait…" Wyper frowned. "It says another group — pirates — will be participating too?"
He thought back to the ship he had attacked earlier that day. Could it be them?
"Doesn't matter."
Wyper's jaw clenched. He strapped on his Reject Dial gauntlet, hefted a rocket launcher and shield, and strode toward the exit.
"Raki! Tell everyone — prepare for battle!"
"But Wyper! Isn't this too sudden?" Raki grabbed his arm. "The Four Priests and God's Army are lying in wait — if we rush into an assault like this—"
"Enough, Raki!"
He shook her hand off firmly, his eyes burning with conviction. "Even if we don't go to them, they'll come to us! Four hundred years — we've waited long enough. If Enel wants a war…"
"Then we'll give him one!"
"Take back Shandora!"
"Or die defending it!!"
In God's Domain, vast ancient forests stretched endlessly beneath towering, sky-piercing trees. Thick vines hung down like ropes, and massive roots twisted together across the ground.
"Captain! Is this real?"
"Why do we have to follow the same rules?!"
"If we don't earn 100 points… won't we be—"
A group of white-robed soldiers with round heads and short horn-like tufts looked anxiously at their towering leader — the Chief Commander of the God's Army, Yemo.
"Enough," Yemo said heavily. "Everything is as God decrees."
He looked weary. In the days of Gan Fall, the previous God, such absurd things would never have happened.
"The Shandian guerrillas — 5 points each. Their officers — 50 points. Their leader, Wyper — 100 points."
He pulled several photos from his coat and handed them out. "These were taken by Amazon, the old woman at Heaven's Gate."
"The Straw Hat Pirates — five of them are worth 100 points each. The other three… thirty-four points total."
He sighed. "Do your best, everyone."
Back on Angel Island, by the beach—
"Goodbye, Conis, Pagaya!"
"Please… be careful," Conis said, voice trembling. They had done nothing wrong, yet were being dragged into a senseless war.
If only Gan Fall were still the God, she thought bitterly.
The old God had spent his entire life trying to end the four-hundred-year conflict between Sky People and Shandians. He was so close… until Enel appeared.
Now, fear ruled everything. No one dared speak ill of Enel. He could hear every voice across the island and deliver divine punishment instantly.
They had all been living under that silent terror for years.
"Looks like our ride's here already," Reiner said, spotting a massive express lobster waiting beside the Going Merry. "Guess the guy upstairs is getting impatient."
"Let's go, everyone!"
The crew boarded their ship. The giant lobster lifted them effortlessly and began its swift ascent toward God's Domain — straight into the Final Trial of God.