"They're taking too long," Sanji muttered, gazing out the window with a cigarette dangling from his lips. His eyes scanned the white sea beyond the floating home.
"Did they get lost?" Zoro asked, leaning back casually against the wall.
The rest of the crew turned to him with skeptical expressions.
"You're one to talk about getting lost," Usopp muttered under his breath.
Pagaya suddenly furrowed his brow, his expression growing tense. "Ah... I nearly forgot to warn you all."
That got everyone's attention.
"What is it?" Marianne asked, tilting her head.
"There's a place in Skypiea that no one is allowed to enter. Hopefully, they didn't go there," Pagaya said grimly. "It's called the Upper Yard."
"And why would that be bad if they went there?" Alvida asked.
Pagaya met her gaze with a serious expression. "Because that land is ruled by... God."
The mere mention of "God" commanded everyone's immediate attention.
"A god?" Usopp's voice cracked.
"You mean some kind of ruler?" Zoro asked, eyes sharpening.
"No. I mean what we Skypieans call an actual God," Pagaya clarified. "He rules Skypiea with divine authority. No one dares defy him."
Creed asked. "And this God... what's he like?"
"Powerful. Unreasonably powerful," Pagaya said. "His name is God Enel. He has four powerful priests who carry out his will. If even one of them crosses paths with your friends... it could be fatal."
Chloris looked worried. "Should we go check on them?"
Sanji frowned, crushing his cigarette in the ashtray. "I'm worried about Nami. We should go check on them."
"I agree," Gin said. "Zino might be strong, but even he can't protect her from an ambush if they're caught off guard."
The crew nodded in silent agreement. Without another word, they grabbed their things and exited Pagaya's home, making their way back toward the Silent Orca.
Pagaya and Conis followed them, explaining further on Upper Yard, while giving a few more reminder about the danger od this land.
As they neared the shoreline, a sharp voice echoed across the white sea.
"Halt, trespassers!"
Everyone looked up. A group of armored men marched toward them from the distant clouds. Their strange, spiral-patterned uniforms and strange winged helmets marked them as official enforcers.
"They're coming this way," Stev muttered.
From the distance, the group marched in peculiar fashion—half-gliding, half-striding across the cloud surface. Their movement was oddly synchronized and unnervingly smooth, as if gravity had no grip on them.
They stopped just before the crew, forming a line.
At the front, a tall man with a sharp jawline and extravagant hat stepped forward, raising one hand.
"Heso!" the man saluted, puffing out his chest. "I am McKinley, Captain of the White Berets—Skypiea's official enforcement unit!"
Pagaya and Conis immediately stepped forward and returned the gesture. "Heso."
McKinley gave a short nod, then turned back to the Orca crew.
"You are from the Blue Sea, correct?" he asked, scanning them carefully. "You have entered Skypiea without proper authorization. This is a violation of divine law."
"Wait a second." Sanji narrowed his eyes. "We passed through Heaven's Gate. The lady let us in."
"Yes," McKinley replied smoothly. "But entry without paying the proper fee is still considered trespassing. You owe a total of 19 billion extols. Failure to pay will result in... divine judgment."
"Tch... extortion, is it?" Alvida growled, gripping her mace.
Zoro cracked his neck, and stepped forward. "If we're already marked for judgment, might as well meet this 'God' ourselves."
"Calm down," Gin said, holding up his hand to stop Zoro. "We don't want to start a fight without knowing the full picture."
McKinley eyed them, noting their battle-ready stances, then looked back to Pagaya. "You vouch for them?"
Pagaya hesitated for a moment, then gave a quiet nod. "They are not here to cause trouble. Please reconsider."
McKinley squinted his eyes. "Are you sure about this?"
Pagaya and Conis expression turned even paler. Pagaya wanted to say something, but stopped feom saying it out.
McKinley give a one last look, then turned on his heel. "Let's go."
As the White Berets retreated, Conis whispered to the crew, "You'd best hurry. If your friends are near Upper Yard... things could turn dangerous very quickly."
Sanji's jaw clenched. "Then we're not wasting another second."
The group quickened their pace, urgency mounting with each step as they headed toward the Silent Orca. Sanji was already imagining the worst when, suddenly, three silhouettes dropped from the sky and landed in front of them with a soft thud against the cloud floor.
It was Zino, Nami, and a scruffy, panicked-looking man trailing behind them.
"Zino!" several voices exclaimed in unison—relieved and surprised.
Nami waved slightly, and Zino gently let her and the stranger down to their feet.
"You guys looked like you were about to go to war," Zino said casually, brushing dust off his shoulder. "What's the rush?"
"This guy said there's a forbidden place in Skypiea," Sanji replied, pointing his thumb at Pagaya. "We were worried you two wandered into it."
"We were about to go after you," Alvida added, crossing her arms.
"Who's that guy?" Binko asked, looking at the disheveled man standing awkwardly near Zino.
"I pulled him out of trouble," Zino said simply. "He was being hunted by a bunch of lunatics. Some freak even tried to kill him with a lightning strike. I got him out just in time."
The man suddenly stepped forward and dropped to one knee in front of Zino, bowing deeply. "Thank you, kind sir. You saved my life. I owe you everything."
The crew exchanged surprised glances.
"Whoa, didn't expect that level of gratitude," Usopp muttered.
On the side, Pagaya's expression shifted. He asked, eyes narrowing. "Did you say... lightning?"
"That's right," Nami nodded. "It came out of nowhere—massive bolt, scorched two giant trees to cinders in an instant. We barely got out in time."
She paused, recalling the vivid image. "And those trees... they weren't growing from clouds. It was real ground. Real soil."
Pagaya's face drained of color. "You reached the ground with soil? You actually set foot there?"
Even Conis looked pale. "You reached the Upper Yard... This is worse than I thought."
"What's so bad about going there?" Nami asked, frowning.
Pagaya took a breath. "That land belongs to God Enel. No one is allowed to step on the Upper Yard without his blessing. It's considered the Holy Domain."
"A real land as the God Domain? Interesting" Hibari said.
"You're now marked," Pagaya said. "According to the laws of Skypiea, anyone who trespasses into Upper Yard is subject to divine judgment."
"What does that mean, exactly?" Gin asked warily.
"It means you've broken a sacred law," Pagaya said gravely. "And the God of this land... does not tolerate lawbreakers. He and his priests will hunt you."
Zoro's hand drifted to his swords. "Then let them come." "Don't take this lightly," Conis warned. "Even the White Berets wouldn't dare interfere with matters concerning the Upper Yard."
"He's already tried once," Nami added. "That lightning—it wasn't natural."
"So God Enel really tried to kill this guy?" Usopp asked, pointing at the kneeling man.
"He didn't hesitate," Zino confirmed. "It wasn't a warning. It was an execution."
A heavy silence settled over the group.
Creed broke the silence. "So we're already marked for judgment. Great."
Pagaya's expression grew stern as he looked over the group. "If you want to survive… you must stay away from the Upper Yard. That's your only chance."
Zino raised his eyes to the sky, narrowing them with thought. "We'll take your advice—for now."
Pagaya blinked. "'For now?'" he echoed, puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"
Before Zino could answer, a loud splash echoed across the white sea.
From both sides of the Silent Orca, two enormous pincers emerged. The massive claws clamped onto the ship. Without warning, they began pulling it away.
"What the hell?" Stev shouted.
Zino's gaze snapped toward the ship. In a blink, he dashed forward, hands glowing with energy. With a swift motion, he stored the entire Silent Orca into his System Storage, the ship vanishing into thin air.
The lobster, seemingly confused, swam away aimlessly—still pulling at nothing.
"Where is that thing going?" Mikita asked, baffled as she watched the giant crustacean disappear into the horizon.
Pagaya's brows furrowed. He stood silent for a moment, calculating. "That direction... yes. They're heading to the Sacrificial Altar."
"The... what now?" Stev tilted his head.
"The Sacrificial Altar," Pagaya repeated solemnly. "It's a sacred site. All ships belonging to blue sea dwellers that don't pay the entrance fee are brought there—where they are judged."
Zoro crossed his arms. "Judged? By who?"
"By God Enel... or his priests," Conis added softly. "The altar is the first step in Skypiea's version of divine punishment for all blue sea trespassers."
"That's right!" the scruffy man beside them suddenly exclaimed. "That's where my group ended up!"
All eyes turned to him.
"You were taken there?" Zino asked.
The man stood and bowed respectfully. "Yes, sir. I forgot to introduce myself—my name is Lakuari. We arrived in Skypiea just yesterday."
Lakuari paused, glancing around at the unfamiliar faces before sitting down heavily on the soft cloud floor. His voice trembled slightly as he continued.
"We didn't want to pay the entrance fee. Thought it was a scam. So the lobster brought us—just like that—straight to that cursed altar."
His gaze dropped, voice growing bitter. "There were thirty of us… and we were all declared criminals. One by one, we were hunted down by the priests. They called it a game. A test. A divine ordeal."
He clenched his fists, knuckles white.
"I ran. I ran and hid. I watched my friends fall. Some to traps, others to the priests' strange abilities. And when I thought I was next… you saved me."
The group remained silent, heavy with the weight of his words.
Pagaya shook his head. "It's just like I feared. God Enel treats trespassing as a capital offense. And the priests—Shura, Ohm, Satori, Gedatsu—they enjoy the hunt. They won't stop."
"You're telling me they treat human lives as entertainment?" Gin said, brows furrowed.
"That's exactly what they do," Lakuari said, bitterness dripping from his tone. "And once you're marked, there's no going back. You either escape... or you die."
A tense silence settled over the group.
"Then it's war," Zino said quietly, but his voice carried power. "If they want to judge us, they'll have to face us."
"Zino…" Chloris started, concerned.
"We didn't come here to die, but we're not here to be hunted like animals either." He turned to Pagaya. "We'll avoid the Upper Yard—for now. But if they come for us… we fight."
Everyone nodded in silent agreement.
Pagaya let out a long, weary sigh. "Then... may the wind be on your side."
The moment the words left his mouth, a curious silence followed. The members of the Orca crew all turned to glance at him—several with raised brows, others with faint smiles tugging at the corners of their lips.
Pagaya blinked, feeling the sudden shift in atmosphere. "Eh? What?" he asked, confused by their collective look. "Did I say something wrong?"
Alvida chuckled softly, folding her arms. "No, old man. You actually said something pretty perfect."
"You're absolutely right," Sanji added with a grin, adjusting his cigarette. "The wind is very much on our side."
Pagaya tilted his head, puzzled. "Err… really?"
Zoro pointed a thumb toward Zino. "That's him right there. He is the wind."
"Huh?" Pagaya turned to look at Zino, his brows furrowing. "What does that mean?"
But no one offered a direct answer. They simply smiled or exchanged knowing glances, as if the explanation was more felt than spoken.
"So, what now, Captain?" Nami asked, turning her gaze toward Zino.
One by one, the others followed her lead, eyes on their leader.
Zino looked toward the horizon. The sky had begun to shift—warm hues of orange and pink bleeding into the white sea, slowly giving way to twilight. A gentle breeze passed through the area, rustling the tops of the cloud-trees and brushing against their faces.
"It's getting late," Zino said calmly. "Let's rest here for the night."