Skypiea — Angel Beach.
Though Zino and Enel's fierce clash had shaken the skies, the actual battle had lasted less than ten minutes. Back on Angel Beach, the Orcas were only just beginning their move toward Upper Yard.
"We need to get to Zino—now!" Alvida urged, already clutching her iron mace.
"But we don't have our ship. The Silent Orca is still with Zino." Hibari said, reminding the crew.
"Right. Kruz, open a portal," Zoro said curtly. "Straight to Upper Yard. We don't have time to waste."
Kruz flinched, looking slightly nervous. "I… I can't. At least, not like how Creed or Friday does."
"What do you mean?" Nojiko asked, brows furrowing. "Didn't you tear open space to reach Spring Island before?"
"That was a special case," Kruz replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Creed and Friday set a Rift Mark there—it's where they were born, literally. That's the only place with a stabilized anchor. Anywhere else, the portal could tear into unstable space and send us who-knows-where."
"So, you're saying you can open the door," Robin said slowly, "but there's no telling what's on the other side."
"Yes. At least, that's if I'm the one opening such space tear." Kruz explained. "It might be different if Creed is the one opening it."
Zoro clicked his tongue. "Tch. Then it's useless."
Kruz looked down, ashamed. "Sorry…"
Before the silence could linger, Galdino stepped forward with a smug grin. "Then it looks like it's my time to shine."
"Huh?" Stev blinked. "You got something?"
Galdino gestured proudly behind him. "Feast your eyes."
Floating just off the white cloud shore was a sleek, gleaming ship made entirely of hardened wax. Its design closely mimicked the Silent Orca, though its color was a pristine, reflective white.
"A wax ship?" Usopp gasped.
"Yup." Galdino folded his arms proudly. "Modeled after the Orca. Lightweight. Durable. Functional. Faster than it looks."
"Heh." Gin smirked. "I'm impressed. Didn't know you could make something that elegant."
"Finally!" Galdino beamed. "One point for me over Kruz!"
"I didn't realize we were competing," Kruz muttered.
"You don't have to realize it," Galdino sniffed. "I've been counting wins since Spring Island."
"Alright, enough bickering," Sanji cut in. "We don't have time to waste. Zino's probably already fighting that God Enel. Let's go."
The crew quickly boarded the wax ship, settling into position.
Galdino took the helm, steering the ship confidently. "Next stop—Upper Yard!"
With a surge of white waves beneath the ship, the crew set sail, the glossy wax vessel slicing smoothly through the fluffy sea.
...
Elsewhere on the Cloud Sea — Shandian Territory.
Across the glistening expanse of the cloud sea, a group of Shandian warriors skimmed swiftly over the white waters, riding wave skates and manta birds toward the heart of Upper Yard.
The air was tense, but charged with anticipation.
Their sudden mobilization had been sparked by a single voice—that of Aisa, the young girl gifted with powerful Mantra. Her ability was unique, unlike most who could only sense presence or danger. Aisa could feel emotions. And her range? Nearly the entire span of Skypiea.
"There's a fight," Aisa had said, eyes wide with fear and awe. "Enel… He fought someone. They're both gone now. Gone from Skypiea."
Her words had spread like wildfire through the Shandian camp.
Gone?
Wiper, the fiercest warrior among them, saw it as their chance. A rare window when the so-called "God" was absent. However, he still double checked with Aisa.
"Are you sure that Enel really left the Skypiea?" Wiper had asked.
"Yes." Aisa nodded profusely. "They just left not long ago."
Wiper had looked at Aisa for a few seconds. Then, he moved out.
"All fighters—assemble!" he had barked. "We strike now!"
And now, they glided swiftly toward Upper Yard, toward the God's Shrine.
As warriors sharpened weapons and tightened grips on spears and bazookas, the Chief of the Shandians stood silently at the edge of their village, watching them leave.
He had tried, at first, to stop them.
"This is reckless," the Chief had told Wiper. "What if it's a trap? What if Enel returns?"
But when he looked into Wiper's eyes—and those of the other warriors—he saw nothing but hardened resolve. Years of pain, loss, and humiliation had forged that determination.
He understood.
So, in the end, the Chief said nothing more.
As the group rode the wind, Wiper stood at the front, his eyes fixed on the dark silhouette of Upper Yard rising in the distance. Behind him, dozens of warriors—all hardened veterans—waited for his words.
He raised a clenched fist.
"Our target is clear," he shouted, voice cutting through the wind. "The Four Priests. They are the first wall that protects this false god's domain."
Murmurs of agreement rippled behind him.
"We take them down. One by one. We light the fire of Shandora once again—and claim back what is ours!"
He slammed his fist into his chest.
"For our ancestors! For our land!"
"For Shandora!" the warriors echoed in unison, their battle cries piercing the sky.
With that, the Shandians surged forward, blades gleaming in the sun, hearts alight with purpose.
The time for waiting was over.
The flames of rebellion had been reignited.
...
Back to Zino.
High above the sea, Zino was ascending with a leisurely pace, hands folded behind his head as he rode the air currents. The sky was calm now, with no trace of the earlier chaos. It wasn't long before he reached the spot where he and Enel had previously plummeted through the cloud layer.
A large, ragged hole still remained in the clouds below.
"Huh… that's still there," Zino muttered, hovering above it. "Do these clouds ever heal themselves? Or does it just stay open like that forever?"
He tilted his head, watching the edges of the hole slowly drifting inward. "Well, it's not really my problem," he shrugged. "Nature's got its own way of patching things up, I guess."
Turning his gaze eastward, he looked in the direction of Angel Beach.
"I should get back soon," he said, stretching. "The others are probably wondering where I vanished off to."
Just as he prepared to accelerate, a sudden pulse tingled in his senses.
His Observation Haki flared gently—something was out there. Something strange.
Zino paused in midair. "Hm? What was that…?"
It wasn't just a vague presence. It was a distinct, living entity—but its signature was... odd. It didn't feel like a person, or a beast. It was erratic, flickering, like it didn't fully understand what it was.
Intrigued, Zino shifted his flight path and headed toward the source.
In less than a minute, he arrived above a small floating cloud island—barely large enough to fit two or three Silent Orca-sized ships. The area was quiet, seemingly abandoned. Yet, his Haki clearly pinpointed the presence below.
Descending cautiously, Zino landed lightly on the edge of the cloud.
Then he saw it.
Bouncing across the fluffy surface was… a chest. A literal, old-fashioned treasure chest—with brass bands, a wooden frame, and a large padlock on its front. But this chest was alive. It hopped like a rabbit, its heavy lid flapping open and shut with every bounce—like a mouth snapping.
Zino blinked. "Is that… a Mimic?"
That look is way similar to that of a Mimic, a living chest, in a video game. He have seen it many times when he was still in Earth.
As his curiosity spiked, he crouched slightly, ready to move if needed, his curiosity now fully hooked. He had heard of mimic-type creatures in ancient bestiaries and myth. But seeing one, here in the sky of all places?
As he took a step closer, the chest stopped mid-bounce. Its lid opened slowly, revealing jagged teeth and a glossy pink tongue inside.
Then—shockingly—it spoke.
"Who's there?!"
Zino paused mid-step. "...It talks?" he muttered.
The mimic turned in his direction, its eyes—small, glowing orbs near the hinges of the lid—narrowing.
"You're not a sky people," it said suspiciously.
Zino raised an eyebrow. "You know sky people?"
"Of course I do!" the mimic huffed, hopping once indignantly. "Once a long time ago, a sky people who claimed himself as a god threw me out here when I ate his sandals!"
Zino stifled a laugh. "You ate his sandals?"
"They looked tasty!" the mimic barked, clearly offended. "I didn't know they were sacred Sky God sandals!"
Zino couldn't help it—he chuckled. "You're a strange one."
"I prefer the term 'misunderstood.'"
Zino crouched down, now grinning. "So… got anything valuable inside you? Or is it just teeth and tongue?"
The mimic gave a sly chuckle, its wooden lid creaking open. "Depends. What are you offering?"
Zino's grin widened. "Now this just got interesting."
He folded his arms, thinking. "Let's see... I've got a few things with me—food, weapons, spare ship parts... any of that sound good to you?"
The mimic's eyes lit up the moment he said the word.
"Food?" it asked, voice hopeful.
Zino nodded. "Yeah. I've got fruits, vegetables—"
"Ugh, pass." The mimic cut him off with a loud clack of its lid. "I'm not some leafy-eating chest. Give me something real."
Zino chuckled. "Not a vegan, huh? Alright, how about... meat? Fresh meat."
The mimic froze mid-hop. A drop of drool slid from the corner of its lid. "F-fresh meat?" it repeated, voice trembling.
Zino nodded slowly, teasing. "Yup. Not just any meat. It's from a Sea King."
The mimic tilted its body, confused. "Sea King? What's that?"
"You've never heard of them?" Zino raised an eyebrow.
The mimic shook its whole body side to side—apparently its version of shaking its head.
Zino smirked. "They're colossal sea monsters from the Blue Sea below. Massive, dangerous, and full of meat."
The mimic's lid dropped open wide in awe. "Ooooh... Are they delicious?"
"Absolutely," Zino said, playing into the mimic's rising hunger. "Thick, juicy, and strong flavor. You'll be chewing for hours."
"I want it!" the mimic shouted, hopping in place excitedly. "I need it!"
Zino held up a hand. "Whoa there, greedy box. I'm open to trade, not charity. What do you have to offer in return?"
The mimic paused, thinking. "Let me see the meat first."
Zino narrowed his eyes but eventually gave a light shrug. "Alright. You better not be bluffing."
He opened his system inventory and pulled out a large segment of the Sea King carcass he had butchered after they rode the Knock-Up Stream. The cloud platform trembled slightly under the sudden weight.
Even half the beast was enormous—easily the size of the Silent Orca. Thick slabs of scaled flesh glistened with preserved freshness.
"Holy chompers…" the mimic whispered, eyes wide. "That's the mother of all steaks!"
"Now where's your bargaining chip?" Zino asked, crossing his arms.
"Ah, right!" the mimic snapped back into focus. "I don't have much, but I've got these!"
With an exaggerated motion, the mimic opened a dimensional rift—ripping a dark-purple tear in midair like a curtain—and began spitting out items.
"You can take all of them," the mimic said proudly. "Fair trade for a royal feast!"
After that, the mimic leapt at the Sea King meat and began tearing into it like a beast possessed. Despite its appearance, the creature has powerful jaws and a disturbingly high chewing speed. Slabs of flesh vanished rapidly into its void-like interior.
Watching it, Zino chuckled. "A living, meat-eating, treasure-hoarding chest. What a weird world this is."
He turned his attention back to the items, picking them up one by one.
"Let's see what kind of bonus you just gave me..." he muttered, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Among the items, he could see some gold, a manual book, and a treasure chest. Seeing the chest, Zino glanced strangely at it and then at the eating mimic nearby.
"What do you call a chest that can swallow another chest?" he questioned, not knowing to whom he should ask.
Brushing away the thought, he waved his hand, storing both the treasure chest and the gold. He then picked up the manual book and opened it. As he read the contents, his expression shifted entirely.
"A manual book for Devil Fruit? Those that related to the sky people?"