Among the many devil fruits listed in the manual, one particular series caught Zino's attention—it was labeled Valkyrie Series.
He leaned closer, scanning the elegantly illustrated pages. "Valkyrie, huh...?"
The first entry in the series was titled: Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Eir.
"This is a Mythical Zoan…" Zino murmured, eyes narrowing in intrigue.
According to the description, the user of this fruit could transform into Eir, the Valkyrie of Healing and Judgement. A stylized drawing of the form was included—Eir appeared as a tall, graceful warrior maiden with long silver-white hair and radiant wings of light.
Her presence emanated both peace and power.
"She has two forms," Zino noted, reading further. "Base and awakened."
Both forms shared the same pair of divine wings—elegant and silver-white, arcing behind her like crescent moons. He paused.
"Wait a minute…" His brow furrowed. "These wings look familiar."
Zino stared at the sketch again, a spark of realization flashing in his eyes. He quickly turned to the reference image of the fruit associated with Eir.
"That's… the same fruit Kaya ate!" he exclaimed. "So her fruit wasn't just a healing Zoan—it's part of the Valkyrie series?!"
Now fully invested, Zino read deeper.
In Eir's base form, she wielded an artifact known as the Staff of Lyfjaberg. It granted the user long-range healing capabilities and spiritual energy manipulation.
"A staff that heals from afar?" Zino rubbed his chin. "That's insanely useful in a support role."
But it didn't stop there.
Upon awakening, the staff evolved into a blade—the Sword of Sigrun—a twin-edged artifact imbued with power over life and death. It could amplify healing or deliver fatal judgement depending on the wielder's will.
Zino's eyes gleamed. "A weapon that can choose whether to save or destroy… epic!"
He flipped the page.
There were more fruits in the Valkyrie line. One in particular stopped him cold.
Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Hrist — Valkyrie of Quake.
The name alone stirred something in him.
"This one… sounds dangerous."
Unlike Eir, Hrist represented raw destructive might. Her primary ability: to generate powerful seismic vibrations from her body—tremors strong enough to shatter mountains and split seas.
Zino blinked. "This sounds an awful lot like Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi…"
Suddenly, a soft ding echoed in his mind.
[You possess this fruit.]
"What?! I do? Since when?!" he sputtered in disbelief.
The system calmly responded.
[It was inside the chest you retrieved earlier. You stored it without inspection.]
Realization dawned on Zino like a lightning strike. Without hesitation, Zino summoned his system storage, pulling out the ornate treasure chest he had traded the Sea King meat for. With a sharp twist, he broke the seal and flung the lid open.
Inside was a swirling fruit—its surface marked with deep red veins and glowing fault-line patterns. The exact same design from the manual.
He stared at it, stunned.
"So… I've had a Mythical Zoan this whole time. A Valkyrie fruit. *Hrist,* no less…"
He sat back, letting out a low whistle.
"Is this insane luck… or a terrible omen?"
The wind rustled softly across the cloud, but Zino's mind was thundering.
The Valkyrie of Quake was now in his hands.
And the world didn't even know it yet.
...
Upper Yard – Forest Outskirts.
The wax-crafted replica of the Silent Orca gently docked at the edge of Upper Yard, its smooth white hull gleaming under the filtered sunlight of Skypiea. The crew disembarked one by one, boots pressing onto the sacred ground of the sky island's largest and most mysterious territory.
Towering trees stretched high above them, their thick trunks disappearing into clouds, as if touching the heavens.
"Whoa…" Binko whispered in awe, craning her neck. "These trees are like giants! I've never seen anything so tall."
"Feels like we just entered a mythical jungle," Usopp muttered, eyes darting around warily. "And how exactly are we supposed to find Zino in all this?"
"This forest looks huge… and dangerous," Kaya added, her voice soft but firm.
"We could split into smaller search groups," Alvida suggested, her gaze sweeping the thick forest.
"I'm fine with that—as long as I'm with the ladies," Sanji chimed in, hearts practically floating from his eyes.
Zoro adjusted his sword. "Let's not waste time talking. We go in and start searching."
"Hold it right there, Zoro," Alvida snapped, stepping in front of him. "You're not going anywhere alone. We don't need you getting lost again."
"Tch," Zoro grunted with a frown, clearly annoyed—but didn't protest further.
"I agree with Alvida," Gin added calmly. "Splitting into groups will help us cover more ground without getting overwhelmed."
With no further argument, the Orcas organized themselves into four teams:
Group 1: Alvida, Zoro, Nami, Moris, Hibari
Group 2: Sanji, Robin, Usopp, Kaya, Pagaya
Group 3: Gin, Kruz, Chloris, Mikita, Conis, Stev
Group 4: Galdino, Nojiko, Marianne, Binko, Lakuari
Just as they finalized their groups, Sanji blinked in surprise and looked toward the locals, and the lonely man among them. "Wait a sec... why are you three still here?"
Pagaya, Conis, and Lakuari stood quietly among the others.
"Didn't you say you'd stay behind?" Usopp asked, equally puzzled.
Pagaya gave a sheepish smile. "I couldn't do it. The thought of abandoning you all... I just couldn't live with that guilt."
"I feel the same," Conis said, her expression determined. "Zino led God Enel away, but I know one thing, God Enel didn't just came for you guys. He is also after our life. So, the least we can do is help his crew find him."
Lakuari still wore a sad face as he added, "You guys will certainly going to face the Four Priests... and I want to see it. With my own eyes. For the friends I lost under their tyranny, I want to honor their deaths by witnessing their fall."
A moment of silence passed over the crew. The wind rustled through the leaves above.
"You're really serious about this," Robin noted softly.
Galdino sighed. "Just don't get in our way."
"We won't," Pagaya assured him.
"All right," Zoro said, tone firm. "Let's move out. If Zino really fought Enel, there's no telling what condition he's in—or what we'll run into."
But just as everyone began to step forward, a voice called out.
"Wait!"
Everyone turned. It was Chloris.
Alvida raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
Chloris hesitated for a second, then squared her shoulders. "Actually… Moris and I might be able to help scout the forest—without anyone having to go too deep in."
Sanji blinked. "You two?"
Moris nodded, stepping forward. "We can communicate with nature. With time, we can feel the pulse of the land… sense if something—someone—is out of place."
"You can talk to trees?" Usopp asked, half-impressed, half-skeptical.
"It's not quite talking," Chloris said, touching a nearby tree. "More like… listening."
Zoro gave a faint frown. "You should've mentioned that before we split up."
"Well then," Alvida said. "Go ahead. If it helps us narrow down Zino's location, we'll take any shortcut we can get."
Moris and Chloris nodded. They each walked up to a tree—massive sky trees with thick bark and pale blue leaves. Placing their palms gently against the trunks, they both closed their eyes in concentration.
The forest grew quiet.
Minutes ticked by. One minute. Five. Ten. By the time forty had passed, the crew's patience was wearing thin. Some paced. Others sat. Even Zoro leaned against a tree, tapping a foot lightly.
Finally, Chloris opened her eyes and exhaled. "He's… not here."
The words hit the group like a splash of cold water.
"What?" Sanji stood straight. "You're sure?"
"It's true," Moris added, pulling his hand away. "I couldn't feel Captain's presence anywhere in Upper Yard."
The silence that followed was thick.
Robin tilted her head thoughtfully. "Where could he have gone then?"
"There's a chance we're not sensing him because he's… cut off," Chloris said slowly. "If he fell beneath the clouds, or was swallowed by a large beast, or entered a hidden space—like a spatial rift or a deep cave—we wouldn't be able to feel him."
"Somewhere isolated, in other words," Moris said. "Where the trees' awareness can't reach."
"That's not comforting," Usopp muttered.
"Then what now?" Nami asked, frowning.
Gin chimed in. "We continue with the search. As they said, Zino might've fallen into a hidden space or dropped out of reach. If we come across signs—scorched trees, broken clouds, or anything strange—we use that as a starting point."
Sanji nodded. "Better than wandering around blindly."
"I agree," Alvida said. "We'll stay in our groups, spread out to search."
The rest nodded, determination returning to their eyes.
With that, the groups separated and entered the jungle from different angles. Each group heading deeper into the mysterious Upper Yard.
...
On the lone floating cloud, silence returned—save for the gentle breeze and the soft rustle of cloud mist drifting around them.
The mimic let out a loud *burp*, clearly satisfied. "Mmm… that meat was really good," he said with a lazy grin. "Sea King meat, huh? Tastes like victory."
Zino sat nearby, cross-legged and absorbed in reading the records on Sky-type Devil Fruits. He barely glanced up. "You done?"
"Yeah." The mimic stretched—or rather, the chest creaked as if sighing. "Right, I almost forgot—guess I should introduce myself properly."
Zino raised an eyebrow. "You have a name?"
"Of course!" the mimic said with pride. "I'm Baral… a Cloud Yeti."
Before Zino could process that, the mimic began to shimmer and morph. The wooden panels twisted, the hinges clanked—and in the span of a few seconds, the treasure chest transformed into an enormous humanoid figure covered in thick, fluffy white fur. Towering and muscular, with cloud-like tufts billowing around its limbs, the being stood like a gentle yet wild force of nature.
"What the—?" Zino blinked, standing up. "A Cloud Yeti*? That's a thing?
Baral chuckled in his new, booming voice. "Now, what do you think? I'm amazing, right?"
But before the moment could settle in, the cloud beneath them groaned.
*Fwwoooom… CRACK!*
The floating cloud, unable to support Baral's massive true form, began to ripple, bend—and then gave way entirely. In a blink, the two were falling straight through the gap in the sky.
"AAAAAAHHHHH! HELP!!" Baral flailed wildly, his heavy limbs flapping uselessly. "I CAN'T FLY! DO SOMETHING!"
Zino, meanwhile, was falling calmly, arms crossed as if they were simply taking a walk in midair. He glanced at Baral and sighed. "You really are something else… Is this your actual form?"
"Y-YEAH!" Baral shouted, wind whistling past his fur. "NOW SAVE ME!"
"Stop yelling in my ear," Zino winced, his Observation Haki flaring in reaction to the sheer volume. "Just revert to your mimic form!"
"Oh—right!"
Baral shrank back with a puff of mist, rapidly condensing until he was back in his familiar chest form. However, he was still tumbling through the air like a rock.
"I'M STILL FALLING!" the chest screamed, its lid flapping open with each bounce in the air.
Zino sighed again, more amused than annoyed. "You're lucky that I'm around when you are falling."
He swooped downward, his Rokushiki-enhanced flight letting him catch the mimic easily in one hand. With a burst of Hien Soku, he launched himself back into the sky, scanning the clouds above for a more stable landing spot.
"There," he murmured, spotting a dense, wide floating cloud not too far away. With ease, he glided over and touched down gently.
He placed Baral down beside him, patting the chest lightly. "Next time you decide to show off, make sure the floor won't collapse under you."
The chest lid creaked open sheepishly. "Sorry… I didn't think that part through."
"You're a Cloud Yeti that can't fly," Zino muttered. "That's some irony."
"I used to fly!" Baral argued. "But I've been stuck in chest form for years. Muscles gone stiff. Cloud wings out of practice."
Zino chuckled. "Alright, alright. You're lucky you're useful—and mildly entertaining."
As Baral sulked and Zino sat back down, he resumed reading the fruit records, the mimic quietly bouncing beside him like a loyal—albeit noisy—pet.
"Just… try not to transform while on a cloud again," Zino added.
"Deal," Baral grumbled.