God's Shrine, Upper Yard.
Zino chuckled as he sat on the edge of the cloud platform, his eyes closed, calmly observing the battlefield through his Observation Haki.
"Looks like my crew's got the upper hand against all the sky folks," he said with a smirk.
Sitting cross-legged nearby, Gan Fall raised his head from his meal. He was munching on a crispy cracker while sipping tea, joined by his steed Pierre. "How can you tell?" he asked curiously.
Zino cracked an eye open. "Observation Haki," he replied simply. "Though I think you guys call it *Mantra* up here."
Gan Fall's brows lifted. "You can use Mantra? I didn't think Blue Sea dwellers were capable of that."
Zino didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached for the plate of food he had ordered earlier—only to freeze mid-stretch.
The perpetrators were the munching Knight and his bird.
Gan Fall, mid-bite into a fruit tart, noticed his expression. "What?" he asked innocently.
Zino let out a long, silent sigh. Even Pierre had some food crumbs on his beak, clearly having enjoyed the share.
"...Nothing."
"We can prepare another serving for you," one of the servant girls offered politely.
"No need," Zino muttered. He scooped up a handful of cloud from the floor and stuffed it into his mouth.
Just then, a glowing system interface flashed in his vision.
[You swallowed the elements below:]
1. Cloud – Normal
2. Cloud – Unique
Please select your elemental affinity.
"Oh?" Zino blinked. "There are two types of clouds?"
He focused on the description.
[Normal Clouds] – Ever-changing, gaseous in form. Mostly decorative or for weather effect.
[Unique Clouds] – Can solidify into terrain or material. Used to build Skypiea structures (island clouds, stone clouds, etc.)
"Ohh, so that's what these islands are made of..." Zino mused, chewing slowly. "Alright then. I'll go with Unique Cloud."
[Choice confirmed. You've acquired Element: Unique Cloud – Level 0.]
Zino shrugged and grabbed another handful of cloud, stuffing it into his mouth.
[Unique Cloud – Level 1]
"Mmm... this stuff's addictively good," he muttered, happily munching. He scooped up more.
Gan Fall, Pierre, and the three girls watched in stunned silence as Zino kept shoving puffs of cloud into his mouth like a starving animal.
Sweat rolled down their foreheads.
"…Is he sulking because we ate his food?" Gan Fall whispered to Pierre.
Pierre gave a confused squawk in agreement.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Gan Fall picked up the leftover crackers and slid them toward Zino. "Hey... there's still some of these."
Zino paused for a moment, glanced at the plate... and then turned back to the cloud with even more enthusiasm.
Beads of sweat began pouring down Gan Fall's face. Even Pierre was looking away awkwardly.
"We'll go get more food!" one of the servant girls blurted suddenly.
"Yes, please wait here!"
"We'll bring something even better!"
With synchronized panic, all three servant girls rushed off toward the kitchen, leaving behind a literal gust of wind in their wake. One of them even shot a sharp glare at Gan Fall and Pierre as they ran.
The two old companions looked down in shame, sweat trickling down their foreheads.
Nearby, Baral the mimic chest sat like a statue, observing Zino, who was still enthusiastically scooping cloud chunks into his mouth.
Baral blinked. "You okay, boss?"
"Yabu. Am goob," (Yup. I'm good.)
Zino replied, voice muffled through a mouthful of fluffy cloud. He didn't stop chewing.
After a few more minutes of cloud consumption, the servant girls returned with large, steaming platters—juicy roasted meat glistening with honeyed glaze and herbs.
"Sir, your food," one said with a respectful bow.
Zino paused mid-bite, sniffed the aroma drifting toward him, and visibly brightened. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about," he muttered, finally setting down his handful of clouds.
He reached out and accepted the enormous roast with both hands. Just as he was about to take a bite, something twitched beside him.
Drip.
Drip.
Baral, still in mimic form as a treasure chest, was drooling—a literal flood spilling from his open lid. His beady mimic eyes shimmered with desperate hunger.
Zino squinted. "Oi, back off. This is my food."
Baral didn't move an inch.
"Tch," Zino clicked his tongue. "You leave me no choice."
He raised a finger and flicked it. A sharp gust of wind shot out in the shape of a Wind Slash, slicing the giant roast perfectly in half.
"Fine. Here."
He tossed one half to Baral, who caught it in mid-air and snapped his lid shut with a loud CHOMP. Within seconds, the mimic was munching furiously, the entire half of the roast vanishing into his bottomless belly.
Zino, not to be outdone, shoved his remaining portion into his mouth and began chewing aggressively, stuffing bite after bite like a man in competition.
Gan Fall, Pierre, and the servants stood frozen, mouths agape.
"D-Did that chest… eat meat?" one of the girls finally stammered.
"What… is that thing?" Gan Fall asked, blinking in disbelief.
Zino swallowed a mouthful and patted the mimic on the lid. "This guy? His name's Baral. He's a Cloud Yeti, and also a mimic."
"Cloud Yeti? I thought those were supposed to be massive beasts that live in the deep parts of the White-White Sea!" Gan Fall said, surprised.
"They are," Zino nodded. "He is large… this chest is just his compact form. Easier to carry and less terrifying for polite company."
Baral let out a satisfied burp, lid rising slightly as steam puffed out. "Mmm. That hit the spot."
Zino stood up, brushing crumbs off his coat. "Alright. Food's done. Time to go."
Baral perked up. "Where to now, boss?"
"Treasure hunting," Zino grinned. "Figured this place might still have a few secrets left."
Baral practically jumped in excitement, clapping his mimic lid. "Oooh, I like treasure!"
Zino raised his hand, and a small swirl of wind gathered beneath Baral, lifting the mimic off the ground like a floating chest balloon.
Before leaving, Zino glanced back at the three servants girls. "Thanks for the foods."
Gan Fall on the side asked, "What about your crew?"
"They'll find me, no need to worry." Zino said confidently. "Also, they are looking for me. So, let them find me up there."
"Up?" Gan Fall was confused.
Zino didn't explain. With a single gust of wind, he launched into the air, bringing along Baral with him.
Gan Fall watched as their figures shrank into the distance, still puzzled.
"Up, huh?" he murmured. "Just what is he planning to find…?"
Pierre neighed quietly.
The servant girls stood at the side, quietly looking at the disappearing figures.
...
Sanji's group moved out once again after Itami and Kala, the two wounded Shandian warriors, had fully recovered thanks to Kaya's healing. Grateful for the help, the two insisted on joining the group, along with Raki.
After trekking through the lush, cloudy terrain of Upper Yard, the group finally reached a massive clearing. Before them stood a colossal tree, its trunk stretching far into the sky—so tall that the top was lost amidst the white clouds above.
"Whoa…" Usopp tilted his head back, shielding his eyes from the sun. "What kind of tree is this? I can't even see the top!"
"This is the Giant Jack," Raki said solemnly, her eyes scanning the towering trunk. "This tree has stood here since a long time ago. No one really knows how high it goes."
"Looks ancient," Sanji muttered, placing a hand on the bark. "Have any of you ever climbed to the top?"
Raki shook her head. "No. Not even the elders. This place was long considered forbidden. Even during our attempts to reclaim Upper Yard… the top of Giant Jack remained untouched."
Her voice carried the weight of history, and for a moment, everyone stood in silent awe.
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from behind. A second group emerged from the trees—Gin, Kruz, Chloris, Mikita, Conis, and Stev—members of Zino's third search group.
"Oh, it's you guys," Gin said, slowing to a stop. A small smile tugged at his lips when he saw that the ones present were from the same group.
He and his group then came close to the Giant Jack, regrouping with Sanji's team. Conis greeted her father with 'Heso', and Pagaya returned the same greetings. Their greetings earned a strange look from the crew, and even from the Shandian.
Gin then asked, "So… you guys seen Captain Zino?"
Sanji shook his head. "No sign of him on our end. You?"
Kruz answered, "Nope. We've been sweeping through the area. Ran into a few so-called fighters from Enel's regime though."
"And we took them down, obviously," Mikita added with a wink.
"You also met them?" Kaya blinked in surprise.
Stev raised an eyebrow. "Also? Don't tell me… you ran into them as well?"
Sanji raised his arms and gestured toward Raki with a thumb. "A few shrimps tried to hurt this lady and her companions. So, we helped them cool off—with a nap."
Everyone turned to look at Raki, Itami, and Kala. The Shandian warriors stood tall and proud, but it was clear from their expressions that they had been through a lot.
Just then, the sound of footsteps and shifting clouds signaled more arrivals.
From one direction emerged the Fourth Orcas search Group—Galdino, Nojiko, Marianne, Binko, and Lakuari. Their clothes were scorched in places, and some bore light bruises, signs of a hard-won battle.
From the opposite side came the First search Group—Alvida, Nami, Hibari, and Moris. Their expressions lit up at the sight of the other teams.
"Yo!" Galdino waved. "Looks like everyone's still breathing."
"Heh, same to you," Alvida chuckled, spinning her mace once before resting it on her shoulder.
They all moved forward, happily regrouping with the other Orcas crews. Greetings, fist bumps, and quick check-ins were exchanged.
"Where is Zoro?" Usopp asked.
Nami sighed. "He got separated from us after a monstrous snake attacked us."
"Snake?"
"It's too big, durable, and its venom can melt trees." Hibari gave a brief description of the creature. "We last saw it still chasing after Zoro."
"Is he going to be alright?" Sanji asked.
"That's why we are here, still searching for him," Alvida said.
Just then, another group arrived—the Shandians, led by none other than Wiper. Several warriors stood behind him, some injured and some bruised. As they arrived, their faces were hard and cautious as they laid eyes on the Orcas.
Wiper's gaze swept over the scene—and froze when he spotted Raki standing among the blue sea dwellers.
His frown deepened. "Raki? You're with them?"
Raki turned, surprised to see him. "Wiper…"
Wiper's voice turned sharp. "Why are you following the blue sea dwellers? Did they… kidnap you?"
"Wiper, stop." Raki's expression hardened. "They didn't kidnap us—they saved us."
"She's right," Itami added firmly. "If not for them, we'd be dead."
Kala nodded in agreement. "They healed us."
Wiper narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced. "Blue sea dwellers… I appreciate you helped Raki and the others, but this is not your land. You have no business in Skypiea. Return to where you belong—the blue sea."
That statement instantly drew scowls from the Orcas. All of them turned to Wiper, brows furrowed.
"Hey, that's too much—" Raki began.
"Raki! Come with us," Wiper interrupted sternly, motioning for her to leave the group.
Before Raki could respond, Sanji stepped forward, his voice calm. "Sorry, she's not going with you."
The rest of the Orcas fell quiet for a beat… then nodded in agreement.
"I don't like rude people," Alvida muttered, giving a cold look to Wiper.
"Same," Hibari agreed. "Does this guy think he owns Skypiea or something?"
"If the Captain were here," Stev snorted, "he'd already kicked this guy's ass."
Wiper's eyes narrowed. "Are you mocking me?"
"No, you're doing a fine job of that yourself." Gin replied evenly. He added, "I heard about your fight with the Skypieans and Enel's people. You've been clashing for years just to reclaim your home. But you still haven't succeeded. So tell me… what right do you have to tell us we're not welcome?"
That hit a nerve.
Wiper's teeth clenched, and the Shandians behind him shifted, hands moving toward weapons. The air grew heavy. Sparks of tension crackled like lightning.
"Guys, wait—" Raki's voice wavered, caught between two sides she cared for.
Her eyes flicked between Wiper and the Orcas, heart pounding.