Just then, a breeze swept through the area—carrying a familiar voice on the wind.
"Guys, I'm at the top of Giant Jack. Come up—climb the beanstalk."
The Orcas immediately lit up.
"Zino!" they all shouted in unison, faces breaking into smiles. A wave of relief washed over them. Now, their search was over.
"We have been worried about you. What are you doing up there?" Nami called out. "Are you still fighting Enel?"
"Enel? Already kicked that guy down to the blue sea." The reply was calm—too calm.
Everyone froze for a second.
"What?! You beat him?" Stev blinked in disbelief.
"Are you serious?" Nojiko added.
"You don't believe me? Here's proof."
A moment later—
CRACKLE!
A bolt of lightning struck down right in front of Wiper, sizzling the clouds beneath his feet. The Shandians jumped back in shock.
Silence fell.
Even the Orcas flinched at the sudden display.
Gin blinked. "Did he… acquire another element?"
"And lightning, no less." Alvida let out a low whistle.
Sanji, who had been quietly watching, smirked at the scorched ground. "Oi, Captain—we didn't really see the proof. Think you could show us again?"
The other Orcas exchanged glances—then all grinned.
"Yeah," Gin said with exaggerated innocence. "My eyes were a little dusty. Missed it."
"I think I saw a flash," Stev added. "But it wasn't that clear…"
CRACKLE!
Another bolt of lightning struck—again, just in front of Wiper. This time, his eye twitched.
Alvida held back a chuckle. "Hmm… still a bit unclear. Maybe once more?"
"I second that," Galdino said. "For clarity's sake."
Then Robin spoke with a serene smile. "Perhaps this time… aim directly at a target. Just to be sure."
The Orcas all turned slowly toward her.
"…Wait, that might be a bit much," Binko muttered, sweat forming on his brow.
The rest of the crew began to sweat too.
*Did she just casually suggest wiping out the Shandians?*
Wiper stood frozen, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might snap. Steam practically rose from his head as his pride battled with the reality unfolding before him.
Then, once again, Zino's voice drifted down with the breeze.
"Alright, enough with the teasing. Come up. I'm waiting at the top."
His tone was light, but his words held weight. The playful atmosphere began to settle.
"What about the Shandians?" Nami asked, glancing at Raki.
"Let them come too. The treasure that belonged to their ancestors is up here."
That single sentence froze everyone in place—Shandians and Orcas alike. Raki gasped softly, her eyes wide. Wiper's brows furrowed.
"Is that true?" Raki asked the wind, her voice trembling with a mix of hope and disbelief.
"Come up and see for yourself." The breeze carried the voice again, calm and unshaken.
Wiper looked at Raki, then at the towering Giant Jack. His fists slowly loosened.
Just then, Alvida raised a hand. "Hey, what about Zoro? He's not with us."
"Don't worry about him," Zino replied casually. "He's clashing with one of Enel's priests. He'll be fine. Just let him enjoy the fight."
Everyone exchanged glances. Zino's awareness of everyone's status without being physically present was both comforting and unnerving. Still, they trusted him. That was enough.
"Let's climb," Sanji said, stepping toward the thick vines coiled around the Giant Jack like a natural staircase. One by one, the Orcas began their ascent.
Raki paused briefly beside Wiper. "I'm sorry," she said gently. "But I trust them."
Without waiting for his response, she turned and followed after the Orcas, with Itami and Kala quietly walking behind her.
Wiper stared after her, lips pressed into a thin line.
Braham approached him. "So… what now?"
"Should we climb too?" asked Kamakiri, adjusting the bandages on his hand.
Wiper remained silent for a long moment, eyes fixed on the vines stretching skyward. The pride of a warrior clashed with the duty of a protector. Finally, he exhaled sharply through his nose.
"…Let's climb too."
His voice was low, but firm. There was no longer anger—only determination.
...
Upper Yard – Dense Jungle Path
Leaves scattered, branches snapped, and the jungle shook as something massive barreled through the trees.
Zoro dodged a crashing tree as Nola, the enormous light blue serpent, came slithering after him with terrifying speed.
Behind him, Ohm, the Priest of Iron, ran lightly over floating iron plates, gliding just ahead of the destruction. His expression remained eerily calm, even as death hissed right behind them.
"She's rather energetic," Ohm remarked, his iron whip slithering beside him like a metal serpent.
"You're talking like she's not trying to eat you too!" Zoro barked, leaping over a fallen trunk. He had both swords drawn—his third already clenched between his teeth.
"She's part of the trial. If you're not worthy, you die. That includes me."
"Tch. You priests are all insane."
Without breaking pace, Ohm flicked his wrist. The Eisen Whip lashed out like lightning, curving through the air toward Zoro.
Clang!
Zoro twisted mid-run, blocking the whip with a high parry. Sparks flew.
"You wanna fight now? While being chased by a building-sized snake!?"
"I prefer efficiency," Ohm said, lashing again. "Besides, you caused Holy to get swallowed by this creature."
Zoro growled and slashed away the next strike, only for Nola to burst through the undergrowth behind him, jaws wide.
He dove left, rolled, and sprang to his feet.
Boom!
The ground where he'd stood exploded as Nola crashed through it.
"Bastard! If she eats me, you're next!" Zoro shouted, irritation rising.
"Then keep running, swordsman."
They sprinted through a clearing, vines whipping past. Ohm floated upward, sending shards of iron to form small platforms mid-air. Zoro leapt from stone to stone, keeping pace—and blocking Ohm's whip as it came slashing from above.
"You don't stop, do you?" Zoro muttered.
"I do. When the enemy falls."
Zoro skidded to a stop at the edge of a steep ridge.
Behind them: Nola, barreling closer.
Above them: Ohm, preparing another strike.
Zoro narrowed his eyes.
"Fine. Let's end this before she gets any closer."
*"Three-Sword Style: Pound Phoenix!"*
He swung hard, sending a slicing air projectile toward Ohm.
Ohm countered with a spinning wall of iron plates—but it wasn't enough. The blast tore through, grazing his shoulder.
"Tch…"
Ohm descended fast, whip tightening like a spring.
Zoro met him midair.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel clashed violently—each blow redirected them away from Nola, who snapped at them from below.
Zoro spotted a thick vine slung between two trees. He slashed it loose, caught it midair, and used it to swing past Ohm.
"Let's finish this on solid ground!" he shouted.
They landed in a ruined clearing.
"Let's end this," Zoro said, planting his feet.
"Oh?" Ohm raised an eyebrow.
"Santoryu: Shishi Arashi!"
(*Three Sword Style: Lion Storm!*)
A single breath. A sudden blur.
Slash!
Ohm's eyes widened—blood sprayed from the clean horizontal slash across his chest. The impact staggered him, and he stumbled backward, his legs giving out beneath him.
Just then—
CRASH!
The jungle clearing exploded as Nola, the enormous serpent, burst through with thunderous force. Before Ohm could react or even cry out, the serpent's gaping jaws engulfed him.
Gulp.
Gone.
Zoro, who had just sheathed his swords, blinked in stunned silence. He hadn't expected Nola to become the finisher.
"…He got eaten," he muttered, dumbfounded.
Nola's massive head slowly turned toward him, her forked tongue flicking in and out. Her golden eyes locked on him like he was the next course.
"…Geh. Time to run again."
Without hesitation, Zoro turned on his heel and bolted into the jungle. Behind him, trees crashed, vines snapped, and the snake slithered after him at terrifying speed.
...
Meanwhile – On the Giant Jack
The Orcas were carefully ascending the massive beanstalk, each of them using thick vines and foot holds carved into the cloud-rooted bark. Though the climb was slow, they kept alert, scanning the cloudy surroundings for threats.
Not far behind them, Wiper and his Shandian warriors were climbing too, some using their dials and glider shoes to scale the vertical trunk.
For once, the air was strangely calm. No sky soldiers. No Enel. No ambushes.
Wiper's brows furrowed. It felt... unnatural.
Did the blue sea dwellers really defeat Enel's men? The thought buzzed in his head. Aisa did say Enel fought someone and then vanished… Could that wind-speaking man be the one who beat him?
He didn't know. And it bothered him.
Suddenly, the entire beanstalk trembled with a deep rumble beneath their feet. Everyone halted.
"What was that?" Wiper barked, steadying himself.
"An earthquake?" Kamakiri muttered, gripping a vine.
The shaking didn't stop. It intensified.
"Something's moving," one of the Shandians called, pointing down below.
Everyone looked down. Even the Orcas higher up paused their climb to glance below.
And what they saw—
"...Is that Zoro!?" Nami shouted in disbelief.
Below them, Zoro was sprinting up one of the thick climbing vines of Giant Jack, looking furious and frantic. Behind him, the enormous light blue body of Nola was following him upward, coiled around the beanstalk and slithering fast.
"She's climbing after him?!" Hibari cried.
"Oh no, we need to move!" Kaya yelled, panic rising in her voice.
"GO!" Alvida said, already climbing faster.
The Orcas picked up the pace, racing up the vines with newfound urgency.
Below them, the Shandians were already gliding upward, using their milky dials and sky shoes to scale faster than anyone else.
"Tch. Those glider shoes are cheating," Binko muttered under his breath as the Shandians zipped past.
"Speak less, climb more!" Alvida snapped. "That snake won't care who's from the blue sea or not!"
That was all the motivation the Orcas needed. With adrenaline surging, they pushed themselves harder.
Below, Zoro kept sprinting upward, weaving through hanging vines and cloud roots as *Nola*—the giant sky serpent—slithered after him with relentless fury. Her massive body crashed against the Giant Jack, sending tremors up its length.
"Tch. Stop chasing me, already!" Zoro snapped, glancing back at the towering snake.
He twisted mid-run and unleashed a flurry of sword slashes.
"Santoryu: Lion Arashi!"
Several compressed air blades shot from his swords, cutting through vines and striking the serpent's snout. But it only made her angrier. Nola hissed and reeled back—then spat a stream of venomous acid, sizzling as it hit nearby vines and melted a section of the beanstalk.
"Oi! That's dangerous, you scaly freak!" Zoro barked, leaping over the sizzling vines, narrowly avoiding a deadly bath. He gritted his teeth and kept climbing.
Up above, the Orcas saw it all unfold.
"...This isn't going to end well," Sanji muttered, narrowing his eyes. "We have to do something about that overgrown noodle."
"You want to fight that monster!?" Binko said, clearly alarmed.
"That thing didn't even flinch at Zoro's attack," Ussop added. "Swords aren't working at all."
"I got a plan," Galdino said with confidence. He stretched his hands toward the lower section of the beanstalk.
"Wax Style: Wax Serpent!"
His arms glowed as molten wax erupted and quickly shaped itself into a massive white serpent, eerily similar in size, and shape to Nola. The artificial snake slithered down the beanstalk under Galdino's control, heading straight for the real one.
Down below, Zoro had paused at a junction of vines—and froze again.
"...What in the actual hell? Why is there another snake!?" His eyes darted between the two writhing forms.
Even Nola hesitated, her glowing eyes flicking toward the new waxy intruder.
"Zoro! Keep climbing!" Ussop shouted from above. "That one's not real—it's Galdino's wax!"
"Ah. Got it." Zoro didn't wait for further explanation. He ducked under the wax serpent's tail and darted through a narrow gap between it and the vines.
Above, Galdino grinned. "Now, let's give her something to chew on."
The wax serpent lunged downward, wrapping around Nola mid-body. The real serpent reacted with a violent hiss and lunged forward, biting down on the wax.
But that was exactly what Galdino wanted.
As Nola's mouth clamped around it, the wax instantly melted, covering and plastering the real serpent's body to the beanstalk.
"Let's add more wax."
Galdino flowed more of his wax, adding more cover on the struggling Nola. A few minutes later, the snake was fully covered in wax, from head to tail, and bound to the stalk.