"The voices of two Priests have disappeared. Well, these Blue Sea dwellers are quite capable."
Inside the divine territory, on a long, wide throne, a bare-chested man wearing a white headwrap and loose bloomers lay on his side, propping his head up with one hand.
Enel half-closed his eyes, looking somewhat lethargic, as he picked up a bunch of grapes with his free hand and leisurely popped them into his mouth.
Through his perception of Mantra, Satori of the Forest and Sky Breeder Ohm had already been defeated. The other two Priests were currently engaged in combat with the Blue Sea dwellers who had invaded the Upper Yard.
Among them, Gedatsu seemed to be on the verge of collapsing, leaving only Shura locked in a temporary stalemate with his opponents.
Enel's expression remained completely unfazed as he casually continued eating his grapes.
He was not satisfied with this outcome, but he had no intention of going down to help.
The sole purpose of the Priests was to serve God. Losers were not qualified to accompany him to the Fairy Vearth.
"Falling right before the activation of the Ark Maxim only proves they are unworthy of serving me. This is the will of the heavens."
Enel's eyes were cold, and his tone was chilling.
With that, he slowly sat up, letting his feet drop to the floor.
Below the throne, the attendants standing on both sides kept their heads bowed, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Picking up his golden staff, Enel walked past the attendants and stopped at the doorway. His lazy gaze revealed utter indifference. Raising a hand to dig his ear with his pinky finger, a mocking sneer suddenly appeared on his face.
"Only those who stand until the end are worthy of the title of Priest. Defeated by lowly Blue Sea dwellers... you have no reason to exist anymore."
*Bzzzt—!*
As his words fell, his body transformed into a streak of blue lightning and vanished from the spot in an instant.
...
Meanwhile, in a certain corner of the White-White Sea, situated a fair distance from the Upper Yard, lay a tribe consisting of dozens of tents pitched on island clouds.
—The Hidden Cloud Village.
A little girl ran quickly toward the largest tent in the center of the camp, her expression panicked.
"Aisa?"
Two bare-chested guards at the entrance noticed her. Confused, they hurriedly stepped forward to block her path.
"Hey, wait a minute, Aisa! You can't go in there. Wyper and the others are holding an important meeting!"
"Don't block me! I have something important to tell Laki and the others!"
The little girl named Aisa shouted loudly. The moment the guards tried to intercept her, she slid across the ground, dodging their outstretched hands.
Before she could rush into the tent, two people stepped out.
A bare-chested man with a braided mohawk and extensive tattoos—known to his comrades as the War Demon—stepped forward.
"Stop messing around, Aisa. This isn't a place for you."
Wyper's face was unsmiling. He reached out, grabbed Aisa, and tossed her to the woman beside him, saying coldly,
"Laki, take her away."
"Wait! Let me go, Laki! I have something important to say! The voices of the Priests have disappeared!"
Aisa shouted as she struggled with all her might.
Hearing this, Wyper and Laki, who were about to turn and leave, paused and frowned at her.
"You said the voices of the Priests disappeared?"
"It's true! Two of the Priests' voices just vanished! It was that fat woman and the one riding the big dog!" Aisa hurriedly cried out.
This time, both Wyper and Laki revealed expressions of astonishment.
"That should be Satori of the Forest and Ohm."
Laki let go of Aisa, crouched down, and asked seriously, "Are you sure you didn't mishear, Aisa? Do you know who did it?"
"It was the Blue Sea dwellers. They just came up to the White-White Sea today."
"Blue Sea dwellers... Wait a minute, I might have seen them. I saw two Blue Sea-style ships while I was hunting in the White Sea today."
Wyper realized, saying, "The ships were flying black flags. They should be those people called pirates. I saw they had a huge number of people, so I didn't attack to avoid wasting time."
"Blue Sea dwellers? Shouldn't they be unaccustomed to the environment here and find it hard to move? How could they defeat the Priests?"
Laki couldn't help but wonder.
"I'm not sure. Maybe they won with sheer numbers. Although the Blue Sea doesn't have Dials, they have many weapons with decent firepower," Wyper guessed.
However, Aisa denied his words, saying nervously, "That's not it. They didn't beat the Priests with numbers. I heard the voices of a few guys among them, and they are incredibly strong. Stronger than Wyper."
"No! One of their voices is much, much stronger than Enel's!" Aisa corrected herself.
This was the reason she had rushed over so anxiously. She knew Wyper and the others were preparing to launch their final battle. If they ended up fighting those Blue Sea dwellers, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Hearing this, Laki instantly lost her composure.
Aisa possessed an innate talent for Mantra. When she said a voice was strong, she didn't mean they were loud, but rather that their life force was immensely powerful.
In Aisa's perception, the Shandians' strongest warrior, Wyper, was stronger than the Priests and not inferior to Enel. This was what gave them the confidence to initiate the final battle.
An existence with a life force much stronger than Enel's... there was only one in the entire Upper Yard, and that was the ancient giant python, Nola.
Now that such a Blue Sea dweller had suddenly appeared, it would undoubtedly introduce a massive amount of uncertainty to their operation.
"Wyper, maybe we should hold off on this operation..."
Laki hesitated, her eyes revealing a hint of worry. After a moment of thought, she made up her mind to persuade him.
"Perhaps we can wait in the shadows for the right moment to strike, or just wait until they finish fighting. Even if the Blue Sea dwellers lose, they will still drain Enel's strength, and..."
"If Enel loses, the Blue Sea dwellers won't stay on the Sky Island for too long. We might be able to reclaim that land without even fighting."
Laki unconsciously clenched her fists.
Thinking about it carefully, as long as they acted appropriately, the appearance of these Blue Sea dwellers might actually be a good thing for them.
Wyper fell silent, looking thoughtful. A moment later, he went back into the tent, retrieved his weapons and equipment, and walked back out.
"The operation is delayed. You, Kamakiri, and the others will formulate a new battle plan using the method you just suggested."
"Wait, Wyper! What about you?"
Seeing that he was preparing to leave alone, Laki hurriedly raised her hand to stop him.
"The blood our ancestors shed on that land must be avenged. Your approach is correct, and I don't want our people to suffer too many casualties either. You all wait until the incident is over before looking for an opportunity to strike."
Wyper stepped forward and unhesitatingly brushed her hand aside, his eyes filled with resolve.
"But I must participate in the battle personally! Who reclaims our homeland holds a different meaning for me."
"Wait, Wyper!"
"Enough, Laki! Do as I say."
Wyper shouted decisively. The Breath Dials in his skate-shoes erupted, and he sped off into the distance, carrying his Burn Bazooka on his shoulder.
Watching his retreating back as he left despite her warnings, Laki clasped her hands over her chest, her eyes full of worry.
At this moment, several more fully armed figures walked out of the tent.
"We heard everything just now. We're going too. We'll leave the camp to you, Laki."
"As a Shandian warrior, I cannot accept welcoming victory in such a manner."
"Reclaiming our homeland is our dream, but battle is our glory. Let the few of us act as the vanguard."
The Shandian warriors Kamakiri, Braham, and Genbo spoke with absolute determination.
...
By the afternoon, the sun was slanting downwards.
Inside the Upper Yard forest, the golden sunlight was chopped into sparse rays by the dense canopy, shining through the trees in beams that landed on the moss-covered ground.
The giant purple vulture, Fuza, circled among the towering trees that easily reached hundreds of meters in height.
On the vulture's back, the Priest Shura, wearing an orange aviator suit and goggles, gripped his lance. He looked down at the three figures below with a wary expression.
"To think mere Blue Sea dwellers would be this troublesome. A cat and a tiger... Are Devil Fruits really that easy to obtain in the Blue Sea?"
Shura's tone revealed a hint of impatience.
Below, Gin and the Nyaban Brothers stood on the ground and the tree branches respectively, looking up at the Priest in the sky with equally solemn expressions.
"This is so annoying. That bastard keeps hiding in the sky. I really want to shoot that stupid bird down and roast it."
Buchi, in his tiger-man form, gritted his teeth and spoke indignantly.
The two sides had been at a stalemate for quite a while, and the battle had made almost no progress.
He and Sham had strong jumping abilities and could use the trees for brief aerial combat, but it couldn't compare to true flight. The two of them couldn't gain any advantage at all.
Gin found it even harder to get close to the opponent; the giant vulture could easily pull away and create distance.
Even when the dachshund gun Lasso fired time bombs to attack, the opponent easily dodged them every time, as if he possessed the ability to predict the future.
Similarly, the opponent could only counterattack from the sky, occasionally having the vulture—which had a Flame Dial equipped in its mouth—breathe fire. Unfortunately, this posed almost no threat to them.
If they kept dragging it out like this, they probably wouldn't have a result even by nightfall.
Gin slowly spun the tonfas in his hands, his gaze fixed on the sky.
The opponent's strength was decent, but not overwhelmingly powerful. The main problem was the aerial combat. If they fought on the ground, either the Nyaban Brothers or he himself would be enough to defeat him.
'As expected, we still have to find a way to shoot his mount down.'
Gin's eyes darkened as an idea formed in his mind. Spinning his twin tonfas at high speed, he suddenly dashed forward.
"Buchi, Sham! Let's go! Continuous attacks!"
"Alright!"
"Got it!"
On the branches, the Nyaban Brothers turned around in response, their hind legs pushing off powerfully as they suddenly leaped out.
Sham transformed into his full beast form, turning into a giant caracal. His streamlined body was full of the beauty of speed and explosive power.
He leaped and darted through the forest at incredible speed, relentlessly chasing after the circling vulture in the sky.
"Finally lost your patience, huh? Hmph, the Ordeal of String is just beginning."
Atop the vulture, Shura sneered coldly, a flash of cunning in his eyes.
Anger would only blind them. The more anxious they were, the easier it would be for them to fall into the trap he had set up long ago.
In the air behind him, Buchi stood upside down on a branch. Spotting the right moment, he pushed off with both feet, accelerating into a dive.
"[Tiger Kill: Trample]!!"
Buchi flipped and spun several times in mid-air, bringing his legs together and stomping down fiercely!
However, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, Shura pulled the reins in advance, steering his vulture to fly sideways and dodge the attack.
"Damn it, how does this guy see through my attacks every single time?!"
*Bang!*
Buchi shouted angrily as he missed, his body crashing heavily onto the ground.
At that moment, Sham followed up with an attack. Using all four legs, he ran up a tree trunk, pushed off with all his might, and lunged at the vulture from below.
"Trying to sneak attack? It's not that simple! Turn upside down, Fuza!"
Shura shouted loudly. The vulture beneath him flapped its wings, and its body immediately flipped over.
Clamping his legs tight, Shura hung upside down in the air. The tip of the lance in his hand heated up until it glowed red, and he swiftly thrust it at the lunging giant cat!
*Clang!*
Sham's pupils shrank in shock, and he hurriedly raised his claws to block.
"Hiss—! Hot, hot, hot!!"
Sham gasped and cried out in pain. The high-temperature spear tip was like it had just been pulled from a furnace, burning his claws until they sizzled and smoked.
"Get down!"
Shura roared, pushing hard with his lance.
*Bang!!*
With nowhere to leverage his strength in mid-air, Sham's entire body was sent flying backward, plummeting rapidly and smashing into the ground!
After repelling Sham, Shura pulled the reins, steering the vulture to flip back upright.
But right then, his expression suddenly darkened, and he quickly turned his head to look down to his side.
Gin was rapidly spinning his twin tonfas, his body airborne with his legs tucked in.
Buchi assumed a shot-put stance, placing a massive tiger paw against the soles of Gin's feet. With a furious roar, he shoved violently, launching Gin upward!
"[Tiger Kill: Demon Man Missile]!!"
*Whoosh!*
Propelled by terrifying force, Gin's body shot out like a cannonball!
Facing the rapidly approaching Gin, the vulture's eyes widened in terror. Having just righted its body, it was too late to change direction.
However, Shura's face showed no panic at all. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled up smugly. He clenched his fist and pulled hard!
In the surrounding space, several invisible cloud strings suddenly pulled taut, refracting a faint golden glimmer in the sunlight!
"Crap!!"
Gin's expression changed. A fine cloud string dug into his chest, instantly throwing his body off balance and sending him tumbling toward Shura.
"Hahaha, you fool! Did you think I was doing nothing while tangling with you for so long? This entire area has long been rigged with countless cloud strings!"
Shura laughed heartily, raising his heated lance and thrusting it out fiercely!
"Die!!"
Gin's pupils dilated. Seeing the red-hot spear tip about to pierce his abdomen, he desperately twisted his waist, relying on his powerful core strength to contort his body.
*Squelch!*
A spray of blood splashed out as the spear tip tore through his clothes and ripped a gash across his waist.
"Gin!!"
Below, the Nyaban Brothers cried out in panic upon seeing this.
Veins bulged on Gin's forehead. Gritting his teeth to endure the pain, he hurled the tonfa in his hand with all his might!
"Heh, how could an attack like that possibly hit me?"
Shura sneered disdainfully. Having anticipated the move, he tilted his head to the side, dodging the flying tonfa, and raised his other hand, aiming his palm at Gin.
"Impact!!"
A powerful shockwave suddenly erupted. Faced with this forceful attack, Gin showed absolutely no reaction to defend or dodge. Instead, his eyes darkened, and at the very last moment, he forcefully smashed his other tonfa into the vulture!
*Bang!! Bang!!*
The Impact hit him squarely in the face! Gin's head snapped back as he spat blood. At the exact same time, the heavy iron ball of his tonfa smashed solidly into the vulture's forehead!
"Screech—!!"
The vulture opened its beak in agony, letting out a hoarse cry. Its eyes rolled back, and it nearly lost consciousness.
"Fuza!!"
Shura yelled in panic, his eyes revealing sheer disbelief.
Gin plummeted straight down from the sky, and the vulture, having lost its ability to maintain flight, also nose-dived toward the ground at breakneck speed.
Seeing this opportunity, a cold glint flashed in Buchi and Sham's eyes. Both of them dashed toward the spot where Shura was about to crash.
"Fuza! Wake up, old buddy! Damn it!"
Failing to wake the vulture, Shura gritted his teeth. Looking at the sprinting Nyaban Brothers, he hurriedly leaped off the vulture's back.
Right now, he had no choice but to abandon his partner.
"Don't think you can beat me just because we're on the ground, you bastards!"
Shura roared angrily. Landing on his feet in a crouch, his Mantra rapidly read the Nyaban Brothers' attacking movements.
However, in the next second, he only received one answer in his mind.
He couldn't dodge it at all!
"[Combined Attack: Cat Willow March]!!"
Buchi and Sham arrived in front of Shura in their human-beast forms. Their sharp cat claws gleamed with a cold light as they simultaneously unleashed a continuous barrage of slashes from the left and right!
*Clang! Squelch!*
*Clang! Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!*
Shura hurriedly raised his lance to block. A massive flurry of cold flashes suddenly swept through the forest as the four cat claws swung with airtight precision.
The Nyaban Brothers used absolutely no technique; it was just an incredibly pure, continuous assault. Relying entirely on strength and speed, they completely suppressed their opponent!
"Gahhh—!!"
Shura let out an agonized wail. After blocking only twice, his defense was broken, leaving him at the mercy of the cat claws ruthlessly tearing into his body!
Finally, Sham's claws pierced Shura's abdomen, and Buchi stepped forward heavily, viciously slamming his massive tiger paw into Shura's riddled body!
"Go flying!!"
*Bang!!*
The immensely powerful palm strike slammed into his chest! It instantly sent him flying over a dozen meters, his back crashing heavily into a giant tree, leaving a deep crater in the trunk!
"Blergh—!"
Shura spat out a mouthful of blood, his face twisted in extreme agony. His eyes rolled back as he gradually lost consciousness, his body slumping forward.
Seeing that he was completely immobilized, the Nyaban Brothers finally canceled their transformations and slowly reverted to their human forms.
Behind them, Gin also walked out of the crater he had crashed into, raising a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Buchi and Sham ran over and asked with concern,
"Are you alright, Gin?"
"Yeah, an attack of this level is nothing. Let's go."
Gin said flatly, putting his weapons away and turning to leave.
But right at that moment.
*Bzzzt—!*
A bolt of blue lightning descended from the sky, landing in front of them and rapidly coalescing into a human form. He held a golden staff and carried four tomoe-painted taiko drums on his back.
Gin and the other two were stunned for a moment before reacting. They hurriedly scattered, jumping back and assuming defensive stances.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"My name is Enel..."
Enel half-lowered his eyelids, his demeanor lazy, as he looked at the three people in front of him with an amused gaze.
"I am the... God... of this place!!"
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