The Eclipse glided through a narrow cloud-river, and the view ahead suddenly opened up. Unlike the soft, marshmallow islands outside, a massive landmass composed of real soil and rock loomed before them. Huge vines pierced the heavens, and the primeval roars of unknown beasts echoed from the emerald depths.
The bow of the Eclipse nudged the shore, and the anchor dropped into the Vearth.
Ace was the first to leap over the rail, his boots hitting the solid ground of Upper Yard. He surveyed the dense forest, casually snapping a thick, obstructive branch with one hand.
"Carina, take your bird. Map this island and find the location of the gold," Ace ordered. "Sabo, Jeno, Leona—you're on freelance duty. If anything gets in your way—beast or 'Priest'—crush it."
"What about this great man?" Buggy poked his head out from behind a crate.
"You stay on the ship," Ace glanced back. "If anyone tries to board the Eclipse, blast them back down to the Blue Sea."
"Leave it to me! Ship defense is a critical strategic pillar, and no one is better at it than I am!" Hearing that he didn't have to enter the gloomy, monster-filled forest, Buggy immediately pounded his chest with a hollow thud.
"Squawk! Red-nose coward! Squawk!"
Berries the Macaw flapped down from the mast, circling Buggy's head with arrogant, perfectly enunciated mockery.
"You damn bird! I'll roast you for dinner!" Buggy roared, waving his arms in a futile attempt to snatch it.
Berries performed an agile mid-air roll, but instead of returning to Carina, he landed directly on Ace's right shoulder. His shiny black eyes rolled with human-like cunning. Dropping the attitude he showed Buggy, he rubbed his head against Ace's collar, folded his wings, and struck a formal "submission" pose.
"Boss is mighty! For the Boss! Squawk!"
The parrot's voice was dripping with sycophancy. Ace turned his head to look at the bird. Its intelligence was evolving at an absurd rate; not only was its vocabulary expanding, but its grasp of the ship's hierarchy was surgical. It knew Carina was the provider and Buggy was the jester, but it knew Ace was the apex.
It's smart, Ace thought. Since it understands logic this well, once we settle things, that Bari Bari no Mi (Barrier-Barrier Fruit) in the hold might actually be perfect for him. A flying bird with absolute defense capabilities would be an immeasurable tactical asset.
"Get to work," Ace said, shrugging his shoulder. Berries understood immediately and flew back to Carina's side.
The group dispersed, vanishing into the ancient jungle of Upper Yard.
Carina found a massive, hollowed-out ancient tree at the forest's edge. She pressed her palm against the stone-like bark, activating the Tsushin Tsushin no Mi.
Invisible radio waves rippled out, imprinting monitoring "anchor points" onto the surrounding trunks and ruins. "The magnetic field is chaotic, but it doesn't dampen the frequency," she whispered.
"Berries." She pulled a handful of nuts from her bag. "Go draft some locals. We need guides."
"Copy that! Squawk!"
Twenty minutes later, a cacophony of bird calls erupted above the canopy. Berries returned like a mob boss leading a gang. Most notable were several South Birds, their heads locked firmly toward the south, looking utterly submissive after being pecked into obedience by the Macaw.
Carina didn't hesitate, tapping her fingers on their foreheads to sign the Resonance Bond. Instantly, a dozen new "POV feeds" flickered in her mind. Under Berries' screeching commands, the native birds scattered across Upper Yard, transmitting terrain data, trap locations, and ruin outlines directly to her brain.
"Found it. Northeast. Ancient ruins on a massive scale," Carina's lips curled into a smirk as she began sketching a map on a fresh sheet of paper. "The metallic reflection is off the charts. The 'City of Gold' isn't a myth—it's a treasury."
Elsewhere, in a section of the forest choked by milky "String Clouds."
Jeno strode along a cloud-path, his Hydraulic Power Hammer resting on his shoulder. "This place is a dump for raw ore, everything is made of vapor. Where do these damn shells actually grow—"
A piercing shriek from the canopy cut him off. A spear tip, wreathed in white-hot flames, descended from the sky with lethal velocity, aimed squarely at the base of Jeno's skull.
"Who?"
Jeno didn't even look up. The mechanical exoskeleton on his right arm vented a violent burst of high-pressure steam. He swung the heavy hammer in a blind, upward arc.
CLANG!
Sparks erupted as the spear was forcibly deflected. The attacker used the recoil to flip through the air, landing steadily on the back of a giant, pink "Three-Toed Eagle." It was a man in aviator gear and goggles, clutching a long spear.
"Oh? You actually parried my Heat Javelin?"
The man looked down from his mount, his tone dripping with condescension. "Blue Sea reptile, you have wandered into the Ordeal of String, where the survival rate is a mere 3%. I am the Priest Shura. By the will of Lord Enel, I am here to deliver God's Judgment upon you illegal vermin."
"Priest?"
Jeno planted his hammer, the gears of his exoskeleton emitting a teeth-grinding whine. He eyed the flaming spear and the fire-breathing bird. Instead of fear, he bared a row of stark white teeth in a predatory grin.
"I don't give a damn about your god," Jeno growled, rolling his neck.
"Hand over that fire-spitting stick and every single Dial you've got hidden in those pockets. Right. Now."
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