After gathering all their info, and deciding that they were going to go hunting for the gold the next thing they needed was a plan...and dinner. So, Sanji had them all spend some time gathering ingredients for a stew he was going to whip up, while Nami took some time to review Noland's log book. She surprises them by putting their maps together to reveal a skull, the very skull mentioned in the past entry in his log book. It finally makes sense to them all now.
"Noland said, 'I saw the gold in the skulls right eye,'" Nami repeats. "Which means, the gold is right here!"
She points at the skulls eye with a grin, and tells them that the easiest way to go about doing this would be to split up. One team to find the gold and the other to get the Merry sailing down the river. With everything decided, they quickly finished their dinner and began cleaning up for the night.
"It's gotten late," Robin calls, watching Usopp and Luffy poking at the fire. "We should put out the fire to avoid giving ourselves away."
"Put it out?" Luffy echos, turning to face her with a smile. "Did you hear that, Usopp? She wants to extinguish the fire!"
"It's not her fault," Usopp tells him. "She just doesn't get it."
"If you're camping you HAVE to have a fire! It's just the rules!"
"The desire to have a campfire is what makes someone human!" Listening to their whining for several minutes, Nami eventually reaches the limits of her patience.
"Will you two be quiet?" Nami demands. "Do you two know how dangerous this forest is? There are priests, guerrillas, and let's not forget that the forest is always dangerous at night! You could wind up with wild animals or even monsters out there!"
"Oi, Luffy!" Zoro calls, earning Luffy and Nami's attention. "Is this big enough?"
"Are you three serious?!"
"Haaah...just relax," Sanji tells her. "Wild animals are naturally afraid of fire." He picks up a torch, intending to light the fire when Nami notices a great number of eyes glowing in the darkness beyond the edge of their camp.
"Behind you! There's something behind you!" Nami, Usopp and Chopper break down into panic as something...no, someone slowly stalks out of the darkness. The light hits Run, who holds a huge log on either shoulder as he steps into the campsite. Following behind him as if it were nothing more than a loyal pet is a large scarred wolf.
"Oi, oi, just what were you doing out there?" Run drops both logs to the ground before looking back at the wolf.
"I told you I like animals," Run tells them, offering up a grin. The wolf growls, as if talking to them. "Huh? Hey, Chopper, I think he's saying something. Would you mind translating?" With some trepidation, their doctor walks over, listening to the growling.
"He says, 'Your friend here sure is one tough bastard!'" translates Chopper. All eyes immediately lock onto the knot raised on the scarred wolf's head, and then turn accusingly back to the red head. "'I was comin' to see what you dumbasses were makin' all this noise for and I took a likin' to your friend!'"
"Eeh? Does that mean everything is alright, then?" Luffy wonders. "If that's so...the let's all party together!" To be honest, none of them ever would have imagined partying or dancing with wolves but it seems that friendship knows neither species nor language. They dance around the bon-fire with Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Sanji as if they were all old friends. It was certainly a sight to behold. At the edge of the party, Robin sits quietly watching the dancing. Hearing someone approach she looks over just as Run sits down on the ground beside her, knees raised and elbows resting them.
"Aah, what a day," Run says, grinning. "Honestly? Never saw myself partying with wolves." Robin giggles and leans against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Not going to join them?" Robin asks.
"Hmm...nah. I'm too comfortable here." The red head moves an arm, wrapping it around her waist.
"You even managed to tame the cloud wolves," says a voice from behind, earning their attention. Both immediately stand, and turn to face Gan Fall as he approaches. "Normally, no one living on Eneru's land would have such a wild party."
"Are you sure you should be moving around?"
"It's fine. I apologize for trying to help but causing trouble instead."
"You helped more than you think," Run tells him. "Chopper told me you saved him and our ship. We owe you a thanks." He sits down several feet from them, watching the crew and the sky wolves dancing wildly around the bon fire.
"I heard you talking earlier. This land was originally known as Jaya?"
"Yeah."
"I take it you don't know why this place is considered holy ground, do you?" He reaches down and gathers a hand full of dirt. "For you Blue Sea people, this is quite natural. Common, even. But up here this is something that should not exist. We call this Vearth. It's the object of eternal admiration for those living in the sky..."
- - -
"Hey! Psst! Run!" whispers a voice, slowly rousing the red head from his slumber. He opens a single eye, staring up at the roof of the tent and slowly turns his head to look at the person next to him. Robin lies with her head resting against his shoulder, her breathing even and her eyes closed. "Heeeey! Run!"
"He's calling you," Robin mumbles, voice barely a whisper. Run chuckles tiredly before slowly leaning up and carefully crawling towards the flap of the tent. He sweeps it back to find Usopp standing there anxiously looking around the now dark campsite.
"Run! I've...well...I need to pee!"
"...Yeah?" Run asks, brow furrowing in response. "So...go pee?" After a few moments of silence Run finally realizes what's happening and crawls out of the tent. "Aah, well, ya know, I think I need to pee, too. Since there are guerillas and 'God's' priests in the forest, it'd probably be best to go in groups."
"R-Right! Right! It's definitely best to go in groups!" The two wander away from the camp in the direction of the alter and the Merry. As they draw closer to the cloud river, however, they begin to hear a banging noise echoing through the forest. "What's that sound?!"
"Aah...it's probably just an animal. Don't-- What the?" Run is suddenly acutely aware of Usopp's hands on his shoulders and looks back at the sniper hiding firmly in his shadow. "Don't use me as a meat shield! Why do I gotta take the hit?" Regardless, Run and Usopp follow the sound through the forest, drawing closer and closer until they find themselves standing at the bank over the river, the Merry shrouded in mist but the noise...the noise seems to be coming from the Merry herself.
"There shouldn't be anyone with the ship."
"It couldn't be," Run mutters, a grin slowly spreading across his face.
"W-What is it?! What--" Run quickly places a hand over Usopp's mouth, silencing their sniper.
"Shh. Not too loud, Usopp." He slowly releases the sniper as the banging continues. Both men strain their eyes against the mist while Run's grin grows even wider. Through the mist, they finally see it. A figure hammers away at the hull of the Merry, attempting to patch the hole.
"I-I-It's a--"
"A Klabautermann."
"A what?"
"Benn told me about them when I was a boy. Think of it like...the spirit of the Merry. It's basically an incarnation of a ship that's been well cared for." Rather than the fear he was expecting Usopp stares in wonder as the Klabautermann finishes it's job and disappears before their eyes. "You go on ahead, Usopp. I'll catch up."
"You're gonna stay here?"
"Yeah. It's a short walk back. Just go straight and you won't get lost." After a few moments of consideration Usopp finally nods and Run listens to his footsteps retreating rapidly. The red head heaves a heavy sigh as he stares at the Merry. He didn't have to heart to finish the rest of what Benn had told him. While it's true that a Klabautermann is an incarnation of a well cared for ship...it's also a sign that a ship is in danger. What that danger is is open to interpretation but if he was a betting man...he'd say in danger of sinking. The Merry has taken beating after beating since they'd set sail with her, and with no proper maintenance from a skilled shipwright, she's beginning to show her wear and tear. "Merry...we need to get you fixed right as soon as possible. No more patch jobs..."
- - -
After a night of hard partying, they woke at first light the next morning and quickly broke down what little bit they had set up before heading back to the Merry. They had their plan, and all they had to do was carry it out. Usopp, Nami, Chopper, Sanji and Gan Fall would attempt to repair the Merry and then sail her to their meeting point at the beach ruins. Everyone else would head south across Upper Yard searching for the gold which should be easy to find because there should be some ruins marking it's location...hopefully. Of course when they finally return to the Merry, they're greeted by the sight of repairs.
Usopp quickly explains to the crew what had happened the night before as well as Run's explanation about the Klabautermann...although, the rest of the crew doesn't seem to convinced. Not ones to look a gift horse in the mouth, the rest of the crew decides that they'll address it later, and instead turn their attention to getting the Merry off of the alter. Fortunately, Usopp has a plan for this. He immediately turns his attention to the red head with a sly smirk on his face.
"Run," Usopp begins, slowly crossing his arms. "I have a plan for freeing the Merry."
"Aah, well, I'm all ears," Run asks. "Wait a minute. Why are you looking about me like--" He suddenly finds himself with a rope thrust into his hands.
"Go, Run! Go and tame a sky shark!" The next second he's flying through the air towards the cloud lake, propelled by Sanji and Zoro.
"Good luck!"
"Pick a big one!"
"The betrayal!" He splashes down in the lake, disappearing below the surface of the clouds. Everyone watches the now quiet surface of the cloud lake for what feels like an eternity with no sign of Run surfacing. Suddenly, the rope tied to the Merry's figure-head goes taut, and Run breaks the surface in front of the alter, hauling himself out of the river and up onto the stone.
"Good job, Run!" Usopp cheers, watching him climb the stairs.
"Aah, sure," Run drawls, slowly ascending the stairs. "Now, Usopp. About that plan of yours..."
- - -
"Luffy! Zoro! We're going south!" Chopper calls, chasing after the two. "You're trying to go east now!" After freeing the Merry, Robin, Luffy, Zoro, Chopper and Run made their way into the forest. Even with the thick roots of the trees attempting to bar their progress they manage to move at a good pace south...or they would be moving south of they didn't have to break off constantly to stop Luffy and Zoro from wandering off in their own direction every few minutes.
"Jeez, why didn't you say so sooner?" Luffy questions him, as the two turn back in the direction their doctor points. Seeing that they're going to get turned around again and again if they let them lead, Robin and Run decide to take point, walking ahead so that they can follow.
"I thought this forest would be scarier but it's not so bad."
"It's a let down, to be honest," Zoro complains. "There was nothing in the forest yesterday, either. We didn't bump into a single priest."
"My, are you always looking for trouble?" Robin questions, glancing over her shoulder at them. When she turns around, she runs face first into the red head's back and nearly bounces off. If her reflexes were any slower she'd have fallen right on her behind. Honestly, it feels like ran right into a brick wall. "What is it?"
"Snake," Run says, simply. She glances over his shoulder at an absolutely HUGE snake staring straight at them. It hisses loudly, baring fangs as it slithers towards them. Run turns, grasps Robin's wrist and begins running in the opposite direction. "Run away!" The others take one look at this and begin running away as well.
"Giant snake!" Luffy laughs, running with them.
"Look out!" Zoro calls, as it lunges at them. They dodge it's strike, and watch as it snaps it's jaws closed onto the trunk of a tree. When it finally releases, the huge trunk has been eaten away to little more than a twig by it's potent venom. "Everyone! Don't let it's venom touch you or you'll die right away!" With so much prey running around the snake isn't sure who to target specifically, and as a result it chases each one of them this way and that before eventually breaking off to chase someone else.
"Keep it's attention!" Run shouts, rushing towards it as it's focused on Luffy. "I'm coming in hot!" He leaps up towards it's head, and cocks back. A pair of hands suddenly grasp his shoulders, and yank him skywards only seconds before the snake turns and snaps it's jaws closed in the space he'd been occupying. "Whoa!" Robin hauls him up to a branch she's perched on. "Whew! Talk about a close call! I owe ya one, Robin!"
"Mm, I'll bear that in mind," Robin tell him, watching the venom eat away at the nearest tree. "A moment later and you might have ended up as nothing but liquid." They watch the snake continue chasing everyone around before finally running after Luffy into the forest. When the coast seems to be clear, Robin lowers them down through the use of her Devil Fruit. They return to their original path to find themselves the only two there. After waiting patiently for several minutes Robin finally sighs. "We should move on."
"Aah, you're probably right. Luffy isn't exactly...blessed with a good sense of direction, after all." Robin nods in agreement, and the two start walking. They manage a good pace through the forest, keeping an eye out for priests and more animals. Eventually, they arrive at some old ruins, nearly entirely reclaimed by the forest. "Well, I'd say we're on the right track." The red head strides forward and carefully peeks into one of the buildings, finding it's interior entirely ensnared by the roots of the massive tree growing behind it.
"Again these buildings seem to have been swallowed by the forest." Robin approaches as well, taking a look inside the building beside the red head. "I wonder if the ruins of the actual city are--" The calling of a goat interrupts her and both heads turn up towards a man dropping out of the sky onto one of the old buildings. He lands so heavily that he actually snaps off a corner of one of the old buildings.
"Halt, you two," calls the man. "This route leads to God's shrine. Going any further would be insolent."
"Get down from there!" Robin demands, turning to face him with a scowl. "You don't seem to realize the historical value these ruins have." Run looks between Robin and the man several times in silence while carefully stepping away from the building. It's been a long time since he's heard her raise her voice in anger, and he doesn't want to do anything that might turn her ire on him.
"Ahem, pal, if you know what's good for you, I'd listen," Run tells him. "Like...sooner rather than later."
"How impudent!" retorts the man. "By God's order, I'm to chop up the Shandians and the Blue Sea people into pieces with this axe dial!"
"Seis Fleurs!" Robin shouts. Arms sprout from the man's body and the ground, grabbing him tightly. "Twist!" A number of sharp cracking sounds reaches the red head's ears as the man is twisted violently, and then drops to the ground in front of them.
"Aah, I tried to warn ya," Run says, turning away from the dead man. They wander through the ruins, exploring the ruins of the city and looking for the gold Nami had sent them after. While Robin seems interested in the historical value of everything they pass, Run can't make heads or tails of any of it. "So...it's been a while since I saw you that angry."
"That fool could have destroyed a precious piece of history. You disapprove?"
"Oh-ho-ho-ho-no! Absolutely not. Just wanted to make sure you were alright."
"I'm fine. It just...irritated me."
"I can tell." Robin giggles in response. "I--" Robin comes to an abrupt halt and the red head nearly tramples right over her before he can stop himself. "What? What is it?"
"Look." She motions to a large stone monument directly ahead of them, slowly approaching it. "A memorial for the city. It was built after the city fell."
"Really?" Run approaches close and peers over her shoulder at the large moss covered stone.
"Shandora. That was the city's name. See here."
"Hmmmm...is it...is it supposed to look like a bunch of squiggles?" She giggles and gently presses her fingers against the stone, brushing off a bit of moss.
"This city flourished over eleven hundred years ago, and fell over eight hundred years ago. That matches the Void Era...this city might contain information about that time. Information that can't be found below." Robin pulls out a note book and immediately begins writing in it. "This is a map of the city...with it we might be able to find out about that time. We need to go to the--"
"Stop lurking back there." A loud 'crunch!' tails the red head's words and Robin looks back immediately. Standing several meters away from them is a tall heavy set man in a toga. The red head actually whistles softly as he cranes his neck up to meet the man's gaze. "Damn! You're one big ass priest!"
"Well, hello there, cutie pie," the man says, looking Robin up and down and ignoring Run's presence.
"Ahem, still here. Are you one of 'God's' henchmen?"
"'Henchmen'? Watch your mouth! I am Yama! The Divine Commander for God Eneru!"
"So, what brings you hear, Divine Commander?" Robin questions him, closing her note book. The man surges forward without warning, fist raised. Both immediately dodge out of his path, allowing him to smash the large monument that they had been observing only moments before. "What are you doing?! What do you think this place is?! Don't destroy these ruins!"
"You should worry about yourself instead of some dusty old ruins, missy!" Yama surges forward once again, forcing Robin to dodge backwards to avoid his blows at least until she's backed up against one of the large pillars in the small clearing.
"Robin, move!" Run shouts, moving in her direction quickly.
"Viente Fleur: Calendula!" calls Robin, a great number of arms sprout, forming two large circles as to block the man's punch. She's thrown through the stone pillar behind her, destroying it entirely.
"Sea King's Rush!" Run exclaims, his knee smashing into the man's temple and sends him tumbling end over end across the ground...and crashing into one of the man stone monuments around them, cracking it's base. "Ohhh...boy. I REALLY tried to hold back so that--"
"Run." Robin grunts softly as she slowly rises to her feet. "What do you think you're doing?" Run clasps his hands together, raising them up towards his mouth for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"Let me begin my apology by saying that I have only the utmost respect for these historical ruins, and I whole-heartedly believe that--"
"You broke that pillar."
"Cracked. I cracked it." Robin levels a disapproving gaze on the red head and he nods in understanding. "I'd like to apologize. However, I'm sure that--" Loud popping and cracking cuts the red head off as the pillar shudders for a moment before finally falling still. "--ahem! That is to say, I'm sure that--" Yama slowly begins to push himself to his feet, bracing himself against the pillar before it cracks loudly and then falls in the direction of another pillar destroying both of them. "I'm not laying claim to that one! The first one was my fault but the second one--"
"Run."
"Wasn't my fault."
"Run."
"Alright, it was a tiny bit my fault."
"Run."
"What do you want me to say, I--"
"No, run away!" She grasps his wrist and pulls him in the opposite direction of Yama. "We can't fight here. If we do, we're only going to destroy more of the ruins!" Yama pursues them immediately, smashing through anything that stands in his way. He seems to be doing his level best to completely erase the ruins, much to Robin's irritation. "That fool...he's got no respect for history! Doesn't he care that he's destroying these ruins?!"
"Doesn't seem like it!" They cut a winding path through the ruins, eventually breaking free of them and coming to a stop in a small clearing with their backs to a cliff. When Yama finally catches up, he finds the two of them waiting for him.
"Yes," Robin tells him, dropping her back pack. "After everything you've done...I'm not going to forgive you."
"Forgive me? For what?"
"For destroying such historical ruins."
"Really? You certainly care a lot about those shabby things. Even though they don't belong to you!" Robin removes her hat, and drops it with her pack.
"We're done talking." Yama suddenly leaps up into the air, and points both feet down at them.
"Drop Mountain!"
"Treinta Fleurs!" Arms sprout from the branches of a tree over-head, and catch him by the ankles. "Hang!" She swings the man around face first into the trunk of the tree. Robin drops him to the ground after, and winces slightly as she does. "He certainly weighs a lot. And all he can do is just charge forward like a bull!" Yama slowly pushes himself up and immediately rushes them, producing a long band of cloth with dials attached to them.
"Take this! Ten Axe Combo! Axe Mountain!" Robin turns towards him, and crosses her arms.
"Seis Fleur!" Numerous arms sprout from the man's body, all of them inky black in color. "Iron Slap!" All hands immediately strike the man across his face, even as a second set sprouts from his stomach, turning the cloth back towards Yama. The man sails past the two of them, striking the tree face first. The sound of the dials triggering proceeds a wet splash as the man slides down the tree, lying face first at the base of it.
"Aah, what a way to go," Run mutters, turning his attention to Robin. "You alright?"
"Fine," Robin tells him. A hacking cough from Yama draws their attention down to the man.
"Wow! You're still tickin' after all of that?" A trio of hands sprout from his back, and wrench his head back to look at them. "I guess you're as tough as you are big, huh?" Robin steps closer to the man.
"What you just destroyed were priceless artifacts. Do you understand that?"
"I...I do...I do understand," Yama chokes out. "I won't...I won't do it again."
"I'd say so," Run agrees. "In fact, judging from the amount of blood you're losing, I'd say there's a long list of things you won't be doing again." Arms sprout from the ground, all leading towards the cliff. They begin rolling the man quickly, intending to send him plummeting to his end. "Buh-bye, Yama." He's thrown off the edge, and Robin crosses her arms.
"Clutch!" exclaims Robin, a sharp 'crack!' following a loud 'boom!' as Yama strikes the ground. Robin sighs, and then retrieves her pack and her hat.
"Aah, I guess in the end he got what--" Run's words die immediately as he turns to face the direction that they've come from. A dark haired man stands several meters away from them with a wild grin on his face. He wears a dark grey tank top and a pair of black pants with a sash tied around his waist.
"Well, well!" calls the man. "I guess that idiot Yama bit off more than he could chew...I told him not to go after my prey." Run immediately coats his arms in Haki...an action which the man mirrors. "I saw you on the beach, red hair. I almost caught you in the forest...if not for those guerillas." Robin drops her pack again, slowly raising her arms only for Run to hold a hand up.
"You go ahead, Robin."
"Run--"
"You heard him, woman," says the man. "This is no place for a little girl, so beat it. Aaah...well, it's not like you'll survive much longer by running away, anyway."
"Go ahead, Robin," Run tells her again. "I'll catch up." After a few moments of silence, he hears her pick her pack up again and step closer, rising on her toes to give him a brief kiss on the cheek.
"Be careful," Robin calls, disappearing around a number of buildings and finally leaving the two men alone.
"Ugh, that's so sweet I think I got a cavity," the man complains. "You two--"
"Aah, are you done?" Run questions him. "You've been following us this whole time...I don't mean to be rude but can we just skip to the point? I've got some people waiting for me after all." The man's grin slowly turns into a scowl much to Run's amusement. The man moves in an instant, surprising the red head who raises his hands quickly. The impact of his fist against Run's forearm, driving a jolt of pain through him as he slides in the opposite direction. "Oh! Struck a nerve I see! Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to interrupt your--" Run finds his raised guard swept aside seconds later, a fist driving into his jaw and sending him staggering in the opposite direction as the man closes in yet again, following after him and finally delivering a kick to his temple that sees him tumbling across the ground before crashing through the wall of a building.
"Aaah!" The dark haired man stares at the hole in the building while violently shaking his fist, droplets of blood flying in all directions. "You little--"
"That really hurt!" Run slowly steps out of the building, a hand pressed to his jaw as he stares at the man's hand. "Aah, sorry about that. Busoshoku...it's pretty much become a reflex. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it." With a loud growl the man surges forward, covering the distance between the two only to come to an abrupt halt directly in front of Run, a loud 'crunch!' sounding as Run's fist makes contact with his nose. The man staggers backwards, a hand pressed to his face as blood streams from his crooked nose. "What's wrong? Never been hit by someone your own size before?"
The man quickly raises a fist, only for his world to spin the next second, his vision briefly flickering as he staggers away from the red head. He catches himself moments later, launching a kick back at Run's face only for a loud 'smack!' to sound as the red head catches his leg. His world spins again as Run hauls him around, smashing the remaining wall before releasing him and sending him crashing through the same tree Yama had hit only minutes before. In a storm of splintered wood the man crashes down, and rolls away quickly as the tree collapses in his direction.
"I think I get it now." The man slowly pushes himself up, standing with his back to the red head as he approaches. "You're confident because you've been picking on pirates here in Paradise. That's--" The man spins quickly, catching Run on the jaw with the back of his fist before launching himself at the red head once again, his hands encircling Run's throat as he drives him back towards the fallen tree.
"You little shit! I'm gonna choke the life out of you! Then, I'm gonna kill that woman, and every last member of your--" His words die in his throat as Run's fist drives into his gut, the contents of his stomach immediately spewing out of his mouth and nose as he's lifted off his feet. A hand closes around his throat like a vice, and Run immediately spins him, smashing him through the giant tree behind the two of them. The man bounces across the ground several times before eventually coming to a stop. The red head exhales a slow deep breath.
"Whew...say calm," Run mutters to himself, the buildings still standing beginning to crack and pop loudly. After a moment to compose himself, Run calmly begins walking in the man's direction as he struggles to push himself up. "Stay down. I don't wanna kill you, pal." He ignores Run's words, slowly rising to his feet. "This isn't worth your life." The man staggers forward, launching a punch at the red head who simply steps in the opposite direction, avoiding it entirely. "I'm warning you. I--"
"Just fuckin' die, red hair!" He launches another punch at the red head who once again steps in the opposite direction before lunging forward.
"So be it." His hands come up, one under the man's chin and the other grasping the back of the skull. "Sea King's Twist." A loud 'crunch!' sounds as the man's head turns almost one-hundred and eighty degrees and he staggers backwards several steps before collapsing to the ground motionless. Run slowly raises a hand, raking it through his hair before finally sighing heavily. "I told ya ta stay down..."