Marines Headquarters!
"Priest of God, it doesn't seem that way now..."
"This old God, who was weak and pitiable, has taken him down with a single blow!"
Akainu, also known as Sakazuki, gazed at the image with a touch of disdain on his face.
For a good reason, too—this God, who was previously perceived as weak and pitiable, had defeated the priest Shura with a single strike.
There was no doubt about it. It was his strength that made this priest seem so pitifully weak!
If he were to venture alone to that Sky island, even if both of these priests joined forces, it would only take him one hand to deal with their existence.
In response to Akainu's words, the Aokiji, also known as Kuzan, spoke grimly:
"We shouldn't underestimate them. While they may seem insignificant to us, these priests pose a serious challenge to newcomers like Luffy and the others."
"Furthermore... the God of the Sky island has yet to make his true appearance."
Hearing this, Akainu remained silent, and the disdain on his face remained unwavering.
At best, these priests were skilled at Haki, such as the Observation's Haki, also known as Mantra in their Sky island...
Other than that, they were hardly worth mentioning.
The Straw Hats and their crew struggled against such foes, and the God of the Skypiea has yet to make an appearance and he has one of the most formidable Logia Devil Fruit, Goro Goro no Mi .
It was clear that they were destined to lose this battle.
Indeed, the Straw Hat group had reached their limit.
Their growth was hardly worth paying attention to, and they remained pitifully weak.
[Meanwhile, on Luffy's side, after an extended period of exploration...]
[They had finally discovered a way to deal with the priets!]
[Though the priests possessed a peculiar impact ability and could predict everyone's actions...]
[Luffy, with his incredible speed, found an opportunity to immobilize one of them!]
[Even if he could predict their movements, he couldn't evade attacks!]
[Once they were restrained, they could be attacked!]
[As Sanji leaped into the air and unleashed a powerful kick, the God known as the Ball Trial Priest let out a satisfying belch!]
[Luffy and the others didn't have time to celebrate; they promptly boarded the ship and continued their journey deeper into the Sky island...]
[Meanwhile, on the other side, the Shandias were gearing up!]
[The Shandias were the native inhabitants of the island of Jaya in the Blue Sea, four hundred years ago...]
[They were carried up into the sky by a sea current and settled in the Sky island...]
[Throughout their long history, they had always been at odds with the inhabitants of the Sky island, but now, their main enemy was Enel!]
[With Luffy and the others causing a commotion on the Sky island and defeating one of the priests, the Shandias saw an opportunity...]
[Perhaps, this was their only chance to take down Enel...]
Sky Island!
Enel sat in his chair, wearing a puzzled expression, his lips twitching.
He never imagined that the Straw Hat crew would wreak such havoc on the Sky island.
Even the Shandia tribe wanted to get involved?
What's more, they had defeated one of his own priests?
The Ball Trial Priest was the first to fall?
Impossible!
He possessed the Mantra, how could this be?
Enel and other priests were puzzled and were in disbelief watching this on live screen.
However, the evidence before them was undeniable, and he couldn't help but believe it.
Now, Satori's only concern was that Enel would punish him.
But what he feared came to pass...
Enel's face darkened, and he berated him, "Useless!"
In an instant, lightning gathered and struck him directly!
His body, resembling a ball, was charred black in no time.
Thin wisps of smoke rose, carrying the faint scent of barbecued meat...
...
Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro steered their battered ship.
They had finally reached their destination—Orange Town!
Having seen the live broadcast, they were familiar with Nami's location and walked straight into Orange Town.
It was as if fate had played a hand...
As they entered Orange Town, Luffy and Zoro bumped into Arlong and his group, who had just returned from outside.
Behind Arlong, members of the Evil Dragon Pirates, including Hatchan, Chew, and Kuroobi, followed closely.
More surprisingly, Nami emerged from a courtyard with freshly drawn nautical charts in her hands.
The three parties stood there, stunned, gazing at each other with wide and narrow eyes.
"Luffy, Zoro?"
"Nami!?"
Luffy and Nami spoke almost simultaneously.
Nami's face lit up with excitement.
She had dreamt earlier in the day that her partners would come to rescue her, but she had thought it an impossible dream.
Yet here it was, only in the afternoon, and her dream had come true!
However, her excitement gradually waned, and her smile froze as she remembered Arlong's ruthlessness.
She knew better than anyone the terror he represented. While not on the level of Seven Warlords of the Sea like Moria, he still boasted a bounty of 20 million Berries.
Today, Luffy and Zoro were merely rookie pirates, far from the formidable force they had been on the live broadcast. Could they truly rescue her?
Or were they stepping into a trap?
On the other hand, Arlong wore a sinister smile.
"I was concerned before about what I'd do if you grew strong enough to defeat Moria," he taunted. "But I never expected you to be so foolish as to venture into my territory. Do you truly believe you can match up to me now?"
His cadre members began to draw their weapons.
Luffy stood firm. "Have you forgotten... I've also gotten the reward from the screen?"
Huh!?
Arlong and his comrades were taken aback.
Before they could react...
"Second Gear!!!"
**********
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