The ship, carried by multiple giant shrimp, traversed the island's interior, ascending a river until it reached a massive lake with an altar at its center. There, the ship was unceremoniously deposited. Due to the shallowness of the lakebed, the vessel ran aground, rendered completely immobile.
"Good grief, those idiots went overboard…" Kuro remarked.
Apparently, the ship had been too large for a single shrimp to carry. Deciding to share the burden, they had attempted to lift the ship together. That was fine, but the narrow width of the river forced them to carry the vessel in single file, like a procession. The shrimp had seemed agitated as if they were fleeing from something.
"So, what do we do now? We're completely stuck."
"George will figure it out. His ability will make it easy," Kaie replied nonchalantly.
George's Fuwa Fuwa no Mi ability would allow them to move the ship with ease. The shipwrights were inspecting the vessel to check for damage, but it seemed to be fine, despite the rough handling.
Feiyun could also carry the ship, but Kanata and the others might arrive before they could move it. Avoiding a miscommunication was crucial.
She decided to prepare for departure, just in case, and grabbed Kuro, who was already starting to get restless, by the scruff of his neck.
"Please don't wander off. I don't want to have to search for you again."
"Come on, Kaie. I'm just checking for anything unusual."
"I'll handle that. Please stay here."
"Aw…"
Kuro was notoriously curious and prone to getting lost, so Kaie couldn't let him out of her sight. Especially now that they were in Octavia's territory. They couldn't afford to be a burden.
She had learned, from experience, that the best way to deal with Kuro was to simply keep him under control.
"Zehahahaha! Come on, let him do what he wants."
"Please don't encourage him, Teach. Do you want Kanata to get angry?"
"Sorry, Kuro. It seems there's nothing I can do."
"Don't give up so easily!"
Even the impulsive Teach, afraid of incurring Kanata's wrath, quickly retracted his words.
"It'll take some time for Kanata to get here, right? Don't you think it's better to look around and make sure it's safe?"
"There aren't any dangerous animals on this island."
She knew that from her Observation Haki. Kuro, who couldn't use it, wouldn't understand, but there was only one slightly strong presence. The others were insignificant.
Aside from Octavia's overwhelming Haki emanating from above, it was an ordinary island.
…Which meant, as long as Teach or Kaie was with him, it would be safe for Kuro to explore.
"Kaie, I'll stay here. Why don't you take Kuro and explore? He'll wander off if we leave him alone. That would be more troublesome."
"But…"
"We'll set a time limit. That should be fine," Feiyun intervened.
Kaie hesitated by Feiyun's suggestion, and Kuro, seizing the opportunity, began to whine.
"Come on, Kaie! What kind of pirates are we if we don't explore? Right, Teach?"
"Zehaha! That's right, Sis! A pirate's gotta explore!"
Their previous disagreement forgotten, Kuro and Teach slung their arms around each other, despite the considerable difference in their height.
Eventually, Kaie relented, and the three of them – Kuro, Teach, and Kaie – left to explore the island.
Feiyun waved them off, then turned to David, who had been observing the exchange.
"…I don't think Kuro will return on time."
"It'll be fine. Teach doesn't want to get Kanata angry, and Kaie's a responsible girl. They'll be back."
They would drag Kuro back, even if they had to use force. Teach alone wouldn't be reliable, but Kaie was different. Feiyun trusted her.
If there was one concern…
"…I just hope Teach doesn't cause any trouble," she muttered.
She narrowed her eyes and decided to monitor their movements with her Observation Haki, just in case.
***
Upper Yard – God's Shrine.
Numerous priests stood in formation before the current God, awaiting her orders.
"God – As you commanded, we've brought the ship and its crew to the altar as hostages. What are your orders?"
"Destroy the ship. All of you," Octavia replied nonchalantly.
A man with short hair and unusually long earlobes reported to her and requested further instructions. Octavia, showing no hesitation, ordered them to attack.
They were simply a nuisance. She had no interest in them.
They were free to do as they pleased, but she wouldn't tolerate any interference with her plans.
Her Observation Haki told her everything she needed to know. They stood no chance against her, even if they fought together.
"Yahahahaha!! So you command us to crush them! Very well! We, the "God's Army", will take their heads and present them to you!"
Octavia ignored the overly enthusiastic man and closed her eyes, using her Observation Haki to monitor Kanata's movements.
Kanata was approaching. She hadn't even bothered to conceal her presence.
This was Octavia's objective – to have Kanata come here. There was no need to hide.
"There are four distinct groups of voices. The largest one should be with the ship."
"Then we should head there."
"We'll deal with them later. The other smaller groups are free to be eliminated."
"Then we, the priests, will handle the groups with stronger presences. Enel, take the "God's Army" and the pirates we captured earlier, and attack the ship."
"Yahaha! Excellent plan! Leave it to us! We'll destroy their ship!"
The warriors from Birka, a Sky Island Octavia had conquered earlier, began preparing for their attack.
A young man named Enel, who had been appointed as the High Priest, seemed particularly enthusiastic, urging his subordinates to depart.
Kanata was included in the four groups the priest had mentioned, but just as Octavia would not stop to look at a stone on the side of the road, she ignored them without any interest in what they were doing.
She knew that even if someone tried to get in Kanata's way, she would be able to crush them.
***
The priests were released.
The warriors from Birka were skilled and numerous.
Under the command of the young High Priest, Enel, they marched towards the ship.
– And the four priests with exceptional strength attacked the remaining groups.
"Well, well… You must be the invaders."
A plump man with glasses, standing on a spherical cloud, addressed the three figures below.
The three – Kuro, Kaie, and Teach – ignored him. They were too busy listening to Teach's lecture.
"Look! The well is being swallowed by the tree! It's impossible for civilization to fail to predict the growth of a plant. There has to be something else going on."
"What do you mean "fail to predict"? Can you be more specific?"
"For example, the tree could have been brought here from somewhere else… Or, the environment of the island itself might have drastically changed."
"Like Kanata and her ability to manipulate the environment. Amazing."
"You're so knowledgeable, Teach."
"Stop it, you're embarrassing me. Zehaha!"
"Are you listening?!"
Kaie, who had been listening to Teach's lecture, turned to the plump man with an annoyed expression.
This usually didn't end well, but they couldn't simply ignore him. She was about to step forward when Kuro and Teach, like bystanders, began to cheer her on.
She punched Teach in frustration.
"You're the one who's supposed to be fighting…!"
"Ouch! Stop it, Sis!"
Kuro was one thing, but Teach was a formidable fighter. He was probably thinking that their opponent wasn't strong enough for him to bother, but Kaie wanted him to fight.
If she took her eyes off them, they would wander off.
"So, who are you?"
"I'm Bodai! One of the priests serving God!"
"A priest?"
"That's right! And on God's orders, we're going to kill you all! Prepare yourselves, Blue Sea dwellers!"
The three of them simply exchanged glances as Bodai declared his intentions.
***
Pirates who visited Skypiea were often captured and tortured by the priests. Having lost their ships, they had no way to escape and could only await their deaths. However, they were released from their cages to serve as the vanguard for the attack against Twilight.
Unaware of their enemy's identity, they believed they could escape if they could steal a ship, and rushed towards the vessel, desperate to reach it before the priests. But their steps faltered when they reached the sacrificial altar.
"T-That… That's Twilight's ship?!"
Every pirate knew the name of the "Twilight Pirates".
Some as Warlords. Some as merchants. And some as one of the Great Pirates, alongside "Whitebeard" and "Big Mom".
If they made an enemy of them, they would be destroyed. Like countless pirates before them, they would be reduced to dust.
Knowing this, they hesitated.
They had to steal a ship to escape, but they stood no chance against Twilight. And the giant, Feiyun, was guarding the ship.
As they exchanged glances, wondering what to do, a voice filled with irritation called out from behind them.
"Damn it, God commanded us to fight! You have no choice! Now move!"
A man, riding a giant bird, shouted at them, urging them forward. If they hesitated any longer, they would be killed.
They had no choice. They had to fight, even if it meant a certain death. Or, they could surrender and hope for mercy. But under the pressure of the man's command, that option was no longer available.
"W-We're going! What's a giant? We can still take their ship if we–"
He tried to rally his comrades, but before he could finish, Feiyun swatted them away.
They were scattered in an instant. Even the man riding the bird stared in disbelief.
"…That giant is terrifying, but to think she could defeat so many pirates in an instant…"
"Are you an enemy as well?" Feiyun asked the man.
She was on guard duty. It didn't matter how strong or weak they were, she would protect the ship.
"In God's name, I'm going to kill you all."
"So you're their enemy too… Kawamatsu, please take care of the children."
"Leave it to me. Be careful."
"I'll be fine. I won't lose to him."
Enel and the "God's Army" were approaching, but they would be defeated just as easily if she didn't handle this man.
He stood on the bird's back and raised his spear.
"My name is Asura. And you?"
"Feiyun. You don't need to remember it."
***
Meanwhile, a priest confronted George, Izo, and the others who were heading towards the ship. He was a bald man with sunglasses.
"God demands your lives. I'll grant you a merciful death."
He held a sword with no blade, and announced his intention to kill them all.
"What's with this guy?" George asked Izo.
Izo, concerned about Hiyori's safety, simply drew his pistols and said, "It doesn't matter if it's me or you. We have to confirm Hiyori-sama's safety as soon as possible. Let's take him down quickly."
"You're right. Let's finish this."
"Don't think you can defeat me so easily. I'm a priest serving God – My training wasn't that lenient."
George unsheathed his sword, Kogarashi, and Izo raised his pistols.
The priest swung his bladeless sword, and something shot out from the hilt.
"What's that? It's not liquid…"
"It's "Iron Cloud". Depending on the user, it can take any form. You Blue Sea dwellers wouldn't even know about Dial Shells. Don't think you can understand the ways of sky combat."
"Cloud? Another strange thing…"
George was fascinated. Perhaps it could be used for trade… He decided to collect it later.
"At least tell me your names before you die."
"George. But you don't need to remember it. You're the one who's going to die."
"Izo. I don't have time for you – We're going through."
"How tragic… I am Veda. I will grant you salvation…!"
***
Kanata stood before a giant vine that stretched towards the sky, looking perplexed. A man with a bizarre hairstyle was blocking her path.
"I am Nahan! One of the priests serving God!"
"…And what does a priest want?"
"Only those who serve God are allowed to pass. No one else."
"Are you playing God? Don't make me laugh."
He had probably failed to conquer the Blue Sea and was now playing king on a Sky Island.
Kanata rolled her eyes. She had lost interest. She would simply force her way through.
"…Oh, right. I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Why are you rolling your eyes?"
Nahan was taken aback.
What a strange woman… Kanata had already lost interest. Fighting him wouldn't be a challenge, but it would be a waste of energy.
She had to face Octavia, a formidable opponent. She didn't want to waste her energy on someone like him.
"I won't let you pass! Defeat me if you want to go through!"
He removed his shirt and struck a dramatic pose.
Kanata sighed, raising her spear.
"I'm in a hurry to see Octavia…"