Second Wind

42

Conis started panicking. "You have to leave here immediately! You're all in terrible danger!"

"Why? You guys haven't had visitors from the Blue Sea before?" Zoro asked calmly, despite knowing that wasn't the case.

"That is precisely the problem," Pagaya said. "Just recently a band of Blue Sea dwellers caused a lot of trouble here, causing God Enel to decree that none from the Blue Sea would be granted entrance to Skypiea any longer."

"What happened here? Who got him so mad?" Luffy asked, curious as to who could have rattled Enel's cage to the point where the usually uncaring Skypiean would become this opposed to having company.

"I'm sorry. It is forbidden to discuss that incident," Pagaya said. "You all must leave here before He takes notice of your presence. Otherwise, I fear for your safety."

"It's a bit late for that," Luffy said. "He's already noticed us."

Chopper turned to him in shock. "What? But how? We just arrived here!"

"Observation haki," Luffy said.

Sanji's eyes widened in shock. "How far away is this guy?" His own senses were getting stronger every day, but they barely stretched out passed the Going Merry unless he focused them.

"God Enel sees all," Conis said in a subdued voice. "If he already knows you're here, then there's no escape." She was visibly dismayed.

"But how?" Chopper asked fearfully. "What can he do if he's not even-"

He was interrupted by a sudden flash of lightning above their heads, which was accompanied by a loud clap of thunder. The lightning struck a nearby formation of island cloud, utterly destroying the less than durable substance and leaving Chopper gaping.

"Chopper," Usopp said in a false tone of serenity that somehow didn't belie his inner feelings. "Please shut up." Chopper nodded dumbly.

"A devil fruit and observation haki?" Sanji concluded. "Sounds like a troublesome bastard."

"He sucks at hiding his aura though," Luffy stated. "Even worse than me."

On God's Shrine, at the top of Giant Jack in Upper Yard, a certain lightning logia was deeply amused.

"Ahahahaha! What an impudent little mortal. But still, it's rare to see a Mantra user from the Blue Sea. I wonder, what it this aura he speaks of? Is it the same as what we call a voice? Well, no matter." He turned to his nearest servant. "Alert Captain McKinley and gather the remaining priests below. I want these sinners dealt with."

"Yes, Enel-sama."

Back on Angel Island, the Strawhats had decided that their vacation time was over. They asked Conis and Pagaya about Jaya, and they nervously responded that the only island that fit the description was Upper Yard, the island made entirely of vearth, which had arrived in the sky 400 years ago. Apparently it was God's land and they were forbidden to set foot there. When Nami stated that the island was their destination, they looked resigned, but didn't protest, which caused Robin to narrow her eyes. She was debating whether to voice her suspicions when what seemed to be the local law enforcement arrived...crawling on the ground quite conspicuously.

"You there!" called a voice from afar. The Strawhats turned to see a group of men in white berets. "You are the seven illegal entrants from the Blue Sea, correct?"

"Yep, that's us," Luffy said, causing Nami to yell at him in reproach.

"By word of the almighty God Enel, we, the White Berets, are here to cast Heaven's Judgement upon you! For the class 5 crime of illegal entry, you are to be stripped of all your money and belongings, and sentenced to cloud drifting!"

The Strawhats could feel the temperature in the immediate vicinity drop 10 degrees, and turned to wearily face Nami, whose face had darkened. The more observant of them noted that there was a cloud slowly forming over the heads of the White Berets.

"Could you repeat that?" Nami asked quietly.

Captain McKinley raised an eyebrow. "We are here to cast Heaven's Judgement upon you-"

"No, the part after that," Nami clarified.

"Ah, the penalty, of course. You are to be stripped of all your valuables and sentenced to-"

"I'm going to stop you right there," the navigator said, smiling sweetly. "Thunderbolt Tempo!"

A bolt of lightning struck down from the cloud that had already formed, eliciting screams from that White Berets, who had been bunched up together, as the electricity coursed through their bodies. They finally collapsed in an unconscious heap. Sanji had hearts in his eyes, and Luffy started laughing hysterically.

"Hahahaha! Nice one Nami!" the captain praised.

"Oh dear..." Pagaya said.

"You guys...what have you done?" Conis asked, pale as ice.

"What? They were going to take our money! It was self defense!" Nami proclaimed, causing her crewmates to snicker at the logic.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid the consequences for this transgression will not be as forgiving," Pagaya said gravely. "Incapacitating the White Berets is a class 2 crime."

"You fools!" McKinley shouted, having regained consciousness. "Are you trying to invoke the wrath of God Enel!? The White Berets are the most forgiving of God's enforcers! The rest will not hesitate to make you repent for your sins!"

Luffy scratched his head. "Ok then. What's the penalty for a class 2 crime?"

McKinley looked surprised that he was asking. "Well...you're to be taken to Upper Yard to face the Ordeals of the Priests..."

"Ok, take us there," Luffy said with a shrug. "We were going to go there anyway."

McKinley gaped at him.

"Holy, sit," a bald man with sunglasses said. The giant dog immediately stopped pounding the dead man who had fallen victim to the ordeals. "It seems we have news." Another tall man with a strange hairstyle and a permanent angry glare on his face walked up to him and started speaking. Ohm couldn't understand a word he was saying, however. "You poor soul," Ohm said. "Having to constantly be reminded to open your mouth when you speak. Were you not a Priest, I would personally act as your salvation and end your miserable existence."

Gedatsu's jaw dropped in shock. "How careless!" he exclaimed. "As I was saying, we have orders from God's Shrine. There were seven illegal entrants who have committed a class 2 crime. We are to deal with them once they arrive."

Ohm hummed. "More wretched souls that need saving. Very well. Let's go, Holy. We shall prepare the Ordeal of Iron." The dog obediently followed him into the underbrush on its hind legs.

"Luffy, are you sure this is a good idea?" Usopp asked nervously as he watched the giant lobster grab hold of the ship again.

"Nope, but it should be fun! Now let's go!"

"So let me get this straight. God wants to kill us, and we're just going to march right into his home so he'll have an easier time?" Nami asked.

"City of gold," was all Luffy said in response.

Nami's eyes turned to Belly signs as she pumped her fist into the air. "Onward to Jaya!" she shouted as the ship started moving towards Upper Yard.

A/N: Short chapter, I know. I originally planned on stopping here the last time, but I had more work to do so I decided to split it up. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon.