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At the top of Speedy Shrimp, the Wind Rider quickly passed through the massive passage formed by clouds.
At the end of the passage, a line of words was engraved on the cloud wall.
"God's Kingdom!?"
Robin looked at the inscription, clearly surprised.
The next moment, the Speedy Shrimp lifted the Wind Rider through the end of the passage, then vanished into the clouds.
Bang!
Using its remaining momentum, the Wind Rider glided briefly through the air before landing gently on a cloud.
The ground paved with clouds and the various buildings hidden among them created a dreamlike scene, resembling the very heaven where gods might dwell.
"This is the real Sky Island. We've made it!"
Nami looked around, her voice filled with awe.
"This place is so strange. You can even stand on the clouds!"
Vivi stepped onto the soft cloud surface with a look of delight.
"This kind of place really feels like an adventure."
Robin gazed at the surreal surroundings and couldn't help but sigh.
She had spent years surviving in the shadows of the world. She never thought she'd one day experience something so magical with companions by her side.
It felt unexpectedly warm. Robin smiled unconsciously.
"Let's check out that town up ahead."
Caelan looked at the buildings among the clouds and took the lead.
"Alright, Captain!"
The girls responded in unison and followed him.
Soon, they arrived at the cloud town they had seen from the ship—Lovely Street.
The architecture here was whimsical, like something out of a fairy tale. Large, fluffy clouds drifted around the buildings.
All the pedestrians on the street had small white wings and greeted each other with a phrase—"Heso." But when they saw Caelan and his group, they instinctively stepped aside.
"This really is a beautiful town, but... why do the people around us seem strange?"
Nami rubbed her chin, sensing something was off.
"Maybe they just don't like outsiders?"
Tashigi said uncertainly. She noticed the townspeople seemed to be deliberately avoiding them.
"No... They're not just avoiding us. It's like they're afraid. As if we're bringing disaster."
Vivi's expression grew serious. Something about this wasn't right.
"And their eyes... They looked at us with pity. Like they're already mourning us."
Robin's voice was low. Her years of survival in the underworld told her—something bad was coming.
Maybe the Heaven's Gate monitor had done something behind the scenes.
"Let's not overthink it. Just ask someone directly."
Caelan said calmly. He already understood the situation.
The people of Sky Island were afraid because they knew Enel had marked them. And they feared being caught in the aftermath.
Caelan reached out and stopped a beautiful blonde woman, not because of her looks, but because he recognized her. This was Conis, who had originally helped Luffy in the source timeline.
The other islanders tensed up, nervously watching Caelan and his companions.
"Hello. Could you tell me why everyone seems afraid of us?"
Caelan asked with a gentle smile.
"You've already been branded first-class criminals in the Kingdom of God. The omniscient and omnipotent God Enel will issue divine judgment on you. We're only afraid of being caught in the fallout."
Conis realized there was no escape, so she spoke timidly.
Looking at Caelan, she sighed inwardly. What a shame. Such a handsome man was going to be killed by divine punishment.
"The omniscient and omnipotent god wants to punish us?"
Nami's eyes went wide. It felt like the sky was crashing down.
That title alone sounded incredibly dangerous. Was she going to die?
Vivi, Robin, and Tashigi also frowned. This god sounded far worse than Crocodile. He was probably a formidable enemy.
"No one has ever survived God's judgment. You should just enjoy the scenery while you still can."
Conis looked at Caelan and the others with genuine concern.
She had never seen anyone escape Enel's punishment. Their lives were already ticking away.
"It's too late. The so-called divine punishment has already arrived."
Caelan looked up at the sky and spoke calmly.
In an instant, the sky darkened. Thick clouds rolled in, and arcs of blue-white lightning crackled in the air.
The atmosphere turned heavy. It felt like a boulder was pressing down on everyone's chest. Even breathing became difficult.
"What's going on!? This punishment is much stronger than before. It's suffocating!"
The people of Sky Island panicked, staring at the thunderclouds in horror.
The scale of this divine judgment was unlike anything they'd seen. It looked like it would engulf the entire town.
"God is angry! We're all going to die!"
The townspeople cried out in despair. But oddly, there was a hint of relief in their voices.
Ever since Enel had taken power, their peaceful lives had been replaced by fear and oppression.
Now, facing what seemed like inevitable death, many were strangely calm. Death would finally free them from Enel's tyrannical rule.
"Actually, you can still live."
Caelan sighed and raised his massive sword.
He had no habit of dragging others into his fights. If he chose an enemy, then he would face it himself.
"You want to fight God's wrath? That's impossible!"
The islanders looked at Caelan as if he were crazy.
But Vivi, Nami, Robin, and Tashigi remained composed. They believed in him.
"Maybe… he really can do it?"
Conis muttered, staring at Caelan.
He stood so confidently, and his companions placed such unwavering trust in him. Maybe, just maybe…
The next moment, a blue-white lightning column fell like a waterfall, descending upon Caelan with a crushing wave of destruction.
As the sky lit up with blinding electricity, the people of Sky Island stared as Caelan swung his sword toward the heavens, awaiting what they believed would be certain death.
Caelan sighed softly as his giant sword unleashed a massive slash. The blade gleamed with pitch-black Armament Haki and clashed directly with the descending lightning.
In an instant, his sword energy tore through the lightning pillar and even ripped apart the thunderclouds above.
Everyone froze. For a long time, no one could process what had just happened.
"We're alive!?"
The people of Sky Island looked around in disbelief. Then came the cheers of joy and wonder.
The lightning was gone. The skies were clear once more. It was as if nothing had happened at all.
But the image of that powerful swordsman who had slashed through divine punishment remained etched in their minds.
The strongest divine judgment from God… had been cut in half by a man from the Blue Sea.
(To be continued.)
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