Cloud Hidden Village, the secluded dwelling of the Shandia Tribe.
Whoosh!
Shirogai flapped his six black wings and descended from the camouflaged island cloud, hovering in the layered air above the village.
Ancient mud houses dotted the island cloud below, their weathered timbers and carved motifs preserving the Shandia heritage. Shirogai swept his gaze over the settlement and murmured with a faint smile, "Their hiding place is well kept, but it does not escape Enel's notice, so this was done deliberately."
Whoosh!
A lookout outpost stirred. Far below, a short Shandia sentry blew a bone whistle until his breath burned.
"Beep, beep!"
The sharp alarm cut through the morning air, its wail throwing the Cloud Hidden Village into motion.
At the outpost, the small warrior—Sanlie—felt the weight of what he had done. He knew the whistle would draw the attacker's attention and that his act could mean his death, but the village needed warning.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" he cried.
Within moments armed men streamed from the village. Spears and blades were seized, voices rose, and the Shandia Chief barked orders, his canine-headed hat tilted as he pointed toward the exits.
"Wyper hasn't returned, Mantis, Braham, you two lead the long-range support," the Chief commanded. "All non-combatants, follow the safe escape route now. Until Wyper returns, cover the others!"
"Yes, Chief!"
Shirogai hovered above the abuzz village, eyes locked on Sanlie. The warrior tightened his grip on a long spear, resolve hardening his features.
"Are you afraid of me?" Shirogai asked, his voice calm.
"I'm not afraid!" Sanlie answered, glaring up.
"We Shandia will never bow to the Sky Islanders, we will reclaim our ancestral land and relight Shandora's flame!" he declared.
Well said, Sanlie.
A cannon roared from behind. Shirogai tilted his head, barely moving as a cannonball hurtled from the outpost, missing him by an inch.
A muscular figure launched himself at Shirogai without hesitation, kicking out and then ripping off a strange mask to reveal a scarred, fierce face. War Demon Wyper stood before him, his eyes like flint.
"You Sky Islander scum, you found our village again!" Wyper shouted. He mistook the wings behind Shirogai for sky-island decorations, unaware that the newcomer had come up from the Blue Sea. This was Wyper's first meeting with Shirogai.
"Are you alone?" Wyper demanded, hefting his [Burn Bazooka]. Anger poured from him.
"Then go to hell!" Wyper cried, and the [Burn Bazooka] barked again and again.
Shirogai's wings beat with quiet grace, and he drifted, dodging the cannon fire with an economy of motion that made the village's breath hitch. He watched Wyper with a small smile, taking in the man's grass skirt and the tattoos tracing his left side.
"War Demon Wyper," Shirogai said gently.
"You dare call my name?" Wyper roared, fury burning hot inside him. He tossed the [Burn Bazooka] toward Sanlie and vaulted into the air on his wind-dial skates, shield raised.
Shirogai did not flinch. Wyper leapt and struck, his body a coiling spring of wrath. He wrapped his legs around Shirogai's torso and slammed him, certain his Sea Stone-lined shoes would negate any Devil Fruit power.
"You think yourself a storm? My shoes are lined with [Sea Stone], your power will be nullified," Wyper spat as he dug his hand toward Shirogai's chest. "The dignity of Great Warrior Kalgara will not stand idle!"
With a shout he unleashed a brutal blow, an explosive wave born of his [Reject Dial]. The shock slammed into Shirogai and sent him rocketing back, crashing onto the distant cloud.
Coughing, Wyper too felt the strike's recoil, and he tumbled. Around him, other Shandia warriors surged, shouting, "Wyper!"
Mantis, Braham, Jebo and others soared in to help. Relief flashed in their faces when they saw Wyper move.
"We're here to back you up!" they cried.
"Keep your distance," Wyper warned through gritted teeth, struggling to his feet. "This man is no ordinary intruder."
The tribe fixed their weapons, long-range arms raising, waiting for Wyper's command to fire.
Shirogai hovered, untroubled by the arms aimed at him. He smiled as he scanned the formation below. "Careful not to misfire," he said lightly.
Wyper's earlier grip around Shirogai's waist had given him an important clue—the wings were real, not mere decorations. Six dark feathers beat in ghostly rhythm, and he realized the man in the sky was other than any Sky Island native.
"You attacked a pirate ship that came up from the Blue Sea today," Shirogai observed, his tone casual. "They are my companions."
Wyper sneered, anger combusting into pride. "Those weak pirates from the Blue Sea? You came to avenge them?"
"They do not need me to avenge them," Shirogai answered simply. "I came because I was curious what the descendants of Great Warrior Kalgara would be like."
"You know my ancestor?" Wyper spat.
"I once read praise for Great Warrior Kalgara from someone called a great liar," Shirogai said, glancing over the warriors, pity threading his words. "But you are weak, unworthy of that name."
Wyper's features twisted. He wrapped his skates around Shirogai's waist, tightening his hold. Then he planted his palm against Shirogai's chest and sealed its force in a [Reject Dial] blast. The impact hurled Shirogai across the cloud and left him momentarily still.
From his vantage, Shirogai's expression had been unhurried, even amused. When Wyper saw the shield in his own hands crack like a brittle twig under Shirogai's light grip, his eyes widened and his anger twined with terror.
"You crushed it!" Wyper hissed. That shield had endured many assaults, it had resisted a [Reject Dial] before and remained intact, yet the intruder had reduced it as if it were paper.
Shirogai rose, composed. In his [Bird-Bird Fruit] [Falcon Form], while in the [Modified Fourth form] [Six-Winged Fallen Angel] state, his power showed plainly, but he made no grand display. Crushing an alloy shield was little effort for him.
He flicked the shield apart, sending it clattering to the cloud. Wyper lost his footing and fell hard. Around them the Shandia warriors surged forward in shock and relief, crying out for Wyper's safety.
"Support from range," Wyper barked as he picked himself up. "This man is dangerous, be cautious."
Mantis blocked in, helping Wyper, while the others realigned their aim and tightened their formations. They respected Wyper's judgment; he had long been the tribe's spear when foes appeared.
Shirogai watched them, eyes softening slightly at their stubborn courage. He had not come to kill; he had come to observe. The tribe's pride, even misplaced, deserved at least that much.
Wyper, heat still in his chest, stared across the gap. His face had shifted between rage and the brittle edge of embarrassment. "You insulted Great Warrior Kalgara," he snarled. "I cannot forgive that."
Shirogai's smile remained, thin and enigmatic. He prepared himself to respond, but he did not rage, he did not bellow. He was measured, calm, and unhurried, as if every moment were already accounted for.
Around them the village braced, spears up, breath waiting for the next movement. Above, Shirogai's wings remained steady, night-dark against the pale clouds. The scene held its fragile balance, poised between blood and retreat, between pride and the quiet that follows a storm.
---
Thanks for the Power stones.