"Haha."
Shirogai stood up and walked toward Wyper, extending his hand with a calm smile.
"..."
Wyper clenched his teeth, unmoving. His furious eyes widened as though waiting for death. He thought Shirogai had approached to end his life.
But instead of killing him, Shirogai gently placed a hand on Wyper's shoulder, his smile steady.
"Although the Shandia have lost the method of using Haki, your unyielding spirit has not disappeared with time. Well done, Wyper. Keep that fire alive."
"..."
Wyper blinked, startled. He had no idea what Shirogai intended.
"Shirogai is a friend of the Shandia!"
The Great Chief, who had been silently watching, finally spoke with a smile.
"I have even better news for you. The descendants of Mont Blanc Noland, the close friend of great warrior Kalgara, have also arrived on Sky Island!"
"Noland..."
Wyper froze, muttering the name over and over again.
Shirogai continued with a faint grin.
"We came to Sky Island together through the Knock Up Stream, but due to some accidents, their ship was pushed to another part of the island. They didn't reach God's Land."
"The Great Warrior's last words..."
Suddenly, Wyper's face hardened. His voice thundered with burning determination as he turned to the Chief.
"Great Chief! Whether you agree or not, I will light Shandora's flame! It is time to launch the final assault against the self-proclaimed God of the Sky!"
The Chief shook his head gently.
"No, the time has not yet come."
"How much longer must we wait?"
Wyper roared, his anger barely contained.
"We've already waited too long! So long that hope of returning to our homeland has faded from the hearts of our people! The new generation no longer even believes in the existence of Great Warrior Kalgara! Some... some even..."
His teeth clenched as his expression twisted with resentment.
"Some have begun secretly worshipping Enel!"
"Calm yourself, Wyper."
Shirogai sat beside the Great Chief and raised his hand, releasing a dark, metallic aura. His Armament Haki spread across his skin, its black sheen radiating sharp power.
"This is called Armament Haki. It's widely used in the Blue Sea."
"I know... I've seen pirates from below use it," Wyper muttered, his anger cooling as he faced Shirogai's display.
"Armament Haki allows ordinary people to harm Devil Fruit users."
With a flick of his finger, Shirogai pointed toward a table several meters away.
"Pfft!"
A clean hole pierced straight through the wood, though his finger never touched it.
"Your tribe once mastered this very Haki. Great Warrior Kalgara himself undoubtedly wielded it. But over years of war with the Sky People, the ones who could use it fell in battle. Eventually, the technique was lost."
"..."
Wyper nodded silently. He had once begged to learn, but the Chief had told him there was no way.
"To defeat Enel, who embodies lightning itself, Armament Haki is essential."
Shirogai let the black aura fade and smiled.
"Do you want to learn? I'll teach you."
Wyper's eyes sharpened.
"Can I learn quickly?"
"Normally, no. It takes ten days to half a month at the fastest. But..."
Shirogai smirked.
"I know a faster method. Dangerous, though. The death rate is around eighty percent. Do you dare try it?"
"Yes!"
Wyper answered without hesitation.
"As long as I can use it, I'll be able to strike Enel with my own hands, won't I?"
"You will."
"Alas..."
The Great Chief sighed, his face heavy with conflict. But he no longer tried to dissuade them.
---
In the Cloud Hidden Village square, the entire Shandia tribe gathered.
"Look, that's a Blue Sea man! The Chief said he's our tribe's honored guest!"
"I heard even Wyper wasn't his match..."
The crowd whispered curiously, eyes glued to Shirogai, the Great Chief, and Wyper standing at the center.
The Chief approached Shirogai respectfully.
"Shirogai San, we are ready."
Several tribe doctors stood by, their faces uneasy. They only knew that Wyper's life would be at risk.
"Wyper, are you prepared?" Shirogai asked with a calm smile.
"Of course."
Wyper's grip tightened on his spear. His calmness was not from lack of fear, but from unshakable resolve.
"Good. Don't be nervous. It's only eighty percent fatal."
"Haha..."
The black aura flared once more as Shirogai summoned a strange, rotating cube of darkness that seemed to swallow all light.
"Dark Confinement Room."
"What is that?!"
The crowd recoiled in alarm.
"A strange black space!"
"Don't be afraid." Shirogai looked to the Chief.
"We'll return soon. Too much time in there, and Wyper may lose himself completely."
The Chief's worry deepened, but he could only nod.
Wyper turned back to his companions.
"Wyper! Be careful!"
Mantis, Braham, and the others called out.
"..."
Without a word, Wyper clenched his jaw and strode into the black void. Shirogai followed. The cube pulsed and twisted, devouring them both.
The Shandia broke into anxious chatter.
"Wyper went inside!"
"The Chief said this will make him stronger!"
The square-shaped space writhed, devouring the light around it.
Moments later—just five seconds—
"Thud!"
A body was thrown out, crashing to the ground.
"Cough! Cough..."
Bloodied and battered, Wyper crawled out, his eyes dazed.
"I... who... who am I...? Why can't I remember..."
His mind was shattered, his memories blurred.
"Teacher... where's my teacher..."
Wyper staggered, searching for someone who had guided him for years.
"Quick! Treat him!"
The Chief shouted. Doctors rushed forward, washing his blood, wrapping his wounds in bandages.
To their shock, they found his body littered not just with fresh wounds, but with countless old scars, burns, and sears that seemed to have been forced upon him in mere seconds.
What kind of hell existed within that black void?
Wyper said nothing. His eyes, blank and confused, stared at those around him.
"Who... are you..."
---
Milestone
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter.