"Father, are we alright?"
Paggaya, who had been drowning in a storm of memories, snapped out of his daze at the sound of Conis's worried voice.
"We're alright? Conis, you're not hurt, are you?"
He scrambled to his feet, frantically checking his daughter for injuries. Relief washed over him when he realized that neither of them had taken any harm.
"What's going on? God's Judgement clearly fell."
"Cough… cough…" The God Squad member lying on the cloud bed spoke in weak, broken gasps. His body trembled, yet his words carried weight. "I don't know exactly what happened… but some strange power must have protected me. It seems the two of you were also within its range."
"Some strange power?" Paggaya blinked in confusion.
The soldier managed a faint, bitter smile. "Perhaps… this is God's power? There's no other explanation."
Paggaya frowned, bewildered. "Are you saying God's power protected us from God's Judgement?"
"Yes… God's power," the man forced out, determination in his voice. "A power that stands with us, helping us resist God Himself!"
"Alright, don't push yourself. Rest first," Paggaya said, supporting him gently. "Conis and I will tell the people of Angel Island to evacuate quickly."
He wanted to dismiss the man's words as mere delirium, but even he could not explain what they had just witnessed.
The soldier coughed again, blood staining his lips. "No… I'll come with you. My wife and children are still on the island—!"
"With your condition, you'll only worsen it by moving." Paggaya tightened his grip on him, his face grim. Then he looked at Conis, hesitation in his eyes.
"Conis, maybe we should wait a little longer?"
But Conis's gaze hardened. She clenched her fists as memories resurfaced—Shirogai's words echoing in her mind.
Rather than waiting for others, it's better to start relying on yourself.
"Father, I can do it alone!"
Before Paggaya could stop her, Conis turned sharply and dashed out of the room. Moments later, the sound of a Waver igniting echoed through the night sky, fading as she sped away.
"Conis!" Paggaya called after her, frozen in shock. But his daughter was already gone.
He could only stand there, wondering—could she really persuade Angel Island to flee? He didn't know. But it was too late to stop her.
…
"Woo, woo, woo…"
The Waver cut across the silent night of Sky Island, leaving trails of mist in its wake.
"I must save Sky Island!" Conis whispered to herself, her lips trembling but her eyes resolute.
Predators lurking along the White White Sea lifted their heads at the sound, watching silently as the determined girl rushed past like a streak of light.
Gone was the gentle and well-mannered maiden. In her place was a warrior whose heart had awakened.
…
"Miss Conis, the music you played just now was beautiful."
Conis, placing her harp down on her table, stiffened at the voice behind her. She turned, startled, to see Shirogai standing by the doorway, his usual calm smile on his face.
"Shirogai," she breathed in surprise.
"It was beautiful," he continued, stepping closer. "But beauty doesn't always hide the truth. The melody carried bitterness… sorrow… and uncertainty."
Conis froze. Her lips curled into a small, sad smile. "So… you noticed?"
Everyone else—Luffy, Nami, and the Straw Hats—had praised the harp's melody as something angelic, a song of purity. But only Shirogai had heard the sadness woven into every note.
"You're good at hiding it," he said quietly, his eyes steady on hers. Then he turned toward the hall where the crew's laughter echoed. "But if you keep hiding, you'll start believing your own mask. Are you uncertain about the future? Then don't wait for someone else to decide it for you. Rely on yourself."
His words lingered in her heart long after he had walked away.
…
Conis's voice suddenly rang out across the night, trembling but fierce.
"We Sky Island people… are all actors! We hide our true feelings and pretend to live in peace, believing God protects us from danger!"
Her voice echoed across the vast White White Sea.
"But in truth, we're nothing more than pets raised by Enel! As long as we obey, we live. If we resist, we're punished!"
The words burst from her like a floodgate breaking. Her Waver slowed as she shouted toward God's Island, years of fear and grief finally spilling free.
"Our greatest danger comes from God Himself! Enel, you're not a god at all—you're just a powerful madman!"
Boom!
The sky above cracked open, lightning raging like a furious beast. A massive thunderbolt, the so-called "God's Judgement," came crashing down toward her.
Conis clenched her teeth, her body shaking. "God's Judgement, huh? Come then!"
She stared up at the descending bolt, refusing to close her eyes.
But then—
The White White Sea stirred violently beneath her. Clouds rose into the air, twisting and shifting into human-like figures. They stood together, intercepting the deadly lightning and dispersing it before it could strike.
"Clouds… turning into people?" Conis whispered in shock.
One smaller figure drifted toward her, clutching a tiny bear-shaped cloud. Hesitantly, it offered the toy-like cloud to her.
Conis reached out, her hand trembling. "Is… this for me?"
The small figure nodded, its expression full of innocence.
"Thank you."
She took the toy cloud gently, only to watch it dissolve moments later into ordinary mist, slipping from her hands.
"…It melted," she murmured softly, sorrow in her voice. "That little figure… it looked like a young girl."
She stared at the sea long after the figure vanished, questions swirling in her mind.
"Who are they? And why are they helping us?"
Still carrying those doubts, Conis gripped the Waver tighter. She no longer felt fear, only determination. Because now, she knew—there was a power out there strong enough to stand against Enel.
And with that, her heart burned with resolve.
"People of Sky Island, it's time to question the false god! We don't need him at all!"
…
Meanwhile, on God's Island, the Straw Hats had gathered at the altar.
"Uuugh, I'm starving!" Luffy whined, rolling on the ground dramatically. He clutched his stomach and wailed at Shirogai and Sanji, who were preparing food. "Shirogai, Sanji! Hurry! I want meat!"
Whack!
Nami's fist, coated with a burst of her willpower, landed squarely on his head.
"Shut up! Can't you see someone's resting here?!" She glared, fire in her eyes. "The Sky Knight is recovering. If you make another sound, I'll have Shirogai and Sanji stew you into rubber soup tonight!"
"Ehhh?!" Luffy sat up, clutching his swollen head. "That's cruel!"
He whined pitifully, his eyes brimming with exaggerated tears. "But I'm really, really hungry!"
---
Thanks for the Power stones.