"Ah—" Conis gasped, her hand move to her mouth in disbelief.
She stared into Mike's confident unshakeable eyes, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"B-But…" she stammered, her voice trembling.
'But that's Enel! He's the ruler of Skypiea, the literal god of this island!'
His power was absolute.
Anyone who dared to oppose him was met with merciless punishment.
Even the former god, Gan Fall, a man the people once truly worshipped, had been crushed by Enel's overwhelming strength.
Could this handsome man from the Blue Sea really stand up to a god?
But as Conis looked into Mike's bright, determined gaze, a strange and powerful sense of trust began to bloom inside her, pushing back the fear.
She made her decision.
Taking a shaky breath, she gently placed her delicate hand in his.
"Deal."
"Great!" Mike chuckled, giving the back of her hand a light, reassuring pat.
"Since it's a deal, you can relax. Leave everything to me." His grin widened.
"Now, how about you give us a tour of this amazing island?"
Conis blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in topic.
She could still feel the warmth from his hand, and her cheeks flushed.
She nodded shyly.
"O-Okay."
She turned and began to lead them through the charming streets of Skypiea.
They walked along a main road paved with clouds, passing buildings with a strange, beautiful architecture.
Shops floated dreamily in the air on their own little clouds, making it feel like they had stepped into a fairy tale.
As evening settled in, multicolored lights began to flicker, casting a soft glow everywhere, and the air was filled with the sweet smell of cooking food.
They passed through a place called Lovely Street and arrived at Angel Island's food district.
The market here was even more lively, packed with stalls selling all sorts of unique Skypiean delicacies.
Mike closed his eyes and took a deep breath, a huge smile spreading across his face.
"It smells amazing! Come on, everyone, eat whatever you want—my treat!"
He led them into a cozy, Skypiean-style restaurant.
Before long, their table was covered in a feast of colorful and delicious-looking dishes.
Mike picked up a piece of cloud-fish, took a bite, and his eyes lit up.
"Wow. This is really good."
The mood at the table became light and cheerful.
Mike started telling funny stories, making Conis cover her mouth as she giggled, her cheeks growing even redder.
"Heh—" Kuzan watched them with a warm, almost fatherly smile.
Even Smoker cracked a grin.
"You brat," he grumbled good-naturedly. "Not only are you handsome, but you're a real charmer, too. No wonder you're so popular."
*****
Skypiea—Hidden Cloud Village.
This was a place forgotten by time, a village of the Shandian people.
They had once lived peacefully on Jaya Island in the Blue Sea, until the Knock-Up Stream had blasted a chunk of their home into the sky.
They found themselves on this floating island, only to be driven from their ancestral land by Skypiea's "god."
For four hundred years, they had been fighting to take it back.
The village was made of simple wooden huts and cloth tents, but it was filled with an unyielding spirit.
Suddenly, a clear voice shattered the quiet.
A little girl in an orange dress with fiery red hair came running through the village, a look of fierce determination on her face.
"Wiper!" she yelled, rushing into the largest tent in the center of the village.
"Something terrible has happened!"
The man inside, tall and muscular with fierce tattoos around his left eye, turned his head.
This was Wiper, the leader of the Shandian warriors.
"Aisa," he said, his voice a deep rumble. "What's wrong?"
"Wiper! The Priests! The Four Priests of God!" Aisa said, her voice urgent and her face pale.
"Their voices… they've all disappeared!"
Aisa was a natural-born user of Mantra, and she could sense the life-force of everyone on the island. The priests were gone.
"Are you sure?" Wiper asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes! I checked over and over! Their voices are completely gone!"
A slow, dangerous grin spread across Wiper's face.
"Perfect," he hissed.
He stood up clenching his fists.
"Gather everyone! We move out now! We are taking back our homeland—the land we lost four hundred years ago!"
In an instant, the Shandian warriors sprang into action, strapping on their unique gear and heading for Angel Island.
*****
Just as Mike and the others were enjoying their dinner, a deafening thunderclap ripped through the sky.
BOOM—
The sound was like a massive explosion, and a shockwave of wind rattled the entire island.
A bolt of pure lightning streaked down from the sky, splitting the clouds and crashing violently into the ground nearby.
"Yahahahaha!"
From the center of the lightning, a towering figure descended like a deity, radiating an overwhelming aura of power.
Enel, the "God" of Skypiea, had arrived.
The people of Angel Island screamed, their faces turning pale with terror.
"It's God!"
"God is here!"
"We're doomed! It's Divine Punishment!"
Enel's laughter boomed from above as he hovered in the air, basking in their fear.
"Yahahahaha! That's right—fear your God! Fear me!" he roared, his voice filled with sadistic pleasure.
"But…"
His gaze swept across the panicked crowd before locking onto Mike and his companions.
"You… you don't fear me? You actually dared to lay your filthy hands on my Priests? They were worthless trash, but touching them is the same as disrespecting me!"
His voice dropped to a low, menacing growl.
"I am God—Enel!"
"Run!" Conis shrieked, her eyes wide with panic as she shoved Mike frantically.
"Go! Get out of here, now!"
In that moment, Mike turned around gently, that same, faint, warm smile still on his lips.
He didn't say anything.
Instead, he reached out and pulled Conis into a firm, gentle hug.
The warmth of his arms seemed to melt away the chilling fear, instantly calming her racing heart.
"Don't worry," Mike whispered, his voice soft but his gaze firm.
"It's alright."
Slowly, Mike released her.
When he turned back to face the sky, the warmth in his eyes was gone, replaced by a sharp, cold edge.
He casually rested his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"Couldn't have come sooner, couldn't have come later," he said, his voice calm and unhurried.
"You just had to show up right when I was enjoying dinner with a beautiful woman."
He looked up at the self-proclaimed god hovering in the sky.
"Enel… are you ready… to get your ass kicked?"
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