FWOOSH.
The space around them warped, a golden pulse shimmered, and in an instant, Riser, Alvida, and Robin emerged into the thin air of the sky island. The sensation of different gravity hit their bodies at the same time as the vista before them unfolded.
Robin blinked, her brown eyes widening slightly. Her foot sank lightly into the whitish ground, but it wasn't earth.
'Clouds… the ground is made of clouds…'
Below them, an immense carpet of white, fluffy clouds stretched as far as the eye could see. Around them, the blue sky blended with the landscape, creating the illusion of a world suspended among the stars. The air was light, almost hard to breathe for someone unaccustomed.
Robin crouched, gently sliding her fingers over the surface.
"This really exists…"
The words slipped out softly, like a whisper.
'A sky island. The same place from legends and stories… And here is the Poneglyph that could take me one step closer.'
She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of the discovery settle within her. Years of research, discarded hypotheses, ancient texts that always mentioned this hidden land in the heavens.
And now she was here.
A dream realized, but still far from the ultimate goal.
Alvida looked around, her eyes glinting silver as she activated her Observation Haki. The cloud landscape was vast and open, but her attention zeroed in on scattered points of life across the island.
"The Straw Hats are here."
Her voice was low but certain.
Riser didn't move, hands in his pockets, his golden eyes gleaming under the sun's reflection.
"I know."
His gaze pierced the vastness of the island, as if he could see beyond matter, beyond time. In a house built on clouds, the Straw Hats were gathered, resting, unaware that someone was watching.
But he didn't care.
Alvida stayed silent, waiting. If there were no orders, there was no reason to act.
Robin was still absorbed in her own world, her eyes scanning every detail of the landscape.
The structures were made of a material that looked like stone carved directly from the clouds, with a pearlescent sheen that reflected the sunlight almost magically. Small bridges connected the island's sectors, supported by pillars of pure celestial condensation.
A breeze blew, light, carrying a different scent in the air.
'This isn't a dream. It's real.'
She stood slowly, her eyes shining with fascination.
"This place…"
Riser glanced at her sideways, a trace of curiosity crossing his expression.
"Is it what you expected?"
Robin crossed her arms, letting the breeze tousle her dark hair.
"It's more than I expected."
Silence enveloped them for a moment. Only the sound of the wind and the leaves of a cloud tree rustling in the distance broke the stillness.
Alvida narrowed her eyes, still attuned to the surroundings.
"If we're not dealing with them, what's the plan?"
Riser shifted his gaze to the horizon.
"The priority is the Poneglyph."
Robin felt a chill run down her spine at the confirmation.
'So it's really here.'
She clenched her fists briefly before composing herself.
Riser stood motionless, hands in his pockets, his golden eyes glowing like twin suns under the diffuse sky's light.
His Observation Haki expanded beyond what Alvida or Robin could reach.
The world revealed itself to him.
The sky island's villages spread out like a mosaic of white and gold, connected by floating rivers and roads of compacted clouds. Small points of life moved among the structures, but his attention was drawn to two specific points.
One was the Poneglyph.
A colossal slab of dark stone, stark against the ethereal landscape. Its surface was etched with the ancient script of the Lost Century's people.
The other…
Enel.
---
God's Sanctuary
The distant sound of conversations floated through the golden corridors of God's Sanctuary.
At the center of the hall, seated on a gleaming metal throne, Enel opened his eyes slowly.
His long earrings jingled faintly with the movement of his head, and his skin shimmered with bluish reflections under the dancing electricity around him. His body was relaxed, a lazy smile on his lips.
"Intruders…"
His voice rumbled like muffled thunder, resonating against the golden columns around him.
The rhythmic beat of his celestial drum echoed softly as he twirled the golden staff between his fingers.
He was used to the presence of outsiders on his island. The people of the Blue Sea were fools, primitive, always ignorant of God's dominion. But something was different this time.
His eyes narrowed as his Mantra (Observation Haki) expanded, capturing every whisper, every heartbeat, every movement.
The Straw Hats were gathered in one of the sky houses, their familiar voices filling the air.
But then…
Other voices.
New presences.
Strong.
His expression shifted.
'Who are they?'
Lightning crackled across his skin, slithering up his body like serpents of pure electricity.
His eyes gleamed with deadly intensity.
'How dare they step onto my island without permission?'
---
"I located the Poneglyph."
Robin spun around immediately, her eyes wide.
"Where?"
Riser nodded toward the east, where the clouds thickened into a darker elevation. A metallic glint, almost imperceptible, escaped from the edges of the dense mass.
"We'll teleport straight there."
Alvida huffed.
"Again with that… Ponegrel? Ponestroph? Whatever, that weird stone."
Robin crossed her arms, a cold look on her face.
"Poneglyph."
She took two steps forward.
"And it's not just any stone. They're historical records. Fragments of the Lost Century. They could change everything."
Alvida turned her face with disdain.
"Oh, sure. Because reading rocks is as thrilling as crushing Marines."
Riser sighed.
"Come closer."
Alvida rolled her eyes before stepping nearer.
"This teleporting stuff makes me queasy."
Robin positioned herself beside him, her posture composed but her eyes burning with anticipation.
The space around them rippled.
FWOOSH.
The air contracted and then released with a silent snap.
They vanished.
---
God's Sanctuary
The silence within the sanctuary was almost absolute, broken only by the soft jingle of earrings swaying with each slight shift. Enel remained on his elevated throne, eyes half-closed, listening to the whispers of the sky.
'Three presences appeared…'
The celestial drums on his back vibrated with a faint pulse.
'…and vanished.'
His Mantra swept across the island's expanse again, a sharpened web of perception, sensitive to the faintest breath of life, the lightest step on the cloud surface.
Nothing.
No traces, no remnants.
His gaze flickered with restrained irritation, his fingers tapping against the throne's armrest.
"Where did those bastards go?"
He rose in a single fluid motion, the golden staff dangling from his fingers. Electricity snaked across his body, climbing his legs, crossing his abdomen, and crackling along his back. The divine aura surrounding Enel pulsed stronger with each passing second.
'It's not the first time they've committed the blasphemy of invading my domain…'
His eyes gleamed.
'…and now they vanish from my perception as if they're my equals.'
A bolt of lightning split the sky, reflecting off the temple's golden pillars.
'I am the only being permitted to walk freely in this world. I am the law. I am the will. I am God.'
His feet touched the cloud floor, and electricity roared around his body as if the sky itself acknowledged its master.
Then—
Something.
A faint vibration, a distant whisper within the sky's flow.
Three presences.
Again.
But now… they were at the golden bell.
The location resonated in his mind like contained thunder. The sacred bell, a symbol of forgotten eras, the echo of Shandora's people.
Rage flared like a flame.
'How dare they.'
Without a word, his body erupted into lightning.
ZAAAP!
The sky split open in light, and the sound of a sharp thunderclap filled the island.
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