Shandians

"Honestly, all you ever say is stuff Hina doesn't understand."

Watching KureKke cover his face with both hands and weep, it was impossible to say she felt nothing. Perhaps this was one of the reasons Cifer had brought him up here.

Hina did not believe that Cifer would have been unable to find the Upward Current without him. He had merely given himself an excuse to bring KureKke along.

No matter who told them about Sky Island and the Golden City, hearing it from others could never compare to seeing it with their own eyes.

"So, what are you planning to do?"

Wappa looked at Cifer. A man who could make Gan Fall personally seek them out and step aside for him must have been quite capable.

"Simple. I just have to take Enel down!"

Cifer raised one finger, looking very much like he had just come up with an idea.

"Are you kidding me?!"

Wappa did not believe him. A Blue Sea native visiting Sky Island for the first time would naturally have no idea how terrifying Enel was.

In order to overthrow Enel, the Shandians had already prepared themselves to abandon wounded comrades in battle.

They had only one path: forward. No matter who fell beside them, they could not turn back. Their only goal was to reclaim their homeland from Enel and light the flame of Shandora!

Yet Cifer had arrived, met him once, and declared that he would defeat Enel. How could Wappa possibly believe that?

"So this is where you are. Are the Shandians trying to shelter criminals?"

A man wearing a pilot's cap and goggles, with two little mustaches, descended from the sky atop a strange bird.

The newcomer was Shura, one of Enel's four Priests and the Priest of the Ordeal of Rope, along with his pet, Fuza.

"Didn't you say I was joking? Watch closely!"

Cifer raised his finger.

A streak of blinding light flashed past. Shura's Mantra did not even have time to react before Cero Oscuras struck him squarely in the chest. Blood surged from his mouth, and he was sent flying dozens of meters before crashing to the ground, unable to rise.

Seeing its master blasted away, Fuza opened its beak wide, intending to avenge him with the Flame Dial inside its mouth.

The next instant, Wappa's Burning Cannon had already struck it. Fuza, with its beak still open, had no time to dodge and was blasted into ashes by the pale blue flames.

"Shura... is dead?!"

A Shandian warrior cried out in shock as he checked Shura's condition.

Wappa had no choice but to take Cifer's words seriously now. With nothing more than a casual strike, he had killed Shura, the second-strongest of Enel's four Priests. Perhaps he truly could defeat that "god"!

"What do we need to do?"

Everyone looked at Wappa in disbelief. They had never imagined that one day he would ask such a question.

In truth, Wappa simply felt that with Cifer's help, their chances of success would rise greatly. At the very least, he himself could not instantly kill Shura!

"The God's Island you speak of was originally part of an island in the Blue Sea called Jaya, which was blasted into the sky four hundred years ago."

Cifer seemed to be answering a different question entirely.

"Because of the greed and desires of Sky Island's original inhabitants, they waged nearly four hundred years of war against Jaya's natives. And the origin of it all was the flame of Shandora, correct?"

Wappa nodded. As a descendant of Great Warrior Calgara, he knew all about these matters. But he was curious as to why Cifer knew them so well too.

"Since everything began with the light of Shandora, then let everything end with it!"

"I will light the flame of Shandora!"

Cifer looked toward Gan Fall and Wappa. His meaning was obvious: after this, the holy land was to be returned to the Shandians.

"I understand!"

After all these years, Gan Fall understood that the question of who owned the holy land could no longer be resolved peacefully.

Either someone would claim it through absolute strength, as Enel had done, or the original Sky Island inhabitants would continue occupying it while war with the Shandians never ceased.

Over the past six years, he had seen just how desperately the Shandians fought to reclaim the holy land. If Enel could truly be defeated, then it was time for the land to return to its rightful owners.

Cifer was already preparing to make his move against Enel. By now, Enel had surely noticed that one of his Priests had fallen. The Mantra covering the entire Sky Island was no joke.

Based on the habits Cifer remembered, Enel would surely gather the remaining Priests and start some tedious ordeal or survival game.

"You just need to attack. Deal with Enel's fodder. I'll handle Enel and the other three Priests."

Just as Wappa was about to say something, Hina stepped forward.

"Don't underestimate him. He is one of the strongest people in our entire Blue Sea."

One of the strongest?!

They did not know how strong the people of the Blue Sea were, but Enel was merely the strongest on Sky Island. This man was one of the strongest in the entire sea below!

As though they had suddenly found their backbone, the Shandians became excited. After so many years, they could finally reclaim their homeland!

"What is your name?"

"Ulquiorra Cifer."

It was the simplest exchange imaginable.

"Then we're counting on you, Cifer!"

Whether they succeeded or failed, Wappa would remember Cifer forever.

"Hey, hey, did you forget about Hina?"

Hina was deeply dissatisfied. Ever since arriving on Sky Island, Cifer had ignored her. A serious man was certainly attractive, but he could not just ignore her!

Cifer thought carefully. Back when he had watched Pirate King in his previous life, the early setting had been incomplete, which had led to various inconsistencies later on. But what would happen now that he was in this real world?

"Can you use Armament Haki?"

Cifer asked a question that made Hina's face twitch.

"Of course I can. I'm Teacher Zephyr's student, an elite of Marineford!"

Just as expected!

Hina could use Haki. With her Fruit ability as well, it was time to give that ignorant brat Enel a little shock from the Blue Sea.

"Then let's go!"

Hina, Wappa, and the others rode the various unique means of transportation found on Sky Island toward God's Island, while Cifer followed behind at an unhurried pace.

"Yehahaha!"

Enel's laughter echoed from the palace that represented "god."

"What is God laughing about?"

The three Priests who had just been summoned exchanged glances. They had also noticed that something seemed to have happened to Shura.

"It seems Shura did not receive God's favor!"

Enel picked at his ear and sat upright from his reclining position.

"Do those illegal intruders and Shandians think that defeating Shura means they can challenge a god?"

His eyes were filled with coldness and contempt. In his view, with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he was invincible.

"You will remain here. Let those fodder do as they please. Once those fools make it here, show them what true despair is!"

The three Priests all sat down on the ground, quietly awaiting the challengers' arrival.

Though they would not get to play their ordeal or survival game, Shura's death meant their enemies had some ability. Staying by God's side was certainly safer.

"The Ark Maxim is nearly complete as well. I'll use you to celebrate!"

"Yehahaha!"