God King Festival
"Infiltrating the God's Temple is not an easy task; we must consider all aspects carefully," Vivi reminded Luffy, lest they be blinded by hatred.
"Yes, those God's Guard warriors are all composed of big pirates with bounties of over 100 million, so we should try to avoid direct conflict with them," Nami nodded and said.
"By the way, Luffy, didn't you fight those God's Guards? How strong were they? Were they all like monsters?" Chopper asked nervously.
"Yes, they are indeed very strong, but..." Luffy said with a serious expression, then frowned and said, "Perhaps it is because life on Sky Island is too comfortable that their fighting skills have become rusty and they cannot exert their true strength. That is why I was able to defeat ten of them in a row when I was in a burst of power."
Before everyone could even get excited, Luffy continued, "But... there are some truly strong fighters among those God's Guards. The one who defeated me was incredibly powerful, like a warrior who had just returned from the battlefield, his eyes filled with killing intent and bloodlust. I don't know how he managed to maintain such a high-spirited fighting state in such a peaceful place as Sky Island."
Even from an opposing perspective, Luffy felt a certain admiration; such a person's fighting spirit was indeed terrifyingly strong. "By the way, what was that person's name again? I think I heard other people call him Captain Weibo."
"... It must be Wiper Captain," Vivi sighed helplessly.
"Yes, that's the name, Vivi. How did you know?" Luffy looked at Vivi with admiration.
"This kind of thing is not a secret on Sky Island. You can find out by asking around. The God's Guard has a total of fifty members, including forty-seven God Soldiers, two Vice God's Soldier Captain, and one God's Soldier Captain. The person you just mentioned is the God's Soldier Captain known as the War Demon Wiper."
"So he's the leader of that group! No wonder he's so powerful!" Luffy Ohm.
"He sounds like a tough guy. We'd better find a way to lure him away," Sanji said.
"Why don't we create some chaos like we did today, and while they're busy quelling the unrest, we can seize the opportunity to infiltrate the God's Temple?" Nami suggested.
"The God's Guard aren't idiots. If it were just a simple disturbance, they would only send one or two divine soldiers to handle it. Today, it's mainly because Luffy made a big fuss that they came out in full force. But if things get out of hand, the person who caused the chaos will find it hard to get away, and the final outcome won't be good..." Vivi shook her head and said.
"So, we have to create a massive upheaval that's far beyond our control?" Chopper asked, blinking.
"Bombs? I can create remotely controlled bombs that are powerful enough to destroy a small town," Usopp said in a low voice, having remained silent until now.
Bomb?
A chill ran down everyone's spine as they looked at Usopp with horrified eyes. Had he gone mad?
Nami tentatively asked, "Um, shouldn't we avoid involving ordinary people in our feud with Nightmare?"
"Two days later is the God King Festival on the Sky Island. Everyone will leave their homes to go to the holy site below the God's Temple to participate in the God King Festival. As long as the area is controlled, no one will be hurt."
Usopp's tone remained lifeless, but it reassured everyone; he was still the kind and gentle Usopp they knew.
"If Usopp is making the bombs, then I'll go and figure out the layout around the God's Temple and the infiltration route," Nami volunteered.
"Then I'll use my position as the chef to find out the main procedures of the God King Festival, so that we can plan the start time of the operation." Sanji stubbed out his cigarette and said calmly.
"Then... I'll go and prepare the necessary medicine so everyone can have peace of mind," Chopper said, raising his hand.
"I'll sail the Going Merry to the End of the Clouds so that we can steal the Octopus Balloon and escape the Sky Island as soon as possible." Zoro's cold words filled the eyes of the crowd with distrust.
"Hey, what kind of looks are those?" Zoro asked, annoyed.
"It's really tough on you, someone with no sense of direction, to drive the ship." Nami sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Let Luffy go with you instead, so he won't cause any trouble here."
Luffy and Zoro stood to the side, arms crossed, looking sullen.
"In that case, let's split up and launch an attack at the God King Festival in two days!" Vivi excitedly raised her little fist, her excitement fermenting inside her.
The Holy Land of Upper Yard.
At night, the place was bustling with people singing and dancing, and the joyful atmosphere carried to heaven.
"It's so lively! I really want to go!" Luffy muttered, hiding on the edge of the God's Temple's Cloud Layer, lurking in a dark corner, gazing longingly at the grand festival below.
"Idiot, shut up. Is this the time to be thinking about these things?" Nami whispered a warning.
"Seriously, these Divine Guards are incredibly patient; not a single one of them is even attending this so-called God King Festival," Sanji said, annoyed.
"According to the Skypieans, the God King Festival is specially held so that they can get closer to the God's Domain and bask in the light of the gods. Because they cannot usually get close to the holy land, and for these fanatical God Guards, the area near the God's Temple is the closest to the realm of the gods. Naturally, they will not go to such lengths." Vivi explained in a low voice.
"Sanji, is it almost time?" Chopper felt sweat seeping from his small palms.
"It'll be soon. The most important ritual of the God King Festival is the 'Dream Prayer.' Interrupting this ritual is arguably the most heinous act of blasphemy during the festival. Coupled with the terrifying power of the bombs, it might force all the divine guards to come out in full force. We can then take advantage of this turmoil to sneak into the God's Temple," Sanji explained, bowing his head.
"Is the ritual you're referring to the one they're currently performing?" Zoro's voice came from the side.
Sanji suddenly looked up at the Sanctuary below and found that the lively and noisy festival had quieted down. Everyone was silently closing their eyes, with a serene smile on their lips, as if they were savoring a beautiful dream.
"It's supposed to be a harmonious scene, but it looks so creepy, like some kind of cult ritual." Vivi felt a chill run down her spine.
"Now, Usopp, make your move," Sanji said.
Usopp nodded slightly. After two days of reflection, he had barely managed to shake off the nightmare of that day and return to his usual self.
Rumble!
The earth shook violently, and the raging air currents even swept the earth into the air, crashing down to the ground like a meteor shower.