Above the sea of clouds, the scenery was pleasant.
Sunlight spilled across every inch of the cloud sea. The island clouds formed blocky islands, much like reefs in the Blue Sea, and gave off a faint white mist.
Lu Zhuo lounged lazily in his chair, gazing ahead.
A sudden feeling made him stand up.
Looking at an island in the distance, Lu Zhuo asked, "Do you know what island that is?"
"It should be Atlantis Island. I haven't been to any other sky islands," Conis said softly.
Lu Zhuo nodded. "That's the one. Let's head over."
The Waver slowly drew closer. The islands in Skypiea were made of island clouds, so their edges were all beaches, and you could go ashore anywhere.
As the island grew larger, surprise appeared in Lu Zhuo's eyes.
It was actually a third larger than Angel Island, and seemed even more prosperous and bustling.
As they entered the town, the Kitetsu in Lu Zhuo's hand began trembling more violently, pointing in a definite direction. He led Conis that way.
This island seemed to have more contact with people from the Blue Sea. Even when they saw Lu Zhuo, no one looked surprised.
Gradually, Lu Zhuo and Conis left the town on Atlantis Island and entered a thicket.
He stopped only when they reached an enormous tree. He couldn't see the top even when he craned his neck. The tree was at least five meters in diameter, a truly enormous, rare tree native to Skypiea.
Conis asked quietly, "Is this our destination? It looks like an uninhabited wilderness."
Lu Zhuo didn't answer. Looking at the tree in front of him, he said in confusion, "It's actually inside the tree? That makes no sense."
After circling the tree a few times, the Kitetsu in his hand nearly flew out of his grip.
At last, he spotted what looked like a circular crack in the middle of the tree.
Could it be...
Lu Zhuo shook his head. Whatever. As long as he could get the Kitetsu, that was all that mattered.
He turned to Conis and said solemnly, "Stand back. I'm going to cut down the tree."
"Uh, all right." Though she had no idea what Lu Zhuo had against the tree, Conis obediently ran farther away.
Lu Zhuo drew his sword in a flash, a sharp glint passing through his eyes.
A streak of sword light flashed. Lu Zhuo slowly sheathed his sword as the enormous tree toppled behind him.
Since the ground was island cloud rather than soil, the impact of the falling tree shook it several times, making the island's residents pause in surprise.
But tremors like that were normal on Skypiea, so nobody paid them any mind.
Lu Zhuo leaped to the middle of the tree, where he had noticed something unusual earlier, and lightly drew his sword. A large hole was cut open.
The next moment, a black katana flew out and stuck to the Kitetsu in Lu Zhuo's hand.
"Too bad. It's still only a Sandai Kitetsu." Lu Zhuo shook his head, then released his grip and let the two swords begin to fuse. At the same time, he looked down with interest at the glimmer of gold and jade shining from the large hole.
In the middle of the enormous tree was a hollow about one cubic meter in size. Inside sat an old-looking wooden chest.
By now, the chest had shattered into countless pieces, revealing a heap of gold, silver, and jade ornaments.
The treasures were worth at least three hundred million Beli. It looked like an ancient hoard.
He stepped forward and lightly rummaged through them. Lu Zhuo's eyes suddenly lit up!
Among the gold, silver, and jade ornaments was a smaller box, only about the size of two fists. It was exquisitely crafted and studded with all kinds of gems.
He gently opened the box. The object inside made Lu Zhuo's breath catch.
There was no doubt about it. The only thing that could affect Lu Zhuo like this was a Devil Fruit. And judging by its appearance, it was clearly a Logia-type fruit!
Just then, Lu Zhuo's expression changed slightly.
He sensed that there was someone else nearby. One person running toward him was probably Conis, but who was the other one?!
He slowly stood and turned around. A figure whose torso and limbs were almost completely out of proportion appeared in his field of vision, making his pupils contract.
Looking at that familiar figure, Lu Zhuo murmured, "One of the Shichibukai, Bartholomew Kuma!"
How could that guy possibly be here?
Lu Zhuo was on high alert. Kuma was incredibly powerful. Although the original story had shown him fighting powerful opponents only a few times, his strength was absolutely on par with an Admiral's.
Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit was developed to a level that put him among the strongest in the world of the Pirate King. He had taken a seemingly useless Paramecia ability that could repel attacks and developed it into teleportation, the ability to repel pain and injuries from the body...
Kuma expressionlessly watched Lu Zhuo holding the Devil Fruit. Suddenly, he reached into the book in his hand and took out what looked like an ancient map.
"I arrived one step too late. I just got this treasure map to Gurohari and came to Skypiea, only to find I was too late."
Kuma's voice was slow and mechanical, nearly making Conis cry out as she ran over.
Lu Zhuo shot Conis a look. She blinked and immediately understood, hurrying away.
Then Lu Zhuo slowly tucked the Cloud-Cloud Fruit into his clothes. The newly fused Kitetsu floated down from the air and landed in his hand.
Even after fusing with another Sandai Kitetsu, the Kitetsu still hadn't reached the rank of a Supreme Grade Sword. Lu Zhuo was a little frustrated.
Still, it seemed that even if it hadn't made the grade, it was only a hair's breadth away.
Kuma watched Lu Zhuo impassively and slowly said, "But... it's not too late. At least it hasn't been eaten yet."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zhuo's pupils contracted. He sensed a powerful danger.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword.
Draw Sword Strike!
At a moment like this, he could only use his fastest, most familiar, and most basic move.
The next instant, Kuma suddenly appeared in front of Lu Zhuo. His gloves had somehow already been removed, and he slapped his palm against Lu Zhuo's blade.
Lu Zhuo's expression darkened. He actually dared to underestimate him? He'd pay for that!
The sword met the bare palm with a dull thud. Lu Zhuo felt a strange force strike him, and the Kitetsu in his hand nearly flew away.
Kuma's expression changed too. He shifted his other hand slightly, and his body instantly teleported more than ten meters away.
Touching the faint bloody line across his chest, Kuma's face grew solemn.
"A swordsman! You're Ghost Sword Lu Zhuo. I never expected a newcomer who hasn't entered the New World to already have this kind of strength."
Lu Zhuo sneered. "We've only just met, and you've already gone for the kill. Isn't that a bit much?"
Kuma fell silent for a moment, then said, "I need the Devil Fruit you're holding. I can't let you have it."
The next instant, Lu Zhuo and Kuma both vanished.
A few figures flashed back and forth, and the entire forest exploded in an instant, sending fragments and chunks of cloud flying everywhere.
A few dozen seconds later, at the very center of the battle, Lu Zhuo used his sword to support himself as he slowly rose to his feet and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The island cloud beneath his feet was soft, but Kuma's attacks could directly shake his internal organs. What a difficult attack to withstand.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Lu Zhuo stared coldly at Kuma, who stood more than ten meters away. His clothes were torn in several places, and a dozen bloody gashes marked his body.
Although Kuma could repel his sword, he couldn't repel every sword arc. Even though he had used teleportation to dodge back and forth, more than a dozen cuts of varying depths from Lu Zhuo's sword arcs still marked his body.
Neither of them had suffered a fatal injury, but they were both clearly battered. That was the result of just a few dozen seconds of fighting!
After watching Lu Zhuo for a long while, Kuma slowly said, "I really need that Devil Fruit. Perhaps I can trade you something you want for it."
Lu Zhuo sneered. "You couldn't afford the price of taking it by force, so now you want to trade? It's not that easy! Besides, there's nothing I want."
"No... I know what you want. I have a treasure map here that shows where a Nidai Kitetsu is." Ignoring the sword marks on his body, Kuma took out a piece of parchment and spoke calmly.
Before you continue