Upper Yard, southern jungle.
Sabo held down his top hat and carried the Alloy Staff as he strode across the leaf-strewn earth. Unlike the clouds of Angel Island, the solid ground beneath his feet confirmed Carina's theory: the entire island was Jaya Island, swept into the sky four hundred years ago.
A sharp whoosh suddenly came from behind him.
Sabo didn't even turn his head. Observation Haki instantly traced the attack's path. He raised the arm holding the staff slightly, coated it in black Armament Haki, and blocked the strike with perfect precision.
"Clang!"
A piercing metallic crash rang through the silent forest.
A fierce force traveled down the staff. The earth beneath Sabo's feet crumbled, and the impact shoved him half a step forward.
Sabo turned to face his attacker.
The young man was lean and muscular as a leopard. His upper body was bare, and wild totemic tattoos covered his left shoulder and the area around his left eye. He wore specially made skate-shoes fitted with Wind Dials and held a rugged, heavy rocket launcher.
Wyper, the strongest warrior of the Shandians, known as the War Demon.
"Blue Sea People."
Nineteen-year-old Wyper stared at Sabo like a cornered wolf. He didn't back down after his ambush failed, and his voice brimmed with a hatred etched into his bones.
"I don't care if you're here for treasure or if you're Enel's lackeys. You dared set foot on the land of our ancestors. You'd better be ready to leave your lives here!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, high-pressure air burst from the skate-shoes beneath Wyper's feet.
He ricocheted between the tree trunks in a zigzag, moving so fast he left afterimages. The instant he closed in on Sabo, he aimed the heavy rocket launcher at Sabo's chest.