"Mad Monk" Urouge

"The whole thing only took ten minutes. After paying off the debt, I still had 6,100 points left."

"Should I try a few small draws?"

Van was feeling a little tempted and was about to open the system shop when Kuma returned, carrying several large bags.

"How is she?"

Seeing Ginny's miserable state, Kuma immediately tensed up.

"Relax! I'll bandage her up right now!"

With a curl of Van's finger, a medical kit vanished from Kuma's hand and appeared beside the long table.

He opened the package and casually scattered hemostatic powder into the air as though sprinkling seasoning.

Under the control of the Op-Op Fruit's power, the powder flew toward Ginny from every direction, evenly adhering to her wounds.

Finally, the bandages flew out on their own and wrapped Ginny up like a mummy, leaving only her eyes exposed.

"All that's left is rest. Once Ginny's new skin grows back, I'll come check on her again and see whether it relapses."

Van dispelled the Operation Room, walked over to Kuma, and curiously looked at little Bonney.

With his involvement, Bonney would definitely receive timely treatment if she fell ill in the future. He could make another profit then.

"Thank you!" Kuma quickly walked to the long table. "When will Ginny wake up?"

"At most, two or three days. If anything comes up, you can contact me."

Van did not intend to stay in the Sorbet Kingdom for long. Once Ginny was cured, it would be time for him to handle his own affairs.

"You're leaving?"

Only then did Kuma realize it. He said apologetically, "Sorry! I've been busy searching for Ginny these past few days and haven't had the chance to properly host you."

"Let's talk after Ginny recovers." Van smiled indifferently. "Right now, I want to go to a Sky Island called Birka. Can you send me there?"

"Birka?"

Kuma thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I've only been to three Sky Islands, and none of them were the Birka you mentioned."

"Then pick any one at random. I'll go up and look for it myself." Van was not disappointed.

After all, every settlement in the skies ten thousand meters above was a Sky Island. It was perfectly normal that Kuma had never been to Birka.

Besides, the Sky Islands were connected by cloud roads. As long as he could get up there, he would be able to find Birka.

"You're a Devil Fruit user. If something unexpected happens, I'm afraid you'll be in danger." Kuma hesitated for a moment. "How about I go with you?"

"Bonney is still young and needs someone to look after her. You should stay here with Ginny."

"If I run into trouble I can't handle, I'll contact you through a Den Den Mushi."

Van wanted to go to Birka to find the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Having Kuma as a bodyguard would certainly be safer, but the family of three had only just reunited. He truly could not bear to separate them.

There were still several years before Birka's destruction. Enel probably had not eaten the Rumble-Rumble Fruit yet, and with Van's current strength, protecting himself would not be a problem.

"All right, then." Kuma took off his gloves. "If you encounter danger, you must tell me immediately!"

"Okay!"

Van nodded and headed out of the church.

This was the greatest reward he had gained from saving Ginny. Those few points were hardly worth mentioning.

He did not insist on making Kuma follow him. As long as Kuma could come whenever called in the future and provide long-range transport, that would be enough.

"Go travel. I hope everything goes well for you!"

Kuma swung his hand and clapped, enveloping Van in a bubble before he vanished from the spot.

The next morning, protected by the bubble, Van arrived at the shore of a Sky Island and landed steadily on the beach.

The sea and land here were both formed from special clouds. They were not real seawater or soil, but they possessed similar properties.

The greatest difference was the air. Even standing still made his chest feel tight and left him short of breath.

"I need to rest here for a while."

Van slowly adjusted his breathing, doing his best to adapt to this harsh, oxygen-deficient environment.

But just as he sat down, a little girl carrying a basket made of solid cloud came skipping over from the direction of the town.

Is she here to pick something up?

The thought crossed Van's mind, and he planned to ask once the girl came closer.

Unexpectedly, the moment she saw him, she immediately turned around and fled as if she had seen a monster.

Not long afterward, a large group of Sky Islanders rushed over. They all had decorative wings on their backs, and most wore white robes.

At their head was a bearded, burly man nearly four meters tall. His neck was much thicker than his head, and he wore a string of huge red prayer beads around it, along with a pair of gold earrings.

He wore a grayish-brown robe and continuously bared his teeth in a strange grin, as though it were a permanently fixed expression.

This is... Urouge?

Van found the leader familiar. Just as he recalled the name, the man had already arrived before him.

"You're from the Blue Sea? How did you get here? Where are your companions?"

Urouge fired off three questions in a row. His attitude was not particularly friendly, though there was no obvious hostility in it either.

The people behind him stared fixedly at Van, some wary and some curious, as if they were only one step away from surrounding him.

"What is this Sky Island called? Do you know Birka? How long does it take to get there?"

Van likewise fired off three questions in a row, immediately provoking several hot-tempered Sky Islanders.

"High Monk, this guy doesn't look honest. Let's teach him a lesson first, then interrogate him slowly."

"Yeah! Control him first, then find his companions and his ship."

"Anyone from the Blue Sea who can reach a Sky Island is no ordinary person. We'd better not act rashly."

"What's there to fear? The Great High Monk said Urouge is even stronger than he is..."

It was not hard to tell from their words that the Sky Island before him was likely ruled by monks. Its power structure was probably similar to the priest system Enel would later establish.

Urouge was only in his thirties, yet he had already entered the upper ranks of power. No wonder he would later grow restless and head down below to become a pirate.

ROOM!

Van slowly rose to his feet and raised a hand, unfolding the Operation Room to encompass every Sky Islander before him.

"You're a Devil Fruit user?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Urouge pulled back his right arm and threw a punch at Van.

He believed Van intended to harm the Sky Island, so he chose to strike first. Unfortunately, his strength was not enough to control the situation.

RANKYAKU!

Van sidestepped the punch, then immediately followed with a spinning kick, his leg coated in Armament Haki.

Urouge merely assumed Van was fast and did not pay much attention at first. Relying on his size advantage, he raised an arm to block.

But the instant their bodies made contact, his expression changed.

BOOM!

A nearly explosive impact rang out as Urouge was sent flying sideways. The other Sky Islanders were all stunned.

Should we help?

Just as the thought arose in their minds, they saw Urouge rise to his feet again.

"You're no match for him. Stay back!"

Urouge's expression was grave as he assumed a defensive stance, his body seemingly growing a little larger.

"I almost forgot, you're a Devil Fruit user too. Are you storing up power to counterattack?"

Van was quite interested in Urouge's ability, so he rushed forward and began attacking with martial arts.

His attacks came at an extremely high frequency. To those Sky Islanders, he looked like an afterimage charging and darting about.

Urouge was battered back and forth, blood soon spilling from the corner of his mouth, but he never fell.

"Interesting. Let's see how long you can hold on."

Because he had not fully adapted to the Sky Island environment, Van himself was breathing heavily, though it did not affect him much.

After another exchange of blows, Urouge seemed to reach his limit, and his body suddenly expanded.

Karmic Punishment!