Gan Fall

Just as those strange shoes were about to smash down on Lott's head...

Snap!

Nami snapped her fingers, and rings of white cloud appeared around the stranger, wrapping tightly around him like a thick vine and holding him suspended in midair.

"What is this?" the stranger muttered, beginning to struggle.

But no matter how he moved, he could not break free in the slightest. It was as though what bound him was not cloud but a sturdy rope.

Through the only two small holes in the mask, Lott saw a pair of furious eyes. He naturally recognized him as Wyper, a warrior of Sky Island's Shandia.

"Damn it!" Wyper gritted his teeth as he fought against the Cloud Vine, slowly raising the rocket launcher in his right hand. He wanted to aim it at Lott.

But a cold gleam flashed past, and the rocket launcher was sliced in two, along with the strange mask on his face.

Clang!

Clang!

Several crisp sounds rang out as the rocket launcher and mask fell to the ground, revealing a man's savage face.

Zoro slowly slid the slightly drawn Wado Ichimonji back into its sheath.

Crocodile also slowly put away the sandstorm in his hand and smiled. A trace of relief flashed through his eyes.

He could not help marveling inwardly: Fuck, is this whole ship full of monsters? Leaving Lott aside, both girls are this strong, and there's a master swordsman who knows Haki. That Kuro in particular has an even more unfathomable presence.

Looks like not attacking when Lott invited me to join them was absolutely the right move. Any one of them could give me more than I could handle.

"Are you Blue Sea People? You're here for treasure, aren't you? I suggest you get lost right now! The gold and Vass aren't yours to lay a finger on!"

Wyper's face was savage, his voice full of warning.

"Oh? And which eye of yours saw me coming to fight you for that Vass?" Lott raised his head to look at him.

Wyper turned and glanced at the flag on the Skybreaker. "I recognize that flag. It's a pirate flag. Pirates are no good."

Ling'er turned her right hand into flames and said, "Lott, don't waste so many words on him. He was clearly charging at us with the intent to kill."

After everything she had experienced at sea, she was no longer the girl who had been as innocent as a blank sheet of paper. Just now, she had clearly sensed tangible killing intent from the man before her.

Lott had told her that enemies like this had to be rooted out completely.

"Everyone, please do this old man a small favor and spare Wyper's life."

Just as Ling'er waited for Lott's instructions, an aged voice came from the distance.

Everyone looked toward the voice and saw a strange "Pegasus" with four hooves flying toward the Skybreaker.

Only when it drew closer did they see an old man in armor riding on its back.

The "Pegasus" was fast and soon reached the Skybreaker's deck. The old man jumped off the "Pegasus," removed his helmet, and bowed to everyone.

"Heso!"

Lott immediately recognized the old man as Gan Fall, Sky Island's former "God."

"I don't know how Wyper offended you, but please do this old man a favor and spare his life."

Looking at the old man bowing and pleading on his behalf, Wyper said, "Hey! 'God' Gan Fall, are you pleading for me so that we Shandia will give up Vass?"

Gan Fall glanced at Wyper and shook his head. "That is not what I mean. Besides, I am no longer 'God.' Even if I wished to stop this centuries-long war, I no longer have the power."

Kuro reached up and adjusted his glasses. From their conversation, he had already deduced the current state of Sky Island based on these two men.

Crocodile looked at Gan Fall with some amusement and asked, "What standing do you have to plead for this man?"

Gan Fall sighed. Indeed, he did not know these people, and he was no longer "God." He was merely an old man who planted vegetables and watered flowers every day.

Besides, in this group's eyes, he might carry no weight at all. Just a nobody.

"Ah..."

He sighed, his aged figure hunching even further.

Lott spoke up. "Ling'er, Nami, let him go."

Ling'er said, "But..."

Lott shook his head. "He didn't cause any harm, did he? Let him go."

Nami glanced at Wyper, whose face was still savage, and slowly withdrew the white clouds. Ling'er put away her flames as well.

Wyper did not thank them. Instead, he shot Gan Fall an angry look and ran off into the distance.

Seeing that Wyper had been successfully rescued, Gan Fall bowed gratefully to Lott.

"I am Gan Fall, Sky Island's former 'God.' Thank you all for letting Wyper go."

"Take this whistle." As he spoke, Gan Fall placed a metal whistle in Ling'er's hand.

Ling'er looked at the whistle in her hand, her face full of confusion. She had no idea what it was for.

Gan Fall continued, "You're heading to Sky Island, aren't you? I still have some standing there. If you need anything, blow the whistle at any time, and I will appear. Once you reach Sky Island, I will thank you properly."

With that, he mounted the "Pegasus" beside him. "Let's go, Pierre."

"Pierre~"

Watching the "Pegasus" leave, Ling'er asked in confusion, "Lott, do you know that old grandpa?"

Lott nodded. "Didn't he say he was Sky Island's former 'God'?"

Ling'er pouted. "You let that weirdo go just because of that?"

Kuro spoke up. "That stranger was clearly trying to protect that so-called 'Vass.' He simply mistook us for rivals or thieves. All things considered, he isn't bad at heart, so there was no need to finish him off."

"Also, I noticed that Lott's eyes were full of admiration when he looked at that stranger. Could it be that you want him to join us?"

At those words, Nami and Ling'er shook their heads vigorously. "No! That man looks so fierce."

Lott shook his head and interrupted them. "All right, let's head to Sky Island first and get down to business."

Then he steered the Skybreaker onward.

"This is never-ending. Are we really up in the sky? Why are there so many strange fish here?"

Zoro held his sword, looking exhausted. As the group sailed onward, all kinds of monsters had come to harass them.

Although everyone dealt with them easily, there were simply too many.

Ling'er stood to one side, panting, her hands still in flame form. She narrowed her eyes at the distance. "There seems to be a gate over there. It should be the entrance to Sky Island. Let's hurry over. At this rate, we'll die of exhaustion."

Lott steered the Skybreaker in that direction.

"HEAVENS GATE?"

Looking at the words on the gate, Nami could not help saying, "Heaven's Gate. Is this heaven?"

Robin stroked her chin and said calmly, "This is heaven? Looks like we're already dead."

Ling'er grabbed Lott's arm. "Hey, hey, hey! Lott, I haven't lived long enough yet! How am I dead already?"

Nami said, "Hey, Robin-chan, don't scare the kid. This should just be the actual entrance to Sky Island."

Only then did Ling'er's expression ease a little. "So it's just the entrance to Sky Island."

Lott steered the Skybreaker through the gate.

Click!

Click!

"Who's there?" Zoro rested a hand on his sword hilt, watching a small door warily.