"You're still too green. You need a lot more training, or you'll never catch up to that guy. Besides, you don't want to end up like Satori, do you?"
Enel lay on his divine couch, passing judgment on them.
"Honestly, you didn't summon us here just to say that, did you?"
The three retrieved their weapons and walked up to him.
"Besides, Satori only lost because he hadn't trained enough. The Ordeal of Balls is completely useless."
Priest Shura mocked his colleague Satori mercilessly, making him out to be good for nothing.
"Shura, aren't you underestimating those Blue Sea People a little too much? Gan Fall is still alive!"
Enel was also a little put off by Shura's attitude of looking down on others, so he told him what he had sensed.
"That's impossible. I already..."
Shura protested.
"He was injured, but he's getting along quite well with those Blue Sea People now. What a tenacious old man!
"Anyway, sit down first."
Enel did not deny what Shura had said and ordered them to sit and listen.
"I was simply too bored, so I called you here to hear my instructions.
"And... actually, it's almost finished. The Ark Maxim is nearly ready. So let's hurry and put an end to everything on this island, then prepare to set off for the land of our dreams-Fairy Vearth."
Enel picked up an apple and took a bite, paused briefly, then continued.
"Originally, I divided the territory among you to keep you from fighting with one another. There's no need for that now. You can hold your ordeals wherever you like.
"Also, the Shandia will launch an attack tomorrow, and so will the Blue Sea People. Their goal is the same as ours: the City of Gold."
Enel spoke mysteriously, as though he paid them no mind at all.
"How is that possible? How could they know about the City of Gold?!"
The priests were all taken aback and began asking questions.
"I don't know. Perhaps they guessed. Besides, word of the City of Gold came from the world below in the first place."
Enel himself was not quite sure how Luffy and the others had learned of it.
Meanwhile, the Shandia had safely entered Upper Yard under Wyper's leadership. Everyone was now gathered around a campfire, listening to his speech.
"We've made it here. Tomorrow, we launch our all-out attack. This time, we won't repeat the same mistake he... The obstacle in our path is gone. Priest Luo Chen has been defeated by Enel, so there's no need to worry about whether he'll affect our plans anymore.
"In other words, Enel is our only enemy. This time, we'll take his head and light the flame of the Shandia."
Wyper delivered his declaration to them with excitement.
"Oh!!!" Hearing his declaration, everyone shouted in agreement.
Early the next morning, after celebrating through the night, the Straw Hat Pirates finally got moving. Under Usopp's direction, they fitted the sky shark fin set to the ship, then used its power to pull the ship down from the altar.
Everyone now stood aboard the ship, listening to Nami's plan.
"Anyway, listen to my plan first. Luffy, Zoro, Robin and Chopper will go onto the island and look for gold.
"The rest of you will get the ship ready with me to pick them up. Then we'll all leave together. By then, we'll be the filthy rich pirate crew."
After making arrangements for everyone, Nami imagined her future life. Her eyes turned into money symbols as she spoke with delight.
"Ah! We're just going to leave like that? That's no fun."
Luffy was deeply disappointed to hear they would leave as soon as they found the treasure.
"Shut up! If you mess this up, just wait and see what I do to you."
Nami roared at him in anger.
"So scary. Nami's so scary when she's like this!"
Seeing Nami angry, Chopper spoke in a whisper.
"Hm? Chopper, what are you whispering about?"
Nami seemed to hear Chopper speaking ill of her and turned to ask him.
"Huh!! N-nothing."
Chopper quickly shut his mouth and denied it.
"All right, let's get moving!" Nami said.
"Oh!!!" everyone shouted.
Meanwhile, inside Sacred Land Upper Yard, the three priests had already chosen their respective ordeal grounds and were waiting in readiness for their arrival.
Back with the Shandia.
Early that morning, Wyper threw a small backpack full of dirt onto the ground.
"Wait! What are you doing, Wyper? That's Aisa's treasure."
Laki could not stand by and watch. She rushed over to confront him.
"Wait, Laki! Let's hear what he has to say first."
Braham stopped her.
"Our objective this time is perfectly clear: Enel's head. Anyone who isn't ready can stay behind. Everyone else, follow me."
Paying no attention to Laki's attitude, Wyper addressed everyone.
"What are you saying, Wyper? We've been ready for a long time."
As though Wyper had questioned their readiness, the warriors spoke up one after another.
"I'm talking about the resolve to press forward over the bodies of your comrades. If you don't have that resolve and courage, don't follow me."
With that, Wyper charged out ahead of them, heading toward the center of Upper Yard.
Just wait, Enel. I'll take your head today, he said silently to himself.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Everyone thought it over briefly, then followed him.
"If we defeat Enel and take back Upper Yard, who will care about this little bag of Vearth?"
Kamakiri spoke as he passed Laki, as though explaining it to her. Then he hurried after the others.
Rustle, rustle, rustle!!!
Laki did not reply. She crouched down and slowly picked up the Vearth scattered across the ground, putting it back into the backpack.
"Hey! It's about time I went to see how they're doing. After all, I'll have to trouble them for a ride later-the people aboard the Straw Hat Pirates' ship."
With that, Luo Chen calmed himself and sensed the Going Merry's location, then rose and flew toward it.
Aboard the ship, Gan Fall, a blanket draped over his shoulders, told Nami and the others who had stayed behind about Upper Yard's origins and Enel's past.
"As you know, Vearth-that is, soil-is extremely precious on Sky Island. Before, there was only a very small amount. It either came up with ships from the Blue Sea below or was brought here by the knock-up stream, and people treasured it.
"But four hundred years ago, Upper Yard was brought here by that enormous knock-up stream. The Sky People believed it was a gift from heaven.
"They never expected Upper Yard to already have inhabitants, so..."
In the end, Gan Fall felt a little ashamed of what his ancestors had done.
"So they used force to take it, right? In that case, your people were in the wrong."
Sanji and Usopp were also ashamed of the ancestors' actions and both spoke up in reproach.
"Yay!"
"Ah!!! That hurts!"
Seeing his master being reproached, Gan Fall's mount turned into a horse and opened his mouth wide to bite their heads, making Usopp and the others scream.
"Then what about the people who attacked us? And Enel and his people...?"
Nami hurriedly asked him about the other matters.
"The ones who attacked you are the descendants of those original inhabitants. They have always wanted to take back their homeland. As for why they attacked you, perhaps they mistook you for my subordinates, who were enslaved by Enel."
Gan Fall sighed and continued explaining to her.
"Tch. They tried to kill us just because they mistook us for someone else? We really got caught up in this for no reason. Phew!"
As Sanji spoke, he lit a cigarette and took a drag.
"I'm truly sorry. I took on the role of the Sky Knight to help those Enel branded as criminals, and Blue Sea People like you, leave this place and escape persecution at their hands. As for Enel..."
"Enel is the ability user who ate the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Six years ago, he led his divine soldiers and priests to conquer this place and make it his territory..."
Before Gan Fall could finish, another voice interrupted him. It belonged to Luo Chen, the former priest who had just arrived.