The God's Shrine, where Enel once resided, was currently planned by the World Government to serve as the base for the new Government Branch on the Sky Island. It was also the place where the Immortal Pirates and the Government had clashed most frequently since the outbreak of their war.
Following a sudden commotion, the Knights of Saint Stefano, the unit responsible for the construction of the Sky Island Branch, was thrown into absolute chaos. Some idiot guard had apparently lost his mind today, allowing enemies to infiltrate the temporary base and use Breath Dials to blow up the construction materials currently in progress.
Upon investigation, it turned out to be a group of pirates and Shandia warriors.
Luffy's crew was currently scattered and fleeing, planning to regroup at the entrance to the Sky Island once everyone had successfully escaped.
In a forest not far from the Shrine, the Black Thorn Pirates arrived after receiving a report from Machina Winter. They happened to spot the Straw Hat crew and the Shandia tribe, led by Wyper, splitting up to escape the pursuit of the Order of Saint Stefano.
"The kid in the straw hat is the one you mentioned?" Keith Fallon asked, nodding toward Luffy, who was running toward the left.
"Yes, I've checked," Winter reported. "His bounty rose to 100 million berries at a very coincidental timing after the Crocodile incident. Monkey D. Luffy, also known as 'Straw Hat Luffy,' captain of the Straw Hat Pirates."
"100 million berries? He's just a nobody then," Fallon said with blatant disdain.
"Captain Fallon, should we take this opportunity to launch an all-out attack on the Government's temporary base?" a member of the Black Thorn Pirates asked for instructions.
"No rush," Fallon narrowed his eyes. "The Knights of Saint Stefano hasn't sent out many men to catch those small fry precisely to prevent us from launching a surprise attack. I want to figure out first how that 'Straw Hat' got mixed up with the natives of the Sky Island."
…
Whether it was sheer luck or the blessing of a "protagonist's halo," the Straw Hats and the Shandia had actually managed to take down a few grunts from the Knights of Saint Stefano, change into their uniforms, and sneak back in to sabotage a significant amount of equipment.
However, the Government troops were no fools. They quickly discovered the ruse. Their reputation as a unit specifically trained to counter ability users was no joke; faced with a massive gap in strength and rank, Luffy and his group were forced to flee.
Currently, the eight members of the Straw Hat Pirates—Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Chopper, Nami, Sanji, and Robin—had split into three groups. Luffy was with Chopper; Zoro was with Usopp; Nami was with Robin. As for Sanji, the moment he saw the two beauties pairing up, he wasted no time in sprinting after them.
Each group was aided by Shandia "allies" who possessed an intimate knowledge of the terrain surrounding the Shrine. Furthermore, because Saint Stefano was wary of a sudden ambush by the Immortal Pirates, the number of pursuers sent after them was small. After running for a good while, the Straw Hats realized they were gradually leaving the Government troops behind.
"Ahh!! Zoro is gone!"
While Usopp was scanning their surroundings, he was shocked to find that Zoro, who was supposed to be running with him, had vanished. Meanwhile, the Shandia warrior traveling with them, Braham, was still there.
This pointed to only one conclusion: the Marimo's "Directional Deficiency Syndrome" had flared up again.
However, Usopp's luck held out; not only did he evade the pursuit of the Government Knights, but even Fallon's group didn't target him, instead focusing their attention on Luffy.
Luffy, Chopper, and Wyper fled until they reached the border of the Upper Yard before finally stopping. Panting heavily and looking back with his tongue hanging out, Luffy gasped, "Did... did we... shake them...?"
Chopper, showing his animal instincts, let his tongue hang out the side of his mouth. "Looks like we made it out."
Recalling the scene of them blowing the base to smithereens earlier, Wyper couldn't help but remark, "Your luck is truly incredible."
"Indeed, your luck is so good it's staggering, Straw Hat Luffy."
Suddenly, several people appeared in the nearby woods. The speaker was Fallon, currently sitting on a tree branch with a mocking smirk, implying that Luffy had only escaped through blind luck.
Luffy, in his typical dense fashion, didn't catch the sarcasm. Chopper simply looked confused. "Who's that?"
However, when Wyper saw Fallon and his crew, his face contorted with rage. "You damned Blue Sea dwellers!"
"Oh? You native, you're not dead yet? Did Aranea show 'womanly mercy' again?"
Fallon leapt down from the branch and sneered. "I have some questions. Be a good boy and answer them."
…
While Usopp and Luffy were dealing with their respective situations, the final group, Robin and Nami, along with the female Shandia warrior Raki, had reached a stone platform covered in vines and ancient pillars.
Nami bent over, gasping for air several times before she managed to stand up. "Honestly, Robin, that plan of yours was way too dangerous!"
Stealing the uniforms to infiltrate the Government base had been Robin's idea. Had it been Luffy's plan, Nami would have smacked him long ago.
"But it was the only way," Robin said with a faint smile. A frontal assault was impossible, and a stealthy infiltration was unlikely to succeed; the only option was a disguise.
Although she had wanted to persuade Luffy to abandon such a risky move, she knew he wouldn't listen.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Robin noticed something peculiar in the gaps between the vines covering a stone pillar. She stepped forward and brushed the vines aside, her expression shifting to one of shock.
"What is it, Robin?" Nami and Raki walked over.
"This... is a Poneglyph," Robin said, her tone becoming solemn.
"Is something written on it? Our tribe used to come here in the past, but we couldn't understand the script," Raki said.
Robin took a closer look. "It records events that happened in Shandia four hundred years ago. But if it's on this pillar, there must be similar records in other places."
"Robin, look out!!"
Nami shouted, blocking Robin with her Clima-Tact.
Robin and Raki turned to see a woman clad in dark red armor diving down from above. A kick intended for Robin slammed into Nami's Clima-Tact, the single strike sending Nami flying.