Crocodile's furious shout echoed across the small boat, startling a few nearby seagulls into flight.
Kyle glanced at him, his expression one of pure laziness. He dug a finger into his ear and yawned, looking as if his entire worldview hadn't just been shattered and rebuilt.
"Ah, yeah. That's right."
He admitted it so casually.
"..."
A strange gurgling sound escaped Crocodile's throat. He felt like his brain had completely shut down. Donquixote Doflamingo… was he also just a subordinate of this useless-looking guy? One Doflamingo, one of himself, the World's Greatest Swordsman Mihawk, and even Gecko Moria… In Crocodile's mind, the shape of a vast and terrifying underground empire slowly began to form.
And the emperor of this empire was currently lying right in front of him, complaining that his orange juice wasn't cold enough and mumbling about wanting to capture the Marine Admiral candidate Kuzan just to use him as a personal ice machine.
It was absurd. Utterly absurd.
Crocodile silently bent down to pick up the cigar he had dropped. He relit it and took a long, deep drag. Through the swirling smoke, his grim face showed a hint of resigned acceptance for the first time.
So be it. Following a monster like this… it didn't seem so bad after all.
Meanwhile, on a Sky Island high above…
"Gihahahahaha! So this is a Sky Island? What a strange place."
Gecko Moria stood on the soft, fluffy island cloud, curiously stomping his feet. He watched his giant body sink slightly before bouncing back up, letting out his signature creepy laugh.
Beside him, Gild Tesoro looked completely stunned. He gazed up at the endless sea of clouds and breathed in the air, which felt entirely different from the Blue Sea below. A bright light of wonder flickered in his eyes. He had seen more gold and wealth than he could ever count, but this was the first time he had ever seen such a mythical place with his own eyes.
Is this the world that Lord Kyle lives in? he thought. A legendary place like this is just another spot he can visit easily.
"Gentlemen, please follow me."
An old man wearing armor and riding a winged horse descended from the sky. It was Gan Fall, the "God" of Skypiea. He looked at Moria and Tesoro with curiosity and a hint of caution. However, when he learned that the two were Kyle's subordinates, his attitude warmed up significantly.
"Oh, so you're associates of Lord Kyle! My apologies, I didn't realize."
Gan Fall's mind drifted back decades ago, to the image of a wild, black-haired, golden-eyed young man who had arrived on the Sky Island with the Roger Pirates, laughing without a care in the world.
"I wonder how Lord Kyle has been? He was a great help to us all those years ago."
"Lord Kyle is doing great," Moria answered casually. "He just spends his days sunbathing and drinking juice."
Gan Fall's expression froze. He had not expected the energetic boy from his memories to be living such a relaxed life now. Well, that's good too, he thought. Quietly enjoying retirement, far away from all the fighting on the Blue Sea.
The poor man had no idea that the "retired pirate" he was imagining was currently busy capturing a sand-crocodile in the desert just to add it to his collection.
Gan Fall led the two men into his shrine and offered them some of the Sky Island's unique drinks. After a bit of friendly conversation, his face grew serious.
"To be honest with you both, our holy land is facing a great crisis."
He explained that for the past few years, a man named Eneru, who called himself "God," had been attacking the holy land with his followers, the God's Enforcers. Eneru was trying to take the throne for himself.
Moria listened with a bored expression. Just another guy calling himself a god. How dull.
Tesoro, however, listened intently, picking up on the important details. "So, this Eneru has lightning abilities, and he can hear every sound on the Sky Island?"
"That's right," Gan Fall nodded, his face filled with worry. "His 'Mantra' is spreading wider every day. We can't make a single move without him knowing. And his lightning… it's a god-like power that we simply can't fight against."
Later, after leaving the shrine, Moria and Tesoro walked along a path made of clouds.
"Tesoro, what do you think?" Moria asked. He was too lazy to think for himself and knew that the smart, flashy man next to him was the key to this mission.
"Senior Moria, the situation is a little different from the information Lord Kyle gave us," Tesoro said, his eyes shining with intelligence. "This Eneru doesn't seem as unbeatable as Lord Kyle described. His Mantra has a wide range, but it doesn't seem very precise. His lightning is powerful, but it's not like he can freely change its shape or move at the speed of light."
"So, he's an amateur?" Moria's interest was piqued.
"You could say that," Tesoro replied with a slight smirk. "And this is our opportunity."
"An opportunity… to get the most out of this mission."
Following Tesoro's plan, the two didn't attack immediately. Instead, they used Moria's shadow clones to spread out across the Sky Island and gather more information. They secretly watched the movements of Eneru and his Enforcers. They even found ways to secretly "help" Eneru, making his conquest of the holy land move much faster.
For instance, one of Moria's shadows would quietly destroy the traps set by Gan Fall's soldiers. In another case, Tesoro used a small amount of gold to bribe one of Eneru's greedy followers, learning Eneru's entire attack plan.
Soon, with the secret push from Moria and Tesoro, the situation in the holy land grew worse and worse. Eneru's forces tore through the defenses, and Gan Fall's army was forced to retreat again and again.
Just when the holy land was about to fall and everyone had lost hope, Moria and Tesoro finally made their move.
Moria simply stood still as his shadow split into countless bats, which instantly defeated hundreds of Eneru's soldiers. Tesoro merely raised a hand, creating a massive, unbreakable wall of solid gold that blocked a powerful attack from the God's Enforcers.
The incredible strength they displayed gave Gan Fall and the residents of Skypiea a new sense of hope. That night, Gan Fall visited them again, his attitude now one of deep respect.
"Gentlemen, please, you must help us defeat Eneru!"
Tesoro sighed, pretending to be troubled. "Lord Gan Fall, it's not that we don't want to help. But we came here on Lord Kyle's orders to study the culture of the Sky Island. If we get into a fight with the 'God' of this place, I'm afraid it might interfere with Lord Kyle's important mission…"
He deliberately connected the words "mission" and "fight," and Gan Fall, being a wise leader, immediately understood the hidden meaning. It's going to cost more!
He hesitated for a moment, but the desire to protect his home was stronger. "Gentlemen!" he declared, bowing deeply. "If you can drive away Eneru and protect our holy land, we will give you all the gold from the legendary lost city of Shandora!"
Hidden from Gan Fall's view, a satisfied smile spread across Tesoro's face.
The next day, the sky was clear, and the sea of clouds swirled gently. A massive ark, so large it blocked out the sun, slowly approached and hovered over the holy land, casting a giant shadow below.
Eneru stood at the front of the ship. With his long earlobes and arrogant expression, he looked down on the Skypieans who were gathered below with their weapons ready.
"Yahahahaha! False god Gan Fall, your time is up!" he boomed. "Hand over your throne and kneel before me!"
However, Gan Fall did not show the panicked expression Eneru expected. Instead, the crowd below parted, and two figures walked forward. One was incredibly tall, with a pale, devil-like face. The other wore a fine suit, his golden accessories shining brightly in the sun.
Eneru paused for a moment, then sneered. "Oh? Is the false god too scared to face me? Did he send a couple of clowns from the Blue Sea to die for him?"
He lazily pointed a finger at Moria and Tesoro. "You two, kneel and accept my divine blessing. If you do, I might consider giving you a quick death."
Veins bulged on Moria's forehead. "Gihahahahaha…" He let out a laugh filled with rage. "It's been a long time since I've met such an arrogant brat. If Kyle didn't want you alive, I'd stuff you in my shadow box right now!"
Eneru's arrogant attitude and the way he treated others' lives as worthless filled Tesoro with disgust. That condescending, self-important face, so sure of his right to control the fates of others, was exactly like the disgusting Celestial Dragons he hated so much.
He slowly raised his hand, his voice cold. "God? You? You dare call yourself that?"
Boom—!
The moment he finished speaking, an endless torrent of liquid gold erupted from the sea of clouds above! The gold formed into a colossal, sky-covering wave that completely blocked the sun. With terrifying and unstoppable force, it crashed down toward Eneru and his ark.
Standing before the golden tsunami, Tesoro felt the immense power of his Gold-Gold Fruit resonating with the endless gold of the island. A feeling of thrilling power rushed through him. He spread his arms wide and let out a triumphant laugh that echoed through the sky.
"I, Gild Tesoro, have never fought such a rich battle!"
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Author's Note: Hey everyone! Just a heads-up that I'm launching a new Naruto fanfic tomorrow. If you've been enjoying my work so far, make sure to check my profile tomorrow and add it to your library!
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion