While Kaidou and his crew were enthusiastically transporting the treasures of the City of Gold, the palace on the divine island of Skypiea was filled with tension. This island floating ten thousand meters in the sky was now facing an unprecedented crisis.
Several Priests in white robes hurriedly crossed the palace corridors, their rapid footsteps echoing across the empty marble floors. They quickly reached the center of the palace and knelt on one knee before Gan Fall, who was reviewing documents.
The stained glass on the palace dome cast mottled shadows, adding a solemn atmosphere to the tense scene.
"Lord God, something terrible has happened!" the lead Priest's voice trembled, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His white robe was already soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to his back.
Gan Fall, in his prime, set down his quill and furrowed his brow. His sharp eyes swept over the Priests before him as he asked in a deep voice, "Have the Shandians launched another attack?" As the ruler of Sky Island, he had long grown accustomed to the prolonged conflict with the Shandians.
"No, it's not the Shandians," the Priest quickly shook his head, his hands unconsciously clenching. "It's from the Blue Sea... no, it might not even be human—it's a massive Azure Dragon! It flew directly here from the Blue Sea with a large ship." The Priest's voice carried unconcealed fear.
Another Priest added, "What's even more frightening is that they're now heading toward the abandoned Golden Plaza. Lord God, we've never seen such powerful outsiders before." His words were filled with unease, his eyes constantly shifting.
Hearing this, Gan Fall abruptly stood up, his office chair scraping harshly against the floor behind him.
He quickly walked to the window and looked toward the direction of the Golden Plaza, his expression turning unusually grave. As the God of Sky Island, he understood exactly what this meant—powerful beings from the Blue Sea were likely to disrupt the long-standing balance of Sky Island. The clouds outside seemed to sense this tension as well, beginning to churn restlessly.
"Assemble the Divine Soldiers immediately," Gan Fall turned and commanded, his voice carrying unquestionable authority. "I will personally meet these visitors from the Blue Sea." His cloak fluttered sharply with his turn.
"Yes, Lord God!" the Priests responded in unison before quickly leaving to carry out the order. The palace immediately echoed with hurried footsteps and the clanking of metal.
Soon, Gan Fall set out with six Priests and three hundred elite Divine Soldiers, heading toward Kaidou and his group. As the procession advanced, Gan Fall noticed the floating clouds in the sky were thicker than usual, as if foretelling an approaching storm. The Divine Soldiers' armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, their spears pointing uniformly toward the sky.
Meanwhile, at the Golden Plaza, Queen stood by a massive golden pillar, a cigar in his mouth and his eyes narrowed. Amid the swirling smoke, he closely monitored his subordinates' progress in moving the gold. He impatiently kicked a nearby pirate and growled, "Move faster! We need all this gold loaded onto the ship before dark!" His voice echoed across the empty plaza.
Several pirates redoubled their efforts upon hearing this, sweat streaming down their cheeks. One of them muttered under his breath, "This gold is really heavy..." His arms trembled slightly from prolonged carrying.
Kaidou stood not far away, tilting his head back to take a large swig of strong liquor before letting out his signature laugh: "Worororo... Queen, no need to rush. We're heading to the Four Seas anyway—we can always come back for it when we return to the New World." Liquor trickled from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto the gold-paved ground.
Queen exhaled a smoke ring and turned to Kaidou: "Boss Kaidou, precisely because we're going to the Four Seas, I want to bring more gold. Things that are hard to obtain in the New World can all be bought in the Four Seas." Suddenly narrowing his eyes, he sharply gazed into the distance: "Seems like the island's natives are coming." His tone carried obvious disdain.
As Queen's words faded, King, Bullet, Sebastian, Gavin and others immediately stopped what they were doing, warily looking into the distance. The pirates who had been busy moving gold quickly set down their loads, grabbed weapons, and formed defensive positions around the golden pillars. The clashing of metal rose and fell as tension thickened the air.
Gan Fall led a group of Priests in a steady advance, a murderous atmosphere spreading through the air. Divine Soldiers held spears, standing in orderly ranks, their armor glinting coldly in the sunlight. Their synchronized footsteps demonstrated rigorous training.
One Priest cautiously scanned the surroundings and noticed the Azure Dragon that had carried the enemies up was nowhere to be seen, allowing his tense nerves to relax slightly.
Stepping forward, he straightened his posture and sternly shouted at Kaidou's group: "Intruders from the Blue Sea, who gave you permission to move Skypiea's possessions? Every blade of grass and tree here belongs to the gods! Where has that Azure Dragon that brought you up here hidden?" His voice echoed across the empty plaza.
Queen, chewing on his cigar, casually flicked the butt to the ground and crushed it under his polished leather boot. Squinting with a contemptuous sneer, he said: "Heh, mere Sky Island natives dare to question us?" His gaze swept over the crowd. "And gods? Who are you calling a god?" His voice dripped with mockery.
The Priest fearlessly pointed to Gan Fall beside him: "Of course, our god of Skypiea, Lord Gan Fall." His voice held unwavering conviction.
"Muhahaha!" Queen suddenly burst into laughter, his obese frame shaking with mirth. "A god? Him? Since when do mere natives deserve to be called gods?" His raucous laughter cut sharply through the thin Sky Island air, prompting surrounding pirates to join in the derisive chorus.
Gan Fall stepped forward and stated calmly: "Sir, I am indeed this island's god. May I ask your purpose for coming here?" His voice remained steady and authoritative, revealing his demeanor as a ruler.
Queen didn't answer immediately, instead turning to look at Kaidou who was drinking nearby. The liquid in the gourd sloshed slightly with Kaidou's movements, shimmering with amber light in the sun. Kaidou's figure appeared particularly imposing in the sunlight, his shadow nearly engulfing the entire plaza.
"Wororororo..." Kaidou's low laughter rumbled like muffled thunder. He slowly rose to his feet, his massive frame casting a shadow that enveloped Gan Fall and his companions. The innate oppressive aura made the Sky Islanders instinctively retreat half a step. Every muscle on his body seemed to contain explosive power, sending chills down their spines.
"So you're the ruler of this island?!" Kaidou's voice vibrated through the air like rolling thunder. Dangerous light flickered in his eyes, a cruel smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.
Gan Fall forced himself to remain calm, looking up to meet the giant's gaze: "Indeed, I am the god of this island! May I ask who you are?" Despite facing such overwhelming pressure, his voice remained steady.
"The name's Kaidou, captain of the Beasts Pirates." Kaidou grinned, revealing his stark white teeth. "As for my purpose here..." He scanned the land floating among the clouds, greed flashing in his eyes, "Naturally, it's to bring this island under my rule." His words carried an undeniable domineering aura.
Upon hearing this, Gan Fall's expression changed drastically. The Priests behind him tightened their grips on their weapons, while the Divine Soldiers uniformly aimed their spears at Kaidou and his crew.