Conis stared at him in terror and quickly covered his mouth, "God can hear you — stop talking!"
Noyer pulled her hand away, unable to speak with his mouth covered, "I'm just asking."
Conis lowered her voice, "The island where God resides is the sacred domain of Upper Yard. The ground there is covered in vearth, and giant trees grow there."
Robin looked confused, "Vearth? What's that?"
Conis's eyes filled with longing, "It's the most precious thing on Skypiea. Only Upper Yard has it."
Noyer and Robin exchanged glances.
Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration. He activated his Suna Suna no Mi, and a handful of yellow earth appeared in his hand.
Noyer held up the soil, "Is this it?"
Seeing him conjure sand from nothing, Conis stared in disbelief and gently picked up a pinch.
"This is vearth?!" Father and daughter exclaimed.
Pagaya rubbed the soil repeatedly, "This feels different from the stuff on Upper Yard — softer and finer."
Noyer asked Conis for a bottle and filled it with sand, "This is sand. The vearth on Upper Yard is soil with moisture and nutrients — there's a difference."
Robin pondered, "Skypiea has all kinds of clouds but no soil, so it becomes precious."
Pagaya held the bottle as if it were treasure. Conis couldn't hide her confusion, "Big brother Noyer, who are you? Why can you create vearth from nothing?"
Noyer looked at the curious Conis, "This is the power of a Devil Fruit. Your god is just someone who ate one."
"Devil Fruit?" Conis had never heard the term.
Noyer smiled, "They're rare on Skypiea, but in the Blue Sea, plenty of people have eaten Devil Fruits and gained this so-called divine power."
Conis's concept of god wavered, "Really?"
"Of course." Noyer gave Robin a look, "Robin, show them what you've got."
Robin tapped the table with her slender hand. Accompanied by pink petals, a delicate hand bloomed out. Literally showing a hand!
Pagaya collapsed to the ground in fright. Conis's nerves were more resilient — she stared at the hand with both fear and curiosity, then tentatively touched it.
"This is also Devil Fruit power. These abilities are divided into three types. One transforms you into animals, one gives superpowers like Robin's, and one lets you become an element like me." Noyer pointed to himself, and Robin cooperatively slapped him across the face.
His handsome face exploded, revealing a body made of sand. The sand returned and restored itself.
Conis was startled by the display, but after seeing Noyer's sand body, she slowly began to understand.
Pagaya listened thoughtfully. He remembered that the horse beside the previous god could also transform into a bird…
Conis quickly absorbed this knowledge from the Blue Sea and had a sudden realization.
So the invincible god became strong because he ate a Devil Fruit. Was it an ability to control lightning?
She became puzzled again and asked, "But…"
Noyer looked at her hesitant expression and immediately knew what she was going to ask, so he spoke first.
"The ability to monitor Skypiea is called Observation Haki. When cultivated to a high level, it can even see into the future." He paused, "Besides that, its usual function is sensing places that eyes and ears can't reach. For example, outside your house right now, there's a group of guys crawling on the ground wearing berets."
Conis was suddenly alarmed and rushed out to check. Pagaya followed her.
Two steps past the door, she saw the beret troops advancing in a prone position — the White Beret forces, direct troops under the priests. Wherever they appeared, there were usually criminals who had violated Skypiea's laws.
Conis asked nervously, "Captain, what are you doing here?"
The White Beret captain, McKinley, stood up, "There are criminals from Angel Island here. They entered illegally and need to pay a fine!"
Noyer and Robin walked out of the house.
McKinley looked at them, "Hey! Blue Sea people, you've violated God's law and committed a Class-11 crime! You must pay ten times the fine!"
Noyer counted on his fingers — two people, ten times, that would be ฿2,000,000. It's not like he didn't have the money. This fine was nothing to pay.
But he wasn't going to play along with them!
Getting him to pull money from his wallet to pay this ridiculous fine? How was that possible? Do you know who my sister is?!
Noyer picked his nose, "What if I don't want to pay up? What are you going to do about it?"
McKinley flew into a rage and cursed, "You're challenging God's bottom line!"
He waved his hand. All the White Berets behind him stood up, staring menacingly at Noyer.
Conis fearfully tugged at his sleeve, "Big brother Noyer, if you don't have money, I'll help you pay. Don't oppose God."
Noyer sighed, "It's not about the money. There are no gods in this world — just powerful people who call themselves gods."
Even those monsters among the Four Emperors don't dare call themselves gods. Enel, hiding away on this tiny Skypiea, is just a frog in a well. He hasn't experienced the beating the Blue Sea would give him.
Seeing him repeatedly challenge God's dignity, McKinley shouted angrily, "Take down this Blue Sea person! Don't let him insult God!"
The White Beret forces responded in unison. With Jet Dials under their feet, they stepped on clouds, flew into the sky, and attacked Noyer.
Noyer smiled disdainfully and was about to act, but Robin stopped him. She smiled slightly, crossed her hands in front of her chest, and petals scattered everywhere.
Conis and Pagaya could hardly believe their eyes. The imposing divine soldiers charged forward en masse, but in midair, arms sprouted out of nowhere and twisted their joints. The soldiers fell like dumplings, completely wiped out in one go.
Noyer looked at Robin with a smile, "Your ability can sprout even more hands now."
He just wondered if she could sprout something else…
Conis and Pagaya's jaws nearly hit the floor. Beyond the shock of seeing the divine soldiers attacked, Conis also felt a longing for mysterious powers.
Was the Blue Sea really full of people with superpowers? Could she have this kind of magical power too?
McKinley lay on the ground and roared in grief and indignation, "Attacking the White Beret forces is a Class-2 crime! You must be subjected to God's Ordeal!"
Hearing the name of God's Ordeal, Pagaya and Conis's faces changed drastically.
God's Ordeal meant handing sinners over to the priests to be tortured and executed through their trials. But more importantly, the residents of Angel Island were obligated to trick these sinners into entering the Island of Gods, Upper Yard — by any means necessary.
This was the duty Enel had imposed upon the citizens of Angel Island.
Conis couldn't bear to deceive Noyer and Robin. She quickly pulled Robin over and whispered, "Run away, Sister Robin! The priests' ordeals are extremely cruel!"
Robin smiled slightly, "That's not for me to decide."
Conis was stunned, then looked toward Noyer, who patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry, we won't cause trouble for you." He looked at her and asked, "Can you be our companion?"
Conis was a bit confused by his sudden change of topic, "What?"
Noyer said, "We're heading to Upper Yard. When we return, you're coming with us on an adventure to the Blue Sea!"
Without waiting for her answer, he walked toward McKinley, "Hurry up and send us to God's Ordeal. I can hardly wait."
McKinley had never seen a criminal so eager for punishment and said unconsciously, "Okay… okay."
He piloted a Waver, carrying Noyer and Robin toward the depths of the White Sea.
Conis watched them disappear and fell into deep thought. Could they really defeat God?
And he wants me to be their companion, to go to the Blue Sea…
Her faith in God began to waver, replaced by a strong curiosity about the Blue Sea — that place full of vearth.
◇◆◈◆◇
Meanwhile, Noyer and Robin sat on McKinley's boat like lords, putting tremendous pressure on the captain.
He'd seen poor souls heading to God's Ordeal before, but never anyone so eager to meet their death.
When an island covered with lush greenery came into view, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Once these two entered the island, he wouldn't have to worry about them causing trouble.
Noyer and Robin stepped onto the island and surveyed their surroundings.
The plants here grew exceptionally large — as if those from the Blue Sea had been magnified several times over. Lush treetops blocked out most of the sunlight, allowing only faint rays to filter through.
They exchanged a glance and walked deeper into the forest.
As they ventured into the ancient forest, the sounds around them grew quieter. Occasionally, giant beasts would rush out, only to be quickly cut to pieces.
Deep within Upper Yard stood a giant beanstalk reaching into the sky — the Giant Jack. Within its massive vines sat a huge palace, nestled among crumbling ruins.
In the dim palace, jumping blue arcs of electricity suddenly lit up, illuminating everything. Wildly coursing lightning gathered at one point. On the throne, countless arcs formed the shape of a person.
He wore a headband and had conspicuously long ears. His upper body was bare, with thunder drums mounted on his back. He lay arrogantly on his side in the chair.
This was Skypiea's ruler, the one called God: Enel!
Enel was in a very bad mood.
With his powerful Mantra (Observation Haki), he had clearly heard Noyer's words. Those blasphemous insults against God — defaming his great existence!
Enel had been a moment away from unleashing "Heaven's Judgment" (El Thor) to kill that brat directly. But the fool had delivered himself right to the door.
Then he would taste what it's like to be hunted by the priests!
In the God's Shrine, four bizarre-looking fellows knelt on one knee, respectfully awaiting his orders.
Enel looked at his four priest subordinates, "Some fool who doesn't know his place has entered the island. You can have some fun now."
The four became excited immediately, "Yes, we'll handle it!"
Enel nodded, then suddenly frowned and sneered, "That group of guerrillas who don't know their place have come in again."
At the mention of the guerrillas, all four priests became furious.
Shura — wearing aviator goggles and presiding over the Ordeal of String — cursed, "Those damned Shandians dare to trespass on God's territory again!"
Another priest, Ohm, who presided over the Ordeal of Iron, adjusted his sunglasses, "Please let me handle it, God. I'll make sure they never return!"
Enel nodded, then looked at the other two, "Besides those Shandian rats, those two criminals are left to Satori and Gedatsu."
"Yes!" The two answered in unison. All the priests took their leave one after another.
Enel lowered his eyelids disdainfully, "Mere humans, how dare they oppose God…"
◇◆◈◆◇
Noyer sensed with his Observation Haki and inwardly scorned Enel, that voyeur.
Observation Haki only had a few uses: combat warning and finding people or objects. If it could really achieve X-ray vision, he'd want to keep it on all day.
Just as he finished that thought, a small figure appeared in Noyer's Observation Haki. A little girl dressed in tribal clothing crouched on the ground, sneakily setting down her backpack and scooping up something handful by handful.
Robin walked over silently, but before she could get close, the little girl suddenly jumped up as if electrocuted, hugged her bag, and ran.
Noyer, who had already foreseen her movements, took a big stride and blocked her path. The little girl couldn't brake in time and crashed headfirst into his thigh, falling to the ground with a thud.
The bag that fell opened up, spilling soil everywhere.
Noyer picked up the bag, "You came to steal soil? You wouldn't be a Shandian, would you?"
Though young, the little girl had a fiery temper. She glared up and tried to snatch her bag back, but Noyer quickly pressed her down with one hand.
He spoke in a coaxing tone, "Little girl, what's your name? How old are you? Do you need our help?"
"Don't call me little girl!" She said angrily, "My name is Aisa. I'm eight years old, and I'm a Shandian warrior!"
"A warrior at eight?" Noyer doubted the girl's claim.
Robin glanced at him, "It's nothing special. I had a bounty of ฿79,000,000 when I was eight."
Hiss…
Noyer paused. What was he doing at eight in his previous life?
Sitting in front of the TV with classmates, watching Friends and laughing his head off whenever Ross said "We were on a break!"…
◈◈◈
T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
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That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)