Chapter 86: Skypiea – Camp Reunion & the Promise of Tomorrow
"Robin-san, that explosion over there…!" Vivi suddenly stopped, pupils contracting slightly. She stared at the rising flames in the distance, fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes.
Robin followed her gaze, her expression darkening slightly: "It seems something happened on Usopp-san's side."
"I hope they're okay," Vivi bit her lower lip, voice filled with unease.
"Yeah," Robin said softly, "I hope they're still alive."
"Uwah! Robin-san, you don't have to say it so bluntly!" A bead of cold sweat instantly appeared on Vivi's forehead; her shoulders trembled.
Robin gave a light chuckle and turned to walk: "Come on, Vivi. We should head back."
"Ah! Wait for me!" Vivi hurriedly jogged after her. The two figures quickly disappeared into the shadows of the dense forest.
"Luffy, do you know where we are right now?" Zoro called out. His steps didn't slow; the blades in his hands sliced sharp arcs through the air, severing any obstructing vines.
"Aren't you the one leading?" Luffy suddenly threw the question back at Zoro.
But the towering mushroom cloud rising in the distance made both of them skid to a halt at the same time.
"The camp's in trouble." Luffy pressed down his straw hat; his voice was unusually low.
"Ah, we need to hurry back." Zoro gripped his sword hilts tighter, eyes sharp.
The two immediately turned and dashed toward the source of the explosion.
"Zoro, this way!" Luffy stretched his rubber arm, grabbed Zoro—who was about to charge into the bushes—and forcibly yanked him back onto the correct path.
"Hey! I can walk by myself!" Zoro stumbled a couple steps and roared in annoyance.
Luffy scratched his cheek and grinned: "Man, you're such a pain. You're even worse at directions than me?"
Zoro's face instantly flushed red; veins bulged on his forehead: "Shut up!"
The afterglow of sunset bathed the Merry's deck. Chopper and Karoo were carefully tending to the wounded.
At that moment, rustling came from the distant trees.
Robin and Vivi emerged first, stepping quickly through the bushes, faces full of worry.
Next came Nami and Sol. Nami's eyes swiftly scanned the scene; her brows knitted tightly.
Not long after, Sanji appeared—still holding a bouquet of wildflowers he'd picked somewhere. Despite his injuries, he maintained his elegant demeanor.
Finally, amid noisy snapping branches, "Ah! We're finally back!" Luffy's loud voice rang out from afar. He and Zoro burst out of the trees from completely opposite directions—clearly having gotten lost again.
"Chopper! Usopp! Karoo! How are you guys?! Why are you hurt so badly?!" Vivi rushed over to the heavily bandaged Usopp.
Chopper sniffled and recounted the entire battle in detail.
After listening, Nami nodded, her tone unusually gentle: "No wonder the Sky Knight is lying over there… so that's what happened. You guys worked hard—not only did you protect the Merry, but you managed to defeat the enemy through all that hardship."
"Of course!" Though pale, Usopp weakly raised a hand, gave a thumbs-up, and grinned: "I'm Usopp-sama after all! That kind of enemy was nothing—caught him with one hand!"
"Usopp, sugoi!" Luffy excitedly slapped him on the shoulder.
"Pffft!" Usopp spat a mouthful of blood; his whole body nearly sank into the ground, eyes rolling back.
"Idiot! Be gentle! You almost sent Usopp to heaven!" Sol delivered an iron fist to Luffy's head.
Only then did Luffy notice Usopp's mouth hanging wide open—a translucent white soul slowly floating out…
"Usopp! Hold on!" Chopper rushed over in a panic, performing CPR and force-feeding medicine until he dragged Usopp's soul back in.
A few seconds later: "Cough cough… I-I think I just saw the Sanzu River," Usopp weakly opened his eyes and muttered in a daze.
"Seriously, none of you ever give me a break…" Sol sighed, sat cross-legged, and directed: "Luffy, Zoro—bring Gan Fall and that bird over here."
He glanced at Sanji standing nearby: "Sanji, sit down too. Don't just stand there—you're hurt pretty bad."
"Ohh." Sanji responded and casually handed the wildflowers to Robin before sitting.
Zoro and Luffy carried the man and bird over.
As Sol activated his healing magic, a faint green light enveloped everyone.
Feeling his wounds recover, Sanji lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a stream of white smoke: "Phew… Actually, I ran into a priest too—one who called himself the master of the 'Trial of Balls.' That guy could use Observation Haki… though around here they seem to call it 'Mantra.'"
"Hmph. Looks like your win wasn't easy either." Zoro folded his arms; for once he didn't mock—instead there was a hint of respect in his tone.
"Man, that's so cool~ You guys got to fight priests, while me and Zoro just got chased around by a super huge python! What a shame," Luffy said enviously without a care.
Robin sat on a tree stump, legs elegantly crossed, and picked up the topic: "Vivi and I found the other half of Mr. Cricket's house among the ruins. This proves the Golden City really existed—it was simply carried up to the White Sea by the upward current."
"But unfortunately the Golden City is now just an empty shell," Nami lay face-down on the grass dejectedly, tracing circles with her finger. "The whole city's hollowed out… all the gold pried away… my treasure…"
"What about the great golden bell mentioned in Noland's log?" Robin asked.
"We didn't have time to search thoroughly," Nami sighed. "We saw the explosion and rushed back immediately."
Sol suddenly interjected: "But I found something you'll be interested in." He gave Robin a thumbs-up. "A Poneglyph."
Robin's eyes instantly lit up. She leaned forward abruptly, hands planted on the grass on either side of Sol: "Where?! Take me to see it right now!"
Sol was startled by the sudden closeness and quickly waved his hands: "It's already late tonight. Let's rest properly first. I'll take you there first thing tomorrow morning."
"You're right." Robin calmed herself slightly and regained her usual composure.
At that moment Sanji stretched his limbs: "My injuries are mostly healed. I'll go prepare dinner."
"I'll go hunting!" Luffy leaped up.
"I'll gather some wild vegetables." Vivi stood as well.
"I'll come too," Zoro rose to join.
Before long, enticing aromas rose from the center of camp. Sanji stewed various ingredients into a rich, savory pot of stew. Everyone sat around together, eating heartily, recharging their energy for tomorrow's adventure.
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