Robin finally closed Noland's logbook, her fingers tapping against the cover as she processed everything she'd read.
"Noland, Roger... the City of Gold, One Piece."
She stared at the book thoughtfully. "The skull's left eye is the City of Gold. So then... what's the right eye?"
She couldn't help but wonder, was the skull's right eye actually One Piece?
But then again, was One Piece really just a "great treasure"? She didn't think so. After all, from what she'd gathered over the years, Roger had entered and exited the Grand Line multiple times. He'd clearly been collecting Poneglyphs.
"He put everything in that place..." she murmured. "Could that mean something else? Did Roger put the truth there instead of treasure?"
Her heartbeat quickened at the thought.
If her guess was right, then finding One Piece would mean discovering the answer to the question she'd been pursuing her entire life, the truth behind the blank hundred years of history. But she quickly pushed the speculation aside. Getting ahead of herself wouldn't help anything.
"Let's find the Poneglyph related to the City of Gold and see what it says."
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts.
Just then, the Straw Hats came trudging back from deeper inside the snake, all of them wearing complicated expressions.
"Back already?" Robin asked.
"There's just... a bunch of shit back there," Luffy said bluntly. "Like, real poop."
Robin wasn't surprised. A snake's digestive system was essentially a long tube, the further back you went, the more thoroughly food was broken down. Near the tail end, you'd only find waste waiting to be expelled.
"So? Did you find any clues about treasure?" Nami asked, glancing at the logbook in Robin's hands.
Robin shook her head. "Most of what's written here is just commentary and complaints about different islands. Nothing about hidden treasure, unfortunately."
Nami sighed. "That's a shame."
Still, she looked satisfied enough as she prepared to head back the way they'd come. After all, they'd already collected most of the gold from inside the snake. Time to return to the ship.
Robin seemed ready to go back as well.
When the group emerged from Nola's massive jaws, they were greeted by an unusual sight on the deck.
Satori was covered head to toe in crystalline, glass-like mushrooms that sparkled in the sunlight.
"What is this?!" Nami exclaimed, her face twisting in confusion and disgust.
Chopper immediately explained what had happened while they were gone.
Soon everyone understood the situation.
"So this is one of the priests, huh?" Sanji examined Satori curiously, then his attention was drawn to the icy-blue, semi-transparent mushrooms. "Did Shira grow these with her powers? They look kinda poisonous, but I wonder... would they taste good grilled?"
The mushrooms produced by the Shroom-Shroom Fruit's power could be eaten, he had researched this before. Mushrooms were rare and refined ingredients. Some special varieties, once properly detoxified, had exquisite flavors that couldn't be replicated. Many of the mushroom dishes on the ship were supplied by Shira.
The moment "food" was mentioned, Luffy's attention naturally locked on.
"Something to eat? Hey, there are mushrooms here! They look delicious!" Without a second thought, he plucked one and popped it into his mouth.
Sanji didn't even have time to stop him. "Wait—"
"Mm! Crispy! Sweet! Tasty!" Luffy's eyes lit up as he reached for another.
But in the next instant, he suddenly shivered. "Huh? Why do I feel so cold all of a sudden...?"
Before he could finish the sentence, small icy-blue mushrooms began sprouting all over his body, growing at a visible rate. He didn't seem to notice the mushrooms. He just shivered violently, then toppled over and fell asleep right there on the deck.
"Ah! Luffy! He's been poisoned by the mushroom! Doctor!" Chopper panicked, running in circles.
Sanji sighed and grabbed the reindeer by the scruff of his neck. "Calm down, you're the doctor, remember?"
"Oh! Right!" Chopper froze for a second, then hurriedly began examining Luffy. "This is bad! His heartbeat and pulse are getting weaker!"
"So warm~" Luffy mumbled deliriously, his face turning pale with a bluish tint.
"That's the false warmth before freezing to death! We need to warm him up, but this doesn't look like frostbite!" Chopper was flustered. He'd never encountered such a bizarre condition before.
Marcus pulled out a bottle of milk and poured it straight down Luffy's throat.
Less than three seconds later, Luffy suddenly sat bolt upright, looking around in confusion. "Huh? Is it morning already?"
"Morning?! You almost died, you idiot!" Sanji yelled.
Chopper breathed a huge sigh of relief seeing their captain awake and alert.
Luffy suddenly remembered what had just happened. "Oh yeah! Those ice mushrooms were really good, super crispy! I want another one!"
"Those mushrooms are highly poisonous! You cannot eat them!" Chopper shouted, blocking Luffy's path.
"Aww, that's a shame..." Luffy drooled, staring longingly at the crystalline fungi.
The scene was honestly pretty bizarre, crystal-like mushrooms sprouting from a human body.
"Wait a bit. I'll make you some proper mushroom dishes later," Sanji promised.
"Yay!" Luffy instantly forgot about the poisonous ice mushrooms.
Still, both Sanji and Chopper collected samples of the strange fungi, Sanji wanted to experiment with them in cooking, while Chopper was curious whether they could serve medicinal purposes. After all, in the right doses and applications, poison could become medicine.
Meanwhile, Marcus was staring into the distance, checking his minimap.
On the display, he could see that both the Shandians and the Skypieans had encountered their respective opponents. The Shandians had run into Shura, while the Skypieans were facing Gedatsu.
With Usopp's explosives, he should be able to handle it... right?
In the original story, Gedatsu had been a complete fool, he'd nearly gotten himself killed by his own swamp clouds. In fact, he was the only priest who'd gotten a cover story afterward, going on to become a hot spring developer of all things. So if it came down to explosions versus swamps, Usopp should be fine.
---
Inside the Ordeal of Swamp arena, Usopp stood facing Gedatsu. His expression was blank and unreadable.
Gedatsu, with his eyes rolled back and lips twitching, looked completely out of it.
They'd been standing like this, facing each other, for several minutes now.
Usopp couldn't figure out what kind of opponent this was. According to the Skypieans' reports, this man was one of Enel's priests in charge of the Ordeal of Swamp. Supposedly, anyone who fell into the swamp never came back alive.
That made him too nervous to make any reckless moves.
As for Gedatsu...
"Mmff! Mmmph! Grrrmph!"
"...What?"
Usopp blinked, utterly confused by the strange muffled noises.
"Is this guy blind or something?" one of the Skypiean spectators whispered. "Why does he keep rolling his eyes back like that? And biting his lips?"
Only then did Gedatsu suddenly seem to realize something. "Ah! I forgot, I need to remember to blink! And open my mouth when I talk!"
Usopp stared in disbelief.
The Skypieans in the distance hadn't heard the muttered comment, but Usopp, standing much closer, had caught every word. It was taking all his willpower not to let loose with the sarcastic commentary building up inside him.
Was this guy serious? He forgot how to blink and open his mouth?
"Hmm?" Gedatsu's eyes suddenly focused on the group. It took him a moment to register what was happening, then his eyes narrowed. "This is a forbidden zone. Do you people understand the consequences of trespassing here?"
His gaze swept across the assembled Angel Islanders, and more than a few of them felt their courage wavering under that stare. After years of Enel's tyrannical rule, the authority of the priests was deeply ingrained in everyone's minds. Fear was a hard habit to break.
But where some felt fear, others found defiance.
McKinley stepped forward at that moment.
"We're not afraid of Enel anymore! If that coward has any guts, tell him to come out and face us! Our god will deal with him personally! A new god has risen!"
His eyes burned with conviction, like he was ready to start a revolution right there and then.
Usopp, who knew full well that Skypiea's so-called god was already gone, felt panic rising in his chest. He'd been riding high on adrenaline earlier, but now reality was catching up.
He coughed lightly, about to say something to defuse the situation, but McKinley's words were like gasoline thrown on smoldering coals. In an instant, they ignited the passion of everyone present.
"A new god has risen!"
"A new god has risen!"
The chant thundered across the clearing. Voices overlapped, building into a chorus that shook the ground beneath their feet.
Usopp had seen scenes like this before, Vivi standing on a platform in Alabasta, rallying her people. But back then, he'd been safely in the crowd, not the one everyone was looking at.
Now he was the one standing in front of everyone, with all those expectant eyes fixed on him.
What do I do? I'm gonna die here! Someone please save me!
He desperately wished he could go back in time and slap his earlier self.
Why did I have to act cool back there? What was I thinking?!
But there was no backing out now. He'd painted himself into a corner, and the only way forward was through.
Gritting his teeth, he forced his face into a blank, unreadable expression. He kept his voice flat and emotionless as he spoke, "I'll give you one minute."
What the fuck am I saying?! Why am I provoking him right now?!
Gedatsu stared at Usopp, eyes wide and unblinking. His lips pressed together tightly, then started moving like he was chewing on something.
The two sides fell into a strange silence.
Usopp's heart was pounding so hard he was sure everyone could hear it. But he held his ground. If Gedatsu didn't attack, that was fine by him. More time to figure out an escape plan.
"What's happening?" someone from Angel Island whispered.
Behind them, the crowd began murmuring amongst themselves.
"Lord Usopp is incredible! He's just standing there, and the enemy is frozen, can't even move a step!"
"More than that, look at the priest! I think he's about to pass out!"
"This must be divine pressure! The aura of a god!"
"Wait, is his face turning purple?"
"That must be because Lord Usopp's presence is so overwhelming! The priest is literally suffocating from fear!"
"But... can that really happen? He's still a priest of Enel. And Lord Usopp isn't even doing anything special. He looks so... normal."
"You don't understand! That's what true divine might looks like! Mortals can't withstand gazing upon a god! Lord Usopp is being merciful, he's not releasing his full power on us. Otherwise, we wouldn't even be able to breathe!"
"Oh! That makes sense!"
"Wait, look! The priest moved! Wait, he's falling!"
"What?!"
Every eye widened as Gedatsu suddenly toppled forward, hitting the ground.
The crowd erupted in gasps and excited chatter.
Usopp himself was completely baffled. What just happened? Why did he suddenly fall over?
Down on the ground, Gedatsu suddenly seemed to realize something.
"I forgot to say it out loud."
When Usopp had given him "one minute," he had been furiously retorting, but apparently, only in his head. He'd completely forgotten to open his mouth and speak the words.
And he'd only just now realized his mistake, lying there in a daze.
Normally, he always had his adjutant by his side to remind him of such basic things, to blink, to breathe, to speak out loud instead of just thinking. But since Enel's disappearance, countless divine soldiers had been sent out to search for their missing god, and his adjutant had gone with them.
As for why he'd fallen just now... well, apparently he'd forgotten to breathe while trying to speak.
Usopp stared at the man's blank, slightly confused expression, at a complete loss for words.
Is this guy... an idiot? This is supposed to be one of the fearsome priests?
No, wait. This has to be some kind of trap. He's trying to make me lower my guard!
Gedatsu picked himself up off the ground, his eyes once again fixed on Usopp.
"Fake god! You don't even have the courage to take a single step forward!"
Among the four priests, he was actually the weakest in terms of raw power. His trial had a survival rate of fifty percent, by far the highest of any priest's domain. The reason for that high survival rate was simple: his trial relied on terrain rather than direct combat.
The swamp was a trap, not an execution ground. If someone simply turned around and walked away, the entire Ordeal of Swamp became meaningless.
Usopp blinked at his opponent's clumsy attempt at provocation.
Is he... is he trying to taunt me?
A truly powerful warrior might have taken the bait and charged forward. But he had zero delusions about being some kind of god. If anything, the weak provocation only made him more cautious.
Still, he couldn't afford to break character now. The crowd was watching, and chanting his name.
So he started counting down quietly.
"Thirty... twenty-nine..."
He was actually trying to recreate the scene Marcus had pulled off back in Mock Town. None of the Straw Hats had been there to witness what happened that night, but during their three days in Skypiea, they'd made trips to Mock Town. And that story, oh, that story had spread through every tavern and gambling den in the area.
The tale had been retold in at least a dozen different versions by boastful, drunk pirates who couldn't help but embellish the hell out of it. And honestly, the way those idle pirates described it, the level of coolness had reached astronomical heights. They painted it so vividly, with such dramatic flair, that it felt like being there in person.
So he figured: if Marcus could pull it off, maybe he could too.
The countdown threw Gedatsu completely off balance.
How can this guy have such composure? What kind of training produces that kind of mental fortitude?
His expression grew serious. If his opponent wasn't going to move, then he'd have to take the initiative and attack first.
"Swamp Cloud Burger!"
He raised both hands high, and purple swamp-cloud material began gathering in his palms, drawn from the cloud dials hidden in his equipment. This was one of his signature offensive techniques, using specially prepared cloud dials to store and launch compressed swamp-cloud as a projectile weapon. Once a person was enveloped by the swamp-cloud, breaking free through their own strength was nearly impossible. The material would cling and expand, turning victims into immobilized targets.
"If you've got the guts, try catching this!" His attempt at intimidation was painfully obvious, but he hurled the attack anyway.
The purple mass flew through the air toward Usopp, who stared at the approaching swamp-cloud, completely bewildered. He'd never seen anything like it before.
What is that thing? Some kind of Devil Fruit power? Creating stuff out of thin air?
The attack was moving... honestly, pretty slowly. He could have easily dodged it with a simple sidestep.
But after building up all that swagger, could he really afford to dodge like a coward now? Would that even match the image he'd accidentally created?
Hell no.
He didn't know Observation Haki. He hadn't mastered Soru or any of those high-speed movement techniques the really strong fighters used. Among all the male crew members on the Going Merry, he was easily the weakest in raw combat ability.
But he'd been given something that might just save his ass.
He decided to take the hit head-on. Not because he trusted his own strength or durability, he absolutely didn't.
But he trusted the diamond armor set, complete with all those flashy enchantments he didn't fully understand.
After all, even when Zoro had attacked him with a slash during training, the blade hadn't been able to cut through the armor. The protection was insane.
So a priest couldn't possibly be stronger than Zoro... right?
And if he was stronger... well, he had a backup plan. He'd blow himself up like a human bomb using all his explosive ammunition at once, and in the smoke and chaos, he'd quietly slip away while everyone was distracted.
It wasn't the most dignified escape plan, but it was a plan.
The purple swamp-cloud engulfed him completely.
Gedatsu's heart soared. Victory! The so-called "god" had actually fallen for his simple provocation.
As long as no one interfered, and since this Blue Sea dweller knew nothing about Skypiea combat techniques, there was no way he could escape the swamp-cloud. Once trapped, it was over.
His lips curled upward in a smile he couldn't suppress, even though his eyes were still rolled back in his head.
Meanwhile, beneath the purple cloud, Usopp was starting to panic. Actually, he was already regretting his decision to look cool.
Sure, he had some milk in his pouch that could cure poisons and negative effects, but what if this was the kind of poison that killed you instantly on contact? What if the milk didn't work fast enough?
In his frantic state, he squeezed his eyes shut tight and even held his breath, bracing for whatever death was about to claim him.
But... nothing happened.
Instead, a strange sensation spread through his body. It was oddly familiar, like coming home after a long journey.
The Luck of the Sea.
He'd felt this before, back when Marcus had explained how the enchantments worked. In normal seawater, it could partially counteract Devil Fruit weaknesses, though some exhaustion would remain. But in normal water, the feeling was entirely different, like being wrapped in the most comfortable blanket, completely safe and protected.
And right now, that's exactly what he was experiencing.
He blinked his eyes open.
No poison burning through his veins, and no suffocating pressure crushing his lungs.
Just... nothing bad at all.
What the hell?
He was quite confused. Had Gedatsu even attacked properly? Was this some kind of delayed effect?
Out of curiosity, he waved his arm, and to his shock, the swamp-cloud covering his head and shoulders moved with the motion, responding to his gesture as if it were drawn by an invisible thread. The purple mass gathered and condensed around his left arm like it was following his commands.
His vision cleared instantly.
Finally able to see again, he looked around. Nothing had really changed from before.
The Skypieans behind him had been wearing expressions of worry, but the moment they saw him brush aside the swamp-cloud with a simple wave, their faces transformed into knowing looks of "just as we expected from our god."
Gedatsu stared with his mouth hanging open, eyes somehow going even wider than before. His swamp-cloud had just been swept aside like that?
That was cloud matter, formless and intangible by nature!
There were ways to counter it, sure. You could use a Wind Dial to blow it away, or ignite it with a Flame Dial to burn through it. You could even roll around on the cloud ground to scrape it off bit by bit. Those were established techniques that made sense.
But just waving it away with a casual hand gesture? What kind of bullshit was that?
Refusing to accept what he'd just seen, he condensed another mass of swamp-cloud and hurled it at Usopp with more force this time.
Once again, Usopp simply waved his arm, and the purple cloud was drawn toward it like iron to a magnet, completely harmless.
He was barely holding it together at this point. He didn't understand what was happening at all, but he couldn't show weakness now. So he said the first thing that came to mind, "Are you done playing around yet?"
But to everyone else listening, those words sounded dismissive and arrogant, like a god toying with a mortal who'd challenged him.
"You think this is just playing?!"
Gedatsu still hadn't figured out his opponent's true power, but this was too much.
He's treating my attacks like they're a joke?!
He might have been missing a few brain cells, but he was still a priest of Enel, and that position came with pride. To have his signature move fail so spectacularly, and then be dismissed as "playing around," how could he possibly endure that?
No. He would not stand for this.
Usopp watched as his opponent suddenly seemed to snap. He had no idea what had triggered this reaction.
What's with this guy? Why is he suddenly pissed off?
Then he noticed Gedatsu taking a very specific stance, arm drawn back, body coiled for a strike. The posture looked eerily similar to one of Luffy's attacks.
A rubber pistol?
Usopp's eyes widened. Was he about to face a rubber attack?
Before the thought could fully form, Gedatsu had already activated something hidden in his equipment, a Jet Dial. This was an upgraded version of the regular Wind Dial, capable of releasing compressed air with incredible force. When attached to someone's elbow and triggered, the explosive thrust could propel a punch so fast that it would hit targets dozens of meters away in the blink of an eye.
Opponents who reacted too slowly often had no idea what killed them.
Ting.
The metallic sound of the Jet Dial activating rang out across the clearing.
CRACK.
A sickening noise followed, the sound of bone shattering. It was so visceral that everyone watching felt their teeth ache in sympathy.
Pff.
Blood sprayed from Gedatsu's mouth as he coughed violently, looking like he'd just suffered internal injuries.
This scene left not only the Skypieans dumbfounded, but even Usopp himself at a total loss for words.
Are you trying to scam me right now? Is this that insurance-fraud thing people talk about?
He stared at Gedatsu's arm. The bone was jutting out through the skin near his chest area.
"Fuck..." Gedatsu managed to choke out before his eyes rolled completely back in his head and he collapsed unconscious right there on the ground.
Usopp just stood there.
What was that? That didn't look fake, but... what even happened? Did he just attack himself? Why would he do that?
He was completely lost.
But then, before he could process what he'd just witnessed, the Skypieans behind him erupted into loud cheering.
The crowd's reaction made a kind of sense, you can't understand something that's beyond mortal comprehension, and therefore it must be divine power at work.
Such a bizarre victory only strengthened their belief in Usopp's supposed divine nature. After all, the logic was simple: only a god could make an enemy die instantly without even striking them directly. Only a god could defeat one of Enel's feared priests so casually.
"This is the power of a true god!"
Those who had been hiding in the back of the crowd, the ones who'd been most afraid, now believed even more fervently that Usopp was divine. It was the only explanation that made sense for why divine punishment hadn't fallen upon him for his blasphemy.
He didn't even need to move, just by standing there, a priest had been struck down.
Even if Enel showed up right now, so what? They had their own god now.
The cheering grew even wilder.
Usopp, hearing all this, felt his mind going blank.
What is going on? Someone please explain this to me!
He'd somehow defeated a priest without even understanding what his opponent's ability was, or what had actually transpired during the "fight."
All he'd done was stand still, wave his arm twice, and count down some numbers. That was literally it.
"The old god is gone! Long live the new god!"
"The old god is gone! Long live the new god!"
"The old god is gone! Long live the new god!"
"LONG LIVE GOD USOPP!"
The revolutionary chant of the Skypieans rose higher and higher, determined to make their voices heard throughout all of Upper Yard, proclaiming the birth of a new divine order.
At that very moment, a figure riding a giant spotted bird appeared in the sky above, staring down at the scene.
It was Gan Fall.
After his failed negotiations with the Shandians, he'd been on his way back to find the Straw Hat crew again. But then he'd spotted the Skypieans gathering and marching toward Upper Yard as a unified group.
As the former god, there was no way he could stand by and watch ordinary citizens face the priests. After all, the Skypieans who'd survived this long were mostly the weak and powerless, anyone capable of real resistance had already died under Enel's divine judgment years ago.
So he'd rushed here to help. But when he arrived, he was greeted by this absurd scene.
Even the weakest of Enel's four priests was far beyond what normal people should be able to handle. Yet here one lay, defeated and broken, while the crowd celebrated around a stranger.
At that moment, the celebrating Skypieans also noticed him hovering above, Gan Fall returned at last.
The atmosphere shifted from jubilant to awkward in an instant.
Gan Fall had been a kind and responsible god during his reign. Many of the Skypieans held him in high regard, and quite a few had breathed sighs of relief upon learning he was still alive after Enel's coup.
Those with the spirit of rebellion had been secretly waiting, hoping for his return, believing he would save them and help them reclaim Upper Yard from Enel's tyranny.
But now... things had changed.
Awkwardness. That might be the right word to describe the scene. It was like watching a husband come home late after an overtime shift, only to find that some random stranger had beaten up the man who'd been tormenting his wife, and now that wife was cheering for the stranger, declaring her loyalty to him, and proclaiming she'd rather have this newcomer as her husband instead.
The metaphor was weird, right? But it was disturbingly accurate.