"Ah!!!"
The intense pain forced Urouge to drop his smile. Clutching his broken right arm, he howled in agony on the ground.
Having failed to consume that unknown fruit, he couldn't convert pain into strength, leaving him vulnerable to severe injuries.
Thud!
Yasa's fist followed, smashing into Urouge's head. Urouge's earth-shaking scream moments ago might have already been heard. They couldn't stay here much longer.
Dragging two bodies—one dead, one barely alive—he hurried to the massive hole where the Super-Fast Shrimp had brought him earlier. He tossed both bodies ruthlessly into the abyss.
He'd kept Urouge alive to see if, after his provocation, Urouge could still become a Supernova. He wanted to know if he could change the future's momentum.
With his task done, Yasa pushed the Waver upright and pressed the switch connected to the Vent Shell. The vehicle shot southeast at full speed.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
The Waver wasn't easy to drive. It required understanding wind patterns and ocean currents. But these weren't problems for Yasa—he mastered it after a few wobbles.
After all, when an experienced driver hits the road, there's only one word that describes it: smooth sailing!
Basking in the sea breeze as they left Angel Island behind, Yasa's mood lifted. He stomped hard on the Vent Shell, racing toward Birka Island through the waves.
Not long after Yasa left.
A group of armored figures with wings on their backs arrived at the site where Yasa and Urouge had fought.
"Captain Maelkin, we've found signs of a struggle. There's uncleaned blood on the Island Cloud!" a guard reported to a Sky Islander who had his hand on his head, giving a thumbs-up.
"Any witnesses?" Captain Maelkin frowned. "Who heard the screams first?"
Killing was strictly forbidden on Sky Island. The punishment for capital crimes was to let the criminal sit on a Cloud Float Current, drifting endlessly with the White White Sea's currents until they drowned or were devoured by Sea Kings along with the Island Cloud.
"No witnesses. Pagaya heard the screams when he returned from fishing!" The soldier tried to add more, but Maelkin cut him off.
"Captain Maelkin! We found a pair of wings behind the pavilion!" Another searching soldier discovered the bird wings Yasa had casually discarded, his face paling in shock.
"What?" Captain Maelkin's composed demeanor shattered. Wings were sacred to Sky Islanders. They took pride in their own wings and forbade others from touching them—it was the greatest insult.
Now a pair of wings lay here, but the person was gone. This was undoubtedly a murder. Who would dare defy the sacred rules?
"Report to God immediately!" The God's Guard swiftly secured the scene and rushed toward God's Island.
Yasa had no idea what was happening behind him, and even if he did, he wouldn't care. He was already some distance away from Angel Island. Few people on Angel Island knew where Birka Island was located, so he could basically rest assured.
Could they possibly chase after me? Even if they did, Yasa wouldn't be afraid. By then, he was confident he would have obtained the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
He pushed Waver to its maximum speed, splitting a waterway and sending up splashes of water.
The sky gradually darkened, the stars shining brilliantly.
Sky Island was located 10,000 meters high in the air, so the night lasted longer than the day. The stars seen from here were much more brilliant than those in the Blue Sea. The entire starry sky seemed close enough to reach out and pick, and even the moon appeared unusually large.
They continued their journey.
As time passed, Waver's power gradually weakened. Yasa knew the Vent Shell's stored wind was running low and needed to be replenished.
He stopped Waver, lay down on the wooden board, and closed his eyes to rest. His stomach growled with hunger, but there was nothing he could do. With no food reserves, he had to catch fish in the White White Sea and eat them raw.
Fortunately, the White White Sea had abundant fish, and they had no fishy smell, so eating them raw wasn't a problem.
After sleeping, Yasa woke up and exercised on Waver for two hours until the sun rose. Only then did he continue his journey.
Walking and stopping, it took two full days.
Just as Yasa was beginning to doubt whether Birka Island lay in this direction and was about to change course, an island finally appeared ahead.
From a distance, green trees stood tall along the white coastline, the entire island immersed in the White White Sea.
At this hour, smoke rose in spirals as the residents of Island Cloud began their new day. The aroma of cooking could be smelled even from several kilometers away.
Yasa's tense expression finally relaxed. He was certain this was the island he'd dreamed of—Birka!
After some thought, Yasa didn't rush to land. He spent several hours driving the Waver around Birka Island, roughly estimating its size.
The island wasn't very large, only slightly bigger than Jaya Island in the Blue Sea. One side was forest, the other where villagers lived. The population hadn't been precisely counted, but he estimated there were several thousand to ten thousand people.
After docking the Waver in the forest and making sure it was hidden, Yasa excitedly stepped onto the island that had been the starting point of his dreams.
Looking at the forest, the corners of his mouth curved slightly. His deep black eyes brimmed with ambition for the future and a desire for great power.
"In this terrifying world where cities are razed and kingdoms destroyed, where islands are crushed with a single blow, I, Yasa, will not remain idle. I will make a bold mark that will tell the world I was here!"
Exiting the forest, Yasa entered a settlement teeming with life.
Row upon row of Island Cloud structures stood in orderly arrays, their architecture harmonious. Passersby on the streets greeted each other with apparent cordiality.
The townsfolk showed no surprise at encountering a stranger like Yasa. Their eyes merely flickered with disgust upon noticing the absence of wings on his back.
Enel was bullied and reviled by the people of Birka Island precisely because he lacked wings, wasn't it? They saw him as an abomination. That's why he obtained power and destroyed this place that broke his heart! Yasa ignored the collective gaze of the entire street, continuing his leisurely stroll.
The inhabitants of Angel Island at least knew they stood upon the Blue Sea, where none possessed wings. But Birka was different—this isolated realm likely hadn't even heard of the Blue Sea.
Like a frog at the bottom of a well, they believed their pond represented the entire world.
"Heh!"
Yasa smiled nonchalantly as he wandered through the streets, searching for Enel's presence.
The prying eyes of others couldn't dampen his spirits; finding the Rumble-Rumble Fruit remained his paramount concern.
"Why has another wingless freak appeared in Birka?"
"Who knows? Probably connected to that little monster!"
Whispers rippled through the crowd, some voices raised deliberately loud as if daring Yasa to overhear.
"Such venomous tongues—it's no wonder Enel abandoned all compassion." Cold light flashed in his eyes, nearly driving him to unleash a killing spree.