As Shiels answered, he walked closer to Toral, wanting to get a better look at the massive creature.
He stopped beneath Toral, who towered above him. The boy, now free of the fear he'd shown earlier, was practically glowing with excitement as he addressed the creature.
"Big guy, what's your name? Can I ride on your back?"
Ashen didn't stop the boy, Shiels, he had called himself, since Toral wouldn't hurt anyone without his command.
But Toral's eyes glinted mischievously the moment he heard the brat ask to ride him.
The beast lowered its head, peering down at Shiels, then extended one clawed forelimb and held it out in front of the boy.
"Whoa! It really understands me? Is it offering a handshake?"
Shiels was thrilled. He felt a strange affinity with the creature and eagerly reached out with his right hand to meet the claw.
"Ah!"
Just as Shiels was about to make contact, Toral flicked his claw. The boy went flying several meters through the air and landed flat on his back, limbs sprawled out.
"Ha ha ha!"
Even though Ashen had expected Toral wouldn't indulge the boy, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"You bastards! How dare you bully my little brother!"
Suddenly, a tall figure rushed forward, fists raised in fury, aiming a punch straight at Ashen.
'This guy… I didn't expect him to be from here.'
Ashen's Observation Haki had already picked up the attacker's features from the right, and he recognized him at once.
Still, since the man had thrown the first punch, Ashen had no reason to hold back. He shifted his body slightly, dodging the strike, then brought his fist down hard in a counterattack.
The man hadn't expected Ashen to react so quickly. His punch hit nothing but air.
But because he had charged in with such raw anger, the momentum was too much to stop. He could only brace his body and tighten his muscles, hoping to lessen the damage.
Boom!
With a dull thud, the figure was sent crashing into the cloud island below.
Even though the island clouds were highly cushioning by nature, the impact still caused a minor tremor.
"Cough! Cough!"
Fortunately, Ashen had held back. And the man's body was tough enough that after a few seconds, he crawled back out of the clouds.
"Brother Urouge, are you okay?" Shiels rushed over with concern.
That's right, the attacker was none other than the future captain of the Fallen Monk Pirates, Urouge.
But right now, he was just in his early twenties and far from his prime, which was exactly why Ashen had chosen not to strike with full force.
"I'm fine, Shiels." Urouge gave the boy a reassuring nod, then turned toward Ashen.
As his eyes locked onto Ashen's face, his expression froze. He quickly bowed his head slightly.
"My apologies, Captain Ashen! I was too worried about my little brother just now and acted rashly."
Urouge had no choice but to back down. Even though Ashen and Tesla were the only two people here, these two alone were enough to destroy this entire island if they wished.
And after seeing Shiels unharmed, Urouge realized he had completely misunderstood the situation. The fact that Ashen hadn't killed him on the spot was already a mercy.
"Oh? You know who I am?"
Ashen raised an eyebrow, surprised that someone a full ten thousand meters above the Blue Sea would recognize him.
"Though our island is far from the Blue Sea, we still keep in contact with the outside world. It'd be unforgivable not to know a pirate with such a high bounty," Urouge replied with calm respect.
Hearing that, Ashen nodded slightly. Right, this was the New World. It wasn't strange for someone here to know his name.
"We came here looking for an island called Birka. Do you know where it is?" Tesla finally spoke, seeing they were finally dealing with an adult.
"Birka? It's over there. Just hidden by clouds and branches. It's actually not far."
Urouge pointed toward a thick tree branch in the southeast, shrouded by a swirl of clouds but with a massive trunk still visible.
"Appreciate it. Toral, let's go!"
Now that they had the location, Ashen called out, and he and Tesla mounted Toral, heading in the direction Urouge had indicated.
"Big bro, is that guy really that strong?" Shiels asked curiously. It was the first time he'd shown this much respect for someone.
"You brat. I keep telling you to read the papers, but you never listen, always out playing. That guy is…"
Urouge smacked Shiels on the head and began giving him a crash course in the world beyond.
...
Although Birka seemed close from a distance, Toral still had to fly for several minutes to reach it.
Looking down from above, Ashen saw that the island was long and narrow, its white surface dotted with dozens of buildings.
At the center of the island stood a towering cross. Beneath it was a grand, ornate church, the largest structure on all of Birka.
After letting Toral leave on his own, Ashen and Tesla began walking toward the center of the island. As they strolled down Birka's streets, Ashen noticed something odd.
Many of the women here wore black veils, with golden crosses hanging from their necks. They were clearly nuns.
But even more unusual, most of them lacked the small wings typical of Sky Islanders.
When these nuns saw Ashen and Tesla, they looked surprised, but none said a word. Silently, they all walked toward the church.
"Boss, why are there so many nuns here?"
Ashen stopped at a food stall and asked the vendor.
The stall owner was a chatty type and, noticing that Ashen and Tesla were unfamiliar faces, greeted them warmly.
"Oh, the nuns? They're from the Anskar Church. The church has been here for centuries, ever since the first priest, Saint Anskar, came to preach."
"I see. Is there some kind of festival today? Why are they all out together?" Ashen asked, watching the procession of nuns in the distance.
"Well… you could call it a festival of sorts. Today is their day of confession."
The vendor sighed. "Poor mother and son. They're going to be dragged into the church for judgment again."
"The mother and son?" Ashen's interest was piqued.
"You know... that kid Enel. His mother broke one of the church's rules. Every confession day, she's publicly judged."
As if suddenly remembering something, the vendor stopped talking and focused on his work.
"Let's go. To the church."
Now that he had the information he wanted, Ashen didn't waste time.
By the time he and Tesla arrived at the church, the courtyard was already filled with nuns.
They stood silently behind an elderly priest, who held a thick holy book and was shouting with righteous fervor.
"Silence! The will of God is always right, Enel!"
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