"Rumble, rumble…"
Dark thunderclouds shrouded all of Sky Island. Above, the Ark Maxim glimmered with dazzling lightning, cutting through the blackened sky like a god's chariot.
The Wax Castle stood firm amidst the chaos, its walls glowing faintly from the flashes of thunder.
"Look! It's so dangerous over there! Ah!!! Lightning is striking down again!"
Usopp clung to the castle wall, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at the Ark Maxim hovering in the distance. "What's happening now? Luffy, Shirogai, Zoro… where are they? Are they in danger?"
"Usopp, don't worry." Sanji puffed calmly on his cigarette, his eyes fixed on the Ark Maxim. "I don't know what Shirogai's planning, but everything's probably under control."
"Don't even mention that guy!" Nami grumbled, kneading Chopper's round cheeks in frustration. "He only came to save us after that big-eared freak fried us with lightning!"
Chopper's gaze trembled toward the storm clouds. "Nami… can we really win?"
"Of course we can!" Nami patted his head with a confident grin. "As long as Shirogai, Luffy, and Zoro are serious, that so-called God is definitely going down!"
Behind them, Robin sat by a pillar, jotting something down in her notebook.
"Robin, what are you writing?" Nami asked curiously, leaning over.
Robin smiled faintly and showed her the page. "Just documenting everything since we arrived on Sky Island. I think it's worth remembering."
"Wow, you're so meticulous!" Nami said in surprise.
…
"I must master Armament Haki," Sanji muttered under his breath. His eyes hardened as he bit down on his cigarette holder.
That feeling of helplessness — facing a powerful enemy, unable to protect his crewmates — disgusted him deeply. The thought of Nami or Usopp getting hurt again while he stood powerless burned like acid in his chest.
Creak.
His jaw clenched tighter.
"Sanji, you're too weak," he whispered bitterly. "I'll never let this happen again."
With a grim expression, he turned away from the wall, descending the steps into the Wax Castle.
…
On the first floor, tens of thousands of Sky Islanders gathered — mostly the elderly and children. Each wore makeshift wax armor and carried fragile wax weapons, their eyes fixed anxiously on the thunderclouds above.
"It looks so dangerous over there…"
A small boy tugged on an old woman's sleeve. "Grandma, will Mama and Papa come back safely? Can that so-called God really be defeated?"
"Of course!" the old woman said firmly. "Didn't the former God, Gan Fall, say so? We will win!"
Her voice trembled slightly as she whispered, "We will win… we must."
"Hmph, coward."
A disdainful voice rang out nearby.
The boy turned red, glaring at a Shandian girl standing apart from the group. "I-I'm not a coward!"
The Wax Castle was divided into two groups — the Sky Islanders and the Shandians. The Shandians numbered fewer than a few hundred, mostly the elderly and very young. Every able warrior had already followed their chief to battle against Enel.
"You are a coward!" the Shandian girl shot back, gripping her wax spear tightly. "Afraid of that fake god! Sky Islanders — your ancestors stole our homeland! Even if we kill Enel today, our revenge won't be over!"
The Sky Island boy frowned. "But that was our ancestors, not us! We don't even live on God's Island anymore!"
"Despicable!"
Several nearby Shandians glared, gripping their spears. Though anger burned in their eyes, they held their ground, unwilling to escalate. The air grew tense as both sides glared at each other.
Then — slap!
The sharp sound broke the silence.
Everyone froze.
The old woman had struck her grandson across the face. The boy stared in shock, clutching his reddened cheek as tears welled in his eyes.
"Grandma…"
She ignored his crying and dragged him toward the Shandian girl. "Apologize. Now."
The girl flinched, stepping back warily, ready to run at the first sign of danger.
"Waaah! Grandma, what did I do wrong?" the boy sobbed.
"God's Island was taken by our ancestors," the old woman said sternly. "Years ago, Enel came and drove us from that same island. Since then, we Sky Islanders have lived under his rule, thinking we were the victims. But we weren't."
Her voice grew heavy. "The real victims are the Shandians. We only suffered the same fate we once inflicted on them."
Silence fell. The Sky Islanders lowered their heads, shame flickering in their eyes.
The Shandians looked at her in surprise — it was rare for a Sky Islander to admit such truth.
"Apologize," the old woman repeated.
Sniffling, the boy bowed to the girl. "I-I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said those things."
The girl hesitated, then nodded. "I accept your apology. But I can't forgive what your ancestors did to ours."
"Oh, child…" The old woman sighed, bowing deeply to the Shandians. "We Sky Islanders wronged your people."
She turned, taking her grandson's hand. "Come, let's go."
"Risa, come here," a Shandian elder called softly, beckoning the girl back to her tribe.
…
In the corner, Sanji had been watching quietly. He took a deep drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly.
Even among the seemingly gentle Sky Islanders, their history was soaked in blood. The moment made him think of his own family — the source of so many bitter memories.
He closed his eyes and muttered, "This world has never been ruled by justice or truth."
Opening them again, his gaze hardened. "It's always been ruled by strength."
____
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