"You are commanded by the Great Chief and Gan Fall to deliver this golden chain to us?"
Robin blinked in surprise at the sight of hundreds of Sky Islanders holding up a massive golden chain. Then she chuckled lightly. "Then you all come with me. They should be at the exit of the ruins by now."
"Alright, Miss Robin!"
A group composed of Sky Islanders and Shandians lifted the chain in unison and followed Robin in a grand procession toward the forest's edge.
---
"What a hassle. Why are we waiting for that woman?" Zoro grumbled, adjusting the heavy bundle of gold artifacts strapped to his back. He frowned, irritation etched across his face. "I'm heading to the Going Merry first. You can wait if you want."
His words immediately sparked outrage.
Usopp bared his teeth. "Bastard! Don't you dare leave! We have to wait for Robin!"
Sanji's face twisted in disgust. "You moss-headed idiot!"
Luffy joined in, baring his teeth in mock anger. "Green Algae Head bastard!"
Even Chopper mimicked them, raising his tiny hooves. "Green Algae Head bastard!"
Shirogai chuckled under his breath. "Zoro, if you wander into the forest alone, the chance you'll get lost is one hundred percent."
"You guys…" Zoro's temple twitched with rage. He clenched his fists and swung them furiously. "You're all enjoying this, huh?! Chopper, don't learn bad habits from them!"
"Wuwu…" Chopper yelped as Zoro's punch landed squarely on his head, sending him tumbling to the ground.
"Damn it! You dare hit him?!" Sanji roared, retaliating with a sharp kick to Zoro's chin.
"Bastard Zoro!"
Luffy and Usopp rushed forward to join the fray.
"No-Sword Style: One Punch, One Idiot!" Luffy shouted gleefully.
Watching his crewmates brawl, Shirogai could only laugh softly. "Heh, looks like someone managed to offend the whole crew."
Nami groaned and rubbed her temples. "You idiots! Can you stop fighting for once?!"
Suddenly, Usopp's eyes widened. "It's Robin!"
He waved his arms wildly. "Robin! Hurry up and run!"
"Robin-chwaaan!"
"Hehehe! Robin, we found a lot of gold!" Luffy shouted, proudly showing off the large bag slung across his back.
Robin smiled faintly—but before anyone could speak further, a thunderous crowd appeared from around the corner.
"Ahhhhh! We've been discovered! They're coming to take the gold back!" Usopp screamed, clutching his head in terror.
"Run! If you're slow, they'll catch you!"
"Wuwuwu! Usopp, wait for me!" Chopper cried, his legs flailing frantically.
"They're even carrying that chain of the God of Hanging! They want to hang us!"
"Hahaha!" Shirogai laughed at Chopper's panicked expression and sprinted after the others.
"Damn it! We just helped you defeat that evil god!" Luffy shouted back while running. He glanced at Robin and stretched his arm. "Robin! Grab my hand!"
Robin smiled brightly as she reached for him. Turning toward the Sky Islanders, she laughed, "Hehe, it seems they don't actually want this golden chain."
"How can this be?! Not only does the God Slayer reject it, even Shirogai-sab has run away!" one of the Sky Islanders cried out in confusion.
Before they could react, Robin was pulled into the trees by Luffy's extended arm, vanishing with the crew.
"Hehe, everyone's together again!" Luffy shouted with a grin. "Run, run, run! Let's go back to the Sea and continue our adventure!"
"Yay!"
The Straw Hat crew sprinted into the forest, their laughter echoing through the ruins, completely unaware that the Sky Islanders were yelling behind them:
"Wait! Everyone, we were trying to give it to you!"
---
Far away, within a shadowy realm—
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
Lightning tore through the clouds as crimson flames rippled across a vast landscape of sand and mist. At the heart of this strange space stood thirty enormous stone platforms arranged in a circle—four glowing red, three etched with mysterious runes, and the rest blank.
Then—swish! Swish! Swish!
Several beams of light descended, revealing shadowy figures standing atop the platforms. None spoke at first; they merely observed each other in silence, wary and unsure of their surroundings.
"Everyone," a calm, confident voice echoed across the space, "forgive the suddenness of this meeting."
From above, a figure descended gracefully, landing on one of the red platforms. It was Shirogai Yamikuro.
"The first meeting of Vespera begins now."
The others turned toward him. His expression was unreadable—his calm demeanor carried the same authority they had imagined.
"Participants: eight in total," he continued. "Earth , Tide, Echo, Pegasus, Sirius, Serpent, Sky… and me—the organizer and convener of Vespera, Null."
"Hmph."
The voice came from the shadow labeled Earth (Crocodile). His tone was sharp and disdainful. "Enough of this pointless talk, Null. Get to the reason you called us here. I have no time for weaklings."
The others immediately felt the weight of his arrogance.
Shirogai smiled faintly. "It's our first meeting. A brief introduction is hardly a waste of time."
Crocodile scoffed, his confidence radiating. To him, most of the others here were insignificant—perhaps even beneath him.
Meanwhile, Echo glanced nervously at the figure of Earth. Could it be… Crocodile?
Cold sweat trickled down his back as realization hit. Don't tell me I'm in the same organization as my former boss… the one I betrayed!
He swallowed hard and looked away, trying not to draw attention.
He better not recognize me… or I'm finished.
In the flickering red light, the atmosphere grew heavier.
---