The Lord of the Sky, Nola—the colossal python dwelling on God's Island. The venom on its fangs could wither a tree in seconds.
It was originally the grandson of the great snake god Kashigami from Jaya four hundred years ago. When Jaya was blasted into the sky, the python went with it. In remembrance of Mont Blanc Noland, the Shandians' great warrior of that era gave the serpent the name Nola.
After four centuries of growth, Nola's body had become truly titanic.
Every day, it had a fixed routine: to "dance" in the center of the ruins. It was a lingering memory from its youth—when it once danced alongside humans and enjoyed music.
But ever since being cast into the sky, it had never again heard that music or the Golden Bell's toll.
And now… it was furious. Someone dared to disturb its dance time. To Nola, the punishment was obvious—swallow the two little humans standing before it.
"C-Captain… is… is it trying to eat us?" Tiffany stammered, trembling as the Lord of the Sky fixed its eyes on her.
"Probably because your screaming disturbed its dance," Fang Yi replied nonchalantly.
"Then shouldn't we run?!" Without waiting for an answer, Tiffany yanked Fang Yi's arm and bolted.
"Run? What for? Didn't we agree to go into its stomach and collect the gold?" Fang Yi said helplessly as he was dragged along.
"You seriously want to be eaten? If it swallows us, we're done for!" Tiffany cried in exasperation.
"How about this—you wait out here, I'll go inside alone?" Fang Yi suggested that when he saw Tiffany wasn't budging.
"You… you're not joking, are you?" Tiffany stopped, staring at him in disbelief.
"Relax. For a creature this size, a human or two inside won't be a problem. Just give me a bag, I'll grab the gold and come right back out." Fang Yi grinned.
"Fine, then you go. I'm not following. Here's the bag." Tiffany handed him the sack they had prepared for carrying gold, adding with a huff,
"But if you die in there, what happens to us? Should we just disband the crew?"
Fang Yi's face darkened. "Didn't I tell you? I'll be fine. And if I die, just make Shanks the captain."
Tiffany could only watch in disbelief as her captain, bag in hand, ran straight toward the gargantuan serpent. She had no idea how to even begin dissuading him.
"Hey! Big guy, over here!" Fang Yi shouted, waving his arms at the charging beast.
As a creature that had lived over four hundred years, Nola had developed a rudimentary intelligence. Seeing Fang Yi standing there, it paused for a moment, almost human-like.
"Uh… mind if I head into your belly? I just want to grab some gold!" Fang Yi yelled, waving the bag in demonstration.
But Nola, while somewhat intelligent, wasn't capable of understanding human speech. To it, Fang Yi's waving was meaningless.
And for interrupting its dance, it had no intention of showing mercy.
"HISSS—ROOOAR!"
It bellowed furiously, then lunged with its jaws wide open.
Boom!
Fang Yi's fist smashed into its head before it could bite down, knocking the serpent back in a daze.
"Weren't you the one saying we should let it swallow us?! Why'd you punch it?!" Tiffany shrieked from the sidelines, unable to hold back her outrage.
"That damn thing tried to eat me for real! I only want the gold in its stomach—I'm not offering myself up as food!" Fang Yi pouted.
Tiffany rolled her eyes. At this point, she couldn't even bother to argue—this was pure bullying backed by strength.
"HISSSSS—ROOOAR!!"
Enraged by the punch, the Lord of the Sky coiled up, its slitted eyes locked on Fang Yi. This insolent little human dared to attack it? It would make him pay.
Tongue flickering, Nola slowly drew its massive body inward, preparing to unleash a deadly strike.
"Tch… looks like, unless I beat you into submission, you won't cooperate." Fang Yi tossed the bag back to Tiffany, then calmly unstrapped his bow.
Tiffany caught the bag, completely at a loss for words. There was far too much to complain about—she didn't even know where to start.
"Trident Style: Ice, Bind, and Thunder!"
Drawing three arrows at once, Fang Yi unleashed his original technique. The three shafts streaked through the air in succession, aimed straight at Nola.
The "Ice-Bind-Thunder" combo meant one freezing arrow, one binding arrow, and one lightning arrow.
All three carried control effects. As long as one landed, it would buy him time to fire again. This was Fang Yi's newly forged ultimate opener.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The arrows flew.
Nola hardly bothered. To a beast of its size, such puny attacks shouldn't have mattered.
But the instant the three arrows struck, a surge of pain wracked its body. Ice spread, lightning crackled, and bindings tightened—it found itself unable to move.
"Tut-tut… how pitiful." Fang Yi smiled faintly, already nocking another arrow.
"Charged Shot—Fire!"
This time, he simply poured raw power into the arrow, aiming for Nola's tail.
But before he loosed it, the python suddenly shrieked and tried to flee.
"Trying to run? Too late!"
Whoosh!
Even without a full charge, the arrow screamed through the air like a lightning bolt, piercing Nola's tail and pinning it to the earth.
"Honestly… our monster captain makes even monsters like this seem pitiful." Tiffany sighed, watching the once-mighty Lord of the Sky writhe in agony.
"Come on. Let's go have a chat. I think it'll be much more cooperative now." Fang Yi slung his bow back and strode forward with a smile.
Of course, their battle hadn't gone unnoticed.
In the forest nearby, Shanks—wandering idly—heard Nola's furious roars. He chuckled.
"Don't tell me Barrett already lost his patience and picked a fight?"
But Barrett, too, was making his way toward the ruins with a puzzled look. Originally uninterested in the so-called Lord of the Sky, he'd been bored by the lack of opponents around. Now, hearing the commotion, he thought perhaps the beast had come seeking death. He wouldn't mind entertaining it—yet someone else had beaten him to the punch.
Even in God's Palace, Gan Fall paused his paperwork, frowning at the noise.
"This roar… was that the Lord of the Sky? What's going on?"
The guard beside him hesitated. "I'm not sure, my lord. But… didn't those Blue Sea pirates say they wanted gold? The place richest in gold is within the Lord's territory. They may have encountered it. Shall I send troops to assist?"
"Assist? No, no… Didn't you hear it? The Lord's cries carried fear. To think—Roger's crew. Even at such a young age, they're terrifying." Gan Fall chuckled and shook his head. "Spread the word: as long as they don't go too far, do not interfere."
Meanwhile, in the nearby Shandian village, people poured out of their tents at the sound.
"Elder, what's happening? Did those outsiders attack the Lord of the Sky?" a warrior in traditional garb asked, puzzled.
"I don't know. But they shouldn't have reason to. It brings them no benefit," the elder replied, brows furrowed, eyes on the ruins.
"Should I go investigate?"
"…Go. But be careful. Take more men with you. If they truly are fighting it, act according to the situation. Helping the Lord will earn us His favor." The elder nodded.
"Yes, Elder!" The warrior gathered a dozen men and set off toward the ruins.
Fang Yi, of course, knew none of this. All he cared about was calming the beast enough to safely raid its belly.
"See? Much better when you're quiet. Now, do you understand me?" Fang Yi asked the pinned serpent, bow still in hand.
Moments ago, when he had tried to negotiate, the python had ignored him and attacked. Now, after a sound thrashing, it finally lay still.
"You seriously think it won't hold a grudge? At this rate, it's barely clinging to life!" Tiffany complained at last.
For the Lord of the Sky before her was no longer majestic or awe-inspiring. Fang Yi had utterly beaten it down. Whenever it so much as twitched, he'd smack it again. In the end, the mighty serpent could do nothing but lie motionless on the ground, eyes squeezed shut, pretending to be dead.