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Inside the Upper Shrine.
Enel was furious. He had "heard" Jin's words.
"HOW DARE A MERE MORTAL DEFY A GOD!"
The dark clouds above churned, and lightning flashed.
But he didn't strike.
He'd realized his "Divine Judgment" had zero effect on the intruders. Continuing the assault would only undermine the fear he'd worked so hard to build.
When one of a "god's" tools proves ineffective, the people's fear naturally begins to fade.
"In the face of fear, all living things bow to nature—" Enel thought, his eyes turning cold. "...Therefore, fear is the true definition of a god. And despair is the savior of the world. Anyone who does not fear or despair in the face of a god must be eliminated."
He sat up straight and beat one of his drums.
Soon, the four enforcers of his "Ordeals"—the Priests Satori, Shura, Ohm, and Gedatsu—arrived.
Behind them was a contingent of fifty soldiers, led by Commander Yama.
"There are blasphemers on the island," Enel commanded. "Go. All of you. Bring them to me. They will be executed by my own hand."
"YES, MY LORD!"
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The Shandian village of Shandra, hidden in the clouds.
They were the descendants of the people of Jaya, who had been shot up into the sky by the Knock Up Stream four hundred years ago.
Forced from their home by the Skypiean "God" of the time, who had coveted their precious "Vearth"—their soil—they had been fighting a four-hundred-year war to reclaim their homeland.
They were the "Guerillas."
The sound of the thunder had alerted everyone in their hidden encampment.
This generation's leader was the "War Demon," Wyper, a descendant of the great warrior Calgara.
"Captain Wyper!" a warrior named Braham shouted, rushing in. "The Priests and the God's Army have all been deployed from the Upper Shrine!"
"What?"
"What's happening?"
"It seems some people from the Blue Sea have provoked 'God' Enel."
"Blue Sea dwellers? Those greedy bastards."
The Shandians had no love for the Skypieans or the people of the Blue Sea.
Wyper's eyes lit up. "Enel's shrine is undefended. This is our chance. The time to take back Upper Yard is now! All warriors, move out!"
He hefted his weapon, a bazooka equipped with a Burn Dial, and donned his horned demon mask.
He led his warriors toward God's Land.
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Robin had just finished dealing with the White Berets when a sound like a baby crying echoed from the sky.
Jin looked up.
A strange, red-spotted bird was flying toward them. On its back was a man in a suit of armor, holding a knight's lance.
"Outsiders!" the man called out. "Enel has dispatched his Priests and his army to capture you! Come with me, quickly!"
Robin looked at the strange bird. A horse's head on a bird's body? A Skypiean specialty?
"Go?" Jin said. "Where?"
"The power of a god is not something you can fight head-on," the knight said. "But he is not invincible. I can take you to an area that is outside the range of his 'Mantra.' From there, we can find a way to get you off the island."
"Mantra?" Robin asked. "What's that?"
"It's a power that allows one to predict movements and hear people's thoughts," the knight explained.
'Observation Haki?' Robin realized.
Jin just smiled. "That won't be necessary. We have no intention of leaving. A god? How strong can he be? How many divisions does he have?"
The knight was stunned.
"Since they're coming to us..." Jin said, "it saves us the trouble of finding them. Let's go get a drink first."
He looked at Robin, who nodded in agreement.
The demonic carrier pulled up to the shore.
The cloud-beaches were denser than the cloud sea, soft and springy to the touch. It was a novel experience.
Jin took a Cloud Dial from one of the subdued White Berets and tried it out. He pressed a switch, and a puff of cloud shot out. The soldiers were also equipped with Waver Skates and Skate Dials, which allowed them to move quickly. It was all very interesting.
Seeing that the two Blue Sea dwellers were not only unafraid, but were leisurely studying the local flora and Dials on the beach, the knight and the White Berets were all dumbfounded.
After a moment's hesitation, the knight flew down to the beach. He picked two coconuts, carved a small hole in the bottom of each, fashioned two straws from a nearby plant, and handed them to Jin and Robin.
"I don't know where you get your confidence," the knight said, "but your composure is truly admirable. My name is Gan Fall. If you need my help, blow this whistle."
He left a small whistle and then flew off into the sky.
"That bird... is it a Devil Fruit user?" Robin asked.
"It seems so," Jin said, taking a sip of the coconut water. His eyes lit up. It was delicious, with a unique, indescribable flavor.
Holding the coconut, he walked toward the town. The buildings of Angel Island were all built on the clouds, giving the place a dreamlike quality.
"Hey! Stop! Don't come any closer!" one of the downed White Berets shouted, struggling to get up. "Please... don't bring disaster to our city!"
They were terrified, afraid of incurring God's wrath.
The people in the town were also fleeing, scattering like birds.
Jin wasn't angry. He understood. He had the power to be fearless. They did not.
Just then, the sound of battle erupted in the distance.
Gan Fall was being pursued by the Priest Shura, who was wearing an aviator's cap and goggles and riding a giant, rare bird.
Below, a contingent of God's soldiers on "Wavers"—jet skis powered by Wind Dials—was closing in.
"Get them!"
The force of several dozen men was an intimidating sight.
The people of Angel Island all paled.
"It's the God's Army!"
"No, it's not just the army! Look! That's Priest Gedatsu! And Ohm! And the Satori brothers!"
"All four Priests and the God's Army... they've all been deployed!"
"This is bad!"
Everyone ran and hid, locking their doors and windows, trembling in fear.
"The God's Army?" Jin raised an eyebrow.
As the force drew closer, he handed his coconut to Robin.
He cracked his knuckles, stretched his arms, and then, facing the approaching army, he sank into a perfect horse stance, his fists at his waist, and took a slow, deep breath.
Robin took a few steps back.
"Eh?"
"What is he doing?"
"Is that them? The Blue Sea dwellers who angered God?"
The Priests and the soldiers saw Jin and Robin.
Some of them were already using their Cloud Dials to create paths in the air, jumping onto them and activating the Skate Dials on their feet to close the distance.
The vanguard was rapidly approaching.
Jin coated his right fist in Armament Haki. A faint heat began to steam off it.
Then, he threw a straight punch.
It wasn't a punch—it was a detonation!
A devastating shockwave erupted from his fist, spreading out in a cataclysmic arc that tore through the air.
The soldiers in the vanguard were frozen in terror, unable to move, their bodies rigid. Then, as if they had been hit by a thousand blades, their clothes were shredded, then their flesh and bones, and in an instant, they were turned to ash.
The look of pure horror on their faces as they died was seared into the minds of the Skypieans who were secretly watching.
One by one, the soldiers of the God's Army were obliterated, unable to withstand the terrifying force contained within that single punch.
The Priests quickly deployed their own defenses.
"Iron Wall!" Ohm drew his sword, its blade as light as a cloud, yet as hard as iron, and formed a thick wall.
"Jet Punch!" Gedatsu, his arm equipped with a powerful Jet Dial, threw a punch, trying to counter the shockwave.
"Ball Cloud!" the Satori brothers released a series of spherical clouds, their powerful elasticity capable of deflecting any attack.
Commander Yama used a Burn Dial to create a wall of fire.
They were on their Wavers, still about 400 meters away. The ones who had died first were the vanguard.
Even so, the shockwave reached them in a second, the sound of its passage a roaring thunderclap. It was the sound of a sonic boom, a terrifying tsunami of force that rolled through the sky—
Ohm's iron wall shattered, and he was sent flying, his body covered in bloody gashes.
Gedatsu's arm exploded, and his body was torn to pieces.
Yama was consumed by his own flames and burned to ash.
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