"Let the realm of the gods change its owner."
The moment Snake Princess spoke those words, the four Skypiean warriors exchanged stunned looks, cold sweat instantly soaking their backs.
It wasn't that people from the Blue Sea had never reached Skypiea before. Long ago, the Roger Pirates had set foot here as well—but their route had been the same as Luffy and the others would later take.First, they rode the Knock Up Stream to the White Sea at 7,000 meters. Then, through the designated passage, they ascended to the White-White Sea above 10,000 meters, beginning their adventure from Angel Island.
But Gern and his group were different.
They had skipped every step—forcing their way directly into the White-White Sea in a single leap, and worse still, arriving straight within the boundaries of the so-called realm of the gods.
Even more terrifying was the power they had displayed. It was far beyond anything the Skypiean warriors could comprehend.
After a brief struggle, the leader clenched his teeth and finally gave in."…Fine. I'll take you to Lord Gan Fall myself. But you must promise that the others—"
"Relax."Gern waved him off impatiently before he could finish."I'm not interested in killing you. One guide is enough. The rest would just be dead weight."
"…I hope you keep your word."The Skypiean warrior nodded to his companions, then leapt aboard the warship and began giving directions.
...
The so-called realm of the gods consisted primarily of Angel Island and the divine island known as Upper Yard—Apayado.
Apayado, designated as the "Holy Land," was where the priests resided and where Skypiea's ruler—Gan Fall and all previous gods—exercised their authority.
Yet this land had not originally belonged to the sky.
Four hundred years ago, it had been a part of Jaya, blasted into the heavens by a colossal Knock Up Stream.
In a world dominated by seas of clouds, an island like Apayado—with its dense forests and fertile soil—was unimaginably rare.Thus, when it arrived in the White-White Sea, it naturally became a "holy land" in the eyes of the Skypieans—territory bestowed by the gods themselves.
Unfortunately, the land had never been ownerless.
Along with it came the Shandians—the original inhabitants of Jaya.
But in the face of precious resources, the Skypieans hesitated for not even a moment.They launched a war, drove the Shandians from their homeland, and proclaimed Apayado to be the "domain of the gods."
In truth, there was little difference between Gan Fall's rule and Enel's.
The only distinction lay here:
Gan Fall and the priests — ruled the Skypieans with relative gentleness, allowing them to live on Angel Island,but pursued the Shandians relentlessly, forbidding them from setting foot in the Holy Land and suppressing them through endless warfare.
Enel — despised everyone equally. To him, both Skypieans and Shandians were nothing more than ants.
Either way, their rule was built upon violence and oppression.The only difference was that one wore the mask of "benevolence," while the other couldn't even be bothered to pretend.
...
Before long, guided by the Skypiean warrior, a magnificent white temple gradually came into view, towering above Apayado and rising from the clouds.
Around it floated countless smaller cloud islands, where Skypiean residents hurried back and forth, busy with their work.At the peak of the temple, a banner adorned with strange totems fluttered proudly in the wind.
"Lord Gan Fall is there."The Skypiean warrior pointed toward the temple, his tone flat."But you'd better not act recklessly. The guards there are on a completely different level from us."
"Oh?"Gern's smile deepened slightly at those words.
He shot a glance at Tesoro. Tesoro immediately understood—grabbing the Skypiean warrior by the collar and unceremoniously hurling him off the ship.
The warrior cried out as his body traced a long arc through the air before crashing into a nearby forest, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"No need to waste time," Gern said calmly, hands in his pockets, eyes locked on the distant temple."We go straight through."
"Gern, are we really just charging in like this?" Lipo asked. "Isn't that a bit… arrogant?"
"Arrogant?"Gern chuckled and looked at her."This is called efficiency."
At the same time—inside the temple.
Gan Fall sat upon his broad divine throne as usual, his feather pen gliding steadily across stacks of documents.
As the sixth god of Skypiea, he had long since grown accustomed to the endless cycle of administrative duties.Called a "god," yet in truth, he was closer to a king—maintaining order over this kingdom in the sky.
After some time, he finally set down the pen and rubbed his aching neck, his gaze drifting absently to an empty cup at the corner of the desk.
Normally, the priests would have already come to report by now, and the temple would be bustling with activity.
Yet today… it was eerily quiet.
Priests might occasionally be late—but the attendants never were.
Frowning, Gan Fall glanced at the clock on the wall.The hands pointed unmistakably to a time when the priests should have arrived without fail.
"The temple is far too quiet today…" he murmured, fingers tapping lightly on the desk.
Suddenly, he froze.
His ear twitched.
From afar came a faint disturbance—gone as quickly as it appeared.
Gan Fall's frown deepened. Rising slowly from his seat, he reached behind the throne and retrieved the knightly lance that had accompanied him for many years.
The spearhead gleamed coldly under the lights as he tightened his grip, sharp eyes fixed on the temple doors.
"…So, uninvited guests have arrived."
Outside the temple, Gern and his companions had already stepped onto the cloud stairway leading to the main hall.
Skypiean guards tried to block their path—but under the crushing pressure of Gern's Conqueror's Haki, they collapsed one after another, never even given a chance to resist.
"Gern, your Haki is incredible!"Lipo poked at the unconscious guards curiously, then tugged at the wings on her back—only to realize they were decorations.
"This is the first half of the Grand Line."Gern shrugged."If I had to personally deal with every small fry, I might as well go back and start over."
"Fair point."Lipo nodded and carefully stuck the wings back where they belonged.
As they advanced, the massive temple doors drew closer.
Gern looked up. The doors were shut tight. Everything was silent.
"Looks like our 'god' has already noticed us," Snake Princess said with a soft laugh.
Gern didn't respond. He simply stepped forward and pushed the doors open.
Creeeeak—!The heavy hinges shrieked as the doors slowly parted, revealing the scene within.
"As expected—Blue Sea people!"Gan Fall stood in the center of the hall, spear leveled straight at the entrance, eyes blazing."Do you know that trespassing upon the Island of the Gods without permission is punishable by death?"
The instant the words fell, Gan Fall thrust forward.
The lance tore through the air, its tip flashing with icy light—aimed straight for Gern's throat!
And yet—
Gern merely lifted his eyes.
An invisible pressure erupted like a tidal wave, freezing the air of the entire temple for a heartbeat.
"Wha—?!"Gan Fall's pupils shrank violently. Before he could react, an indescribable weight slammed into his very soul!
Breath seized. His heart felt as though an enormous hand had clenched around it. His limbs trembled beyond his control.
Bang!Gan Fall crashed to the ground, knees smashing into the floor. The spear slipped from his grasp and clattered away.
"This… this is…!"He struggled to look up, trying to see the man before him—but his vision blurred.
No—his consciousness itself was rejecting it.
Every instinct screamed the same warning: Don't look.If you do… you will die.
"So enthusiastic, the moment we walk in?"Gern remained where he was, hands still in his pockets, expression calm.
"That kind of power…"Gan Fall forced the words through clenched teeth, cold sweat soaking his back.
He was the strongest god Skypiea had ever known.The man revered as the Knight of the Sky.
When the Roger Pirates had once landed on Skypiea, Gan Fall had followed the Fifth God and felt a similar pressure then—
But the man before him now was clearly… far more terrifying.
As Gan Fall trembled, Gern walked closer, each step hammering against his nerves, tightening his entire body.
"From now on,"Gern looked down at him, voice even and absolute,"I ask. You answer."
Gan Fall gritted his teeth, trying to resist the pressure—but his body betrayed him. He couldn't move even a finger.
At last, he lowered his head, voice hoarse."…What do you want to ask?"
"I'm looking for someone. A future 'god.'"
Gan Fall frowned. "A future god? What are you talking about—?"The words died in his throat as the pressure became unbearable.
Noticing this, Gern slightly reined in his Conqueror's Haki. Gan Fall finally gasped for air, breathing heavily.
"First," Gern said bluntly, "tell me the location of Birka."
"Birka?"Gan Fall froze."What do you want with that place?"
"That's none of your concern," Gern replied calmly."Just give me the direction. Or…" his gaze flicked to Gan Fall's trembling hand,"I can find it myself. In that case…your realm of the gods might lose a few islands."
He smiled faintly.
"I don't like wasting time."
Gan Fall's face turned ashen. He knew this man was not bluffing.
After a long silence, he finally yielded."…Birka lies to the southeast of the realm of the gods. It's a small sky island, known for producing priests. Few outsiders ever set foot there."
"Good."Gern nodded in satisfaction and turned toward the doors, Snake Princess, Tesoro, and Lipo following behind him.
Just as he was about to step outside, Gern paused and spoke over his shoulder.
"Oh, and one more thing. I'd advise you not to send a swarm of annoying flies after me later."
Before the words fully faded—
An invisible pressure descended once more!
"Otherwise…"He didn't finish the sentence.
But the next instant—
BOOOOM!!The residual shock of Conqueror's Haki exploded like a tsunami. The air warped and trembled violently as countless pale cracks appeared out of nowhere—
Spreading across the entire temple like shattered glass!
Crack—crack—CRACK!!
In a single moment, everything inside the temple—candelabras, murals, stone pillars, even drifting dust—was pulverized into fine powder by the vibrating force.
When the dust finally settled, the temple was deathly silent.
The door on the left was slowly pushed shut by a sudden gust of wind, emitting a heavy creeeak, as if announcing the end of a wordless warning.
Gan Fall remained kneeling where he was, unable to rise.
An invisible boundary divided his body—one half bathed in the faint light spilling in from outside, the other sunk deep in shadow.
Only now did he truly understand—
Before absolute power, so-called "gods" were nothing more than arrogant insects.
And the true "god"…
Had never been him.
..
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