"I have to get back immediately!"
Nami drove the Waver at full speed as she rushed back from the forbidden land.
Just as Pagaya and Conis had feared, she had gone to Upper Yard, something she now deeply regretted.
She had to get back and warn everyone about how dangerous this place was!
"Hurry!"
Nami pushed the accelerator all the way down.
....
Meanwhile...
After Allen's words, the girls looked both shocked and frightened. Could it be that God truly existed and was here?
"Allen?" Robin asked.
"God? Seriously?!" Kaya exclaimed.
"Is that true?" Vivi asked with a gloomy expression.
"Who knows whether it's really God or not." Allen shrugged before turning serious. "But there is someone here whose Observation Haki is stronger than mine."
Allen had invested 200 million into his Observation Haki, and with the previous ten levels, it had reached Level 210. Even so, that person's Observation Haki was stronger, at least in terms of the range they could perceive.
"So is it God, or just a Haki user?" Uta asked curiously. She didn't believe it was God. After all, why would God need to use Haki?
"I don't know. Maybe the so-called God Enel is just someone with powerful Observation Haki and a powerful Devil Fruit."
Outside the Grand Line, Devil Fruits were considered little more than fantasy. It wasn't surprising, considering the abilities they granted completely defied common sense.
That being the case, a Devil Fruit user could travel to an isolated, hard-to-reach place and pretend to be a god.
Conis and Pagaya wore pale, stunned expressions. To them, Enel truly was a god, and right now, their guests were committing sacrilege by questioning both his existence and his identity.
"Of course, that's only one possibility," Allen said with a smile. "Conis, Pagaya-san, thank you for your hospitality. We'll be leaving now. I need to find my navigator."
Still stunned, father and daughter watched Allen head toward the exit with complicated expressions. They understood that those final words were meant to keep them from being involved in what he was about to do.
"Besides, maybe I'm wrong, and Enel really is a god. In that case, all that awaits me is death for what I've just said. But that's my problem. There's no need for you to get involved."
"Allen-san... how can you say something like that with a smile?" Conis asked worriedly.
To them, God Enel was an absolute existence. They couldn't even breathe unless he allowed it, because if they angered him, his "divine punishment" would fall upon them.
That was why, rather than worshiping Enel, they feared this so-called god.
"You're a kind girl." Allen smiled sincerely. "It's simple. From the very beginning, I knew this wouldn't be an easy road. Legends, heroes, demons, gods... it doesn't matter. It's something I have to overcome."
Allen walked out of the house, followed by his crew, who silently waved goodbye to the father and daughter. None of them dared to say anything after Allen's words.
Curiously, despite their objective, Hina and Tashigi followed as well without saying a word.
....
Allen's group returned to the beach to search for Nami.
"Wait!" Conis shouted.
The girl caught up to the group before they departed.
"What is it?" Allen smiled.
"You don't know where she is, do you?" Conis said. "I can take you to Upper Yard."
"But isn't it dangerous?" Vivi asked worriedly.
"You should stop, Conis-chan. It's too dangerous," Uta said.
"What a silly girl. We just met. Why risk your life for us?" Mikita teased.
They were visitors and would eventually leave this island, but Conis was a resident of Skypiea. If she got herself into trouble, she might regret it.
Conis lowered her head for a moment before raising it again and silently looking at Allen, her determination clear.
"I believe you're good people. That's why I want to help you!"
The girls fell silent, astonished by Conis's reason.
Allen smiled as his hair hid his eyes. Then he vanished and reappeared in front of Conis.
"I'm sorry. I think my friendliness gave you the wrong idea about us." Allen looked at Conis from only a short distance away, and she seemed hypnotized by his eyes. "You know, I'm a pirate. I steal, I plunder, and I kidnap pretty girls... You shouldn't act like this around me. You might regret it."
Conis blushed as her heart pounded. It was strange. Her instincts told her to run, and so did her common sense. Yet, for some reason, her body refused to obey.
"Stop right there!" a man shouted, interrupting them.
Allen turned with an indifferent expression, but he was soon surprised.
A group of men wearing white berets, purple shirts, blue cloud-patterned pants, and black boots came sliding across the ground.
"You illegal invaders are under arrest!" the leader shouted. Besides the standard uniform, he wore a cape with shoulder pads.
"Commander McKinley?!" Conis exclaimed.
"Heso, Conis."
"Heso... Wait, what's going on?!" Conis cried.
At that moment, Pagaya arrived with Suu.
"Captain McKinley, this must be a mistake."
"No." McKinley stood up and pulled photographs of Allen and his crew from inside his coat. "The Gate Guard Amazon informed us that you entered Skypiea illegally."
"I knew it," Hina said with a sigh.
"That old woman..." Nojiko muttered.
"Well, it was to be expected." Uta shrugged.
"What a spiteful old hag!" Mikita stuck out her tongue.
"Wait," Allen interrupted. "There's been a misunderstanding. When we crossed Heaven's Gate, an old woman wanted to give me one billion Extol to enter. Being the noble soul that I am, I decided to reject that money because my presence deserves to be enjoyed by everyone, not just rich people... so none of this makes any sense!"
What you're saying doesn't make any sense!
What do you mean you rejected the money?! That's obviously just your own ridiculous interpretation!
The White Berets couldn't believe how shameless Allen was.
Realizing Allen was difficult to deal with, McKinley raised his hand.
"Wait. There's no need to escalate the situation. According to God's Judgment, this only qualifies as a Grade 11 violation. If you accept the punishment, we'll recognize you as legal tourists, and you'll be free to continue your journey."
"Oh? And what exactly is that punishment?" Uta asked mockingly.
"Well, since you failed to pay the entrance fee, you'll have to pay ten times the amount. For ten people and one duck, that comes to 11 billion Extol."
"Eleven billion?!" Nojiko exclaimed. "That's ridiculous!"
"And Karoo has to pay too?!" Vivi shouted angrily.
McKinley remained unmoved and continued speaking like the disciplined soldier he was.
"In that case, you should have paid properly when you entered. It's too late to complain now."
Mikita puffed out her cheeks. "Is someone going to tell me what an Extol is, or how many Berries it's worth?!"
McKinley blinked. "Berries? The currency of the Blue Sea... One Berry is worth 10,000 Extol."
Hearing the exchange rate, the girls sighed in relief. The fee had originally been equivalent to 1.1 million Berries, and now amounted to eleven million.
"That's expensive!" Allen exclaimed. "An entrance fee of over a million? What kind of nonsense is that?!"
It might not have seemed expensive to Allen and his crew, but for most people in the world, one million was an enormous amount of money. Someone might spend years saving that much. How could that possibly be the entrance fee to Skypiea?
"So you're refusing to pay?" McKinley asked, frowning.
"Wait, Captain McKinley," Pagaya said.
"Pagaya-san, you're a kind man, but rules are rules. If you interfere, God's wrath may fall upon you. Even your daughter won't be spared."
"That so-called god sounds more like a tyrant..." Allen interrupted.
Pagaya and Conis looked away. Both were afraid. They had been ever since Allen questioned Enel's identity.
Allen and several of the girls realized that this wasn't religious reverence. It was tangible fear, as though they had personally witnessed what happened to those who incurred God's wrath.
"Fool..." McKinley muttered through gritted teeth.
Judging from Allen's attitude, he clearly wasn't someone who followed the rules, and as captain, it was his job to punish people like these.
"Questioning God is a Grade 7 violation."
Allen sighed in annoyance. "Sorry, soldier, I don't have time to deal with you. As you know, I have to find my navigator."
"What?!"
McKinley felt as though he were being treated like nothing more than an annoying fly instead of what he truly was—the force responsible for enforcing the will of God Enel.
"Attempting to flee is a Grade 10 crime! At this rate, God's Judgment will be inevitable!"
"Allen-san!" Conis rushed over and grabbed Allen's arm. "You mustn't! If you're declared a Grade 5 criminal, you won't be able to escape the punishment!"
Allen leaned close to Conis's ear.
"You're a very kind girl, but don't risk your life like this. That bastard is listening. Just obey and step back." Allen smiled.
He had used his Haki to prevent Enel from hearing them. That way, Conis wouldn't be placed in danger. This was his conflict, and he was a pirate. There was no reason to drag innocent people into it, especially people as kind as her.
Conis felt a sharp pain in her chest, but she finally let go of Allen's arm and stepped back.
She knew it. As much as she liked these people, if they were judged as Grade 5 criminals, she would be forced to betray them. To spare her from that dilemma and pain, Allen had drawn a line between them from this very moment.
Unfortunately, that only made Conis feel even worse, because she didn't believe they deserved it.
Allen stepped forward and stopped in front of the White Berets.
"Hey, McDonald's, what grade of crime is wiping out the White Berets?" he asked mockingly.
"What?!" McKinley exploded. "Threatening a White Beret is a Grade 5 crime!"
At his signal, his men lined up with bows in their hands.
"Fire! Milky Arrow!"
The arrows flew toward Allen, but they weren't ordinary arrows—they were Dials.
Unexpectedly, every one of them passed harmlessly by Allen, leaving behind solid cloud paths in their wake.
The White Berets leaped onto the cloud paths using skates powered by small Breath Dials as thrusters, just like the mysterious enemy who had attacked them upon their arrival.
"Go!"
The White Berets used the cloud paths as roads to attack while drawing all kinds of weapons.
Allen didn't move. He simply smiled.
McKinley felt something was strange, but before the first of his men could reach Allen, he was shot in the abdomen.
"Don't you dare attack my captain!" Nojiko said disdainfully.
With her increased level, her accuracy with the rifle had greatly improved. She could now be considered a competent marksman.
"Woman..." McKinley growled.
"Ugh!"
Captain McKinley didn't even have time to be angry at Nojiko before another of his men's screams distracted him.
When he looked over, he saw the man lying on the ground with a slash across his chest.
"They're weak..." Tashigi said as she sheathed her katana.
"Ah!"
This time, a man was sent flying backward with a cannonball embedded in his abdomen.
The one who had thrown it was, incredibly, Kaya.
"No way!" Kaya exclaimed.
"Why are you the one who's surprised?!" McKinley shouted.
She had acted on instinct and hadn't realized just how strong she had become.
"Well, I guess it's my turn too." Mikita smiled before jumping into the air and floating.
"What?! Don't tell me you're Devil Fruit users!"
Mikita increased her weight and came down with a kick on one of the soldiers. She only increased it by about five hundred kilograms, so he didn't die, but he certainly wouldn't be leaving the hospital anytime soon.
"Six Flowers... Clutch!"
Arms suddenly sprouted from two of his men, grabbing them and twisting their backs.
Watching all of his men fall, McKinley stepped backward.
"Attacking a White Beret is a Grade 2 crime," McKinley pointed at Allen. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! We White Berets are the kindest law enforcement force in Skypiea. Now there—"
Allen appeared in front of McKinley and punched him, shattering several of his teeth and sending him flying down the shoreline.
"You talk too much..."
Conis fell to her knees, her face turning pale.
Allen looked at the girl, and as he walked past her, he gently patted her on the head.
"Thank you..."
Conis bit her lip until it bled and could only watch Allen's back as he walked away.
....
Once aboard the Black Pearl, the group began discussing what to do next.
"How are we getting to Upper Yard?" Robin asked.
"I don't know, but we can't drag Conis and her father into this," Vivi said with a sigh.
"Hey, I don't think that'll be necessary!" Nojiko exclaimed, pointing into the distance.
Nami came racing toward them on the Waver. She looked anxious, only relaxing when she spotted the Black Pearl.
"Guys!" Nami shouted.
She stopped the Waver and climbed aboard. For a moment, she wanted to tell them everything she had seen, but when she noticed everyone's serious expressions, the words caught in her throat.
"Do you have something to say?" Allen smiled.
"I... I'm sorry..."
Nami lowered her head. Allen had warned her not to wander off, but she had not only disobeyed him, but she had also put herself in danger.
Allen lightly flicked her forehead and asked her to explain.
Nami proceeded to tell them everything she had seen.
Upper Yard really was an island, but instead of being made of clouds, it was made of solid earth.
It was covered with enormous trees and dense vegetation, but the important part was that when she approached, she saw four Sky Islanders hunting a single man.
They even seemed to be competing over who would kill the fleeing man first. They failed only because the tribal mask-wearing man who had attacked them upon their arrival suddenly appeared.
Apparently, he had survived, and he immediately attacked the Sky Islanders, although it didn't seem like he was trying to save the victim since his bazooka also struck him.
As if things couldn't get any more dangerous, a pillar of light descended from the sky and killed the man.
Once everything was over, she overheard the men mentioning them. Apparently, they already knew about their arrival, and they had been placed on the list to be judged by one of Enel's priests.
Nami leaned against Allen's chest.
"We have to leave immediately!"
Allen smiled before pinching her cheek. "Relax, girl. Have you forgotten that your captain is going to be the next King of the World? It's far too early to panic."
Allen had already faced great pirates and legendary figures before. That was something that simply couldn't be ignored.
Nami knew that, but hearing the word "god" still filled her with fear—not for herself, but because she feared her captain would do something reckless that would get him killed.
"But it's God..." Nami murmured, clutching Allen's shirt.
"And I'm Allen Walker." He smiled.
Nami's eyes widened before she burst into laughter. She wasn't the only one. The atmosphere aboard the ship improved considerably.
"I don't even know why I was worried," Nami said.
"Allen-san!"
Conis's voice came from the shore. When Allen and the others looked over, they saw her standing there alone.
"Conis... what's wrong?" Allen asked.
"Please don't fight Enel!"
"Conis-san!" Pagaya tried to stop his daughter, but it was already too late.
"The truth is, we're all afraid of Enel! We live in fear that one day he'll decide he doesn't need us anymore, and divine punishment will fall upon us. That's why you mustn't fight him!"
"...!"
The moment Conis finished speaking, Allen looked up, and his eyes narrowed as he saw a massive concentration of energy gathering above her.
An instant later, an enormous pillar of energy crashed down toward the girl.
By then, Allen had already vanished and reappeared at her side. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he faced Enel's attack head-on.
"So that's who you really are!" Allen said with a fearless smile just before the pillar of energy swallowed him whole.
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