Ch. 57- Heaven's Judgment

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me

Shade © Gakuto1991

WARNING: This might contain some religious aspects that might be offensive to some readers. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Straw Hats, both past and present, blinked in surprise at the newcomer that had just appeared on the beach, followed by a small, furry creature with a fluffy tail, pointy ears, and a narrow snout. The moment she entered, Brook and Past Sanji instantly became enamored.

"Is that...an angel?!" Brook asked.

"Something like that," said Nami.

"She was certainly a vision of loveliness," Sanji grinned.

"Umm...what does 'heso' mean?" asked Aika.

"It's how the people of Skypiea say hello as well as goodbye, sweetie," Robin answered.

"Oh," Aika replied.

"Who is that chick, anyway?" Franky asked as he raised sunglasses.

"That's Conis," Usopp answered. "She lives here on Skypiea. The little fox is her pet, Su."

"They both seem nice!" said Kumi.

"Welcome, visitors," said Conis as she approached the pirates. "Did you all come here from the Blue Sea below?"

"Uh...yeah," answered Past Luffy while he held the two melons under his armpits. "We flew up here on our ship. Do you live here, lady?"

"Yes, I do," Conis answered. "Welcome to Angel Beach!" She then noticed the fruit that Luffy was carrying. "Oh! Were you trying to eat the Conash fruit?"

"Conash?" Past Luffy asked as he looked down at the fruits in his arms. "These things?"

"That's right," Conis replied before she took one of them from him and turned it upside. "The top of the shell is very hard, so people can't really bite into it...but the bottom is nice and soft." She then took a knife and cut a hole in the bottom of the Conash fruit, then placed a straw inside before she gave it back to Past Luffy. "Here you go. Enjoy!"

Past Luffy soon took a sip through the straw before he exclaimed "YUMMY~!"

"Whoa, is it really that good?!" Past Usopp asked. "Let me try some!"

"Can you cut mine open, next?!" asked Past Chopper, holding up a Conash fruit, too.

"My name is Conis," Conis introduced herself while holding Su in her arms, "and this is my Cloud Fox, Su. If you need any assistance, please don't hesitate to ask!"

"She's kinda like a hostess at a bar or something," Franky pointed.

"A vision of loveliness AND polite!" Brook added. "Yohohoho!"

"Wow...you could melt a man's heart with that look- GAH!" Past Sanji as Past Nami suddenly yanked him by his ear and pulled him aside.

"Move, please," the navigator said as she walked up to Conis, and it was then that Past Luffy seemed to notice the blue camo bikini top she was wearing, and that's when the memory began to turn pink and the Straw Hats could hear his heart beating, once more.

"Oh, wow," Zoro smirked. "Figured Luffy would notice that."

"Come to think of it," Robin began, "you started wearing halter tops more often after the two years, didn't you?"

"I just thought it was a cute style," Nami said with a blush on her face while past self spoke with Conis, but before anybody could ask any questions, they heard the sound of a revving engine, and out on the White-White Sea, they could see a figure zooming along the surface.

"What's that?" asked Past Zoro.

"A slug!" Past Luffy exclaimed.

"Actually, that's my Father," Conis corrected.

"Conis~! Heso~!" the figure called out, causing her to wave back.

"Heso, Father~!" she called back.

"Hey, what's 'heso' mean, anyway?" Past Luffy asked, looking rather shocked. At that moment, a bald man wearing a yellow robe and a shaggy, curly brown beard and his hair done up in antennae like Conis' came riding in on a familiar-looking vehicle.

"Who's he?" Brook asked.

"Pagaya, Conis' old man," Sanji answered.

"Hey, what's that he's riding on?" asked Aika. "It looks kinda familiar."

"That's a waver, honey," Nami answered. "Before Franky...well...modified it..." Franky chuckled nervously as she side-eyed him. "...it used to be a machine that used the pair of Air Dials. Your brother actually salvaged something like that from the galleon that fell on top of us."

"Ugh...I still don't like riding on it, though," Aika said, nervously. "It's still too fast for me."

"Me, too..." Kumi bemoaned.

Suddenly, Pagaya started swerving uncontrollably until he crashed onto the beach, hitting his head on a palm tree while Past Luffy and Past Zoro stepped out of the way.

"Ugh...is anyone hurt?" asked Pagaya in a shaky voice.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO CRASHED!" Past Zoro yelled, just as the memory began to fade.

"Huh? Why's it skipping?" Aika asked.

"It might be because there's not much important stuff going on," Usopp spoke. "We're probably just getting to the good stuff."

"Well, that makes sense," Blizzard answered.

Soon, the memory shifted and showed the Past Straw Hats sitting inside a house...except for Past Nami, for some reason. While Past Luffy and the others were eating a very lavish meal, Conis and Pagaya, for some reason, seemed rather anxious...worried, almost.

"Where are you, Nami?" asked Brook.

"I was taking the waver out on a test run," Nami said. "I...kinda had a little too much fun...and I ended up going somewhere I shouldn't have gone."

"Hey," said Past Sanji. "Where's Nami?"

"She's still out on the waver," Past Luffy answered while eating some lobster. "Mmm...this Sky Lobster's really good!"

"Where?" Past Sanji asked as he stood out on the loft. "I can't see her."

"I guess she went further out," Past Luffy said. "She'll probably be back, soon."

"...Father?" Conis asked. "Do you think she's okay, out there?"

"I'm a bit worried, too, Conis," said Pagaya.

"What?" Past Luffy asked. "What's the matter?"

"Well, you see," Conis began, "here in Skypiea, there's this one place where you are forbidden to enter, no matter what. It borders our island...so it's easy for someone riding on a waver to reach it. It's called Upper Yard, also known as God's Domain."

"Which is exactly where I ended up going..." Nami bemoaned. "I wish she could have told me sooner!"

"What's this Upper Yard place?" asked Franky.

"Well, remember when I said that the City of Gold was shot up into the sky?" asked Usopp. "Well, this is where it ended up!"

"Say what?!" Franky questioned.

"That's not all," Nami said. "Upper Yard is actually the other half of Jaya. About 402 years ago, a Knock-Up Stream shot it up right into Skypiea!"

"So...that means...!" Brook whispered.

"Exactly," Nami added.

"But I don't understand something," Blizzard spoke up. "Why is it called 'God's Domain'?"

"Yeah, how come it's called God's Domain, anyway?" asked Aika.

"Well, you see, Aika," Robin began, "everyone on Skypiea worships everything that comes from the Blue Sea, but what they especially cherish is soil since the ground is made of clouds. Here on Skypiea, they call it 'Vearth'."

"Oh!" Aika exclaimed.

"Yeah, but then the Skypieans stole the land from the Shandorians," Sanji began, "and ever since then, they had been at war."

"So that's why that Wiper guy was so pissed off?" asked Franky. "In that case, I don't blame the guy!"

"So this war," Brook began, "it lasted for 400 years, then?"

"Yeah," Usopp answered. "After we showed up, the war ended and the Skypieans and the Shandorians began to live together!"

"Wow!" Aika exclaimed.

"But they didn't have to fight over it in the first place, did they?" Brook asked. "Why not share the land together?"

"Sometimes, greed and avarice overwhelm rational reasoning," Robin said. "Unfortunately, that still applies, today."

"Tell me about it," Nami muttered.

"You definitely shouldn't talk, Nami," Zoro said as he side-eyed the navigator.

"Hey! I'm not THAT bad!" Nami spat.

"Whoa! You mean God lives here?!" asked Past Luffy in surprise.

"That's right," Conis answered. "This is Godland, the realm of the Almighty God Eneru. He sees all...and knows all. He's always watching us."

The Straw Hats, both past and present versions could instantly see the fear that she had in her eyes.

"This Eneru guy must really be powerful, huh?" Aika asked, nervously.

"Yeah, more powerful than anyone we ever fought before," Zoro answered. "Well...until we met the Admirals, that is."

"Aside from Luffy and me, he wiped the floor with everyone else in almost no time at all!" Nami added.

"Wait, all of you guys?!" Blizzard questioned. "Even Zoro and Sanji?!"

"Scary...!" Kumi squeaked.

"But how is he able to see and know everything?" asked Aika.

"Because, Aika," Robin began, "Eneru had an extremely powerful sense of Observation Haki...and with his Devil Fruit, it made him even more powerful."

Aika gulped nervously as she heard this, then looked back at the memory.

"...I see," Past Luffy said...before an impish grin appeared on his face, one that the Straw Hats were all too familiar with.

"Oh, no, you don't, Luffy!" Past Usopp shouted as he grabbed the Straw Hat Captain by the collar of his vest and began to shake him. "Didn't you hear what Conis said?! We must absolutely, positively, under no circumstances set foot in that Upper Yard place! YOU GOT THAT?!"

"Right...a place where we definitely can't go," Past Luffy said...and yet, he was still grinning.

"He definitely wanted to go..." muttered Nami in dread. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Oh, Luffy..." Chopper groaned.

"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled. "Well, you have to admire his adventurous spirit!"

"Psh! God..." Past Zoro scoffed as he drank some booze. "Don't tell me you believe that bull."

"Zoro, are you saying that you don't believe in God?" asked Past Chopper.

"Whether God exists or not, that doesn't matter to me," Past Zoro shrugged.

"Zoro, you shouldn't say those things!" Aika shouted. "My Mommy says that if you don't believe in God, He'll strike you down with lightning!"

"Actually, Aika, that's exactly what ended up happening," Sanji said.

"Wait, really?" Aika asked.

"Eneru ate a Logia-type Devil Fruit Rumble-Rumble Fruit," said Nami. "It gave him the power to control and even turn into lightning."

"Lightning...?!" Aika squeaked.

"Oh, brilliant," Kumi muttered, woefully. "I HATE lightning!"

"But wait," Past Luffy spoke up, "if he's God, then won't he forgive us if we ask him? He's kind, right?"

"I'm afraid God Eneru would definitely strike you down if you even put so much as one foot on his land," said Conis.

"Oh, I see," Past Luffy said. "Well, it doesn't matter!" He then went back to eating his food.

"He still wants to go, doesn't he?" asked Franky.

"Eeyup," Sanji deadpanned.

"What kind of god is Luffy even thinking about?" asked Blizzard.

"My Mommy says there's a God that we call...um...the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," Aika spoke up. "Is that the God that Big Brother meant?"

"I don't even know, sweetheart," Nami answered.

"All right! Let's go and find Nami!" Past Luffy exclaimed...but then went back to eating, again. "Wait, let me finish eating, first."

"Hey, quit stuffing your face!" Past Sanji shouted. "Nami could be in serious trouble, you know! We'll come back and finish that, later!"

"...Really?" Nami muttered. "Was food more important than even me, back then? And I thought he was in love with me."

"If it's any consolation," Sanji began, "I wanted to find you, right away."

"Hold on!" Conis exclaimed. "We have no way of knowing if your friend really did go to Upper Yard or not, so you must use extreme caution! If you incur the wrath of God Eneru, there's no telling what will happen!"

"Eh, don't worry about it," Past Luffy shrugged. "We'll work it, somehow! Shishishi!"

"He is not worried, AT ALL," Franky muttered.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised about that, either," Nami shrugged. "After all, he did punch a Celestial Dragon, and they're considered gods of the world."

Soon, the memory shifted once again, this time showing the Past Straw Hats getting ready to board the Going Merry again...except for Past Luffy, who was standing with Pagaya as he took a look at the broken-down waver that he salvaged from the galleon.

"Luffy, come on!" Past Sanji called. "What the hell are you waiting for?!"

"Gimme a second!" Past Luffy called back before he looked at Pagaya. "So, what do you think, old man? Can you fix it?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure," said Pagaya. "I'll have to take this whole thing apart. I'm sure this is a cosmetic issue, as long as the Air Dial isn't broken."

"Why's he trying to fix the waver?" Brook asked.

"There wasn't any wind, so we couldn't sail the Merry to Upper Yard," Usopp answered. "All the better, really..."

"You really didn't wanna go, huh, Usopp?" Chopper asked.

"Of course, I didn't!" Usopp shouted.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Past Luffy spotted a group of men approaching...and they appeared to be crawling on their bellies.

"Huh?" Past Luffy muttered in confusion. "Hey...who're those guys?"

"Oh, dear...the White Berets...!" Conis whispered in dread.

"Who're the White Berets?" asked Franky.

"They're something like the police force of Skypiea," said Nami. "They enforce the rules that Eneru made."

"And they sure as hell were annoying," Zoro added.

"How so?" Brook asked.

"Just watch," Sanji said as a man with a large stiched-scar on his face and his beret covering his right eye appeared.

"Who's that one?" Aika asked.

"That's McKinley, the leader of the White Berets," said Robin.

"Heso!" McKinley exclaimed as he and his troop stood up and made devil horns behind their heads.

"Heso, Captain McKinley," said Conis.

"What the hell does 'heso' mean?!" Past Luffy questioned.

"Why the hell were they crawling on their stomachs?" asked Past Sanji.

"Who knows?" asked Past Usopp. "Maybe they're freaks."

"Oh, so that's what freaks look like," Past Chopper mused.

"I think you guys are in no position to talk," Franky quipped.

"Neither are you, really!" Sanji spat while his past self called out to Past Luffy to hurry up and get on board the ship.

"Hold it right there!" shouted McKinley. "You're the people from the Blue Sea, aren't you?! The seven immigrants!"

"Immigrants?!" the Past Straw Hats questioned in surprise, and Conis and Pagaya looked just as shocked.

"Wait...immigrants?" asked Past Luffy. "Are they talkin' about us?"

"Don't you try and play innocent!" McKinley said. "Amazon, the inspector at Heaven's Gate, sent us this photo she took using the Vision Dial!" He then held up a photo of the Past Straw Hats.

"That old snitch!" Blizzard shouted.

"Yeah, she tricked you guys!" Kumi added.

"That's not fair!" Aika declared.

"Now hold on, Captain McKinley!" Pagaya cried. "There has to be a mistake! These people don't mean any harm, I'm sure!"

"Well, technically, we are still considered criminals in the Blue Sea at least," Zoro pointed out.

"Not helping," Nami said while Past Usopp complained about how Amazon said that they could pass through the gate.

"There's no point in making excuses," said McKinley. "Just take responsibility for your actions. However, there's no need to panic. According to Heaven's Punishment Statutes, trespassing is only a Class-11 offense. If you just pay the fine, you can become legal tourists, right now."

"Well, why didn't you say so from the start?" asked Past Sanji. "But first...what exactly is this fine?"

"It's simple, really," said McKinley. "Just pay ten times the entrance free. That'll be 10 billion Extols each, or 10 billion Extols for all seven of you. If you pay up right now, your record will be wiped completely clean."

"Wait, you mean we gotta pay 70 billion Extols?!" Past Usopp questioned. "How much is that in Berries?!"

"Berries?" McKinley repeated. "Ah, yes...that's what you call your currency in the Blue Sea, right? Let me see...there are 10,000 Extols for a single Berry."

"So that's...how much?" asked Past Usopp.

"70 billion Extols would be 70 million Berries," answered Past Robin.

"70 million?!" Past Sanji questioned. "That's crazy! Do you how much rice I could buy with that much money?! We risked life and limb to get here and now, you want us to pay you an entire fortune just to sightsee?!"

"That does sound pretty heinous!" Franky agreed.

"That's what I said, too!" Nami said. "70 million?! Are they crazy?!"

"What kind of tightwads ask people to pay 70 million Berries just to go touring around an island?!" Blizzard questioned.

"It's your own fault!" McKinley declared. "You should've just paid the entrance fee of 700,000 Berries at Heaven's Gate!"

"IT'S STILL TOO MUCH, YOU JACKASS!" Past Usopp yelled.

"Forget about it," said Past Sanji. "Just ignore the guy and let's go and find Nami. She's probably in tears, by now!"

"...I wasn't THAT scared, Sanji," Nami deadpanned, causing Sanji to chuckle sheepishly.

"Err...my bad," he said.

"Still...I was in a hurry to warn you guys about what I saw," said Nami.

"Why? What did you see?" Aika asked.

"I'll explain it to you later," Nami said.

"I should warn you that we, the White Berets, serve God's Vassals," said McKinley. "You're only making things worse for yourselves by resisting." He then turned to the old broken waver that the Past Straw Hats had salvaged. "By the way, this waver is damaged. There's a law against Blue Sea people damaging Sky Island property. It's a Class-10 offense."

"Actually, that waver belongs to our friends, here," Pagaya corrected.

"Yeah, that's our waver," Past Luffy pointed out.

"That's a strange story," McKinley mused. "Blue Sea people don't ride wavers. If this property was stolen from the Sky Island, that's a Class-9 offense."

"Do you want to hit you or something?!" Past Luffy questioned.

"Man, these guys are a bunch of tight-asses," Franky muttered. "It's like they're looking for any excuse to lock you guys up!"

"Well, we are pirates, don't forget," Robin pointed out. "It's natural that we still be treated like criminals."

"Yes, except we were hoping not to be treated like criminals, there," Nami said. "We just wanted some vacation time! Away from all the craziness with all the Marines and whatnot, not more of this insanity!"

"Since when have we ever had a normal vacation?" asked Zoro.

"HOLD EVERYTHING!"

Everyone looked up to see Past Nami driving up on the waver, to Past Sanji's joy.

"Oh, Nami! There you are!" Past Luffy exclaimed.

"Luffy!" Past Nami called. "Don't argue with those guys!"

"Huh?!" Past Luffy questioned.

"What do you mean, don't argue with them?!" asked Past Usopp. "Are you saying that we should actually pay them 70 million Berries for illegal entry?!"

"Thank goodness...we can get away with just a fine," said Past Nami. "70 million Berries is..." It was at that moment that the price seemed to hit her...and immediately, the waver started to rev up loudly as she began to pick up speed...and she bashed it right into McKinley's head! "ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"Ouch," Past Zoro and Past Usopp winced.

"Yeah, I figured that would happen..." Past Luffy muttered while Past Nami gasped in horror.

"Oh, crap!" she cursed. "I was trying to keep my cool, but I snapped when I heard about that outrageous fine!"

"Well, it's not like anyone could blame you for that," Brook said. "70 million is a bit of a stretch."

"Not to mention we didn't have enough, to begin with," Usopp said, "so for once, we'll say this is justified."

After Past Nami thanked Pagaya for letting her borrow the waver, she grabbed Past Luffy and hurried to the Merry, saying that they shouldn't be picking any fights...which was a bit hypocritical, considering what she did, but she said it was justified as an accident.

"Didn't look like an accident..." muttered Zoro.

"Quiet!" Nami snapped.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" McKinley boomed. "There's nowhere for you to go! First, you insult us, and then you violently attack us, which is clearly a sign of obstructing a government official from performing his duties! That's a Class-5 criminal offense! In the name of God Eneru...YOU ARE HEREBY EXILED TO THE CLOUDS!"

"Wait, what?!" Conis questioned. "But...but that means...!"

"Exiled to the clouds?" asked Past Luffy with that stupid grin of his. "That doesn't sound so bad!"

"But it is bad!" Conis cried. "You and your crew will be dropped, ship and all, onto a small island cloud with no way off of it! And then you'll stay there until only your skeletons remain! It's a death sentence!"

"That would explain the galleon that fell from the sky," Past Robin mused.

"Wait, what?" Past Usopp asked, nervously.

"That galleon might have been exiled to the clouds, as well," said Past Robin, causing the sniper to gulp nervously.

"...That...sounds scary," Aika muttered.

"It was," Chopper whimpered with comical tears running down his furry cheeks.

"I'm kinda glad I wasn't there, now," Kumi added.

"ARREST THEM ALL!" yelled McKinley.

"Yes, sir!" exclaimed his troops as they began to notch their arrows, which held what looked like tiny conch shells for arrowheads, into their bows.

"Quick! All of you, run!" Conis urged. "You mustn't fight!"

"You'd best keep quiet, young lady," McKinley said in a warning tone. "Otherwise, we'll have to charge you with aiding these criminals!"

"Hey! It's not her fault!" Franky barked.

"Jeez, this place is practically just as bad as the Blue Sea!" Blizzard added.

"Fire the Milky Arrows!" shouted McKinley, and the White Berets soon let their arrows loose, leaving behind a trail of clouds as they flew.

"Nami, quick!" Past Luffy exclaimed as he stretched his arm and pulled Past Nami out of the way. "Get to the ship! You'll just get in the way!"

'I don't want you getting hurt!'

"...Oh, Luffy..." Nami whispered, gratefully. Granted, she felt like he could've been a bit more gentle, but still, she was grateful that he only cared for her safety...even if he had a weird way of showing it.

As for Past Luffy, he tried to dodge the arrows, but the cloud trail they left behind made it rather difficult to maneuver around them, even with his rubbery body. What didn't help was that the White Berets were using the Jet Dials in their boots to ride on the clouds as they tried to hit the Straw Hat Captain with their blades...but luckily, he managed to get out of the way in time by stretching his arms and grabbing onto a palm tree.

"Those are some cool shoes!" Past Luffy exclaimed.

"What the?!" questioned one of the White Berets.

"His arms...they can stretch!" exclaimed Conis.

"Impossible!" cried Pagaya.

"Heh..." Past Luffy smirked before he began to twist his body around in different directions. "Gum-Gum...FIREWORKS!"

Shooting his fists and feet out like a combusting firework, Past Luffy managed to pummel the White Berets with little to no effort, McKinley being amongst them as he was struck in the face. Not too far from them, Past Zoro and Past Sanji also managed to deal with their batch of foes while talking to Past Nami about how much money they had. Apparently, back then, they only had about 50,000 Berries to their name, and that was all in cash. As usual, Past Luffy gave his two cents about why the Straw Hats were so poor and that his crew should really be more careful with their money...until they spat back that all that money went into feeding his bottomless pit of a stomach.

"It always comes down to that, doesn't it?" asked Franky.

"As always," Sanji muttered. "It's a wonder we're flat broke."

"But still, at least you beat those guys!" Aika exclaimed.

"Yeah...but that only made things worse for us," Nami bemoaned.

"Made things worse how?" asked Blizzard...but he soon got his answer when he heard McKinley chuckling.

"You fools...you should've just surrendered, quietly," said McKinley. "We're the friendliest officers you'll find, here on Godland!"

"I'd hardly call their actions 'friendly'," Usopp groused.

"As for...them," McKinley began, "they won't go so easy on you. You're all considered Class-2 criminals, now! Complain as much as you want...hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!" He then pointed accusingly at the Past Straw Hats. "BUT GOD'S VASSALS IN UPPER YARD WILL BE THE ONES TO DEAL WITH YOU LOT! HESO~!"

And with that, the memory faded to black.

"Okay...that was a little trippy," said Franky.

"He certainly sounded menacing then," Brook said.

"Yeah...but he actually did have a good reason for how he acted," said Nami. "It wasn't that he was corrupt...he just wanted to keep everyone on Sky Island safe."

"What do you mean?" asked Aika.

"It was Eneru's law that if any Blue Sea dwellers came to Skypiea, no matter what the reason was, that they are reported immediately," Robin said. "Otherwise, they face Eneru's wrath."

"But...Eneru's God, right?" Aika asked. "Isn't he supposed to protect people, not hurt anybody?"

"Eneru may have been God here," Sanji said, "but he was more of an oppressive tyrant than a protector. He was an egomaniac who saw people as his little playthings and nothing else."

"And if Luffy hadn't defeated him..." Nami said before she shuddered and hugged herself. "Actually, I don't even wanna think about it."

"Neither do I," Usopp added.

At that moment, the memory returned, this time showing Past Luffy, Past Usopp, and Past Sanji in Pagaya's house...but Past Zoro, Past Nami, Past Chopper, and Past Robin weren't there with them.

"Hey, where were the rest of you?" asked Blizzard.

"We were on the ship," Chopper answered. "This is kinda where things started to get bad."

"Bad how?" Brook asked.

"Hey!" Past Usopp cried out in alarm. "Something's happening on the ship!"

"What?!" Past Sanji questioned as he and Past Luffy ran over to the balcony, where they saw the Going Merry...somehow sailing backwards, and at a very fast speed!

"Oh, no! Guys!" Past Luffy cried.

"Why did Nami put on a shirt?!" Past Sanji questioned.

"CAN'T YOU SEE THAT THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT, RIGHT NOW?!" Past Usopp shouted.

"...Really, Sanji?" Nami asked with an incredulous glare.

"Oh, come on, that was the old me, remember?!" Sanji asked.

"Where are they going?!" Past Luffy asked as he stood up on the railing. "And how come they're going backwards?!"

"Wait! They're not sailing!" Past Usopp shouted. "Look! Something's got them!"

It was soon revealed to be a gigantic lobster, much bigger than the Express Shrimp, and it was carrying the Going Merry on its back as it scuttled away backward!

"Why didn't you guys just jump ship?!" asked Franky.

"We were going too fast!" Nami answered. "And besides, there were giant Cloud Fish in the sea! If we jumped, we would've been eaten!"

"Where was it taking you guys, anyway?!" asked Aika.

"...It was taking us to Upper Yard," said Zoro.

"Wait...Upper Yard?!" Aika repeated. "You mean that place that you weren't supposed to go?!"

It wasn't very long before the Express Lobster disappeared from sight.

"Oh, man...this is bad...!" Past Usopp whimpered.

"Why did Nami put her shirt back on?" asked Past Sanji, woefully.

"THAT'S HARDLY THE TIME FOR THAT, YOU IDIOT!" Past Usopp barked. "Luffy, what are we gonna do?!"

"Where'd those guys go, anyway?" asked Past Luffy.

"Where? Well...uh...actually, that's a good question," said Past Usopp. "Where the hell did they go?!"

"...The special Express Lobster is one of the servants of God," said Pagaya. "Anything it carries off becomes an offering to God. It's headed to the northeast of Upper Yard...to the sacrificial altar."

"WHAT?!" Past Luffy, Past Usopp, and Past Sanji questioned.

"Wait...did you say 'sacrificial'?!" Past Sanji asked. "You mean Nami and the others are gonna be sacrificed?!"

"S...Sacrificed...?!" Aika whimpered.

"Oh, that's not good...!" Kumi squeaked.

"That bastard...if he tries to lay even one finger on Nami, I'll-" Past Sanji started.

"Wait! You don't understand!" Pagaya cried. "This is all part of Heaven's Judgment. Criminals will either become sacrificial offerings...or they undergo a trial...at least, that's what I've heard. They're in God's power, now...so basically, they're his hostages."

"Hostages?!" Past Usopp repeated in shock.

"The ones who are really being punished...are three of you!" Pagaya said as he gestured to Past Luffy, Past Sanji, and Past Usopp.

"So this Eneru guy was using you guys as some sort of bargaining chip?" asked Franky.

"Like I said," Sanji began, "the guy had a twisted sense of amusement."

"I would have cut him down myself if I had the power," Zoro added.

"Us?" Past Sanji repeated. "What are you talking about, old man?"

"If I just had a map..." Pagaya said.

"Oh! I've got one!" Past Usopp answered as he reached inside his satchel and pulled out the old map of Skypiea and spread it out on the table.

"This is quite old, but it looks accurate enough," said Pagaya as he pointed at the map. "Right here is your current location, and the sacrificial altar lies to the northeast. There's only one way to get there: you'll have to take a Dial Ship and follow the Milky Road through the forest where God's Vassals are."

"Hey, wait a sec!" Past Usopp exclaimed. "Instead of crossing the island, why can't we just sail to the northeast, instead?!"

"It's impossible," said Pagaya. "The altar is unreachable on foot, even from the nearby coast. There's one important detail of the Upper Yard that's missing from this old map."

"You mean this cloud river?" Past Sanji asked.

"That's right," Pagaya nodded. "There are several hundred Milky Roads in all, and the only way to get to the altar is to follow the Milky Road."

"So no matter where we land," Past Sanji said as he put a cigarette in his mouth, "we'll just run into the river, right?"

"That's right," Pagaya replied, "and it's teeming with man-eating Cloud Fish!"

"Well, that was nice of the bastards," said Past Sanji as he lit up his cigarette. "So if we want our friends and our ship back, we have to face these vassals, right?"

"That's our trial...Heaven's Judgment!" Past Usopp exclaimed.

"Then we'll just have to kick the asses of those guys that Nami told us about, right?" Past Luffy asked with a cocky grin. "Shishishi!"

"This is no laughing matter, you know," Past Usopp deadpanned.

"That's Luffy," Nami said. "No sense of danger, whatsoever."

"Eh, what can you do?" Blizzard shrugged.

"Whatever you do, don't let your guard down!" Pagaya warned. "God's Vassals are unimaginably strong...and above them in the Upper Yard...God Eneru awaits."

The memory shifted again, this time showing Conis leading Past Luffy, Past Usopp, and Past Sanji into a huge city.

"Wow!" Aika exclaimed. "I didn't know they had cities here on Sky Island!"

"Such a beautiful place!" Brook added. "Yohohoho!"

"Yeah, not too shabby!" Franky exclaimed while raising his sunglasses.

"Whoa, look at this place!" Past Luffy exclaimed. "Look at all the shops and buildings!"

"Lovely Street is the busiest street on all of Angel Island," said Conis. "Its builders took advantage of the special properties of island clouds in its construction."

At that moment, everyone noticed that the residents of Lovely Street seemed to be trying to avoid the group like they were the plague.

"Hey...is it me?" asked Past Usopp. "Or are these people acting like we're not here?"

"Yeah, I noticed," Past Sanji said. "Must be because we're outlaws." He then sighed as he looked at some young women nearby. "All these lovely angels, avoiding me..."

"Hahaha!" Past Luffy laughed. "This place is almost like a ghost town! It's kinda creepy!"

"That is weird," Franky said. "Why was everybody avoiding you?"

"...Remember what Robin said about how Eneru would punish anybody who didn't abide by his laws?" asked Sanji.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with it?" Brook inquired.

"Just keep watching," Sanji answered.

"Ooh!" Past Luffy exclaimed as he stopped and stared at some strange-looking idol. "What's this thing? It looks like a walrus with upside-down tusks! Ahahahaha!"

"It's just some idol, Luffy," Past Sanji said. "Pay it no mind!"

"Just some idol?!" Past Usopp questioned. "Dude, we're looking at a work of art here! And trust me, I can tell!"

"This is what we call 'Vearth'," said Conis as she looked at the idol. "To us Skypieans, it is an object of eternal worship."

"You mean you people worship this creepy thing?" Past Luffy asked. "Man, that's weird."

"Like you have room to talk!" Past Sanji barked.

"Haha!" Conis laughed. "No, it's quite all right. I can see why you Blue Sea people would find it strange." She then walked off while gesturing for the boys to follow. "Anyway, come along. The wharf is this way."

"Aww, you mean we're leaving?" asked Past Luffy with a pout.

"We're not here to sightsee, Luffy!" Past Sanji spat as he pushed him along. "Now get going!"

"All right, all right!" Past Luffy shouted. "Sheesh...party pooper..."

Soon, the quartet made it to the wharf, where they saw lots of boats and ships lined...but just like here, the people around the wharf avoided them as well.

"Wow! Check out all these ships!" Past Luffy exclaimed before he glanced at a gondola with a bull's face for a figurehead. "Ooh, look at this one! Can we take this one?! Please?!"

"That does look like a badass boat," Franky grinned. "And it has a nice finish! Seeing as how I'm a shipwright, I've got an eye for these things!"

"Actually!" Conis called. "Your boat's over here!"

She then pointed at a rather underwhelming little boat that looked like a crow.

"This is called The Crow," said Conis. "It's the only one I can afford to rent you."

"This piece of crap?!" asked Past Luffy.

"Uh...why a crow?" asked Past Sanji. "Why not a seagull or something?"

"Yeah, why not some kind of seabird?" asked Franky.

"Well, I think there are such things as sea ravens," Robin said. "Of course, that's speculation."

"Uh...I don't think that's the point here," said Blizzard.

"I used to use this little boat all the time before I learned how to ride on the waver," said Conis. "It may not be as fast, but it does have two Air Dials, so please use it!"

"But...I liked the gondola better," Past Luffy pouted.

"Oh...you don't like it?" Conis asked, sadly. "Well, if I had more money, I would rent the gondola for you-"

"LUFFY, YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD!" Past Sanji shouted as he kicked Past Luffy in the face. "YOU'D BETTER APOLOGIZE TO CONIS AFTER SHE WENT OUT OF HER WAY TO DO THIS FOR US!"

"OW! OKAY, OKAY, I'M SORRY!" Past Luffy cried. "Sheesh!"

"Anyway," Conis said, "the way out of here is through Gate 2. You'll come out onto the Great Milky Road which will take you to Upper Yard, then you just have to keep going."

"I see," said Past Sanji. "Thanks, again, Conis."

"Of course!" Conis answered.

"...Hey, Conis," Past Luffy spoke up.

"Yes?"

"I noticed something weird...ever since we left your place, you've been shaking every now and then. How come?"

The Straw Hats looked at Conis...who was indeed trembling.

"W...what...?" Conis muttered with a somewhat terrified look in her eyes. "H-have I?"

"Yeah...I actually noticed that, too," said Aika. "Not just that...but I felt like she was really scared about something."

"I wonder why she was," Zoro said.

"...Wait," Franky said. "That thing that Robin mentioned...are you saying...?!"

"Yeah," Sanji said. "It's about to happen."

"Aww, are you worried about me, Conis?" asked Past Sanji. "How sweet of you~!"

Conis didn't answer as she looked away...and all around them, the angels looked rather nervous, as well.

"Hey, Conis," Past Usopp said. "Are you and your old man gonna be all right? The people in town are obviously avoiding us...but you're still lending us a boat and helping us out. Won't that get you in even more trouble?"

"And how come you look so pale?" asked Past Luffy as he got up in her face, causing her to gasp. "Conis...if you're scared, you should say something."

"I...I'm not scared!" Conis stammered. "It's...it's just..."

"No...what is she doing...?!" whispered one of the Skypieans nearby.

"Don't say anything, you stupid girl...!" whispered another.

"...They sound rather panicked," Brook noticed.

"Oh, dear..." Robin muttered, worriedly.

"...Don't you think...it's a bit strange?" asked Conis. "That I'd tell you how to get to the trial...and even lend you my boat? It's like...I'm leading you all to your doom...don't you think?"

"...She knows," Nami said. "She knows that's something's up, but she's afraid to speak!"

"Hey! What are you doing?!" questioned a nearby Skypiean man. "Don't be reckless!"

At that moment...Conis fell to her knees, trembling uncontrollably.

"Please...you have to get out of here...!" she urged...and it was at that moment that tears began to fall from her eyes. "I'm...I'm so sorry!"

"NO!" cried a Skypiean woman. "DON'T SAY IT!"

"It...it was me...!" Conis said before she looked up at the trio. "I'M THE ONE WHO CALLED THE EXPRESS LOBSTER!"

The Straw Hats, save for the only two that were present at the time, all gaped in disbelief.

"You mean she sold you guys out?!" Franky asked.

"It wasn't her fault!" Sanji shouted. "If she didn't do it, she'd be killed!"

"So much for that! She was probably about to be killed, anyway!" Blizzard shouted.

"You mean that thing carried off our friends...you called it?!" Past Sanji questioned.

"I had to!" Conis cried. "If a citizen of Skypiea knows that someone is a criminal and doesn't lead them to the punishment site...then the citizen will be killed on the spot!"

By now, everyone around them was starting to panic and threatening her to be quiet.

"It's...it's the duty of every citizen of Skypiea!" Conis wept. "Please...PLEASE forgive me! It's insane, isn't it?! THIS WHOLE PLACE IS INSANE!"

Past Luffy stared at Conis...his eyes intense and focused.

'I get it, now...this is like my home country...it looks nice...but everyone's just hiding it.'

The Straw Hats all gasped quietly, not realizing that Luffy would make the comparison between his homeland and Skypiea so quickly like that.

"...Dumbass," Past Luffy said. "You didn't have a choice, did you?!"

Conis sniffled and shook her head.

"So why, Conis?" Past Luffy asked as he clenched his fists as he, Past Usopp, and Past Sanji all shouted at once. "WHY DID YOU JUST TELL US THAT?!"

"W...what...?!" Conis questioned before Past Luffy grabbed her by her shoulders.

"NOW YOU'RE IN DANGER, TOO!" he yelled. "DON'T YOU GET IT?!"

As soon as he made that annunciation...the sky grew dark and there was an ominous rumble.

"W...what was that?!" Aika asked as she looked up at the sky.

"...Eneru's judgment," Zoro answered.

Not long after...a gigantic bolt of thunder suddenly shot down from the clouds with a colossal boom, causing Past Luffy to gasp as he grabbed Conis and pulled her out of the way as fast as he could. Everyone shielded their eyes from the blinding light that followed...and as everyone looked up, they saw a massive crater where Past Luffy and Conis once stood.

"You mean...this Eneru dude did THAT?!" Franky questioned.

"Good lord...!" Brook whispered in shock. "What a powerful blast!"

"Scary...!" Chopper whimpered in fright.

"Hey, wait a second!" Kumi exclaimed. "Where are Luffy and Conis?!"

"Do not worry about your friends!"

Upon hearing that voice, the group looked up to see none other than Gan Fall, who was riding on the back of Pierre...and behind him were Past Luffy and Conis with barely a scratch on them!

"Hey! It's the weird old guy!" Past Usopp exclaimed.

"Weird?" Gan Fall repeated. "I told you before, I am the Sky Knight! And you can consider this a free favor!"

"Conis! You're alive!" Past Sanji exclaimed.

"Hello~! What about me?!" Past Luffy asked in irritation.

"I was getting to you next!" Past Sanji answered.

"Yeah, right..." Past Luffy answered as Gan Fall dropped him off.

"I will take this young girl to safety!" said Gan Fall. "Worry not! I will not allow Eneru to harm her! Now you know the true nature of this country and of God's power...so heed it!"

"I could care less about this country!" Past Luffy argued. "My friends are in God's Land, so we're gonna go get them back!"

"...I see," Gan Fall nodded. "Then I wish you the best of luck."

"Come on," Past Sanji said as he boarded The Crow. "Let's hurry and get in the boat."

"I shall give you a push!" Past Usopp declared. "Set out with confidence!"

"You're coming, too, Usopp!" Past Sanji barked.

"D'OH!"

Soon, the trio was on board the little boat and was riding up the Milky Road.

"All right! We're off!" Past Luffy exclaimed. "Let's go...to Upper Yard!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!

Past Usopp: Oh, man...now, where are we?

Past Luffy: This boat's too slow...

Past Sanji: Stop complaining about it!

Aika: This is kinda spooky...

Brook: What if there are ghosts...in there?

?: Ho-ho-hoooooo~!

Blizzard: What the hell was that?!

Next time: Upper Yard

Okay, I know I'm late on this...and I'm very sorry, but for a while, my motivation was somewhere else.

Review, please!