Deicide

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A ship sails through a massive, turbulent storm with dark, swirling clouds. A crew member shouts, "IT'S A HUGE STORM, ADMIRAL!" and "PLEASE BE A LITTLE MORE CONCERNED, SIR!" Inside the cabin, a man with a distinctive chestnut-shaped hairstyle, Mont Blanc Noland, sits calmly at a desk, writing in a logbook with a quill. Outside, the crew scrambles, yelling for rope and reporting that the yardarm has been hit. Noland's internal monologue notes, "Our current expedition is already well into its second year of voyage... Compared to the previous two, 1-month long expeditions, our extended stay out here seems like a miracle..." Noland pauses and asks, "Hm? Hey, you! Did you hear something just now?" A crewmate replies, "Did I hear something?...Umm, maybe thunder?" Noland smiles gently and says, "No... It was... A beautiful sound. Like the ring of a bell..."

A narration box reads "Grand Line, Jaya. Marine Calendar, Year 1122, May 21." Heavy rain pours over a lush, forested island. In a village with stone buildings and totem poles, people gather around a bedridden man. They cry out, "Pantori! (priest) Please hang in there!" and "Give us your guidance...!" The sick man, Pantori, pants heavily. Another villager reports, "ANOTHER... HAS SUCCUMBED... TO THE DISEASE..." A large man notes, "OUR CROPS HAVE ALSO WITHERING AWAY...!" The Pantori gasps, "ONLY BLOOD... RUNS ACROSS THESE LANDS NOW... THIS LAND HAS BEEN CURSED..."

The sick Pantori continues, "IF NOTHING IS DONE... THIS VILLAGE...! SHANDIA... WILL DIE OUT!" A villager asks, "What must we do, pantori!?" The Pantori, sweating and wide-eyed, yells, "BUT FEAR NOT AND FOLLOW MY ORDERS! OFFER THE BLOOD OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MAIDEN IN THE VILLAGE TO LORD KASHI! BLOOD... ON THE SACRIFICIAL ALTAR...!" He breathes heavily, "HUFF... HUFF... FOR HER SACRIFICE... PREPARE MOUSSE... THE RITUAL," In the bottom panel, a young woman with long dark hair, Mousse, sits quietly in a room, looking out a window as the rain falls.

Blood drips from the Pantori's mouth. His hand goes limp and slides off the bed. A villager checks him and says, "...It's no good. His pulse is gone..." The villagers wail in despair, "AAAGHHH!" One cries, "First, our witch-doctor... And now even our village pantori is dead...! Whom can we rely upon now...?" Another villager asks, "How many do the dead now number...?" Someone answers, "Over a hundred for certain... Never has a calamity of such scale befallen our people!" Suddenly, a man notices something on the dead Pantori's body. "Hm? Ah! Hey, you! T... That mark...!" The man looks shocked as he points it out.

A young boy, Seto, runs out of a building into the rain, crying out, "AAAAA AAGGHH HHHHHH!" A man yells after him, "SETO! WAIT!" Inside, a warrior with a spear says, "Leave him be! BUT...! Once the mark of the evil spirit reveals itself... There's... Nothing we can do...!" Outside, Seto falls to his knees in the mud, clutching his arm. He screams, "GET OFF! GET OFF OF ME! DAMN IT! DAMN THIS MARK!" He pants heavily, looking at his hand, and cries, "If this is just a nightmare, Please let me wake up...!"

Mousse stands calmly, holding a patterned cloth. She smiles gently and says, "If my body will be of any use, I will gladly offer it." In the next panel, an older woman, her mother, covers her face and weeps bitterly. Mousse sits beside her mother in their home, smiling peacefully. She says, "Why do you cry, mother? I will soon be welcomed by the Sun God. To be selected for sacrifice is a joyous opportunity. If my life alone can save this village, then I could not be happier. Thank you... For raising me until now, Mother." Outside the door, a warrior stands in the rain, calling out, "MOUSSE!"

Seto sits in the rain, crying. A tall, muscular warrior with wild hair, Kalgara, approaches him holding a spear. Seto looks up and says, "Great warrior, Kalgara..." Kalgara looks down at him with a stern but pained expression. Seto cries, "I always wished... That one day... I could grow up to be just like you...!" Kalgara's face is shown close up, tears streaming down his face as he listens. Seto bawls loudly, "UU... SNIFF...! TO BE A BRAVE WARRIOR... AND... FIGHT... TO PROTECT OUR LANDS! I WISH... I DIDN'T HAVE TO DIE LIKE THIS!" Seto screams in anguish towards the sky.

Noland's ship is anchored near the lush island. The storm has passed, and the crew cheers, "Hurrah for our admiral! Whew... It's fortunate we've managed to withstand the storm." On the shore, the crew disembarks. One man laughs, "We turned the rudder in the direction you ordered, and whaddya know! An island at long last! Ahahahaha! Give it a rest! You can't even ride that waver!" Noland stands on the beach, looking back at his men. He asks, "But did you fellows really not hear anything...?" A crewmate replies, "No, I don't think any of us heard anything resembling a bell. Right, guys?" Another adds, "Right. I think you might've been just hearing things, admiral!" A crew member cheers, "Woohoo! Land at last!"

Noland and his crew walk into the dense, beautiful forest. A crewmate remarks, "What a gorgeous forest... I hope we can find plant specimens for research here." A strange bird with a large beak cries out, "Joeee~". Noland notices it. More birds fly by, all crying "Joeee~". A crewmate points out, "Why's it only facing this way...?" Another crewmate laughs, "Hey, admiral! Maybe that's the sound you were going on about! Gyahahaha!" Noland replies, "Haha, stop teasing. I think I would know if I had heard such a queer sound as the cries of these birds." Suddenly, a loud ringing sound echoes through the forest. A crewmate stammers, "A-ADMIRAL! THIS IS...!" Noland looks surprised, "Hm?"

A massive, resonant ringing sound fills the air: "KARAAN...!! KARAAN...!! KARAAN...!!" The sound echoes across the island and out to the sea. The crew stands on the shore, stunned by the noise. Noland smiles widely, sweat on his face, and says, "Amazing... What a beautiful sound..." He then turns and starts walking purposefully into the forest. A crewmate calls out, "W... W-WAIT, ADMIRAL!" Noland says, "There must be people on this island."

As they walk through the forest, Noland spots something. "Hm? Someone's collapsed over there..." They find Seto lying face down in the mud. A crewmate warns, "Curses... Intruders!" Another says, "Admiral, there's... Something strange about that boy..." Seto coughs weakly. Noland approaches and asks, "Hey, are y-" A crewmate yells, "Wait!" Noland looks closely at Seto's skin, which is covered in dark, raised marks. Noland's eyes widen in shock. "T... TREE FEVER!?" The crew panics, "WHA! It's tree fever. H-H-HOLY CRAP! THIS IS BAAAAAD! And he's yet to receive any sort of treatment..." Noland yells, "A TREE FEVER EPIDEMIC!?"

Noland quickly gives orders to his crew. "Do we have any Konine? Only a little... Get the whole crew vaccinated." A crewmate asks, "Admiral? Don't tell me you're-" Noland replies, "I'm only going in to determine this island's situation." Noland enters the Shandia village. It is completely deserted, with rain pouring down. He observes, "Looks like even their crops have caught the disease. How terrible..." He walks through the empty streets, shouting, "HEY YOU! ANSWER ME! WHAT EXACTLY IS HAPPENING HERE!?" A crewmate runs up behind him, yelling, "ADMIRAL! THE VILLAGERS HERE ARE ALL AFFLICTED! AREN'T THERE ANY VILLAGERS LEFT WHO'RE STILL FINE!?"

A rhythmic chanting begins: "DONDOTTOTTO DONDOTTOTTO". Mousse, dressed in ceremonial garb, is being escorted on a small boat by two warriors. A warrior places a hand on her head. The chanting continues: "God of the sun... God of the rain... God of the forest... God of the land..." The boat approaches a massive, ancient stone altar built into the water. Torches burn on the altar. The rain continues to fall as the boat slowly makes its way towards the structure.

The villagers are gathered around the altar, chanting and praying. "In return for the blood of this maiden... We beseech you to save our village." The crowd murmurs, "HE'S HERE! GOD HAS COME!" Mousse lies flat on the altar, her eyes closed, as the chanting "DONDOTTOTTO" continues. A massive shadow moves beneath the water's surface, approaching the altar. A villager yells, "LORD KASHI!" Mousse's mother cries out from the crowd, "MOUSSE! Enough! This is for the sake of the village!" The giant snake's head begins to emerge from the water, looming over Mousse. A warrior says, "LORD..."

The giant snake, Lord Kashi, fully emerges from the water. It is a massive, striped serpent with long fangs. The villagers gaze up in awe, saying, "LORD KASHI. WHAT A SUBLIME FORM. LORD KASHI..." Kalgara stands in the rain, tears streaming down his face, gripping his spear. He thinks, "PLEASE SAVE MY MOTHER...! SAVE MY SON! PLEASE SAVE MY FATHER!" Mousse lies on the altar, looking up at the giant snake. Suddenly, a loud splash is heard: "DOBON...". Kalgara looks shocked and yells, "WHAT? DID SOMETHING JUST FALL INTO THE-"

A massive impact occurs. Noland leaps from the water and swings his sword in a powerful arc, slicing cleanly through the neck of the giant snake, Lord Kashi. Blood sprays into the air as the snake's head is severed from its body right in front of the altar. Noland lands, his face fierce and determined, sword drawn. Kalgara and the other villagers scream in absolute horror and disbelief, "LORD KASHI!" The severed head of the giant snake crashes down.

The villagers are in a state of absolute panic and fury. Kalgara screams, "IT'S DEICIDE!" The villagers wail, "KYAAAAA! HOW CAN THIS BE!? WHO IS HE!? KILL HIM! WE'LL BE CURSED! KILL THE GIRL! KILL THE INTRUDER! HURRY UP AND OFFER YOUR BLOOD! SPILL YOUR BLOOD ON THE ALTAR!" Mousse sits up on the altar, crying and terrified. Noland stands before her, his back to the angry mob. He looks over his shoulder at Mousse, his face intense but reassuring. He says, "This ritual is over. You must've been terrified... But fear no more! THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOU TO DIE!"

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