A VILLAGE IN THE CLOUD

The scene opens with Shura, the priest of Upper Yard, falling backward through the air, his goggles and mustache visible as he looks shocked. Below him, Chopper screams in desperation, "KNIGHT OF THE SKY!!!". Shura's giant purple bird, Fuza, cries out "PIEH~~~~" as it flies. In the next panel, Gan Fall, the Knight of the Sky, is seen charging forward with his lance leveled, his face set in a determined grimace. His large bird companion, Pierre, looks equally serious, letting out a "COO...". The bottom half of the page shows a dramatic wide shot of Gan Fall, riding on Pierre's back, diving steeply down from the sky towards Shura's bird. A loud "DON!!" sound effect emphasizes the impact of their sudden arrival.

Gan Fall and Pierre land gracefully on the cloud-covered altar where the Going Merry is trapped, right in front of Chopper. In the background, Shura's bird, Fuza, is seen flying away into the dense forest of Upper Yard. Shura, having recovered from the initial strike, readies his lance and glares back, shouting "PIERRE!!". He declares, "WE NEED TO FINISH THIS...". His bird screeches "PIEH PIEH~~~~!!!". Chopper watches the standoff, his eyes wide with a mix of relief and shock. Shura then charges forward aggressively, his lance pointed directly at Gan Fall, yelling "YOU BASTARD" and commanding his bird to "GO!!".

Shura glares menacingly through his goggles, addressing Gan Fall: "...YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE A CRIMINAL TOO...!! WHY HAVE YOU COME HERE...!?" He continues his threat, "FOOLISH THING, I WILL SHOW YOU MY ANGER TOWARDS THE FOOLISH." Gan Fall reacts with a sharp "!!?", his expression stern and focused beneath his helmet. Shura then launches a fierce attack from above, riding his bird Fuza. He swings his lance down with immense force, shouting the name of his attack: "TRIAL OF STRING!!!". Fuza lets out a loud "COO~~~~~~!!" as they dive towards the Knight of the Sky.

High above the clouds, a small figure is seen leaping across the fluffy white landscape. The young Shandia girl, Aisa, bounds from cloud to cloud, panting "POOH!" and "HUAH, HUAH!". She lands safely with a "YOSH!" and a soft "SOH" sound effect. She pauses, looking left and right to ensure she isn't being followed. The scene then shifts to a wide, expansive view of a hidden settlement. A caption box introduces the location: "SHANDIA (GUERRILLA) VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THE CLOUDS ~~~". The village consists of numerous large, decorated teepee-like tents and tall, intricately carved totem poles scattered across the rolling cloud terrain. Aisa is seen walking down a path towards the heart of the village.

Aisa runs into the Shandia village, passing by the large tents and totem poles. She approaches a warrior named Kamakiri, who is sitting on the ground, carefully sharpening his sword. He looks up and asks, "WHERE WERE YOU?" Aisa simply replies, "AISA". Startled by her sudden appearance, Kamakiri jumps slightly, exclaiming "WAH!!". He then points his freshly sharpened sword towards her, his expression serious behind his dark sunglasses. "YOU HAVE 'VEARTH' IN YOUR PURSE, DON'T YOU... IF YOU DON'T STOP DOING THAT, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR LIFE!" He questions her further, "WENT TO UPPER YARD AGAIN?" Aisa yells back defensively, "...AH!! KAMAKIRI...!!". Unfazed by his warning, Aisa pulls down her lower eyelid and sticks her tongue out in a mocking gesture. She taunts him, "BLEH~~~~ BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!! YOU STILL CAN'T BEAT ENEL!!". A caption box formally introduces her as "SHANDIA, AISA".

Kamakiri looks irritated by Aisa's taunt, muttering "LITTLE PUNK." and clicking his tongue with a "TSK...". Aisa quickly runs off towards one of the large tents in the village. The scene shifts to another part of the village, where two other Shandia warriors are conversing. One asks, "CHANCE?" and the other confirms, "YES." The two warriors are Braham, wearing a striped hat and goggles, and the large, round Genbo. Braham says, "WE DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT GAN FALL ENTERED INTO THE UPPER YARD. THAT OLD MAN PROBABLY THINKS EVERYTHING ON THIS ISLAND IS GOING TO BE SOLVED SOMEHOW." Genbo, holding a large weapon, disagrees firmly, "HE THINKS WRONG. THERE ARE NO OTHER ANSWERS IN BATTLE THAN WINNING AND LOSING!!!"

A close-up reveals the intense, tattooed face of Wiper, smoking a cigarette. He speaks with deep conviction: "GREAT WARRIOR CALGARA ONCE SAID, 'TURN ON THE LIGHT OF SHANDORA'". The panel pulls back to show Wiper sitting cross-legged, resting his large bazooka on his lap. A caption box identifies him as "SHANDIAN (WARRIOR OF SHANDORA) WAIPA". He continues, "THOSE WORDS SHOULD BE OUR PRINCIPLE." Wiper's expression hardens as he makes his stance clear regarding the current conflict on the island. "BE IT EX-GOD GAN FALL OR GOD-ENEL... IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO OUR ENEMY IS!"

Wiper stands up abruptly, hoisting his heavy bazooka onto his shoulder with a clanking sound. He declares fiercely, "DESPITE THEIR DIFFERENCES, AS LONG AS THEY'RE BOTH 'GODS', THEN TO US, THEY ARE THE SAME!!! BOTH MUST BE ELIMINATED!!!" A female Shandia warrior, Laki, speaks up from nearby, trying to reason with him. "WAIPA, THERE WAS SOME RESISTANCE AGAINST ENEL ON ANGEL ISLAND. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE ENEL TOOK THE THRONE SIX YEARS AGO." Laki continues her explanation, "GAN FALL SAVED THAT GIRL FROM JUDGEMENT, SO NOW ENEL HAS AN EXCUSE FOR GETTING RID OF THE EX-GOD." Wiper, having sat back down, looks at her dismissively and replies coldly, "SO WHAT?"

Laki continues to press her point, her expression serious. "AS THE KNIGHT OF THE SKY, GAN FALL NEVER HURT ANY OF US, NOR DID HE EVER CONFRONT ENEL HEAD ON... THAT MAN HE HAS FINALLY STEPPED UPON UPPER YARD!!" She suggests a strategic view: "IT'LL BE GOOD IF HE AND ONE OF THE PRIESTS COULD DIE ON EACH OTHER'S SWORDS". Sweating slightly, she asks Wiper, "OR ARE YOU SAYING GAN FALL ISN'T OUR ENEMY ANYMORE? THE ENEMY'S ENEMY IS OUR FRIEND!!" The final panel shows a massive, intimidating close-up of Wiper's face. He is furious, his teeth gritted around his cigarette as he yells at her, "IF YOU ARE UNCERTAIN, DON'T JOIN THE BATTLE, LAKI!!! YOU WILL ONLY BE IN THE WAY!!!!"

Outside the tent, Aisa is eavesdropping. She hears Wiper's voice from inside commanding, "DON'T ENTER THE TENT YET." Aisa looks panicked, sweating as she stammers, "WH...WHAT!? I DIDN'T... UPPER YARD...". She turns and runs, accidentally bumping into someone with a "DON!!" and falling over. She looks up and gasps, "AH!". The person she bumped into is a tall, imposing Shandia warrior holding a spear, who looks down at her silently. Inside the tent, Wiper continues speaking to Laki, "THAT MAN, WHO INHERITED THE GREAT WARRIOR CALGARA'S BLOOD... IS QUITE ANGRY......" Outside, Aisa looks terrified, thinking to herself, "YEAH.... THAT'S SCARY. SCARIER THAN GOD."

In the dense, overgrown forest of Upper Yard, Robin, Zoro, and Nami are exploring. They stand before massive, twisting tree roots. Robin observes the ruins embedded in the roots, saying, "IS THAT WELL REALLY THAT SIGNIFICANT? IT IS.... I'VE NEVER THOUGHT THAT ONE WOULD BE BURIED UNDER A TREE. THERE IS NO SENSE OF BALANCE BETWEEN NATURE AND CIVILIZATION." She examines a piece of the ruins closely, adding, "IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN SUCH A THING." Zoro, standing nearby with his hand on his swords, remarks, "THEY DIDN'T PREDICT THE GROWTH OF THE TREE... THERE IS NO WAY TO ENTER THAT FOREST....NONETHELESS, IF WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CROSS THIS RIVER, WE WON'T SEE GOD AT THIS RATE." Nami is seen looking through binoculars. Zoro calls up to her, "HEY, NAMI! SEE ANYTHING FROM UP THERE?"

Nami is perched high up on one of the massive tree roots, peering through her binoculars. She mutters to herself, "THE ISLAND WHERE GOD LIVES... UPPER YARD........" Down below, Zoro and Robin look up at her, waiting for a report. Zoro asks impatiently, "HEY, WHY DON'T YOU SAY SOMETHING? IS GOD THERE? WHAT DO YOU SEE?" The bottom panel shows a close-up of Nami's face. She has lowered the binoculars and looks absolutely terrified, a drop of sweat rolling down her cheek. She swallows hard with a "GULP" sound effect and thinks to herself in horror, "CAN IT BE? THIS ISLAND IS..."

The scene cuts back to the intense battle at the Sacrificial Altar. Gan Fall and Shura clash violently in mid-air. Shura thrusts his lance, yelling "BII!!", while Gan Fall parries the strike with his own weapon, shouting "ZAKE!!!". Sparks fly from the impact. Gan Fall pushes back forcefully, declaring, "I DO NOT THINK I AM ABLE TO BARGAIN WITH YOU!!!". Down below on the altar, Chopper watches the high-speed aerial combat in absolute awe. He exclaims, "OOOH~~~~ SO STRONG! ~I CAN'T EVEN SEE THEIR MOVEMENTS..."

Shura leaps high into the air, looking down at Gan Fall. He taunts him, yelling "HAH!!! YOU ARE STILL LUKEWARM!!!". Chopper, watching from below, looks confused and worried, muttering "WHAT!? THIS BATTLE...". Suddenly, the air is filled with sharp, screeching sounds like "GIGI" and "KIII". Invisible strings begin to slice through the air and the surrounding structures, creating chaotic slashes everywhere. Caught in the unseen attack, Gan Fall cries out in pain, "AH~~~!!!". Chopper screams in terror, "WAH!!!". Shura's voice echoes with a triumphant "OH~~~~!!!!" as his trap springs.

On Angel Island, the citizens look up at the sky with expressions of dread. They murmur among themselves, "HEAVEN'S JUDGEMENT... THAT GIRL DID A FOOLISH THING...!! GOD ENEL SHOULD... NEVER BE ANGERED!" Back at the altar, Gan Fall is shown completely entangled in a dense web of invisible strings. He struggles against the bindings, grunting "KU!!". Meanwhile, in a different location, Pagaya and Conis are discussing the situation. Pagaya, looking determined, says, "LET US CREATE SOMETHING THAT CAN AID THEM IN THEIR ESCAPE!!!" Conis looks surprised and hesitant, asking, "SAVE THEM? US...!?" Pagaya firmly replies, "YES."

Gan Fall is completely immobilized by the invisible strings, his body suspended awkwardly. He thinks in panic, "WHAT IS THIS? MY BODY IS SUDDENLY SO HEAVY...!!!!" Shura lands nearby, mocking him, "OH!!?...REACHED YOUR LIMIT!? WAHAHA HAHAHA!! HOW IS IT, GAN FALL!?". Chopper cries out helplessly, "PIEE...". Chopper then yells out, "GOD!!". Gan Fall continues to struggle, crying, "WHY!? I CANNOT MOVE MY BODY!!". Chopper angrily shouts at Shura, "WHY YOU VILLAIN!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!? PLEASE COME BACK...!!". Shura stands over the trapped Gan Fall, his lance ready. He says coldly, "THERE IS NO NEED TO ANSWER A DYING MAN. YES, THE HOLY LAND WILL SING AGAIN SOMEDAY IT WILL...". Chopper watches in confusion and fear, uttering "AH???".

Shura raises his lance, which suddenly ignites with intense flames. He glares menacingly and shouts, "BEHOLD THE AMAZING TRIAL OF STRING...!! IN MEMORY OF THOSE DEFEATED!!!". Chopper screams in terror, "WAAA AAH!! DEFEAT GOD ENEL!!". Shura thrusts his flaming lance forward, delivering a devastating blow. He yells, "IN UPPER YARD, WATCH OUT FOR THE FOUR PRIESTS' DANGEROUS TRIALS... MAKE ME A PROMISE!! OH YOUNGSTERS FROM FAR AWAY... KNIGHT OF THE SKY~~~~!!!!". The lance pierces Gan Fall, resulting in a massive, fiery explosion that engulfs the Knight of the Sky.

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