Full Moon

Mont Blanc Noland is trapped deep within a fissure in the ground. He struggles against the crushing earth, grunting, 'NGHHH!' He pants heavily, 'HUFF... HUFF...' and coughs, blood dripping down his face. He thinks to himself in frustration, 'DAMN IT!' and 'Ahahaha!' Looking toward the distant village, he thinks, 'THE TREE FEVER AFFLICTING THE VILLAGE CAN NOW BE COMPLETELY CURED...! IF ONLY I COULD RETURN TO THE VILLAGE, I COULD PROVE IT TO THEM...!' Above him, Kalgara stands at the edge of the fissure, holding his spear. Kalgara looks down at Noland and says, 'You've been trapped perfectly between the shifting grounds. Truly, only God could have managed to ensnare you so perfectly. I'm surprised you're still even alive...'

Kalgara continues to look down at Noland trapped in the deep fissure. Kalgara says, 'The sun is already setting... Once the sun sets over the western horizon and night falls... You and your men, Will be offered up to the gods.' Noland remains stuck in the crack at the bottom of the ravine. Kalgara glares down angrily and says, 'It's all because you've messed up our ritual, That you've unleashed god's wrath upon us!' He adds, 'Your pitiful state right now is proof of god's fury. The earthquake just now was god's punishment. There is nothing you can do now!'

In the Shandia village, panic and despair have taken over. A villager notes, 'Kalgara headed into the forest.' Another says, 'If the god-slayer is killed, Hopefully god's wrath will be assuaged for the time being...' A woman weeps over a body, crying, 'PAPA! PAPA!' A man reports, 'Another warrior passed away.' Another laments, 'If only he could have at least died in battle.' A villager asks, 'Have you finished with the funerary urn yet!?' The urn maker replies, 'There are still plenty of corpses waiting for their urn! With so many people dropping like flies, it's impossible for me to keep up.' A man suddenly collapses with a 'FALL', and another curses, 'Curses...' Angry Shandia warriors confront Noland's crew, shouting, 'IF YOU LOT HAD NEVER COME TO THIS VILLAGE, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE-' and 'EVEN THAT EARTHQUAKE JUST NOW COST US DEAR CASUALTIES! YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS LIGHTLY!' The crew members panic, 'WHA!?' and 'WAIT! WAIT! DON'T RUSH INTO THINGS!' The villagers yell, 'IF YOU PEOPLE HAD NEVER INTERFERED WITH THE RITUAL, EVERYONE WOULD BE-'

The angry Shandia villagers continue to yell at Noland's crew, 'YOU'RE THE EVIL SPIRITS PLAGUING OUR VILLAGE! WE WILL KILL YOU NOW!' The crew members, now tied up behind wooden bars, panic and plead, 'AGHH!' 'HEY, WAIT! THIS ISN'T WHAT YOU PROMISED!' 'W-W-WAIT!' 'WE STILL HAVE SOME TIME LEFT! STOP!' 'WHY YOU-' The young boy Seto sits cross-legged in front of the wooden bars, blocking the villagers from attacking the crew. An angry villager yells, 'SETO! MOVE OUTTA THE WAY! MY WIFE DIED LAST NIGHT BECAUSE OF THESE BASTARDS!' Seto glares back and says, 'Were much, Much more honourable than how you're acting now!' He thinks of the warriors, '...The proud Shandora warriors that I had always looked up to,' A crew member notices him, 'It's that kid...' Mousse watches the scene silently from the side.

Back at the fissure, Noland continues to struggle against the crushing earth. He grunts, 'NGHH!' and 'ARGHH!' as he squirms in the tight space. Kalgara watches him from above with a stern expression. Suddenly, Noland screams in agony, 'HNGHHH- GAAAAAAAHHHHH!' as the ground shifts and squeezes him tighter. Kalgara looks shocked and notices the movement, exclaiming, 'THE WHOLE GROUND IS...!?'

The ground around the fissure shifts violently with a loud 'ZUZUN' rumble. Noland is squeezed even tighter by the shifting earth. He pants heavily, 'HUFF HUFF', as the pressure increases. Kalgara watches in shock, sweating as the ground moves. Noland feels the intense pressure, 'THROB THROB', and pants, 'PANT...' He screams out again in immense pain, 'HNGHH- AARGHHHHHH!'

In the village, the Shandia warriors prepare for the sacrifice. 'Prepare for the ritual!' 'Take these sacrifices to the altar!' Noland's crew members are led away by armed warriors. One crew member pleads, 'Hey! W... Wait! C'mon, just wait a little longer! Our admiral will surely be here in a bit! Give him... 2 hours! No, 1 hour! That's all we ask!' Another cries out to Seto, 'Hey, kid! Do something to stop them! Please! I don't wanna be turned into a human sacrifice!' Mousse looks down sadly, thinking, 'Why do we have to die!?' The Shandia Chief sits nearby and says, 'The ritual will begin soon.' A villager coughs violently, 'COUGH!' The Chief notes, 'The sun is now setting...' A crew member desperately cries, 'Please hang on until then!'

At the fissure, Kalgara looks at the setting sun and says, 'The sun is now setting... The ritual will soon begin.' He looks down at the exhausted Noland and says, 'Your futile struggle has lasted all day. Hmph... What a pathetic sight... The wretched fate of a man who foolishly tried to defy God...' Noland lies on the ground, panting and coughing, 'HUFF... HUFF... COUGH!' Noland weakly speaks up, 'JUST WHAT THE HELL... ARE YOU BASTARDS... SO AFRAID OF...' Kalgara looks surprised, 'What?' Noland continues, 'COWERING FROM A TERROR THAT DOESN'T EXIST... BEING ONLY TOO WILLING TO OFFER HUMAN LIVES IN EXCHANGE FOR A PEACE OF MIND...'

Noland continues his speech from the fissure, 'Peace of mind!? THAT'S RIGHT... THAT'S ALL IT IS... A BARBARIC WAY... TO CREATE PEACE OF MIND... ALL YOUR HUMAN SACRIFICES ARE MEANINGLESS...' Kalgara becomes furious, pointing his spear down at Noland and yelling, 'DON'T TALK AS IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING! THESE ARE THE WAYS MY PEOPLE HAVE LIVED ON THIS LAND FOR CENTURIES!' Noland retorts, 'That's...! Irrelevant to whether your customs are correct!' Kalgara shouts back, 'SHUT UP, OUTSIDER!' Noland coughs and says, 'HUFF... I DON'T... CARE HOW GREAT... YOUR GOD IS... BUT HUMAN LIVES... ARE FAR MORE SACRED!'

Noland pants heavily, 'PANT... PANT...', and continues, 'WATCHING INDIFFERENTLY... AS AN INNOCENT YOUNG GIRL IS KILLED BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES... PEOPLE LIKE YOU COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE!' Kalgara's face contorts with intense emotion and conflict. Noland yells, 'WHAT YOUR PEOPLE DO! IS BENEATH HUMANS!' Kalgara remembers Mousse crying as she was chosen for the sacrifice. Kalgara says, 'You think I was watching indifferently as the girl was offered up as sacrifice...? Is that what you really think...? Even if I were to tell you that the girl you saved yesterday...'

Kalgara screams with tears in his eyes, 'IS MY OWN DAUGHTER!?' Noland's eyes widen in shock. Kalgara continues, 'You're despicable... How could you... Tell your own daughter to take her life...! You have no idea how absolute we consider, The words of a pantori, the only one who can listen to the voices of gods! The pantori's words are god's words.' Kalgara grips his spear tightly, his teeth gritted. 'OBEYING THEM IS AN IRON-CLAD LAW OF OUR VILLAGE! I COULD NOT BEG TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE! TURNING ONE'S BACK ON GOD'S WORD IS TO PROVOKE DIVINE JUDGMENT!'

In the village, drums beat loudly, 'DON DOT TO TO'. The villagers chant, 'Take the sacrifices up to the altar! Burn them up to the heavens!' Noland's crew members scream in terror, 'ADMIRAAAL! ADMIRAAAL! WE'RE GONNA BE BURNT ALIVE!' The large stone altar is shown, covered in a massive pile of wood for the pyre. Mousse stands silently, looking resigned. Back at the fissure, Kalgara looks shocked and says, 'NO, IT CAN'T BE... Do you really think misfortunes would befall one after the other so easily? This is a clear sign of god's work!'

A giant snake, similar to Kashigami but smaller, suddenly appears behind Kalgara, looming over the fissure. Noland looks up in shock and mutters, 'LORD KASHI...' Kalgara looks back at the snake and says, 'He's a little smaller... Could he be Lord Kashi's child...!? Lord Kashi's child... Has come to sentence divine judgment!' Noland glares at the snake and yells, 'DIVINE JUDGMENT!? WHAT A FARCE!'

Noland yells passionately, 'DIVINE JUDGMENT!? OR A MERE ACCIDENT!? JUST WHAT WILL THE VILLAGE BE DESTROYED FROM!? AN EVIL CURSE!? OR AN EPIDEMIC!?' He explains, '60 years ago... My homelands too suffered from the same tree fever destroying your village now! 100,000 lives were lost to it! It's a terrifyingly deadly disease which kills over 90% of those who catch it! But now, barely 3% of all people infected die from this former deadliest of diseases! That's because a botanist from South Blue found a cure after years of research! And that cure is something called Konine, a substance that can be extracted from the bark of the Kona tree!' Noland holds up his right hand, 'In my right hand is the tree bark! If I could just return to the village, I can make the medicine, AND SAVE YOUR VILLAGE!'

Noland continues his desperate plea, 'DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA... ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OR THE IMMENSE TIME INVOLVED IN SEARCHING FOR A CURE!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY DEATHS ACCOMPANIED THIS ENDEAVOUR!?' He yells, 'BUT HERE YOU ARE, TRAMPLING ALL OVER THEIR HARD-FOUGHT PROGRESS! THAT IS WHY I SAID YOUR RITUALS ARE AN INSULT TO THEM! CAN IT NOT BE SAID THAT YOUR ANCIENT IRON-CLAD LAWS ARE THE EVIL SPIRITS DESTROYING YOUR VILLAGE!? ARE YOU TERRIFIED OF GOD THAT MUCH!?' The giant snake hisses loudly, 'JAAAA!', preparing to strike.

Kalgara looks at the giant snake and thinks to himself, 'I DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO LISTEN TO GOD... BUT, I CAN AT LEAST HEAR THE VOICE... OF A MAN DETERMINED TO RISK HIS LIFE...' Kalgara turns his back to the snake and stands tall, holding his spear. He asks Noland, 'ANSWER ME... WHAT DID I... SLAY JUST NOW...?' Noland replies simply, 'A snake.' Behind Kalgara, the giant snake lies dead on the ground, its head severed.

Noland continues, 'No! I broke my people's law and murdered a god... And yet you say... That I've killed only a snake. And that the "curse" killing my fellow warriors and villagers, Is nothing more than a disease...!' Kalgara breaks down, tears streaming from his eyes as he screams, 'CAN YOU REALLY... SAVE MY DEAR VILLAGE!? CAN THE VILLAGE... REALLY BE SAVED!?' Noland looks up with fierce determination and shouts, 'YES!'

A wide view shows the dense forest and the fissure where Noland was trapped. The giant snake lies dead on the ground, its head completely severed from its body. In the village, the sun has set, and a full moon rises in the sky behind the large stone altar. Close-up panels show the bright full moon, the massive pile of wooden logs prepared for the sacrificial pyre, and the top of the altar.

A montage shows Noland's crew treating the Shandia villagers. A crew member administers a shot of medicine to a smiling Shandia warrior while others look on happily. Seto smiles brightly, wearing a helmet. Mousse hugs her mother tightly, both of them crying tears of joy and relief. Kalgara is shown crying, overwhelmed with emotion. Mousse runs to Kalgara and embraces him. Kalgara hugs his daughter back, tears streaming down his face as he holds her close.

The full moon shines brightly in the night sky over the village. Mont Blanc Noland rests peacefully in a bed, his head and arms bandaged, with a gentle smile on his face. His crew members sit around him, looking relieved and happy. Outside, a massive celebration is underway. The Shandia villagers and Noland's crew are partying together around a large bonfire. People are laughing, cheering, dancing, and drinking from barrels, celebrating the cure of the tree fever and their newfound friendship.

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