One Piece: SSS-Rank Haki at Age Seventeen

"Where… where are we?!" Chopper asked nervously.

"I don't know… but it looks like there's some kind of altar up ahead!" Usopp said as he stared toward the Sacrificial Altar in the distance.

Ahead of them stretched a vast expanse of white—like an ocean made of clouds.

And upon the Sea of Clouds, a towering altar stood tall. In the cloud sea below, fins sliced through the surface. It was easy to tell what they were—Sky Sharks swimming through the sky.

"They all look really dangerous… Let's go check somewhere else," Usopp said, swallowing hard, his face pale.

"Y-Yeah! Good idea!" Chopper immediately agreed.

At that moment, a man sitting cross-legged atop the altar slowly opened his eyes.

There was a massive hole in his chest, and his face was deathly pale.

It was none other than Priest Shura, who had previously taken a direct punch from Luffy due to his own arrogance.

"People from the Blue Sea?" Shura muttered while looking up at the sky.

Dark clouds now blanketed the heavens. From time to time, flashes of blue-white lightning and dark red light illuminated the sky.

"Lord Enel will definitely win. As for these Blue Sea people… they must die!"

Filled with hatred, Shura mounted his giant bird Fuza and charged forward with his spear.

"Blue Sea scum—die!"

"AAAAH!!"

Usopp and Chopper's screams echoed throughout the surrounding forest.

Meanwhile — The Former God's House

Conis gently played her harp. The cheerful melody made the lively cottage feel almost like a heavenly paradise.

"How is it? Pretty nice, right?" Gan Fall said with a smile. "This year's pumpkin harvest is quite good."

"I really don't know how to thank you…" Pagaya said awkwardly. "Even common folk like us have received your care."

"Since you and your daughter chose to stand with the Straw Hat crew, you'll be treated as accomplices," Gan Fall said as he watered the pumpkins. "That means you could face execution."

"Besides, I'm only repaying a favor."

"How was Angel Island's harvest this year?" he asked with concern.

"Very good."

"I'm glad to hear that!"

He then placed several cups of pumpkin juice in front of Pagaya.

"This was squeezed from pumpkins grown in my own field. It tastes quite good."

"Thank you very much. Then I'll gladly accept," Pagaya replied.

Meanwhile, Conis sat nearby, her face filled with worry.

"In the Blue Sea, there are people called pirates," Gan Fall began. "They are criminals who sail the blue ocean."

"Though there are many kinds of pirates, they all sail under a black flag bearing a skull."

"The group led by that boy in the straw hat… they are most likely pirates as well."

"What? You mean they're actually criminals?" Pagaya asked in surprise.

"In the Blue Sea, they are probably considered illegal."

"No matter what world you live in, there will always be people who step outside what is considered the 'proper path.'"

"But tell me—how are they any different from you right now?"

"Are all the rules of the world truly correct?"

"And are those who oppose them automatically wrong?"

"Who can say for certain?"

"Take an extreme example: a hero in wartime, if placed in another era, might simply be called a murderer."

Gan Fall paused for a moment.

"I once had a friend like that. It was more than twenty years ago, when I was still the God of Skypiea."

"He came here… a very bold and refreshing man. When he left, it was truly hard to part ways."

"In the sky, the people of Skypiea and the tribe known as the Shandians have been at war for generations."

"To this day, the Shandians continue to challenge God Enel."

"Since ancient times, Skypiea has passed down a legend."

"Long ago, on the day the Sacred Land Upper Yard was born, beautiful singing echoed across the island. That was also when the war between the Shandians and the Sky People began."

"That song seemed to be a signal of war."

"So if we ever hear that song again… it will mean the war is finally ending."

"One day, the Sacred Land will surely ring with that song again," Gan Fall said with hope in his eyes.

"Right now the Straw Hats are fighting Enel. I should go help them."

"Let's go, Pierre!"

Gan Fall mounted Pierre and shot straight toward Upper Yard.

Meanwhile — At the Sacrificial Altar

"Stop running! Offer your lives to God!" Shura shouted.

Riding Fuza, he flew toward Usopp and Chopper and thrust his spear forward.

Flames erupted instantly, blasting a massive crater into a giant tree.

Fuza also spewed fire.

The blazing inferno surged toward the fleeing duo.

"Damn it! Run! The fire's huge!!"

At the Same Time — Upper Yard

Both the Shandians and Gan Fall entered Upper Yard simultaneously.

Wyper suddenly noticed Gan Fall flying into the forest.

"…Something feels wrong."

Without hesitation, he rushed deeper into the forest.

Soon, the Shandians and the God's Army clashed in battle.

Wyper fired his cannon—

BOOM!

One enemy fell instantly.

"Hmph. This so-called god is nothing but a joke," Wyper said disdainfully.

Just then—

Thunder roared across the sky.

A blue pillar of lightning crashed down directly toward Wyper.

BOOM!

A massive crater appeared.

And Wyper—already dark-skinned—was instantly charred black like a lump of coal.

High in the Sky

"What are you doing?!" Luffy shouted in shock.

Earlier, Enel had heard Wyper insulting him. Rather than avoid Luffy's attack, he had willingly taken a punch just to unleash Heavenly Judgment.

As a result, he now looked completely battered.

Crackle… crackle…

Blue lightning surged from Enel's skin straight into his heart.

In an instant, he was revived—full of vitality again.

"Hah… electric therapy again," Luffy muttered.

"I have to admit, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is ridiculously versatile. Not only can it fight and move at lightning speed, but its healing method is impressive too—probably ten times better than Donquixote Doflamingo's thread stitching."

"But relying on electricity to stimulate your heart like that is basically burning your own life force."

"How long do you think you can keep that up?"

Luffy remained completely calm.

One day.

That was all he needed.

Not to defeat Enel—

But to kill him.

Enel was already burning through his own life force. If he failed, things wouldn't end as easily as they had in the original timeline.

This time—

He would die.

"Enough talk! If you've got the guts, try and catch me!" Enel shouted.

He transformed into lightning and shot away, instantly leaving Upper Yard.

"Huh? Trying to run? Not that easy!"

Luffy turned into a streak of red light and chased after him.

Back at the Sacrificial Altar

A ring of fire surrounded Usopp and Chopper.

"Hahaha! Now you can't escape!" Shura laughed as he thrust his spear forward.

But suddenly—

CLANG!

Another spear blocked the attack.

Looking closely, it was Gan Fall, the former God.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Gan Fall clashed with Shura in midair.

Spear struck spear, sparks exploding between them.

"Sky Knight!" Usopp and Chopper shouted.

"What a rare guest," Shura sneered.

With a sudden burst of force, he knocked Gan Fall back onto Pierre.

Shura also leapt onto Fuza.

The two immediately began a fierce aerial battle.

"Looks like we've met a worthy opponent," Gan Fall said calmly. "Pierre, let's go all out."

Pierre cried out in response.

The two riders circled through the sky, their spears clashing again and again, sending ripples through the air.

Shura charged upward with his flaming spear.

Gan Fall dodged—and slammed his palm against Shura's chest.

Shura's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You're injured, Shura. You've grown weaker," Gan Fall said calmly.

Then—

BOOM!

The power of an Impact Dial blasted Shura downward from the sky.

Fortunately, Fuza arrived just in time to catch him.

"Damn you! Then I'll show you the consequences of angering me!"

"Ordeal of String—begin!"

"What?!" Gan Fall's eyes widened.

The two immediately resumed their high-speed battle.

Their movements became so fast that the naked eye could no longer follow them.

Only the sounds of weapons colliding and the explosions of air echoed through the sky.

In just a moment, they had exchanged dozens of blows.

"I've already given up any hope of negotiating with you people!" Gan Fall declared.

"You're still as soft-hearted as ever!" Shura mocked.

Their mounts circled and clashed again.

But suddenly—

Gan Fall and Pierre froze in place.

They had been caught.

Shura rode Fuza straight toward them.

His flaming spear pierced directly through Gan Fall's shoulder.

"Damn it… what did you do?!" Gan Fall shouted in anger and confusion.

Why…?

Why can't I move?

"That's…!" Usopp suddenly realized something.

He put on his goggles.

"I see! So that's the Ordeal of String!"

"Gan Fall—die!" Shura thrust his spear toward Gan Fall's heart.

Just then—

"Firebird Star!"

A burst of sparks shot toward Gan Fall.

"Sky Knight!"

The flames burned away the cloud strings surrounding him.

Gan Fall immediately felt his body regain movement.

He swiftly dodged the incoming spear—

Then slammed his palm against Shura's chest.

"Go to hell."

The Impact Dial flashed with light.

BOOM!

Priest of the Ordeal of String—Shura—was defeated.

It turned out that during the battle, Shura had been secretly weaving an invisible web using countless hair-thin yet incredibly tough cloud strings, gradually binding Gan Fall in place.

Fortunately—

Usopp's Firebird Star burned the cloud strings apart.

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