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The Strongest Frost Loli (198)
🕑 Added 2025-02-25 17:00:15 +0000 UTCChapter 198 - Upper Yard
“How many intruders are there?”
“Fifteen, I think. Nine were together, but they split into two groups, one of which is moving. The others were together initially, but now they’re scattered. I think that’s a separate group.”
“Hmph. It amounts to the same thing.”
Wiper, a descendant of the great warrior Kalgara, now leader of the Shandia warriors and defender of Upper Yard, spat out his cigarette. Across from him stood a woman named Laki, and behind her, almost hidden, a young girl named Aisa.
Aisa possessed an innate mastery of Kenbunshoku Haki, allowing her to detect intruders who slipped past their regular patrols.
“But it’s strange,” she said.
“Strange? What is?”
“It’s hard to explain, but… usually, the ‘voices’ I hear are all slightly different! But the six who are moving separately… their ‘voices’ all sound exactly the same.”
“Perhaps they’re just similar?”
“I don’t know…”
Aisa’s words gave Wiper pause. He considered the implications, but decided they were intruders nonetheless and that swift action was required. Without Kenbunshoku Haki like Aisa’s, it was difficult for him to comprehend her description.
The sun was already beginning to set. Lingering here would mean being caught in the darkness. For the Shandia, who had finally reclaimed their ancestral land after generations of struggle and were now sworn to protect it, the intrusion was an unforgivable offense.
Wiper immediately addressed his warriors.
“Genbo, you take a squad and eliminate the ones moving separately. Kamakiri, Braham, you’re with me. We’ll deal with the larger group!”
“How many men are you taking?”
“Leave enough to defend the village. Three more with me should suffice.”
“Understood. I’ll take the same number.”
The man called Genbo immediately began preparations upon hearing Wiper’s orders. Kamakiri and Braham followed suit, gathering their men and equipment. With Aisa providing a general direction, they wouldn’t cross paths with the enemy.
One of the groups hadn’t moved, suggesting it was their base of operations. Pirate or not, any outsider who set foot on this island would be eliminated. That oath would never be broken.
***
“This place… feels… strange, doesn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it feels like everything’s… tilting…”
“It’s the trees. They’re leaning. It’s messing with my sense of balance.”
Having realized that Upper Yard was part of the fractured island of Jaya, the Straw Hats had divided into two groups: one to explore the island, the other to guard the ship.
The exploration team consisted of Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Robin, and Pedro.
Sanji, Chopper, and Zepo remained behind.
The larger exploration team was a result of circumstance, but Nami had tagged along, lured by the promise of a city of gold, while Usopp had joined for safety in numbers, figuring Luffy and Zoro would protect him.
The group had ventured into the forest, intending to return to camp after a brief reconnaissance.
“But why are all the trees leaning in the same direction?”
“Maybe that’s just how they grew?”
“But do trees really grow like that? They’re unusually large for Jaya, too…”
“Who knows? I can't say for certain. But look at the ground… these unnatural depressions, these marks on the trunks… as if someone… forcibly pulled them…”
Robin crouched down and examined the large hollow in the ground, then ran her hand along a tree trunk. Nami and Usopp scoffed, but then, noticing the human-like footprint in the depression, their expressions turned to astonishment.
Such marks would normally disappear quickly, but unlike the Blue Sea, rain didn’t fall on the White Sea. The footprints had been preserved.
“B-but… that footprint’s huge! Are there really humans that big!?”
“That would be an average size for a giant. For the imprint to be so clear, they must have exerted considerable force.”
Usopp, having never encountered a giant, was bewildered, but Robin, knowing their average height exceeded ten meters, estimated the giant's size based on the footprint. Luffy’s eyes sparkled at Robin’s explanation.
“Giants! Are there any on this island?”
“I can’t say for certain. But I never heard of any giants living on Sky Islands when I was here before.”
At least, she reasoned, no giants currently resided there. She had been told that the only inhabitants of Upper Yard were the Shandia tribe, and she hadn't heard of any Shandia giants. A little further on, the tilting trees disappeared, replaced by a more natural landscape.
The trees, however, remained unusually large, likely due to the unique environment of the Sky Island.
“There are a lot of cloud rivers. It’s difficult to navigate.”
“They’re likely artificial. I don’t know why, but… if you have a Waver, these cloud rivers crisscrossing the forest would certainly be convenient for travel.”
Wavers came in various forms, including skate-like models worn on the feet, serving as both footwear and transportation, especially useful in this environment where land and water intermingled. Perhaps the cloud rivers served to circulate water in the absence of rain. The exact reason was unknown, but they certainly made traversing the forest difficult.
“At this rate, we should probably turn back. It’s getting late.”
“It’s dangerous to travel at night. Luffy! It’s time to go!”
“Eh? Already?”
“If you want to explore more, we can do it tomorrow. From what I’ve seen, the layout seems to match the map we found.”
Having seemingly pinpointed the general location of the gold, Nami agreed with Pedro’s suggestion to return. Spending the night in an unfamiliar forest was unsettling. Back on the ship, Sanji would have dinner waiting. Luffy, not wanting to miss a meal, agreed.
With Robin leading the way, they turned back.
“Alright! Let’s head back!”
While the others hadn't discovered anything of particular interest, Robin was a different story. Her notebook was filled with observations, and she frequently paused to examine things like a well swallowed by a tree or remnants of past settlements. As an archaeologist, she was naturally drawn to such things.
“She’s different from what I first thought.”
“Robin’s been studying archaeology since she was a child. She always does fieldwork and researches the history of the islands we visit.”
“Really? So, Pedro’s also an expert on this stuff?”
“The only thing I’m an expert at is cutting down enemies.”
“That’s… reassuring.”
Pedro, seemingly uninterested in history, stood guard beside Robin as she examined the surroundings. It was their usual routine. Their movements were fluid, practiced.
“Robin, we can’t take our time on the way back.”
“Yes, but just a little longer…”
“…Too late for that.”
Pedro’s gaze shifted and put his hand on the sword at his hip. Zoro and Luffy followed his gaze and saw six figures dressed in tribal attire.
“You…”
“Didn’t they tell you on the other island? This is our land. Don’t expect to leave here alive.”
“The Shandia!”
Pedro was willing to fight but he thought it might be too risky. Their fighting strength wasn’t a concern. Luffy, Zoro, and he could easily handle them all… but causing trouble here would create problems for Kanata. Hoping to avoid a conflict, he spoke.
“Wait! We mean you no harm!”
“Save your breath. The moment you set foot on this land, there was no room for discussion!”
“We’re only here to research the history of this land! We don’t want to fight!”
“Don’t make me repeat myself! We will eliminate you!”
Wiper, hefting his bazooka, ignored Pedro’s pleas and placed his finger on the trigger. The fired projectile shot towards Luffy-
“Gomu Gomu noooo… Balloon!”
-Luffy inflated his body and deflected the blast. The ricocheting projectile struck a tree behind Wiper and exploded. Propelled by the blast, Wiper lunged at Luffy with a kick. Luffy, not one to be outdone, countered with a kick of his own, then followed up with a punch.
“Gomu Gomu no Pistol!”
“A Paramecia Devil Fruit user. How troublesome.”
Wiper dodged Luffy’s punch, realizing ordinary projectiles were useless. He changed ammunition, replacing the projectile with a Dial shell. Aiming at Luffy, he activated the Dial. A pungent odor permeated.
“Ugh!? What’s that smell!?”
“Gas!? This is bad!”
“This bazooka is called the ‘Burn Bazooka.’ It ignites the gas propelled by the Breath Dial, incinerating the target with a pale blue flame.”
The spark from the trigger ignited the gas, unleashing a pale blue inferno that ripped through a large tree.
Zoro shielded Nami, and Pedro protected Robin. They were unharmed, but the attack had effectively neutralized Pedro’s ‘Electro.’ Generating electricity would ignite the gas, causing a self-inflicted explosion. Even the sparks from clashing swords were a risk.
But that applied to their opponents as well. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be reckless… but relying on that was a gamble.
“We need to find a way out of this…!”
He wanted to avoid a fight. It would benefit neither side.
***
Meanwhile, back on the ship, Sanji, Chopper, and Zepo were unloading supplies, preparing to camp. The Going Merry had sustained some damage during their ascent, requiring repairs. Zepo and Chopper were holding carpentry tools.
“How long do you think it will take them to return?”
“Who knows? The sun’s setting soon, so they’ll probably cut their exploration short.”
It was already well past noon when they had left Ohara. Their exploration wouldn’t take them too far. The rhythmic hammering of Zepo’s tools echoed through the air as he repaired the battered ship. Zepo wasn’t a professional shipwright. His repairs were mostly patching holes and reinforcing the hull with wood and metal. The sails were also torn, requiring attention. There was plenty to do.
“…Something’s wrong.”
“What is it?”
“I…”
Zepo stopped hammering and looked up. He usually wore sunglasses, obscuring his eyes, but he had removed them to avoid mistakes. His eyes were narrowed, a grim expression on his face. Chopper tilted his head, puzzled, holding out a plank of wood.
“…This isn’t good. Sanji! Bring anything important onto the ship!”
Zepo handed his hammer to Chopper and called out to Sanji, who was preparing dinner in the galley. Then, he disembarked.
BOOM! BOOM!
Loud explosions echoed in the distance, drawing closer. Sanji and Chopper, finally noticing the commotion, exchanged glances. Sanji lit a cigarette as he and Chopper moved the camping supplies to the side.
As Zepo sensed someone approaching, a man came crashing out of the forest, landing near the ship. His body was covered in burns, and he bore the marks of a brutal beating. It was Genbo, one of the Shandia warriors.
“Gah…!”
“Hey, are you alright!? Stay with me!”
“You… Blue Sea pirates…! Damn it, not here…!”
“You’re one of the islanders, aren’t you? What happened!?”
“He…”
“He?”
“He’s… different… A winged… monster…”
The battered Genbo pointed towards the forest. Zepo followed his gaze and saw a figure emerging from the trees. It was a large man, over four meters tall, with white hair and dark skin. But the most striking feature… was the pair of black wings on his back.
“What… is that…?”
“…Zepo. And that mark… The Straw Hats.”
The man, dressed in a black suit, glanced at the ship, then back at Zepo. He seemed familiar with the Blue Sea and even knew Zepo’s name.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I have no obligation to answer. I have permission to eliminate anyone who interferes, so you’ll all be disappearing here.”
Flames erupted from the man's back. Zepo immediately handed Genbo to Chopper and stepped forward with his fists coated in Haki.
“A Devil Fruit user! I’ve never seen that kind… A Mythical Zoan? Or perhaps an Ancient Zoan!?”
The winged man didn’t answer. His back ablaze then he lunged at Zepo.
