(Enel POV)
“God Enel, the last of the contestants have arrived.” The groveling gnat reported, his entire body trembling in fear. It was good that he feared his betters, but it was also terribly tedious. Still, it was a problem that was easy to resolve: a quick wave of his hands cleared the bug away.
Soon, he would be free of this place to assume his rightful place as the ruler of Fairy Vearth. But what god did not have followers? It was just his luck that he was stuck with useless bugs.
None of his attendants dared interrupt what they were doing, even as one of their own received his just punishment for daring to increase his god’s boredom. At least the news was good, so Enel showed mercy by making it quick. Depending on how the games turned out, he may even spare a few of them and allow them the honor of continuing to exist in his service, but only if he didn't find anything better before then.
Which is where the games came in. It would be a glorious death match to weed out the unworthy and leave only the most useful insects with which to breed future generations of attendants. It was the sad truth, that while god was immortal, his servants were not. Enel briefly considered punishing them for it but decided against it…for now. They were doing an acceptable job of fanning him and he did not wish to have it stop.
“Tell the priests that they may begin.” he ordered and a number of divine messengers sped off to deliver his command. Of course, you couldn’t have a proper death match without a bare minimum number of contestants, which was why he’d let those intruders live. They had beaten Satori, so they had to be better than the last bunch of infidels who had dared to trespass on holy ground, no? Those had failed against his priests, and thus been judged and found lacking.
One of the new intruders had witnessed his divine judgement, but he’d let her live. She was needed to bring her comrades to his arena and plus, she was a tasty looking morsel, far superior to his current stock.
It was god’s prophecy that she would be one of the chosen.
He should warn his priests that a new prophecy had been made. For god's wrath would have no mercy on those who would dare attempt to make god a liar.
Satori in particular might be overeager to avenge his prior loss, but Enel wasn't too worried, for even he would not dare disobey a prophecy.
To all those who ventured here, know that god was watching. Fight and die for god’s amusement, praise him for your victories and pray for deliverance. You shall be heard. You shall be judged.
Judged, like this heretic before him, who had dared to claim godhood. How weak. How…pitiful. The world only needed one god. It had no room for another.
“El Thor.”
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(Bellamy POV)
In the ideal scenario my crew and I would all be sticking together. We were more familiar with each other’s fighting styles and had arguably better teamwork than we would have with some random Shandian warrior. It would have given me more peace of mind if I could always see my crew to ensure their safety.
Unfortunately, that hadn't worked out quite as planned.
Initially, I had been hoping to take the New Witch’s Tongue and sail after the main battle group. Unfortunately, my ship was nowhere near fast enough to keep up, at least not over the relatively short distances involved, and I did not want to be exploring the Upper Yard on our own with no backup.
Hence, each member of my crew got paired up with a Shandian warrior who would play chauffeur, and things would have been fine if this had been the extent of it. The problems arose, when our drivers refused to stick together and followed their own squad leaders instead, taking my crew with them.
“Hey Kamakiri, should we really be splitting up like this?” I had to fight against the wind to get my message across, but I got it across regardless. “Wouldn’t it be better to fight the priests one after the other?”
“The priests are stronger together." He replied, weaving through the trees at breakneck speeds. "Like this, we can isolate them and fight without having to constantly guard our backs against the other priests.”
Made sense, I supposed.
“Rivers, you doing alright?”
My sniper just gave me a thumbs up from where he was clinging to the back of his own driver, his smile shaky but determined.
I really hoped my crew was going to be alright. There was no reason why they shouldn't be, right? The Straw Hats had beaten the priests while fighting the Shandians in the original timeline. This time round, the Bellamy pirates were added to the mix and Wyper wasn't hellbent on expelling all Blue Sea dwellers from the White White Sea, thanks to yours truly. The Shandians also hadn't clashed with the Straw Hats this time because we had all been too busy partying, so they should be able to work better together against a common enemy.
And if Enel showed up…I patted my bag to reassure myself that everything was still there. If Enel showed up, I was going to give it my best shot. Something had to work.
Still there were no signs of any priests though. Where were they?
“Which priests did you guys say we were hunting down?” I asked, but I got my answer before Kamakiri could respond.
“Oh, you’re not hunting anybody.” Fuza descended upon the clearing, its large purple wings spread out to display their full wingspan and an iridescent red mane, both of which were attached to a glaring white head. “I will be hunting you, for you are but prey which has foolishly entered my hunting grounds.”
And standing upon his mount was the master of this great bird of prey.
“I welcome you to my Ordeal of String.”
Shura.
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(Lily POV)
“Shit, we lost the captain! Oi shithead, what do we do?” This was not the plan. Stupid, fucking idiots couldn’t manage driving together. And even after the captain specifically asked this Wyper guy to group the whole crew together.
“Nothing we can do about it now, Lily. The captain is going to be fine.” Her shithead deflected her glare with a lazy wave. It wasn’t the captain she was worried about and Sarquiss knew it.
"I'm being serious, shithead!"
“Relax, darling. These guys aren’t weak,” he said, gesturing to the three dozen heavily armed warriors around them. “and the enemy is probably going to be alone. What’s he going to do when we rain bullets down on him from all sides?”
What he said sounded all nice and tidy, but the way none of the Shandians voiced their agreement put Lily on edge. If she wasn’t mistaken, these guys had fought the priests before, which also meant they should know what to expect. As they were going to be allies, it was only fair that information be shared equally.
“Laki, what are we rushing into?” Lily asked her partner.
“The one whose territory we’re about to enter is called Satori.” Laki replied, her hands tightening around her rifle. “He mainly uses giant ball clouds, which he can manipulate at will using his strings. Once he’s maneuvered his opponents into place, he’ll release the contents of any balls nearby, which can range from being harmless to deadly.”
“Balls, what a riot!” Sarquiss sneered but it was a forced sneer. If he really had been contemptuous of his opponent, Sarquiss's eyes would have been smiling, not narrowed in concentration nor would he have been nervously pawing at his namesake. No, Sarquiss was tense, perhaps even more so than Lily.
“Do not underestimate Satori. He may commonly act like a clown but make no mistake. He is one of Enel’s four priests for a reason.”
Lily knew the type. Those who hid behind smiles and silly behavior, but wielded daggers in the night. Nobles who would order the deaths of entire cities and attend their niece’s birthday party. She hated them.
“From what Aisa told us, Satori was defeated just yesterday. Thus, there’s no guarantee that he will stick to his usual routine.” At Laki’s signal, the troupe began to slow down, carefully scanning the trees for signs of the enemy. “If anything, he will be more dangerous than normal.”
“Ho, ho hoooo! Why thank you for your kind introduction!” a voice called out.
Laki did not hesitate.
“Scatter!”
On her order the Shandians dispersed, seeking out more defensible positions amongst the trees and boulders. At the same time, previously unseen white masses began filling the clearing, emerging from between the roots and descending from the dense foliage. More and more, barely leaving any room to maneuver and certainly no route to escape.
“Welcome to my new and improved Ordeal of Balls!” declared the round being. “You’ll be the first ones to try it and I promise, you’re in for a treat!”
Lily clenched and unclenched her fists, warming herself up for the fight. Next to her, Sarquiss was getting ready too, his breathing slightly erratic.
“The survival rate…is ZERO!”
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(Ross POV)
“Why am I paired up with you?” Hewitt asked, But Ross had a better question: why was Ross paired up with him? Of all the people who could have ended up in his group, it had to be this guy.
“Shut up and just concentrate! We’re in enemy territory if you didn’t know!” Ross dearly would have liked some more back up. Even if the captain were to be unavailable, would Sarquiss or Lily have been too much to ask? Instead, Ross got a bunch of fodder, a fatso and Hewitt. It was a sad day when Hewitt was your best bet for survival.
“Oh, come off it! The enemy isn’t even here. Instead, he’s going to be sitting nice and pretty in his little area, ain’t that right Genbo?” The man just grunted in response to Hewitt's question. Ross honestly couldn't remember hearing him speak, despite having been seated next to him during last night’s party. They had been locked in an unofficial eating competition, both of them inhaling food by the platter. In the end Ross had come out on top but it had been a close thing. But through it all, Genbo had not said a word.
“Do you even know who we’re supposed to be fighting?” he asked no-one in particular, hoping that someone would answer. Information gathering was important as it increased one’s chances of survival, but he really wasn't good at it. That was more Mani’s thing not his.
“The name is Gedatsu, probably the weirdest of the bunch.” Another Shandian answered, scating a bit closer to Ross. “Of the four priests, his Ordeal of Swamp is known to have the highest rate of survival.”
Well, that was good news, at least. “What is the Ordeal of Swamp?”
“Gedatsu has trapped his territory by spreading swamp cloud everywhere. Once you step in one, you’ll sink into it with no way of escaping on your own. The only chance you have is if a comrade pulls you out.”
“So it’s like quicksand.”
“I…don’t know what this quicksand is, but if the more you struggle the worse it gets, then they are probably very similar.”
That was bloody fantastic, wasn't it?
“Gedatsu himself is known to navigate his swamp using milky dials, which is why we’re all equipped similarly.”
So you were prepared and equipped accordingly, but what about him? What was he supposed to do? Sink?
“Another thing to watch out for is how Gedatsu will throw swamp cloud at you. As long as you don't get hit by it you'll be fine, but ortherwise it will envelop you and cut off your ability to breathe. It’s a bad way to go.”
“What do you mean?” Damnit Hewitt, use your two brain cells for once. It was freaking obvious.
“Cause you’re going to suffocate, you idiot! Same as when you get sucked into a swamp head first.” See, the Shandian was nodding too.
“Wha…you think you’re so much smarter than me don’t you? I’ll stuff one of Muret’s encyclopedias down your throat, you know-it-all!” Seriously did Hewitt not have any sense of self-preservation? “Maybe then you’ll say something useful.”
The shandian seemed shocked at the graphic threat but for Ross, it was just another Tuesday morning. Now, normally Ross wouldn’t have dreamt of refusing a challenge but right now? This was so not the time.
Hewitt slightly wilted when Ross didn't reply as he usually did, a small crack forming in his mask. He was nervous too, Ross realized, which was why he had sought out something familiar, almost like a lifeline. If that was the case, Ross could comply.
“Oh, big words Hewitt.” He threw back. It was not a bad idea to be honest, Ross reflected as he fell into a familiar routine. “Do you even know what an encyclopedia is?”
That did feel marginally better and apparently Hewitt agreed, going by the slightest hint of a smile, which briefly graced his face. However, before they could keep bantering, Genbo’s grunt stopped them short.
In the middle of an open space stood a tall man, with his hair styled in the oddest manner Ross had ever seen, painstakingly braided into a row of upward-pointing tufts with rasta-styled dreadlocks stretching from ear to ear.
But what stood out the most was how intensely the man was glaring at them, his eyes near popping out of their sockets due to how much the man was straining. All while his lower lip was stuck in his mouth. He wasn't alone either, as a bunch of goats were standing a little ways behind him. Goats, who were wearing white robes with baggy white pants, white togas bound around their waist level and red collars with a golden ring at the front. But...why…goats? Maybe weird men were required to have odd subordinates?
Apparently, their boss’ eccentricities were nothing new to these goats.
“Lord Gedatsu, if you don’t talk, the enemy can’t hear you!”
What…?
“How careless!!!”
He wasn't for real, was he?
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(Mani POV)
“So where are we going?” Ever since splitting off from the main group, the Shandians had become really tense.
“Our job is to prevent the divine soldiers from reinforcing any of the four priests.” Braham replied. “Which is why we’re striking at their main barracks.”
Braham sure looked nice, just look at those tasty, tasty muscles and he was the strong silent type too. Maybe she would keep him when they left.
“Wow, that sounds like an important job. You must be very skilled for Wyper to entrust such a mission to you.” she chirped at him. It was a universal truth that no man could resist a compliment, especially if it was delivered by a woman as sexy as her. The fluttering eyelashes were just the cherry on top.
To her initial surprise, Braham remained completely unflustered. There was no way a normal man could resist her charms! He had to be a womaniser! The absolute cad! Actually, no wait. There was the smile. She fucking knew she was irresistible! Chocolate for the win!
“I am the greatest warrior of the tribe.” Braham boasted, thumping his chest with his fist. Humble too. She liked it.
“That’s amazing” Mani answered, clasping her hands together. “I feel so safe with you around.”
"That's only natural." he acknowledged.
Now, to drive the nail into the coffin.
“You’ll protect me, won’t you?” Mani's eyes were wide and moist, accentuating her lower lip, which were curved into the slightest smile to add some mystery. Her voice was intentionally set to be more cute than sexy to provoke that manly protective instinct. As a result, the smile Braham shot her way from the front was brilliant.
“You can rely on me! As long as I’m around, nothing can touch you.”
Hook, line and…
“Impact!” “Axe!”
“Braham!!!?” Mani needed a moment to reconcile what she had just seen with her reality. What had happened to her big and tough protector? Why was he lying crumpled beneath a tree, bleeding from a long wound down his side?
And why was she seeing two ball shaped goats?
“Ho, ho hooo!” “Ho, ho hooo!”
“Hear ye, you foolish sinners.” “The message of god Enel!”
“None shall pass beyond this point!” “And none shall leave.”
“For daring to disturb god’s own peace,”
“Your punishment is death!”
“I am Hotori!” “And I am Kotori!”
“Welcome to the new Ordeal of Twins!”
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(Eddy POV)
The assault group had broken up just perfectly, forcing Muret and him together onto the same speeder and having her hug him from behind was almost like a dream come true. Now he just had to show Muret how awesome he was during the battle and prove he could protect her. That would surely score him a shit load of brownie points.
Plus, he might not have been in the same group as his captain, but Wyper wasn't a bad second choice. There was no way Eddy would find himself in any real danger with the strongest warrior of the tribe and his chosen warriors positioned around him. Everything seemed perfect: all the glory, none of the risk.
He even had a new sword, one he had picked up from the local dial-smith which Eddy couldn't wait to try out.
“Everyone keep sharp! This is our greatest chance to take down Enel and reclaim our home!” Cheers greeted Wyper’s declaration. “’We’re going for Enel himself. Onwards, to god’s shrine!”
Oi, that wasn’t the plan! What happened to having nice, easy, safe battles? What if Muret got hurt?
He could feel Muret trembling behind him and it broke his heart. He had wanted to impress her, not scare her. And now, he couldn't even turn back to bring her to safety. Even if they didn't get lost, they had come too far now and it was going to be even more dangerous travelling back on their lonesome. The captain had been supposed to face off against Enel! Not Eddy! Eddy didn't have a devil fruit! What did he do? What could he do?
“Don’t worry Muret, I’ll keep you safe!” He wished he could say that. But he couldn't. And Eddy hated it. Hated being weak. Hated being unreliable. Hated being plain old Eddy.
Suddenly, it had never been so clear how utterly irrelevant Eddy was in the grand scheme of things. He swore, that if he got out of this alive, he would never skip a day of training ever again.
“If they want to touch you, they’ll have to go through me.” Someday, he would be able to say it with the fullest confidence, but sadly that day was not today.
Today, Eddy prayed to every deity he could think of, “Anybody but Enel. Anything but Enel!”
As the column burst into the ruins of a lost city, Wyper pulled up short. It was soon evident why.
“Welcome intruders, to the Ordeal of Iron.” That was a big dog with a baldy on top. “Your prayers shall be granted.”
The baldy slowly stood up and pointed his sword their way.
“You shall be granted...death.”
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“LET THE ORDEAL, BEGIN!”