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The Strongest Frost Loli (116)
🕑 Added 2024-09-06 17:00:08 +0000 UTCChapter 116 - Skypiea
“To a Sky Island?”
Inuarashi, seeing Izo preparing to depart after spending a night on Zou, asked, “Leaving already?”
“We’re heading to a Sky Island,” Izo replied.
Inuarashi stroked his chin with a nostalgic expression on his face.
“It brings back memories. When Oden-sama and I rode the Knock Up Stream, I thought I was going to die.”
“Indeed. I truly believed I was going to meet my end that day… But what surprised me more than the existence of people in the sky was the Golden Bell.”
“That was incredible, meow.”
“A Golden Bell?”
Overhearing their conversation, Kanata's curiosity was piqued. She approached the three of them and inquired about the Golden Bell.
“I heard something interesting. Is there a Golden Bell on a Sky Island?”
“Yes. And if the island hasn’t changed, it should still be there.”
“I see…”
“There were also inscriptions in ancient glyphs on the pedestal. It must be something from an ancient civilization.”
It was the kind of story that would have Olivia jumping for joy.
According to Izo, the inscriptions were about Ancient Weapons, so she might not be that interested.
Oden and Roger had apparently carved something into the Golden Bell as well. Kanata couldn't help but think that archaeologists would be furious if they knew about it. Defacing a historical monument was a serious offense. But both Oden and Roger were dead, so it didn't matter.
Sensing the somber mood, Kanata decided to ask Izo and the others about Skypiea.
"Skypiea is ruled by a God. Of course, they're more like a king – the equivalent of a shogun in Wano.”
“It was like a resort, meow. Lots of delicious food. I'm sure Hiyori-sama will enjoy it.”
“However, it's a land with its share of problems. The Shandia, a tribe who seek to expel outsiders, and Upper Yard, a sacred land… I don't think you’ll have any trouble, but it would be best to keep a close eye on Hiyori-sama and Chiyo-sama.”
"…Those are minor issues."
Her crew was accustomed to danger, and Izo and Kawamatsu were among the strongest pirates in the world. They simply had to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.
“…I guess we’ll know more once we get there, but it doesn’t seem like we’ll have any major problems. It might be a good place to relax.”
The warriors on Skypiea weren’t that strong, so they wouldn't have to worry about getting injured. They could relax until the Five Elders reached a decision.
“Kanata-san, please take care of Hiyori-sama,” Inuarashi said.
“We’ll be sharpening our fangs here. Let us know if you ever decide to invade Wano.”
The Kozuki Clan and the Mink Tribe were longtime allies.
To avenge Oden's death, to inherit his will and fight alongside his daughter – It was an honor.
They had initially planned to join Kanata, but after discussing it with Izo and Kawamatsu, they decided to stay.
They had set up a Transponder Snail so they could communicate anytime. It was unclear whether Kin'emon and the others would truly return, but they would prepare themselves for that day.
“Don’t kill each other.”
“Of course not. For Hiyori-sama's sake, we won't break our promise.”
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi bowed their heads. They had promised to stop fighting, to put their differences aside for Hiyori’s sake.
They might spar occasionally, but they would never cross that line again.
It was time to depart. They boarded the ship.
“Come visit again! We’ll throw a grand feast!”
“We’d love to see you again, Hiyori-sama!!”
They waved as the ship gradually ascended. Their next destination was Skypiea.
***
Skypiea was located 10,000 meters above sea level.
Izo had reached it by riding the Knock Up Stream, but they weren't taking such a reckless approach this time. If they had, Izo would have objected to bringing Hiyori.
They looked down at the Sky Island from above.
“Whoa… That’s incredible…”
Kuro was awestruck by the sight. Chiyo, beside him, struggled against her samurai guards as she tried to get a better look.
“Ahahaha! What is this?! What is this?! An island floating in the sky?! The world is truly a vast place!!”
“My lady! Please calm down! You’ll fall!!”
Hiyori was also surprised. They were surrounded by white clouds and the blue sea – a paradise. Most of the crew was excited.
However…
“…What is it? Are you guys seeing something?” Scotch asked, confused.
Kanata, Izo, and the other executives – those who possessed Observation Haki – were staring intently at a single point.
“….What’s wrong, Izo?”
“I… I don’t know…”
“What is it, Kanata? I don’t see anything.”
“You wouldn’t. It’s too far away.”
But she could sense it. An incredibly powerful presence – even at such a distance, she could feel the pressure. They were likely aware of her presence as well.
Even Izo, who had been to Skypiea before, was sweating.
“It’s an incredibly powerful presence. There are very few individuals in the world who could emit such Haki.”
Whitebeard, Big Mom… Roger and Shiki, if they were still alive.
Izo, having experienced such Haki firsthand, couldn’t possibly have missed it. And Roger wouldn’t have ignored it either. Which meant they had arrived recently.
Kanata could think of several possibilities, but… She recognized the Haki.
“Octavia… So that’s where you’ve been hiding.”
She was a woman who attracted attention wherever she went. Kanata had been wondering where she had disappeared to. A Sky Island, rarely visited by outsiders, was the perfect hiding place.
“It’s a good opportunity to fight her, but… bringing Hiyori and Chiyo along is too risky.”
“What should we do? Drop them off on another island?”
“Yes. From here, Alabasta should be–”
She sensed a hostile intent.
“Above!”
She instinctively created an ice shield to block the lightning bolts that rained down on them.
The sheer power of the attack, the nature of the ability – It was undoubtedly Octavia.
“…You’re not letting us go so easily, are you?”
Octavia’s attack range was vast. The lightning bolts hadn’t been infused with Haki. It was more of a warning than a genuine attack.
She was either planning to fight them or simply preventing them from approaching.
"Land the ship on a nearby beach. I’m going alone.”
“Hold on! Don’t be hasty, Kanata! We need to gather information first!”
George, sweating at the sight of Octavia's lightning, tried to calm her down.
She was facing one of the most powerful pirates in the world. Even Kanata couldn't win alone, especially if Octavia had allies.
They needed time to think. They decided to land the ship on a nearby beach and gather information from the locals.
…Fortunately or unfortunately, their massive galleon, the Sombrero, flying through the sky, had attracted a lot of attention. They had no shortage of people to talk to.
Kanata and George approached a young man.
“Hey, can we ask you a few questions?”
“Uh? Y-yes, of course. Sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize…”
“Is there? Sorry.”
“Well… never mind. Anyway,” George sighed.
He asked about Octavia – the lightning Devil Fruit user. And whether she had any allies.
The young man pondered, then replied hesitantly, “I… I don’t know much about them. Sorry.”
“You don’t know? Isn’t it dangerous to have someone like that living here? There’s a God, right? I doubt they would just ignore her.”
"The God was replaced about two years ago. I’ve never seen them, but… I believe they’re the lightning Devil Fruit user you mentioned.”
“…You’re saying Octavia’s the God? What does she even do?”
“I don’t know. Things haven’t changed much since she became the God… Oh, but the attacks from pirates from the Blue Sea have stopped.”
George looked at Kanata, bewildered.
The situation was different from what they had anticipated. There was no tyranny, no brutality. It seemed life was continuing as usual.
Izo, who had joined them and had been listening to the conversation, approached Kanata and George.
“…We don’t know what happened to Gan Fall, the previous God. If Octavia’s the new God, then…”
“He’s probably dead. That woman wouldn’t hesitate to kill.”
There was no confirmation of his death, but it was rare for Octavia to leave a body behind. It wasn’t just because of her ability. She was simply that strong.
Regardless, there was nothing they could do here.
"Stay here. It’s safer on the ship.”
Unlike the surrounding cloud islands, the island where Octavia was located was made of earth. Caterina and a few of the other crew members were gathering information, but it seemed this island was the “sacred land” known as Upper Yard.
Land was a rare commodity on Sky Islands. A massive landmass like this was truly a sacred place.
Kanata wasn't interested in such things, but she couldn't ignore it.
“There’s also a tribe called Shandia, right?”
“Yes. They consider that land sacred, and they might attack anyone who enters.”
"They don't seem that strong. It'll be fine.”
She dismissed Izo's concerns. There was no one on Skypiea stronger than Octavia. Anyone weaker was no threat.
They were discussing the escape route when the beach became noisy.
“–Kanata! The ship!!”
They turned to see what George was yelling about and saw several giant shrimp carrying their ship away.
“What are they doing…!”
She was about to freeze the sea to stop them when multiple lightning bolts rained down on them, creating a wall of electricity separating Kanata from the ship.
It was a clear warning – Don’t follow us.
She dodged the attacks.
She had grabbed Izo by the scruff of his neck to avoid being hit. While he had been tossed around like a ragdoll, it was still better than being struck by those lightning bolts.
Their ship was disappearing into the distance. If they tried to follow, they would be attacked again.
"You’re taking them hostage… How troublesome.”
Each attack was powerful. The lightning bolts had pierced through the cloud island, creating holes that reached down to the lower layers.
While it could be repaired later, it was still a reckless and destructive method.
“Where are they taking them?”
"Towards the sacred land – Upper Yard. They’re heading inland,” Izo replied.
Fortunately, Feiyun was on board the ship, so they shouldn’t have any problems. Hiyori and Chiyo were also there, but they had strong fighters like Kaie and Kawamatsu.
They had left Kanata, George, Izo, Caterina, and a few other crew members behind. Their forces were evenly split, in a sense.
"It seems Octavia's determined to provoke me. How childish."
She had both Muramasa and her spear. They didn't need to return to the ship, but… They had to rescue the others.
“George, you take the others and return to the ship. Once you’re on board, find somewhere safe and wait for me.”
“That’s probably for the best. Izo, you’re worried about Hiyori, right?”
“Yes, but… Kawamatsu is with her. They’ll be fine.”
He trusted Kawamatsu’s strength. They wouldn't be overwhelmed so easily. The real problem was getting caught in the crossfire between Octavia and Kanata.
“We’re going back to the ship, right? Kanata, you’re not going to start fighting before we get there, are you?”
“It’ll take some time to reach them, but… I can’t guarantee anything.”
That’s why she wanted them to hurry. She could create a path to Upper Yard by freezing the sea of clouds, but once they reached there, they would have to rely on their Observation Haki to track them down.
It would take time. And George and the others needed time to go back and forth.
"I hope the others on the ship are patient…"
“We left the Transponder Snail on board. It’ll be troublesome if we can’t contact them.”
“…Do you think Kuro will behave himself?” Caterina asked.
The three of them remained silent.
“…George, hurry.”
“Right, before he does something stupid. I understand.”
George, a longtime companion of Kanata, sighed and lit a cigarette.
Izo, despite his relatively short time with them, understood what Kuro was capable of when left unsupervised. It was best to avoid giving him any opportunities to cause trouble.
“We’ll split into two groups once we reach Upper Yard.”
Kanata would head towards Octavia alone.
George and the others would return to the ship as quickly as possible.
Praying that Kuro wouldn’t do anything reckless, they set off.
