Cursed Seas and Slashing Tides

The next day, the Straw Hats, now wearing explorer outfits, prepared to sail toward the Upper Yard. Some of them were more enthusiastic than others.

"Can't we stay here? There's probably tons of cool stuff left to find!" Usopp protested, his face full of dread.

"Yeah, like this toad! It's got wings!" Nami added, holding up a tiny, strange amphibian.

"That's boring." Luffy dismissed. "We're heading to God! Captain's orders!"

"Why does he only act like a captain when it's a death sentence?" Nami and Usopp mumbled in defeated unison.

"You guys don't have to come if you're that scared." Ryomen teased with a smirk.

"Yeah, you can just guard the ship." Zoro added, crossing his arms with a grin.

"Why did we have to leave so fast? I couldn't even say goodbye to Conis-chan!" Sanji sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"It's better if they don't know we're heading for the Upper Yard." Robin pointed out calmly.

"All we could do was leave a letter." Chopper chimed in, looking concerned. Robin gave him a gentle pat on the head.

"Nehee!" Stronger suddenly neighed from above.

"Does he want to meet Pierre again?" Ryomen asked, his tone slightly amused.

"Huh? Yeah, actually. How'd you know?" Chopper tilted his head curiously.

"Just a hunch." Ryomen smirked as he caught a glimpse of Stronger's blush.

With that, the crew sailed off, aiming for the Upper Yard, home of the God Enel.

…

"There's the entrance!" Luffy shouted, spotting two giant torches flanking a gateway into a thick forest.

"Alright! Last chance to back out, Usopp." Luffy grinned.

"Actually, I'd love to–"

"We're going in!!"

"Then why'd you ask!?"

They barely had time to adjust to the forest before an enormous sickle came hurtling toward them from behind.

"AAHH!! We're gonna die!" Nami screamed, clutching onto the railing.

"AAA–"

"Cursed Dismantle!" Ryomen swung his arm, sending a pulse through the air that severed the chains holding the sickles, sending them crashing harmlessly to the ground.

"We didn't doubt you for a second!" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper chorused with shaky thumbs up.

"Uh-huh." Ryomen replied with a smirk.

The relief didn't last long, as a giant, river-dwelling lamprey lunged at them next. Sanji jumped up to intercept, kicking the beast back into the water.

"Let's keep moving. This place is crawling with creatures." He advised.

Soon, they found themselves at a clearing with four large gates, each bearing a different label.

"Challenge of the Swamp, Iron, String, and Ball…" Ryomen murmured, examining each entrance. "Looks like these are the Trials of the Priests."

"Which one should we take?" Zoro asked, eyeing each gate with suspicion.

"Ball! That sounds fun!" Luffy decided, looking eager.

"Maybe we should think this through a bit." Ryomen suggested. "Each trial is bound to have a priest, which means a fight."

"Hmm…you're right." Luffy tapped his chin, appearing to concentrate hard.

"What's he…" Usopp began but was cut off as Luffy abruptly thrust a fist into the air, accidentally knocking him in the face.

"I know!" Luffy announced, pointing confidently at one of the gates. "We're going this way!"

"Why that one?" Nami demanded, giving him a suspicious look.

"Because…I'm sure the strongest one's there!" Luffy declared proudly, just before Nami punched him.

"Do you have a death wish!?"

Despite their objections, the crew ultimately followed Luffy's lead and entered the Trial of Iron.

…

The tunnel eventually opened to a sky-lit cliff edge.

"Waaaah!" they all shouted as the Merry teetered off the ledge.

"NEHEE!!" Stronger neighed from the air, watching them fall.

By some miracle, they landed safely in the water below.

"We're alive!" Usopp, Nami, and Chopper cheered.

"Where are we?" Luffy asked excitedly, gazing at the overgrown ruins that lay in front of them.

"We'll soon find out." Ryomen replied, his eyes scanning the area.

"We're staying here." Usopp, Nami, and Chopper declared, visibly relieved as the others started heading toward the ruins.

"Now we can relax a bit." Usopp sighed, sinking into a seated position.

"Yeah, in this giant forest…filled with danger." Nami added, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"With no one to protect us…" Chopper added with dread.

"…"

"WAIT FOR US!"

…

"This place…is boring." Luffy said with a pout, kicking a rock along the path through the ruins.

"No way! I think it's fascinating!" Usopp countered, still glancing over his shoulder now and then.

"Nami-san! Robin-chan! This place is filthy! Don't worry, I'll carry you so you don't have to set foot on any of this!" Sanji offered eagerly.

"We're fine." Nami grumbled.

"I wouldn't mind if Ryomen offered." Robin said with a sly smile.

"Huh?" Ryomen blinked, looking over in confusion.

Sanji's eyes narrowed, his envy palpable.

Their moment was interrupted as Zoro drew his sword, looking ahead. "Is that guy the priest?"

The crew turned to see a tall, bald man wielding a massive sword, standing in the middle of a courtyard.

"Hm? Wasn't expecting guests." The man mused. "But I do like surprises."

"Who are you?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.

"I am Ohm, one of God Enel's four priests. And you've entered the Trial of Iron."

"Oh, yeah? And what's the trial?" Ryomen asked, keeping a cautious eye on the man.

"To pass, you'll have to defeat me…something no one's managed to do." Ohm said with a grin. "Your numbers won't make a difference."

"We're not fighting!" Usopp and Chopper squeaked, backing away.

"Yeah! What's stopping us from just running?" Nami added, her eyes glinting with hope.

"Oh, I wouldn't recommend it." Ohm gestured to a giant dog, which trotted forward and ran circles around them. In moments, a cage-like structure of barbed wire clouds surrounded them.

"This is the White Barbed Iron Deathmatch. Each step you take is over pressure plates that'll release deadly clouds if triggered."

"What!? That's so unfair!" Sanji and Ryomen yelled in unison.

"Oh, and one last thing." Ohm smirked, gesturing to the dog. "Holy here won't hold back."

"Nehee!!" Stronger dove down, engaging Holy to buy the crew some time. Ohm extended his sword into a flexible whip, aiming to strike Stronger.

"Dismantle!" Ryomen shouted, sending slashes that forced Ohm to dodge.

"What? He's got Observation Haki!?" Ryomen muttered under his breath.

"Oh, so you're first." Ohm declared, moving toward Ryomen.

"Gomu Gomu no…Bazooka!" Luffy sprang up, launching himself at Ohm. "Gomu Gomu no…Rocket!" He hurled down from above.

Ohm dodged but found himself on the defensive as the crew attacked in unison.

"Dismantle!"

"Flame Star!"

"Thunderball!"

Ohm staggered, barely able to evade the barrage of attacks. 'Heavy point' Chopper then threw Zoro and Sanji forward, while Robin pinned Ohm with a wave of arms.

"Epaule Shoot!" Sanji's heel slammed into Ohm's shoulder.

"Onigiri!" Zoro slashed across his chest, leaving Ohm sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

"That's it?" Luffy asked in disappointment, looking around. "What about the dog?"

"Nihee!" Stronger came trotting back with a defeated Holy in tow.

"Noooo!" Luffy dropped to his knees. "I barely got to fight!"

"Don't worry, we've still got Enel left." Ryomen reassured him.

"Yeah! I'll make sure I get my fight!" Luffy declared, renewed determination on his face.

With Ohm defeated, the Straw Hats each clambered onto Stronger's back, making their way to the other side of the ruins, not quite trusting the danger had completely passed.

…

The crew pressed on through the dense forest, finally deciding to take a quick break.

"Aaah! Where's God!?" Luffy shouted in frustration.

"As far away as possible." Usopp muttered, sighing.

"Relax, Luffy." Ryomen said, shaking his head. "I'm sure we'll reach him soon, just try not to charge in headfirst."

"I always go feet first!" Luffy replied with a grin.

"Keep it down! I can't rest with all this noise!" Zoro grumbled from where he was resting against a tree.

"Already tired?" Sanji taunted, raising an eyebrow.

"What was that!?" Zoro shot back, glaring at him.

"Stop bickering! You'll attract unwanted attention!" Nami hissed at them.

"Might be too late for that." Robin warned, glancing up at the sky.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Chopper asked, looking puzzled.

"Someone's coming!" Luffy said, bouncing in excitement.

"But I don't hear anything." Usopp said, scratching his head in confusion.

"Let's stay on guard." Ryomen advised, trusting Robin and Luffy.

Just as they readied themselves, a sudden rustling echoed from the trees, and a giant bird burst into the sky, then swooped down, breathing fire where they had just been standing.

"Dodge!" Ryomen shouted, and the crew scattered just in time.

"Didn't expect intruders here." Said the man riding atop the bird. "What, just another bunch of crazies thinking they can take on God's trials?"

"Another priest?" Sanji muttered under his breath.

"That's right. I'm Shura of the Trial of String. I see you've already met one of us, so I'll skip the introduction." Shura raised his lance, eyeing them menacingly.

"Bring it on!" Luffy shouted, charging toward Shura, only to be stopped by an invisible force. "Huh!? What's going on!?" He exclaimed, struggling against it.

"Luffy!" Ryomen shouted, only to feel himself restrained by nearly invisible threads as well.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Nami asked in confusion as she noticed them unable to move.

"Huh, why aren't you trapped?" Shura sneered, noticing Nami. "You must be their leader. Guess I'll start with you!" He shouted as his bird, Fuza, dived straight at her.

"Nami!" Ryomen fought against the nearly invisible strings holding him back. "Dismantle!" He called out, sending slashes toward Shura, forcing him to dodge.

Shura leapt from his bird, swinging his lance toward Nami, flames trailing from its tip.

"Nami, move!" Before she could react, Ryomen pushed her aside, and they rolled over the ground as Shura's lance struck the dirt where they'd just stood.

"Whew…" Nami muttered, catching her breath as.

"How'd you break free?" Shura asked, narrowing his eyes as he noticed the cuts across Ryomen's body.

"Not interested in telling you." Ryomen replied, meeting Shura's gaze coolly.

"Hey, Ryomen, free me too!" Luffy called out, still wriggling against the threads.

"Just him, please!" Usopp quickly added, with Chopper nodding beside him.

"Don't you dare use it on Robin-chan!" Sanji shouted from his binds.

"I'm sure he won't." Robin replied with a calm smile.

"I can handle myself." Zoro muttered, trying to reach for his swords.

"Neihee!"

"He says he's sitting this one out." Chopper translated.

"Alright then." Ryomen muttered. "Dismantle!" Luffy's body was suddenly splashed with blood, but contrary to his wounds, he jumped with joy.

"Let's beat him up!" Luffy shouted, launching himself at Shura. "Gomu-Gomu no…Bullet!" His punch sent the priest crashing back.

Meanwhile, Ryomen tackled Fuza, the large bird, gripping its feathers to steer it into a nearby tree with a loud slam.

"You'll regret that!" Shura yelled, his anger momentarily blinding him.

"Haah!" Nami shouted, striking Shura with her Clima-Tact.

"Gomu-Gomu no…Gatling!" Luffy unleashed a rapid barrage of punches, knocking Shura out cold.

"Alright, where's the fight? I'm ready!" Zoro finally broke free, looking around.

"He's under you, idiot." Sanji pointed out as he brushed off his shirt, Ryomen meanwhile cut the rest of the threads to free them.

"What did you just call me!?" Zoro barked, then glanced down, realizing he'd been standing on Shura.

Robin walked over, assessing their surroundings. "This area isn't safe. We should keep moving."

"Yeah, let's go!" Luffy agreed.

"At this rate, we might just beat all the priests before we even reach the God." Ryomen chuckled.

"Don't jinx it!" Usopp cautioned. "Maybe we'll get lucky and avoid the rest of them!"

As they walked, Nami drifted closer to Ryomen, fidgeting slightly. "Thanks…for what you did back there." She mumbled.

Ryomen smiled, shrugging it off. "No problem. I'd never let any of you get hurt if I can help it."

"Right…" Nami glanced down. "It's just that…Even with the Devil Fruit and my Clima-Tact, I still can't do much in fights."

"Nami…" Ryomen's expression softened. "You don't need to be strong enough to fight. Luffy wanted you on the crew because of who you are, not your power. That's what makes you valuable to us."

"Yeah…I know." Nami looked thoughtful. "But I don't want to be a burden. From now on, I'm going to try to be braver!" She declared with newfound determination.

"Hey, that's my dream! You can't just steal it!" Usopp protested.

"Too late! Find another one!" Nami grinned, teasing him.

"Now she's stealing dreams too?" Zoro shook his head with a smirk.

Sanji, hearts in his eyes, swooned. "Nami-san as the world's strongest swordsman—now that's something I could get behind!"

"That's it!" Zoro snarled. "You're dead, swirly-brow!"

"Hey, cut it out!" Chopper tried to break up the scuffle as Zoro and Sanji tackled each other, wrestling around on the ground.

Robin smiled, her expression bemused. "Quite a passionate bunch, aren't you?"

"Neihee!"

"I…can't understand you."

Just then, a loud scream from Luffy interrupted them, and they all rushed over to find him staring in shock at the edge of the forest.

"Is that…that old man's house!?" Luffy exclaimed, pointing to a dilapidated building overgrown with moss and vines.

The crew stood frozen in surprise. They recognized it instantly.

"How's that possible? How did something we saw on the ground end up here?" Zoro asked, bewildered.

Robin studied it for a moment. "This is a fragment of land from when this island was part of the Blue Sea. That's why it's solid earth instead of clouds."

"So…this place is part of Jaya?" Nami murmured. "This must be the 'El Dorado' that Noland spoke of!"

The crew's eyes widened as the realization of Upper Yard's origins sank in, and before they knew it, the sky had begun to darken.

"We shouldn't return to the ship yet. Let's camp out near the lake—it'll give us space to defend ourselves if needed." Sanji suggested.

"Yeah! Camping!" Luffy yelled, bouncing in excitement.

"What's camping?" Chopper asked, looking around with wide eyes.

"You don't know, Chopper? Then it'll be a first for both of us." Ryomen grinned, joining in the enthusiasm.

"Wait, camping in enemy territory!? Are you all out of your minds!?" Usopp squeaked, staring at his overly enthusiastic crewmates.

…

The crew gathered around a campfire, cooking a large monster they had just taken down. Tents were pitched around them, and Usopp stood in front of a blackboard he'd set up, striking a dramatic pose as he began sharing his findings with the others.

"Attention, everyone! Thank you all for your efforts! Many things are becoming clear thanks to the data!" Usopp announced, pointing to the board.

"It turns out that this island…is the legendary 'El Dorado' that the Saruyama Alliance has been searching for all this time!"

"Seriously!?" Luffy gasped, eyes wide with excitement.

"I already told you that!" Nami yelled, a vein popping.

"Let it go." Ryomen chuckled, leaning back against Stronger, lazily stroking the horse's mane.

"A city of gold, huh? Now this is the kind of adventure I've been waiting for!" Luffy exclaimed, clenching his fists in excitement.

"That's the spirit! You're finally catching on!" Nami said with a grin.

"Nehee!" Stronger whinnied, picking up on the excitement.

"But, hey, Luffy!" Usopp stammered, waving his arms frantically. "Don't forget this place is crawling with danger!"

"The God will be furious if we push our luck!" Chopper added, looking around nervously.

"There's no going back now—we've already taken down two of the priests." Ryomen pointed out, his expression unbothered.

"Sounds like fun!" Robin laughed softly, her eyes gleaming with intrigue.

"Come on, we're pirates!" Sanji declared. "We can't just walk away when fate throws a treasure trove in our path."

"We're in enemy territory and seriously outnumbered. Sounds like my kind of odds!" Zoro grinned, his hand on his sword.

"Alright, let's do it!! Let's find that gold!!" Luffy shouted, thrusting his arms into the air, his face splitting into a broad grin.