"It's over, it's over, we're dead."
This was the shared thought of everyone present as they saw the sword energy approaching.
The powerful wave of sword energy swiftly approached. The sky islanders, terrified, tightly closed their eyes, waiting for death.
Just when everyone thought these residents were doomed, a powerful shockwave flew in, colliding with the sword energy. The resulting impact generated a huge blast of air, forcing the residents back, instantly snapping them out of their stupor. Every face was etched with the relief of having survived, filled with gratitude.
"Ah, I'm alive!"
"I didn't die, thank goodness!"
"The High Priest is here! The High Priest saved us!"
"Those damn bandits! The High Priest is here, let's see you act so arrogantly!"
Having escaped the jaws of death, the people were overjoyed, comforting each other.
Seeing this scene, Ibes, her face stained with tears, also showed a look of joy and relief. She was truly a sight to behold, with her beautiful eyes and delicate features.
Diamante didn't notice Ibes; everyone's attention was on the deflected sword energy.
Diamante had been looking forward to the brutal display of his sword energy, but unexpectedly, a formidable opponent had appeared. He had thought a single slash would quickly resolve the problem, allowing him to complete his mission swiftly. Now, he had attracted an even bigger problem, and his expression darkened further.
"Tch, what a pain. I'm going to be delayed on the Young Master's mission again."
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of synchronized footsteps approached from afar. The leader was bald, bare-chested, and his muscles bulged, radiating power. He wore white gloves, indicating that the previous attack had come from those hands. White wings on his back looked almost comically small in comparison. Behind him followed the neatly aligned Enforcement Squad.
"So it's you, you damn bandits! How dare you invade our Birka? Since you're here, don't even think about leaving!"
A booming voice rang out, filled with killing intent towards Diamante and his crew.
"Haha, it's High Priest Guzman! You're dead meat!" The residents, seeing the High Priest arrive with his troops, immediately started shouting and taunting.
Ignoring the residents' jeers, Diamante looked intently at the newcomer and said coldly, "A High Priest, huh? Not bad, you have some strength."
"Insolent! How dare you disrespect the High Priest!" A member of the Enforcement Squad, unable to tolerate anyone looking down on his superior, immediately rebuked Diamante.
But what greeted him wasn't a verbal retort, but a meters-long wave of sword energy. Without a word, Diamante attacked. He had no time to waste on idle chatter.
"Hey, hey, hey, aren't you looking down on me too much? Killing my subordinate in front of me, what arrogance!" Guzman immediately stepped in, blocking the attack for his subordinate. The powerful sword energy was dissipated by Guzman's bare hands.
"I really want to send my regards to your family. Where's your sense of 'strong person' etiquette? Why attack without a word?" the soldier who had just spoken thought, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.
"How is this possible? My slash was blocked and dissipated by his bare hands?" Diamante was shocked, his expression growing even more serious. Actually, it wasn't as Diamante thought. His sword energy wasn't dissipated by Guzman. If Doflamingo were here, he would have seen that a sky islander without Armament Haki couldn't possibly block it so easily. Of course, this was a unique method of the sky islanders. Guzman's gloves contained Impact Dials, which absorbed Diamante's sword energy. But Diamante didn't know this, leading to his shocked reaction.
"Enough talk. I need to finish you off quickly; I have important business to attend to," Diamante said, suppressing his shock. He immediately charged at Guzman with his sword.
"Bring it on! You guys, fall back! Watch how I deal with these criminals," Guzman said to his subordinates, seeing Diamante approach.
Then, he charged towards Diamante with empty hands, and the two began a dangerous battle.
"Piercing Longsword!"
Diamante's longsword thrust towards Guzman's head, aiming to skewer him.
Guzman wasn't an easy target. He quickly dodged the longsword and swung his palm towards Diamante, intending to return all the power of the Impact Dial to Diamante.
Diamante anticipated the danger. How could he let his enemy succeed so easily?
He swiftly retreated, launching another Half-Moon Funeral.
The flying slash was extremely vicious!
Guzman, anticipating this, released the energy he had just absorbed from the Impact Dial, along with the energy from his earlier attack.
Two sword energies of similar size collided and canceled each other out in mid-air.
This scene gave Diamante some understanding of how his sword energy had disappeared.
"I see. So, the opponent has a way to absorb my slashes. In that case, I can't use slashes anymore," Diamante thought to himself.
"Painful! Such powerful force, such a sharp tearing sensation! My hand is almost useless. It seems I can't absorb the opponent's attacks so easily anymore," Guzman thought, surprised by Diamante's strength. As the strongest of the Four High Priests, Guzman's robust physique allowed him to use the Impact Dial. Otherwise, a normal person using it would injure themselves as well as their opponent.
Neither knew the other's thoughts. Diamante was wary of the Impact Dial in Guzman's hands, unaware that he was already hesitant to absorb more attacks. Guzman, wary of Diamante's slashes, took the opportunity to engage in close-quarters combat, unaware that Diamante was also hesitant to unleash more sword energy.
The two made surprisingly similar choices.
The two wary opponents began a new round of close combat. However, with the advantage of his longsword, Diamante put Guzman in a difficult position.
Upward slash, downward chop, horizontal sweep – the most basic sword moves, yet they made Guzman look quite clumsy.
One of Guzman's soldiers couldn't bear to watch any longer and shouted, "Guzman-sama, catch!"
Hearing his subordinate's shout, Guzman reacted quickly, turning back to catch the sword. But how could Diamante miss such a good opportunity?!
Stab! The longsword pierced Guzman's arm, drawing blood instantly.
"Guzman-sama!"
"Despicable!"
"Damn bastard!"
The timid ones even closed their eyes, hoping Guzman was alright.
"Despicable? Heh, I like that. We're pirates! As long as we win, anything goes."
Diamante didn't care about being called despicable. As long as he could win, any means were acceptable.
Guzman reacted quickly, sweeping his longsword horizontally, forcing Diamante to retreat.
"You're right. There's no such thing as despicable or not. Winning is the best strategy," Guzman said coldly, paying no attention to his injury. He understood that he was the only one who could resist the opponent. If he fell, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Let's go again!"
"Bring it on! You think I'm afraid?"
Both shouted simultaneously, clashing swords. There wasn't a trace of swordsmanship; it was a pure contest of brute strength. If an expert swordsman like Hawkeye Mihawk were to see this, he would surely shout, "Incredible! You've turned swordsmanship into this. Diamante, where's your swordsman's dignity?"
The two were temporarily unable to overcome each other, each wary of the other. Surprisingly, even in terms of strength, Diamante wasn't at a disadvantage, which greatly surprised Guzman.
"Where did these people come from? Such strong power."
However, this scene made the sky islanders deeply worried, fearing that Guzman would be defeated. Their defeat would undoubtedly lead to a devastating blow.
While Guzman and Diamante were locked in combat, the other family executives also encountered their opponents.
On the west side of Birka, Trebol was leading the charge. Two long streams of snot hung from his nose, disgusting to look at. His subordinates dared not say anything. However, the sky islanders, seeing the newcomer, were very curious and bold, even making fun of Trebol.
"This person looks so disgusting, so sticky, with long snot hanging down. It's revolting."
"Yeah, yeah, so disgusting. And they don't have wings."
"Probably some other lowlifes."
These words angered Trebol. After all, he was a pirate; how could he have a good temper?
"Sticky-Sticky Launcher!"
Seeing Trebol unleash his power, his subordinates watched as he instantly trapped all the residents with his sticky substance.
"What is this? It's so disgusting!"
"Bastard, let us go!"
"It's so gross! How can such a disgusting creature exist?"
It was a familiar scene, familiar insults. But it was useless. This time, no one would come to save them. Trebol wasn't so kind as to spare those who insulted him.
"Sticky-Sticky Chain!"
"Sticky-Sticky Meteor!"
Trebol launched thick, viscous, brown, slippery mucus from his body, forming a circular, net-like chain of mucus. Multiple chains ensnared the targets and, with a flick, flung the residents into the sky.
"Aaaah!"
"Help!"
"I don't want to die!"
"High Priest, come and save us!"
The sky island residents were terrified, screaming, crying, and making fools of themselves in mid-air. This commotion drew the attention of the High Priests.
Numerous sky islanders were thrown into the air. Because they were stuck in the mucus, they couldn't move. Under the force of gravity, they fell from the sky, crashing to the ground in a mangled mess. Even those lucky enough to survive were severely injured. This was Trebol's blatant revenge.
The fallen residents groaned in pain. Some had already lost consciousness, while others were pale and coughing up blood. Cries, groans, and curses filled the air.
"Behehehe, what's this? Do you still have the strength to struggle?" Trebol laughed, watching the scene. He was very satisfied with the result.
Just as he was about to speak again, Trebol felt a wave of heat approaching. He immediately dodged, avoiding the sneak attack.
"Who is it? Which little punk dares to sneak attack me?" Trebol was furious, lucky to have sensed the danger in time.
"Damn you! Causing such massive casualties, unforgivable!"
The newcomer held a Western-style spear in one hand and a strange shell in the other. Surprisingly, the fire had just been emitted from that shell.
"Help us, Jeremiah-sama!"
"Jeremiah-sama, kill him and avenge us!"
The helpless cries turned into hopeful pleas. Jeremiah, receiving everyone's hope, felt a surge of anger. Looking at the people, he shouted, "Don't worry, I will avenge you! This guy will pay the price. No matter who it is, anyone who offends our Birka will be punished, no matter how far they run!"
"Behehehe, big talk, kid. Who are you?" Trebol wasn't interested in these displays of emotion. He looked curiously at Jeremiah.
"I am Jeremiah, one of the Four High Priests of Birka, the one who will take your life! Prepare to die, bastard!"
Jeremiah, carrying his furious spear, charged towards Trebol.
"Snotty Parry!" "Hot Spear Rush!"
The mucus parry and the spear met, but the high temperature of the spear melted the mucus.
This surprised Trebol greatly. Not only did he have a shell that emitted flames, but he also had a high-temperature spear. Indeed, the sky islands still had some tricks up their sleeves.
Trebol's mucus was countered by the high temperature, making it difficult to deal with his opponent easily.
This greatly encouraged Jeremiah. His spear danced like a dragon, each thrust aimed at Trebol's vital points, intent on piercing him with several large holes.
Trebol narrowly dodged, each time coming dangerously close to being impaled by the spear tip. Feeling the intense heat of the spear, Trebol felt very uncomfortable. He hated this weapon.
The two were locked in a stalemate, temporarily unable to overcome each other. Although Jeremiah's spear made Trebol very uncomfortable, Trebol's mucus wasn't to be trifled with either. By not giving Jeremiah any openings and staying at a distance, Trebol used his mucus to wear Jeremiah down, harassing him from afar.
"Are you just going to keep disgusting people from a distance?" Jeremiah said resentfully, unable to vent his anger.
"Behehehe, come and get me, you idiot," Trebol taunted, not falling for it. Knowing that the opponent's spear and shell countered him, why would he abandon his advantage?
"You… damn you! Do you think you can run? For committing such great sins, God will not forgive you!"
"Ne, ne, God? I've never heard of him. But the only one who can become God is my Young Master. You're still a long way off."
"How dare you! You dare to insult God? You're dead meat! Take this!"
"What goddamn god? If he's so powerful, tell him to come here!"
Neither would back down verbally, but in the end, Trebol was more skilled. Jeremiah, enraged, charged again.
"Flame Wave!"
A large wave of flames rushed towards Trebol. Jeremiah followed behind, ready to impale his enemy with his spear.
"Sticky-Sticky Multiple Walls!"
Trebol quickly formed multiple walls of mucus to block the oncoming flames, but the effect was underwhelming.
There was no choice. With Jeremiah right behind the flames, ready to attack, Trebol could only dodge.
"I don't believe your flames are inexhaustible," Trebol said resentfully after dodging Jeremiah's attack.
With so many subordinates present, failing to take down the opponent made Trebol feel very embarrassed.
"Before I kill you, it's definitely enough."
"Is that so? Don't underestimate me."
"Enough talk! Prepare to die, bastard!"
"Behehehe, are you in such a hurry? Sticky-Sticky Hell Trip!"
Trebol spread mucus on the ground, aiming to consume Jeremiah's flames and slow his movement.
Jeremiah, seeing this, cried out inwardly. What a disgusting thing! He didn't want to touch it at all. He quickly used flames to clear the mucus on the ground. It didn't take long to clean it up.
"Snotty Parry!"
Trebol's move was old news. Jeremiah quickly dodged and, seeing an opening, pressed his advantage. His spear flashed, continuously pressuring Trebol.
The high-temperature spear almost melted the mucus covering Trebol's body, making him very uncomfortable. Normally, the power of his Devil Fruit made Trebol invincible, causing his martial arts skills to lag behind. He could even be said to be the weakest of the four family executives in terms of martial arts, which was why he was struggling so much now.
The subordinates watching Trebol and Jeremiah's battle also took the opportunity to help, relieving some of the pressure on Trebol.
Although Jeremiah was alone, his weapon advantage made it difficult for the subordinates to gain any advantage. They were burned or stabbed by the spear.
With the help of his subordinates, Trebol was able to catch his breath and launch a sneak attack.
"Sticky-Sticky Meteor Shower!"
Jeremiah, unable to dodge in time, was about to be hit by Trebol's numerous globs of mucus. However, before Trebol could celebrate, Jeremiah blocked them with his spear.
"It's really disgusting," Jeremiah said with disgust.
Trebol didn't speak, planning to continue wearing down his opponent with the power of his Sticky-Sticky Fruit. Although Trebol's martial arts were lacking, he did possess Haki. So why did he seem so miserable? This could only be attributed to Trebol's over-reliance on his Devil Fruit powers. As a ranged mage, how could he possibly engage in warrior-like actions? It wasn't elegant! Trebol, who usually hid his body, definitely wouldn't be used to close-quarters combat. Moreover, the high temperature was very effective against the mucus covering his body. It seemed these two wouldn't be able to decide a victor anytime soon.
While Trebol and Jeremiah were locked in their struggle, in the southern part of Birka, Vergo was faithfully carrying out his task, leading his subordinates to inquire about Enel's whereabouts.
"Um, excuse me, do any of you know Enel?" Vergo was relatively polite, although his face was stern and he had food stuck on his left cheek. But this was very strange. Who would have food stuck on their face?!
On the street, the sky islanders went about their business, ignoring each other. Vergo's question instantly caused an unnecessary commotion.
Vergo and his crew already looked different from the sky islanders, attracting their attention. Now, hearing the name "Enel" made them as skittish as startled birds, instantly raising their guard against Vergo and his men. Enel was a scar in their hearts, a name they wouldn't mention unless absolutely necessary. These people were clearly outsiders. Why would they know Enel's name? Did they have some ulterior motive? Why were they looking for Enel?
The sky islanders were on high alert, but they feigned calmness and said to Vergo, "Um, may I ask why you're looking for Enel?"
Vergo, seemingly not seeing through their disguise, remained expressionless and replied, "Nothing important. We're just curious about him. We heard he looks different from you, that he doesn't have wings, that he's not a typical sky islander."
"Ah, is that so?" Some of the sky island residents felt embarrassed and ashamed, feeling disgrace for this stain on the sky islands.
"Ahaha, Enel does look a bit different from us."
There were always clever people who wouldn't easily believe Vergo's lies.
"Could you take us to see Enel? We can give you a reward. We're really curious about this person," Vergo continued, offering a reward, fearing they might refuse.
"Well, that's not impossible. Follow me," a seemingly quick-witted sky islander said, before the others could react.
Vergo, without a word, immediately followed him, leaving the sky islanders looking at each other, their minds filled with question marks.
"Isn't that direction… towards where the High Priests are? Did we go the wrong way?"
They hadn't gone the wrong way. The sky islander leading them was planning to lead Vergo and his crew into a trap, to have them captured. An outsider, no matter how amiable and polite, couldn't be trusted. So, eliminating them beforehand would be beneficial for Birka.
After walking for quite some time, Vergo and his group saw the sky islander stop, and they also stopped, curiously looking around. They were now in the central area of Birka, where the Temple was located. The majestic Temple seemed ageless, its ancient aura palpable, silently telling of its long history.
"Is Enel here?" Vergo asked, looking at the Temple.
"Yes, he's inside. You can go in. This is the Temple; ordinary people aren't allowed inside. I'll be going now."
As if afraid of being seen through, the guide quickly tried to excuse himself, not wanting to get involved any further.
"Oh, is that so? Thank you," Vergo said politely, thanking him.
"It's nothing. I'll be going now," the guide said, wanting to retreat before Vergo could reply.
"Wait, you haven't taken your reward yet. Don't be in such a hurry," Vergo said teasingly.
"No need, I like helping people, haha."
"Five-Color Strings!"
Before the guide could finish speaking and regain his senses, Vergo created five nearly invisible, thin strings from each of his five fingers, arranging them in a claw-like formation to grab the guide. The strings, as sharp as piano wire, instantly sliced his body apart.
"Aaaah!"
A pained cry, and then the guide was silent. His body was cut into several pieces, a gruesome sight.
This was the first time his subordinates had seen Vergo in action. It was clear he was incredibly strong and ruthless.
"Let's go. Let's go see this Temple," Vergo said emotionlessly, unfazed by what had just happened.
The guard at the Temple had witnessed the brutal scene. Initially, they hadn't paid much attention, but seeing these people dare to kill someone in front of the Temple, they immediately realized the gravity of the situation and rushed to inform the High Priest.
Vergo, as if nothing had happened, swaggered towards the Temple.
"Insolent! How dare you kill our residents and insult the Temple! Prepare to die, bastards!" Another guard, young and impetuous, sought to avenge the slain sky islander and the affront to the Temple. He charged at Vergo with his longsword.
"You're asking for death," Vergo's subordinate, ever attentive, immediately stepped forward to block the attack, and they all attacked the guard together.
The guard was quickly killed, overwhelmed and defenseless, his death gruesome. Vergo, as if he hadn't seen anything, continued to look towards the depths of the Temple, having sensed someone approaching.
"Prepare to die, you bastards!"
The newcomer was fast, able to move swiftly through the air. He channeled the force of his momentum into a furious punch directed at Vergo. Unfortunately, it was ineffective.
"Spider Web Wall!"
Vergo swung his arm to the side, creating a massive spider web made of hundreds, thousands of transparent strings. This served as a huge shield to defend against the opponent's attack.
"What? How is this possible?" Zago was shocked. He was confident in his strength, yet his attack had been so easily blocked. He was also curious about what this spider web wall was.
"Regardless, I won't let you run wild in the Temple! Take this!" Zago cast aside his doubts and continued his attack on Vergo.
But would Vergo be so careless? The earlier sneak attack had displeased him greatly. To vent his frustration, he decided to deal with this opponent properly.
"Bullet Strings!"
High-speed bullet-like strings shot towards the approaching Zago. Zago was skilled, using the jet propulsion from his shoes to quickly dodge.
Seeing this move fail, and the opponent closing the distance, Vergo remained calm.
"Unraveled String!"
Vergo swung his hand, creating five nearly invisible, thin strings from each of his five fingers. These descended rapidly from above, aiming to pierce Zago's body and stop his advance.
Zago, sensing the danger, dodged in advance.
Vergo's move was truly powerful. The sharp strings even pierced the ground.
Seeing this, Zago broke out in a cold sweat. If he hadn't dodged quickly, he would have been impaled.
"I see! You can use Observation Haki," Vergo said, displeased that Zago had dodged his attack.
"Observation Haki? What's that?" Zago hadn't heard of this term, looking confused.
But Vergo wouldn't explain anything to his enemy. He immediately rushed towards Zago, continuing his attacks.
"Super String Whip!"
Zago wasn't so easily dealt with. He immediately used his Mantra and the jet propulsion of his shoes to quickly dodge Vergo's attacks. Zago's agility made Vergo somewhat frustrated.
"Spider Web Wall!"
Taking advantage of Zago's dodging, Vergo immediately created a Spider Web Wall, blocking Zago's movement space.
Seeing Vergo's move, Zago knew he was in trouble. At the same time, Vergo, aware of his opponent's predicament, launched another Super String Whip at Zago. Because of the limited space, Zago was unable to dodge completely and was struck by the powerful strings, coughing up blood.
"Vergo-sama, so strong!"
The onlookers on the side cheered for Vergo.
Only the accompanying guard immediately rushed to the High Priest's side, concerned, to check his injuries.
Taking advantage of the situation, Vergo had no intention of letting them go.
"Die! Unraveled String!"
Zago, being helped up by the guard, was immediately on high alert. He quickly pushed the guard aside, but he himself was unable to dodge. He knew he couldn't escape.
"No! Zago-sama! Someone save Zago-sama!" The guard who had been pushed aside, seeing this scene, was immediately overcome with tears, shouting loudly.
Such a touching scene, yet it didn't move Vergo. The attack was still coming.
Just as Zago thought his life was over and closed his eyes, waiting for death, a longsword appeared like an iron wall, blocking the attack for Zago.
"Hey, Zago, how could you be so careless?"
Zago, who had thought he was dead, heard a familiar voice. He opened his eyes, seeing Roida blocking the attack for him, feeling relieved.
It turned out that the last of the Four High Priests had finally appeared, bringing the remaining forces guarding the Temple to resist the enemy.
"Thanks to you, Roida, otherwise I would really be dead," Zago said gratefully.
"Cut it out. Save the thanks for after we defeat the enemy," Roida said, looking seriously at Vergo.
"Yeah, the enemy is… strong."
"Let's fight together."
"We have no other choice. Let's join forces."
"Haha, I never thought we'd have to team up. Let's go!" Roida said, taking the lead. The longsword in his hand attacked Vergo like a whip.
The guards also surrounded Vergo's subordinates, determined not to let a single enemy escape.
Vergo's face remained expressionless, cool and collected. He didn't bother with words, directly launching a Super String Whip at the whip-like longsword.
Roida's longsword wrapped around Vergo's Super String Whip like a whip, the two whips entangled, trying to control Vergo. Zago also took the opportunity to use his jet propulsion to attack Vergo.
"Heavy Impact Punch!"
Zago, to eliminate Vergo, went all out. He used the Impact Dial, which he usually hesitated to use. This attack would harm both Vergo and Zago.
Zago didn't see the panicked expression he expected from Vergo. He even saw a faint trace of mockery on Vergo's face.
"You bastard, die!" Zago, seeing the mockery on Vergo's face, was instantly enraged.
"Too naive."
"Multiple Spider Web Walls!"
Vergo immediately released the strings in his hand, quickly creating several Spider Web Walls in front of him to block Zago's powerful impact.
It was a completely one-sided situation. The powerful impact force made Zago suffer greatly. He was quickly sent flying. He had already been severely injured by the Super String Whip, and now, with this massive impact, his internal organs were damaged.
"Zago!"
Seeing Zago being thrown by his own force, Roida couldn't help but shout Zago's name in concern. He moved quickly to catch the airborne Zago.
Holding the heavily injured Zago, Roida felt a heavy heart.
"Are you alright, Zago?"
"I'm… I'm okay. We're no match for him. Run… He's not someone we can handle alone," Zago said, coughing and clutching his bleeding mouth.
"I know. Don't worry. Guards, take Zago to get treated and inform God of the severity of the situation," Roida said solemnly, quickly giving orders.
"Roida-sama, I understand!" The guards quickly took Zago from Roida's arms and prepared to leave quickly.
"Have you finished arranging your affairs? Now it's just you and these small fries," Vergo said, knowing that these people couldn't escape, so he didn't bother chasing them.
"Hehe, even small fries will bite a chunk out of you. Protect the Temple, eliminate the enemy! Everyone, follow me!" Roida shouted, encouraging his companions, charging towards Vergo together.
While Vergo was battling the two High Priests and the guards in front of the Temple, in the northern part of Birka, Pica was also engaged in a swift battle. However, there were no High Priests here, no force that could resist Pica.
The cause of the incident was still Pica's unique voice. It was, simply put, too hilarious.
Pica, who rarely spoke, was mocked by these sky islanders, and he became enraged, starting a merciless slaughter. Accustomed to a peaceful life and considering themselves descendants of God, the arrogant Birkans never expected to encounter demons today.
Mountains of corpses and seas of blood, cries of agony everywhere. Pica didn't care about their pleas for mercy. He was now focused solely on venting his emotions, even forgetting his mission.
Today, in Birka, was destined to be an unusual day.
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