Chapter 47: The Angel on the Beach

Here we go! The first chapter within Skypia and one of many divergences to come. I hope this satisfies you all. There's some LuNa fluff, some sibling squabbling, and some Canon overview. I hope you all are ready for the butterflies!

And holy cow! I topped out on Monday with 1.45K views in a single day! That's a record for me! Thank you all! And I put out a new summary for the story. What do y'all think? Is it better or worse than the one before?

Chapter 53:

The Angel on the Beach

The first thing the pirates found upon entrance into Godland Skypia was an angel playing a harp upon a beach of clouds and before a small forest. The angel had blonde hair styled into two braids that ended in balls and two antenna-like tops that also ended in spheres. She was wearing a pink dress without sleeves and sandals on her feet. Two small wings, not even big enough to fly with, sprouted from her back. All in all, she reminded the earliest members of Usopp's girlfriend Kaya, just with wings and a different hairstyle.

"Heso," the angel greeted as the Merry pulled up, a white fox with an extended snout curling up around her feet. "Are you people from the Blue Sea World?"

"If that's what you call it," Luffy responded. Next to him, the only force keeping Sanji on the boat was Gin holding him back in a full-nelson. They had to make a good first impression before releasing the perverted chef onto an island of angels, after all. "I'm Luffy, and this is my crew. We just sailed here up a trail of clouds."

"So you are from the Blue Sea. My name is Conis and this is my pet cloud-fox, Su. Welcome to Skypia."

"An angel has come to greet us!" Sanji yelled, finally throwing off his friend and noodling over the side of the ship. He knelt, a rose in hand. "For you, my dear, a flower of the world below to complement your beauty from above."

"That was surprisingly smooth," Amy complemented as the rest of the crew jumped into the shallow, surf-like clouds. The Canon crewmembers were wearing their Skypia outfits, but Coby, Gin, Grace, and Amy had changed for the occasion.

Coby was wearing a pair of green swim trunks in place of his usual pants, but his sandals were still in place. He'd also forgone the use of a shirt in preparation of a beach trip, so his torso, well-defined after the torture Zoro put him through, was open to the world. He was not topless, however, a thin, white beach shirt split down the front hung over his shoulder to frame his muscles, though Coby still used the sleeves. Finally, his ever-present swords were secured on his back.

Much like Coby, Gin was dressed for the beach. He was wearing red swim trunks, grey swim shoes, and a grey tank top. His regular jacket was currently replaced with a short-sleeved one that matched his swimwear, the red dragons of his old outfit were replaced with blue fish patterns along the boarders. His headband was still in place on his forehead.

Grace's clothing was rather reserved, the girl having limited herself to only five different colors. A navy blue one-piece was the center of her outfit, the upper part showing through a see-through, white cover-up. She also had on orange sport shorts and green sandals. Her finger and toe nails were each painted a different color, supplementing her usual rainbow-like ensemble, and the red cowboy hat Robin had bribed her with sat on her head. Her pallet was strapped to her hip.

Where her younger sister was reserved, Amy had no qualms with showing off her body. Copying Nami, Amy wore only a yellow bikini top on her upper body and a lemon-patterned towel rested on her shoulders like a scarf, leaving her almost-shoulder-length hair to flow, free of her usual hat. A pair of denim shorts only just covered what they needed to as the sat on her hips. She carried her parasol and a pair of beach sandals, leaving her feet bare at the moment, and her normal lemon earrings were replaced by a pair of lemonade ones, each in the shape of a pitcher. Finally, a pair of sunglasses hid her pale blue eyes.

"Tone it back, Romeo," Nami scolded, grabbing the chef's ear and tugging him away from the confused Skypian. "We still need a cook when we leave this island."

"But I never want to leave!" the chef protested.

With Nami keeping Sanji in check, the group talked with Conis for a while longer until her father crashed into the trees while trying to stop his waver, a small, boat-like vehicle with a long handle and two shells mounted on the side. After making sure he was ok, the man introduced himself as Pagaya. Pagaya was a man with a bushy, brown beard that hid his mouth and a bald head save for the same antenna-like hairstyle. He wore a brown robe with his small wings showing the same way Conis' were.

"What is this thing?" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper admired, crowded around the man's one-person boat.

"Ah, that's a waver. It's a very difficult machine to drive. I'm been riding one for most of my life, but as you can see, I still can't get the stopping part right. I'm sorry about that."

"Is it really that hard?" Chopper asked as Luffy swiped the machine out from under Usopp's long nose and ran out into the surf with it.

"Yes, it is," Conis answered. "I only just recently got good enough to ride it, and I'm been learning how to for nearly seven years."

"That's a long time to learn how to drive one vessel," Coby commented. "I mean, I learned how to help sail a ship in three months, but... Captain Luffy!" Off in the distance, Luffy had finally lost his balance and tumbled off the waver, falling into the water-like clouds below.

"He'll be fine," Zoro tried to wave off. Luffy waved at them, losing his strength. "Although I may be wrong," Zoro shrugged off.

"Dammit," Coby cursed. "I can't swim anymore. Someone go get him!"

"Luffy!" Chopper yelled, diving into the water.

"Not you!"

"Morons," Nami sighed as she and Usopp dove in to get their captain and Zoro waded out to get the doctor.

"I don't get it," Luffy whined as they pulled him in. "It's not like I fell in the ocean. Why couldn't I swim?"

"I'm sorry, but do you have special powers, by any chance?" Pagaya asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"As I thought. Why don't you all join us for dinner? We can talk more then."

"Great! I'm starving!"

"You're always starving, Don Luffy," Gin chuckled.

"Alright, everyone," Luffy smiled. "We're going to get food! Hey, Nami... Where's Nami?"

"She's out on the waver," Robin told him. She pointed to where their navigator was out in the surf, handling the vehicle like a pro.

"Such skill," Conis gasped. "Are you sure this is her first time on a waver?"

The group nodded as Luffy cheered her on, hoping she would teach him how to ride it. Although, there was also an offer of food at the moment.

"Nami!" Luffy yelled. "We've been invited to dinner!" The orange-haired girl pulled in just enough to yell back.

"I'd like to stay out here, if that's fine with you!"

"I guess that's fine!" Luffy called out. He wasn't going to stop her if she was having fun. "Just be careful!"

"Sure!" The rest of the group followed Pagaya, Conis, and Su back to their home, the older man explaining how the Cumuloregalis clouds did not dissipate because they were formed with Sea Prism Stone particles and that the different amounts resulted in either Sea Clouds or Island Clouds. That was why Luffy wasn't able to swim after he fell off the waver. Once inside, Sanji and Amy followed Pagaya into the kitchen to learn how to make Sky Island food while the others were introduced to dials by the blonde angel.

"What is this?" Luffy questioned, holding what appeared to be a plain pink shell.

"Try talking into it," Conis suggested, pressing down on part of the shell but not providing any explanation yet.

"Usopp stiiiiiinks."

"Why are you picking on me?"

"Now hit the button on the apex of the shell," Conis told him.

"That's this part, right?" The pirate captain clicked the tallest part of the shell, the point moving inward like a button.

"Usopp stiiiiiinks." Luffy's voice insulted from the shell.

"Wow," Luffy admired. "Even the shells are making fun of Usopp."

"You're so mean," the sniper cried.

"This is a tone dial," Conis finally explained. "It plays back whatever is said into it until it's reset." At that point, the food was brought out and the pirates, hungry after their taxing ordeals with the knockup stream and then the Heaven's Gate road, ate ravishly. Finally, after they consumed nearly every ounce of food in the house, the youngest swordsman wobbled out to the porch to observe the beautiful view of the White White Sea, but something was missing.

"Um, guys?" Coby called. "Where's Nami?" Much of the group approached with Luffy in the lead.

"Oh dear," Conis fretted. "She may have gone out to far. I do hope she doesn't end up there."

"There where?" Zoro questioned.

"There is an island only a short waver-ride from here called the Upper Yard," the angel began. "It is a holy land and no one is allowed to set foot on it. Your friend may have been curious and stopped there."

"Amy, go up and find her," Luffy ordered, uncharacteristically serious. The blonde Devil Fruit user nodded and opened her parasol. Floating up over the house, much to Pagaya and Conis' shock, the woman was able to see an island covered in monstrous trees and a tiny waver next to it.

"I see her," the former Baroque Works agent announced. "She's really close to an actual island covered in giant trees."

"I hope she doesn't incur the wrath of our God, Eneru," Conis whispered.

"God lives here?" Chopper asked.

"Or someone pretending," Zoro yawned.

"Are you saying you're an atheist?" Robin questioned, turning to Zoro.

"Not at all," the swordsman responded. "The only being with power over this world is the One True Goda and no one else. Someone calling themselves God is probably some egomaniac."

"God Eneru is all-knowing," Conis told them in a fear-filled voice. "Anyone who has set foot on Upper Yard has not lived to tell about it."

"This 'God' sounds like a bastard," Luffy spat.

"No, don't say that!" Conis cried. "He'll hear you!"

"Holy shit!" Amy cursed from above them. "What the Hell was that?!"

"What was what?" Gin called up.

"There was this big beam of light that obliterated part of the island out there! It almost hit Nami! She's racing back here!"

"Was that part of God's power?" Robin wondered idly.

"Hey, Conis?" Luffy questioned. "Do you like living here with this god watching you all the time?" Conis did not answer, but her silence told the pirates all they needed to know.

"Wait a second, Luffy!" Usopp tried to protest. "This is God you're talking about! I don't want to die today! I've got a woman at home waiting for me!"

"Yeah, Luffy!" Chopper added. "We can't fight a god!"

Luffy ignored the panicking teen and doctor as the rest of his crew prepared themselves. They knew where this was going. There was no point in fighting it; that'd just give them less time to prepare.

"Guys," Luffy finally announced. "We're gonna be the crew that kicks God's ass!"

"Luffy..." Usopp and Chopper whined.

"I knew a peaceful trip here wasn't possible," Gin chuckled. "I mean, I'm a demon in Heaven. It just wasn't going to work."

"Back when I was a bounty hunter, some people called me the Demon Butcher," Zoro laughed. "I guess that makes two of us, Gin."

"Don't forget me," Robin giggled. "My wanted poster reads 'Devil Child' after all."

"We're just a trio of Hellspawn, aren't we?" Gin laughed, revelling in an adrenaline rush the likes of which he'd never felt before. "Let's go kill God!"

"WHY?!" Usopp and Chopper cried.

The Straw Hats were waiting on the beach when their navigator returned.

"Luffy!" she yelled as she pulled the waver to a skidding stop. "We've got to leave. Now."

"We aren't leaving," Luffy responded. "God's a dick, so we're going to go kick his ass."

"What?"

"I said-"

"I know what you said!" Nami cut him off. "You want to attack God? Why?"

"He lives on that island you saw, and, from what I've heard, he's a bastard, so we're gonna free Skypia. You can stay behind if you want, but I'm going to go."

"I want to stay!" Usopp yelled, raising his hand.

"Me, too!" Chopper cried, mirroring the sniper.

"I'm staying as well," Nami sighed. She wanted to talk Luffy out of it, but when he got like this, there was no talking. "You're an idiot, you know that?" The girl's hands came up to cup her captain's face. "But you're my idiot. I've seen you do the impossible, so just... come back. Ok?" Rather than give the rubber-man any time to answer, she leaned in and kissed him. Coby and Grace turned away, not wanting to see, while Sanji looked like someone just viciously murdered his new puppy, a look he gained every time they kissed in front of him.

"With motivation like that," Luffy began as they broke apart, "there's no way God stands a chance."

"Smooth and using big words?" Nami awed. "You are getting smarter."

"Well, with a teacher like you-"

"Enough already," Gin grunted. "I'd like to get to the part where we raid God's land before your flirting kills Sanji."

"Right, sorry," Luffy apologized, pulling the whistle from Gan Fall off from around his neck and draping it over Nami like a necklace. "If you need help, call the Armor Guy. Everyone going, get on the Merry!" Everyone moved, either backing away or heading toward the vessel.

"And where are you going, Little Sister?" Amy questioned, preventing Grace from boarding the ship. "I don't remember saying you could go help us kill God."

"But I want to help!" Grace protested. "I've gotten stronger! I can pull my own weight!"

"What's gotten into you?" Amy frowned. "It this to try to impress that pink-haired brat?"

"No!" Grace tried to deny without success. "Ok, maybe a little, but I can't improve if I don't test myself, Big Sister! I don't want to have to be protected all the time! How can I paint the world's most beautiful pictures if I don't see everything the world has to offer?!"

"Goda dammit, Grace! This isn't a game! You could die!"

"I know that!"

"Then why do you want to risk your life?!"

"Why are you?!"

"It's my job to protect you!"

"Well maybe I want to protect you, too!" Amy was shocked into silence. In all the time Amy had known the girl who had become her sister in all but blood, she'd never heard her shout that loud or with such conviction. With that in mind, she backed off.

"Fine," she relented, "but I'm not leaving your side the entire time unless I'm forced to. Got that?" Grace nodded in acceptance and Amy reluctantly let her pass.

"I hope you don't mind," Pagaya said, getting the crew's attention, "but I took the liberty to outfit your ship with some breath dials to get you to the Upper Yard. I'm sorry, but they'll fall off when they're empty, so use them carefully."

"Thanks, Old Angel Guy," Luffy smiled. "Alright! Full speed ahead! To Upper Yard!"

End of Chapter 53

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-SwordOfTheGods