svetikya Chapter 248 The Target is Fishman Island
Chapter 248 The Target is Fishman Island
Chapter 248 The Target is Fishman Island
Sky Island, Apayado, Golden Temple.
Indra sat high on the Thunder Throne, his eyes coldly surveying the assembled divine army below.
Hundreds of divine soldiers clad in golden armor stood solemnly, radiating an aura of power that seemed inanimate.
Standing at the very front of the army formation were Axe-wielding Rama, wielding a giant axe with a grim expression, and Duryodhana, with sinister eyes and an arrogant sneer at the corner of his mouth.
"Even Rama with his axe is no match for him." Indra's voice, like rolling thunder, echoed throughout the temple.
"The ants of the lower realm have usurped divine authority and blasphemed divine power. My son Arjuna has also been misled by them and has strayed from the right path."
"Your mission is to reclaim the Heart of the Clouds and capture Arjuna. Anyone who obstructs you—whether human or divine—will be struck down with thunder!"
"I will obey the divine decree!" Rama, wielding the axe, replied in a deep voice, slamming the giant axe into the ground with a dull thud.
"The true law must not be desecrated; those who rebel will be punished!"
Nandi bowed slightly, his eyes gleaming with ambition and cruelty: "Rest assured, God-King, I will certainly persuade Arjuna to repent and crush those ants who offended divine might into dust!"
"Go!" Indra waved his hand, and the dome of the temple suddenly opened, revealing the rolling sea of clouds and thunder outside!
"Let all living beings in the lower realms worship the majesty of the gods!"
A massive golden beam of light shot into the sky from the temple, carrying the divine army, and like a meteor, it broke through the white sea and fell into the azure ocean below!
Their target was Impel Down, where the Blackbeard Pirates were located.
On the other hand, the Straw Hat crew had just escaped from that hellish place.
The Thousand Sunny slowly sailed into the port of the Water City. Unlike its high spirits when it left, the atmosphere on board was heavy and urgent at this moment.
Despite successfully escaping the hellish landscape of Impel Down and the cataclysmic events caused by Blackbeard, a heavy weight remained on everyone's hearts.
"Was the sea really split open?"
Nami looked at the latest World Economic News report, and the blurry yet incredibly shocking picture on it made her voice tremble.
Even without personally experiencing the terrifying fluctuations, seeing the evidence is still chilling.
Zoro, holding Wado Ichimonji, leaned against the ship's railing, his eyes sharp.
"Ah, we all saw it. That power—it certainly can't be resisted by ordinary means."
He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, feeling the inadequacy of his own strength.
Sanji lit a cigarette, his expression grave amidst the swirling smoke: "That bastard Blackbeard, what kind of monster has he become—and Arjuna—"
Chopper and Usopp hugged each other, still shaken by the sight of the world splitting apart.
Franky looked at his beloved Sonny and for the first time began to doubt the superpowers' defensive capabilities.
Robin silently perused the few fragments of historical documents he had brought from Impel Down, trying to find clues about this divine power.
Ace slammed his fist on the deck railing, flames erupting uncontrollably: "Damn it! He got his way in the end, and we didn't get the Heart of the Clouds back!"
"Alright, Ace, don't be too hasty." Roger patted Ace on the shoulder, smiling but with a serious look in his eyes.
"That kind of power is indeed beyond the norm. It's unwise to fight head-on. What we need now is intelligence and strategy."
Karna stood quietly to the side, his golden eyes gazing into the distance, as if sensing something.
He spoke slowly: "Arjuna—his spiritual foundation has undergone a fundamental transformation. It has become mixed with Indra's divinity, and even incorporated a trace of the rules of this world—he is evolving in a dangerous direction. I must stop him."
His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable determination.
Wang Hassan remained silent, like a shadow in the background, but his dormant killing intent seemed to say that if necessary, he would also wield his death blade.
Luffy pressed down on his straw hat, unusually quiet. He looked at his crewmates, then at the distance, his tone resolute.
"Blackbeard is very strong, and Arjuna has become very strange. But the Heart of the Clouds must be retrieved!"
"Everyone on the Sky Island is still waiting for us! And—" He patted his stomach.
"I'm hungry, Sanji, let's eat!"
Everyone: "————"
The tense atmosphere was somewhat eased by Luffy's classic interruption.
Sanji sighed and stubbed out his cigarette. "Okay, you idiot captain. I'll go get ready now."
The mayor's office in the city of Seven Waters.
Iceberg looked at the core members of the Straw Hat crew and several Heroic Spirits in front of him, and solemnly handed over a encrypted intelligence report.
"This was obtained by Carrera through underground channels."
"The World Government seems to be shocked by Blackbeard's power as well. The Five Elders have ordered a temporary halt to some of the pursuit plans against you, and a reduction in forces to deal with a greater threat."
"But on the other hand, they have increased their research and search efforts related to Heroic Spirits and the Heart of the Clouds."
He paused, then lowered his voice: "There are also reports of a huge commotion in the direction of Sky Island, suggesting that a messenger of the gods has descended upon the Blue Sea. The target is unknown, but it is very likely related to Blackbeard, or you."
Robin took the intelligence report and quickly scanned it: "As expected—Indra won't stand idly by. Blackbeard has stolen and corrupted his divinity, and he will definitely take it back, and may even clean house."
Karna nodded: "The spirits summoned by Indra, including the sage of great wealth and Rama with his axe, are no match for him—"
They are all troublesome opponents.
"Master Rama, who wields the axe, upholds the true Dharma and ruthlessly strikes down anything that does not follow it. I believe he must exist in the lower realms."
"And there's Duryodhana—my friend of the Pandavas—in short, he'll definitely come, and his target is probably not just Arjuna."
Roger stroked his chin: "Well, after all, seeing such a natural disaster, the guys up there couldn't sit still anymore."
This is really going to be interesting.
"We must act quickly," Ace said urgently. "We can't let Blackbeard completely control that power, nor can we let the gods of the Sky Island do as they please!"
"But we need a plan," Karna said calmly. "Acting blindly will only lead to repeating past mistakes."
Luffy looked up, his mouth full of meat, and said indistinctly but with bright eyes.
"That's a vicious cycle! The only way to defeat Indra is to retrieve the Heart of the Clouds, but there's no way to defeat Blackbeard either—"
Everyone fell silent again, but this time, no one objected.
Neither Indra nor Blackbeard are forces they can contend with at this moment—what they need now is probably a point of entry.
Just then, Tescatlipoca, who had been silent all along, took out a newspaper from a few days ago and spread it on the table.
He puffed on a cigar he had borrowed from Crocodile, laughing as he exhaled smoke.
"The solution to this predicament is right before our eyes! The Ark that saves us from suffering—that title sounds truly sacred. Why don't we go check out the Fishman Island and see what's going on?"
All eyes were drawn to the newspaper, where the sacred and pure ark stood proudly against the blurred shadows of the seabed.
Perhaps this is a good idea.
Naval Headquarters, the dilapidated office of the Marshal.
The atmosphere was as oppressive as the sea before a storm.
Sengoku, Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji, Fujitora, and Green Bull, who had just returned, all gathered together.
"Egghead Island incident confirmed," Green Bull reported in a deep voice, having just returned from the Holy Land.
"With the help of Shanks, Bucky the Joker, and Bonney, daughter of Bartholomew Kuma, Vegapunk broke through the blockade."
"During the process, the Heroic Spirits Hercules, Jason, and an unknown woman appeared, who is suspected to be a Heroic Spirit summoned by Dr. Vegapunk."
"Finally, they managed to escape thanks to the intervention of a powerful, mysterious figure."
"It is currently speculated that they have already traveled to Elbaf with the Red-Haired Pirates."
"Red-haired—Buggy—Vegapunk—" Sengoku rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"Most importantly, it's Vegapunk—this guy actually betrayed us too—even he—"
""
"Add to that the black-bearded man and the gods of the sky islands—just how chaotic will this world become?!"
Akainu slammed his fist on the table, aggravating his wound and causing him to cough violently, but his eyes remained fierce.
"A bunch of—damn pirates and traitors! They should all be wiped out!"
Kizaru smirked, "This is getting more and more terrifying~ Even Dr. Vegapunk has switched sides, the future of the Science Corps is worrying~"
Aokiji leaned against the wall and said lazily, "What's the use of saying all this now? The most urgent thing is to deal with Blackbeard's threat. As for Elbaf—it's too far away for us to handle for the time being."
Fujitora said in a deep voice, "I believe that Shanks' move is intended to accumulate strength, and his goal is likely the same as the final Skypiea, or the final battle with Blackbeard. They are not our primary enemies for the time being."
"
Sengoku took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: "Fujitora is right. The Five Elders' orders are clear: monitor, retreat, and accumulate strength."
"The power Blackbeard has displayed has exceeded the scope of conventional military strikes. We need time to develop new weapons, find ways to counter divine power, or—wait for the right opportunity."
He looked at everyone and said in a heavy tone, "Pass down the order: the navy is to enter a state of first-level combat readiness, but all large-scale proactive attacks are to be suspended for the time being."
"Repair headquarters' defenses with all our might, and monitor all unusual developments in the New World, especially any changes in the Blackbeard Pirates and the Red-Haired Pirates."
"What about the Straw Hat Pirates?" Akainu asked unwillingly.
"They—" Sengoku's gaze was deep.
"They are probably the closest people to the Heart of the Clouds and the secrets of the Sky Island, besides Blackbeard."
"Moreover, they possess powerful Heroic Spirits—perhaps, to some extent, they can restrain Blackbeard, or even—become a variable in the fight against the Skypiea gods. For now—let's wait and see."
This decision was hard for Akainu, who upheld absolute justice, to accept, but he also understood that in the face of an absolute power gap, recklessness was tantamount to suicide.
The navy, this massive warship, had to temporarily lower its sails amidst the raging waves and struggle to find a new course.
Sky Island, a secret stronghold of the resistance.
The army paced back and forth restlessly, like a trapped beast.
"The fighting is raging down below, and we can only hide here! Indra's stronghold is right in front of us, are we just going to stand by and watch?"
Yan Mi remained relatively calm, but a look of worry lingered between her brows: "Axe-wielding Rama and Nandi have arrived, and a bloodbath is bound to erupt in the Blue Sea. We must seize this opportunity."
The Wise One of the Clouds stroked the ancient altar patterns, his eyes gleaming with wisdom.
"The departure of the main force of the divine army is indeed our opportunity. But forcing our way into the temple would be like throwing an egg against a rock. What we need is the key."
"The key?" The army stopped in its tracks.
"That's right." The wise man nodded.
"The arrival and maintenance of Indra depend on a powerful ritual core, deep within the temple."
"To interfere with or even destroy that core, a specific frequency or force is required. The Heart of the Cloud Sea is one such force, but not the only one."
"Sky Island itself — also has its own will and power."
He looked into the depths of the ruins, towards the direction where Waver slept: "Perhaps—awakening that Devourer and using its karmic hatred for Indra is our only chance."
"But this is extremely dangerous. If it gets out of control, the sky island may be destroyed first."
Yan Mi's face paled: "Release Frido? That's too risky! You have no idea how dangerous this demonic dragon is."
"But do we have any other choice?" the wise man sighed.
"Faced with absolute power, strategy needs to leverage it. We need an opportunity, an opportunity to distract Indra, an opportunity to precisely direct Vritra's hatred toward its target—"
Just then, a Shandian warrior rushed over to report.
"Wise one! Using the detection device you gave us, we discovered unusual residual energy in the ruins on the west coast!"
"It seems—it seems there were traces of an unfamiliar heroic spirit briefly descending upon the area!"
"The energy attribute—it's very peculiar, carrying an aura that makes us feel very comfortable, completely different from Indra's divine power!"
"Unfamiliar heroic spirits? An aura that makes you feel comfortable? That is, a kind of local affinity—" A glint flashed in the wise man's eyes.
"There are two possibilities: one is that it is a native Heroic Spirit, and the other is that the people here are becoming more Indianized. There is also the possibility of an even higher-ranking being."
"Could it be—if that guy really is involved—the situation might actually change!"
All eyes were turned to the west, as if they could pierce through the clouds and see the increasingly chaotic blue ocean.
At the edge of the chasm that tears the sea in the waters off Impel Down.
The Blackbeard Pirates' ships were anchored on one side of the chasm, as if admiring their masterpiece.
Blackbeard was smug, but deep in his eyes lurked a hint of fear of Arjuna's power.
"Hahaha!! See that? This is what happens when you oppose God!"
The black-bearded man laughed wildly at his men, but when he was alone with the Earl, his tone became cautious. "Earl."
Arjuna's power—seems to be becoming increasingly unstable.
The count, lurking in the shadows, responded in a low voice: "Forcibly fusing with the divinity and rules of another world—is that any easy task?"
"He's like a volcano about to erupt. We need to find complete control of the Heart of the Clouds as soon as possible, or find a clue about Davy Jones, otherwise—this sharp blade might hurt us first."
"
Lafitte twirled his cane gracefully: "Captain, according to energy tracking, Indra's messengers have arrived, and their target is clearly us."
"Meanwhile, the Navy is holed up, Shanks has gone to Elbaf, and Straw Hat is in Water Seven—what should we do next?"
The black-bearded man's one eye gleamed with a cunning light: "Hehehe—let them fight like dogs first!"
"We'll hold our positions and let Arjuna continue to familiarize himself with and stabilize the forces. Meanwhile, we'll send out men to search for any leads regarding Davy Jones!"
"That old fox Taigong Wang wouldn't speak without reason! Let's wait until we have more crucial information before wiping them out in one fell swoop!"
The black-bearded man spread his arms wide, facing the many heroic spirits he had unleashed.
"It's time to head to Fishman Island and meet the Heroic Spirit Jinbe summoned. Noah's Ark? Faced with such an insurmountable barrier, how many people can the Ark carry?"
"Thief! Hahahaha!"
Beneath the brief calm lies a more turbulent undercurrent. The next eruption will be even more violent and earth-shattering.