Lowers?

(AN: Hey everyone! First thank you all for answering the question from last chapter! Glad to know that my writing didn't get worse. I forgot one important part in the last chapter and only noticed after reading a certain comment. Thx for that btw. Jackson wrote more than just his name I updated the last chapter.)

Jackson POV

*swoosh*swoosh*swoosh*

*clang*cling*bang*

Sounds like these are filling the training room with every sword's clash and every connecting hit.

Heavy breathing, a lot of sweat and bloody noses or small cuts could be seen on everybody who's training right now.

Right now, I'm supervising the sparring match between Sachi, Penguin and Kuina. Despite this being a 2vs1, the boys were only holding on because of the handicap.

*clang*

"Damn it girl, can't you take it easy for once?!"

"For real, this isn't a death math!"

Sadly for them, the boy's whining fell on deaf ears as Kuina continued to attack ruthlessly. Or at least she tried.

She is currently doing training for awakening her haki. Her observation haki, to be precise, so of course she has to wear a blindfold. I expected her to struggle some more in these fights, given such a disadvantage but it only took her a few days until she managed to somewhat decently block, parry or even counter the two's attacks.

It's just that I noticed, it's not because she is close to awaken her haki. Sadly not. It's more like after putting a blindfold on, she almost naturally learned to fully concentrate on her remaining senses to figure out the others position and attacks.

This in itself is really impressive, and it once again shows how much of a talented fighter she is but I also fear that it might make it harder to force the awakening of the observation haki.

"Okay that's enough!"

Walking forward and catching the weapons just as they were about to clash again, I stopped the match.

"Jackson wait! I can still continue!"

"Sorry but no means no.Everybody go clean yourselves and take a rest."

Kuina isn't to happy with this but still is taking off the blindfold and walked out. Completely unlike Sachi and Penguin who dropped their weapons and almost fell to the ground.

"Sigh…You two should really train your bod-"

"Captain?"

A sudden voice interrupted me. Robin stepped in just as Kuina stepped out and entered the training grounds.

"Augur asked me to notify you about an island he spotted just now."

"Alright. I'll go up then. You two… just rest for a bit."

After talking to the dead tired guys I walked up and was greeted by the sight of a clear sky above us and white clouds below.

We were still sailing, or more like 'flying' on the White Sea. It's already been around 10 days since we found the golden city and the Poneglyphs. Apparently everybody on angel island could hear the loud bell that we rang that day.

The day after that, I spoke with Gan Fall about our departure, and some things we might need. Beside the gold, we also stored food, dials and something similar to an eternal pose, so that we could set sail on the following Dawn.

The dial is similar to an eternal pose because it has the same function but is a dial that looks like, it's made out of glass.

Anyways, according to Augur and the eternal pose dial we are about to reach our next destination, where I'll get a huge power up for the crew.

'Birka and the Goro-Goro no mi.'

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Augur POV

Another island on clouds. Today is the 8th day since we departed from Skypiea and I can already see another island.

It's still some distance away so it will take few hours until we reach it.

"Captain."

The captain just came up on deck after overseeing Kuina's training session with Sachi and Penguin so greeting him should be the right thing to do.

And like always he greets me back. Robin came up just after him.

"Robin, could you tell Law to give a quick check up to the three sparring partners? You can all rest afterwards. Meanwhile Augur please go and get Sabo and Bepo."

"No need. We're already here Jackson-nii. Why did you call for me?"

"Then I'll go and tell Law."

The vice-captain and Bepo arrived just after the captain finished speaking.

The vice-captain. The captain's right hand man. When I first joined the crew, it was incomprehensible to me how this kid could be the vice-captain.

He is not as strong as the captain, from what I saw has less information about the seas and is fooling around a lot.

'Almost too much to be a pirate…'

That were the kind of thoughts I had until I learned more about him and the others and was soon forced to change my image of him.

The vice-captain has a lot of flaws, many due to his young age, but so has our captain. The vice-Captain just can't overshadow them with abnormal strength like I witnessed a few weeks ago. Instead he is reliable like no one else I have seen.

Not only that but he is also the captains sworn brother but the most important part is his potential.

Unlike Kuina, who is both talented and very hard-working he isn't training very often, but his growth with his devil fruit is beyond my understanding.

At least I thought so, until realization hit me.

For the past month alone he has been using his devil fruit almost without break for the ship, the immigrants, the city parts, regardless of whether he was awake, eating or training body and techniques. Even before we came up to the sky islands he always had something floating.

"Aye Jackson-nii!"

"Augur? Why are you looking at Sabo?"

"Hm?"

Bepo's voice made me realize I was staring.

"It's nothing. I was distracted so did I miss something?"

"Ah, the captain only told us to relax a bit until we reach the next island."

"Alright, I'll do that then."

'But I wonder what he's after this time.'

Since the captain asked that old man on skypiea especially after this island, I'm sure that he's after something significant.

A few hours went by and everybody could now see the island. We are lucky because there seems to be a city judging by all the houses visible.

The direction we are currently going to, has a harbor where we docked the ship.

The captain jumped out first, followed by the vice-captain and me and then the others.

"hmm?"

Something is strange.

"Jackson-nii, can you sense anybody?"

"Only very few people around here. Listen everybody. There are close to no people around here, which is very strange considering the number of houses."

Right. All I can see are big colorful houses, wide cloudy paths and in the distance there is a huge castle like structure but I can't see any people. This is kind of unsettling.

"Should we look around?"

"Maybe we should split up?"

"I don't thing that blindly walking around is a good idea. This isn't an ancient ruin but seems to be a modern huge city. If we get lost we can't just send huge or destructive signals like in Shandora."

Bepo and Kuina stated their ideas which I vetoed.

"Augur might be right. Instead he could climb up and try to look around from above."(Law)

"I can make him fly up. Also Robin might be able to help with her powers."(Sabo)

"Sure I can."(Robin)

"Then I will too."

After I answered a sensation beneath my feet started to rise. No, the little cloud I was standing on itself was rising with me on top.

From up here, I can see the whole city and the castle, in the center of the island. Also there is a huge plaza. It's really large, fitting for all the people that I can see over there.

'Why are they gathered there?'

————————————————————————

3rd Person POV

Birka. Main plaza in front of the saint's palace.

A huge crowd is currently gathered here. Every citizen who wasn't too weak or I'll to come, appeared her upon hearing the news, spread throughout Birka.

The saint and his followers finally caught the leader who started the rebellion of the lowers. Today was the day they would publicly execute him.

"Kill him!"

"Pay the price scum!"

"You damn bastard!"

When soldiers appeared, walking along the secured path through the crowd and towards a raised stage, build out of wood everyone started jeering and shouting insults.

Because they brought 'him' along with close to a hundred other people as well.A tall young man with blonde hair was the person that stood out the most even when he was just as beaten and brutalized as the others who are in chains. Unlike the people in the crowd the chained ones had no wings on their back, the sign of the people living on sky islands. Also the characteristic that marked them as 'lowers'.

On this island people who are born without wings are known as lowers. A free labor force managed by the Saint, who is also the highest ranking official and head of the state but in truth there are no differences in treatment between a lower and a slave.

The only difference is that lowers can't be owned by a person and are instead managed by the government of Birka, yet everybody that got their hands on them were free to do whatever.

The reason for that treatment is that they are proof of their forefathers sins. They were only born wingless if someone did it with a person from the blue sea, the race forsaken by their god himself.

"SILENCE!!!"

A loud voice reverberated across the plaza when a person in uniform started shouting. The crowd calmed down and fell silent upon the arrival of the saint who stepped onto the stage in the middle of the plaza. The saint is an old man in a tunica with gray hair that reached his shoulders. He soon started to speak to the people.

"Dear citizen of Birka! You all are gathered here in front of the holy palace to bear witness. The criminal with the blood of sinners! The leech who ate and drank and still wasn't satisfied! The lower who started a rebellion and disregarded god's words and teachings putting our city and lives at risk! Today he will find his end and every single lower who followed him shall be killed with him!"

"OOAAAHHHH!!!"

The crowd started cheering as soon as the saint stopped talking. The young blonde man was dragged towards the stage and the rags that were somehow covering his body got ripped apart.

The saint then stepped towards him and took a sword, specially brought by a guard.

"I shall pierce your filthy heart that pumped such muddy blood and rid our paradise of you and your disgrace!"

"YEAAHHH!"

"KILL HIIIM!"

The crowd roared at the saint's words, obviously eager to watch the rebellion leader die.

As the saint positioned himself and the sword he could see the man smirking.

"Get rid of me? Don't kid yourself. Do you really think it's only us lowers who recognize this shithole for what it is? Even among you, there are those who emphasize with us lowers. Someone who made a friend of started liking someone. A hellhole like this should be burning and I laid the foundation for that to happen!"

The saint paid attention to every word that came out of the man's mouths and so were the surrounding soldiers. It's because a specific information they Heard- out of his words.

'Do you really think it's only us lowers…'

Spies and traitors. How else could it have come to this?! They were so focused on what he was saying that they didn't notice the few guard who started to move without instructions.

A bald man with tattoos. A man with a long yet thin mustache. Fat and round twins resembling goats. The yellow ship descending from above.

…

No the last one was noticed quite quickly.

"Unidentified flying object!"

"Guards!"

A single shout made the guards focus again and stand in a defensive formation around the saint reading themselves for whatever or whoever might come out in a long uncomfortable silence.

(AN: first time I create my own lore so chap got a bit long. Hope you could enjoy!)

(PS: it's late I'm tired and only kept writing cause I didn't want to cause another pause/break. Hope you can forgive a few mistakes when you find them :3)