Chapter 42: The Directionally-Challenged Zoro, Arriving First?

["The trial is for us!?" Luffy couldn't believe it...]

["That's right. Enel's messenger will take your companions to the sacrificial altar deep within Sky Island, and you need to save them!"]

["If you don't go, your friends might be sacrificed, but if you do go..."]

["You'll have to pass through the forest where the priests reside, facing one trial after another, with an almost... zero survival rate!"]

[With the help of the Sky Island uncle's explanation, Luffy and the others finally understood everything...]

[The so-called trials involved battling the Four Priests!]

[The Four Priests were followers of Enel, the god of Sky Island, and each of them was incredibly powerful. The trials were terrifying, consisting of...]

[The Swamp Trial with a 50% survival rate, the Ball Trial with a 10% survival rate, the String Trial with a 3% survival rate, and finally, the Iron Trial with a 0% survival rate!]

[Only by passing these four trials could they reach the final sacrificial altar and see their captured friends!]

[As for whether they could save them or not... it was uncertain, as no one had ever passed all four trials.]

[Moreover, no one had ever safely reached the sacrificial altar with their friends captured!]

[However, after hearing all this, Luffy, Sanji, and the timid Usopp showed no fear on their faces.]

["I get it, so we have to pass the trials to find Zoro and the others, right?"]

["As long as we defeat all these so-called priests, we can save our friends!"]

[Seeing Luffy's smiling, carefree demeanor, both the Sky Island uncle and his daughter Conis couldn't help but be dumbfounded...]

[For a moment, they both wondered if they hadn't explained the situation clearly enough.]

[These trials were something that no one had ever accomplished before, with a zero survival rate, and yet he could still laugh?]

[They didn't understand, and they didn't believe that Luffy and the others would make it there and save their friends...]

In Wano Country... Onigashima!

Inside a dark and gloomy hall, a huge figure sat on a throne.

His long black hair draped over his shoulders, he had a pair of dragon-like horns, a dragon scale tattoo on his left arm, and an X-shaped scar on his abdomen.

This wild and domineering appearance belonged to none other than Kaido, who was now considered one of the Four Emperors alongside Shanks, Whitebeard, and others and was hailed as the strongest creature alive!

"God of Sky Island... Enel?"

"Gan Fall was defeated, huh..."

Kaido muttered to himself, a thoughtful expression on his face.

As a user of the Fish-Fish Fruit in the form of the Azure Dragon, he had the ability to fly.

So, for him, reaching the elusive Sky Island was as easy as wanting to go there.

Sometimes, when he was bored and had nothing to do, he would even go up there to jump off and attempt suicide for fun.

If anyone in the world knew Sky Island better than him, it would be hard to find a second person.

So naturally, he was aware that the god of Sky Island was Gan Fall.

However, it had been several years since he had last visited Sky Island, and the two places had no means of communication, so...

Kaido only learned of the major changes that had taken place on Sky Island from the live broadcast. The God of Sky Island had changed!

But...

"This new God seems quite strong. Much more interesting than Gan Fall!"

"Maybe I'll go up there and have a little sparring session with him one day."

"I just wonder how many moves he can withstand against me..."

Kaido muttered to himself, a smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth.

...

Although Luffy didn't feel any danger in taking on the trials and rescuing Nami and the others, a new problem had arisen.

They were all from the Blue Sea and had no idea about the way, not even knowing where the entrance to the trials was, let alone how to cross the Sea of Clouds...

To help with this, Conis, the daughter of the Sky Island uncle, volunteered to lead the way for them.

As they passed through the Sky Island town, all the residents avoided them, their faces filled with fear.

Luffy and the others saw this but, although puzzled, didn't pay it any mind.

Finally, under Conis's guidance, Luffy and his party arrived at the place where the Sea of Clouds ships were docked.

"Just board these ships, and you'll be able to cross the Sea of Clouds and reach the entrance to the Trial Lands. Good luck..."

Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp smiled, thanked Conis, and prepared to board the ships and leave.

But before leaving, Luffy stopped and turned to ask a question...

"We're about to part ways. Can you tell me why you, despite being so afraid, still insisted on bringing us here?"

At Luffy's words, Conis hesitated, then laughed, "What are you talking about? I'm not scared..."

But before she could finish, Luffy interrupted her with a serious expression, "You are. From the moment I first met you, you were trembling. When we came here, the fear in your heart only grew stronger."

Hearing this, Conis was completely stunned, and the emotions she had been trying so hard to hide collapsed in that moment...

Meanwhile, in Fushia village!

At the dock where Luffy, Dadan, Makino, and the villagers had gathered.

A small raft was slowly approaching from the distance.

Although most people's attention was on the live broadcast in the sky, some sharp-eyed individuals noticed the raft on the sea.

"Look, there's a boat coming towards us!"

Everyone looked in the direction indicated...

They saw a man with green hair and three swords at his waist, standing straight on the small raft.

At that moment, everyone was astonished!

Because this figure was incredibly familiar to everyone present, even though they were meeting him for the first time.

They recognized him at a glance!

Wasn't this the man who, in the live broadcast, had risked his own life to protect Luffy from pain by taking his place?

A member of the Straw Hat Pirates...

Roronoa Zoro!!!