Chapter 5
Markus listened to the panic and struggling of the crew stuck on the ship but did nothing to help. He was pretty sure they didn't even know he was there. He yawned and stretched as he relaxed and enjoyed the ride. It didn't last very long as the giant shrimp was rather fast. Before long the ship was deposited at the top of a large pyramid-like altar. To make sure none of his time awake was wasted, he kept his Crafting queue filled and practiced his Geppo within his Image Training.
He didn't stay inside of his image training for very long as he didn't want to miss anything. He had to wait a while but eventually, the event he was expecting came to pass. He heard the loud sound of a whistle being blown by Chopper. He hopped to his feet and stepped outside to meet Shura and his pet bird Fuza. Shura was a dark-haired man with a thin mustache and wearing clothes that looked like an aviator outfit from the 1900s. As Markus stepped outside, he was just in time to see a giant bird with red feathers breathing fire directly at the mast of the ship.
Markus whipped out one of his freshly purchased Water Dials and doused the mast putting out the flames before it could do much damage. Chopper and Shura were both surprised by the appearance of Markus. Neither of them had known he was on the ship. The biggest flaw with Mantra was that it relied heavily on sound, with Seimei Kikan, Markus could drastically reduce the sound he produced by controlling every aspect of his body. Chopper shouted in joy, "Markus!"
Shura was wary as he looked at Markus, "Where did you come from?"
Markus made sure the fire was completely out before he turned to face Shura. The two stared at each other in silence. Each of them would make a slight movement every couple of seconds before seeming to decide not to complete whatever movement they were about to do. Slowly, sweat began to form on Shura's face as he muttered to himself, "Shoulder, chest, leg, head, chest... Crotch!?"
He squeezed his legs together involuntarily and slowly wiggled his way back from Markus as he asked in a scared voice, "What are you?!"
Markus just continued to stare at Shura without moving causing the man to sweat even more. Every time he considered trying to attack Chopper or Markus, he knew that Markus would dish out a devastating attack that he couldn't block. He couldn't even run as the same results would occur. Markus kept his Observation Haki in it's activated state and waited. When he finally sensed the approach of Gan Fall riding on Pierre, he 'accidentally' revealed an opening that the terrified Shura immediately took advantage of.
Seeing his 'chance' Shura dashed forward and thrust his lance out to impale Markus. Markus activated his Tekkai and allowed Shura to stab at his chest. The lance hit him and stopped with a loud clang as if the iron lance had clashed with metal. As Markus's clothing began to burn, Gan Fall arrived and attacked Shura. As Gan Fall clashed with Shura he spoke, "Thank you for waiting."
Chopper shouted, "Sky Knight!!"
Shura almost looked relieved as he and Gan Fall began to clash. Both men rode on birds while using lances as their primary weapon. Shura had the advantage of having a heat dial installed that heated his lance and allowed it to cause fires. Markus crossed his arms over his chest and spoke, "Chopper, go patch yourself up. I'll protect the ship."
Chopper nodded his head but didn't move from where he was standing. He was too enthralled watching the battle between Shura and Gan Fall. Markus didn't have to let the fight happen, he knew Gan Fall would lose. He needed it to happen, Gan Fall needed to be around for the events about to unfold. Chopper became super excited as he watched Gan Fall seem to gain the upper hand by using the Impact Dial hidden in his gauntlet.
As Shura fell, Fuza flew beneath him and caught him on its back. Shura looked pissed as he shouted out, "TRIAL OF STRING!"
Moments later Gan Fall and Pierre came to a sudden stop and hung in the air. Gan Fall and Pierre struggled to move but it was impossible. Markus could sense the super-thin wires that Shura used to surround the area and capture Gan Fall and Pierre. Gan Fall glared at Shura from beneath his helmet, "Why you villain! What did you do to me?!"
Shura gripped his lance and thrust it forward, "There is no need to answer a dead man!"
Shura drove his lance through the right side of Gan Fall's chest. The lance instantly burst into flames Gan Fall spit up blood while Shura mocked him, "Behold the amazing Trial of String!!"
Chopper screamed, "KNIGHT OF THE SKY!!!!"
Markus chose that exact moment to leap into action, literally. He drove himself into the air while coating his right leg in pitch black Armament Haki. As he jumped he swung his leg and kicked from his right to his left. A massive blade of compressed air was launched from his kick and instantly crossed the distance between Markus and Shura. Shura only had enough time to open his eyes in shock before the blade of compressed air sliced deep into his back. Blood splattered into the air while Shura was sent careening into the forest.
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You have killed "Sky Rider" Shura, +50,000 experience.
You have leveled up! Hit Points and Willpower fully restored. You have gained 5 attribute points.
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The next moment, Markus kicked with his left foot and sent another blade to slice a deep gash in Fuza.
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You have killed Fuza, +5,000 experience.
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While the bird let out a final screech of agony and fell into the sea, Markus dashed through the air and dove into the sea where Gan Fall had fallen. He swam through the clouds until he grabbed Gan Fall. With Gan Fall secured, Markus brought him to the Going Merry and gently set him down, "Chopper, come over here and tend to his wounds!"
Pierre suffered no injuries since Markus took Shura out before he could hurt the bird. Pierre landed on the boat and released cries of worry as Markus and Chopper tended to Gan Fall. Markus helped by removing his armor and carrying him somewhere more comfortable while Chopper treated him.
Markus left Chopper to his work and moved out of the way. Defeating Shura was just too easy. None of the priests was really all that strong. Their biggest advantages were using their 'Mantra' to predict and counter the attacks of their enemy and their combat-oriented Dials. Their 'Mantra' could be countered with Observation Haki or unpredictable attacks or attacks that were simply too fast for them to counter. As for their Dials, the others would have to suffer a bit to learn about them.
Markus started working on some repairs for the Going Merry. The ride up on the knock up stream combined with the not-so-gentle rides on two giant shrimp had damaged the hull. Markus did his best to repair the damage but he had no real skill as a shipwright. The best he could do was place boards over the damage and hammer them in place. As he was working, Chopper came down and joined him. Markus glanced at the small reindeer, "How is he?"
"He'll be fine with some rest. The heat of the lance cauterized the wound so it didn't bleed too much."
Markus nodded and the two returned to working in a companionable silence. As they worked, Markus could faintly hear the sounds of combat out in the forest. It seemed that the Shandian's were properly taking advantage of the situation. They'd have an even easier time without Shura taking some of them out. Originally it would have been Wyper using his Reject Dial to defeat Shura. At least he'd be saved one shot from the dial and wouldn't take as much damage from it.
As the sun started to set, Nami, Robin, and Zoro returned from their trek in the forest. As they called out for Chopper, he and Markus both walked up to the deck of the ship. Everyone was surprised to see Markus, Nami shouted across the water, "Markus?! We thought you were with Luffy!"
Markus leaned on the railing of the ship and smiled at the three on the shore, "Nah! I was on the ship taking a nap and relaxing. When I woke up some jackass was attacking Chopper and the ship. I took care of him."
As they were chatting they heard shouting coming from the river leading to the altar, "Look! It's the Going Merry!! That's the altar!!"
Soon the entire crew was back together on the Merry thanks to the ship Conis had given Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp, the Karasumaru. A little dial ship with a black crow head. After everyone greeted each other and Chopper explained what happened, they moved into the cabin to check on Gan Fall. When she saw Gan Fall's condition, Nami exclaimed, "He would try that hard, just for a free whistle he gave us?!"
Chopper nodded, "If he hadn't come and Markus hadn't been here, the damage could have been a lot worse."
Sanji exhaled a cloud of smoke, "There are a lot of things I want to ask him... I'll just wait until he wakes up. With the ship stuck here and the sky getting dark, we'll have to wait until tomorrow to go back to Angel Island."
The group left the room to let Gan Fall rest and made the decision to camp on the shore for the night. Once everyone was ferried to the shore and a camp was set up, they began discussing what they'd learned during their day. Nami explained what they found in the forest that led them to the conclusion that Upper Yard was originally a part of Jaya and where the Golden City was located. Sanji explained about their battle against Satori, "That priest we fought used the same thing you do Markus, Observation Haki. Though, he called it 'Mantra' for some reason. He wasn't much of a threat once we realized that."
Markus nodded, "I told you. The further we get into the Grand Line the more common the two forms of Haki will become. I'm sure Enel and the last two remaining priests can use it as well so remember to be careful and remain on your toes. Use the techniques you've been practicing to counter them."
After everyone explained what happened, Usopp spoke, "The most important information is this! This island is actually the Golden City that the Saruyama Alliance has been trying to find!!"
It was only at that moment that Luffy started to pay attention, "What?! Really?!"
Nami yelled at him, "I reported that earlier!!"
Luffy got excited, "Gold eh?! I've been waiting for an adventure like this!!"
Nami smiled, "Yup. If you're interested that makes it easier."
Usopp looked panicked, "Oi oi Luffy, did you forget that raider's warning?"
Chopper looked a little scared, "The god will be angry!!"
Robin laughed, "Sounds interesting."
Sanji puffed on his cigarette, "Nonetheless, with treasure up for grabs, pirates won't stay silent. Yeah?!"
Zoro grinned viciously, "With plenty of enemies!! This is a game of survival!"
Markus smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm looking forward to meeting this god, face-to-face."
Luffy's head suddenly snapped around toward Markus, "Ah! Markus! That guy is mine!" Luffy became extremely serious as he looked at Markus, "I want you to promise that you will leave him to me. I owe him a beating."
Markus stared into Luffy's eyes for a while before he nodded, "Alright, Captain."
Luffy grinned brightly and threw his arms into the air, "YOOOOOOOSH! IT'S DECIDED!!! WE'LL GO AND FIND GOLD!!"
With Luffy declaring their mission, everyone cheered! Soon tasks were taken up by everyone. Sanji started cooking a stew while he forced Luffy to watch water distill. Markus went out hunting for ingredients along with Zoro and Chopper. He used his Analysis as a cheat tool to find what was and wasn't edible. Surprisingly, there were quite a few good fruits and vegetables in the forest. He found a fair number of potatoes, some carrots, and even some yams. After plucking a few of each, he returned to the camp and handed them over to Sanji, "Got some stuff."
Sanji looked it over and nodded, "Nice! These will go good in the stew."
Shortly after he returned, Chopper and Zoro arrived. Chopper had pretty normal stuff but Zoro was carrying rats and frogs of all things. Thank god Sanji could make anything taste good. Robin returned a moment after them carrying a large blue stone. Nami's attention was immediately captured by it, "Wow Robin, what's that large blue rock you found? Is it a gemstone?!"
Robin laughed, "It's pretty right? But no, that's not what it is."
Sanji looked at the stone and smiled, "Oh?! Is that crystalized salt? Nice find Robin!"
Robin smiled, "I found it by the shore and thought it might be useful."
Sanji was practically swooning as he spoke, "Of course! In the game of survival, salt is very important!"
As Sanji tossed a heated stone into the stew, Nami called out to everyone, "Alright, everyone! Let's do a mission briefing and make a battle plan for tomorrow!"
Everyone gathered together while Sanji dished out stew for the group. Once everyone gathered together, Nami started her explanation by reminding everyone about the story of Cricket's ancestor Noland. Around 400 years ago Noland discovered Jaya and the Golden City. However, when he returned just a few years later the City was gone, having been blasted into the sky by a knock up stream. As the conversation continued, Nami combined the map of Jaya she had with their ancient map of Skypiea to recreate the ancient island as Noland would have seen it.
With the map assembled, she pointed to the right eye, "We'll just go straight to this point tomorrow. But we can't just leave the ship here, so we'll split into two groups. There's no doubt, there's a huge amount of gold waiting for us there!!"
Markus listened closely for a bit then drifted off as he tried to decide what group to go with. One would be getting the ship off the altar and sailing it around the island while the other group went on foot. The two groups would meet up later and make their escape with the gold. Of course, none of that would end up working out. After thinking about it a bit, he decided to go on the ground with Luffy, Robin, Zoro, and Chopper.
When he looked up again, the entire crew, minus Robin and Zoro, were dancing around a giant bonfire with a pack of wolves. Markus grinned at the sight and immediately joined in. He had no idea how to dance so he just did whatever he felt like doing. He danced like he'd never danced before, as far as he knew, he never had. He enjoyed his time just messing around with everyone before the battle would begin tomorrow.
As the night wore on the party wound down as everyone wanted to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day. While the others slept, Markus spent the night inside of his Image Training grinding his skills as much as he could. When dawn came, he opened his eyes and felt excited about what was coming soon. He opened his status and checked his progress.
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Name: Silvers D. Markus
Age: 16
Class: Wanted Pirate (125m)
Level: 72
Exp: 6,342,783/6,480,000
Hit Points: 1,700/1,700 (+103.7/minute)
Willpower: 2,520/2,520 (+71.8/30 seconds)
Strength (STR): 222
Vitality (VIT): 170
Agility (AGI): 182
Spirit (SPT): 252
Wisdom (WIS): 142
Charisma (CHA): 97
Luck (LCK): 84
Attribute Points: 5
Belly: 37,274,350
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Markus looked everything over and smiled. The others woke up after a while and once breakfast was over, they made their way over to the Going Merry. As soon as he saw it Usopp shouted, "Look! I told you! Somebody was here before! It wasn't a dream after all!"
Markus walked up to the ship and ran his hand over the repairs that had been performed overnight. Though he and Chopper had done their best, no one on the crew was a shipwright. The damage to the hull and sides of the ship had been repaired and covered in iron plates to protect them. The additions that turned the Merry into its flying mode had all been removed leaving it looking more like its original self. Markus pat the side of the ship, "Looking good Merry."
While Markus was looking over the ship, the rest of the crew was discussing the repairs as well. It didn't last long as they got down to business. Nami called out, "Everyone, gather up." Once the group was all gathered on the deck, she continued while pointing at their map, "Look at the map. This is the explorer team's route." She drew a straight line south from their location to the area where the golden city should be, "A straight line south. In this 'right eye' place there should be some ruins. Watch out for enemies and bring the gold back!"
She continued while gesturing to outline a different route, "At the same time, the rest of us will navigate the Going Merry through the island. We will land on the shore as close to the ruins as possible. Then the teams will meet at the shore and leave this sky island! Thereafter we will be known as 'The Rich Pirates' and we can buy anything we want!"
Everyone cheered, even Markus. After the cheering, Luffy pointed in the direction he believed was South, "ALRIGHT! LET'S GOOOOOOO!!!"