Chapter 120: Priests and Power
While Bodai didn't appear particularly strong, Kaie had seen countless enemies defeated after underestimating their opponents. When it came to combat, she refused to be careless or underestimate her enemies.
"Teach, be ready," she warned.
"Hmm? Oh, alright."
Kaie lowered her stance and charged.
Bodai was surprised by her speed. He tried to defend himself, but it was too late. Kaie landed a blow to distract him, then circled behind him in a blink of an eye.
"Damn, she got behind–"
"Too slow."
He turned to face her, but Kaie had already leaped over him, using his shoulders as leverage to throw him towards Teach.
"Teach!"
"Here I come! Zehahahaha!!"
Teach spun his arms around and launched a lariat at Bodai, who was flying towards him with his log-like arms.
Realizing that a direct hit could easily break his neck, Bodai tried to dodge, but Teach accelerated his attack upon reading his movements.
"Get crushed!"
Bodai twisted his body to avoid a direct hit, but the lariat still connected and sent him crashing into a nearby tree.
Kuro, Kaie, everyone assumed he was finished– but Teach frowned, looking at his arm.
His arm felt normal. There was nothing wrong with his senses. But why was Bodai still standing?
"What was that…? That sensation…"
"T-That was close…! But I received your… "impact"!!"
Bodai had used his left hand to intercept Teach's attack.
Kaie wondered if he was a Devil Fruit user, but she dismissed the thought. She trusted Teach's strength. He couldn't have dodged a Logia user's attack like that. There had to be something else at play.
"This impact… I will break you from the marrow of your bones!"
Bodai pointed his left hand, the hand he had used to intercept Teach's attack, at him.
"Impact!"
Bang!
A powerful shockwave sent Teach crashing into a giant tree several meters away.
"Whoa?!"
"Teach?!"
"What was that? A Devil Fruit ability?"
"A Devil Fruit? No… You're from the Blue Sea, aren't you? You wouldn't know about it."
It was a device called a "Dial Shell". There were various types, each with its own function.
Bodai's left hand was equipped with an Impact Dial.
"This Dial Shell absorbs impact and releases it at will! Your attacks are useless against me!"
"A Dial Shell… What a strange device…"
Kuro looked at Kaie with an acquisitive glint in his eye, but she ignored him and focused on Bodai.
Teach would be fine. He wouldn't be defeated so easily. She didn't have her scythe, but she was confident she could handle him unarmed. As long as she was careful of his left hand and the Dial Shell, he was no match for her.
"Guh! Ugh!"
"You can use Observation Haki, but your skill is… lacking."
He wasn't even using Armament Haki. Every time she struck him with anything other than his left hand, he winced in pain, his movements sluggish.
He was no match for her.
"Damn…!"
He desperately tried to counterattack with a palm strike, but Kaie easily deflected it. She was about to finish him off– when Teach called out to her.
"Sis! Throw him at me!"
She hesitated, then grabbed Bodai's legs, swung him around, and tossed him towards Teach.
"Whoa?! Let go!!"
"I will!"
He was heavier than he looked, but it was nothing for Kaie's strength. Bodai was sent flying towards Teach, and tried to brace himself, aiming his left hand – but Teach had learned his lesson. He grabbed Bodai's left arm to prevent him from using the Impact Dial.
"Zehahaha…! You really did it! What a pathetic toy, but you surprised me!"
"H-He took that attack head-on?! Then take this!"
If the left hand's Impact Dial was useless, then… He used the Dial Shell embedded in his right hand at Teach.
A sharp pain ripped through Teach's shoulder, slicing diagonally across his abdomen.
"Guh…!"
"Ha, haha! Looks like it worked!"
"Gaaaaaaaah!! It hurts!!"
But Teach refused to let go of Bodai's arm. He glared at him furiously.
"You bastard…! You hurt me!!"
He slammed his fist into Bodai's face.
The impact was devastating, causing cracks to radiate across the ground. Kuro wondered if Bodai was even alive.
Kaie approached them and checked Teach's injuries.
"Honestly… You're too careless, Teach."
"Zehahahaha!! It hurts! Let's go back to the ship!"
"Yeah, we need to treat your wounds."
Kuro, meanwhile, had snatched the Dial Shells from Bodai's hands and was examining them.
"…They look like ordinary shells."
"Are those the toys that doughball guy was using?" Teach asked.
"Yeah. They look like ordinary shells, but there's a button here."
He pressed the button on one of the shells, and a shockwave sent him flying backwards.
"Whoa!"
"Zehahahaha! What are you doing?!"
Teach reached out, and Kuro grabbed his hand, pulling himself up.
"Well, that was surprising," he chuckled, then tried to examine the other shell, but Kaie snatched it away.
"Stop playing around and let's go back to the ship. Something doesn't feel right… Our exploration is over."
"Aw…"
"No complaints."
The fact that someone had attacked them meant that the ship might be in danger as well. Her Observation Haki told her that unfamiliar presences were approaching.
Feiyun was guarding the ship, so they would be fine, but she didn't want to be a burden.
They should have returned sooner.
***
"Damn, he's too fast…"
Feiyun swung her arm at Asura, but he weaved through the trees, effortlessly evading her attacks. Her Observation Haki could predict his movements, but the dense forest restricted her movements. Her massive size was a disadvantage in this environment.
"He's fast and strong… But in this forest, I have the advantage."
Perched on the back of his giant bird, Asura pondered how to defeat Feiyun. He couldn't get too close, or he would be swatted away. But he had no long-range attacks either.
However – He had already set his trap.
It seemed to be less effective than he had anticipated due to her incredible strength, but she was caught.
Just a little longer… He bided his time – and finally, she was trapped.
"–!"
Feiyun, who had been swinging her fist, froze. Her movements weren't her own. Something was preventing her from moving.
"Kahahaha! You're caught!"
Asura circled around with a wicked grin on his face. He aimed his spear at her throat. It was a fatal blow. Even a giant wouldn't survive that. But as he lunged – his spear was deflected with a clang.
(What was that? Her body is black…?)
A part of her neck was black. It was hard to imagine something capable of deflecting his spear, but he had seen it with his own eyes.
His spear was imbued with a Heat Dial. He could have burned her from the inside if he had pierced her, but… he clicked his tongue and adjusted his grip on the spear.
"It seems you have another trick up your sleeve… but you can't do anything while you're immobilized–"
He couldn't finish his sentence. The trees surrounding them creaked.
Feiyun was struggling against the "String Cloud" that had immobilized her.
It was incredibly thin and light, almost invisible to the touch, but when bundled together, it could bind even the strongest individuals. It was a trap that tightened its grip with every movement.
However, to secure the strings, they needed to be attached to something – the surrounding trees. It was a trap that only worked in a forest.
And Feiyun was trying to uproot the trees despite the pain.
"Impossible?! Those are giant trees! They can't move!"
"That's because you're weak."
She had reinforced her body with Armament Haki, negating the effects of the String Cloud. She was simply pulling the trees down with brute force.
Unable to withstand the strain, the strings began to snap. Feiyun swung her fist to knock Asura out of the sky.
She was free. Asura quickly dodged and retreated above the trees. He had no way to defeat her now. His spear wouldn't be able to pierce her Haki, and his trap was useless against her.
"What should I do…?"
He couldn't simply flee. He had to find a way to break through her defenses. As he pondered his options, a massive shadow suddenly engulfed him.
They were currently in the White White Sea, the highest layer of clouds that formed the Sky Islands.
There shouldn't be any clouds above them. Then, what had cast this shadow?
"Could it be…?!"
He turned to face the source of the shadow. The sun was past its zenith, slightly tilted towards the west. The shadow, large enough to swallow Asura who was flying dozens of meters above the ground, belonged to a giant figure that now stood before him.
There was no escape. Even if he tried to fly away, he wouldn't be able to outrun Feiyun in an open sky.
"U-Ugh–!"
Desperate, he accelerated, trying to evade her grasp.
His Observation Haki would allow him to dodge… he told himself as he fled.
But the moment Feiyun's hand reached him – he knew he was finished.
"–I won't let you escape."
Without paying attention to his desperate spear attack, Feiyun's massive palm slammed him into the ground.
***
Clouds with the hardness of iron, changed shape one after another and attack. George deflected each attack with Kogarashi, then, closing the distance, sliced Veda across the chest.
Even with a considerable distance between them, Veda's movements were sloppy. George, with his superior Observation Haki, easily predicted his attacks.
"Weak. Weaker than I expected… You really thought you could defeat me?"
"Guh…!"
He didn't look it, but George was a powerful fighter, capable of holding his own against the executives of the Big Mom Pirates.
"Don't underestimate me! I'm a priest chosen by God! I won't be defeated so easily!"
"I admire your spirit, but honestly, you're no match for me."
Even with the Dial Shell, he was simply too weak. He was a priest chosen by Octavia, but his strength was disappointing. Perhaps the Dial Shell was useful for other purposes, but it didn't seem particularly valuable in combat.
"Step aside. I won't kill you."
"Don't mock me! The weak have no value…! You're insulting God – Our faith – by offering us mercy!!"
"You mean Octavia… I barely know her, but is she really the type to care about that… Hey, Caterina!"
"What is it?"
Caterina, who had retreated to a safe distance, responded to George's call. She had known Octavia longer than George.
"He's saying she cares about the weak, but what do you think?"
"I doubt she cares. I was saved by her, and we even traveled together, but she's completely indifferent to others."
She had been saved by Octavia from pirates, but it was mostly by chance. Octavia was simply uninterested in others.
The only exceptions were the former members of the Rocks Pirates and Kanata. She had never seen her show any interest in anyone else.
Perhaps Dr. Kureha, who had treated her arm, was an exception.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. She should be aware of us," George muttered.
Octavia was stronger than Kanata. She would have to possess comparable Observation Haki, which meant she was aware of their presence.
Sending these priests to fight against Twilight without a plan was simply incompetent.
Unless, of course, she didn't care about winning as an organization.
Kanata would never do something like this.
"You don't know anything about God! She's our absolute ruler!! I won't forgive you for insulting her!!"
"You're quite devoted… A fanatic, I see…"
Users of Conqueror's Haki often possessed a natural charisma that drew people to them. Octavia was no exception.
"It's the same with Kanata… Like mother, like daughter, I guess," George mumbled.
…Of course, Octavia and Kanata's attitude towards their subordinates were completely different.
"I won't tolerate any blasphemy! I'm going to kill you–"
"It's useless."
He deflected Veda's attack, but as he moved to close the distance – a gunshot echoed.
Izo had shot Veda through the head.
Veda had been focused on George, thus his Observation Haki failed to detect Izo's presence.
He was simply outmatched. Even if he had been able to use Observation Haki effectively, he wouldn't have been able to dodge Izo's bullet.
"Don't play around! We're in a hurry!" Izo scolded George.
"Sorry, sorry. Gathering information is important, you know."
"I agree, but… Kanata's the only one who can fight her directly. Our job is to create an environment where she can unleash her full power without any distractions."
"You're right. Let's hurry."
It was George's battle, but Izo couldn't help but intervene. He was concerned about Hiyori, and pirates didn't play by the rules.
They had to reach the ship before Kanata arrived.
***
Still shirtless, Nahan stood before Kanata with his fists clenched. His Jet Punch, powered by the extinct Jet Dial, could deliver a powerful blow without warning. It was an attack that had defeated countless enemies.
…Of course, that only applied to those weak enough to be affected.
"Take this, Jet Punch!"
Kanata dodged the punch and, with a swift movement, tripped him.
The Jet Dial's acceleration was only temporary, and there was no way to control it once activated.
He couldn't stop himself. He crashed into the nearby ruins and the impact knocked him unconscious.
"…What was that about?"
She was speechless. She didn't have time for this. She had to reach Octavia. As she turned to leave, she noticed that part of the weathered ruins had crumbled by Nahan's impact.
They were valuable archeological artifacts. Olivia would be furious if she found out they had been destroyed.
"...Alright."
She decided to pretend she hadn't seen anything and continued upwards, climbing Giant Jack towards God's Shrine where Octavia awaited.
…
Duration of Priests' Attack:
Battle against Bodai: 5 minutes 20 seconds (mainly because of Teach)
Battle against Asura: 4 minutes 30 seconds (because Asura fled through the forest)
Battle against Veda: 2 minutes 20 seconds (because Izou lost patience)
Battle against Nehan: 5 seconds (accidentally)