”...up!’

'?’

”..wake up!”

'Whaaa?’

“Rick Wake up! We need you!”

 

Rick opened his eyes; his vision was blurry. He could make sense of anything around him. There were just colorful shapes moving around. He focused on one which was stationary, it was the closest to him. Soon that shape became more and more detailed and he recognized a hat.

 

“He’s waking up guys!”

 

The Vice-captain mind was confused. What happened? Where was he?.

 

“Chopper, can you do something? There’s not much time left.”

“He shouldn’t even be alive, Zoro, not after what hit him. It’s nothing short of a miracle he’s still breathing.”

 

‘Cho… Chopper?’

 

Rick’s sight had cleared up enough for him to recognize Chopper. A feat that the doctor didn’t miss when he looked into his patient’s eyes.

 

“Rick! Can you hear me?!”

‘I..’ “do”.

 

His body was too weak to properly make a complete sentence. 

‘What  hap..’ “pened?”

“What is he saying?”

“ “pened” “ answered the deer.

“Pened?” asked another voice.

“Pened, pened… What happened?” said a third voice.

“Y...es” replied Rick.

“Ener hit you with a gigantic thunderbolt.”

“Who cares?! We need him to make that damn bean fall!”

 

His vision was back to normal, he could distinguish the people around him with Chopper now. With the exception of Luffy and Nami the whole crew was assembled. His thoughts were still murky but less than a few moments ago.

“He’s not in a state to do anything Sanji!” said Chopper.

“I… can.” said the ex-marine.

“Like hell you are!” admonished the doctor.

“Help… up. Need… see.”

“What is he saying now?” asked Zoro.

“I think… he wants us to help him up, he needs to see the bean. Is that it?” announced Robin looking at Rick for confirmation.

 

“Y...es”. Was the reply she got.

“Well you heard him.” said Zoro.

“You’re insane!” exclaimed Chopper.

 

Rick saw Sanji and Zoro crouch on each of his sides, grabbed him and raised him up. He didn’t feel anything, his sense of touch was gone, maybe because his nerves got fried? His view changed from a sky filled with dark clouds to a panorama with a giant bean right in the middle.

“You need to make it fall in this direction.” indicated Usopp with his finger.

“‘Kay.” said Rick.

 

He focused on the bean and started to apply his gravity on it. Seeing the damage already done to it, he could tell that Zoro tried to cut it and Wyper used his last shot of his reject dial but it wasn't enough. He knew with just a look where he needed to hit, the correct direction and angle for the bean to fall as intended. He tried to do it but failed, he didn’t have any strength left to make it or couldn’t muster enough of it, he couldn’t tell. When Zoro saw the purple glow of Rick's gravity appear briefly on the bean before disappearing, he knew Rick couldn’t do it.

“Chopper, he doesn’t have enough strength to pull it off, do you have anything to help him? A stimulant or something?” he asked.

“I can’t do that! The way he is, that will kill him!”

“Do… it.” ordered the Vice-captain.

“I can’t.” said the deer, shaking his head sideways.

“Vice… order”.

“Chopper if you don’t do it everyone on Skypiea will die.” said Sanji.

 

The little doctor greeted his teeth. He knew that, but he was a man of medicine, a man who healed people and did not bring them harm. One person’s life, for a few hundreds, maybe a thousand. That was an easy choice to make if one only looked at the numbers. But people were not numbers, they were people and it changed everything.

“Chopp… er. I… tough.” said Rick.

 

Chopper looked at his Vice-captain and saw the determination in his eyes. He made his choice and opened his backpack. From it, a tiny bottle and a syringe was pulled. He removed the bottle’s cork and put the syringe needle in it. Once the stimulant was ready, the doctor got close to Rick and injected him with it. The latter’s heart immediately beat faster and faster giving its owner some kind of second wind. The Vice-captain focused again and let out his power. For a second and last time a purple glow was on the bean. It was bigger and constant. Rick was at the same time pulling and pushing for a maximum effect. He put everything he had left on that simple act and it paid. The bean started to lean little by little but still, it wasn’t enough. Just a bit more and it would have passed the falling point, making it fall on his own.

 

“Robin take my place!” said Sanji before rushing toward the bean followed by Zoro immediately.

 

The archaeologist nearly didn’t make it. She bloomed hands and feet to secure Rick’s position until she could hold him herself.

“I got you.” she said.

 

The cook and swordsman reached the base of the bean where it was damaged. More specifically the part where Wyper’s reject dial left a big hole in it. The former’s kick and the latter’s hit, made with the blunt part of his swords, delivered an impact powerful enough to push it beyond the balancing point, making it fall for good . That was fortunate as Rick couldn’t hold on anymore and his gravity stopped. They did it, their plan worked and now everything was in their captain’s hands. The ex-marine turned towards Robin.

“Ex.. hausted. Carry… me?” he half-asked half-pleaded.

“Just this once.”

 

She smiled; despite her worry, she smiled brightly and genuinely. Jesting in this kind of moment was typical of him. He was at the brink of death and he didn’t miss the occasion to joke around. After everything he did and had gone through today, going way beyond his limits, there was no way for her to rebuffed him and even if there was, she couldn’t have. She wouldn’t have it in her to do it.

 

“My... Hero…”

As soon as those words left his lips, his legs failed him. He fell down but not completely as Robin still held him.

““““Rick!”””” everyone exclaimed.

 

He was laid on the ground and Chopper rushed to his side to examine him. The doctor’s face went from displaying worry to grimness. He searched his backpack in a frenzy.

 

“Chopper what’s going on ?” asked Usopp.

“His heart stopped beating.” 

~~~~~

 

‘God’ was no more. And everyone was… Wait a minute, the chapter is still going on?

(Author’s note: yes.)

 

Why?

(Author’s note: What do you mean “ Why?’)

 

That’s a cliffhanger we got here, so why is the chapter not over?

(Author’s note: Because the average chapter is 3k words long and we’re about one third of it. Couldn’t make a chapter so short.)

 

You just didn’t know what to write I bet…

(Author’s note: I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now back to the story.)

‘God’ was no more. And everyone was more than happy with it. The gold city of Shandora became a rallying point for every fighter who could still move. Once she was sure Wyper was in good hands ( aka Chopper ), Raki, driven by Nami on her waver, went back to the hidden village of the shandia tribe. There, she explained to her people what happened. Overcome with joy and relief, not a single person decided to stay. They all departed for their ancestral home.The journey was not long, a few hours at best, and they all arrived in the gold city as the sun was setting down. Some healthy shandia split from the group to go search the forest for any fighters missing.

Amazingly the number of casualties was null. All the wounded have been treated by the medics of the tribe under Chopper’s supervision. Whether they were shandias or skypiean didn’t matter. Yes skypiean; they were members of the god’s guard that Ener had enslaved when he came to power. He made them build his giant flying ark with shandora’s gold. That was the main reason why Gan Fall fought to get to god’s domain, to free them from Ener. He couldn’t have done so alone. The shandia would have never helped him, so he waited six years for an opportunity. Opportunity that came with the strawhats. He knew when he met them, they were not the average pirates. Adapting to the lack of oxygen in the air in a few minutes was no small feat. It was yesterday night when he saw them taming heaven’s wolves, and partying in the most dangerous place on the island without a care in the world that he was convinced; they were perhaps his only chance to reach his goal. It turned out to be true.

 

A huge bonfire was erected in the middle of the city. Alcohol flew freely and no one was left hungry. Knowing they would not likely come back to their village, the shandias took everything with them making this feast possible. Everyone able was dancing and celebrating. For some, the return into her true home, for others their freedom. All did for the fall of Ener.

 

On the side of the party were the tents sheltering the most badly hurt. One among them was welcoming a very small group of people despite having enough space for a larger number of them. It was the tent reserved for the shandia's leader, Wyper. Raki and one elder were present, relating to him what happened after he busted a hole in the giant bean and passed out. 

 

“So our people settled back into our home.” 

 

He still couldn’t believe it. After 400 years, the dream of the shandia has been realised. What moved him the most was that the promise made to Norland was fulfilled. When Luffy had defeated Ener, he sent him flying right to the golden bell, ringing it. The strawhat kid had re-light the light of Shandora and that was even more significant for the shandia than taking back their city. Thinking of the bell he raised himself.

 

“The bell! We need to guard it! We can’t…”

“Calm down, Wyper, there is no need to guard it anymore.” said the elder, interrupting him.

“But, the angels…”

“Look.”

 

The elder raised the tent’s cloth blocking entrance, allowing Wyper to see shandia and skypieans partying wholeheartedly without an ounce of hostility toward each other.

 

“Listen wyper, in the past, the warriors had a reason for war but us? For our generation the sky is our home.”

“The vearth had never rejected anyone, it was us who rejected each other.” added Gan Fall to the elder’s words. He was there to look over Wyper and another.

“You can’t own what you’re a part of.”

 

Everyone turned around looking at the one whose voice was heard.

“Rick!” exclaimed Raki.

“Hey…” the ex-marine replied weakly.

“Are you alright? How are you feeling?”

“Right now, the only thing I can feel is my hand and it’s hurting like a bitch.” he joked.

 

The jest had the desired effect as all presents either chuckled or smirked.

“What did you mean by that?” asked Gan Fall.

“Vearth is nature itself. It gives birth and nurtures everything, the plants, animals, us. We are part of it. Thinking we can own it, is pure foolishness. It owns us, not the other way around as when we die we go back to it.”

 

The old knight sighed hearing those words.

“Your wisdom never ceases to surprise me.”

“If only we, old people, were as wise.” said the elder, lamenting.

“Well, now you know, so better late than never. You all can go forward now.” declared Rick.

 

“True, it won’t be easy though. With angel island gone the skypieans will soon come here as they have nowhere to go.” announced Gan Fall in a stressed tone.

 

Wyper would have violently replied that it wasn’t going to happen no matter what. But Rick’s words and the sight of everyone coming together to celebrate made him think. The shandia knew the pain of losing their home, fortunately they got it back but the skypieans’ was gone forever. A choice needed to be made. Deny entry into their land to them and start the war again or sympathize, accept and welcome them. To Wyper the choice was easy.

 

“They will be welcome. We just achieved peace after a 400 years long war, let’s not start another one by denying them the right to live here. They would have to follow a few rules, notably concerning the bell but otherwise they will be accepted.” he declared to the relief of the former god.

Rick cut in the conversation with an important matter that could not wait.

“What happened to Ener?”

 

The logia being mentioned everyone frowned.

“We don’t know. After your captain sent him flying no one bother with him.” said Gan Fall

“They should have, he must not be allowed to live any longer.” stated the Vice-captain.

He tried to rise, with difficulty as he didn’t feel anything but his hand right now. Unfortunately he was stopped and pinned down by Raki.

“You’re not going anywhere. Not in his state. Not after dying and being brought back.” she told him sternly.

“I died?”

“Yes, after making the bean fall your heart stopped beating. Your doctor barely saved you.”

 

Now that was some news he was shocked to hear and gave him an epiphany.

 

‘I’m really an idiot. I got one of the most powerful devil fruits in the world, one that can rival Whitebeard’s and I lazed around for 10 years because I didn’t want to have a power gap too wide with the crew and grew in strength with them. How childish.’

 

He realised way too late the consequences of his actions, of his stupid plan. He thought that all would go well even if there was some struggle. He didn’t expect to die however. This was not a game; subconsciously he must have thought so, otherwise he would have trained even harder than he did in the marines. He couldn’t die yet. Not without gaining enough karma and ‘saving’ the world. The goddess would not have been happy with him, heck his entire existence was on the line should he fail.

 

‘Now I understand why the memories of my situation are taken from me every time I come to a new world.’

 

He needed to step up and train like a mad man. Sure, during his time in Ohara he kept himself in shape but nothing more. That was his own undoing, worse than stagnating, he regressed. He didn’t have Ryusei anymore to use his gravity to the best of his ability and that made him weaker. How stupid it was to have left it when he quit the marines. He would need a new sword, but was a bit reluctant. He got so used to Ryusei that somewhat it felt wrong to think of using another blade. As if he was betraying a close friend.

 

‘Maybe I should have a talk with Zoro about that.’ he thought.

 

“Rick?” asked Raki.

“Yes?”

“You were kind of spacing out. Should I call your friend to examine you?”

“That won’t be necessary, I was just thinking of something. Anyway, we need to find Ener and end him.”

“You’re still on about that?” asked the elder.

“Should he live he may come back and this time there won’t be a rubber man to stop him. Right now I’d guess he’s wounded badly and that’s our best shot.”

 

Wyper offered him his support.

“I agree, we can’t let Ener go. Besides, he has to pay for his crimes and for the many lives he has taken.”

“I’ll warn Luffy.” said Raki as she stood up.

“Don’t!” Rick replied in panic.

“Why? He’s the only one who can do it.” she asked.

“Luffy is… most of the crew are just kids. They might fight and beat up people but kill someone? They don’t have it in them. Besides, we don’t need Luffy. Wyper, do you still have your reject dial?”

“I do. You want to use the seastone in it?”

“Yes.”

“Even though I agree with what you want to do, we don't know where he is.” stated Gan Fall.

“If you bring me to where he was seen for the last time I’ll find him in less than a quarter of an hour. Tracking and hunting down people is what I am best at.”

“Alright, let’s say you can track him down, you can barely move. How would you do that?” 

“Tie me up with you while you ride on Pierre.”

“... I’m baffled at how crazy and at the same time how wise you are. But fine, I’ll go along with your plan.”

“I’m coming too. There is no way I would miss Ener’s end.” said Wyper.

“Not alone. Wait a bit and I’ll have a waver we can both ride on.” interjected Raki.

“Old man, can you stay on guard while we’re gone? I don’t want my friends to know about what we’re going to do.” asked Rick.

“I’ll keep everyone out, you have my word.” answered the elder.

 

They ‘escape’ the party without being noticed. Raki and Gan Fall brought them to the last seeing of Ener. When asked, the old knight rose to the sky to show Rick the area. It didn’t take long for him to locate where the flying ark came down. Neither did it when, once at the crashing site, he followed the logia’s tracks. True to his words they found him in under 15 minutes. Ener was limping very badly and slowly, going who knows where. Raki being the only one really in any condition to fight ambushed him with the seastoned reject dial. She made her target fall by smacking him with the dial and left it in contact with Ener’s body so he wouldn’t be able to use what was left of his stamina to use his lightning abilities.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” said Rick looking down on their captive.

“YOU!”

“Yes, me, still alive. Surprised? Anyway, we’re here to finish the job, can’t let you roam free after all. But before we do I have a question. What was your goal?”

 

Ener knew this was the end he had nothing to lose giving that information. He could have messed with Rick but didn’t think it was a good idea.

“I wanted to go to very vearth, to make it mine and rule it.”

“Very vearth?”

“That’s that.” said Gan Fall pointing to the moon.

 

Rick knew of Ener’s goal. He may not have remembered much of Skypia’s arc but he remembered that. That was too stupid to forget. Hearing Ener saying it out loud made him laugh hard but not for long as his body hache.

 

‘Oh great, I'm starting to feel again.’ he sarcastically thought.

 

“What’s so funny?!” exclaimed Ener.

“On the blue sea it’s called the moon. It had been studied from every angle possible. I’m laughing because it’s a dead land. Nothing grows there as the vearth is sterile.”

“You’re lying!”

“Oh, I’m not. What’s even more hilarious is that the skypiean had records about it. I saw them in Angel Island’s town hall. I learned quite a few things there. Notably, the reason skypieans live in the sky is because they departed the moon for its lack of resources as the vearth died. You spend years doing something for nothing. That’s so precious.” he finished in a mocking tone.

 

Ener, the almighty god, thunder itself was now crying. Crying like a little bitch after hearing that his dream was just a pipe one.

 

“Well, time for you to go. It was not a pleasure meeting you.”

 

Rick signaled to Raki who executed the plan. She glided along his body the reject dial and put him in his mouth before closing it and gagging him with a cloth. That way Ener couldn’t get rid of it for sure. The Vice-captain made the condemned float and pushed him towards the sea of clouds.

 

“Why did you do that?” asked Wyper.

“He will fall to the blue sea where he will drown.”

“And here I thought you were going easy on him.” said Raki.

“When I’m dealing with those kinds of monsters, never.” he replied.

“Well, that’s good enough for me. I have to say though, seeing him cry was even more satisfying than seeing him get punched.” declared Wyper.

“By the way, is it true? About the skypiean and the moon.” asked Gan Fall

“Oh, yes, it is. Three tribes lived in peace on the moon. When the vearth didn’t provide any more resources they all left. Two ended up on Skypiea and mingled together.”

“Do you know what happened to the third tribe?” said Raki.

“I don’t have concrete evidence, but yes. From what I gather they lived on the blue sea until 400 years ago when they landed here.”

 

Rick dropped that bomb as if it was nothing. Wyper and Raki’s eyes grew as large as saucers.

 

“You mean…”

“Yes, the shandia are the third tribe. From the few historical records that I saw, the tribes left the moon around 1100 years ago. And from what Robin told me, the story of the shandia starts about the same time, or so their records say. It’s a bit of a stretch really, but I got a feeling that it is the case.”

“Wait, we have records?!” exclaimed Wyper.

“Yep, all over some walls in Shandora.”

“And on some ruins too. Remember the stele Robin found in the forest?” added Rakito to which Rick nodded.

“Life is just getting better and better.” said the shandia’s leader.

“Except for Ener.” joked Rick, making his travel companions laugh.

“To think everything he did was for naught.. Your friend was right, life is a bitch.” said Gan Fall, glad to use the idiom he took a liking to.

 

That brought another round of chuckles which were really painful for the ex-marine. In the end they came back to Shandora, their absence went unnoticed.