One Piece: Killer Method #196

As the headbutt resounded, everyone watched in shock, their breaths momentarily stolen by the unexpected turn of events. Wyper crumbled to his knees, his eyes rolling back and his forehead reddening. Still, he gritted his teeth and clung to his consciousness, a testament to his unyielding spirit, much to Cedric's surprise.

"You really are one tough son of a bitch-- I'll give you that much..." Cedric remarked with a smile, a glimmer of respect in his eyes as he nodded in approval. He appreciated resilience when he saw it. "But I'm on a timer here, so I'll have you go to sleep..."

With a casual poke of his finger to Wyper's neck, Cedric's Devil Fruit power took effect, causing Wyper to instantly fall flat on his back, his consciousness slipping away.

As Wyper lost consciousness, the gathered Shandian warriors couldn't help but mutter in shock, their disbelief palpable. Their strongest warrior had fallen like a toppled giant, defeated by some random pirate from the Blue Sea, and it had happened in under a minute to boot. 

Even the weapon Cedric had summoned from the clouds remained buried in the ground, unused-- a clear sign that the pirate before them was holding back while fighting Wyper. 

Undeterred by their stunned reactions, Cedric turned to the chief and said, "Now you know what I'm capable of. Will you keep your word?" His voice carried a tone of certainty, a challenge to their agreement.

Though taken aback by the outcome of the fight, the chief could only nod, his begrudging acceptance clear in the subtle furrowing of his brows. "As I've said, our warriors will be ready to fight and die by your side when the time comes..." He spoke the words with a hint of reservation, still not entirely at ease with Cedric's attitude and arrogance. 

But he was a man of his word, and Cedric, arrogant as he was, seemed to possess the power to defeat Enel, as he had claimed. The chief would be a fool to squander a golden opportunity to get rid of Enel, even if it meant relying on an outsider.

"Good. I'll let Gan Fall know when I'm ready to take down Enel..." Cedric replied with a self-assured smile, his tone carrying a hint of finality. "It won't take long, so ready yourselves in the meanwhile..." He concluded, his gaze already shifting toward his impending departure.

"Very well, we will be ready," the chief declared, his words sealing their agreement.

Cedric turned to leave, headed for the edge of the small cloud island. However, before he could depart, Gan Fall stopped him. The former god of Skypiea wore a concerned frown as he inquired, "Where will you go? Do you have anything planned?"

Cedric turned to face Gan Fall, his expression content and relaxed. "Back to Skypeia. I'm going to sightsee and enjoy the sky island with my crew..." His words held a note of tranquility, a testament to his appreciation for the simple pleasures of exploration and discovery that defined his life as a pirate.

...

Sitting on the weathered deck of the Golden Ape, Kieran's sharp eyes observed Cedric as he sky-stepped his way back toward the ship from the distant cloud island. As Cedric touched down, Kieran raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with skepticism. 

"And here I half-expected you to bring some random woman back with you..." His words held a sense of dry humor. "Maybe you're losing your edge?" Kieran continued, returning his attention to cleaning one of his many knives, the blade glinting ominously.

Cedric, unperturbed by Kieran's jest, chuckled in response. "And where will I find a woman in the clouds?" he quipped, his tone light and teasing.

Kieran's curiosity got the better of him as he looked up from his task. "What were you doing anyway? Did you find anything?" he asked, diverting the conversation away from Cedric's social exploits.

With a nonchalant shrug, Cedric replied, "Nope. I thought I saw something interesting, but I found nothing. My little outing turned out to be a complete and utter waste of time." He emphasized his point by playfully nudging Kieran with his foot, a mischievous grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "

Kieran looked up and saw that Cedric was holding a parchment toward him. With a hint of suspicion, he accepted the document from Cedric's hand and began reading its contents. The words were straightforward, outlining Cedric's intentions to confront the god who ruled over Skypeia with a rather direct approach.

However, the note also carried a more cryptic warning: the god possessed a formidable level of Observation Haki that granted him the uncanny ability to hear every whisper uttered in Skypeia in tandem with his devil fruit abilities. 

Cedric was wary of alarming the god prematurely, which could potentially lead to the destruction of Skypeia before Cedric had the opportunity to fully explore and enjoy all the wonders the sky island had to offer.

The parchment revealed another crucial detail: Cedric had managed to secure allies in the White-White Sea, individuals who were willing to join their cause when the time came to confront the god ruling over Skypeia. 

As Kieran read this additional piece of information, a subtle twitch danced across his eyes, and a resigned sigh escaped his lips. "Why couldn't you have just brought a woman?" He muttered under his breath, his tone tinged with a hint of annoyance.

As he stored the parchment in his shadows, Kieran couldn't help but be bemused by Cedric's uncanny knack for drawing allies and adversaries into their path within a matter of hours. 

It was a talent that both mystified and frustrated him, a testament to Cedric's enigmatic nature. Kieran had always found himself in the role of the analytical observer, striving to understand the differences that set him and Cedric apart. 

This perpetual puzzle was, after all, one of the reasons he had joined the crew in the first place, but it seemed Cedric had no intention of making it easy on Cedric. 

"Say less, my friend," Cedric responded with an easy chuckle. "I'll go find me a woman right now..." His words hung in the air, laced with jest and a hint of mischief. Without further ado, Cedric propelled himself into the air, his agile movements reminiscent of a skilled dancer as he embarked on a sky-stepping journey toward the heart of Skypeia. 

His form gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving Kieran alone on the ship's deck, where he could only shake his head in a mixture of bemusement and exasperation at his captain's unpredictable antics.

...

Robin stood within the cozy confines of Pagaya's kitchen, her slender fingers deftly manipulating her Devil Fruit power to pass ingredients to the father-daughter pair, Baby Five, and several Flying Fish Riders who had joined in the culinary endeavor. As the fragrant aroma of food filled the air, she seized the opportunity to delve into her quest for knowledge about Shandora.

"So, about the Holy Land..." she began, her tone a measured blend of curiosity and determination, "does it possibly have a big rectangular stone with ancient writing in a strange language?" Her inquisitive eyes flitted among the group, searching for any hint or clue that might lead her to the existence and location of a potential Poneglyph.

Conis, who had been diligently assisting with the cooking, offered a helpless shrug in response. "I don't know," she confessed. "We're not allowed on the Holy Land. It's reserved for God Enel and his followers..." The uncertainty in her words mirrored the shroud of mystery that cloaked the forbidden territory, leaving Robin with more questions than answers.

"Surely someone on Skypeia must have seen the Holy Land at one point or another..." Robin persisted, her curiosity undeterred by Conis's initial response. Her desire to uncover  history was insatiable, and she couldn't easily abandon the search for a potential Poneglyph.

"Of course, the Holy Land wasn't always--" Conis began, her voice carrying a tone of willingness to share more. But her words were abruptly halted by the unmistakable sound of her father, Pagaya, clearing his throat loudly. The interruption hung in the air, a stark reminder of the forbidden nature of such inquiries.

"I haven't visited the Holy Land personally," Pagaya interjected, his tone a careful balance of caution and compliance with Enel's rule. He spoke with a measured pause, choosing his words carefully, "but some of the elders have... Still, you wouldn't be able to visit the Holy Land anyway, so please give up. I'm sorry."