Chapter 43 : Conis's Truth
It was Zoro who arrived at the windmill village!
Despite his complete lack of a sense of direction, he managed to ask for help when he got lost in the naval base town, eventually finding his way to the windmill village.
He arrived here by boat...
The relatively short distance between the two locations allowed for a quick journey.
"Zoro!"
Luffy was ecstatic when he first laid eyes on Zoro!
He never expected his crewmate to proactively seek him out. Luffy had been eagerly anticipating the day he could reunite with his crewmates and set sail with his beloved friends. It was a pleasant surprise that Zoro was the first to arrive.
At that moment, Luffy couldn't contain his joy.
Before Zoro's boat could dock, Luffy's rubbery arms stretched out for tens of meters, grabbing the boat and pulling Zoro closer.
Zoro was momentarily startled!
He thought Luffy might be launching an attack!
Luckily, Zoro had seen the live broadcasts and knew that Luffy's behavior was eccentric.
He was mentally prepared for the encounter. If it were someone he didn't know, he might have drawn his sword...
...
[Although Luffy often acts carefree, he shares the same personality traits as Garp, appearing indifferent to most things.]
[However, he is far from foolish; in fact, his instincts are often sharper than others'.]
[From the very beginning, he noticed something was amiss with Conis...]
"I don't know why you're afraid, but you didn't need to guide us. We could have found our way," he remarked.
Perhaps it was Luffy's kindness or maybe Conis's conscience got the best of her, but she started to explain.
It turned out that Conis and her predecessor, Uncle from the Skypiea Island, approached Luffy's crew with ulterior motives. They feigned kindness and shared information about the island to fulfill a purpose.
All newcomers to Skypiea shared one common trait: curiosity and a desire for adventure.
However, human greed sometimes led them to prioritize self-preservation or personal gain even at the expense of others, including their comrades.
Even after triggering God's Trials, they would flee with their treasure, abandoning their companions.
To ensure that those who awaited judgment would reach the priest's location before their last drop of blood, Conis and her fellow guides were tasked with leading them there safely.
Once there, the Trials would commence, and there would be no escape.
Conis and Uncle Kushima were bound by Enel, the god of Skypiea, to carry out this task under the threat of death. That's why they did what they did.
Hearing this, Luffy and his companions were shocked...
They had never expected that Conis and the previous Uncle, who had shown them kindness, had such hidden motives!
Whitebeard Pirates!
"This god has a twisted sense of humor..."
"It seems that holding a high position can be incredibly boring. He arranged for his own people to act as guides to subject newcomers to judgment."
"It's infuriating!"
"Threatening his own people's lives – this god is despicable!"
"This person is no god but a tyrant..."
Many captains aboard the ship voiced their complaints.
Their expressions and looks were filled with disdain and anger.
In the Whitebeard Pirates, family was everything.
These captains had strong bonds with their crewmates.
Though they often bickered, they'd never encountered such a vile threat.
When it came to protecting their family, they would stand united without hesitation.
Enel, despite being a god, resorted to such despicable actions, which had earned him the crew's deep contempt.
As their captain, Whitebeard was especially furious.
If Enel were present, Whitebeard might not be able to resist taking out his Murakumogiri and attacking him...
...
Conis wasn't inherently bad; guilt weighed heavily on her conscience. She had acted out of desperation to save her own life.
"Escape while you can! Before you face judgment by the priest, even if it means leaving your comrades behind, you might at least save your own life!" she cried.
"But once you're there, there's no hope of survival. The priest is terrifying. Run, run for your lives!" she pleaded.
Conis knelt on the ground, sobbing and begging Luffy and his friends to leave quickly.
However, she didn't know Luffy...
He would never abandon his comrades and flee for his life alone.
Even Usopp, who was usually the most timid, shared this resolve...
Seeing Luffy's serious expression, he addressed Conis earnestly:
"So, you were forced into doing this?"
"To force you to do something against your will... Is that the way your god operates?"
"In that case, I won't just defeat those four priests and rescue Nami and the others, but I'll also defeat the so-called gods and save you!"
Boom...
When Luffy uttered those words, Conis, who had been kneeling on the ground, sobbing, was struck dumb.
She stared blankly at the figure of Luffy before her, illuminated by the sunlight filtering through his straw hat.
For some inexplicable reason, though he appeared so frail, at that moment, he filled her with a sense of awe she had never experienced before.
The man standing before her seemed to embody light...
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