One Piece Chapter 288: Curse

Rain pours over a stone temple as villagers shout in panic. “HE KILLED OUR GOD!” “Slit your throat! Spill your blood on the altar!” “Forgive us, Lord Kashi!” “LORD KASHI!” “DO IT OR YOU'LL CURSE THE REST OF US VILLAGERS!” A man with a staff stands with his back to the viewer facing the temple. Nearby panels show terrified villagers: “Offer more sacrifices to God before we provoke his wrath!” “WE NEED BLOOD!” “HOW DARE THAT MAN!” “AHH!! WHAT DO WE DO NOWI THOSE WERE PANTORI'S LAST INSTRUCTIONS FOR US BUT WE FAILED...!” Two observers watch the chaos. One says, “This is exactly why you don’t get involved in the natives’ rituals...” The other replies, “They’re shouting deicide! Just what’s going on...I” “Admiral... Why you gotta be like that!I” “Oh crap, looks like he did something to cause a panic.”

The crowd continues to scream at the temple. “GREAT WARRIOR KALGARA! PLEASE!” “KILL HIM TO CALM GOD’S FURY!” “KILL HIM!” “KALGARA!” A small “SPLASH...” is heard in the water. Close-ups show Kalgara’s intense, rain-soaked face with narrowed eyes. Beside him, Mont Blanc Noland’s stern, sweating face appears. Noland swings his sword at Kalgara, declaring, “I DON’T CARE WHERE THE HELL YOU’RE FROM! YOU MUST BE PURGED!” Kalgara blocks the strike. Noland continues, “I’m an explorer from the Lvneel kingdom of North Blue...” A young Shandia girl watches with a worried expression.

The fierce sword clash continues with heavy impact lines. Kalgara’s face twists in anger as he shouts, “PURGING EVEN THE TINIEST... BUT IMPORTANT STEPS OF PROGRESS!I” Noland glares back, asking, “IS THAT HOW YOUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIVING...!I” Kalgara presses the attack, yelling, “ATONE YOUR SINS TO THE GODS!” Noland retorts, “YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK HERE!” Their blades lock amid flying sparks and motion lines as the duel rages on.

Rain pours as Kalgara clashes swords with an opponent on a rooftop, sparks flying amid the storm. Onlookers react in shock: "HE'S FIGHTING EVENLY WITH KALGARA!" and "WHAT'S WITH THAT MAN...!I" A massive impact shakes the area with "ドゴゴゴゴ...!!" and "ゴゴゴゴゴ...". The woman in the white dress watches tensely, hand near her mouth. Kalgara stands over fallen blades and demands, "Take that knife and end your life. The village sacrifice should not be so desperately clinging onto her life as to even shed tears!" The woman steps forward as he swings. A close-up shows a furious face shouting, "DON'T BE STU-" while another roars, "HAVE YOU NO SHAME!I" amid impact effects and "クラッシュ!!".

Kalgara lunges forward with a blade, shouting "STOP THAT AT ONCE!" as the woman in white is knocked back amid motion lines and "バキィ!!". Close-ups reveal intense, sweat-streaked faces of the spiky-haired warrior and another fighter. The woman falls hard with "FALL!" and "Aghh!". She lands on the ground, gasping "...Ahh!". The spiky-haired warrior blocks an attack with his staff, pushing back against Kalgara's sword as "ガクン...!!" echoes and the woman watches from the side.

From a high vantage, a voice declares, "For centuries, We have strictly maintained the law forbidding all outsiders to this island." Below, the spiky-haired warrior yells "My men...!" and "ADMIRAL!" while gripping his weapon. Kalgara roars, "100 OF YOU AND YOUR MENS' LIVES WILL BE OFFERED TO THE GODS! Your death alone will not be enough! For the crime of trespassing and deicide... Don't you underestimate us warriors of Shandora." A massive close-up of the spiky-haired warrior's enraged face shouts, "THIS WHOLE RITUAL IS AN INSULT TOWARDS US!" as the woman looks on in horror. In the distance, a figure stands atop a stone structure.

The woman in white and a stern man with a scar speak: "For all the researchers and explorers... I will not allow rituals that make a mockery of the achievements of great men in ages past." Kalgara reacts with "Admiral..." and "What...!I" as background fighters look on. A huge close-up of the scarred man bellows, "THIS IS AN INSULT! WHO BRAVED THE UNKNOWN SEAS FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY'S HAPPINESS..." The spiky-haired warrior glares and says, "The 'evil spirit' that has cursed your village... I will exorcise it! If I fail, you may do whatever you wish to my men and I." An elder figure appears as Kalgara stands ready with sword drawn, replying "Give me time..." amid "HUFF HUFF".

Rain lashes the stone platform as a cloaked swordsman stands with his back to the viewer, facing a wild-haired warrior gripping a massive blade. The warrior snarls, "How inane... You will die here and now!" A close-up shows a sweating young woman with dark hair glaring, retorting, "Do you think you're god or something!I" The warrior barks, "Ridiculous!" and "What!I" while the cloaked man answers coldly, "Otherwise, you'd only run away!" The warrior's eyes blaze with fury. In a wide splash, the cloaked figure draws his sword and demands, "SWEAR TO ME THAT YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN CONDUCT SUCH A VILE RITUAL!" The warrior replies firmly, "I will not run. I promise you, That I will deliver your village from tragedy, so in return..." Below, the young woman says, "You have until tomorrow evening before they are sacrificed." The cloaked man answers, "That's fine with me." Shandia villagers panic as their chief, a bearded elder, watches with a grim expression while an aide urges, "Chief! Let him try... In the meanwhile, detain his men."

A wide view reveals a tropical island village with stone towers and a large wooden cage holding dozens of prisoners. Inside the cage, people shiver and sneeze as one shouts, "We'll catch a cold out here for god's sake..." Another pleads, "Please! Give us some change of clothes!" A loud "ACHOO!" echoes. Villagers argue heatedly: "It's not a matter of believing in the admiral. If the Kona tree isn't on this island, then we're all—" "Don't like thatI Believe in our admiral." "We're all gonna die tomorrow night." "Ugh, what a turn of events..." One man insists, "Then believe that the tree exists on this island...!" A long-haired man growls, "Quiet! She was gonna be killed just a moment ago. Have some more tact, you idiots..." Others debate the girl's fate: "Am I right, guysI" "If she were born back in our kingdom, she might've been able to marry a noble with her looks." "It's a shame you were born here on this sheltered island." "Hey, girl! Your fate is also damn pitiful."

Inside the cage, prisoners discuss their situation. A man notes, "He's a pretty famous explorer back in our kingdom. But he's also a botanist." Nico Robin asks quietly, "Who was that man...I" Another explains, "There's been quite a lot of botanist-explorers who've achieved great things. Their work is quite important for a country's advancement. To discover and research new species of plants. He explores unknown lands in this world." A bearded prisoner adds, "He just can't stand by and allow things like that ritual of yours to continue... But he's too nice for his own good..." The group debates further: "Not a chance! Now shut up and sleep!" "But what if!I What if!I" "I'm sure he'll manage somehow." "Well, when push comes to shove..." "I'm starvin'..." "He is trustworthy, though." Robin listens silently with a serious expression as the prisoners settle in for the night.

Shandia elders and warriors confront their chief in a torch-lit hall adorned with skulls and tribal masks. One elder shouts, "They've broken our iron-clad law to allow no intruders on our island! Why did you not let Kalgara kill him then and there!I" The chief is called out as "CHIEF!" Two furious warriors roar, "They'll surely bring forth an even greater calamity!" and "He killed Lord Kashi!" The chief sits stoically while another argues, "By ignoring the last wishes of the pantori, the lone man who could communicate with the gods!I Do you really think we will be safe, What could a human possibly do about supernatural matters!I Our village has been cursed by evil spirits! Don't be absurd!" The chief replies calmly, "He says he can save our village... There's no harm in waiting a single day. We will see for certain tomorrow." Tension fills the room as the debate rages on.

Kalgara glares fiercely, declaring, "I will not hesitate to take his head in an instant, Whether or not the time limit is up." He adds, "...If I sense that he poses even the slightest threat to our village." A tribesman urges, "SAY SOMETHING! KALGARA!" The Shandia chief, wearing a spotted hat, responds gravely, "I CAN HEAR THE WORDS OF A MAN DETERMINED TO RISK HIS LIFE. THAT IS ALL. But at the very least..." and "...As you wish. Our pawtori is dead... And I do not possess the power to hear the gods' voices." Kalgara turns and walks away through the stone archway. Seto embraces a young woman on a rooftop as she whispers his name, "Seto..." while Kalgara stands alone in the distance.

The young woman sits in a basket and calls out, "Great warrior Kalgara..." Kalgara stands in a ruined stone chamber and asks, "You were awakeI" She replies, "What!I I got better..." Kalgara pauses with a long "..." as she leans forward and questions, "Just what is, 'ProgressI'" In a forest scene, a bald man with a serious expression states, "In a forest this big, I'd have been strange for it not to exist... I found it! The Kona tree!"

The next day, a massive earthquake strikes with loud rumbling SFX "ごゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ!!!" and "ズズズズズ..." A man yells, "An earthquake!I I-IT'S HERE!" as buildings shake violently. Kalgara shouts in alarm while holding a child. Villagers panic as debris falls. Narration and cries proclaim, "LORD KASHI'S CURSE!" and "G-GOD'S WRATH HAS COME!" People scream "AGHHH!" amid collapsing towers and flying rubble.

Chaos erupts as people shout, "HEY! GET US OUTTA HERE!" and "GYAAA!" amid falling structures. A woman stares in shock with a silent "!" while an earthquake SFX "グラグラ" continues. The Shandia chief roars, "I KNEW IT...! THIS IS ALL THEIR FAULT! IT'S BECAUSE THEY'VE COME TO OUR ISLAND! WE'VE NOW PROVOKED THE EVIL SPIRITS' CURSE, ON TOP OF THE EVIL SPIRITS' CURSE. THIS IS... FAR GREATER THAN THE USUAL ONES!" Kalgara grits his teeth in fury, thinking, "I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET HIM LIVE!" as more destruction rains down with impact SFX.

A massive earthquake shakes the island as a ship rocks violently on the turbulent sea. The forested landmass looms ahead with deep rumbling sounds echoing: "ズズズズ…ズズ…ウ…!!" Onlookers watch in horror from a stone structure. "Admiraaaal!" cries one man gripping the railing. "I wonder if the admiral's alright..." replies another. The ground has split apart dramatically, with buildings and forests cracking open. "Look, the ground split." Below, the devastated landscape shows massive fissures tearing through the forest. "ALL SINKING..." "WHAT A MESS... THE FOREST GROUNDS HERE ARE..." "IT LOOKS AS IF THE ENTIRE ISLAND IS ABOUT TO RIP APART...!"

A huge impact shakes the ravaged terrain: "ドン…!!" A figure lies motionless on the ground while a tall, spiky-haired warrior stands over him gripping a weapon. The fallen man twitches with a small "ッ" mark. The standing warrior bursts into mocking laughter. "Ahahahaha! Serves you right!" Close-up reveals the spiky-haired man's intense face as he speaks. "IS NO FEARSOME EXISTENCE... SINCE HE... CAN'T EVEN KILL... A SINGLE HUMAN BEING..." The fallen figure pants heavily. "HUFF... HUFF... IF THAT'S THE CASE... THEN GOD... It seems god has already delivered divine retribution upon you..."

The spiky-haired warrior confronts the fallen man amid the cracked earth. "Allowing the man who killed Lord Kashi to live will bring forth a great tragedy upon my village. The earthquake just now was proof. To kill you." The fallen man retorts weakly, "...What've you come here forI" "Stubborn heathen." The warrior turns away. "I HAVE TO... HURRY BACK TO THE VILLAGE...!" "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE." "SORRY TO SAY, BUT... I'M GETTING LOST FOR ME...P" "SILENCE!" The fallen man continues, "THE ONE THAT DOESN'T... EVEN LOOK LIKE IT'S WORTH EATING..." "LORD KASHI...I OHH... YOU MEAN THAT SNAKE..." Extreme close-up shows the warrior's fierce, sweating face. "UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH..." "INTERESTING... I'LL WATCH YOU SQUIRM..."

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