When Enel conquered the Upper Yard with his men, his four most loyal yet strongest fighters set up trials scattered across the land to protect the land of God. These four were called “Priests” from the moment Enel dubbed himself “God”.
Such a test is usually used when a criminal resists his just punishment and thus commits a 2nd degree crime. A test can only be successfully completed if the corresponding priest is defeated. This subsequently represents a 1st degree crime – and thus a declaration of war against God Enel.
| „ | Whoever enters the Upper Yard should know.., that the trials of the four priests cannot be passed! God Enel is noble and unreachable! | „ |
| -Shura after his victory over Gan Fall |
Contents
Testing the Balls (玉の試練, Tama no Shiren)
The priest: Satori
The priest in charge of checking the balls is Satori, who already looks like a ball. At first glance, Satori seems quite harmless, but this impression is deceptive, because Satori not only – like every priest – knows how to use his mantra, but also has impact dials attached to the insides of his gloves, which allows him to easily compensate for a lack of physical strength.
The audit area
Satori’s territory is located in the forest of the Upper Yard, through which the Sky Road runs. This gives Satori a variety of ways to escape from his enemies, such as climbing a tree to safety. Really characteristic for the area, however, are the free-floating, ball-like surprise clouds, which don’t differ from each other on the outside, but reveal various contents when touched, e.g. a flower or four different colored singing birds. Most of them, however, “merely” have the property of exploding. Since Satori also doesn’t know what surprise a cloud contains, he likes to combine several balls to a chain, which he steers towards the examinees with the help of a string, whereby the foremost ball gets a dragon mask put on. This is also the name for this attack technique: Tamakuza (ball dragon). The probability of great destruction is therefore very high.
History
- Examinees: Monkey D. Luffy, Usopp, Sanji
The test of the balls was the first to be faced by the Straw Hats. More specifically, it was Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp who were on their way to see Enel, so they took their boat, the Floating Crow, along the Sky Road until they reached the fork in the road of the 4 trials. Influenced by Usopp’s hope that Balls might be the least dangerous, the group finally decided to take the Balls exam. No sooner had the Floating Crow passed through the gate than it reached the test area in the Upper Yard forest – by falling several dozen feet into the depths.
Afterwards, Satori introduced himself to them and warmly welcomed them to his exam. Luffy and Sanji immediately tried to take out the examiner, but failed miserably due to Satori’s mantra. Instead, it was they themselves who took an attack from the Impact Dial as well as various exploding surprise balls. As with Usopp, the two were ferried off the Floating Crow as the match progressed, leaving it to float masterless on its way. This put the trio in a time crunch, as they could not travel further without the boat. Satori seemed overpowered, the Straw Hats without a chance. It wasn’t until Satori went for the grand finale, Tamakuza, that the tide turned, as Luffy not only managed to escape the ball dragon, but also grab his “leash”. In Satori’s subsequent attempt to regain control of the dragon, he inadvertently pulled the dragon towards him. He barely managed to dodge the dragon before it exploded. Completely flustered by the dicey situation, he didn’t realize at first that Luffy had managed to save himself as well, clinging to his back. Sanji, who was sitting a little apart and had recovered somewhat from the impact dial attacks, ordered Luffy to hold onto Satori, who did so immediately. Unable to escape yet, Satori now began to plead for mercy in a panic, warning of God Enel’s vengeance. Undeterred, Sanji launched his attack. With the attack Concassé, a kick on the head, he put Satori out of action.(note: and titled this as his own test for Satori, the “test of love”.
Meanwhile, Usopp had come up with a plan to regain control of the Floating Crow. This one did not work smoothly, but it worked. Thus the test of the balls was passed.
Iron Test (鉄の試練, Tetsu no Shiren)
The priest: Aum
Known as the “Sky-Breeder”, Ohm is one of Enel’s 4 priests and is responsible for the Iron Trial, which is said to be the most difficult of all trials, with a 0% survival rate so far. Ohm himself puts on a very thoughtful air and seems considerate and quiet at first. However, he follows Enel’s word unquestioningly and kills any criminal who deserves it according to Crime Grade Register. He accomplishes this primarily with his sword, which is created by an Iron Cloud Dial, as there are no solid materials like iron in Heaven that he could use to create a “real” sword. This unique sword, however, offers him many possibilities that an ordinary sword wouldn’t: This sword isn’t as stable as others, but it can vary in shape and length. For example, it can also be used as a shield or whip, which even allows him to hit enemies further away.
Aum is accompanied by his dog Holy, which he has taught human-like manners as well as the art of boxing. Combined with his speed, Holy is a serious partner. His only weakness is that he is not only at Ohm’s beck and call, but everyone else’s as well.
The audit area
The test of iron usually takes place in a part of the ruins of Shandora. Hidden throughout the area are traps that are activated by stepping on a certain stone slab that is visually indistinguishable from others. These traps consist of a pointy iron cloud wire that shoots out of one wall and into the other when activated. The speed causes the victim to be virtually slashed.
Also part of the test of iron is the so-called White Rose Deathmatch. Here, Holy activates certain switches that also trigger iron cloud wires. However, these are not used to hurt the examinees, but form a kind of round cage, from which the examinees can only escape after passing the test. The cage thus not only reduces the size of the battlefield, but can also be used strategically, for example to hurl the enemy against it.
History
- Examinees: Tony Tony Tony Chopper, Roronoa Zoro, Gan Fall, five sky warriors, Wyper plus three Shandia warriors, Nora
The test of iron began when a number of fighters arrived at the ruins. One of the first was Chopper, who had only just managed to eliminate Gedatsu. He met Ohm, who promised to put him out of his misery, and he would do so by killing him. Chopper, on the other hand, didn’t like that idea so much and fled. Unfortunately for him, this didn’t help, as Ohm was able to locate him with his mantra, even from a long distance, and then knocked him out with a slash of his sword, which caused several walls to shatter in the process. O.
A little later, more warriors arrived, including Zoro, Wyper, Gan Fall, five sky warriors, three Shandia warriors, and the giant snake Nora, which was brought to uncontrollable rage by Luffy, who was in her stomach and rampaging. While at first everyone was fighting everyone else, a duel gradually crystallized between Zoro, Ohm, and his dog Holy. The situation was fueled by the motionless Chopper, who was found lying on the ground by Zoro. In the process, Zoro was hit by a triggered Iron Cloud Trap, as was apparently Chopper as well. When Ohm asked him if he wanted to avenge his friend now, Zoro only answered that this had never been his motive before, but that he now felt a certain desire to fight. As the battle progressed, Wyper and Zoro managed to take out Sky Warriors over and over again, whereas Ohm and Holy managed to take out Shandia Warriors. After Ohm and Holy managed to hit and wound both Zoro and Wyper hard respectively, he finally called out the White Rose Deathmatch, which his dog immediately let begin by triggering some ground switches. In between, God Enel also showed up and attacked Laki, a friend of Wyper’s, who also showed up, causing him to go white-knuckle. As soon as Enel disappeared, the fight was resumed with new motivation. When the field of fighters finally cleared and it came to the showdown between Zoro and Ohm, Zoro had to realize that his previous attacks were inferior to Ohm’s Iron Cloud Sword. Putting all his eggs in one basket, he positioned himself behind a wall and waited for Ohm’s attack, which he countered with the slash 108 Sense Phoenix. Zoro’s sword strike destroyed Ohm’s Dialcloud and hit him so hard that he fell to the ground defeated.
However, Ohm’s dog Holy did not like this at all and confronted Zoro. Zoro reacted so perplexed to the dog’s attack that he instinctively gave him the command “Sit!”, which Holy also obeyed. Zoro then knocked him unconscious, before Enel reappeared and transported the remaining participants one floor below – into the remains of the ancient city of Shandora.
Testing the Cords (紐の試練, Himo no Shiren).
The priest: Shura
Examiner of the cords is Shura, who is known as the “Sky-Rider”. The reason for this is his pet, the giant bird Fusa. However, this is not only mount, but at the same time a very dangerous supporter in battle, because in its maw is mounted a flame dial, which allows him to spit fire. Shura, who primarily uses a spear as a weapon, is thus an excellent air fighter. Corresponding spear was also equipped with a dial, a heat dial. This causes the tip in particular to heat up strongly and can lead to severe burns or even a fire.
The audit area
At first glance, Shura’s territory is probably the most unspectacular, as it is no different from any other area of the Upper Yard forest – at least to the naked eye. In fact, however, there are almost invisible, extremely light string clouds stretched throughout the territory. Now, as unsuspecting examinees move through the area, they get caught on more and more strings. Until the individual strings tighten too much and the examinee becomes immobile. The fight becomes very easy for Shura, who of course knows about the strings and avoids them, as he now only has to strike the death blow. The only way to escape is for an outside person to either cut, shoot, or otherwise destroy the threads.
History
- Examinees: Chopper, Gan Fall, Wyper and all other Shandia Warriors
After Chopper had stayed behind as the only Straw Hat guard on the Going Merry and the rest had gone exploring, to his surprise Shura suddenly appeared, who in turn wondered why there was only one pirate left. The reason for his appearance was that the gang had broken a law, and were therefore to be executed by him at the Tribunal of Victims in the Upper Yard forest. With all his might, Chopper tried to stop the flying priest in the ensuing battle, but was without a chance in the face of his mantra. To his horror, Shura and Fusa eventually began destroying the ship as well, which Chopper was only partially able to prevent. It was only when the “Knight of Heaven” and ex-god Gan Fall appeared, whom he had called for help with a gift whistle when Shura appeared, that Chopper was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Gan Fall, perched on his Pegasus bird Pierre, engaged in a fierce aerial battle with Shura, which the latter threatened to lose after a few hits and an impact dial attack. Luckily for him, the invisible string clouds now came into play: due to the rapid exchange of blows in the air, Gan Fall had become too entangled in the clouds and was now unable to move. With a well-aimed thrust of his spear, the priest hit Gan Fall right in the chest, sinking him and Pierre into the sea of clouds. The visibly shocked Chopper still tried to rescue Gan Fall from the sea of clouds, but forgot that he couldn’t swim in the wet clouds and thus sank as well. Shura had won this battle.
A little later, when the Shandia warriors stormed the Upper Yard to get Enel’s head, the second test of the cords took place. Here the fight was even easier than the last, as the rushing Shandia covered a great distance and were thus paralyzed by the cord clouds within a very short time. Shura, meanwhile, had been watching the goings-on from a safe distance and was very pleased with the sight – with one exception: Wyper. For the latter had known of Shura’s trap and now tried to attack Shura, who fought back and caught Wyper’s shoulder with his heat spear. Undeterred, Wyper placed his hand on Shura’s chest and activated his Reject Dial, a 10x stronger version of the Impact Dial. Shura had not expected this enormous wave of energy: He spat blood, lost consciousness, and fell motionless to the ground.
Wyper, also taken with the use of the Reject Dial, now had nothing left but to free his friends with a blast from his Bazooka and continue charging towards the house of God. Shura was defeated, the test of the cords history.
Test of the Marshes (沼の試練, Numa no Shiren)
The priest: Gedatsu
Due to the comparably high probability of survival, this trial is considered the easiest of all 4 trials. The reason for this could be the priest in charge, Gedatsu. His biggest problem is himself, because he is not very smart. He has a lot of disadvantageous habits, such as rolling his eyes. This makes it much easier for examinees to fight. Despite all this, Gedatsu is an opponent not to be underestimated, who can especially show off with extremely powerful blows. Responsible for this – besides his physical fitness – are so-called Jet-Dials, one of which is attached to each elbow. These increase the power of the “Sky-Pusher” enormously and make him extremely dangerous in close combat. It should also be mentioned that he has attached milky dials to his shoes, which allow him to fly when using both dials at the same time and thus to act in the air.
The audit area
The examination area of the Swamp Examination is located on clouds near Shandora Ruins. What makes this special is that some clouds are what are known as swamp clouds. These are clouds that are filled with water, causing anyone who steps on them to sink and subsequently drown, since clouds don’t have a solid consistency and therefore you can’t free yourself under your own power. However, nothing can happen to Gedatsu himself, as he can save himself with his Milky Dials if need be. Gedatsu’s swamp cloud burgers work in the same way as the hidden swamp clouds, which he can create and throw at the examinees with the help of dials mounted on his gloves.
History
- Test items: Chopper, a Sky Warrior, a Shandia Warrior
Wandering through the forest of the Upper Yard, Chopper also passed Gedatsu’s territory, who had just eliminated a warrior of the Shandia tribe and at first mistook Chopper for a badger. Eventually he lost sight of Chopper, for once again he had his eyes so screwed up he couldn’t see. Only a sky warrior who advised him to turn his eyes back out was able to help Gedatsu out of his predicament.
Gedatsu, who then introduced himself to Chopper and explained the dangers of the swamp clouds, suddenly sank into the ground, apparently threatening to drown himself. In fact, Gedatsu was able to quickly save himself and shoot a swamp burger. Unfortunately, it didn’t hit Chopper, but his ally. Luckily for him, Chopper rushed to his aid and helped him out of the cloud. Together they wanted to go against the priest, but the enterprise failed shortly after, because Gedatsu gave the sky warrior a blow directly in the face. This was reinforced by a jet dial and thus strong enough to catapult the Sky Warrior into a wall several meters away in a flash. Chopper now had to face Gedatsu alone, who seemed superior to the Straw Hats’ doctor, a fact also noticed by Chopper, who, despite being in double-plush mode, was hit hard by a jet dial strike and was barely able to move. With his last ounce of strength, he dragged himself over to Gedatsu and grabbed his foot. Gedatsu kicked him away and tried to attack him with a Swamp Cloud Burger, but Chopper managed to escape with a particularly high jump in Double Jump mode. Of course, Gedatsu immediately tried to give chase, but failed to do so because Chopper had stolen a shoe from him, leaving him with no real control over his flight. This confused his mantra so much that he was unable to successfully use his Jet Punch against Chopper. Chopper, on the other hand, took his last chance, switched to double-arm strength mode, and delivered a cross kick to Gedatsu’s ribcage.
As a result, Gedatsu fell to the ground – head first into a swamp cloud from which he could not extricate himself. When he got the idea to use his Milky Dial, it finally meant the end of the test of the swamps, as he was thus transported straight down into the Blue Sea. There, together with Goro, he later opened the Ukkari Bath, where he now works.
