One Piece: Radicals of the Azul Sky
Prologue
The golden era of piracy has ended. Upon locating One Piece, the Straw Hat Pirates disbanded forever as each of its members went off their separate ways in order to pursue and live out their dreams. Sailing off into the horizon upon his legendary ship, the Thousand Sunny, the cheerful laughter of the new pirate king, Monkey D. Luffy, echoed across the horizon as he set off for adventures unknown. The word of a successor to the legendary Gol D. Rodger spread quickly across the Grand Line, as well as to the Four Seas beyond. Despite efforts to capture and subdue him, Monkey D. Luffy managed to evade the Marine's attempts to catch him, living out to a ripe old age before eventually returning to his hometown in order to settle down, his adventurous spirit finally seeming to have been sated. Knowing his death was near, Luffy reflected upon his numerous adventures with his nakama, a wide grin upon his face, knowing that his death would mark the end of the great era of piracy. Despite this fact, he could die happily, knowing that soon, a new era of adventure and exploration would soon be beginning. When asked what this new era would bring, the Pirate King merely laughed merrily and pointed upwards, responding his successors would soon be sailing on an 'entirely different ocean even he couldn't have dreamed of.'
And indeed…times were slowly changing. Around the same time the Straw Hats conquered the Grand Line and found the legendary treasure, One Piece, founder and master of the esteemed Steamcats Guild, Kei Aladrac finished his work on a truly extraordinary new invention that would revolutionize the way people traveled forever; The world's first fully operational flying ship. Dubbed as the Advent Horizon, Kei set sail in this new invention of his, accompanied by his close nakama, and former member of the Straw Hat Crew, Jeran Kedamono. Exploring the dangerous and uncharted skies, the duo ushered in a new era of exploration, soon learning that the legendary isle, Skypiea was not the only floating island in the world, and that several other mysterious landmasses existed in the explored world of the White Seas.
How these mysterious landmasses managed to float within the sky without anything to support them remained a mystery for a good many years. However, as Jeran and Kei continued to explore these floating sky islands, they eventually stumbled upon what appeared to the ruins of an ancient civilization which once existed in the sky…a civilization dating far back before the Void Century, the formation of the World Government, and the creation of the Poneglyphs. Amongst these ancient and crumbling ruins, the duo discovered a mysterious, blue-colored crystallized ore of the likes of which the world had never seen before. Harder then diamond, and unable to be melted or refined by normal means, the origins of these crystals were unknown, however as time went on, the two discovered that they held a strange and mysterious power…one that potentially surpassed even those of the Devil Fruits. The powers granted by the crystal seemed to vary from person to person. Unlike the Devil Fruits, which granted a single ability to a person regardless of who consumed them, the crystals granted each person their own unique ability that was completely their own, based upon the core nature of their hearts, minds, and spirits.
The crystalline ore was eventually given the name 'Azulyte' due to its deep, blue color, and it was soon theorized that these crystals were not some common ore that could be found in the ground anywhere, but rather the extremely rare, purified essence of the sky in and of itself. It was also theorized that it was the Azulyte which enabled the floating isles of the ancient civilization to remain in the air without crashing to the oceans below.
300 years have passed since then, and as time passed, a new era, revolving around the use of both Azulyte and Steam-Technology has begun. Airships have replaced the galleons, battleships, and caravels of old as new explorers take to the sky, seeking to solve the mysteries of the ancient 'Azul Civilization.' Extremely rare and difficult to find in its purest form, even a small crystal of Azulyte can fetch millions of Beli when sold to the right person, sparking fortune seekers, historians, explorers, and pirates alike to take to the skies in search of it, some seeking the mysterious power it gains, some wanting to study the nature of both it and the ancient Azul Civilization, and others simply seeking to make a quick profit. Seeking to profit from this new era as well, the World Government has also taken to the skies, building a new army of Aeronauts in order to oppose the Sky Pirates which now run rampart across the world.
Prevailing over all the other legends and stories which tell of the unexplored Sky Isles, however, is the one which speaks of Arimyth, the floating capital of the ancient Azul Civilization. A treasure trove of rare artifacts, Azulyte, and knowledge…it has long since been the goal of Sky Pirates and Aeronauts alike. The city's true location, however, remains a mystery to this day, for no one lives who can claim to have been there themselves. There are some who question its existence in the first place, claiming it to be merely a dream chased by fools who wish to revive the ancient era of piracy and exploration.
Dream or not, however, the legends of Arimyth and the Azul Civilization have sparked a new era of adventure, lead by the power of Azulyte, and mysteries left unsolved by the crew of the Advent Horizon. Meanwhile, a youth by the name of Orlandu Rikona looks to the skies, clutching a mysterious, blue-crystal pendant left to him by his father, the legendary Sky Pirate Dyne Rikona…the one said to have come the closest to discovering Arimyth and solving the ancient mysteries of the Azul Civilization. Though young, he is determined to follow in his father's footsteps, picking up where he left off. The sky is the limit…who knows what the future may hold?
Chapter 1
The Boy Who Looked to the Skies. Awaken, Azul Dreamers!
"Yosha…" Orlandu Rikona sighed deeply to himself as he slammed the cover down over the engine of the steam-powered aircraft he was currently working on constructing, wrench in hand and face and clothing smeared with grease as he took a step back to admire his work, nodding to himself in a satisfied manner. "She'll fly this time around, I just know it. I've got a good feeling. Today's the day I leave this town behind and take to the skies."
Standing roughly 5'10'' with slender, yet well-toned build and deep, azul-blue colored eyes, the 19 year-old youth was dressed in a loose fitting aviator's jacket with black-colored fur lining the collars and sleeves, a worn-looking cargo jeans, and a pair of short black, steel-toed boots with leather fastenings. A pair of aviators goggles rested securely upon his forehead, the leather strap parting his black-colored hair slightly and making it stick up in short, messy-looking spikes. Smirking slightly to himself, the youth made his way over to open the sliding door which served as the entrance to the large warehouse which was both his home and his workshop before climbing into the pilot's seat of his homemade aircraft and taking the throttle, a wide grin upon his face.
"Prepare for takeoff in three…two…one…go!" Starting the aircraft's engine, Orlandu's grin widened as the twin propellers on either side of the plane began to spin and come to life, the familiar buzzing sound of the engine filling the warehouse as the aircraft slowly began to inch its way forward. Fortunately, Orlandu's home was located in a wide, open field just outside of his secluded hometown of R'oak, one of the many newly discovered Sky Islands that had only just recently been settled and populated by new explorers seeking to make a living in a new area of the world, meaning there would be plenty of room for his takeoff. Pulling down on his the throttle, a loud "Yahoo!" would escape the youth's lips as the aircraft slowly began to rise into the sky, the wind rising up under its wings and carrying it above the trees and simple wooden buildings which made up the town of R'oak.
Alright! The youth thought to himself with a grin. I've finally done it! I've finally built my own airplane! Today begins my adventure as a brave Pirate of the Skies! So absorbed was Orlandu in this new feeling of exhilaration that he didn't notice the meter on his aircraft indicating the fact that he was slowly losing altitude. Just you wait, dad. I'll prove the legends about Arimyth and the Azul Civilization are true. I'll show those bastards that you were some reckless moron chasing a foolish dream. I'll-
Orlandu was shaken violently from his thoughts as his aircraft would suddenly give off a violent lurch, dropping several feet at once as he took in a sharp gasp grasping the throttle in a desperate manner. "S-shit! This can't be good…!" The youth remarked to himself, clenching his jaw nervously as a small bead of sweat began to form on his brow, his eyes widening slightly as he saw the ground coming at him fast as his plane continue to lose altitude. "Damn…definitely not good!" He decided as he pulled the throttle violently to the side, trying to steer the aircraft away from the town, not wanting to crash amongst the buildings and risk injuring not only himself, but any innocent villages that could be potentially caught up in the crash as well. Wincing slightly, the youth managed to steer the plane back towards the field he had taken off from, managing a rough landing as the aircraft veered out of control, eventually coming to a halt after slamming nose first into a nearby tree, the aluminum frame being dented significantly from the impact as a bit of smoke rose out from under the hood.
"Whew…" Taking in a deep sigh, Orlandu reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow, lifting his goggles back up from over his eyes once more as he hopped out of the aircraft to survey the damage. "Talk about a close call. Looks like my plane is scrapped again though. I guess it's back to the drawing board." Before he could come up with a plan of action for what to do next though, a loud voice would shout at him from a distance, causing the youth to wince visibly.
"ORRRRLLLLAAANNNDDDUUUU!" The voice belonged to a young woman of about 17 years of age, dressed in a simple white-colored tank-top and cargo jeans, her mid-length, reddish-brown colored hair falling down slightly past her neck, her bangs parted to both sides of her face to keep them from falling down and obscuring her dark-brown colored eyes. Upon her back she carried a large, wooden boomerang, which she promptly drew from its leather holster and used to smack the youth over the head with, positively fuming with anger. "What did I tell you about building these hair-brained flying machines of yours? You're going to get yourself killed one of these days. What would I have done if you had been hurt in the crash, huh?"
"O-ow! O-oi! Noa…!" Orlandu muttered a string of curses beneath his breath as he clutched as injured noggin, a few tears of pain forming in his eyes as a rather large lump formed where he had been struck. "I-isn't it a bit contradictory for you to smack me over the head while saying that? I was completely fine until you showed up…"
"Tch…" Replacing her boomerang back in its holster, Noa shook her head, sighing in a hopeless manner. "You really are an idiot, aren't you? In any case, I'm glad you're alright."
"You kiddin' me?" Orlandu replied with a grin. "It'll take more then a little crash to take me out. I am the son of the famous explorer and Sky Pirate, Dyne Rikona after all."
"That's what worries me." Noa groaned. "You're dream of following in your fathers footsteps is gonna kill you one of these days. Do you have any idea how hard it is to sail the skies? This isn't like the age of One Piece and the Pirate King where you can just hop on any old ship and go off on an adventure! Aviation is no simple task!"
"I know, I know! You remind me on a daily basis." Orlandu sighed, shaking his head slightly. "But still…I gotta try. I've poured over every single book in my father's library about flying. This is the 39th plane I've built with my own hands…39 attempts…and 39 failures. But each time I get closer. One of these days I'll get off this island and I'll finish what my old man started." A determined expression crossed the youth's face as he reached down to clutch at the crystal amulet he wore on a leather string around his neck…a memento from his father. The only item that had been left to him.
"That pendant…" Noa looked down over at the youth, her expression softening. "Your father gave it to you before he left on his own adventure, right? Back when we were both little kids."
"Yeah. I was only 3 years old back then." Orlandu replied. "He told me it was a 'magic rock'. That it would protect me if anything bad ever happened to me. And then he just left. I never saw him again…but I heard the stories…and I could proudly say…that he was my old man."
"A magic rock, huh? Do you really think it could be Azulyte?" Noa asked. "I mean…the stuffs extremely rare, right? Even a tiny shard is worth millions and millions of Beli."
"Nah. It's a fake. It's gotta be. After all…" Orlandu chuckled softly. "Azulyte's supposed to grant power to whoever carries it. I've been wearing this damn amulet my entire life, and it hasn't done me a bit of good. Hell…I can't even build a working plane. But…" A slight grin crossed the youth's face. "I'll get there someday. I know I will."
A slight chuckle escaped Noa's lips at this, a gentle smile crossing her face. "Just make sure you don't die before then, eh? I won't forgive you if you do." She remarked. "I need to get on home. Come by later, alright? You can't cook, right? I bet your getting sick of eating canned food…I'll make you a homecooked meal for once."
"Seriously?" Orlandu replied, his mouth watering slightly at the mere thought of getting a decent meal for once. "Right on!"
Noa rolled her eyes slightly at this. "Honestly…you go all sparkly eyed the instant anyone mentions food. Still…" She shook her head slightly. "…We're alike in a lot of ways, aren't we? After all…both of our parents died pursuing their dreams exploring the skies."
"Yeah…but your father's work was a lot more productive, right?" Orlandu asked. "He's the one who charted most of the skies around R'oak and South Breeze in general, right?"
"Y-yeah…I guess he did." Noa remarked, her expression turning somewhat serious at the mention of her father. She quickly resumed he typical cheery demeanor, however, as she turned to head back in the direction of her place. "Anyway, I'll go make the preparations for dinner. Meet me at my place in about an hour or so, ok?"
"Sounds good." Orlandu replied. "I still need to get my plane back over to the warehouse so I can fix her up and tweak the design again anyway."
"Honestly…you never can get your mind off of flying for very long, can you?" Noa sighed before turning around and heading in the direction of her home. "I'll see you later, ok?"
"Right! See ya!"
Shaking her head slightly, Noa chuckled softly to herself as she made her way back towards her home, lifting a finger to her chin as she went. "Lets see…what should I make tonight? Orlandu's a big eater so I might need to go shopping before hand. Good thing I still have some Beli saved up from my part-time job…" She remarked to herself, making up to the front door and taking out her key, only to find that the entrance was cracked open already. "That's odd…I don't remember leaving the door unlocked…"
Pushing the door open, the young girl lifted an eyebrow. The only other person who had a key to her home were her aunt and uncle, who occasionally stopped by to check in on how she was doing. Could they have possibly visited while she was off talking to Orlandu. "Hello…Aunt Marie? Is anyone here?"
The girl's eyes would widen slightly, her face going slightly pale with shock, however, as she would find, not her aunt waiting for her, but rather a rather tall, stout, somewhat fat, and seedy-looking middle-aged man dressed in an expensive black-colored suit and tie, a few expensive looking rings bearing diamonds and other rare-looking jewels adorning his plump, fat fingers. Smirking slightly to himself, the man would rise up from his seat, chuckling softly to himself. "It's been quite a while…Noa Lightfellow."