Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora and Kai.
Chapter 37
The man, whom the other patrons had called Bellamy, was tall with tan skin and short, unkempt blond hair. He wore white pants, a green sash with markings, and a pink sleeveless shirt with a navy blue pirate captain's coat over it. Bellamy sported a scar above his right eye and tattoos of eye-like designs on his arms. What was most notable though was the deranged grin on his face and the way his tongue hung out of his mouth in a taunting manner.
"Heh… you the one with a head worth 30 mil? The one called Straw-Hat Luffy?"
"Huh?"
Zoro took a sip of his rum. "Seems like he's got business with you."
"Bellamy?" Nami recognized the name. "Isn't that the same name as the pirate who rented out that hotel earlier?"
"Did you hear that? 30 million for that kid with the straw-hat…"
"Who, him?"
"Seriously?"
Luffy glanced up at the man when he came to a stop next to him. "Whoa, I'm meetin' all the huge dudes today."
Aurora shuffled back to her spot by Nami, warning bells going off in her head. Everything about the man's aura screamed danger. And if he knew about Luffy's bounty… something told her the situation would end very badly.
"Give me the most expensive bottle you have, and a drink of his choice for my lil' friend here."
The bartender nodded warily. "Alright…"
"Look." Nami gestured towards the door. "It's the same guys from earlier."
"Ugh, what's with this shop? Reeks in here… I'm surprised people can even drink in this place."
"Looks like they only serve cheap rum here."
"Seriously? No empty seats…?"
The man from before, Sarquiss, drew out a large knife, hacking down three of the tavern's patrons. Blood dripped from the blade as he began to twirl it.
"What's with that knife?"
"…That must be him. "Big Knife Sarquiss"."
Sarquiss sat, knifed draped over his shoulders, boot planted on one of the dead men. "The least you could do is offer us your seats… what a bunch of dense retards." He brought his knife to his mouth, licking the blood spattered across it. "Heh…"
"What, are they tryin' to stir up a fight in here?"
"Who cares, let's just drink…"
"Here." The bartender set two pints down. "Enjoy your drinks."
The pink-haired woman in a yellow dress spoke up. "Bellamy loves to play around…"
Sarquiss grinned. "Tell me about it…"
Bellamy glanced at Luffy. "Drink up."
"Oh, thanks!" Luffy wasn't at all concerned. "Haha. So you're a pretty nice guy, after all."
"Wha?!" Nami went wide-eyed.
Zoro drew his sword. "Luffy!"
Aurora stood, fingers twitching in anticipation. Her holy powers crackled beneath the surface, ready to strike.
"Hm?" Luffy made a sound, draining his drink. A large hand appeared behind his head, slamming him face-first into the counter.
"AHHHH! He's done it now!"
Sarquiss cackled. "Hahahahahaha! You're a riot, Bellamy!"
The man paused, sword held at his throat. It didn't deter him for long, the maniacal grin returning to his face. He glanced at Zoro. "And what do you think you're doin'… underling…?"
The swordsman glared. "That's… a question you should answer…"
"Z-Zoro, wait!" Nami panicked. "We still haven't learned a thing!"
"Stay quiet! This fight's already been forced on us!"
Aurora silently moved, nudging the navigator behind her. If a fight was to occur with these people, she'd stand a slightly better chance. And if not, at least she could throw up a shield to protect her and Nami while the boys did the work.
Luffy stood.
"Oh… so you can still get up, can you? Hahaha!" Bellamy laughed.
"Alright…" Luffy wiped the blood from his mouth. "You better be prepared…"
"Ohhh?! Those two are gonna fight Bellamy!"
"Ahahaha! Fight! Fight!"
"HAHAHA!" Bellamy laughed once more. "This ain't no fight, it's a test! C'mon, let me see what ya got…!"
"Luffy! Wait!" Nami shouted, hurriedly turning towards the bartender. "Barkeep! We want to go to a "Sky Island!" Do you know anything about it?!"
"Nami!" Aurora hissed.
The patrons of the tavern froze, not sure they heard the orange-haired girl right. Even Bellamy was stunned into silence.
"Is she serious?"
"What did she just say…?"
Nami meekly spoke up again. "Would anyone know of a way to get to Sky Island…?"
There was a pause… and then…
"GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Sk… pfft! Sky island, she said!"
"Hahahahahaha! Yer killin' me!"
"W-What's the big idea?!" Nami blushed. "Our log pose is pointing straight up at the sky!"
"B-B-But our lllllloog poooose is pointin' straight up at the skyyyyyy…!" they mocked.
"Ahahahahahaha! Log poses screw up all the time!"
Nami blushed harder, face turning a fiery red. Aurora glared at the tavern patrons for their cruel mockery. She knew hardly anyone believed in the sky island, but they didn't have to be so rude!
"Hahahahahahaha!" Bellamy was laughing just as hard. "Whoo, boy. You sure surprised me. Just where the hell did you hicks come from? You seriously believe in an old legend like that? About an island floating in the sky…?! Hahaha! What era are you from…?!" the man calmed down, diving into an explanation. "Grand Line's bizarre ocean currents are being explained one by one these days. The "knock-up stream" is one such phenomenon, but I bet you four hicks don't even know about the knock-up stream…"
None of them responded, for they truly didn't know… minus a certain true angel lingering in the background. But she couldn't let on what she knew. It would only lead to questions… and she wasn't willing to give the answers.
"Ships that get hit by the knock-up stream are blasted high up into the sky. But for the sailors who had no idea about the phenomenon, all they saw were ships and wreckages falling from the sky. So they imagined a whole other world up in the clouds, on islands floating in the sky! What a bunch of simpletons! There's always a logical reason for phenomena!"
The crowd continued to laugh in amusement.
"All fanciful reasons for dreams can be explained away! What a letdown…" Bellamy shook his head. "I came to test you to see if you were worthy of joining my crew for the coming new age… but what a bunch of dreamin' fools you are…" Bellamy turned to the rest of the tavern. "Listen up! The age of pirates who dream is over! The city of gold?! The emerald capital?! The secret treasure One Piece?! Fools whose eyes are clouded by the treasures of their dreams will never seize the real gains right below their noses! It's always the ones who most bravely navigate these rough waters in this age of sail that die after being jerked around some bullshit fantasy all their lives! And people remark on guys like them…"
Luffy said nothing.
"He was happy to have lived for his dream!" Bellamy continued. "Hahahaha! The trademark words of a loser!"
The Straw-Hat captain still didn't react.
"When I see dreamin' idiots like you…" Bellamy lashed out, striking Luffy with a glass bottle. "I JUST CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF!"
"Luffy!" Nami cried.
Bellamy hovered over the laid out boy. "Weak, pathetic runts like you playing pirate just bring down the rep of us real pirates!"
A pint filled with rum was tossed in Luffy's direction, shattering next to his head.
"Heh heh… get the hell out, you little maggots."
"You're making the rum taste bad!"
"It's just as Bellamy said!"
Various items were thrown at the group, from bottles to pints to barrels and much more.
"Get out! Get out!"
"Get the hell outta this town!"
"Hahaha… hey, Bellamy!" Sarquiss called to his captain. "Seems like the folks here want a show!"
Bellamy got a crazed look in his eyes, tongue hanging from his mouth. "Haha… sure, one show coming rriiiiiight up! Hahaha!"
"Luffy! Zoro! Forget about the promise and just kick their asses!"
Aurora's gaze flitted around the tavern. "I'm with Nami! Now would be a good time to fight!"
"Zoro." Luffy slowly rose.
The swordsman glanced over at his captain questioningly.
"Don't respond at all to their jeers!"
"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
"What's going on?"
"Bellamy and his crew are showcasing a public lynching."
"Ahahaha! Look at 'em! They're still tryin' to stand back up!"
"Hoho! Just kill 'em! Spineless idiots are better off dead!"
"Show them that this ain't a town for dreamin' weaklings! Hahahaha!"
"LUFFY! ZORO! What're you messing around with these trash for?! Just kick their asses already!"
"Please!" Aurora pleaded. "Just this once, we're okay with you fighting back! You don't have to keep the promise!"
"Haha… it's no use, missies." Sarquiss chuckled. "These two are smarter than you think. They realized they were no match for us. Avoiding fights with strong people… a sensible, but utterly spineless choice I have to say!"
"Hahaha… looks like your captain ain't got one shred of self-respect!"
"The marines these days sure are generous, giving a pipsqueak like him a price of 30 million beli…"
Aurora growled.
"Why…" Nami didn't understand. "What's wrong with you two…?"
"Pacifism… sure, that ideal might not sound so bad at first…" Bellamy drained his drink. "But you've got no pride on top of being weak, and you can't even fight back when it's forced on you… and yet, your head's full of nothin' but dreams… just like a maggot."
"You said it!"
Nami and Aurora grit their teeth, glaring at the man. A bloodied Luffy and Zoro didn't respond, standing stock-still in the center of the room.
"I'm through, I'm through… I came because I was curious about the weak-looking pipsqueak who had 30 million for his head, but… man, what a letdown! Worse than even my lowest expectations! Never seen someone THIS cowardly…" Bellamy spit in their faces. "Somebody get these losers outta my sight! You're an eyesore."
One man proceeded to knee Zoro in the face, sending him crashing through a table. The other grabbed Luffy by the back of his head, slamming him face-first into the glass window.
Nami ran over, Aurora hot on her tail. "LUFFY! ZORO!"
"Hey girls!" Sarquiss called. "You'll never get anywhere in the coming new age if you stick around guys like them! How 'bout I buy you off? Name your price!"
Aurora spun around, eyes flashing yellow with holy power. "WHAT?!"
A large boom of thunder followed, lightning striking the ground just outside the tavern. It caused the various occupants to jump or flinch, only Bellamy's crew able to maintain their composure. Nami gaped at the true angel.
'The weather was perfectly fine just a minute ago. There were no signs of a storm. D… Did Aurora do that?'
"You think you can BUY us?!" Aurora hissed.
"That's right. You'll have more fun with us, y'know?"
Nami shook off her astonishment, letting out a harsh laugh at the remark. "Ha! Sorry to say this but… we'd be wasted on you and your small-time crew!"
Aurora smirked.
"Haha!" Sarquiss laughed it off. "So you think you're worth that much?!"
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
"The whole crew's a bag of loons!"
"They're beyond saving!"
Bellamy leered at the girls. "Take those two and get outta my sight while they're still breathing…! Maggots!"
Nami huffed angrily, grabbing the two boys and dragging them out of the tavern. Aurora wasn't far behind, the glow still not having left her eyes.
"And don't ever come here again, y'hear me?! Gyahahahahaha!"
"Sky island exists…" a voice piped up. It was the man from earlier. "Your comeback was sure somethin' too! And that little light display you put on! You've got some balls for girls! Zehahaha!"
Aurora blinked, brow raised. "Uhh… thanks?"
"Zoro… Luffy." Nami breathed their names, the two finally standing up.
"The "new age" those guys talk about is total bullshit." The large man threw his hands out. "THE AGE WHEN PIRATES DREAM IS ENDING…?! HUH?! WELL?!"
Passerby stared. "W-What's with him?!"
"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! A MAN'S DREAM NEVER ENDS!" He looked Luffy dead in the eye. "I'M RIGHT, AIN'T I?"
"Hey, hey now! What kinda crap are you suddenly yellin' about?!"
"A man's… a man's dr… pfft!"
"THE ROAD UP TO THE TOP AIN'T EASY!" he crowed.
"Ahahahahahaha! I think he's lost it.!"
"LET 'EM LAUGH! WHEN YOU'RE AIMIN' FOR THE TOP, YOU'RE BOUND TO COME ACROSS LOSERS WHO AIN'T EVEN WORTH YOUR FIST! ZEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…!"
"Let's go…" Zoro began to walk away.
Nami nodded. "Right… Luffy…?"
Aurora stepped up. "Luffy?"
The man stood. "Ah, it seems I held you up. Were you in a rush?" he took a long drag from his bottle. "Hope ya make it. To Sky Island, that is. ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Ah-" Nami and Aurora rushed to follow after the two. The navigator glanced back at the strange man. "Hey, do you think… he knows something about sky island? I wonder who he was…"
"Dunno…" Luffy finally spoke. "But it's not him…"
"Huh? Not him? Then… what?"
"It's "them"…" Zoro responded. "Most likely."
Aurora eyed the two strangely. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Did that guy just now… have friends or crewmates?" Nami asked. "Where?!"
"ZEHAHA! The rum tastes especially good today!"
"L… L… LU… LUFFY! ZORO! What's with those wounds?! What happened?!"
"Nami! Aurora! Are Nami and Aurora alright?!"
"Aghhhh! D… D… D… DOCTOOOOOR!"
Usopp slapped the reindeer. "That's you, you idiot!"
Aurora sighed, flying up and landing on the deck. "Chopper, could you please get your medical supplies and fix these two morons up?"
The reindeer nodded, scurrying below deck to gather his things.
Usopp glanced at the irate angel. "Why don't you just heal them?"
"They don't deserve it!" she snapped.
The sniper flinched, slowly backing away. He was used to that kind of reaction from Nami, but certainly not Aurora. She'd been acting strange ever since they'd gotten close to Jaya. He ignored it for now, turning to the two boys. "So? What kind of freaky monster did you get into a fight with?"
"Some pirate. It's fine, it's over and done with."
"Yeah." Zoro agreed.
"It may be done and over with for you guys, but my temper sure ain't over yet." Nami growled. "What the hell was that?! If you call yourselves men, you should unleash some whoop-ass when jerks come askin' for it! Actually you should just flatten this entire goddamn town while you're at it too!"
Zoro sweatdropped. "You're the one who told us not to cause trouble…"
"The past is the past for a reason! Don't drag it out to the present! Or I'll make you physically unable to bring it up!"
The swordsman backed up, trying to evade the navigator's wrath.
"Why are the uninjured ones so hopping mad?" Usopp asked.
Luffy shrugged. "Dunno."
"Oh that's right." Chopper remembered. "Did you ask around about sky island?"
Nami and Aurora glared at the reindeer. "Sky island?!"
Chopper shook in fear, tears streaming from his eyes. He didn't understand why the girls were so mad.
"I've HAD it with that subject! I mentioned sky island once, and the whole bar exploded in laughter…" Nami whipped around, shrieking at Usopp and Chopper. "Did I really say something that funny?! WELL?! DID I?!"
The sniper was spread eagle on the deck, playing dead. "Certain Kill Ketchup Star!"
"Guard Point!" Chopper's fur puffed out.
"My, my." A voice drolled. "Don't things seem awfully noisy here?"
"Ahh! Welcome back, Robin~!" Sanji cooed. "Will you be eating now? Or will you be taking a bath?!"
"Oh, you were out, Robin?"
"Yes. Kai and I went to acquire some clothes…"
"And some info on sky island." The fallen angel piped up.
Nami turned on the woman. "That's right! This is all your fault! You're the one who started us off on this whole crazy goose-chase about a sky island! The moment I find out it doesn't exist, you're fish-food!"
"Jumping Point!" Chopper scrambled to get away from the furious navigator.
"Just let her be for now…" Usopp warned the archaeologist away. "In fact, don't even get near her right now. Aurora either."
Kai's brow rose at that. "Her holiness is mad? Yeah, right!"
Aurora glared at the man. "Call me that again… I dare you!"
Kai didn't back down. "Bring it on, sweetheart! You won't beat me again!"
Robin pulled on the back of Kai's jacket, dragging him along with her. "Now, now. What did I tell you about playing well with the others?" She tossed a piece of paper to Luffy.
"Ooh! A treasure map!"
"It's just a normal map." Usopp peered at it. "But a map of where…?"
"This island." Robin answered. "The town on the left is where we are, Mocktown. You see a mark at the coast on the other side, don't you? Apparently, an outcast lives there."
"Outcast?"
"His name was Montblanc Cricket."
Aurora's anger extinguished at those words. She was all too familiar with that name. The angel had hoped nobody would find out about Cricket. She thought she'd been in the clear. 'It's been awhile, but… Cricket would recognize me in a heartbeat.'
"A man chased out of this town for talking of dreams… seems like we may have mutual interests, doesn't it?"
'…What do I do now?'
"HALT THE SURVEY! RETURN TO SHIP, UTAN DIVERS!"
Aurora couldn't believe her luck… or lack thereof. 'You've gotta be kidding me! First Masira and now HIM!'
"Looks like we've already run into some weirdos." Luffy commented. "But I don't think it's "him", Usopp."
"Not sure if that's a good or bad thing though…"
"Well in any case, we saw them, no doubt about it!"
"That's right!" Chopper backed Usopp's claim. "The salvage crew we ran into earlier are definitely from this island! We saw them returning back to dock!"
"Ohh… well I don't really care if I ran across them again though."
A galleon, just as large as Masira's, came to a halt before them. It had large trees situated on the deck with a monkey face as its figurehead. Two arms attached to cranks jutted out the sides of the ship. The jolly roger was an orangutan skull with crossbones behind it and the word Morinohito emblazoned just underneath.
"HEY, HEY! LIL' BROS! DON'T BE MUTTERIN' THERE TO YERSELVES NOW! WHOA HO!"
Aurora, having retreated behind the mast, peeked out. "Shoujou…"
Shoujou was a large man who looked like an orangutan with long green hair and a beard. He wore a black button up shirt that was too small for his body, showing off his hairy torso. Over top of it was a green captain's coat, a matching captain's hat with his jolly roger perched atop his head. He also wore red pants with a belt that had the kanji for forest engraved upon it and black shoes.
"Hmph… thought ya might be someone important for a sec there… gave me the jitters, ya did."
"Pretty queer face you got there." Luffy remarked. "What species are you?"
"Luffy!" Aurora hissed, feeling insulted for the other man.
"Homo sapiens, y'idiot."
"Whoa ho! Hey, watch it punks! Don't you go tickin' off our big boss now, y'hear?!"
Shoujou waved them off. "Aghh, pipe down. It's fine, it's fine. In any case, you folks seem like pirates. Did ya hear? That Crocodile was dropped out of the Shichibukai? If we're talking sheer ability alone… reckon I might be getting' an offer aaaany day now for the seat, which is why I've been waitin' on pins and needles…"
"Ohh… you want to join the Shichibukai?"
"Hmm?! Like I was sayin'… if I had to sum up what makes me so great, I'd say it's the fact that I haven't cut my hair once in the 25 years I've been alive. Well? Surprised…?"
Kai sweatdropped. "Please tell me you're joking…"
Luffy stared. "Are you retarded?"
"Hmm?! Now that's a surprising response!"
"How dare you say that about our-"
"Aghh, quiet, quiet." Shoujou waved his men off. "But your unexpected response gave me the jitters for a sec, it did. Now you listen to me and you listen good… the only thing beyond the tunnel of my rage is the blood-soaked sea…"
"Uh huh, whatever." Luffy didn't care. "I've got a place to go to so can you guys move already?"
"Shut your trap, you halfwit!" Shoujou roared. "This is my territory yer on! If you wanna pass, you gotta pay the toll!"
"Territory?!" Usopp squawked. "He sounds like Masira."
Kai nodded. "Mmhmm."
Luffy blinked. "Did he say that too?"
"What?! Masira?!" Shoujou heard his brother's name. "What about Masira?!"
Aurora tried to gain her captain's attention. "Luffy, don't-"
"Him? We kicked him overboard."
"K… Kicked… kicked him overboard?! How dare you do that to my brother?!"
"Brother?" Kai mused. "Guess I can see the resemblance."
"Hang on there." Luffy got the man's attention. "We kicked him off but he's still alive."
"So you're Masira's enemies!" Shoujou grabbed a microphone. "SOUND WAVE… HAVOC SONAR!"
Luffy gaped. "T-The ship is…"
"Aghh!" a body went flying through the air.
"Gahhhh!"
"Big Boss! You can't use that technique when on the deck!"
"It's useless! He's too blind with rage to know who he's attacking!"
"So…" Sanji drawled. "What're they doing?"
"Beats me." Luffy shrugged. "But it's still impressive. He can destroy a ship with just his voice!"
"Guys!" Nami called. "Don't just keep staring! Now's our chance to sail past them!"
"Sweet, Nami's not mad anymore!"
"Ok~!"
"Well anyone would be, after lettin' off that much steam…" The sniper froze, screeching sounds reaching his ears. "H-Hold on…" The deck began to splinter. "Oh no! The sound waves are hitting our ship too!"
"The repairs are all comin' apart!"
"Our ship's in bad enough shape as it is already! We're gonna sink if we stay here!"
"Set full sail for ahead!" Nami ordered. "We've gotta get someplace where his voice won't reach us!"
"Sheesh! To hell with that orangutan! He's gone and banged up this ship even more!" Usopp complained, hammering more wood in place.
Zoro was working on securing the mast. "This ship turned to tatters before I even realized it… maybe it's time we got a new one?"
"That's not even funny, you heartless bastard!"
"Oh well, what's done is done, Usopp!" Luffy grinned, helping with the repairs. "The Going Merry's still an irreplaceable member in our crew, so let's give it our all and fix her up as best as possible!"
"Luffy…" Usopp sniffed. "You really are a…"
"Ah-" Luffy hammered too hard, undoing all that he'd fixed.
"God damn it, Luffy!"
Eastern Coast of Jaya…
"Well, we've arrived at the placed marked on the map."
"Umm… who is it that we're looking for again?"
"Montblanc Cricket." Robin answered.
"…So the man who talks of dreams lives there?" Nami gazed upon the shore.
"Whoa-"
"HOLY MOLY!" Luffy's eyes popped out of his head. "THAT'S HIS HOUSE?!"
"Whoa, maybe he's like, super duper rich?!"
Aurora sighed, shaking her head in fond amusement. 'Some things never change, eh Cricket?'
It'd been a mere hour since Gan Fall had left Aurora on the island known as Jaya. The young girl had done as instructed and not removed her necklace, wings out of sight. She'd ventured by foot along the shoreline, coming upon Mocktown, but quickly fleeing after brief encounters with its residents. The angel wanted nothing to do with the drunken pirates. They'd all but pounced on her when she timidly set foot in town. Aurora considered it a miracle that she'd gotten out of there unscathed. The things they'd said, the ways they'd tried to touch her…
She shivered in disgust.
Her experiences with Eneru had made her wary of men, minus Gan Fall. The sooner she got away from Mocktown, the better. The quiet and calm of the forest soothed her as she trekked along. Perhaps she could make camp here for tonight?
The sound of the waves and the smell of the sea breeze caught Aurora's attention. The angel followed it to the edge of the island, having never truly experienced the sea. A gentle wind ruffled her matted and unkempt hair. Her lavender eyes soaked in the vast expanse of blue laid out before her. It was so different from the blue of the sky. It was richer, deeper… it was breathtaking.
The sound of a splash drew her attention, eyes drifting off to the side. Situated along the cape was a lone house. The angel's brow rose. 'Someone lives out here?'
Despite knowing she should steer clear of any humans, her curiosity got the better of her. Aurora made her way towards the house. The closer she got, the more details she noticed. At first she'd thought the house was just small… but it was actually only half of a house. The side that faced the sea was hidden from view by a large veneer panel that was made to look like a castle. Anyone sailing from that direction would think a king lived there. Aurora found the sight rather odd.
A bubbling sound reached the angel's ears, and it was only then that Aurora realized she stood directly before the house. The berry-haired teen froze, not meaning to get so close. A quick glance around showed that no one else was nearby. No one had come out of the house. Aurora took a slow step backwards. She could slip out of there unnoticed.
"Who the hell are you?!"
A man burst out of the water, landing directly in front of Aurora. She screamed, flinching back so violently that she fell on her ass. The teen scrambled to put some distance between herself and the middle-aged man, flight instinct taking over.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get so close!" Tears streamed down the angel's face. "Please don't hurt me!"
Cricket paused, slowly dropping his fighting stance. The girl was absolutely terrified, that much he could tell. And she looked like hell. Her dress was torn and ripped in multiples place. Her hair was an uneven, knotted mess and her feet were bare of any shoes. They were caked with mud and bore multiples scratches and calluses. The rest of her body wasn't in much better shape if the various marks adorning her skin were any indication. It became clear to the diver that the teen wasn't invading his home or attempting to steal his gold. She was on the run from something… or someone.
Cricket heaved a sigh, deciding to take pity on the poor girl. He turned, heading in the direction of his home. "Come on."
Aurora blinked, slowly lowering her hands from their defensive position in front of her face. Had she heard him right?
Cricket stopped, glancing back at the confused teen. "Are you coming or not?"
The angel, realizing the man wasn't going to harm her, got to her feet and hesitantly followed.
"Look again, you dimwits." Zoro said.
"Well, for a dreamer, he sure does "dream big"." Sanji quipped.
Chopper tried to look more closely. "What do you mean?"
Kai released his wings, flying to the other side of the home. "Wha?! It's just a wooden board!"
"WHAAAAA?!" Luffy and Usopp gaped.
"Only half is an actual house…" Zoro observed. "The other half's just a veneer panel."
"Must be a pretty cheap guy." Sanji remarked.
"Just what sort of dreams was he talking about that got him run out of town?" Nami asked Robin.
"I don't know the details, but… supposedly, there's a vast amount of gold hidden in this Island of Jaya."
"GOLD?"
"Did some pirates bury treasure here or something?!"
Kai shrugged. "Who knows…?"
"Start digging, Chopper!" Nami ordered the reindeer. "There's gold here!"
"Here?! Really?!"
Kai sweatdropped. "Never said it was specifically here…"
Aurora flew over. "Nami! You can't just dig up someone's yard!"
"So he lives alone all the way out here on the island's edge?" Sanji made his way towards the house.
"Helloooo?!" Luffy had already opened the door. "Anybody home? I'm coming in!"
Usopp gaped. "What, you're just barging in?!"
Aurora raced over. "Luffy, no!" She tugged on her captain's arm, but to no avail. He was stronger than her. "This is an invasion of privacy! Not to mention rude!"
The boy ignored her. "Hm? I don't see anyone inside… HELLOOOO?!"
Aurora managed to slap a hand over the boy's mouth. "Would you stop it?!"
Usopp came up and grabbed his other arm. "Luffy, no! What're you gonna do if this guy's dangerous?!"
"Guys! He's not home!" the Straw Hat captain called out to the rest of his crew.
"A picture book…" Nami took notice of the object on a nearby stump. "Looks like a pretty old one, too. It's titled, "Noland the Liar." Ahahaha."
"Ohhh! Nice title! I like the subject!" Usopp praised.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Why does that not surprise me?"
"Did you say "Noland the Liar?" Man, that takes me back. I used to read that a lot back when I was a kid."
"You know it, Sanji?" Nami was surprised. "But the book says it was published in North Blue."
"Yeah, I was born in North Blue. Did I never say so before?"
Usopp planted his hands on his hips. "First I've heard. I thought you were from East Blue."
"Chopper, stop making so much noise!" Nami chided. "What're you even doing anyways?!"
Aurora sent the navigator a look. "What you told him to…"
She had the decency to look sheepish. "Oh, yeah…"
"No, I was only raised in East Blue, but whatever." Sanji told the sniper. "This is a famous story in North Blue. It's labeled as a fairy-tale, but the character of this story was actually a real-life person, or so I've heard."
"Hm…" Nami flipped the book open and began to read.
This is a story from long, long ago. A story from over 400 years from now…
In a certain kingdom in North Blue, there lived a man named Montblanc Noland. Noland the explorer was always speaking of his great adventures so grand and unbelieving that they seemed like lies. The townspeople had no idea whether Noland's tales were truth or fiction.
One day, upon returning from another voyage, Noland reported to the king thus: On an island in the Grand Line, there is a pile of gold stacked as high as the mountains. To verify Noland's claim, the brave king took 2000 soldiers with him, and sailed for the Grand Line. On his way he battled many sea monsters and overcame fierce storms.
By the time the king arrived at the island, he only had 100 soldiers remaining. But facing before the king was only a jungle. Noland was put to death for lying to the king. His final words before his execution went like so… "That's it! The mountains of gold must have sunk into the sea!"
The king and the people were dumbfounded by his brazenness. Nobody believed in Noland anymore. Even to the very moment of his death, Noland could not stop lying.
"And so the liar, very pitifully, met his end… without even becoming a brave warrior of the seas…" Nami shut the book.
"WHAT'RE YOU LOOKIN' AT ME FOR?!" Usopp was offended. "And don't go inserting lines that aren't even in the story!"
"AGHHHHH!" Luffy suddenly cried out, body falling into the water.
"Wha?! Luffy fell into the ocean!"
"W-what do you think you're doin'?!"
A body emerged from the water. "Just who the hell are you people?!"
Aurora froze, her eyes wide. She'd recognize that voice anywhere. "That's…!" She whipped around.
Cricket looked exactly as Aurora remembered. He was a muscular, middle-aged man with blond hair. The large chestnut still rested on his head, something he inherited from his ancestor, Noland. Cricket wore the same old purple tracksuit-pants with white stripes down each leg and a rope around his waist. It seemed he also still didn't wear a shirt or shoes, familiar cigarette dangling from his mouth. The chestnut tattoo with the word "Maroon" remained on his left arm.
"Usopp! Get Luffy outta the water!" Sanji moved towards the man.
"You've got some guts barging in another man's house and making yourself at home. The seas around here are my territory." Cricket settled into a fighting pose. "You've come for my gold, haven't you? Over my dead body, you will…"
"Ahh-" Sanji had to dodge a kick. "Whoa-" He continued to avoid the attacks, blocking a karate-chop Cricket aimed at him. "Hm?!"
Cricket drew a gun, firing at the cook's head.
"Sanji! Gahhh!" Chopper cried.
"Sanji!" Nami cried as well.
"Don't worry! It didn't hit me!" the cook began to move. "But… just gimme a lil' longer to finish him off!"
Zoro moved as well, ready to draw his sword. "That's what you get for underestimating him, you dumbass…"
"STOP!"
Sanji and Zoro forced themselves to halt, eyes wide in disbelief. Aurora had flown in front of Cricket, arms and wings outstretched protectively. The man in question gazed down upon the girl, instantly recognizing her based off her hair color.
Cricket lowered his gun. "Aurora?"
She briefly glanced back at the man, small smile on her face, before locking eyes with her two crewmates. "Please… don't fight each other."
Nami watched the exchange in bewilderment. "They know each other?!"
Kai whooped in triumph. "I knew she was hiding something! That's why she's been acting so weird since we got here!"
Behind her, Cricket lost his grip on his gun, the man collapsing to the ground shortly after. Aurora sucked in a harsh breath, kneeling next to the huffing diver.
Usopp chose that time to resurface with Luffy. "Just what were you doing?!"
"T… There were…" Luffy coughed. "Bubbles from bel… below so I leaned in for a closer look and this chestnut appeared! But the chestnut was actually a guy… and he quickly pulled me in the water…"
"Hm?" Usopp took note of the scene before them.
"You… you okay, old man?" Sanji tentatively asked.
Aurora whipped around. "Chopper! I need your help!"
"R-Right!"
"Cool this towel a little more. And open all the windows!"
"Diver's disease?"
"This old man's sick?"
"Yes, it's an illness that occasionally affects divers." Chopper answered. "But normally, it doesn't grow serious enough to become a chronic illness. The cause is the sudden drop in pressure when rising from deep below the sea to the surface. This drop in pressure destabilizes the dissolved gases in the human body, forming bubbles. As the formed bubbles collect in blood streams and tissues, they cause pain and distress in the muscles, joints, and blood vessels."
"Oh, so it's sort of a magic disease." Luffy said, gazing out the open window.
"Hardly." Aurora snorted, kneeling next to the sick man and whispering to him. "I thought I told you to stop diving so much."
Nami eyed the two suspiciously. "What drove him to this?"
The angel didn't answer right away. "…That's for him to tell you."
"Whatever the reason, it's very dangerous." Chopper informed them. "Depending on the severity, diver's disease can even lead to death."
Kai listened attentively, but also let his gaze roam around the small home. His eyes took in a couple of pictures hung up on the wall behind Nami. One picture was of Cricket with Masira and Shoujou. The other was almost identical, except for one addition… Aurora.
"Ah! Masira, you're still alive?!"
"Am I still alive? What kinda question is that?"
"Ah never mind. What do you think that gunshot we heard just now was about?"
"I don't know, but you don't think something happened to our boss, do you?"
"Oh no! The thought of that's giving me the jitters…!"
Masira and Shoujou burst through the door. "BOOOOOSSSS! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"
The Straw Hat crew all stopped what they were doing, looking over at the two men. Both groups looked at each other in confusion.
Usopp was the first to react. "AGHHHH! THEY'VE COME TO KILL US!"
"Gyaaa!" Chopper scrambled around.
"JUST WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE?!" Shoujou roared.
Masira joined him. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO OUR BOSS?!"
"What, you guys again?" Luffy was annoyed. "We're treating the sick old man, so scram."
Aurora pushed her way forward, slapping Luffy upside the head. "Don't be rude! They can stay!"
The two men blinked at the sight of the berry-haired angel. "Aurora?"
She sighed, realizing there was no point in trying to lie her way out of this. The angel had made it abundantly clear that she and Cricket knew each other. Might as well reveal her relationship with the two men standing in front of her. "Yeah… it's me. And my friends are telling the truth. We're just trying to treat Cricket. He went and made himself sick."
The angel abruptly shrieked, having been pulled into a bone-crushing hug by the two, leaving her sandwiched between them. They began to cry. "Aurora!"
She squirmed, but couldn't break free.
"If Aurora says so…"
"Then they must be good people!"
Kai collapsed onto the ground, wheezing from laughing so hard at the angel's misfortune.
The man, Cricket as she'd later learned, had left her alone. He'd gone back out to dive, leaving the teen with some soap and water to clean herself up. Aurora did so with much haste. She'd rather not be walked in on while bathing. The angel grabbed the clothes Cricket had set out for her, pulling the garments on. They were a bit baggy for her smaller frame, but would have to do for now. Besides… anything was better than the dress she'd been forced to wear.
Pushing her now clean, but uneven hair behind her ears, Aurora took a look around Cricket's dwelling. Being only half of a house, there wasn't much room for anything and it was all close quarters. Cricket had various maps and weapons hung up on the walls, a clock also nearby. There was a table set up on one side for eating and a bed for sleeping on the other. A small bookshelf sat near the head of the bed, under the window. Another much larger one was situated along the wall opposite of the foot of the bed. Various unopened crates littered the room, diving apparel spread throughout as well. Why the man didn't use it, she had no idea. Diving without a suit couldn't be too safe… could it?
Aurora tentatively sat on the bed, gazing out one of the nearby windows. She didn't see Cricket anywhere in the water. There wasn't even a hint of life. He must've dove down fairly deep. 'He must be very skilled to not need a suit…'
The angel took another brief glance around. Aside from Mocktown, Cricket's house was the only other place of residence on this island. It was strange. Why would he isolate himself all the way on the other side of the island?
"HEY, BOSS!"
Two large men burst through the door, startling Aurora. The angel leapt from the bed, feet rooting themselves to the floor. The ape-like men blinked, confused by the appearance of the young teen. Aurora stared back in fright. They were much larger than her. It was intimidating. She felt her breath begin to quicken, panic overtaking her. She didn't know who these men were or what they wanted.
She screamed.
The action startled the two, both men lurching backwards out of the doorway. The faint sound of a splash was heard, thundering footsteps rapidly making their way towards the house. Cricket suddenly came into view, barreling into the ape-men. They went flying.
"What are you idiots doing?!" Without even waiting for a response, Cricket stomped into his home, slamming the door shut. He turned to Aurora, hard expression softening at the terror evident on her face. "Sorry about that. Those two idiots like to pop in unannounced. But don't worry. They're harmless."
The angel took a shaky breath, heart still racing. Movement from the corner of her eye caused Aurora to turn her head. The men from before were peering in through the two opposite windows. Curiosity was evident in their gaze, along with some slight wariness. They probably expected her to scream again.
"Masira, Shoujou… I'd like you to meet my guest, um…" Cricket turned to the angel. "What's your name, kid?"
"Au… Aurora…" she told him, voice barely above a whisper.
"Aurora." Cricket nodded. "She's gonna be staying here a while, so treat her with respect."
The brothers blinked in response, raising their hands to wave in greeting.
Aurora tentatively waved back.
"So you guys live here too?"
"Well, the boss' house is also the main base for the Saruyama Alliance, but… we usually sleep on our own ships." Masira answered.
"This house is too small for us, after all." Shoujou chimed in. "Uohohoho!"
"Nah, it's you guys who're too big." Luffy disagreed. "Then again, compared to the giants, even you guys are only as big as their boogers."
Aurora sweatdropped, the angel situated between the two large men who hadn't let her out of their sight since arrival. "Luffy…"
"Why're they getting along so well?" Usopp griped.
Zoro shrugged. "Got something in common, I guess."
"Yeah. A certain true angel." Kai quipped, gaze roving over the odd trio.
"Kai's right!" Usopp agreed. "Just how does Aurora know these guys?"
"…It is kinda strange that she's never mentioned them before." Zoro reluctantly admitted. In fact, the swordsman didn't know that much about Aurora's past to begin with. He'd never really thought to question it. Who knew what else she was hiding?
"But I'm surprised you managed to send this guy flyin' high despite your small frame." Shoujou continued their conversation, the others tuning back in.
"Really? I'm sure you could do it too." Luffy remarked.
"Oh, really?"
"Yup, sure."
Aurora shook her head, recognizing the glint in Shoujou's eyes. "Now, now… let's not test that theory."
"Luffy! Aurora! He's awake!" Chopper called out to the two.
"He's up?" Luffy began to make his way over to the house.
Aurora rushed past the boy, missing Shoujou kicking his brother high up into the air. The angel sat on the bed next to Cricket, laying a hand atop his. The man gave her a small smile.
"Diamond-head mister! I got stuff I wanted to ask."
"Sorry about the attack earlier." Cricket apologized, taking a drag from his cigarette. "I mistook you for the usual idiots who come sniffin' for gold."
"Gold?!" Nami perked up at that, greed setting in. "So you do have some?!"
"Don't provoke him." Usopp warned.
"So… what is it you want to ask me?" he directed the question at Luffy.
"We wanna go to Sky Island! Teach us how!"
"Sky Island?" Cricket shared a look with Aurora, an understanding passing between them. "Ahahahaha! You folks seriously believe in that?!"
Nami went to punch the man, but Usopp held her back. "Nami, no! He's a sick patient!"
"What, so there's no such thing?!" Luffy wasn't happy with that response.
"Ha… who knows for sure…" Cricket answered, Aurora fighting not to flinch at the lying. The man was doing it for her sake. After all, she had basically verified the existence of Skypiea when she first met him. The angel had shared all the knowledge she had. "I do know of one man who said it existed… but the entire world labeled him a liar, and his entire family line's been a laughing stock ever since."
Luffy gaped at Usopp.
"It's not me!"
"Noland the Liar, is how his story goes…"
Luffy continued staring at Usopp.
"I told you already, it's not me! Even the name's different!"
Kai chuckled. "Can't really blame him for assuming, long-nose."
"Hey!"
"You're his descendant?!" Nami put the pieces together. "And this island is the very island in the story?!"
"He's the grandfather of my grandfather… of my grandfather, and so on up the line… suffice to say, he's a distant ancestor of mine, which is troubling to say the least… I probably share as much blood with him as a mosquito can carry in its belly…"
"The Montblanc family has been run out of that kingdom." Aurora knew Cricket's family history well. "But the abuse and humiliation still continues…"
"Yet not a single Montblanc member resents him…" Cricket mentioned.
"Why's that?"
"Because Noland… was a man of upstanding honesty."
"What?"
"In the final scene of the picture book, Noland says, "Ah, that's it! The mountains of gold must have sunk into the sea!" There, he's drawn with a stupid smile on his face, but the real man supposedly died with big blobs of tears streaming down his face. He was absolutely sure that the island that they'd landed at was the same Jaya where he'd discovered the ruins of a golden city. The thought that maybe he had seen an illusion never even crossed his mind. Noland claimed that an earthquake must have caused the city of gold to sink to the ocean floor, but the people could only see it as a desperate excuse made to save his own skin, and the crowd mocked him to no end as he was executed." Cricket finished the story.
"So then! Have you come here in search of the golden city at the ocean floor so that you could wipe away your family's dishonor?!" Usopp asked.
Cricket whipped out his gun, firing a shot. "DON'T BE STUPID!"
Usopp had managed to dodge the bullet, the sniper slumping to the floor.
"Usopp!" Chopper cried.
Aurora wrapped her hands around the gun, attempting to wrangle it from the man's grip. "Cricket, please! You need to calm down!" She glared back at Usopp. "You just had to ask that!"
Kai, finding the scene to be rather comical, burst out laughing. Aurora directed her glare at the man in response.
"Whether my distant ancestor really was an honest man or a great explorer… WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME?!" Cricket exploded. "WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT THE FEELINGS OF A CHILD WHO'S HAD TO GROW UP BEING INSULTED AND LAUGHED AT BY EVERY STRANGER, JUST BECAUSE HE HAPPENED TO SHARE THE SAME BLOOD AS THAT IDIOT!"
Aurora finally managed to get the gun away, Cricket seemingly having calmed down. "In the past 400 years there have been countless members of Cricket's family who set out for the seas to reclaim their family's honor…"
"Don't know what ever happened to any of them but… I felt embarrassed by them. And so I ran away from home and became a pirate." Cricket continued.
"Oh, you're a pirate too, mister?"
"It's not that I wanted to become one. I just wanted to escape from Noland's curse, that's all. But 10 years ago… at the end of my adventures, my ship ended up arriving at this island. Oddly enough, me, the one who despised Noland the most in my family, was the only one that was able to arrive to this island. As I stood on the cape of this island that didn't even bear the slightest trace of a golden city, I figured it must be fate… and that I could run away no longer."
"Cricket didn't come for the gold though…" Aurora chimed in. "Or to clear his ancestor's name."
"It was a personal fight between me and the man who ruined my life. Before I kicked the bucket, I wanted to settle the issue once and for all…!"
Usopp sniffled. "…A true man's…!"
"…So what about them? Why're the monkeys here with you?" Luffy asked.
"I'm sure there's a hot-blooded backstory for that, involving a heart-to-heart talk done with fists below the sea…" Usopp continued to cry.
Aurora sweatdropped. "Well, actually…"
"They're just fans of the story."
"They're just fans?!"
Nami sweatdropped too. "Well that's a pretty simple relationship…"
"About 5-6 years ago, they came here after hearing rumors about me, and enthusiastically claimed that Noland's gold exists for sure."
"SHOU…JOU…!" Masira burst forth from the water. "KICKING ME LIKE THAT WITHOUT WARNING… YOU GOT A DEATH WISH OR SOMETHIN'?!"
"That's some big talk coming from you, but you better watch it if you don't want to make me really mad."
"Knock it off!" Aurora scolded, having seen the two begin scuffling from one of the windows. Her words fell on deaf ears. The angel growled in annoyance, Cricket pulling the girl to sit on the bed once more, his expression amused.
"The sea here is deep… and in the cold, dark depths, loneliness gets to you even more. For a guy diving alone day after day, having these two idiots barge into my life and making a big uproar about calling me boss and becoming my followers is… honestly, it really lifts a man…"
"That's great and all, but what's the deal with you and her?" Kai got straight to the point. "Obviously you know each other… you seem pretty close too if that picture means anything."
"Picture?" Nami turned to where the fallen angel indicated, eyes widening in shock. "H-How's that possible?! Aurora only looks a couple years younger than she does now!" The navigator glared accusingly. "You told me you moved out of the Grand Line when you were a little girl and haven't been back since! So how is it you're in this picture?!"
Aurora fidgeted, bowing her head and refusing to look anyone in the eye. "I… I'm in that picture because…"
"She lived here up until 2 years ago." Cricket stepped in, placing a hand atop the girl's head. "Poor thing got into a bit of trouble with some guy, so I took her in. She never felt completely safe though, so she left to go somewhere far away. Ain't that right, kid?"
Aurora blinked owlishly up at the man. "Y… Yeah…"
The wheels were turning in Nami's head. "Some guy? Is this the same person you talked about in Alabasta? The one that took advantage of you?"
The angel meekly nodded, stomach churning at all the lying.
"Where the hell is this bastard?! I'll go take care of him!" Sanji growled.
Zoro laid a hand atop his swords. "Count me in."
"W-Wait!" Aurora frantically waved her hands in distress. "You don't-"
"Haven't seen him." Cricket cut her off. "The minute she disappeared, he lost all interest in staying on this island. Doubt any of you will be seeing him anytime soon."
"And you couldn't just tell us the truth?" Nami gave the angel a pointed look. "If you had, we could've just avoided Jaya altogether."
"You and I both know that wouldn't have been possible. The log pose would've locked onto the magnetic field and sent us this way no matter what. I just… I didn't wanna spoil things for you guys. Why worry you when I didn't know for sure if he was here or not?"
"Doesn't matter." Zoro told the angel. "We would've kept you safe regardless."
"I'm sorry. It's just… always been hard for me to talk about it. I'm still not comfortable with sharing all the details."
Nami sighed. "Well… I guess it's okay. At least you said something." She slammed her fist into Aurora's skull. "But there better not be any more secrets! Got it?!"
"Y-Yes!"
Kai frowned, having watched the entire exchange in silence. He wanted to say something, he really did… but after what happened between him and Aurora in Alabasta, these people weren't going to trust him. They wouldn't believe him when he said that their precious true angel was lying.
"Right, well, like I was saying-"
Usopp got in Luffy's face. "Can't you see we're having a moment?!"
Luffy shoved the sniper out of the way, mind set on one thing only. "Like. I. Was. Saying… I just want to know how to go to sky island!"
Cricket smirked. "Haha… you're one impatient bastard. But I told you my story for a reason." He grabbed a book. "The man who once talked about a "sky island" was Noland the Liar. Getting involved with him will just turn you into the world's laughingstock like me."
"Oh?! Did he also go to sky island?!"
"Unfortunately, he never wrote that he did…"
"A logbook?" Nami realized what Cricket held."…I-is that written by the man himself?!"
"That's right." He tossed the book to the navigator. "Read the section there.
"Ahh!" Nami barely managed to catch the logbook. "Amazing… a 400 year-old diary… Year 1120 of the Marine Calendar, June 21. Clear weather. Setting off from the merry town of Villa, we sailed Northeast from the port, following our log pose." She turned the page. "During the day, we obtained a most interesting item from a passing merchant ship. It's a single-person-use boat called a "Waver", much resembling skis. Even on a day without wind, it propels its own wind somehow to sail forwards. A very mysterious ship, though requiring a certain level of skill from the rider. I could not successfully ride it. It has since become a favorite plaything among the crew members."
Luffy, Usopp and Chopper hovered by the navigator, taking in every word with eagerness.
"Whoa! What is this?! I want one too!"
"Enough about that, keep reading!" the boys urged.
"It seems the mysterious engine of this device exists only on "sky island", along with many other rare and interesting items, or so I've heard. Also concerning "sky island", an explorer friend of mine once showed me a living "sky fish." Its bizarre appearance truly shocked me. Although this rumored sky island is located in uncharted waters for us, speaking as a sailor, I wish to visit this "sky ocean" some day. –Montblanc Norland-" Nami shut the book. "A sky ocean?"
"Just like Nico said." Kai was smug.
"And the people back then talked about it as if there were no doubts about its existence!" Usopp joined in.
"So it does exist!" Luffy was excited.
"Woohoo!"
Unnoticed by the Straw Hats, Cricket and Aurora had snuck out of the house. The two made their way over to Masira and Shoujou.
"Boss! How's your body feeling?"
"Never felt better." Cricket told them. "Now keep quiet and answer me. Do you like these guys?"
"Why're you asking us that?" Shoujou wondered.
Cricket glanced at Aurora, wanting her opinion as well. The angel smiled softly. "I wouldn't be traveling with them if I didn't."
"And you're sure you want to go through with this?"
She heaved a sigh. "No… but like I said, I don't want to spoil their adventure."
"… You're too nice for your own good, kid."
"So you've told me… on multiple occasions."
Cricket glanced back at the two brothers. "It seems like that bunch is completely set on going to sky island, no matter what…"
"Sky island…?" Shoujou glanced at Aurora, who nodded in defeat. "Well there's only one way to get up there…"
"Yeah, but they'll die for sure if they tried that…!" Masira jumped in.
Cricket crossed his arms. "That's why I'm thinking… we lend them a hand…"
"Alright, I'll tell you everything I know about sky island, but it's all uncertain, so it's up to you whether you believe it or not." Cricket explained.
"Ok, I believe you."
"Too fast, Luffy!"
"There's a phenomenon that occurs in the seas around this region, when day suddenly turns into night."
Luffy raised his hand. "Ahh! There is! That's true for sure!" he turned to Usopp. "Right?!"
"Yeah! Not only did it suddenly become night, but monsters appeared too!"
"Ah yes, the giants." Cricket and Aurora shared a glance. "There's a theory on where they come from, but let's leave that aside for now. In any case, the suddenly occurring "night", is actually the shadow of an extremely dense, towering cloud."
"You mean a cumulonimbus?" Nami asked. "But that darkness wasn't something that could have been formed by thick clouds…"
"Yeah, don't be stupid, mister. If there's lots of clouds out, it's only cloudy." Luffy agreed with his navigator.
"Yeah, just cloudy."
"Just cloudy."
Kai snorted at their parroting.
"JUST SHUP UP AND LISTEN!"
"Emperornimbus." Aurora spoke up. "They're a type of cloud that stack high up into the sky but don't give rise to any currents nor rain. And when they appear in the sky they block even the sunlight out, changing day on land to night."
Cricket sent the angel a look of approval, proud she'd remembered all that. "One theory states that the emperornimbus clouds have been drifting in the sky for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, all the while never changing, causing some to nickname it a "cloud fossil"."
"A cloud that doesn't let out any currents no matter how high it piles up?!" Nami looked between the pair in disbelief. "That's impossible…"
"Outside of the Grand Line, maybe…" Kai didn't find the notion so farfetched.
"You're free to believe it or not." Cricket told the girl. "We're not telling you all this in order to convince you or anything."
"So it's a "mystery cloud", huh."
"In a way, I suppose, since nobody knows for sure yet." Cricket replied.
"Luffy, you're amazing!" Chopper squealed.
"Now listen up. If sky island really does exist, then it could only possibly exist on that cloud."
"Got it!" Luffy cheered. "Let's go on top of that cloud! Zoro, wake up!"
The swordsman snorted, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Morning already?"
"Everyone get ready! Set the rudder up for the clouds! Thanks for telling us, mister!"
"How many times do I have to tell you that we don't know HOW to do that?!" Nami bellowed.
"Firecracker's right." Kai agreed, Nami glaring at the nickname. "It's not as if the ship can fly like me and her holiness over there."
"That's why this is the crucial part. Let me warn you beforehand that you'll have to risk your lives."
"We're already half-dead…" Luffy and Usopp mumbled, Nami having beat them up just mere moments ago.
"To get to the sky… we have to ride the Knock-up Stream." Aurora informed them.
"What…?!" Nami remembered the term from before. "You mean the stream that knocks ships up into the air?!"
Kai's head snapped around. "What now?!"
"Oh, so all we have to do is get ourselves blasted up into the clouds!" Luffy made it sound so simple. "Hahaha!"
"By a sea current?"
"But I heard that's how ships come crashing down from the sky… at Mocktown…" Nami relayed.
"Normally, yes." Cricket conceded. "The key point here is timing. Of course, it sounds simple when I say you'll be "riding the stream", but it sure as hell ain't gonna be a picnic, that's for sure. After all, the knock-up stream is… a natural calamity. An event one normally wishes to desperately avoid."
"Just how does a stream even travel up into the air anyways?" Nami was puzzled. "I've never even heard of such a thing until recently…"
"Even the workings behind that monster of a stream aren't beyond the realms of logic. Though of course, there isn't anyone dumb enough to go and confirm the facts…" Cricket drolled. "But the main theory goes like this. Deep below the ocean floor, there's a large cave, to which low-temperature water flows inside. The steam pressure caused by the intense geothermal heat builds and builds up until a limit is reached and it comes exploding out. An explosion of such scale that it knocks up a volume of water so large as to make it look like an ocean current heading straight up into the sky. For about a minute, the ocean water continues to jet up into the sky."
Nami abruptly stood. "The water shoots for a full minute…? Just how big is this explosion?!"
"Well…" Aurora mulled over the question. "The location changes everytime, but it happens about 5 times a month."
Usopp shook. "So we're gonna get blasted to bits…?"
"Despite saying all that…" Cricket crossed his arms. "Trying to accurately describe one of nature's greatest phenomenon with logic and reason alone is pure folly."
"T…Then if…" Usopp stuttered. "Sky island isn't there at the top of the knock-up stream, which only happens 5 times a month each at different locations…"
"Yes." Cricket answered the unspoken question. "It'd be all for naught. Your ship would fail to catch anything up in the sky. And come crashing down to a watery grave for all your crew. Also, even with the emperornimbus located at the right spot, if it turns out sky island doesn't exist, then again, the end result are your deaths."
"Not all of us." Kai jerked a thumb in Aurora's direction. "Her holiness and I could at least fly out of there. The rest of you would be dead."
The true angel glared.
There was a long pause before Usopp choked out a response. "A…Alright! We'll just give up on sky island then! Hahaha… ah, what a shame, Luffy. But this is just impossible. Basically, it boils down to only the luckiest of the luckiest of the luckiest of the luckiest person actually being able to go up there."
Luffy grinned. "It'll be fine. Let's go."
Tears streamed down the sniper's face. "It'll be fine? There you go again, making light of danger without even a shred of proof…" Usopp gestured to their ship. "Just take a look at the poor Going Merry for god's sake… Look how beaten and battered she is…! There's no way she could stand up to one of nature's greatest calamity in her current state."
"Yes… it would be impossible for your ship, even if she were brand new." Cricket agreed.
"WHAT?!"
"Considering the speed… weight… and strength… that ship of yours would be blasted into bits and pieces at the same time as the exploding stream."
"…! But… well, there! See, it's impossible!"
"Not quite." Aurora stepped in. "Masira and Shoujou can make sure Merry stays intact on the ride up by giving her the repairs and strengthening reinforcements she needs."
"HELL YEAH, WE CAN!" the brothers leaned out of the house's windows. "JUST LEAVE IT TO US!"
"Thanks a bunch!" Luffy crowed back.
Nami and Usopp sweatdropped. 'We never asked for this…'
'What a bunch of idiots.' Kai thought.
"Do you even realize that… that… that we can only spend one more day on this island?!" Nami interjected.
"What?"
"If we stay any longer, the log pose will finish recording this island and point to the next one!"
Usopp's jaw dropped. "That's right, that's right! There's no way we can make it in time!" He turned to Cricket with a cheerful grin. "Well, mister! You're probably no prophet so there's no way you could know for sure the next time a knock-up stream and an emperornimbus cloud will be located at the same place, right? Who knows how many days – No, I mean how many months or even years it'll take for that to happen!"
"Should happen tomorrow around noon. Get ready if you're set on going."
"WHAT, SO WE CAN MAKE IT?!"
Cricket was confused. "If you don't wanna go, then don't go."
"Y… you're lying, aren't you?! This is way too suspicious! We've only met for the first time today! Aren't you being a little too nice?!"
Aurora stepped forward. "Usopp-"
Cricket stuck his arm out, holding the girl back. She grew silent once more.
"Not only that!"
"Usopp-" Luffy attempted to intervene.
"You just stay quiet!" the sniper cut him off. "It just so happens that the only way to get into the legendary sky island… will happen TOMORROW?! And you're only too happy to get our ship fixed up and ready to go by then?! This is way too good to be true! Just what're you plotting?! You're the descendant of Noland the Liar, aren't you?! So how can we even trust you?!"
Kai probed the man's aura, trying to determine if he was truly lying or not. It didn't seem like he was… but he wasn't exactly telling the truth either. If anything, Cricket was making an educated guess.
"Boss!" Masira burst through the doorway. "The food's all ready! We got some real special dishes today!"
Shoujou popped up next to his brother. "This guy's cooking skills have left me all in jitters!"
"Well, I told you I was a first-rate chef, didn't I?" Sanji appeared between the two. "Nami, Aurora, the meal is-" the cook cut himself off, taking note of the tense atmosphere. "Hm?"
Usopp held his fists up, Cricket's lack of response unnverving him. "W-What? You wanna go or somethin'?!"
The man took a long drag from his cigarette before answering. "When… "Night" is spotted at daytime in Masira's turf, the emperornimbus cloud can be seen in the skies south from there… and if going by the estimate of a knock-up stream happening 5 times a month, there should be another one tomorrow. And that too will probably happen South from here. I can't say any of this with 100% certainty, but there's a good chance of those two events happening together in the same place tomorrow." Cricket walked past the sniper. "But above all, I'm just happy meeting fools like you. Now let's eat. You can stay the night at my place today… friend."
"Hee hee…" Luffy snickered. "Time for food! Hurry up, Usopp!"
"Yeah, come quickly!"
"Chopper, go call Robin."
"Ok."
Aurora glided past the stunned sniper, side by side with Cricket once more. Not long after, Usopp fell to his knees.
Nami took a seat next to him. "Looks like… we've got no choice but to give this our best shot. Of course in the end, it'll mainly come down to luck."
"Nami… am I a pathetic coward?"
"Yes, and a bit of an idiot too…" the navigator was blunt. "But I can understand how you feel. Just make sure to apologize properly."
Usopp did just that, lunging at Cricket. "I'M SOOOO SOOOORRYYYY, MISTER!"
"Aghh!" he grunted. "Don't get your snot on me!"
Aurora tried to detach the sniper from Cricket's person. "Usopp, please stop. Cricket's not really one for hugs… or any type of affection, really."
Kai laughed.
"THE RUM TASTES GREAT TONIGHT!"
"Eat, eat! We've got a full-course saury special coming up!"
"GAHHH!" Fire shot out of Masira's mouth.
Usopp cackled. "Gotcha! How d'ya like the taste of my Tabasco bomber!"
"UKEEE! LONG-NOOOSSEEE!"
"Gyahahaha!"
Aurora reached out to the ape-man. "Masira, don't-"
Cricket held her back. "Let 'em be. It's been a while sine they've had this kinda fun."
The true angel heaved a sigh, lips twitching into a smile. "Fine. Just this once."
Cricket proceeded to pat the spot on the other side of him, glancing over at Nami. "Why don'cha take a seat here by me, sister!"
Sanji kicked the man in the head. "It's still 100 years too early for you to make Nami serve you drinks!"
"So you know how to hold your drink, eh?" Shoujou was embroiled in a contest with Zoro.
"Heh, I'm still well within my limit."
Robin watched the scene with amusement, preferring to stay in the background. Kai lounged next to the woman, eyebrow twitching in annoyance. It would take him a while to get used to this. He only put up with it for Robin's sake. Wherever she went, he went. That was all there was to it.
Said woman took a sip of her drink, turning a page in the journal she was browsing through.
"I saw gold in the right eye of the skull." Cricket suddenly popped up in front of Robin, managing to catch her off guard.
Kai glanced at the drunken man warily.
"Gold?!" Nami perked up at that.
"That tear-stained entry was the last thing Noland wrote in his journal… he was executed later that day. Even after coming to Jaya, I still have no idea what he meant by that line." Cricket took a swig from his bottle. "Right eye of the skull?! Was that the name of the fabled city? Or was it just a cryptic message about his impending death…? The blank pages afterwards don't help at all in unraveling the mystery behind that line."
Aurora plucked the bottle of rum from the man's grasp. "I think you've had enough."
"AND THAT'S WHY WE DIVE!" he continued his rambling. "TO SEE THE DREAMS LYING ON THE OCEAN FLOOR!"
"That's right, ukiki!"
"Uoho!"
"WE'RE GONNA FLY! UP INTO THE SKY!"
"Woohoo!"
