Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora and Kai.

Hey guys. Sorry it's been so long since I updated. A lot has been going on in my personal life and I'm finally starting to get back to a good place. Short story is I got let go from my job and haven't had a lot of luck getting work since. My confidence and self-esteem have never been the greatest to begin with, so losing my job really took a toll on me mentally. I began staying up at all hours of the night and sleeping through a good chunk of the day, and even when I was awake I couldn't bring myself to get off the couch and go out and do something. I began questioning my self-worth. I didn't feel like I was good enough for anything.

But... I got help and I'm in a better place now. Still don't have a job, but I'm trying. I'm just glad to be writing again. I had an idea in my head of how I wanted Aurora's arc to go, but I just couldn't motivate myself to write anything. I finally got that motivation back and it feels so good to get back to this story.

Anyway... I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I plan to get the next one started soon. Thank you all for the continued support of this story!


Chapter 38

"The day we arrived at Jaya! May 21, 1122."

"Noland! Noland!"

"Upon arriving at the island, we were immediately greeted with a cry from a most unusual bird from the forest and a loud bell ring." Cricket recited the journal entry from memory. "The sound from this enormous golden bell reverberated throughout the entire island as if proudly proclaiming the former glory of its ancient city. When reminded of the civilizations that have risen and fallen throughout the ages across this vast sea, we, who barely live a few decades at most and yet act as if we know all there is to this world, were too awestruck to utter even a single word. And so we stood there, silently listening to the bell ringing…"

"What a poet, that Noland!" Masira and Shoujou were practically swooning.

"Amazing!" Nami breathed. "A giant bell made from gold!"

"Ha! So you do like Noland after all, don'cha, mister?!" Usopp laughed.

"Take a look at this!"

"Whoa! It's the golden bell!"

"Umm…" Usopp did a double take. "What's so enormous about this?"!

Aurora chuckled. "That's not the actual bell, Usopp."

"This is just a gold ingot in the shape of a bell." Cricket added. "I found 3 of these at the bottom of the ocean here!"

"Oh, so the city of gold does exist!" Luffy grew excited.

"Well, there's no solid proof of that." Shoujou denied the claim. "It's not too hard to find this much gold in any old ruin."

"What's an ingot?" Chopper touched one of the tiny bells. "What is this?"

"Still, this is enough proof that a civilization existed here in these parts." Robin chimed in. "An ingot is a weight to weigh out precious metals. You can use it to trade and sell goods."

"That's right. And the bird that Noland talked about in his log is…" Cricket turned to Masira. "Show 'em Masira."

"Yup." The salvager pulled another object out, unwrapping it.

"Whoa, there's more?!"

"This one's big!"

"This is the last one. Hahaha!" Cricket laughed. "May not be much for 10 years of diving but…"

"Ooohh… it's so pretty!"

"What is it, a penguin?"

"A golden bell and a bird…" Sanji spoke. "So these are the two symbols of Jaya's ancient civilization, huh…"

Cricket pulled his cigarette from his mouth, expelling a stream of smoke. "I don't know for sure, but… I think this was only a part of a larger piece."

Aurora laid a hand on the golden bird. "This is what's known as the Southbird. It's a real bird that still exists on this island."

"Is its cry really that strange?" Luffy asked.

"Yes, it's just as Noland's log said." Cricket answered.

"Speaking of the Southbird," Masira began. "For ages, sailors have-" he cut himself off, sharing a look with his brother, Cricket and Aurora. They'd all just realized something.

"OH NO!"

"What's wrong?!"

Aurora turned to the middle-aged diver. "I can't believe we forgot!"

Kai stared at the foursome in bewilderment. "Forgot what?"

"This is bad! You need to get to the forest now! The forest to the south!"

Luffy was confused. "Huh? What're you talking about all of a sudden, mister?"

"You've gotta go and catch this bird! Right this instant!"

"What?! Why?!"

"Why the bird…?"

"Listen closely! The knock-up stream that should form tomorrow is directly south of this cape! So how do you think we'll get there?!" Cricket rumbled.

Luffy crossed his arms. "By sailing south, duh."

"Luffy, it's not that simple!" Aurora told her captain. "You have to remember, this is the Grand Line! Once we set out, it'll be impossible to tell which direction to go!"

Nami seemed to realize just what they were saying. "…Ah, that's right! Since we're not heading for an island but some point in the open seas, the log pose won't be of any use! But then… just how can we sail south?!"

"That's where this bird comes in!" Cricket said. "There are some animal species which have a way of accurately perceiving magnetic waves to orient themselves."

"Right… I've heard that pigeons and salmons have that ability." Nami understood.

"Guess that makes you worse than even an animal, Zoro!" Luffy cackled.

The swordsman took offense. "As if you can talk!"

"The Southbird is the keenest of such animals. Even if you were to throw it out into the middle of a featureless ocean or desert, it'll accurately point south."

"So we can't do anything without it." Aurora proclaimed. "We can forget about going to sky island. We won't have even a chance of getting there."

"WHAT?!"

"Why'd you tell us so late?!"

Aurora had the decency to look sheepish. "It slipped our minds…"

Kai glared. "How could you idiots forget something that important?!"

"Call us idiots again! I dare you!"

The fallen angel got in the true angel's face. "Gladly!"

Robin silently stepped between the two, acting as a wedge to separate them. The angels didn't put up much resistance, but continued to glare at each other. How on earth could two beings inclined to destroy each other ever learn to get along?

"It's already the middle of the night and you want us to go into the forest?!"

"Stop whinin'!" Cricket scolded. "There's no time for that! As for us three, we're gonna be busy fixing your ship! Come to think of it, we really shouldn't have been partying at all!"

Aurora frowned. "It was your idea!"


"Southbird?" Aurora eyed the ingot curiously.

"Yes. They're a type of bird that live on this island. Sailors used them in ancient times to navigate." Cricket explained.

"Oh, I'm familiar with the Southbird. But the ones I've encountered are… bigger."

Masira leaned forward eagerly. "They exist on sky island?!"

"Tell us about them!" Shoujou joined in.

Aurora smiled fondly. The brothers childlike wonder never ceased to amaze her.

She'd been living with Cricket for several months now and had told the trio about her homeland. It wasn't exactly by her choice though. The older man had been regaling the young teen with tales of his ancestry, Masira and Shoujou chipping in every now and again, a result of her asking why he constantly went out diving. It'd just been a little slip-up on her part. To anyone else it wouldn't have been noticeable. But for a man who lived with past knowledge of Jaya and Skypiea, the tidbit had been glaringly obvious.

Suspicions had risen, escape attempts were made, but ultimately… it ended with Aurora's necklace being accidentally ripped off. With her wings out in the open, she'd had no choice but to tell the trio everything. It had been hard, but the men were attentive listeners, not once interrupting the angel's life story.

Imagine her surprise when the trio ganged up on her again, not in suspicion, but in amazement. After all these years, standing before them was living, breathing proof that Skypiea existed. Cricket especially could not have been happier. And with that… a deal was made. The group would keep Aurora's secret in exchange for information. The angel had been unsure at first, but warmed to the three in the coming months. The same could be said for them.

Somehow… they became family.

"Well, like I said, the Southbirds in Skypiea are much larger than the ones here on Jaya. I'd say they're at least two or three times their size! Not to mention, they're a lot friendly than I've found the Southbirds here to be. But don't let that fool you. If it comes down to it, they're willing to sacrifice anything to save their own skin…"


"You better have caught one Southbird by the time the sun rises!"

"Whoa… it's pitch black in here!"

"Stop holding onto me!" Sanji growled, trying to push Usopp off.

"Ughh…" Chopper groaned. "I think I ate too much…"

"Well, let's catch this thing quickly so we can go back and drink some more…" Zoro grumbled.

Nami shivered. "Why'd things have to come to this all of a sudden?!"

Usopp bit his nails, staring over at Aurora. "Man, would it have killed ya to tell us this during the day?!"

"I already told you we were sorry. What with everything that happened, it just slipped our minds."

Kai sent the true angel a look. "Sure you didn't do it on purpose?"

She rounded on the man. "I wouldn't do that to my friends."

"Really?" He stepped closer, leaning to whisper into her ear. "Because I think you and I both know that you've been lying since we got here. And don't try to deny it. I can sense lies just like you. Only reason I haven't told the others is because I know they won't believe the man who tried to kill you."

Aurora stiffened, but didn't refute his claims. She'd been caught.

"So where's the bird?" Luffy asked, glancing at Zoro.

"If we knew where it exactly was, we wouldn't have all come here looking for it!"

"Our only two hints are its peculiar cry and that it looks like the gold figure we saw earlier." Sanji mused.

"Does a bizarre-looking bird like that really even exist?"

Aurora glanced at the swordsman, having snapped out of her stupor. "We already said it does."

"What do they even mean by a "peculiar cry?" It's way too vague!" Usopp complained.

"You'll know it when you hear it, trust me."

Kai snorted, finding the true angel's words to be ironic. She was asking her friends to trust her when she'd been lying to them since setting foot on Jaya? Maybe even before? How was she even sure that the bird existed? Had she actually seen it or heard it?

"Jyooeee!"

"What kind of queer-ass cry is that?"

Nami sweatdropped. "That's it for sure…"

"Alright…" Luffy grinned in determination. "Since we have no other choice, let's do this thing!"

"We've got 3 nets, so we'll split up into 3 teams!"

"Now then… it's time to kick this bird's ass!"

Aurora pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "We're here to catch the bird, Luffy, not harm it."


Team Zoro, Robin and Kai:

"It's crying out in pain…"

"Whatever." Zoro didn't care. "Sure is freakin' huge for a centipede…" he held the creature up.

"You don't have to beat down every single one." Robin told him. "Don't you feel sorry for it…?"

"Hey, it's his fault for coming at me in the first place, so mind your own business."

Kai mockingly saluted him. "Aye, aye, boozehound."

Zoro glared. "Moreover… it seems like you've yet to reveal your true nature and I sure as hell don't trust either of you. Don't forget that…"

"…But-"

Zoro cut Robin off. "What is it now?"

"That's the way we just came from."

Kai fought not to bust out laughing at the look on the swordsman's face. The straw-hat kid was right about his sense of direction being terrible!

"Jyooeee!"

Robin turned. "It's the bird-cry. This way." She began to move, glancing back at Zoro. "And watch out for the bog over there."

"….." Zoro watched the woman go. "Hey! W-wait up…"

Spuish! Spuash! Spuish! Kaplunk!

"Aghh!"

"Bahahahaha! He fell in!"

"Kai..."

"…Fine! I'll help him out."


Team Luffy, Chopper and Aurora:

"CAUGHT IT!" Luffy held up his conquest. "Look, Chopper! An Atlas beetle!"

"An atlas?"

"That's right! Atlas and Hercules beetles are every child's dream in this world!"

"What, these rhinoceros beetles? Then what's greater, an Atlas beetle or One Piece?"

"Nghhh…! Hard to say…!"

Aurora scowled. "Would you two please focus?"

"Luffy, there's one here too!" Chopper hopped onto a tree root.

"Whoaaa! It's a stag beetle!"

"Focus!"

"Jyooeee! Jyooeee!"

Aurora froze upon hearing the familiar bird cry. "The Southbird…! It's near!"

"Ahh! It's flying away!"

"Chase it! We can't let it escape!"

The true angel was beginning to get frustrated. "We came to look for the Southbird! Not to chase bugs!"

"Ahh! A giant spider!"

"It's in our way! Kick it!"

The two boys suddenly froze, an object having dropped out of the air. It landed right in front of them.

Luffy quickly realized what it was. "A wasp hive! Run for it!"

"Aaaaaaghhhhhhhhh!"

Aurora shook her head, stepping off to the side as the boys ran past her, the wasps hot on their tail. The angel entertained the idea of leaving the two to their own devices, but decided against it. She couldn't just leave them alone in the forest. Who knew what other kind of trouble they could get into? So, Aurora trudged after Luffy and Chopper, the boys having managed to lose the wasps. They didn't make it out of the situation unscathed though. They'd gotten stung multiple times, various parts of their bodies already beginning to swell.

"Huh?"

Another wasp hive dropped down, the boys taking off in a sprint once more.

"What's wrong with this forest?!"

Aurora frowned. "Two hives dropping in a matter of minutes? No way that's a coincidence…"

"Jyo!"

The angel whirled around at the call, eyes rapidly searching the tree line. She found her target. "Guys, look!"

"A bird?"

"Ah! It's the bird we're looking for!"

"It must be the one dropping the wasp hives on you!" Aurora deduced.

"Jyooeee! Jyo jyo jyooeee!"

"…Wha?!"

Luffy glanced at Chopper. "Did it say something?!"

"It said it will kill anybody that dares harm this forest…!"

"Jyooeee!"

"Kill us?" Aurora eyed the bird warily.

"AAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHH!"

The boys screaming reached her ears once more, the angel turning to see what was wrong now. She flinched when they barreled past her, Luffy reaching back to grab the girl and tuck her under his arm. Aurora glared at her captain, not appreciating being manhandled. A quick glance back changed her feelings.

She blanched at the sight of the preying mantis chasing them. "Faster! They're gaining on us!"

They dove to the ground, narrowly avoiding having their heads cut off. The tree behind them creaked and groaned. Suddenly, it fell to the ground, having been sliced at the base of its trunk. The trio pushed themselves up, gazes landing on the preying mantis that were chasing them. They held up their forearms, the appendages sharp as a sword. The bugs gave chase once more.

"What's up with this preying mantis?!" Luffy screeched. "What's wrong with this entire forest?!"

Chopper cried out. "Aghhh! The net!"

Aurora pushed herself to run faster, refusing to release her wings. She'd rather they not get cut up by some stupid bug. They'd just finished healing from Alabasta. She didn't need them damaged again.

"Jyooee!"

"It's him!" Chopper shouted.

"What?"

"The Southbird is ordering all the bugs to attack us!"

"How can a bird order around bugs?!"

Aurora huffed. "I think the better question is, how do we stop it?!"

"Jyooee! Jyooee!"

Luffy attempted to turn around and face the swarming bugs. "I'm sick and tired of running away! I'll take all of you on!"

Chopper gripped Luffy's vest in his mouth, towing him away. "No, Luffy! These carpenter bees have deadly venom!"

"Jyoooee…"


"It's no good…"

"Couldn't even get a good look at a single one of them…" Zoro complained.

"We managed to find one." Luffy piped up.

"Yeah, but we were so busy being chased by bugs we couldn't even catch it." Aurora added.

"All we did was run…"

"Oh for god's sake!" Usopp huffed. "9 pirates can't even catch one little bird?! Get it together!"

Sanji gave the sniper a look. "That includes you."

"I can't run any more too!" Nami wheezed.

"Jyooee!"

Usopp froze, gaze flying upward. "Ahh!"

"Jyoe Jyoe Jyoe Jyoe Jyooeeee!"

"As if you nincompoops could ever catch me!" Chopper translated. "Or so he says…"

"What?! So it came here just to laugh at us?!"

"That's it! I'm shooting to kill!"

Kai rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Oi, Nico. Do the thing already, would ya?"

"Jyoe!"

Arms sprouted on either side of the Southbird, catching it off guard. The appendages twined around its body, causing the creature to fall from its perch.

"Jyoee?!"

The crew sweatdropped. "Ah…"

"As long as I can see it…"


"CRICKET! MASIRA! SHOUJOU!" Aurora's distressed cries could be heard for miles, the angel disturbed by the scene before her.

"Damn it… who the hell did this?!" Sanji growled, retrieving Shoujou from the sea. "Help me out, Chopper."

"Right!"

"Look! The Going Merry!" Usopp was upset at the sight of their ship in shambles. "Who could've done such a horrible thing?! GODDAMNIT!"

Cricket coughed. "Sorry…"

Luffy crouched down next to him. "Mister! Mister, are you okay?!"

"Really… sorry…"

Tears streamed down Aurora's face. "Cricket, please… don't speak."

The battered man didn't listen. "We were here but couldn't do a thing… how pathetic! But…! Don't you worry, there's still time… we'll fix… your ship… by sunrise…"

"Just tell me what happened first, mister!"

Cricket sat up. "It's… it's nothing. Don't worry."

"Like hell!" Aurora growled, familiar glow beginning to enter her eyes. Thunder rumbled nearby, lighting streaking across the sky. Kai subconsciously inched away from the true angel. He didn't want a repeat of what happened the last time she displayed this ability.

"Ah good, you managed to catch the bird…" the diver noticed the creature in Zoro's grasp. He coughed. "That's good…"

"LUFFY!" Nami's voice rang out from the destroyed house. "The gold statuette… it's been stolen!"

Silence fell over the Strawhat crew.

"Ahh… it's fine, just forget about that…" Cricket waved it off. "What we need to worry about is-"

"What do you mean, forget about it?!" Usopp turned on the man. "Isn't that the gold you found after diving for 10 years straight to the point of even ruining your health?!"

"Long-nose has a point." Kai supplied.

"Shut your trap… I said it's fine… besides, it's my problem, not yours…"

"It is too our problem! We're in this together!" Aurora scolded the man, gently laying her glowing hands on Cricket's wounds.

"I told you not to worry about it… Now listen! If all the crew members of the Saruyama Alliance work together, we can repair and reinforce a ship of that size in no time. We can definitely wrap it up by morning so no worries there. We'll definitely get you up into the sky…!"

Usopp stuttered. "But…!"

"I told you already-"

"Hey, Luffy…" Zoro cut Cricket off, gesturing to a mark painted on the house behind them.

Nami jolted. "That's Bellamy's mark!"

"Need help?"

"Nah, I'm fine alone." Luffy turned down the swordsman's offer.

"No, Luffy! Don't start getting stupid thoughts now!" Nami shrieked. "There's only 3 hours left until we set sail!"

The Strawhat captain turned to Robin. "If I follow the coastline, can I reach the town we were at yesterday?"

"Yes, you should be able to."

"W-where do you think you're going, kid?! Don't do anything unnecessary! Do you have any idea who you'd be dealing w-"

Zoro held his sword in front of Cricket's face. "Use this if you wanna stop him."

The diver was stunned into silence.

"I'll be back by morning."

Nami frowned, reluctantly giving in. She pointed a finger at her captain. "3 hours, Luffy! If we can't set sail by then, then it's going to be you who let the chance to go to sky island slip by!"


"Uho! Uho!"

"Fix the ship! Uho! Uho!"

"Raise the bow!"

Nami turned to Zoro. "So why didn't you go?"

"What?! Don't fight, fight… Don't go, go… Make up your mind, woman."

"But they beat you too."

"Beat me?" Zoro scoffed. "Those guys weren't even blocking our way. A fight that would only leave pity is too painful to bother."

Nami sweatdropped. "The heck's that supposed to mean? Are you an idiot?"

"Shut up! Go away, you're in my way!"

"Hey, marimo-man! What the hell do you think you're saying to Nami?!" Sanji was infuriated.

"Huh?!"

Aurora sighed. "Can we please not fight right now?"

"No, let 'em fight. It'll be funny." Kai attempted to shoo the true angel away.

"You stay out of this!"

"Relax, your holiness. Take that stick outta your ass."

"What?!" she shrieked.

"We need some more planks over here!"

"Ok!"

"Thanks, raccoon."

"I'm a reindeer!"


"Oh for goodness' sake! What does he think he's doing?!" Nami was furious. "It's already morning! MORNING! He's 46 minutes later than the time he promised to come back by! Does he want to miss the Knock-Up Stream?! I bet it's because of that heavy gold figurine slowing him down! He probably never even took that into his calculations! He's such a simpleton!"

Usopp sweatdropped. "Uhh… I don't think he even made any calculations in the first place."

Sanji agreed. "Yup. 100% likely."

"You don't think he was beaten, do you…" Chopper grew worried.

"If he lost, I'd beat the crap outta him even if he did arrive on time!"

"Just what do you even want from him, woman…" Zoro sweatdropped.

Aurora kneeled before Chopper. "Hey, it's Luffy. We have to trust that he's handling things. It's gonna take a lot more than those Bellamy pirates to take him down."

"I hate to admit it, but her holiness has a point." Kai agreed, ignoring the glare Aurora sent his way. "This kid beat Crocodile, a Shichibukai. Those guys should be nothin' to him."

"HEEEYYYY!"

"Ah-"

"It's him!" Masira shouted. "Thank god he's back!"

"I DID IT!"

"Hurry up, Luffy! You're already late!" Nami was still enraged.

"LOOK!" Luffy held something up. "A HERCULES BEETLE!"

Zoro, Nami and Usopp all gaped at their captain. "JUST WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!"


"Whoaa! It's awesome!" Luffy crowed, taking in the repairs and additions to the Going Merry, from the wings to the rooster comb perched atop Merry's head.

Usopp proudly gestured to their ship. "It's Going Merry's "Flying Model"!"

"That looks like it's soooooo gonna fly!"

"Right?!"

Nami sweatdropped at the boys' enthusiasm. "Personally, I'm getting uneasy just looking at that thing."

"Yeah, a pigeon's much better at flying than a rooster…" Zoro chipped in.

"That's not the problem here, you blockhead!"


"Time to set sail, boys! Are the preparations complete?!"

"Aye-aye sir!"

"Uoho!"

Cricket glanced at Luffy, who stood nearby. "Get on the ship, you ain't go much time left. Or do you want to waste your only chance to go to the sky, you idiot…"

"Right, thanks for fixing up the ship."

Cricket jerked his thumb in the direction of Masira and Shoujou's ships. "Thank them, not me."

"Thanks a bunch, guys! I'll give you my Hercules beetle!"

"Really?! Are you sure?! Man, you're such a nice guy!" the crewmen crowed.

"In any case, just get on the ship! We're runnin' outta time!" Masira prodded.

"We'll go on ahead first, so catch up!" Shoujou added.

"Luffy! Hurry!"

"Right!"

Cricket finally stood, facing the group of ships. "SARUYAMA ALLIANCE!"

"Uoho!"

"Aye-aye sir!"

"DON'T GO SLIPPING UP NOW, Y'HEAR?! NO MATTER WHAT! PUT EVERY LAST OUNCE OF ENERGY YOU'VE GOT TO GET THEM UP IN THE SKY!"

Luffy smiled, jumping over the railing to get aboard the Merry. "Alright, let's go!"

"Let's set sail!"

"Woohoo!" Usopp cheered.

"Aye-aye, Nami!" Sanji crooned.

"Kid!" Cricket called up to Luffy. "This is good-bye for you and me now! There's one thing I know for certain at least…!"

"?!"

"Whether it's the City of Gold, or Sky Island, there's never been a person who's proven they don't exist!"

"Yup!"

"Sure, people might laugh, calling it an absurd fantasy, but so what?! ISN'T THAT FANTASY, PRECISELY WHAT MAKES IT ROMANTIC?!"

"Romantic, huh!" Luffy crowed.

"That's right!" Cricket nodded. "Thanks… for getting back my gold…! Now don't you go falling out of the sky!"

"Shishishi!"

The ships began to set sail, the Straw Hat crew waving goodbye to their new friend.

"SEE YA, MISTER!"

"Thanks for everything, Mr. Cricket!"

"I'm sure the city of gold exists!"

"Don't push yourself too hard, mister!"

"NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ME!"

Aurora glanced back at Cricket, an overwhelming urge coming upon her. The angel released her wings, swiftly flying back towards the shoreline. She crashed into the diver, his arms wrapping tightly around her body in a hug. Aurora buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"You don't have to go, you know. You could stay here."

"I know…" Aurora answered, slowly pulling back. "But I can't do that to my friends… no matter how afraid I am."

"You always were too nice for your own good, kid."

Aurora smiled sadly. "So I've been told."

"…Guess this is goodbye again."

"No…" the true angel shook her head. "I'll come back… someday. I promise."

Cricket fondly tugged on a strand of her hair. "I'm holdin' ya to that. Now get goin', kid. Don't wanna get left behind."

Aurora sent the man one last smile before taking flight once more, fighting the urge to turn around and stay in the one place that made her feel safe.


"Listen up! It's 7 in the morning right now! It'll be around 11 by the time we get to our destination."

"Like our boss said, the knock-up stream changes location everytime, so we'll have to quickly search for its exact location as soon as we arrive there. Now since we're a little behind schedule… Hey! Are you listening to my expl-"

"Look, look!" Luffy cackled, gripping the Southbird's head. He let go, the Southbird's head abruptly swiveling to face a different direction. "It turned back around!"

"That sure is one weird bird." Usopp observed.

Luffy continued to laugh. "It really can't face any other direction than South! It's like a compass! Hahaha!"

The Southbird began to crow its strange cry.

Usopp turned to Chopper for translation. "What did it say?"

"He said he'll face another direction to make trouble for us."

"Ahahaha! Let him try!"

The Southbird turned its head in the opposite direction, smirking in triumph.

"Oh! It's facing North!"

Sweat began to drip down the bird's face, the head ultimately snapping to face South once more.

"Ahahahahahahaha!"

"It can't rest unless it's facing South!"

Aurora huffed, glaring at the boys as they continued to torment the Southbird. She was starting to understand why they didn't seem to like humans.

"HEY! HOW DARE YOU IGNORE OUR BOSS!"

Shoujou waved his crewmen off. "Ah, it's fine, it's fine. Their ignoring me is giving my heart the jitters…"

"Huh? What is it?"

"Panicking now ain't gonna solve anything, so let's take this easy, eh, guys?!" Luffy called up to the two brothers.

Sanji crossed his arms, eyeing his captain with annoyance. "Whose fault do you think it is that we're late?"

"Well, he's got a point." Masira admitted. "We've still got a few hours left, so there's no point in staying nervous all the way through."

"Ah, okay then…" Shoujou relented. "Alright boys, put just half of your spirit into it, and sail on!"

"Aye… Aye…"

"Ah… Nice weather… we got…"

"Uo… Ho…"

Zoro sweatdropped. "Is this really gonna be fine?"


3 Hours Later…

"BOSS! THIS IS BAD!"

Masira joined his crewmen. "Why, what is it?!"

"Night's falling… from the Southwest! IT'S THE EMPERORNIMBUS!"

"Already? What time is it?!"

"It's only 10! It's here much sooner than we thought!"

"This is bad… SHOUJOU!" Masira called to his brother. "You think they can still make it?!"

"UTAN DIVERS! Dive at once and find where the stream is forming!" Shoujou ordered his men.

"So that's the Emperornimbus…"

"UOHO!"

Sanji burst out of the kitchen, pan in each hand. "What's going on?!"

"The Emperornimbus cloud's here much sooner than they thought!" Nami told the cook. "And we still don't know where the knock-up stream will be!"

Shoujou wailed into his microphone, divers beginning to surface around them.

"Echo detected! Large ocean currents at 12 o'clock!"

"Unidentified large animal at 9 o'clock! Most likely a sea king!"

"Waves crashing against the ocean currents detected at 10 o'clock! Likely to be a giant whirlpool!"

"That's the place!" Masira roared. "Turn the ship for 10 o'clock! That whirlpool is our sign! We have to catch up to it!"

The Going Merry suddenly jerked, the crew having to hang on lest they be thrown overboard. "AGHHH!"

"WHA?!"

"The waves got huge all of a sudden!"

"Gahhh! We're gonna sink!"

"It's the tremor before the blast! Be careful!"

"Ms. Navigator!" Robin called up to Nami. "Where's the log pose pointing?!"

"…! It's pointing straight up!"

"The wind!" Aurora breathed. "It's directing the Emperornimbus right above the whirlpool's eye!"

Kai whirled on the true angel. "What the hell do you mean "whirlpool"?!"

Aurora noted the fear beginning to seep onto the fallen angel's face and held back a smirk. "You'll see…"

"Looks like we guessed right this time, bro!" Masira crowed.

"And the blast seems to be just the right size!"

Luffy was elated. "We can make it?!"

"Yeah, you should!"

Masira shot a line out to the Going Merry, tethering their smaller ship to his much bigger one. "I'll take you to the whirlpool!"

"Then what?!" Nami shrieked. "What do we do then?!"

"Just follow the currents all the way to the center without resisting!"

"The center of the whirlpool?!" Nami held her head between her hands. "I never heard anything about getting swallowed up by a giant whirlpool!"

"Nami! Robin! Aurora! Don't worry, I'll protect you three!" Sanji declared.

Robin took it all in. "Interesting, I've never seen a whirlpool of this size before."

"Damn it, Nico! How can you be so calm?!" Kai eyed the woman in disbelief.

"Sounds like somebody's afraid…" Aurora couldn't help but taunt.

"Shut it, your holiness! You're just as bad as she is! How are you so freakin' calm?!"

"Turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back!" Usopp cried.

Zoro glared at the sniper in annoyance. "Give it up, Usopp… it's too late. We've already got one crew member gung-ho about all this."

"LET'S GO!"

"RAAAWWWWRRRRRR! GRAAAAA!" a sea king emerged from the whirlpool with a roar, before the current quickly sucked it under once more. "RAAAWWWR…"

Nami, Usopp and Chopper could only watch in horror as the sea swallowed the creature up with no remorse.

"Alright, then! The rest is up to you!"

Luffy waved goodbye to the brothers. "Okay! Thanks for getting us here!"

"NOO, WAAIIT!" Usopp wailed. "You gotta be kiddin' me! You basically dragged us to an execution! Get us the hell outta here, you lunatics!"

"Gaaahhhhhhhh!"

"Jooee!"

"I never heard anything about going in a giant whirlpool!" Nami cried. "They duped us!"

Aurora smiled sheepishly. "Surprise…?"

Nami glared at the angel.

"Aghhhh! Night's already fallen on us!"

"The whirlpool's sucking us in closer and closer!"

"Luffy, let's turn back!" Usopp tried to dissuade his captain from their current course. "We might still make it if we turn around now! You saw what happened to that sea king! That whirlpool alone will kill us, let alone the blast from the knock-up stream! Sky Island's just some fantasy among fantasies!"

"A fantasy among fantasies…?" Luffy mused. "You're right!"

"Exactly, Luffy!" Nami agreed, misinterpreting her captain's words. "I think it's impossible too!"

"An adventure on a fantasy island among fantasies?! We'd regret it for the rest of our lives if we gave this chance up!"

'He… He's totally stoked…!'

"Guys, while you were making a futile last-ditch attempt to dissuade our captain…" Zoro pointed off to the side.

"What is it now?"

"The whirlpool swallowed us."

"Nami~! Leap into my arms!"

"Gahhh!"

"We're faaaaaaaalliiiinnngggg!"

Usopp screamed. "AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

SPLASH!

"Huh?"

"Wha?! Why'd it disappear?! What happened?!" Luffy didn't understand. "How could that gigantic whirlpool just suddenly vanish?!"

Nami froze. "No… it's starting…! The whirlpool's already been negated at the ocean floor!"

"…Huh?"

"Wait, wha?!"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" a voice called out.

"Hm?" Luffy perked up, recognizing the approaching figure. "Hey, Zoro."

"Hm?"

"Over there."

"ZEHAHAHA! I caught up to you at last, Straw Hat Luffy!"

"Ah…" Nami recognized them too. "Those are the guys from Mocktown…"

Aurora frowned. "What could they possibly be doing here?"

"I've come for that 100 million beli head of yours! Say your prayers!"

"100 million beli head? What're you talking about?"

"Ah, so you really didn't know, did you…!" he held up two wanted posters. "There's now a 100 million beli bounty posted for your head! And as for your friend, "Pirate Hunter Zoro", there's a 60 million beli bounty!"

Usopp whipped out his binoculars. "He's right! Those are new wanted posters! Zoro! There's a bounty on your head now!"

Sanji sidled up to the sniper. "What?! Hey, what about me?! There's one for me too, right?!"

"Nope."

"Look closer!"

"Still nope."

Luffy began to cheer. "Hear that?! 100 million!"

"Can't say I'm satisfied with just 60 million." Zoro laughed.

Nami turned on the two boys. "Stop being so damn happy about it!"

"The Alabasta incident… it must've raised the bounties." Aurora mused.

"Well, Straw Hat did beat Crocodile." Kai chimed in. "The stronger you are, the higher the bounty."

"Hey! Hey, guys!" Shoujou called out. "Don't get distracted! It's coming… the Knock-Up Stream…!"

"Prepare to die!"

The water beneath Merry began to rise.

"Huh? What's going on?"

"ALL CREW ON DECK! GRAB ONTO SOMETHING OR HEAD INSIDE!"

"GYAAA!" Usopp screeched. "THE SEA'S GONNA BLAST US INTO SMITHEREENS!"

The water began to well up even higher, when suddenly…

"AAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The Going Merry was propelled into the air, strong winds pushing into the ship and guiding them up into the clouds.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! W-WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

"The ship's riding along the pillar of water!"

"WOOHOO! THIS IS AWESOME! How's this even possible?!"

Nami couldn't believe it, a sudden gust catching her off guard. "Wind…?!"

Luffy sat perched atop Merry's head, enjoying the ride. "Yahoo! Let's go straight up to the sky! Go, Merry, go!"

"Wait a second…" Sanji noticed something was off. "I don't think this is as good as it seems…!"

"Why, what is it?"

"What's wrong? Did you leave something behind?"

Aurora peered over the railing and finally realized what Sanji meant. "The ship's beginning to float off the water stream!"

"What?!"

"At this rate, we're gonna get knocked off the stream and fall back down!"

"While that's nice to know, what the hell are we supposed to do about it?!" Kai griped. "We're barely hanging onto our lives as it is already!"

"AAAHHH!" Chopper screamed. "WHAT'S THAT?!"

Aurora's eyes widened in alarm, watching as a large creature fell past them. "It's the sea king that got sucked in earlier! If we don't do something quick, that'll happen to us too!"

"But we're only flying up right now from the impact of the blast! It's not like we can just fly the rest of the distance from here…"

"So this was just a natural calamity after all?!"

"AGHHHHH! All the things that were sucked in by the knock-up stream are starting to fall down!" Chopper cried.

"So it's over for us them!" Usopp wailed. "We're gonna crash down into the sea and die instantly!"

"I'd just like to point out that her holiness and I can fly out of here anytime we want." Kai threw out.

Aurora glared at the fallen angel. "Not happening!"

"Hey! I'm just sayin', two of us surviving is better than none!"

"We're not abandoning ship!"

"RAISE THE SAILS! QUICKLY!" Nami's voice rose above all of theirs.

"What?!"

"This is still ocean, it's not just some separate stream of water!" she explained. "What we're riding up right now is an ocean current!"

"…?"

"And the blast created by the heat and the steam from the ocean floor has given rise to a "skyward wind"! As long as we're dealing with the seas and winds, I can navigate through them! Did you all forget who's the navigator of this ship?!"

"…..!"

"NAAAAMIIII~!"

"Alright, guys! Let's do as Nami says!"

"Aye-aye!"

The navigator began to give orders. "Turn the rudder port-side so we can catch the wind from starboard! Quickly! We've gotta match the ship with the ocean current!"

"YES, SIR!"

Chopper glanced over the side. "Ahhh! The ship's floating off more and more!"

"We're gonna fall, we're gonna fall!" Usopp quivered. "Do something, Nami!"

She grit her teeth. "Don't worry, we can make it!"

"Wha?!" Luffy held tight to Merry, unable to believe his eyes. "WE'RE FLYING?!" He took his perch. "HELL YEAH! We're flying into the sky now!"

Usopp was still in shock. "Is this for real?!"

"….."

"Whoaaa!"

"We did it!" Nami breathed in relief.

"Wow…" Zoro was even impressed.

"Nami~! You're amazing!"

Kai smirked. "I gotta admit, firecracker… I'm impressed."

Aurora let out a shaky breath. 'This is really happening… I'm going back…'

"As long as I can grasp the winds and the ocean currents, we can sail anywhere!" Nami declared.

"I love you~!"

"Hey Nami!" Luffy faced the navigator. "Are we gonna arrive at Sky Island soon?!"

"If it exists, it should be just beyond that cloud!"

"Above the cloud, eh?!" Luffy grinned. "I wonder what's lying for us up there…?! LET'S BREAK THROUGH THE EMPERORNIMBUS!"

"WHOAAAAAA!"