"Wealth, fame, power. The man, who once owned everything, the Pirate King, Gold Roger. The words he said before his death sent all the people of the world out to the seas."

"My treasure? If you want it, I'll give it to you! Find it! I left everything in that place."

"Men, searching for romance, pushed forward towards the Grand Line. The world is now in the Grand Age of Pirates!"

Chapter 11: Gin's Tale, Krieg's Arrival in Airtopia

"Airtopia?" Zoro stared in Gin in confusion.

"A sky island. Back when I was still a member of the Krieg Pirates, we... wound up on Airtopia accidentally." Gin paused and closed his eyes, slowly shaking his head. "It was on that day that I knew I was not able to follow Don Krieg any longer. Not after what had happened."

Franky, Paulie and Zoro listened closely as Gin then proceeded to tell them the story of the day the Krieg Pirates reached Airtopia - the very day that would be the last of its inhabitants.

"The sea is calm today." Gin looked out over the waters that stretched as far as the eye could see before looking towards Hustle and Pearl, both of who stood beside him aboard the deck of the Krieg Pirates' ship.

"Yeah! I don't even see any waves, what's the deal with that?" Hustle tilted his head and looked out over the water carefully, trying to analyze it. "Hm! It almost looks like the water is being..." He paused, voice lowering as he looked over his shoulder. "... pulled?"

Just then, the heard it. It was the sound of a colossal vortex nearby. Don Krieg promptly emerged from his chambers, his golden armor glistening in the sun, as he glanced around the deck between his mates. "What the hell's that noise? What's going on?"

Gin quickly ran across to the other side of the ship, the sight before him causing his eyes to widen dramatically. He raised his right hand and pointed out towards the sea. "C-Captain! Whirlpool!"

Don Krieg gritted his teeth as he walked over to peer off towards the whirlpool. They were being pulled towards it, but they were still far enough away to not get pulled into it at a quick rate. Don Krieg stared at it for a moment, apparently in deep thought before suddenly grinning broadly. "Oh, this whirlpool isn't a normal one at all! I've heard of a special one near here before! Heh heh." His grin took a more fiendish appearance before he glanced towards the ship's helmsman. "You there! Change course! Steer the ship straight into the vortex!'

The pirate manning the wheel simply looked back at his captain in shock, as he was unable to comprehend what he was just asked of him. Krieg promptly glared at his subordinate before pulling out a pistol and aiming it directly at him. "I gave you an order. Are you defying it?"

"N-No, Captain Krieg! Absolutely not!" The panicked helmsman nervously changed course and directed the ship straight for the whirlpool.

Pearl nervously looked towards Krieg in confusion, unable to understand what was happening. "Cap... tain? Why... ?"

Krieg merely snickered to himself without turning his attention away from the whirlpool. "Heh. You will see."

Gin and Hustle exchanged worried glances as the ship continued to move towards the whirlpool. What was the Don Krieg thinking? Neither seemed too feel too secure in his decision, nor did first mate Pearl as he glanced back towards them apprehensively. All three suddenly jumped when the pull of the whirlpool made the ship way slightly and pick up speed. Hustle immediately started to panic. "I-I don't wanna die! Captain!"

Krieg looked back at his senior crew members and growled at them. "Shut up and grab hold of something!"

Everyone hastily grabbed onto the ship however they could as it suddenly lurched forward and started to violently rotate around the whirlpool. Gin, Hustle and Pearl all panicked while Don Krieg merely stood in place, without holding onto support, grinning excitedly.

Then, without warning, there was a frightfully large sound as the ship was immediately thrust into the sky, a gargantuan pillar of water blasting as high as the eye could see. Hustle's eyes widened in shock as he began screaming. "WHAT'S GOING ON? WHAT IS THIS!? CAPTAIN!"

Don Krieg merely held onto the side of the ship, grinning, not even caring in the least as Hustle suddenly lost his grip and was flung from the ship, his scream quickly fading over the sound of the enormous pillar of water. Gin and Pearl held on tightly, staring in horror at where Hustle had been only a moment ago. Gin turned his attention to Pearl, fear seizing him entirely. "WHAT IS THIS!?"

And then, before anyone knew it, the ship suddenly came to an upright stop... and began to drift. Everyone looked around cautiously, with Pearl glancing into the sky. "B-Blue sky... we're still alive!"

Gin took this moment to walk over to where Don Krieg was, glancing over the edge with him. Despite Krieg showing no surprise, Gin's eyes were as wide as saucers. "W-We're... on the clouds...?"

After drifting for some time, and with the crew finally settling down, everyone was now enjoying the sight of the clouds that they drifted across. Pearl, who was almost hanging over the side of the ship from trying to look around, stood up and glanced towards Don Krieg. "Captain, how did you know about this? Where are we?"

Krieg simply motioned towards the ship's cabin. "Our newest crewmate."

The door to the cabin opened and Valdivina, who the crew had picked up on the island of Jaya, stepped out wearing an arrogant smirk. "That was the Knock Up Stream, and this is the White White Sea. You have all heard the sky islands, I presume? There are more than you may think. Airtopia, Birka, Skypeia..." Valdivina walked across the deck towards the side, her heels clicking loudly as she did so. "The only question is... which one shall we wind up at?"

Gin looked away from Valdivina, almost out of disdain for the arrogant woman, as he looked off into the distance. He raised a hand to shield his vision from the sun as he squinted, trying his best to determine if there was anything out there. Much to his surprise... "Captain!" Gin's mouth dropped as he pointed to the distance. "There's an island out there!"

Valdivina looked off into the distance and smiled knowingly. "Airtopia."

"How can you tell?" Don Krieg looked at Valdivina inquisitively for a moment, turning his gaze back towards the distant island before her response.

"I have visited it before, Captain Krieg. I would never claim to know the White White Sea well, but I would recognize that island again from anywhere." She flicked her long, red hair and grinned delightedly. "The inhabitants are pushovers, I can promise you that!"

Krieg's eyes did not leave the distant sland that slowly grew in size, his response flat and monotone. "As it should be."

Krieg's ship sailed for several long minutes before, at last, Airtopia was well within range. The crew immediately noted several curious islanders standing near the side of the island, staring at the ship with great interest. Gin looked back towards them, fascinated by what he saw. "T-They have wings!?"

"They do." Valdivina was already headed back for the cabin. "But they cannot fly."

"Eh?" Pearl looked towards Valdivina as she all but disappeared. "Where are you going? We'll be able to dock in a moment!"

"Yes, that is true." She stood in the doorway to the cabin and glanced over her shoulder. "But I do not care for the cheery attitude of the Airtopians, and someone must watch the ship."

Krieg snickered to himself as the ship drew perilously close to the island. "You're gonna miss all the fun. Pearl, stop the ship."

Pearl nodded in acknowledgement before walking to the edge of the ship. He glanced overboard, staring down at the clouds and gulping quietly before he concentrated and swiftly leaped from the ship to the shore itself. Just as the ship drew close to hitting the island, Pearl ran towards it and immediately placed his pearl-encrusted shields onto it and pushed as hard as he could. The Airtopians, who stood back watching, gasped in surprise as he halted the ship. They watched in awe as Gin threw a steel rope to Pearl, allowing him to secure the ship to a nearby tree.

As the Krieg pirates all leaped off of the ship and onto the island, an elderly Airtopian representative worked his way through the crowd and moved towards the crew to meet them. Approaching Don Krieg, the elderly man extended his hand towards him. "Welcome to our island, outsiders. On behalf of all Airtopians, I would like to welcome you."

"Ah, thanks!" Don Krieg stared at the man blankly before, without an inkling of hesitation, lifted a pistol and pointed it straight to the man's head and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The elderly man lifelessly dropped to the ground as smoke rose from Krieg's pistol. All of the gathered Airtopians began to panic and scatter. Krieg motioned forward, instructing his crew members to go forward. "Go, round them all up. Take this island in the name of Don Krieg!"

While everyone blindly charged forward, a conflicted Gin looked towards his captain apprehensively before following the others. Krieg stared down at the elderly man he had just shot, his curiousity rising. He bent over, seizing the dead man by a wing and raising him up to glance at both wings. A fiendish grin slowly spread across his face as he looked at the fine, white feathers. "What is this? Hm?"

TO BE CONTINUED