A/N: Around the time of this chapter are events such as Whitebeard's introduction and the Sever Warlords being discussed at Mariejoa. Those don't change, so I decided not to add them.
It was now morning, the ship was upgraded, and everyone was ready to leave. The only thing that was stopping them was Luffy and Valerie's absenses.
"Where are those two?" Usopp asked as Zoro and Gin retied Sanji to the mast, who had been shouting curses and profanities for most of the night at Luffy.
"Chopper, can you please sedate Sanji?" Alvida asked. "His yelling is starting to get on my nerves."
"Mine too." Nami said before turning towards the direction the two of them ran off in. "Still, what's holding those two up? Luffy, I can understand him being late. But Valerie? She should've reminded him hours ago."
"Hey," Nojiko whispered low enough in Nami's ear so that only she could hear. "She said she was trying to get Luffy's attention. I'm guessing she wanted to keep his attention for as long as she could." Nami only rolled her eyes while the crew made final inspections and preparations of the ship.
"Usopp! How's our treasure situation?" Nami yelled at the ship.
"We're tying the last of it down!" he yelled back as he, Johnny, and Yosaku worked to carefully tie the treasure up in bags and keep them secured inside the ship.
"Good. Zoro, the men's bedroom?" Nami yelled.
"Took care of it already." he said in a bored tone.
"Double check! How's our room, Robin?" Nami asked.
"It's done." Robin replied with a smile as Cricket took a puff from his cigarette.
"Where are those friends of yours?" he asked. "We gotta leave soon, or you'll lose the chance for Sky Island."
"We know." Grace said as she munched on a rice cracker. The crew were soon debating whether or not they should go and try to find him before they heard a faint cheer getting louder.
"There they are!" Masira yelled as he spotted something flying towards them.
"He's right!" Shojo said as he looked through a pair of binoculars to see Luffy and Valerie soaring through the air towards them. Everyone was now looking into the air as the two of them came closer to the ground. Valerie let go and shifted to 1 kilo, leaving Luffy to plummet into the ground hard enough to leave a crater while she landed safely on her feet.
"Valerie-swan!" Sanji cried out in love mode, his body wiggling while still tied to the mast before he noticed her attire. "Why are you wearing Luffy's vest?"
"Did something happen to that top of yours?" Alvida asked as the rest of the crew began staring at her.
"Blame Luffy." Valerie said. "He was running to get us back here before my top snagged on some low branches. I forced him to give me his vest since I couldn't find it."
"Shitty rubber captain." Sanji growled, his anger at Luffy returning before thrashing around. "GET UP HERE SO I CAN KICK YOUR ASS!"
"What did Luffy do?" Valerie asked, though she already knew why.
"Ignore him." Nojiko said before whispering into her ear. "Seriously though. What happened with your top?"
"I'll explain later." Valerie whispered as she walked towards the ship. "I need to change. This thing is too tight on me."
"It's never felt tight on me." Luffy said. "And you're skinnier than I am." This caused a few of the Straw Hats to either chuckle or facepalm.
"Is he serious?" Cricket asked.
"Yes." said most of the crew while Luffy looked at the ship.
"The ship!" Luffy yelled in excitement.
"Going Merry, Flying Model!" Usopp announced. The ship now had wooden wings attached to the port and starboard sides of the ship, with the figurehead sporting a chicken comb and wattle.
"Awesome!" Luffy yelled, his eyes shining at the sight of Merry looking this way all over again.
"It looks like a chicken." Gin said as he stared at the front of the ship.
"Why not a bird that can fly? Like a pidgeon?" Zoro asked.
"They wanted to make it look like Carue a bit." Vivi said.
"Why didn't you let them?" Luffy asked.
"Because I'm still seen to the world as your hostage." Vivi said. "If anyone saw the ship looking like Carue, people might get suspiscious."
"I thought it was because Carue couldn't fly." Chopper said.
"Either way, she's ready to go." Cricket said as he exhaled some smoke. "All thanks to these guys." he said as he pointed his thumb at Masira, Shojo, and their crews. Luffy grinned before mimicking a monkey sound and stance, which was followed by the two crews. The Straw Hats all said there goodbyes as they boarded their ship, with Masira and Shojo's crews showing them the way along with the Southbird. Cricket smiled before turning towards them all. "SARUYAMA ALLIANCE! It's up to you guys now! Guide them there safely, no matter what!"
"AYE!" shouted all the men from both ships.
"Alright everyone! Let's go!" Nami yelled, earning a collective 'YEAH' from the crew as they raised anchor and cast off. Cricket stood at the edge of the island and watched them leave with a smile and a last message, stating that no one's ever found proof that Sky Island or the City of Gold doesn't exist, and that it doesn't matter if people laugh at them because they're romantics. With one final wave, they all set sail. Next stop, Sky Island.
-Inside the Women's Bedroom-
Valerie was relaxing on her shared bed, a new lemon themed top replacing Luffy's vest, as she just relaxed while they sailed towards the location of the Knock-Up Stream.
"Wonder if I'll be able to have that kind of alone time with Luffy again." she said before giggling. "Though technically, the two of us weren't alone all night."
"Care to explain?" Valerie's head shot up towards the door to see all the women except for Grace and Robin standing in the doorway. All of them walked in before surrounding Valerie. "Well?" Nojiko repeated. Valerie just stared at all of them, while they stared back. Nojiko with a smirk, Vivi and Nami with slight frowns, and Alvida glaring at her.
"What? Sanji's trying to kill Luffy, so you know what happened." Valerie said.
"Didn't you just say that you weren't alone with Luffy?" Nami asked. "None of us on the ship were there with you two."
"Oh. That." Valerie said. "Well, we stopped at that Hotel from earlier, I paid the owner some money for a room-"
"Wasn't that hotel rented out by Bellamy's crew?" Vivi said.
"And how much money did you pay him?" Nami asked.
"Just a million berries out of my cut of the bet from the race." Valerie said before smiling. "And last night was worth every berri."
"Sounds like it." Alvida said, a tick mark on her forehead.
"Well, I don't know how, but the door was open and we drew an audience." Valerie said.
"Bellamy's crew saw you two fucking in a hotel room?" Nojiko asked, trying to fight the laugh that wanted to escape.
"Just the three women." Valerie said.
"Oh no. Don't tell me that..." Nami began, only for Valerie to nod. "Does he just bang every women that wants it?!"
"I asked him the same thing." Valerie said. "He asked if that was bad." Some of them fell forward after hearing that before they quickly regained themselves.
"And what did you tell him?" Nami demanded.
"I left them alone and went to take a shower." Valerie said.
"No wonder Sanji was so pissed." Nami said. "We were getting him to calm down before he suddenly went crazy trying to find Luffy to kill him again."
"Fucked all three of them." Valerie said before a huge grin came to her face. "And I gotta say, Luffy's rubber powers are as good in bed as they are in a fight." she said before she began to explain about Luffy's fingers being used for a strange form of bondage. A blush was slowly coming to their faces as she finished. "The blonde one screamed as they finished."
"Well, at least we know Luffy can handle more than one at a time." Nojiko said.
"That's not the best part." Valerie said before she began to explain, none of them noticing a few flower petals floating off the wall.
-Outside-
Sanji had been released from the mast after they had sailed away, but he was still utterly pissed at Luffy, even though he hadn't a clue as to why. Zoro was training Johnny and Yosaku, Chopper and Usopp were steering the ship in the direction the Southbird was facing, Gin was keeping a look out in the crow's nest, Carue was being painted by Grace, Robin was smiling while reading a book in a lawn chair, and Luffy was sitting on the figurehead of the ship. Before anyone knew it, it was suddenly dark as night outside. After some searching, Shojo and his men found the location that the Knock-Up Stream would arise. Everyone was now outside as the waves began to get rough.
"Nami! Where's the Log pointing?" Nojiko yelled.
"Straight up into that cloud!" Nami said.
"Make sure you don't fall off before we get there!" Zoro yelled before Masira and Shojo's ships hooked some grappling lines onto their ship.
"Alright guys!" Masira yelled. "This is as far as we can go!"
"We'll help you guys get into the whirlpool! Then you guys get into the center!" Shojo yelled.
"What whirlpool?" Nami asked before Usopp shrieked in fear while pointing wildly in front of them. Before them was a massive whirlpool big enough to swallow up a fleet of Marine warships.
"WE GOTTA GO IN THAT?!" Vivi yelled as Carue turned white as a ghost.
"NOOOO! I DON'T WANNA GO! GET ME OFF THIS THING!" Usopp shrieked. He was soon joined by Nami and Chopper in freaking out before they turned to Luffy. Gin's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, Grace was clinging to Valerie, her entire frame full of fear, Alvida gulped at the sight of it, Zoro was looking bored, Robin looked slightly uneasy at the size of it, Sanji called out that he'd be there for any of the ladies, Johnny and Yosaku tried to mimic Zoro's attitude, but still trembled at the sight of the whirlpool, Carue was still unmoving, Nojiko was hanging onto the railings, and Luffy just stared in excitement.
"LUFFY! LET'S GO BACK! THIS IS SUICIDE!" Nami yelled, tears in her eyes.
"SHE'S RIGHT! M-M-MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER WAY TO GET UP THERE! WE CAN JUST KEEP LOOKING!" Usopp begged
"YEAH! THIS WAY'S TOO SCARY!" Chopper pleaded.
"We'll make it!" Luffy said without any hesitation. "Besides, if we wait, they'll all die."
"OF COURSE WE'LL DIE!" Nami yelled before she caught what he said. "Wait? They?" Just then, a massive yellow Sea King came out of the water before being pulled into the whirlpool while the Straw Hats just stared before there ship began sailing towards the center of the whirlpool before it stopped. The sea was suddenly calm, not a single ripple in the water.
"What just happened?" Alvida asked as they all looked around. Everyone was looking confused before Nami figured it out.
"This is bad! The whirlpool's sunk beneath the water." she said.
"Then we're about to go for a ride." Nojiko said.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Everyone looked at where the shout came from and saw what looked like an oversized raft with a pirate flag bearing three skulls on it sailing towards them. Luffy's entire frame froze in anger as he glared at the captain of the ship, Blackbeard.
"It's him!" Nami said in surprise as they all looked at him. Most in confusion, some in anger, and one in fury.
"NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, STRAW HAT LUFFY!" Blackbeard yelled with a grin. "I'VE COME FOR THE 150,000,000 BERRI BOUNTY ON YOUR HEAD!"
"Huh? He want's Luffy's bounty?" Usopp asked. "Why?"
"Got any ideas Big B-" Yosaku said before he stopped, scared at the look on Luffy's face. Luffy just glared at Blackbeard as his ship sailed closer before Alvida stepped forward.
"Why do you want our Captain's head?" she asked. "Aren't you a pirate yourself?"
"Since you asked, I'll tell you!" Blackbeared yelled, his grin never faltering. "I'm gonna present his head to the World Government to obtain the position of a Warlord!" Luffy's eyes widened, his mind going back to when Blackbeard bragged about how Ace stopped Blackbeard from going after him.
"Hold it, Luffy!" Zoro called. Luffy hadn't even realized it, but he was being held back by Zoro while having one leg on the railing, his whole body red and emitting steam. Luffy blinked before he disengaged Gear Second before glaring at Blackbeard. "We have an island in the sky to visit."
"Yeah." Luffy said before the water below them began to rise.
"WE'RE RISING!" Usopp yelled as the water got higher and higher. Everyone braced themselves as the sea continued to rise before it erupted below them like thunder. The ship was blasted into the air and was sailing on a massive vertical column of water that stretched all the way into the sky.
"IS THIS FOR REAL?!" Gin yelled as they sailed upward.
"THE SEA'S GETTING FARTHER AWAY!" Valerie yelled as some of them began holding onto ropes and railings, or just stood on the mast and walls of the cabin.
"I don't believe it!" Nojiko said as she looked at the clouds in the sky coming closer.
"BAD NEWS! WE'RE STARTING TO TIP!" Sanji yelled as the nose of the ship began to move away from the stream of water. Everyone began to realize this before bits of ships and the Sea King from before fell out of the sky above them, then went past them to hit the ocean.
"THIS ISN'T FUN ANYMORE!" Usopp yelled. "WE'RE GONNA TIP, FALL OFF, THEN SMACK INTO THE OCEAN!"
"Can't do anything about it now!" Zoro said in a calm voice. "All we can do is hope we get up there before that happens." While they were all talking, Nami was feeling the wind and looking around.
"UNFURL THE SAILS!" she yelled. Everyone looked to her as she explained that, though it was different, they were still sailing on the seas. "Trust me!" she said with a confident smile. "I'm the Navigator, right?"
"YES, NAMI-SWAN!" Sanji yelled with hearts in his eyes while everyone else broke out into smiles. They unfurled the sails, letting them catch the updraft of wind and sail on the water before they moved away from the water.
"No way!" Vivi said. "We're not sailing anymore! We're-"
"FLYING!" Grace said.
"YAAAAHHOOOOOOOO!" Luffy yelled as everyone's fear faded into excitement. "WE'RE HEADING FOR THE ISLAND IN THE SKY! LET'S GOOOOOO!"
"YEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" the crew roared before they disappeared into the clouds.
A/N: And we are now done with the Jaya Arc. Onto the Skypiea Arc. Also, a lot of you are complaining about the running gag where Sanji attacks Luffy after a lemon. Sorry if it's not funny.