The Straw Hat's Red Devil - Sky Island Saga (No 3)

by DeadGirlEtarnal

She's the Daughter of Red-Haired Shanks; she was dropped off to live with Luffy. She met Ace & Sabo, but when Sabo died, it was the last for her as she vows to take revenge. Years later she leaves the island and sets on adventures of her own, she soon meets up with her baby brother and travels with him, finding love in more than one place. I ONLY OWN MY OCS!

34. It Does Exist! Head For The Sky! Part 2

IT DOES EXIST! HEAD FOR THE SKY! PART 2

Sky Island Saga - Jaya Arc - Episode 148 - 152

(Ending of Arc)

DAKOTA'S POV:

"Full Speed ahead! To someplace out of his voice's reach!" Nami shoes, and we sail away, away from his screaming and heading for Cricket again, and I remove my hands from my ears to see a little blood from the intense screaming coming from that monkey man.

"Hey, you okay?" Zoro asks me as he looks down at my hands, seeing the blood, and I nod, feeling the healing already start.

"I'm okay, really," I assure him as we come out into calm waters.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

I sit in my room as I change out of my clothes into something a little more practical, feeling that there will be trouble once we land ashore again. I tuck my black cami top into my white shorts and put my hair into a messy bun; I walk up the steps but come to a stop, realising I've forgotten shoes and since the ship got wrecked again, it's a safe bet that I'd a get a splinter, and that's always a pain. So I grab some black sandals and place them on my feet, looking down at my unpainted toes and thinking about painting my toe and fingernails at some point.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

I walk out on deck to see Usopp hammering away, trying to fix our poor ship with some help from Zoro and Luffy. "Seriously… Seriously… Seriously…" Usopp mutters to himself as he sits at the side with Chopper happily helping him, and I walk over to Zoro as he faces the mast, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, spooking him a little as I feel him jolt a little, but relaxes once he realises it's me. "Seriously…that darn orangutan! He wrecked the ship even more!"

"This ship has really started to fall apart. Maybe it's about time to replace it?" Zoro questions absent-minded, upsetting our resident Sniper.

"Don't you dare start saying inconsiderate things, too!" Usopp shrieks at my boyfriend.

"Don't you dare!" Chopper joins in, both of them making funny faces towards us.

"You know exactly how we got this ship, right?!" He yells, stopping his work.

"Right?!" The little reindeer adds, which makes me giggle at the cuteness.

"I know, Usopp. Complaining won't get us anywhere," Luffy assures him, stopping his work and looking at us. "Going Merry is an important part of the team."

"You know exactly…!" Chopper exclaims, making silly faces and making me laugh. "You…! You…!"

"So let's work hard and repair the ship!" Our Captain tells him.

"How we… How… How… How we…!" Our Doctor keeps going.

"Luffy… You're such a…." Usopp begins to tear up, but being Luffy, he ruins the moment when he breaks the side with one hit of the hammer.

"Whoops," Luffy mutters in surprise.

"You idiot!" The Sniper screams in horror. "Are you repairing the ship or wrecking it?!"

"Well, I'm really trying to fix it, but…." He argues weakly, smacking more of it down. "Whoops, it got broke again."

"Luffy!" Chopper and Usopp scream at the ravenette.

"We left Mock Town and headed east by circling around the island. We're almost here on the map. That man…what's his name again?" Nami asks Robin; the boys finish their repairs, and I walk up with Zoro and the others.

"Montblanc Cricket," Robin answers.

"So that man who talks of dreams lives there, huh?" I question, pointing ahead as we get closer to land and come across a bizarre-looking castle that looks beyond fake.

"A-Amazing!" The two dummies exclaim in shock.

"That's his house?! That's a palace!" Luffy gasps in shock.

"Is this Montblanc Cricket guy mega-rich?!" Usopp gasps in shock.

"Idiots! Look closely," Zoro bursts their bubble.

"A dreamer, huh? He does seem to be vain," Sanji comments, and I pick little Chopper up into my arms as he peels his eyes.

"Why?" Chopper questions and Luffy jumps off the ship, running around to the side to see, making a loud yelp of surprise as we move the Going Merry closer to the shore, seeing the longboard cut out of the palace that hides the smaller house that seems to be cut in half.

"What the…?! It's just a board?!" Luffy yelps in shock.

"What?!" Usopp and Chopper exclaim, finally seeing it.

"The actual house is only half of it. The rest is just a veneer," Zoro remarks.

"He seems like a very cheap guy," Sanji comments.

"What kind of dreams did he talk about that would get him driven out?" Nami asks our newest member.

"I don't know the details, but I heard that he said a huge amount of gold rests in Jaya," Robin reveals.

"Gold?!" Usopp gapes in shock.

"Is that some pirate's buried treasure or something?" The money-hungry Navigator questions.

"Well, I don't know," She replies, but it's enough for her to squeal in delight and jump over with Chopper, who jumps out of my arms to help the treasure-obsessed Navigator.

"Gold!" Nami cheers. "Dig the ground, Chopper! Gold will appear!"

"It will if I dig?" Chopper questions as he blindly follows her instructions, and the rest of us start to explore.

"Living alone in such a remote area?" Sanji questions as he walks over to a tree trunk.

"Hello, I'm coming in," Luffy knocks on the front door of the little hut and doesn't get a reply, so he opens the door and walks inside.

"Couldn't you wait a moment?!" Usopp shrieks at Luffy's actions but follows after him as my baby brother tries to find the inhabitant.

"Hey, everyone! No one's home!" He announces, shouting from inside.

"Hm? This is…" Nami questions as she looks down at the tree trunk, and I walk over to see her pick up a book. "...a picture book? This is quite an old book. Hm? It's titled "Noland the Liar.""

"Wow, that's a cool title! Nice idea for a book!" Usopp compliments as he walks over, and I sit on one of the smaller trunks that makes a little table and chairs.

""Noland the Liar?"" Sanji repeats.

"You know it, Sanji-Kun? But it says it was published in the North Blue." She argues.

"Yeah. I was born in the North Blue," Our cook reveals. "Haven't I told you guys?"

"That's news. I thought you were from the East, too," Usopp remarks.

"I grew up there," He answers.

"Quiet, Chopper! What're you doing?!" Nami scolds the reindeer.

"What?!" Chopper exclaims and reverts to his cuter version. "Ko!" He cries and runs towards me, jumping into my lap.

"It's okay, Chopper, don't listen to the mean girl," I coo, running my fingers through his fur, soothing him.

"This is a famous story in the North. It's a fairy tale, but I've heard that this Noland guy actually existed long ago." Sanji explains, and Nami begins to read the story.

"This is a story from long, long ago… A story that took place 400 long years ago. A man named Montblanc Noland lived in a North Blue country. Noland, an explorer, always talked about his incredible adventures. However, the villagers couldn't tell if those stories were true or not. One day, he reported to the King after coming back from his travels. "I saw a mountain of gold on an island in the great sea." The courageous King set sail to the great sea to see if the story was true, taking 2,000 soldiers along with him. After surviving great storms and battling against monsters, only the King, Noland, and 100 soldiers made it to the island. However, what they found there was just a jungle. In the end, he was sentenced to death for the crime of lying. Noland's last words were as follows: "That's right! The mountain of gold sank in the sea!" The King and the others were dumbfounded. No one believed Noland any longer because Noland continued to lie until his very death. This book is based on the North Blue fairy tale "Noland the Liar." Alas, the lair died…" Nami finishes the story and closes the book, taking a deep breath and signing dramatically. "...before he could even become a brave warrior of the sea." She looks to Usopp, who finally gets a little jab toward him.

"Don't look at me! And don't add in a heartbreaking sentence on your own!" Usopp shouts at her, pointing a finger, and there's a sudden splash. I snap towards the noise, seeing the bottom of Luffy's legs before they sink under the water.

"Luffy fell into the sea!" I shout, placing Chopper down as Usopp rushes towards the water.

"What're you doing?!" Usopp shouts at our Captain when a man jumps out of the water.

"Who the hell are you?!" The man demands as he makes his way out of the water. "You've got guts relaxing at someone's house without permission! The sea in this area is my turf!" He warns us, getting into a fighting stance.

"Hey, Usopp! Go grab Luffy!" I order him and rush towards the blond man.

"Got it!" He agrees.

"You're after the gold, aren't you? Die!" The blond snaps, swinging a kick towards my head, but I duck down, punching his side, making him groan, clutching his side, bending over a little. Still, it doesn't stop him from trying to punch out at me, but I grab his arm and pull him over my shoulder, and he lands on the ground with a grunt of pain and seems to have fallen unconscious too quickly. Sanji and Zoro walk over to see the man; he appears in more pain than he should be for our minor altercation. I crouch down to get a better look and see he looks whiter than before.

"Chopper, come here," I tell him as Usopp and Luffy surface behind.

"Hey, what were you doing?!" Usopp scolds the rubber boy.

"I saw…bubbles coming out of the water. So I was looking in the water, then suddenly a chestnut appeared. The chestnut was actually a guy, and he dragged me into the water," Luffy explains, and they finally notice the old guy lying on the ground. "Hey, old guy!"

"Boys, why don't you carry him inside," I suggest, getting to my feet, and Sanji and Zoro carry Cricket into the little hut we all walk inside.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

"Bring more cold towels! Open up the windows!" Chopper orders, getting into Doctor Mode, making the other dummies comply, Luffy tying the makeshift curtains to let more air into the cosy little hut.

"Caisson disease?" Zoro questions after the little Doctor's explanation.

"Is this guy sick?" Luffy asks.

"Yeah, it's a sickness that divers sometimes get. But it doesn't usually become a longstanding condition. Due to a lack of decompression when surfacing from the seabed, the nitrogen dissolved in the blood gets released quickly and forms gas bubbles at that time. Since the gas bubbles explain inside and outside of blood vessels, they cause problems to blood flow, muscle and joints." Chopper explains some more, though it seems to be over someone's head

"So it's some bizarre phenomenon, huh?" Luffy questions, looking out the window.

"He probably kept diving every day without giving time for those bubbles to disappear from the body." He adds.

"Whatever for?" I question, leaning against the wall by a picture frame.

"I don't know, but he's taking a risk. In some cases, caisson disease can…cause death," Chopper reveals, and the air is thick with tension, but it soon changes as we see two familiar faces trying to get inside the small hut.

"Old-timer! Are you all right?" The monkey men shout, spooking two of the cowardly trio.

"They've come to kill us!" Usopp shrieks as he and Chopper rush around.

"What are you guys doing here?!" Shojo demands.

"What did you do to the old-timer?!" Masira demands.

"What? We're looking after this guy right now, so go somewhere else," Luffy tells the two monkey men.

"Idiot! They aren't really gonna hear us out!" Usopp shrieks. "They're savages, you know!"

"You know!" Chopper repeats.

"Everyone, evacuate through the windows!"

"You…" Masira and Shojo begin to cry. "...guys are so nice!" They tear up, weeping, making the shrieking scaredy-cats fall to the floor in surprise.

"They're listening!" Zoro warns them, and we head outside to talk, leaving the old man to rest without us hovering over him.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

I lie on the grass with my head in Zoro's lap as we watch Luffy happily talk with Shojo and Masira. "You guys live here, too?" Luffy asks the brothers.

"Well, the old-timer's house is the headquarters of the Saruyama Alliance," Masira replies.

"But we sleep on our ships most of the time, because this house is too small for us." Shojo adds with a chuckle.

"It's because you guys are too big. Well, to those giant guys you look like a ball of earwax, though." Luffy teases them with a laugh that they share with my goofy Brother.

"Why are they getting along so well?" Usopp questions as he sits next to us.

"They can probably relate to each other," Zoro remarks, stroking my hair and making me giggle as we watch the three in front of us.

"But it's amazing that you guys kicked him off when you're so small!" Shojo says, slapping his Brother's arm.

"Really? You can do it, too," Luffy states.

"Oh, really?" He asks in shock.

"Yeah, you can because you're a monkey," My Brother replies.

"Luffy, he's come around!" Chopper announces as he comes rushing out of the little hut.

"He's awake?!" Luffy asks with a grin, and we all head inside as Shojo kicks Masira to prove Luffy right, and his Brother goes flying.

"Hey, he's right; I can kick Masira…." Shojo gasps as we walk inside the hut to see Cricket sitting in bed.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

"Hey, old diamond-head! I wanna ask you something!" Luffy asks as he walks inside, and the old guy takes a long drag on his crumpled cigarette.

"Sorry I caused you trouble," Cricket apologies. "I thought you were just more idiots after the gold."

"What?! You have gold bullion?" Nami asks with money signs in her eyes and a big grin.

"Don't go after it," Usopp warns her.

"What is it that you wanna ask me?" He asks, and Luffy walks around to face him with a big smile.

"Old guy, we wanna go to the Sky Island! Please tell us how to get there!" Luffy asks him.

"Sky island?" Cricket questions and laughs. "You guys believe in the Sky Island?" Again, he laughs, and Nami, after her ordeal in Mock Town, tries to punch the man, but Usopp pulls her away.

"Hey, stop it! He's a sick person!" Usopp reminds her.

"There's no Sky Island, old guy?!" He asks, and Cricket lets out a small laugh.

"No one knows," Cricket replies, and I can't help but raise my hand, believing it exists, especially when my Mother wrote about it in her Logbook. "I know someone who said there is. But people call him a legendary big liar! His family became a laughing stock forever." Luffy comically turns his head towards our little liar.

"It's not me!" Usopp exclaims.

"There's an old story that most North Blue people know. "Noland the Liar" is the one," The old blond says, and Luffy comically turns to our Sniper.

"Like I said, it's not me!" He exclaims. "He's got a different name, right?!"

"Come to think of it, Noland's last name is, if I'm not mistaken, Montblanc Noland. Could it be that you're Noland's…" Sanji asks but trails off.

"A descendant?! Could this place be the island in that story?!" Nami questions.

"Hmph! He's my granddad's granddad's granddad's… He's my distant ancestor… What a nuisance. I doubt there's a drop of his blood in my body… Although the Montblanc family was driven out of the country then, and has kept a low profile, people continue to denounce our family to this day. But no one in the family hates him," Cricket explains.

"Why?" Chopper asks.

"Because Noland was an extraordinarily honest person," He tells us, some of them not believing it.

"But in the picture book…." Nami mumbles in disbelief.

"Noland's last excuse in the picture book is like this. "That's right! The mountain of gold sank in the sea!" A stupid-looking face is drawn in this book…but he shed many tears and died a regrettable death. He was sure that the island he reached was Jaya, where he found the wreckage of a city of gold. He felt that there was no way it was just an illusion. Noland insisted that the ruins had submerged due to crustal movements, but everyone thought he was making excuses out of desperation. Noland was executed in front of the laughing onlookers, and only the name "Liar" remained." Cricket keeps going on, and I can't help but wonder what really happened to the island as there was something in my Mother's Logbook that could have the answer, and I plan to have a look again.

"Oh, I see!" Usopp exclaims, cutting me from my thoughts. "You're looking for the city of gold on the seabed in order to clear the Montblanc family's name!"

"Don't be silly!" The old guy shouts, getting his pistol and shooting above his head.

"Usopp!" Chopper yells for his friend, who has tears down his face in fear from the near miss.

"I thought I'd die…." Usopp mumbles.

"How honest my distant ancestor was, or how great an explorer he was, has nothing to do with me! Can you understand how a kid would feel being laughed at by strangers just because he's the descendant of such an idiot?!" Cricket shouts, and I see the look on Luffy's face, knowing one person came to our minds. "That's how I grew up!" The old man calms down. "But…yeah, over the past 400 years, many set sail to restore our family's honour, though all of them went missing. I was ashamed of such a family. I ran away from home and became a Pirate."

"Oh? You're a pirate, too?" Luffy asks him.

"It's not that I wanted to become a Pirate. I just wanted to escape from Noland's spell. And over time, I came to have my own Pirate group. At long last, I entered the Grand Line, and I spent all my time on adventures. But ten years ago, my ship reached this island by accident. Strangely enough, only I, who continued to hate the Montblanc family and Noland the most, made it here. The island didn't have a city of gold, just like the picture book said. As I stood on the island's cape, I felt it was destiny. There was no place to escape to. If it's there, that's fine. If it's not there, that's fine, too. It's not that I want to prove his innocence. This is a duel with the man who threw a wrench into my life. I want to set the record straight before I die." Cricket finishes, making us look at him with solemn looks across our faces, though Usopp is crying.

"This is indeed a man's…." Usopp cries.

"Then, what about them? Why are those monkeys here?" Luffy asks him.

"There must've been an exciting drama spoken with the fists of men committed to exploring the seabed," Our Sniper cries, trying to hold back the tears.

"Those guys are fans of the picture book," He answers sharply.

"Fans?!" Usopp exclaims, the tears all gone.

"That's a quite simple connection," Nami remarks.

"I think it was five or six years ago. They heard a rumour about me and barged in on me. They said, "We think Noland's gold definitely exists!"" Cricket explains, and I can't help but smile. "The sea around here is deep. In the dark, cold sea, you're haunted by a deeper solitude. I just dived and searched alone every day. They just came into my life and became my underlings without my permission, and they romp around," He says, and I look outside to see the Monkey Brothers messing around. "Single-minded idiots like them…make me feel relieved, to be honest. Do you understand?"

"I do. Yeah, real comrades give each other strength and…" Usopp starts crying again.

"Well, putting the story about those monkeys aside…." Luffy says.

"Then, don't ask! Clench your teeth!" He snaps and lightly punches our Captain in the jaw, but it doesn't affect him in the slightest, and Luffy throws him away.

"Like I said…I wanna go to the sky island, old guy!" He exclaims.

"You're a hasty one!" Cricket chuckles. "Yeah, I did tell you, right? The witness to the sky island is that Noland the Liar," He grabs an old-looking book from the bookcase next to his bed. "If you have anything to do with him, you'll be laughed at like me."

"What?! He's been to the sky island, too?!" Luffy questions.

"Unfortunately, this doesn't say he did, but…." Cricket says as he flicks through the pages.

"A logbook?! Could it be Noland's?" Nami asks, trying to take a peek.

"That's right," He replies and seems to find the page as he throws it at Nami, who catches the book. "Read around there."

"Amazing… A logbook from 400 years ago… Sea Ephemeris Year 1120, June 21st, Sunny. We left Villa, a cheerful town. Following the Log Pose, we should be heading east-northeast from the harbour. We got a rare item from a bumboat that we came across during the day. It's a ski-like one-person boat called a waver," Nami begins reading the passage, and the boys look excitedly, walking closer. "It's a mysterious boat that can generate wind and move even on a day without wind. It seems that you need to get the hang of it to ride, and I couldn't manage it." Chopper rushes towards me and holds his arms out, and I pick him up and walk over so he can listen. "Right now, it's become a perfect toy for my crew." No way! What's this? I want it!" Nami beams, stopping reading, much to the boys' dismay.

"Never mind that, keep reading!" The boys shout at her.

"The power for this seems to be a product found only on the sky island, and I hear that many peculiar things like that exist in the sky. Speaking of the sky island, one of my explorer friends showed me a live skyfish," Nami continues, and it seems to pique our cook's interest. "I was surprised at how strange the fish looked."

"Skyfish?" Sanji mutters, listening.

"To our ship, it's still an unknown area, but as a sailor, I'd like to go to the sea in the sky one day. Montblanc Noland… He said "The sea in the sky"!" Nami beams.

"It's just like Robin and Dakota said!" Luffy exclaims, looking at Usopp and Chopper with the same expression.

"And it sounds like the sky island was a pretty normal thing for people back them." Usopp exclaims with glee.

"So it really does exist!" Chopper cheers, jumping out of my arms, and Cricket walks out of the hut.

"Alright!" The boys cheer.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

3rd POV:

Somewhere on the Grand Line, a raft sails across the calm waters with a green flamed candle flickering through the fog around them, closer looking it's Dracule Mihawk. He glances down at the three pieces of paper in his hands, the three new bounties on Luffy, Zoro and Dakota, and he can't help but grin.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

DAKOTA'S POV:

Cricket stands in front of us after calling us out of his house. "What do you need to tell us, old guy?" Usopp asks the old man.

"Here. I'll start by telling you everything I know about the sky island," Cricket tells us. I see Zoro falling asleep, so I lean him down so his head rests in my lap as I stretch my legs out in front of me and use my hands behind me to stop myself from falling over. "None of it's certain, but it's up to you if you wanna believe it or not!"

"Yeah! We believe you! Sis knows it too!" Luffy assures the man.

"Geez, you're fast!" Usopp lightly scolds our Captain and slaps his arm.

"There's a strange phenomenon that occurs in these waters - sometimes it'll turn to night, even though it's the middle of the day." He explains, pointing out into the sea.

"Yeah!" Luffy puts his hand up. "We saw that! Right?!"

"Yeah! Night came, and then some monsters appeared!" Usopp agrees.

"The giants? There's a story about where they come from, but forget 'em for now. This sudden nightfall…." Cricket takes a drag from his cigarette and lets out a puff of smoke. "It's caused by the shadows of extremely compact clouds…."

"You mean cumulonimbus clouds?" Nami questions. "But it was too dark to be clouds…."

"Wow! You're so dumb, old guy!" Luffy taunts the man. "It gets cloudy on days when there's lots of clouds!"

"Yeah! Cloudy!" Usopp adds.

"Cloudy!" Chopper jumps up in front of the rest of us.

"Shut up and listen!" Cricket shouts at the boys. "There are clouds known as "cumuloregalis clouds." They pile high into the sky but produce no air currents or rain. When they appear high in the sky, even sunlight is blocked out, bringing afternoon "nighttime" to the ground. One theory has it that cumuloregalis clouds are fossilised clouds that have floated in the sky for thousands and thousands of years."

"That's ridiculous! Clouds with no air current even after building up?!" Nami disagrees.

"You're free to believe they can't exist. I'm not asking you to believe me!" He tells her.

"They're mystery clouds, then?" Luffy questions, not getting it.

"Pretty much. There's still no explanation for them," Montblanc agrees.

"You're awesome, Luffy!" Chopper cheers.

"Listen. If a sky island really does exist…that'd be the only possible place!" Cricket says, pointing at us.

"Okay! Gotcha! Let's go above those clouds!" Luffy cheers, jumping around, and Usopp joins in. "Get up, Zoro!"

"Huh? Is it morning?" Zoro asks, getting up from my lap and adorably rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Get ready, everyone! Cloud rudder full! Thanks for filling us in, old guy!" Rubber boy cheers as they dance around.

"How many times do I gotta say we don't know how to get there?!" Nami shouts at them and beats them a little.

"Now comes the real problem. Let me start by saying this… Put your lives on the line! We're already neared death… The Knock-Up Stream is a current that shoots into the air… You can theoretically take it into the sky. Understand?" Cricket explains.

"It's a current that can send ships flying, right?" Nami asks him.

"Oh! Then it just needs to send us above the clouds!" Luffy cheers, imagining something less deadly than it really is.

"Yahoo!" Chopper jumps into the air with glee.

"On a current?" Usopp questions.

"But wouldn't we just end up smashing back into the ocean?" Nami asks.

"Normally, yeah. The key is timing. It's easy to talk about being sent up the current, but it's not gonna be as nice a trip as you guys think. The Knock-Up Stream is a natural disaster. It's something that should normally be avoided!" Cricket warns them, and looking around, there are several reactions, mainly fear and shock.

"How exactly does a water current rise into the sky?" Nami inquires. "We've never heard of anything like that before…."

"Yeah!" The dummies nod in agreement.

"Naturally, we can only guess as to how that monstrous current works. No one's dumb enough to jump in and find out, after all. The accepted theory goes like this! Deep beneath the sea floor there are large cavities, and low-temperature sea water seeps into them. The heat from the earth below turns that water into steam, and the resulting pressure causes an explosion on the seafloor. One big enough to send the sea flying and create a current into the sky!" Cricket explains further, and Luffy oohs in excitement. "For about one minute, the sea continues to rise into the sky."

"One minute?!" Nami explains in disbelief. "What size of explosion are we talking about here?!"

"The explosions change location each time, and occur five times a month," He tells us.

"You want us to be blown into smithereens…?!" Usopp grumbles in disbelief, stepping towards the man.

"But, y'know, describing a grand natural phenomenon with words and logic is foolish." Cricket remarks.

"S-So, basically, we gotta ride this current that only appears five times a month and hope the sky island shows up?" He asks.

"Yeah. And if you miss, you'll fall back down, slam into the ocean…and then you'll all end up at the bottom of the sea." Montblanc warns us.

"A-Alright! Let's give up on the sky island!" Usopp tries to stop our Captain, laughing, and Luffy joins in, but it turns into panic. "It's impossible! You gotta have the luckiest luck that's ever lucked to make it there!" He begins laughing with Luffy again.

"We'll be fine! Let's go!" Our Captain assures him.

"How did I know? "We'll be fine"? How can you say such groundless stuff so easily…?! I mean, just look at the Going Merry now!" Our Sniper warns, pointing over to our ship. "It looks so pitiful! It can't stand up to a gigantic disaster like that!"

"That's true. Even in mint condition, that ship wouldn't stand a chance," Cricket agrees. "Speed, weight, strength… That boat'd be blasted apart in the explosion."

"But… See! It really is impossible!" Usopp chokes, looking upset.

"But don't you worry about that. I'll have Masira and Shojo help take you there. Only after we strengthen your ship, of course," He tells us.

"Yeah!" The Monkey Brothers shout from the windows of the small hut. "Just leave it to us!"

"Thanks, guys!" Luffy cheers, and I look to Nami and Usopp, who don't look that happy.

"Didn't even ask us…." They grumble to themselves, and Nami walks over to our Captain.

"Do you even understand?!" Nami asks him.

"Understand what?" He asks her, looking at her over his shoulder.

"For starters… Yeah! The most we can stay on this island is one more day!" She warns him, holding up the Log Pose. "After that, the Log Pose will start pointing to the next island!"

"Yeah! Yeah! We won't make it in time!" Usopp tries to get Luffy to leave. "Seriously, old man! You're not a psychic! I doubt you know but how many days will it be until the Knock-Up Stream and the cumuloregalis clouds line up?! No, no! How many months?! No, how many years?!"

"Tomorrow afternoon. If you're going, you better get ready!" Cricket crushes Usopp's dreams.

"We can't make it in that time!" The Sniper exclaims.

"Oh? If you don't like it, then just quit!" He tells the long nose teen.

"Y-You're lying!" Usopp exclaims, pointing at the blond man. "This isn't right! We just met you today! Aren't you being too nice?! Plus…!"

"Hold on, Usopp!" Luffy tries to stop him, but he holds his arm up to stop the Rubber Boy.

"Shut up, you! Tomorrow just happens to be the perfect chance to go to this legendary unknown "sky island"?! And you'll help strengthen our ship and take us there?! That's way too convenient! What exactly are you scheming?! Plus you're Noland the Liar's descendant! We can't trust you!" Usopp rants.

"Old-timer!" The monkey brothers shout from the door they slam open. "Dinner's ready!"

"Move!" Sanji snaps at them, moving to the front. "Nami-san! Dakota-chan! Dinner's-" He calls out to us but stops feeling the tension in the air.

"W-What?! Are you gonna fight?!" Usopp stutters as he looks at Montblanc.

"Whenever "midday night" is confirmed in Masira's turf, cumuloregalis clouds appear in the southern skies the next day. And judging from its five-per-month rate, the Knock-up Stream will probably be active tomorrow. It'll happen somewhere south of here," Cricket explains as he stalks towards Usopp. "It's not a 100% certainty, but there's a good chance it'll be tomorrow!" He stands before the long nose sniper, who shivers under his gaze. "I'm glad to have met fools like you. Now, let's go and have some food! Take it easy at my place today…comrades!" He cuts at Usopp's heart, who looks close to tears, and we begin walking inside.

"Food! Hurry, Usopp!" Luffy cheers.

"Yeah! C'mon!" Chopper cheers.

"Chopper! Go get Robin-chan!" Sanji asks the reindeer.

"Right!" He agrees and rushes off to find the newest member.

"I'm sorry, old guy!" Usopp comes crying over to Cricket, grabbing him around the waist.

"What the…?!" Cricket exclaims, trying to get him off. "Yuck! Don't wipe your snot on me!" He whacks him over the head.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

We all sit around the hut in a circle on the circular rug, enjoying Sanji's food and some alcohol. I lean against Zoro as I take a gulp of my wine. "Today's booze is especially great!" Cricket slurs after taking a big sip from his bottle.

"Eat up, eat up! The saury full course is just getting started!" Sanji tells everyone, and Usopp pops something into Masira's mouth.

"Here!" Usopp says, and fire comes out of his mouth. "Gotcha, salvage bum! That's a Tabasco Bomber!"

"Why, you! Long-nose!" Masira shouts as he chases after the Sniper.

"Girlie! Come sit here!" Cricket says to Nami with Sanji standing between them, and he tries pushing the old man with his foot.

"It's 100 years too early to have Nami-san wait on you!" Sanji tells him.

"We should go back to the ship," I whisper into Zoro's ear, making him choke on his beer.

""I saw gold…" Cricket says, and I look over to see him kneeling in front of Robin, who sits away from the rest of us, leaning against the wall. "...in the skull's right eye!""

"Gold?!" Nami repeats, and the room goes silent.

"That tear-soaked sentence was the last thing Noland wrote. "I saw gold in the skull's right eye…." Noland was executed that same day. Even after coming to Jaya, those words make no sense at all. "The skull's right eye…." Is it referring to the name of a city that once existed? Or was it an allusion to his own death? The blank pages that follow say nothing… So that's why we dive! We have a dream! On the seafloor!" Cricket exclaims and takes a drink.

"That's right!" Some cheer and clink their glasses.

"We're gonna fly!" Luffy says, stuffing his face some more.

"Not if you keep eating like that, we won't!" Usopp jokes, making us all laugh.

"I wonder…" I mumble to myself, remembering a passage in my Mother's Logbook.

""The day I arrived on Jaya. Entry for May 21st, 1122." Cricket recites passages from Noland's Logbook as the monkey brothers cheer his name. ""Upon landing on the island, we heard strange bird calls and the sound of a very large bell coming from the forest. The sound from that huge gold bell resonated far and wide, almost as if showing off the prosperity of a city long past! We thought we knew everything after living for a few decades…"" I lean into Zoro as he wraps his arm around my waist. ""...but experiencing the transience of this civilisation that flourished for a long time on the wide open sea left us speechless! The sound of the bell had us stopped in our tracks!"" He finishes, gets to his feet, and lets out a roar that both Luffy and the monkey brothers join in on.

"Noland's so cool!" They cheer, Shojo falling backwards.

"Wow! A giant gold bell!" Nami sparkles at the possibility, and it rings more as I think of the Logbook among my books on the ship.

"Wait a minute, old guy! You like Noland after all!" Usopp teases him, making us all laugh.

"Look at this!" He brings out something wrapped in cloth and reveals small gold bells.

"Wow! Gold bells!" The navigator beams, picking one of them up and rubbing it against her face in glee.

"So, how exactly are those "giants"?" He questions, looking at the small golden bells.

"These aren't that bell. They're bell-shaped ingots. We found these three on the seafloor," Cricket explains.

"Ingots?" Chopper asks, getting a closer look.

"Oh! So there really is a city of gold!" Luffy exclaims.

"They don't prove that," Shojo corrects him, getting off the floor. "You could find that much gold in any old ruins."

"But it does prove that there was a civilisation in this area. Ingots are made to have standardised weights. Which means they were used for trade," Robin explains further.

"Yes. And the strange bird calls mentioned before that… Hey, Masira!" Cricket says, and looking over to him, sees him holding something and moves the cloth away to reveal a bird statue made initially of gold.

"Whoa! There's more?!" Usopp gasps.

"This one's huge!" Zoro compliments.

"That's all of 'em," Cricket says.

"Wow! It's so pretty!" Nami coos.

"Gold bells and a bird… Do you suppose they were symbols of old Jaya?" Sanji questions.

"Dunno, but I think they were part of some sort of model," Cricket answers and takes the bird, sliding it in front of him. "This here's called a South Bird, and they still exist on this island!"

"Oh! Do they have weird calls?" Luffy asks, leaning towards the gold statue.

"Yep. Just like the Logbook says!" He replies.

"Sailors have long used South Birds to…." Masira says but stops, looking at his Brother in shock, and it seems Cricket had the same thought.

"Oh, crap!" They shout.

"What is it?! What's wrong?!" Luffy questions.

"This is bad! You guys! Go into the forest! The southern forest!" Cricket orders us.

"Huh?! What're you talking about?! Are you crazy, old guy?!" The rubber boy asks him a good question.

"Go catch this bird! Right now!" He orders.

"Why?! What for?!" Usopp questions.

"Why do we need a bird?" Sanji inquires.

"Listen closely! The Knock-Up Stream you're heading for tomorrow is located directly south of this cape. How are you going to get there?!" Cricket asks us.

"Just sail straight there, right?" Luffy stupidly answers.

"This is the Grand Line, you know! Once you're on the open sea, there's no way to get your bearings!" He reminds us.

"That's right!" Nami agrees. "We're heading for ocean, not an island, so we have no guide to rely on! Then how do we go straight south?"

"You use that bird's behaviour! Some types of animals have accurate, internal magnets which allow them to get their bearings." Cricket explains, which makes Luffy laugh.

"Then you're lower than an animal, Zoro!" Luffy chuckles.

"Like you're anyone to talk!" Zoro snaps back at him.

"South Birds are the greatest of such animals! No matter how vast the land or sea they're thrown into, their bodies will always indicate the direction accurately. Anyway, without one of these birds, you're going nowhere! You won't even get the chance to go to the sky island!" He adds, making the boys exclaim.

"Why are you telling us this now?!" Chopper yells.

"Quit fussing!" Cricket shouts, throwing the boys out. "There's no time! Hurry! Don't dilly-dally!" We follow, rushing out of the house.

"You want us to go into the forest in the middle of the night?!" Usopp freaks out.

"You forgot these!" He throws three nets, one landing over the Sniper's head, and Luffy catches the others. "We're gonna get started on your beat-up ship! Now that I think about it, there was no time to be partin'!"

"Again, why are you telling us this now?!" Usopp yells as Sanji and Zoro drag him into the forest, and we follow behind them.

"Listen! Make sure you catch at least one South Bird before dawn!" He warns us.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

"It's pitch dark!" Luffy blinks as he looks around the dark forest.

"Quit pulling me!" Sanji snaps at Usopp.

"It's not my fault! My hands are moving on their own!" Usopp argues as he clings to Sanji's blazer, and the blond elbows him in the face to get him off.

"My stomach's so full, I don't think I can chase birds…." Chopper remarks.

"Where are these weird birds?!" Luffy wonders as he walks ahead.

"Let's just catch one so we can get back to drinking!" Zoro says, taking my hand.

"Don't you mean the ship?" I joke as he looks stunned, and I pull him along.

"How did we wind up doing this so suddenly?!" Nami demands as she hugs herself.

"You're in the way!" Sanji pushes Usopp away.

"Man! Couldn't he have told us during the day?!" The coward questions.

"Hey, where are the birds?" Luffy asks.

"If we knew where they were, we wouldn't be out looking for 'em!" Zoro snaps at the rubber boy.

"Our only clue is that they have a weird call…." He says as the boys all circle around each other.

"And they look just like that gold statue…." Sanji adds.

"Are they really such dumb-looking birds?!" Zoro comments.

"Plus, "weird call" is way too vague! How're we supposed to know?" Usopp asks.

"He said we'd know once we're in the forest…." The cook reminds the others, and the strangest noise I'd ever heard comes from within the forest.

"A weird call!" We shout.

"That's it!" Nami confirms.

"Alright!" Luffy cheers.

"At this point, we got no other choice!" Zoro declares.

"We have three nets. Let's split into three groups and search!" Sanji suggests, and the three boys clink their nets together.

"Right!" Rubber Boy agrees and splits off with Chopper, and Sanji goes with Usopp and Nami, leaving Zoro, Robin and me. "Let's go! Let's beat up those weird birds!"

"You mean catch!" Usopp shouts after him, and we begin walking off in different directions.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

We keep walking further into the forest, and I watch Robin in front of us as she jumps over to the other side of the quagmire and stops as screams come from within the trees. "I hear screams…." She announces.

"Forget about 'em," Zoro tells her, cuts down another giant insect, and packs it up with its antenna. "A centipede, huh? It's pretty damn big…."

"It's not nice to kill everything. Poor thing…" Robin remarks, and he drops it to the ground.

"That's what it gets for trying to attack me," He tells her.

"I don't think it was trying to attack you," I tell him, and he starts walking back the way we came.

"But…" Robin tries to get him.

"What?" Zoro asks, coming to a stop.

"That's the path we just took here," She tells him, and the strange call comes again. "That bird call… This way." She rushes ahead. "Watch out for that quagmire," She warns us.

"Hey! Wait for-!" He calls after her and steps into it, almost sinking, but I catch him.

"Dummy!" I scold him.

"It's not my fault!" He snaps, and I raise my eyebrow at him.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

As we keep walking, there are screams across the forest and the strange call of the South Birds. I am walking with Zoro when a few dozen mole crickets surround us. Robin moves to the side as Zoro cuts down most of them, growing annoyed at the insects that just keep coming. "There's no end to 'em!" Zoro groans, bonking the poor insect on the head. "Why is your mole cricket army attacking me?! You're in the way! Do you think you can beat me?! Huh?!" He keeps hitting them on the head.

"I can hear it, but I can't see it…." Robin comments as another bird call comes from within the trees, and even more, screams come from the others, and we begin to meet up with the others.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

"No luck. We couldn't even see a single one…." I grumble as we all stand around with each other.

"We saw one, but there was no time for the bird, with all those bugs…." Luffy complains as Chopper tries to catch his breath.

"All we did was run…." Chopper says, still breathing heavily.

"Yeesh! Eight people, and you get zilch?! Get it together, you guys!" Usopp scolds us.

"That includes you!" Sanji reminds him, and Nami falls to the ground.

"I can't run anymore!" Nami groans, all of us tired from running around the forest, and I hear the sound of wings and look up to see a strange-looking bird who seems happy with itself and laughing.

""You really think you can catch us? Idiots!"" Chopper translates for us.

"What?! He came here to tell us that?!" Usopp snaps and rushes across the rest of us, getting his slingshot out of his pocket. "Dammit! I'll shoot you good!" The bird seems to be laughing, and suddenly arms appear out the side of its wings, wrapping it up, and another pops up on the branch, throwing the South Bird to the ground, much to our surprise.

"All I needed was to see one," Robin tells us.

"Nice," I compliment her, and we return to Cricket's place.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

We make it out of the forest to see disaster; the whole place is trashed, and Masira is beaten along with Cricket. "Old guy! We caught a bird!" Luffy shouts as he rushes out of the trees behind us and sees the old man. "Old diamond-head!"

"Masira!" Usopp exclaims, running over to him.

"Shojo!" Sanji shouts, spotting him, and I see him diving into the water where a floating Shojo lies.

"What in the world happened?!" Nami demands as she looks around and runs to the broken hut.

"Damn! Who did this?!" Sanji groans as he pulls Shojo, and Chopper rushes over, growing bigger. "Hey! Gimme a hand!"

"Right!" Chopper agrees, and Usopp finally notices the condition of the Going Merry.

"Look! The Going Merry…! What the hell?! Who did this?! Dammit! Who was it?!" Usopp cries in rage.

"Sorry…" Cricket croaks as Luffy sits by him, and I move closer, sitting beside him.

"Old guy!" Luffy exclaims. "Hey, old guy! Are you awake?!"

"I'm truly sorry! There's nothing we could do! We're pathetic! But…there's still time to strengthen the ship before sunup…!" He tries to get up, groaning in pain.

"Wait a second! Lie back down!" I order him and push him with a thud back onto the ground. "Demonic Healing," I whisper and wiggle my fingers as purple mist envelopes my hands.

"No… It's okay. Don't worry about it. Doesn't matter now… More importantly, you need to…." As I begin healing his wounds, Cricket tries to say, the blood disappearing along with the bruises. "What did you do?" He asks me as he finally sits up. "Thank you."

"No need, I wanted to help and let's be fair, you're helping us get to the Sky Island," I smile, and he spots the South Bird held by the feet in Zoro's hands.

"Ah! Great! You caught yourself a South Bird! Perfect!" Montblanc coughs a little.

"Luffy!" Nami shouts, and we look at the ginger as she emerges from the demolished hut. "The gold… It's been stolen!"

"Nah, it's alright… Forget about that junk… You need to focus on…." Cricket waves us off.

"What do you mean, "junk"?!" Usopp shouts. "It took you ten long years of diving into the ocean and torturing your body until you found that gold! You can't just…."

"Quiet!" He snaps at the long-nose sniper, silencing him. "It's alright… This is our problem… Listen! If they all work on it, the Saruyama Alliance can fix and reinforce that ship, no problem. I'll have 'em finish in time for morning! There won't be any trouble with your departure tomorrow!" Zoro walks away toward the ship, looking at the extensive damage. "Listen! We will send you into the sky, without fail!"

"Old-timer…" Usopp whispers.

"Hey, Luffy," Zoro calls out, gaining our attention, and we look to see a pirate mark on the side of the ship.

"Bellamy's mark…." Nami gasps, and Luffy gets to his feet; I look up at him.

"Want help?" Zoro asks.

"No, I can do it alone," Luffy assures him, adjusting his hat to cover his eyes.

"No, Luffy! Don't be stupid! We set sail in only three hours!" Nami warns him.

"If I run along the coast, will I reach the town from this afternoon?" Luffy asks Robin.

"Yes, you will," She answers.

"Hey, kid! Where're you going?!" Cricket tries to stop him, and I hold him back from destroying the rubber boy. "Don't be a fool! Do you know who you're dealing-" Zoro steps in front of him and holds out one of his swords.

"If you wanna stop him, use this," Zoro tells him.

"K-Kid…"

"I'll be back by morning!" Luffy announces, and I step towards him.

"You will if I get you there," I tell him, slapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Sis, I can handle it on my own!" He whines like a baby.

"I'll let you beat this Bellamy all on your own," I assure him, and he nods.

"Okay, but you can't help me."

"Sure, come on, let's beat this loser," I grab his shoulder tighter. "Teleport."

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

3rd POV:

In Mock Town, one of Bellamy's men stumbles from the bar towards the docks to take a leek in the water. "I'm empty now! That's every last drop of water in my body! Now I won't sweat a single drop!" He talks to himself and zips up his flies. "This ol' drunk is broken and dry! O, Gold of Alcohol, thank you for today! But I guess there's no such thing…." He walks toward the town, and a messenger seagull drops a bunch of papers. "A newspaper? Let's see! What bad news is there today?" He stumbles towards it, picks them up and unravels the pieces. "Oh, this isn't a newspaper. It's a stack of wanted posters… Honestly, this is a lawless town! I'm sick of meeting new bad guys!" The drunk flips through bounties, sees a familiar face and looks further to find another familiar face. "This is that spineless kid from this afternoon! Boy, that sky island talk was a real hoot! Thirty million, I believe he was worth…." He looked down at the amount, and his eyes widened in shock. "Crap! I had a little too much to drink! Let's see… 1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, 1,000,000, 10,000,000… Yikes! I really did drink too much! 1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, 1,000,000, 10,000,000…" He repeats, and his face is blue in dread. "...100,000,000!"

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

Bellamy and his crew inside the bar celebrate their little victory against the Saruyama Alliance and take their gold. "Those big apes were hilarious! They had huge gashes all over and had tears and snot dripping down as they cried, "Old-timer!" Sarquiss laughs. "If he's that important, they should've protected him better! Right?!"

"Talk about lame!" Lily chuckles, making Rivers laugh next to her.

"Don't be like that," Eddy cuts in. "They couldn't help it, they were up against you and Bellamy! After all, our Captain is a major rookie worth 55 million berries!"

"Bad news!" The drunk slams the door open, making the bar go quiet.

"What's the deal?! It's the middle of the night!" Eddy complains.

"This afternoon! Those guys in here, they-! Oh! Bellamy! You're still here?! You gotta get out of here! You're in the most danger!" The drunk warns the blond Captain, who scoffs in disbelief.

"What're you talking about? Me, in danger?" Bellamy scoffs, and the drunk gets out of the two bounties showing the pub that goes dead silent, and even one of the pirates drops their glass, smashing it on the floor.

"100 million…?!" One of the pirates gasps in shock, reading Luffy's new poster.

"60 million?!" Another pirate gasps at Zoro's.

"That's right! Those two from this afternoon! Their bounties are higher than yours, Bellamy! You're dead meat!" The drunk exclaims.

"Are you serious?! Crap! We laughed at the wrong people!"

"Think they remember what we look like! It's dangerous to stay here!"

"I never met anyone with a 100 million bounty!" Bellamy's men begin to crack, and their Captain keeps laughing.

"Hey, hey, hey! You fools! Scared of a few scraps of paper! Do you have knot holes for eyes?! You saw their leader!" Bellamy tries to calm his men down, unaware of two figures popping up on the outskirts of the little resort town. "Did you know that there were once Pirates who faked their own wanted posters to make names for themselves? People see their bounties and just curl up and surrender, even though they could've won in a fight… Just like you guys now! You saw how weak they are, but look at you now! You're pathetic!"

"You're right! Boy, those bastards had me scared!"

"Bellamy's right-someone with a bounty of 100 million has gotta be involved in some pretty bad stuff, but then why hasn't he been in the papers?!"

"Definitely! I ain't heard of any straw hat kid!"

"Whew! Had me scared for a minute there!"

"Alright! Back to drinking! Cheers!" The pirates go back to drinking, thinking they're safe.

"Bellamy! Where are you?!" A voice shouts from outside, making some men spit out their drinks in shock.

"To think he'd call me out…." Bellamy grins darkly and walks out of the pub.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

Bellamy walks out of the pub but doesn't see anyone around. "Hey!" Luffy calls out, and he looks up to see the straw hat kid up on the roof of the stone tower.

"I just heard the rumours about you… You got business with me?" Bellamy asks the rubber boy.

"Yeah! Give back old diamond-head's gold!" He demands.

"Gold?" The blond chuckles. "You mean old man Cricket's stuff?" Bellamy uses his Devil Fruit to form his legs into springs and jumps up to face Luffy. "Why should I give anything back? I stole that stuff as a pirate. As a Pirate yourself, you're in no position to find fault with me!"

"Am too," Luffy retorts. "They're my friends. So I'm stealing it back."

"I hate to ask, but can you fight?!" He cackles. "Do you know how to throw a punch?! What can a coward like you possibly do?!"

"N-No doubt about it! That's him!" The drunk below stutters as he holds the two bounty posters.

"Geez, you still got that?! Tear it up and throw it away already!" Sarquiss snaps at him.

"But if this wanted poster is real… Not even Bellamy stands a chance against a 100 million-Berry bounty!" He cowers.

"Ridiculous! Just look at that runt! Does he look nefarious to you?! That makes me suspicious of his 30 million bounty poster, too!" The blue-haired first mate spits.

"If you just stand there in fear like this afternoon, you ain't gonna steal nothing from me, coward!" Bellamy sneers.

"This afternoon was different," Luffy argues, making the blond cackle more.

"That so? And just how is it different?! This time, I'll shut your smart-alecky mouth for good!" He shouts; springs appear on the lower half of his legs, and he jumps away, causing the tower's roof with force.

"It's collapsing!" One of the Pirates below shouts.

"I'll finish you in an instant!" Bellamy shouts and lands on a nearby building, positioning himself. "Spring…Snipe!" He bolts towards Luffy, who holds onto the falls rooftop, and jumps away as the blond comes closer, smashing the roof into little pieces.

"Oh! Straw Hat flew, too!" A pirate shouts from below, seeing the ravenette land on another rooftop as Bellamy lands by his men.

"Amateur trash…" Bellamy sneers and reeves up before bolting towards Luffy, punching a large hole in the roof with Luffy on top, who tries dodging out of the way, but miscalculates, almost falling off the roof, handing off the side, his arms stretching a little.

"What'd that runt come all the way here for?!" Sarquiss laughs.

"Let's all sit back and enjoy Bellamy's "show"!" Eddy shares a laugh with Rivers.

"He talked all big, but now he's just running away!" The first-mate laughs, all of them unaware that someone is standing behind them, and sneaks off inside the pub.

"Nothing's different at all…." Bellamy sneers as he lands on a different stone tower, and Luffy gets onto the roof. "It's just like this afternoon!" He snaps and jumps towards the ravenette, who leaps away, falling to the ground as the blond lands on the floor. "You're gonna steal the gold back?! You're just a weakling who's all talk, who can't stand up to me, and can't do anything but blather on about dreams!" He jumps up, meeting Luffy in midair, making the rubber boy crash towards the group of pirates.

"He's coming this way!" "Run!" The Pirates shout, running in different directions when Luffy crashes into the ground, and Bellamy jumps around before landing on another roof.

"Struggle all you want-there's no escape from my Spring-Spring Fruit power!" Bellamy warns him.

"Finished already? Pathetic!" Sarquiss taunts him as the cloud of debris begins to fade away.

"No way that kid can stand a chance against Bellamy!" Rivers jokes, making the rest of them laugh.

"That didn't kill you, did it?" Bellamy asks, and the dust fades to reveal Luffy as he gets up from the wood pile.

"He got up!" One of the Pirates gasps.

"It's too early to kick the bucket! My show's just getting to the good part! Spring…" He shouts and goes into a crouch. "...Hopper!" Bellamy jumps down towards Luffy, who doesn't even flinch and starts bolting around the towers and buildings surrounding them like a pinball machine, quickly growing in speed.

"Bellamy disappeared!" "He did this when Roshio the Executioner was killed!" Two of the onlookers exclaim as they watch.

"They're your friends, huh?!" The blond cackles. "Come to think of it, that geezer and those giant apes are just like you! You're a clan of natural-born morons who believe in a fish story told by some guy 400 years ago! A city of gold? A Sky Island?! The era of dreams is over, you pathetic excuses for Pirates!"

"Do I know how to throw a punch, you ask?" Luffy questions, raising his fist and cracking his knuckles; you can hear them popping.

"Get 'im, Bellamy! That moron isn't fit to live in reality!" Sarquiss laughs, making the others join in.

"So long, Straw Hat!" Bellamy shouts as he draws towards the ravenette, who punches the blond into the ground with a tremendous crash, and the cocky man spits blood as he falls to the ground.

"Hey… Quit kiddin' around, Bellamy…." Sarquiss says in shock as he looks at the scene before them, the blood dripping from Luffy's knuckles. "C'mon! You're just joking, right?! Say something! Hey! Bellamy! Quit acting dumb! C'mon, get up! Continue your usual show! Bellamy! You're a major rookie with a 55 million reward!" He stops, thinking about what the drunk had said earlier, and as if fate allowed it, a wind blows the bounty poster out of the drunk's hands into the blue-haired man's face. He peels it off his face, seeing it's Luffy's, and the words ring true from earlier, and he throws it to the ground in fright.

"S-See! I told you…!" The drunk stutters and looks at Luffy, who turns to look at them.

"Man! That was a good show!" A voice spooks them from behind; they swirl around to see a red-haired woman holding a sack over her shoulder.

"Did you get it?" Luffy asks her, and she walks through the small crowd as some run away in fright.

"I got it!" She tells him, patting the sack.

"T-That runt… It was a fluke!" Sarquiss mutters as he kneels by the fallen body of his comrade and gets to his feet in rage. "Hey, you! Stop! I'm still here! C'mon! Bring it on! There's no way we can lose to dream-chasing morons!" He tries to run after them, but Eddy stops him. "What's wrong! Hey, Straw Hat! Where're you going?!" Those words make them stop, scaring the others.

"Where?" Luffy asks, raising his bloodied fist. "The sky!" He answers honestly, pointing his index finger.

"Man, Luffy, I love your honesty!" Dakota laughs and gives her Brother the sack of gold.

"What are you laughing at, you red-haired bitch!" Lily shouts, growing bold, and the former Assassin stops laughing, glaring over her shoulder at the blond.

"What did you call me?" She growls, and Luffy steps away from his Sister, knowing the look in her eyes. "I don't think a blond little bitch like you should be calling anyone else a bitch, do you?" With every word, Dakota stalks towards her, the killing intent rolling off her in waves, making the stragglers all quiver in fear. Dakota smirks, showing sharp canines, and slowly raises her hand towards the blond, who watches, her vision turning blue and a smiling black face appearing in front of her and a looming hand. Lily lets out a shrill scream of fright, making the others look in fear as the blond falls to the ground, shaking like a leaf. "Now, I know you beat on my Brother this afternoon along with my boyfriend, but they can fight their own battles. But you insulted our Navigator, bad move on your part. So I'll warn you now. You ever touch them again or anyone under my protection, that means those Monkey Brothers and Cricket. I will find you and end you."

"Who are you?" The drunk shivers.

"Dakota Le Roux, Daughter of the great Red-Haired Shanks and Deadly Anna," She smiles and walks away, slinging her arm around her Brother as they walk away.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

Somewhere within the Grand Line, Mihawk sails around with ease as he looks at the new wanted posters of Luffy, Zoro and Dakota. "So these are the ones who defeated Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea…Monkey …Dakota Le Roux…and Roronoa Zoro." He thinks of the last encounter with those three. "So those kids've grown to the point that they can shake the World Government…." He chuckles to himself.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

Within The Holy Land of Marie Geoise, the Five Elder Stars hold a meeting of current events, a Marine officer kneeling in front of them, not giving them any eye contact. "What? Red-Haired?!" One of the elders exclaims.

"Yes. He is acting disturbingly…." The officer confirms.

"But I assume he didn't take action himself?" Another elder question.

"No. He did so indirectly, using a messenger… But it's too dangerous for Whitebeard and Red-Hair to make contact!" He says.

"Yes, that is true. But Red-Haired is formidable only when agitated; he is not the type to change things about the world on his own," The Elder sitting in one of the green armchairs with a cane remarks. "Let us be patient and watch."

"The Seven Warlords of the Sea are more Important now," The elder with glasses and a samurai sword says. "We must find a successor for Crocodile quickly. Do not underestimate his loss. The collapse of the Three Great Powers will fracture the world itself. Balance must be maintained."

"Yes, sir! That is why we have called the Seven Warlords here, but who knows how many will show up? They are pirates. They do as they please…." The officer remarks, and the elder with the scar picks up the bounty posters on the table of Luffy and Dakota.

"Damn you, Crocodile. You've put us in a dreadful situation… We can no longer let these man who beat you remain unchecked…and the woman, who is getting too close to the truth…." He places the poster back down. "Monkey …and Le Roux."

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

"Navy HQ to Marie Geoise," A female voice calls out. "Donquixote Doflamingo and Bartholomew Kuma of the Seven Warlords of the Sea have arrived." The two Warlords walk past the Marine officers towards the building.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

"Hey! Stop! What are you doing?!" The Marine croaks as his fellow officer chokes him, the pair moving backwards and knocking over a chair.

"No! My hands are moving on their own!" He cries out, trying to stop.

"Don't be stupid! This is no time for jokes!"

"I'm not joking! I can't control my body!"

"The hell you can't…! I can't breathe!"

"Knock it off! What do you think you're doing?!" The onlooking officer shouts at the pair of them.

"Are you trying to kill me?!"

"It's not me!"

"Stop it! Where do you think you are?!"

"Doflamingo! This is your doing! Stop it at once!" He shouts at the blond pirate, looking over to see him sitting on the balcony railing, wiggling his fingers around as he uses his strings to move the Marine.

"Then start talking already or I'll end this lousy get-together!" Doflamingo warns them, moving his arm forward and making the officer reach for his sabre at his waist, pulling it free, and the other does the same in defence.

"Hey! You idiot! Stop!"

"Stop! Make him stop, Doflamingo! Damn you!" Before it can escalate, the Fleet Admiral slams the doors open, stopping the mayhem.

"Enough!" Sengoku snaps as he walks into the room with his trusty pet goat. "Don't be fools! Did you come here to start a war?!" He warns, and his dear goat seems to agree. "Oh, pardon my late welcome. Thank you for coming, scum of the sea."

"On, my. Listen to the big shot talk…." Doflamingo chuckles, lowering his arm to his side, and Kuma closes his bible, and the Marines sit at the large round table.

"Let us begin. I doubt any more will come. Two out of six is better than I expected," Sengoku remarks.

"I bet. I didn't plan to come either, but my island's business is going so well…." The blond remarks and climbs onto the table, sitting. "...that I came out of sheer boredom."

"I see. That's disconcerting to hear. Nothing is as depressing to us as a booming Pirate industry." He digs at the Warlord, making him laugh.

"You're quite in your face! You betray the "Saint" in your name, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Donquixote sneers with a smile, and the sound of footsteps grows closer.

"I hear dreary bickering…." Dracule says, alerting the others to his presence. "Did I perhaps come to the wrong place?"

"Hawk-Eye!" The Marines gasp.

"The Navy HQ and the Seven Warlords of the Sea. That roundtable seems meaningless for those two opposing powers," He remarks as he walks towards the others.

"Oh, my! A most unexpected man has arrived!" Doflamingo comments, looking at the World's Greatest Swordsman.

"Don't tell me you're…." Sengoku tries to ask but stops himself.

"No, I'm simply an onlooker here. I'm a bit interested in some Pirates involved with the issue at hand. That's all," Mihawk confesses, thinking of his Dear Niece, her Brother, and her new boyfriend.

"In that case, I, too, am an onlooker… Is that acceptable?" A voice echoes through the room, and they all look over to see the new person. "Well, I suppose I'm not exactly an "onlooker"..."

"Who are you?! How did you get in here?!" The Marine in the purple suit demands.

"But what a truly eminent-looking group you have here… I've come in the hopes…." Laffitte says and begins tap dancing on the spot, making the blond in pink look at him in annoyance. "...that I be allowed to join in your meeting…if at all possible. I do believe you have stripped Crocodile of his title and are now looking for a successor?"

"You…! Are you Laffitte?!" The Marine in the brown suit asks the newcomer.

"Laffitte?" Sengoku asks, looking at the man.

"Oh, you know my name?" The said-man questions, spinning his cane behind his back. "I'm quite honoured!"

"He was a well-known peace officer in West Blue! He was chased from his country for being excessively violent!" The Marine explains, making Laffitte laugh.

"That was long ago. Who I am is of no importance! I've come to recommend a certain man for the Seven Warlords of the Sea." He declares.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

Further within the Grand Line on the Moby Dick, Whitebeard and his crew look at the newest member of Shanks' crew. "Shanks… That name brings back memories… So this is a letter from him?" Whitebeard questions as he sits in his chair, hooked up to IVs.

"Yes. It appears to be important, so he gave it to me to deliver!" Rockstar tells him, seeming proud of himself.

"I see! Well done, then!" The Captain patronises him.

"No, I'm still new to the Red-Haired Pirates… Though I was a Pirate before that, and I think I made a bit of a name for myself… Hey! You guys've heard of Rockstar, right?!" He asks two of Whitebeard's men.

"Nope. Never heard of 'im," One argues.

"Anyway, the Sea King tasted great…." They laugh, and Whitebeard has enough and rips up the letter.

"Hey! What are you-?!" Rockstar gasps.

"Sending me a damn letter… When did that kid stoop to being such a big-shot?!" Whitebeard snaps, dropping the pieces of paper, and the newcomer catches one.

"Hey! Hold on, now! He acted like this was an important letter! This is Red-Haired you're dealing with! Are you sane in the head?!" He snaps, looking up at him.

"I'm Whitebeard!" He replies, taking big gulps of his beer.

"Captain," One of the nurses calls to him. "That's probably enough alcohol for now…."

"Fool! Something you drink when you wanna drink can't be bad for ya!" Whitebeard scolds his nurses, slamming his tankard down on the armrest of his chair.

"My Boss said this was an urgent letter!" Rockstar exclaims.

"I have a good idea what it's about. Ace and Blackbeard. Go tell that kid Red-Haired that if he wants to talk to me, to come here himself, and with some good booze, too! Now go! I don't feel like talkin' with snot-nosed runts, you buffoon." He dismisses the newcomer, even hooked up to IVs, looking extremely intimidating. "I only tolerate the kid because of his Daughter," He grumbles under his breath, thinking of his honourary Daughter, whom he hasn't seen in some time, but it seems she's doing well if her new bounty is anything to go by.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

Rockstar calls his Captain and begins explaining what happened to him, who can't help but laugh. "The old man hasn't changed!" Shanks laughs as he sits with his closer crewmates as the others party in the snow, not caring about the cold.

"This is no laughing matter, Boss!" Rockstar exclaims over the other line.

"Nah, I had an inkling this'd happen," He tells him, knowing Whitebeard well enough.

"Give me a little more time! I've never been insulted like this before!" The newcomer yells, not liking how it went earlier on the Moby Dick.

"Hey, now! What're you planning to do? Forget about it! Thanks for your help. You can come straight back now," Shanks tells him calmly.

"B-But, I have my pride…!" He tries reasoning with his Captain.

"Your life is more important than your pride. There's nothing you can do now. Sorry for all the trouble," The Captain replies and looks at the others.

"So, what're you gonna do, Boss?" Lucky asks him after finishing his mouthful.

"I'm going. Prepare to set sail!" Shanks declares.

"To see Whitebeard?!" Benn asks him, making sure.

"Yep, that's right!" He confirms.

"Do you think the Government will keep quiet if you do that?" His first mate questions.

"This is no time for that," Shanks says, getting to his feet. "It's no big deal. The Government probably won't stay quiet…but if they're gonna get in our way, we won't stay quiet, either!"

"Men! It's battle time!" Lucky cheers, along with the rest of the men.

"Alright! Get some top-quality alcohol ready!" He tells them, and Benn warily follows behind him, worried about what his Goddaughter would think if something happened between her Father and Whitebeard, both men she greatly admires.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

Back with the Marines and three Warlords, looking at Laffitte tells them of his Captain. "Teach?" Sengoku repeats.

"Yes. The Captain of our Pirate crew," Laffitte confirms.

"Never heard of him. Some random, unknown guy would be no threat to other pirates." The Fleet Admiral remarks.

"Yes, we realise that. To that end, we are carefully devising a plan, so I ask for a little more time." He suggests.

"Interesting! C'mon! Let 'em try, Sengoku!" Doflamingo chuckles.

"We are the Blackbeard Pirates. Please remember that name…."

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

Dakota's POV:

I walk through the town, heading for the outskirts and hear a familiar booming laugh; I turn to look over my shoulder with a frown. "That voice, it can't be…." I whisper under my breath, and Luffy looks at me in concern, but I wave it off and pull my Brother forward.

"What is it Sis?" He asks me, seeing the dark look that comes over my face.

"It's nothing, come on, I need to stop off somewhere first," I tell him and pull him further into town.

"Where are we going?" Luffy asks me, and I smile.

"Just wait, you'll like it," I assure him and come across a quaint little shop that doesn't look like it's open, but I don't pay any attention as a light goes on inside and the door slams open to reveal a familiar face, who doesn't look that happy at being woken up. "Hey, Vic," I greet the orange and black-haired woman, who slams the door in my face. "Come on, Vic, I need to buy something!"

"Go away! We're closed!" Vic shouts through the door.

"Why doesn't she like you?" Luffy asks, looking between me and the closed door, and at the sound of his voice, the door opens to reveal Vic, who combs her bedhead.

"This is an old friend of mine; she runs this shop," I tell him and push him into the shop with me close behind and close the door shut.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

"I need a Cameko," I announce, and she looks at me with a frown and walks around the counter as Luffy looks around the shop in awe.

"That'll be 100,000," She smirks, and I pull out a piece of paper; she takes it and frowns, but it soon turns to a smirk as she looks at it, and pulls out a smallish yellow snail with a red and black striped shell and puts it on the counter.

"Thanks, I'll be seeing you," I pull Luffy away and out the door, pocketing the snail.

"What's the snail for?" Luffy asks me as we walk out of the shop.

"You'll see," I tell him.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

"Hey!" Luffy shouts, which seems to cut the tension around the others, and they look up to see us running towards them.

"It's them! Thank goodness! They're back!" Masira exclaims.

"I did it!" He shouts, holding the stupid beetle in his hand that Vic gave him before we left.

"Luffy! Dakota-chan! Hurry! We're behind schedule!" Sanji warns us.

"Check it out! A Hercules! Dakota's friend gave it to me!" The dummy announces, making the others look at us in shock, their jaws slack.

"Dakota's friend…." Nami gasps.

"...gave you a beetle?!" Usopp gasps, and Luffy stops, finally noticing the new additions to the Going Merry.

"Whoa! Awesome!" Luffy exclaims in shock at the chicken extras to the ship.

"It's the Going Merry Flying Mode!" Usopp announces, seeming proud.

"It looks like it can fly!" My dear Brother marvels.

"Doesn't it?! They did it for us!" The Sniper says, pointing to the Saruyama Alliance, and they make their weird signature move.

"Look at 'em go," Sanji sighs.

"Seeing that makes me feel uneasy…." Nami comments as I walk over.

"I agree. Even a pigeon would've been better than a chicken…." Zoro says, making me giggle.

"That's not the main issue here! You're an idiot!" She shouts at him, making me laugh.

"Alright! Let's set sail! Ready, men?!" Usopp exclaims.

"Aye, aye, sir!" The Saruyama Alliance cheers as Luffy places the gold in front of Cricket, who sits silently.

"Get on board already! There's no time!" Cricket tells him as the rest of us climb aboard our ships. "Or are you plannin' to waste your chance to go into the sky, you fool?"

"Right! Thanks for the ship!" Luffy smiles.

"It's them you should thank," The old man says, pointing towards the monkey brothers.

"Yeah! Thanks, you guys!" He waves at them and takes out the beetle from his pocket. "You can have my Hercules!"

"Seriously?!" "For Real?! We can?!" You're a nice guy!" Shojo and his men shout, happy with the gift.

"Vic is going to be upset," I muse, imagining her crying at the news.

"Anyways, let's hurry! Get on board, before we're too late!" Masira warns Luffy.

"We'll lead the way, so follow us!" Shojo announces, and he begins running towards our ship.

"Luffy! Hurry!" Usopp shouts.

"Yeah!" Luffy shouts back.

"Saruyama Alliance!" Cricket shouts, turning to face the rest of us, and the monkey men cry their acknowledgement. "Don't screw up, now! No matter what happens, give everything you got for them!"

"Yeah!" They all shout.

"Alright! Let's go!" Luffy beams as he jumps aboard.

"It's time to set sail, guys!" Nami announces.

"All right!" Usopp cheers.

"Aye, Nami-san!" Sanji cheers beside him; Zoro brings the anchor up, and we begin setting sail.

"Kid! This is where we part ways!" Cricket says, walking up to the shore.

"Yeah!" Luffy shouts back, moving to the rear of the ship.

"There's one thing that's a definite fact. No one in history's ever disproved the city of gold or the sky island." He says.

"Right!" The rubber boy replies with a smile and nods.

"People might laugh and call it foolish logic, but it's enough for me. That's what romanticism is all about!" The old man continues.

"Romanticism…" Luffy repeats.

"That's right! Thanks for the gold… Don't be fallin' from the sky now, y'hear?!" Cricket booms as we sail further away.

"See ya, old guy!" Luffy shouts back.

"Thanks for everything, Cricket!" Nami adds.

"I'm sure the city of gold is real, old-timer!" Usopp adds.

"Old guy! Don't overdo things!" My Brother shouts.

"Mind your own business!" Cricket has the last word, and we sail into open waters.

ONE PIECE - JAYA ARC

"All right! It's currently 7:00 am!" One of Shojo's men announces as we sail between the monkey brothers. "We should arrive at the destination area at around 11:00 am! Like the old-timer said, the spot the Knock-Up Stream shoots up from changes each time, so we need to arrive beforehand and find it!" Luffy doesn't really listen as he looks at the poor South Bird we're holding captive and turns its head to the side.

"Watch! Watch!" Luffy beams.

"We're a little behind schedule, so… Hey! Are you listening to my explanation?!" They shout at the boys.

"See! It faced forward!" He laughs.

"There sure are some weird birds out there!" Usopp remarks.

"It's true! It can only face south! This guy's like a compass! So neat!" Luffy laughs, holding his stomach, and the bird makes some noises.

"What'd he say?" Usopp asks our resident animal.

"He said he's going to face a different direction to mess us up," Chopper explains, making the boys laugh.

"Go ahead and try!" Luffy challenges the bird, and it accepts, turning its head around. "Oh! He faced north!" But it doesn't last long as the bird seems to struggle and turns its head back. "He doesn't feel right unless he's facing south!"

"Hey, you guys! Don't get the big boss mad!" Shojo's men shout at the boys.

"It's all right! Their casualness is getting me worked up!" Shojo waves them off.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Luffy asks, stopping his messing with the bird. "There's no point in being anxious! Let's have fun!" He laughs.

"And who put us behind schedule?" Sanji questions, putting the blame on my Brother.

"Dakota?" Luffy snitches on me.

"You little snitch!" I hiss at him as Nami gives me death glares.

"He's right! There's no point in being tense for hours on end!" Masira agrees.

"I see! Alright, men! Full speed ahead…while relaxing!" Shojo orders his men.

"What nice weather!" Luffy sighs, leaning back.

"Are we gonna be okay?" Zoro questions, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Bad news, Boss!" One of Masira's announces, and the Captain rushes towards him.

"What's wrong?!" Masira demands.

"Night's coming from the southwest! Cumuloregalis clouds!" He announces.

"Seriously?! What time is it?!" He asks.

"10:00! It's way earlier than we expected!" The man announces.

"This is bad…Shojo! Can we make it?" Masira asks his Brother.

"Utan Divers!" Shojo orders his men. "Into the sea immediately! Look for currents!" Men dive off the side into the water.

"Those are cumuloregalis clouds?!" Nami questions, looking at the dark looming clouds.

"What, now?!" Usopp exclaims as he comes out of the room with Sanji above.

"They appeared sooner than expected!" She announces. "But we don't even know where the current is located!" Shojo uses his voice to create a sonar to help his men below the water.

"Reflected sound detected! Large current at 12:00!" A man shouts as he pops to the surface.

"Large creature detected at 9:00! Appears to be a Sea King!" Another announces.

"Waves going against the current detected at 10:00! I believe it's a giant whirlpool!" The last announces as he pops to the surface.

"That's it! HEad the ship in the 10:00 direction!" Masira shouts out orders. "It's a sign of the explosion! Catch the whirlpool! Don't draw back!" And we begin sailing forward as the water becomes more choppy.

"What the…?!" I groan as the water starts to get rougher.

"The waves suddenly got higher?!" Nami exclaims.

"We're gonna sink!" Usopp yells, clinging to the main mast.

"It's a pre-explosion earthquake! Get ready!" Masira warns us.

"E-Explosion?!" Chopper yells, jumping into my arms.

"Navigator!" Robin calls out to Nami. "What does the Log Pose say?" She looks down to see the arrow pointing directly above us.

"It's pointing right at those clouds!" Nami announces.

"The sky island is up there?!" Usopp questions.

"The wind's direction is perfect, too!" Nami beams. "The clouds are heading straight for the centre of the whirlpool!"

"Hey, what's this "whirlpool"? I don't see one…." Luffy asks, looking around.

"Looks like we hit the jackpot this time, brother!" Masira shouts over to his Brother.

"Yeah! And it looks like it'll be a nice-sized explosion, too!" Shojo agrees with his Mother.

"We can make it?!" Luffy asks, growing excited.

"Yep!" The monkey brothers confirm, and Masira throws hooks that cling to the Going Merry.

"Huh?" Luffy questions, looking at them.

"We'll take you to the inner edge of the whirlpool!" Masira informs us.

"What do we do after that?!" Nami asks him.

"Get on the flow! If you can get to the centre, things should work out!" He tells us as we grow closer to the centre.

"The centre of this huge whirlpool?!" She asks.

"W-We're being sucked in!" Usopp cries in fear.

"Nobody said anything about being sucked in!" Nami joins in, shrieking in fear.

"It's all right! I'll protect you, Dakota-chan and Robin-chan!" Sanji exclaims, diving for the Navigator.

"I've never seen such a large whirlpool before…." Robin comments in a tone of indifference.

"Sounds about right…." I remark as I watch us get closer.

"This is bad! Let's turn back! Let me go back!" Usopp cries in a panic.

"Just accept it, Usopp! It's too late! Someone else is already excited!" Zoro tells him.

"Let's go! Sky Island!" Luffy cheers, and a Sea King roars out of the water, scaring the coward squad, though it gets swept further into the whirlpool and sinks again.

"Alright, you guys! The rest is all up to you now!" The monkey brothers shout, unhooking the ropes.

"Right! Thanks for the lift!" Luffy waves them goodbye.

"Hold on!" Usopp screams, wanting to go back to safety. "Gimme a break, will you?! I'm scared here! This thing's gonna kill us instantly!"

"Nobody said anything about a giant whirlpool! This is a scam!" Nami screams alongside the long nose.

"It's night!" They begin shouting as it grows even darker.

"We're being sucked into the whirlpool!" Chopper exclaims, looking around.

"Let's go back, Luffy! We can still make it! Isn't it obvious?! Just this whirlpool is enough to kill us! The sky island's just a dream within a dream!" Usopp tries to reason with our Captain.

"A dream within a dream? Yeah, huh?" Luffy questions.

"Yes, Luffy! I don't think we can do this, either!" Nami pleads with him.

"An island in a dream within a dream! I'll regret it for life if I pass up such a big adventure!" Luffy replies, marvelling in excitement.

"H-He's enjoying this…." Nami and Usopp weep.

"Het! While you guys are pointlessly trying to resist…." Zoro says, gaining their attention.

"Yeah? What?" Usopp asks, and he points to the centre of the whirlpool.

"We're being sucked inside it!" He yells as we grow ever closer.

"Hurry, Nami-san! Come into my arms!" Sanji yells as we fall.

"We're falling!" Usopp shouts, but it's for nothing as the whirlpool seems to disappear as we land on the water.

"What?! It disappeared?! How come?!" The cook questions.

"What happened?" Luffy wonders.

"T-That whirlpool was huge, too! What's going on?!" Usopp questions, and I feel the hairs on my neck stand up as if sensing something dangerous coming.

"No! It's already started!" Nami announces, looking down at the floor. "The whirlpool only disappeared from the surface!"

"Y-You don't mean…." Usopp stutters.

"Hold it!" A familiar voice booms from close by, and I can't help but grit my teeth in anger.

"Hey, Zoro!" Luffy calls to him, and he turns away to look. "Look!" I hear that bastard chuckling as he grows closer, and I dig my nails into my hands to stop myself from attacking the man.

"I caught up to ya, Straw Hat Luffy!" Teach shouts over, and I feel my eyes begin to change.

"That's that guy from Mock Town…!" Nami gasps, and I look at her in surprise.

"Who?!" Sanji questions.

"I'm here to collect on your 100 million bounty! Prepare yourself!" He laughs as he sails closer. "Why's it dark out here?"

"My bounty? What do you mean, 100 million?" Luffy questions, pointing to himself.

"So you don't know!" Teach exclaims and pulls out Luffy's poster. "There's a 100 million-Berry bounty on your head! And Pirate Hunter Zoro! You're worth 60 million! And we can't forget you, little Dakota! Red Devil Dakota, worth 175 million!" He announces, holding up the three posters.

"It's true! He has new wanted posters!" Usopp announces as he looks through his binoculars. "Zoro! You have a bounty now!" Sanji rushes to him, trying to take the binoculars from the Sniper.

"What?! Hold on! What about me?! There's one for me, too, right?!" Sanji questions.

"Nope," He crushes the cook.

"Look closer!"

"Nope."

"I see! Your bounties went way up after the Alabasta incident! But 100 million…! Even 175?!" Nami gasps in disbelief.

"100 million! Hear that?! I'm worth 100 million!" Luffy cheers.

"60 million, huh? How disappointing!" Zoro chuckles and wraps his arms around my waist, bringing me into a hug. "And you've certainly jumped up! 175 million!"

"Don't be happy, you!" Nami screams at us.

"Hey, you guys! Don't get distracted!" Shojo shouts, reminding us, and I snap out of my funk.

"Teach! When I get back! I'll give you a scar like the one you gave my Father! You fat bastard!" I scream, scaring the others as the water under us rises.

"Get ready!" Shojo shouts as we begin rising, pushing that foul man's ship backwards.

"Everyone! Hold on tight to the ship or get inside!" Sanji shouts, and we all race for something to hold onto.

"This ship…it's going up!" Usopp screams as we grow even higher, and I hold onto the mast by Chopper and Robin as we shoot up with a tremendous burst as a large column of water shoots into the sky.

"What the heck's going on?!" Usopp screams as he clings to the Going Merry.

"The ship's going straight up a pillar of water!" Sanji exclaims.

"This is neat!" Luffy cheers.

"How is this happening?!" Usopp shouts as we keep moving up further; I move away from the mast and sit on the railing, my legs hanging off the side and leaning on Zoro's legs as he stands behind me.

"Wind?!" Nami gasps under her breath.

"Alright! Now we can go into the sky! Go, Merry!" Luffy cheers from his favourite seat.

"Hold on! I don't think it's gonna be that easy!" Sanji warns us.

"W-What's wrong?!" Usopp cries as he clings to the railing.

"Huh? Did we forget something?" Luffy asks.

"The hull's starting to float!" Sanji announces. "If this keeps up, we're gonna get sent flying to our doom!"

"But what do you want us to do?! We can barely even hold on!" Usopp cries.

"What's that?!" Chopper shouts as the Sea King from earlier comes falling towards us.

"A Sea King!" Zoro shouts.

"It's the one that got sucked in earlier!" I shout, and it falls past us.

"See! It's only a matter of time until that happens to us!" Sanji warns us.

"Hey, now! We're riding up a powerful explosion! What can we possibly do?!" Zoro questions.

"I guess it is just a natural disaster!" He replies, and stuff from the bottom of the seafloor begins to fall around us.

"Lots of stuff is falling! Victims of the Knock-Up Stream!" Chopper shrieks as pieces of ships fall past us.

"We're goners, too! We're gonna fall and slam into the ocean and die!" Usopp cries.

"Spread the sails! Right away!" Nami orders and we all look at her as if she's lost her mind. "This is the sea! Not just a pillar of water! It's a rising current! And the wind blowing from below is a rising air current produced by the geothermal heat and steam explosion! If we're dealing with wind and sea, I can navigate it! Who's this ship's Navigator?!" She grins, and I have to say, I trust her.

"You are, Nami-san!" Sanji cheers for her. "Alright, men! Do what Nami-san says!"

"Right!" The boys shout in agreement, and they unfurl the sails.

"Catch the starboard wind and pull the helm to point! Align the ship with the current!" She orders, and I jump up, heading for the helm.

"Yes, ma'am!" I shout as I hold the helm and lean it to the right.

"Oh, no! The ship is about to leave the water!" Chopper exclaims as he looks over the side.

"We're gonna fall! We're gonna fall, Nami! Do something, Nami!" Luffy shrieks.

"No, we can make it!" She assures us, and the ship's hull ultimately leaves the water.

"We're flying!" Luffy cheers. "Awesome! The ship is flying!"

"Is this for real?!" Usopp gasps in disbelief, and I don't blame him; I don't believe it myself.

"We did it!" Nami smiles, and I step out behind the helm to join the others.

"Wow!" Zoro marvels, and I walk over to him.

"Nami-san! You're wonderful! And I love you!" Sanji shouts.

"With this wind and current, we can go as high as we want!" Nami announces.

"Hey! Nami! Are we almost at the Sky Island?!" Luffy asks her.

"If it exists, it's on the other side of those clouds!" She answers him, pointing above at the dark clouds.

"Above the clouds, huh?! What could be up there?!" He beams. "Let's plunge through the cumuloregalis clouds!"