This is the 19th chapter. I don't own the series of One Piece.
Capture the South Bird!
Jaya, South Grove
While Cricket called the Straw Hats, except Sanji and Robin, and Leon out since he and the Salvage pirates are going to help them get the Sky Island. The Straw Hats and Leon, except Sanji and Robin, were gathered around at the tree stump which it got them wondering why Cricket called them.
"What did you want to tell us, old timer?" Usopp inquires curiously.
"Listen up and listen good! I've decided to tell you guys everything I know about the Sky Island!" Cricket told them with a serious expression, crossed his arms while smoking his cigarette. "Most of this is rumor in here say. So, you'll have to make up your own minds, whether you believe it or not."
"I believe it." Luffy said simply with a nod.
"Quiet!" Usopp quietly muttered, slapping his captain.
"There's something very strange that happens in this part of the ocean." Cricket told them, points at the sky. "Everything will suddenly turn black as night, right in the middle of the brightest day."
"Hey, yeah!" Luffy said, stands up while raising his hand. "The same thing happened to us! Right?"
"Yeah, it was like the sun vanished, and then these enormous monsters showed up." Usopp answered when they remembered the giant shadowy figures at sea a while back.
"You saw the giants? There's a tale about where they come from, but forget about them for now, we can go into it later." Cricket said, crossed his arms. "Now about this strange nightfall...it's cause by the shadow of an extremely dense cloud."
"Cumulonimbus Clouds?" Nami guessed, confused. "But it was too dark for a clouds, it was like the sun went out."
"Yeah, it was more of an eclipse." Luffy states. "Clouds on a cloudy day or just sorta cloudy."
"Yeah, just sorta cloudy." Usopp agrees.
"Guys, I think we should hear him out before you jump to conclusions." Caius suggested, turns to them.
The Straw Hats, except Zoro, were about to protest but knows the Reaper is right as they decided to listen to Cricket.
"Anyway, this cloud is called a Cumuloregalis, it forms high in the sky. It has no internal air currents and never turns to rain, no light can reach the ground and the sunny afternoon turns black as pitch." Cricket explains. "It's like some giant hand reached up and snuffed out the sun like it was a candle. Some say the Cumuloregalis clouds are floating fossils, petrified clouds that hang in the sky unchanged for thousands of years."
"You've gotta be kidding us!?" Nami exclaims, stands up. "A petrified cloud that drifts around for centuries."
"Hey, I'm just telling you what people have told me, whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you." Cricket points out in defense.
"So, it's a mystery cloud." Luffy muttered.
"Yeah, I guess that sums it up about it as well as anything else." Cricket replied, crossing his arm when Chopper jumps on the tree stump.
"This is so awesome!" Chopper said excitedly.
"You see, there's only one place this Sky Island can be if it's real, and that's on top of one of those clouds." Cricket told them, points at them.
"Okay, let's go!" Luffy said with a big grin. "We're on our way to the clouds!"
And then, both Usopp and Luffy began to cheer which made Zoro woke up from his long nap since he didn't pay any attention of how to get the Sky Island or the Cumuloregalis. It got Nami, Leon, and Ventus irritated of their stupidity and still not knowing of how to get to Sky Island.
"I TOLD YOU IDIOTS BEFORE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET THERE!?" Nami and Ventus yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth as they began beating Usopp and Luffy silly, leaving him beaten and battered with bumps and bruises.
"Yeah, that's gonna be the hard part, because you'll be risking your lives every minute." Cricket said.
"You mean like now?" Usopp and Luffy asks with a groan as Cricket turns to them.
"There's only one was to get there, the Knock-up Stream." Cricket said. "It's shoot straight up in the air, so it could theoretically take you into the sky if you're lucky."
"Wait a minute, are you trying to say current can actually send ships flying?" Nami asks, confused.
"Great, then it'll be a snap! All we have to do is hitch a ride up!" Luffy said with a grin.
"It's not as simple as you think." Caius points out. "Even if we're at the stream, we'd be smashed into a pieces and getting to Sky Island will be for naught."
"He has a point." Leon agrees with a sigh. "And we'll we dead."
"Usually, that's true, unless you get the timing just right." Cricket agrees to them. "If it's one thing to sit here all comfy and talk about riding a Knock-up Stream, but if you think this trip is gonna be some kinda pleasure cruise, you're in for a very rude awakening."
It got Chopper having second thoughts after Cricket told them about the stream, which it got him frightened a bit.
"The Knock-up Stream is as dangerous as any hurricane. It should be avoided at all cost." Cricket warned them, which it gotten Luffy and Usopps face pale.
"But how exactly can a current of water rise up in the air in the first place?" Nami questions, turns to the two. "Come on, we've never heard anything like that before, right guys?"
Luffy and Usopp responds with a nod while Cricket sighed, puffing the smoke out of his mouth.
"I've heard a lot of different explanations from the Knock-up Stream, but there's only been one that's made any sense to me. Though, so far, no one has been stupid enough to try and confirm it." Cricket explains. "It's like this..."
The atmosphere is getting intense when Circket imagines the deep below of the ocean that has the ocean floor with large cavities and hot lava underneath it, heating the seawater and turning it into steam.
"...Deep below the ocean floor, there are large cavities filled with air. Cool seawater seeps into these air-pockets and geo-thermal energy heat, until it becomes steam. Overtime, the pressure builds, and when it finally becomes too great, there's a tremendous explosion. This explosion hurls the water into the air and creates a current to the sky." Cricket continued, causing the Straw Hats and Leon, except Leon, grimace in dread. "The effect lasts for about 1 minute, connecting the ocean to the sky like a bridge."
"One minute?!" Nami exclaims as she stands up. "Do you realize how enormous an explosion like that would have to be?!"
"The explosions occurred in widely different locations 5 times a month." Cricket answered, causing Usopp to drop his jaw with budging eyes.
"We'd be blown into fish food if we tried that, old man!?" Usopp grunts, slowly walking towards him.
"Anyway, you can't really explain in something like this with words and theories, it's one of the great mysteries of creation." Cricket points out, turns away.
"So...So then, we gotta ride this current that shows up 5 times a month and into the air to reach some island in the sky...and just hope it's waiting for us?" Usopp asks, waving his hands and hoping they don't try anything that gets them killed.
"I'd say that sums it up pretty well." Cricket answered. "And if you miss, you'll fall down, slamming into the ocean and get blown into fish food."
And Cricket imagines of the Going Merry missed the Knock-up current, falls down into the ocean and gets destroyed along with the crew.
"Just like you said." Cricket told him, causing Usopp to whimper with horror while thinking about it.
Though, Usopp was hoping there's another method they can use for getting to Sky Island without getting killed or the ship sink, but with everything Cricket have to them, there isn't and it's the only way to get there. He then turns to Luffy.
"Okay, so we're gonna forget about Sky Island, right?" Usopp pleads, hoping Luffy would forget it which apparently, he's laughing instead. "Because it's nuts, Luffy, it's completely insane. You have to be luckier than Mr. Lucky-McLuck-Luck of Lucky Land on its lucky day to pull off a stunt like this one."
It got Usopp laugh with a whimper, hoping Luffy wouldn't try anything reckless, but unfortunately...
"It'll be okay, let's go." Luffy said, causing Usopp in teary.
"Naturally." Usopp whines, then points at the Going Merry. "How can you say it'll be okay and think about it for a second?! And what about the poor Going Merry, did you even stop to consider the shape she's in? The way she's suffering?! There's no way you can expect her to stand up to a disaster like this in her condition!"
"He's absolutely right, she's worthless. Even brand now, that wreck wouldn't stand a chance." Cricket agrees.
"Say what?!" Usopp growls, offended when he turns to Cricket.
"Speed, weight, strength, the explosion would blow that ship into pieces before it had a chance to get airborne." Cricket points which Usopp knows that he's right.
"Yeah, see...it's hopeless." Usopp grunts, turns away.
"But don't worry, I think I can help you out there." Cricket said. "I'll have Masira and Shoujou do a complete refit of your ship. I'll also have them reinforce the super-structure to withstand the strain."
"YOU BET! DON'T WORRY GUYS, WE'RE ALL OVER IT!" Masira and Shoujou shouts, popping out of the house.
"Thanks, fellas!" Luffy shouts, waving his hands.
"Yeah, thanks a lot." Usopp and Nami adds with sarcasm, sweat dropped.
"Have you really thought about this?" Nami inquires, approaches her captain.
"What?" Luffy asks, turns to her in confusion.
"Well, about...oh yeah, how about the fact that at most we can only stay one more day on this island, or did that slip your mind?" Nami questions, showing the Log Pose to them. "After that, the Log Pose will lock on to the next islands location, and we'll have to move on."
"Hold on, Nami. We should as Cricket before we do anything else." Ventus said, earned their attention as he turns to Cricket. "Hey, how long will the Knock-up Stream arrives?"
"It'll be around noon tomorrow, so you'll better get ready." Cricket answered simply.
"WAIT A MINUTE! YOU MEAN WE CAN MAKE IT?!" Usopp yelled with his shark-like teeth and budging eyes.
"Afraid so." Cricket replied, crossed his arms and turned away. "If you're scared, then don't go."
Usopp turns his expression into a scowl since there's no deny that he's scared of going to Sky Island, even if it means sail towards the Knock-up Stream to get there and getting killed along with the ship destroyed.
"You're lying!" Usopp snarled, points his accusing finger at him which it got his attention. "There's something fishy about this! We've known you less than 24 hours! Why're you being so helpful? And what's more-"
"Now hold on, Us-"
"You hold up until I'm finished!" Usopp interrupts, raising his hand to stop Luffy without looking at him. "This Sky Island! This legendary place we don't even know the location of is just gonna show up out of the blue!? At noon tomorrow! And to help us get there, you're gonna rebuild and reinforce our ship for nothing?! When something looks too good to be true, it probably is! The infamous liar Noland is your great-great-grand, whatever, right? So, how do we know we can trust you?"
Cricket knows that Usopp is right since Noland is well-known as a liar, which it doesn't bother him much. Cricket began to puff the smoke out of his mouth when Masira and Shoujou opens the door.
"HEY, OLD MAN! SOUPS ON! COME AND GET IT WHILE ITS HOT!" Shoujou and Masira shouts, but Sanji shoves past them.
"Move it!" Sanji grunts, but went goo-goo eyed. "Nami~! Din..."
But Sanji stops in sentence when he noticed his crew, Leon, and Cricket weren't paying attention. Cricket then hummed which it got Usopp's attention.
"What is it?" Usopp asks, but raising his fist. "You wanna fight me?!"
"Masira said, 'Whenever the midday night occurs in this area, the Cumuloregalis Cloud appears in the southern sky in the day'." Cricket told him, walk towards them. "Based on its usual cycle of 5 appearance a month, I'm guessing the Knock-up Stream will also erupt tomorrow at midday. That will probably also be to the south. I can't be 100% certain, but there's a good chance the two events will call inside."
Cricket then walk past Usopp and stops when the liar is stammered a bit while Nami, Luffy, and Caius smiled a bit. Zoro, Leon, and Ventus kept their serious scowl.
"I'm proud to have met a bunch of brave fools, like you, you're true pirates." Cricket said, closing his eyes when Usopp starts to tremor. "Now then, let's go inside and eat. Tonight, I want you to call my home your home, my friends."
It got Usopp shocked of Cricket's words, even calling the Straw Hat pirates his friends. Luffy grinned at that.
"C'mon, Usopp! It's chow time!" Luffy said excitedly while Cricket walk towards the house.
"Yeah! C'mon, you guys!" Masira adds.
"Chopper, go get Robin." Sanji suggested while Luffy cheered.
"You bet!" Chopper replied, heading towards Robin as Usopp crossed his legs while sitting on the ground.
"It looks like we're going to this Sky Island, whether we're ready or not." Nami said, crossed her arms and next to Usopp. "Well, let's just hope continues to hold."
"Nami, do you think I'm a spineless little coward?" Usopp asks.
"You forgot to mention an idiot, and I know how you feel." Nami told him, turns to the liar. "Now why not go apologize."
Usopp decided to do just that as he ran towards Cricket, apologize while hugs him. It got Cricket annoyed when he shoves Usopp after telling him not to wipe the nose on him and bonks him in the head.
"Guess he got carried away." Ventus states with a small smile.
"It sure looks like it." Nami agrees, turns to the young Dragoon. "Hey, you feeling okay? You've been awfully quiet."
"After everything we've learned, we might have a chance to get to Sky Island, and we know how our chances are." Ventus said. "But still, something tells me there might be more about the Sky Island."
Nami then wonders what did he mean by that, but she decided not to pry as they joins them at the house.
Few hours later, the Straw Hats, the Salvage pirates, Leon, and Cricket were celebrating inside of the house. Caius, Leon, and Ventus were the only ones who aren't even laughing, which they're just eating normally and hoping they need to realize that they need to get to Sky Island and soon.
"Come over here, buddy! Dance with me!" Luffy cheered.
"Oh yeah, keep it coming! That really hits the old spot!" Cricket said, drinks his alcohol.
"Eat up, everyone! I'm just getting started!" Sanji shouts with a smile, holding two trays of food to them. "There's plenty food on the way!"
"Here." Usopp said, placing a pellet on Masira's mouth, causing him to blow fire out of his mouth. "Gotcha, ape-face! Oh yeah! It was hot sauce!"
It got Masira mad as he gets up, chasing after Usopp around the house.
"These guys are really lively, and a handful." Leon states with a chuckle.
"You'll get used to it." Ventus said, watching his crew celebrating. "They may be idiots, but they're fun to be around."
"Hey, good looking, wanna sit next to me?" Cricket offers when he turns to Nami, which he's drunk.
"Whoa, shift down a gear, old man! You're about 100 years too old to be hitting on Nami!" Sanji said with a scowl, placing his foot against Cricket in the face.
Luffy however, scarfs the food down without care, both Zoro and Shoujou were chugging down their mugs of alcohol, Masira continued to pursue after Usopp, Ventus, Caius, and Leon were still eating normally while watching them in amusement, and Robin was also drinking hers normally while reading the logbook. She's going through the pages, but noticed the parts of information were smeared.
"The Skull's Right Eye." Cricket said in a scary look on his face, making Robin spooked. "That's where I saw the gold."
It got everyone's attention when he mentions gold as they turned to him.
"Those words smeared with tears are the lost ones Noland wrote in his logbook." Cricket told her, then turns to them with wine on his hand. "The Skull's Right Eye, that's where I saw the gold. That very same day, Noland was executed. I still don't know what he meant by that, does it refer to the name of a city? Or some landmark that use to exist on the island? Or is it just a poetic illusion to his own impending death? The blank pages have followed, give us no clue. And that's the reason we continued to die at the bottom of the sea, we dream."
Cricket then drinks his alcohol while Masira cheers for the dreamers like them, both Zoro and Shoujou clanged their mugs.
"We're gonna go flying!" Luffy said with his mouth full, eating the fried fish.
"Not if you keep eating like that, we won't!" Usopp joked as they laugh.
Somewhere at sea
Meanwhile, the Bellamy pirates are sailing at sea to go after the treasure at Cricket's house, which they were able to get the location from the other pirates at the bar. One of Bellamy's crew is looking through the binoculars and noticed the house is lighting up, which apparently, it's where Cricket and the others are partying.
"It's getting pretty dark, but I can still make out of the shoreline. It's clear."
"Drop anchor and prepare to land!" Bellamy ordered his crew. "Golden treasures shouldn't be wasted on story-eyed dreamers!"
Jaya, South Grove
Back at Cricket's home, Cricket continued his explanation while Ventus caught the scent that's coming in that direction, smelling pirates.
"Log entry from May 21st, 1122, today I arrived on Jaya." Cricket said, shows the logbook to them. "After making landfall, we were startled by the peculiar cries of some strange bird from deep into the forest. As well as the tolling of what seemed to be an enormous bell, the ringing of that Golden Bell resounded far and wide, as if announcing the presence of some great and prosperous city of the past. It's fleeting echoes the only reminder that this land was once home, to a mighty civilization."
Nami then pours the alcohol onto Robin's mug, but accidentally spill the contents. Both Sanji and Usopp chuckled, drinking their alcohol. Masira and Shoujou chants the name 'Noland' with hearts in their eyes.
"In our pride and arrogance, we thought we had seen and heard everything in our short lives, but the sound of that bell tolling left us all speechless." Cricket continues, stands up while the Straw Hats, the Salvage pirates, and Leon listens to him. "It was as if the clang of that bell has struck us all down with wonder!"
Cricket then roared in cheer when Luffy, Shoujou, and Masira joins in.
"I just love stories with bells and especially gold ones." Nami said with glee as Usopp leans and looked at Cricket.
"Hey, old timer, it sounds like you just might be a little fond of Noland after all." Usopp states with a goofy grin as they start laughing for a few minutes.
"Look at this." Cricket suggested, showing three small golden bells.
"Wow, a golden bell!" Nami exclaims.
"Huh, doesn't seem too enormous to me." Usopp points out with a ponder while Nami holds it next to her face with hearts floating around and the 'B' on her eyes.
"None of these is the one Noland was writing in his logbook, these are bell-shaped golden ingots we found on the ocean floor during a dive." Cricket explains.
"And these treasures you found, were the ones that Noland was so desperate try to find...all this time. And you somehow found it?" Leon asks in shock.
"That's right." Cricket replied.
"The City of Gold, ha! It is real!" Luffy exclaims with a smile when Shoujou sats up.
"It's still not proof though." Shoujou told him. "You can find golden relics like that lying around in any old ruin in this part of the world."
"Maybe so, but it does suggest there was a civilization here sometime in the past." Robin states. "Ingots are made to divide gold into standardize unit of weight, and that would indicate an advance trading society."
"Right, and you remember that peculiar bird call he said they heard when they landed?" Cricket asks. "Show it to them."
And with that, Masira pull out the cloak, showing the golden bird.
"There's more gold?!" Usopp exclaims excitedly, dropping his jaw.
"Look at the size of it." Zoro said with a smirk.
"That's the last of them." Cricket told them.
"Oh, it's gorgeous!" Nami states.
"Golden Bells and birds, huh? Do you think they might be symbols of some ancient giant civilization?" Sanji questions with a smirk as Cricket puffs the smoke out.
"I really couldn't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure all these pieces were part of the same casting." Cricket explains, pulls the golden bird to him. "This creature is called the South Bird. You can still find them around this island today."
"Wow, and they have a peculiar call?" Luffy inquires, leans close to the South Bird statue.
"Uh-huh, just like in the logbook." Cricket replied.
"Sailors have used the South Bird on ships since ancient times to help them na-"
Before Masira finished his sentence, it got him, Shoujou, and Cricket realize why the Straw Hats are here and how to get to Sky Island.
"OH NO!" Cricket, Shoujou, and Masira yells in panic.
"WHAT'S WRONG?!" The Straw Hats, except Ventus, Caius, Leon, Zoro, and Robin, questions.
"This is really bad! You guys gotta get to the forest on the south side of the island right away!" Cricket suggested.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Luffy asks, confused. "Are you crazy?"
"No, he's not! You guys need to capture these birds and fast!" Leon remarked, stands up.
"How come? Why?" Usopp asks with a glare.
"What do we need the bird for?" Sanji adds.
"Now listen carefully, tomorrow, you're gonna sail for the Knock-up Stream." Cricket informed them seriously. "It lies directly south of here. How are you gonna get there?"
"We just sail the ship to south, of course." Luffy answered, crossed his arms when Ventus bonked him in the head.
"Moron! This is the Grand Line! We're heading for the sea, and we won't have time to relax or anything!" Ventus shouts with white eyes and shark-like teeth which Cricket agrees to his statement.
"Wait, he's right!" Nami said, realizing what the young Dragoon is telling the captain. "Without a landmass to lock onto, the Log Pose will be useless and there'll be no way for us to navigate. But there's gotta be some way we can figure out which direction to sail."
"There is if you can lay a hands on one of these birds." Cricket points out, showing the golden bird. "Certain animals are known to have a very accurate internal sense of direction as if they're born with a natural compass."
"That makes Zoro dumber than an animal." Luffy remarked with a laugh, but earned a bonk on the head from the young Dragoon.
"Hey, watch it!" Ventus scolds him, finding it an insult.
"And you don't have any room to talk!" Zoro adds, annoyed when he turns to Luffy.
"The South Bird is a perfect example of this kind of creature." Cricket told them. "In the middle of the vast barren plain or a trackless ocean, its body will always point in the same direction."
It got the Straw Hats understand what Cricket is telling them.
"You see, if you don't get going to that forest and catch one of those birds right now, you'll have to kiss your only chance to get to Sky Island goodbye!" Cricket warned them, causing Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper to panic.
"I wouldn't be saying it just yet." Ventus told him, earned his attention. "While you guys are busy partying, I manage to get a scent from those pirates sailing at our direction."
"And I know who's coming...Bellamy." Leon said with a grunt. "Don't these guys ever learn?"
"Wait, hold on! Are you saying you fought them before?" Sanji asks, turns to the mercenary.
"Remember what I told you about them back at the bar?" Leon asks, earned a nod from the cook. "Well, it's them. And it looks like they didn't take my warning, while decided to take someone's treasure. You guys find that bird, I'll deal with these clowns."
"Wait, hold on-"
"There's no time! Get going!" Cricket shouts as the Straw Hats, except Ventus and Caius ran out of the house. "Go find that bird! Move it or lose it!"
"You expect us to go stumbling through the forest in the middle of the night?!" Usopp yelled with white eyes.
"Don't forget these!" Cricket said, tossing the nets to them. "The three of us are gonna get started on the repairs to your broken-down ship! You know, now that I think about it, we probably shouldn't have had that party!"
"Oh, sure! Now you tell us!" Usopp yells again, but being dragged by Sanji and Zoro into the forest.
"Listen, the clocks ticking! You have until morning to catch a South Bird or you can forget about the whole thing!" Cricket warns them as the rest of the Straw Hats head towards the forest. "You know, you should join with the others."
"Some of us had to stay behind and take care of Bellamy and those clowns." Ventus told him, pulled out his lance. "Besides, you're still recovering from that dive a while ago."
"Thus, we're not leaving you three defenseless." Caius adds, placed his scythe next to his shoulder.
Cricket can tell these three are here to defend, which he understands as the three head towards the Going Merry to get it repaired.
Jaya, South Grove, Forest
While the Straw Hat pirates finally made it to the forest, they decided to stay together and find the South Bird. Usopp didn't like the idea, but he doesn't have time for second thoughts because time is not on their side.
"Whoa, it's pitch-black." Luffy states.
"Will you let go of me, you idiot!" Sanji said in annoyance after noticing Usopp is clinging to him in fright, trying to shove him away.
"My stomach is still so stuffed from that dinner. I couldn't catch a bird if I saw one." Chopper groans, rubbing his stomach.
"So, where are they?" Luffy asks, looks around in the forest.
"Let's just catch one of them, and get back to drinking." Zoro suggests.
"Will someone remind me how we ended up in this mess?" Nami suggests, scared.
"Move it." Sanji said, pushes Usopp away.
"Man, he couldn't tell us in a daylight, it had to be the middle of the night." Usopp whimpers in teary eyes with fingers next to his teeth.
"Where are the bids?" Luffy questions, still scanning the area.
"If I had any idea where the birds were, do you think we'd be out here looking for them?" Zoro counters in annoyance as they huddle up.
"All we know is this thing got a peculiar call." Luffy points out.
"Yeah, and it looks just like that gold statue he showed us." Sanji adds, turns to Luffy with a serious look.
"It's kinda hard for me to believe that any bird could look that screwy looking in real life." Zoro states.
"Anyway, saying it has a peculiar call is too vague, we can't idea from that." Usopp points out seriously.
"Well, the old coot didn't seem to think we'd have any trouble finding one." Sanji said, but then, they heard a loud peculiar call that's coming from the forest.
"Hey, that sounded peculiar!" The Straw Hats, except Nami and Robin, said in unison since it got their attention.
"Oh, ya think?" Nami said sarcastically.
"Yeah!" Luffy said with a smirk.
"Well, we're here. Let's do it and get it over with." Zoro suggests.
"Three nets, three teams. Lets split up and bag that bird." Sanji said as he, Zoro, and Luffy raise their nets.
"Right!" The Straw Hats replied as they began split into groups.
"Let's go, we're gonna beat up a bird." Luffy said excitedly, head into the dark area of the forest while Chopper follows him.
"We're trying to catch it!" Usopp shouts when Sanji and Nami walk past him, as he catches up to them while Zoro and Robin head towards deep into the part of the forest.
Sanji, Nami, and Usopp are now in the area that's filled with spider webs. However, both Nami and Usopp are scared, seeing spider webs.
"Don't worry, Nami, baby~! No matter what we run into, I'm here to protect you." Sanji said with a proud smirk.
"Me too, Sanji-lump?" Usopp pleads with a whimper.
"Will you suck it up and stop being such a wuss?!" Sanji remarked in annoyance when he turns to him, making Usopp scream in fright.
"Come guys, let's catch that bird and get outta here." Nami suggests as Usopp collapses down to the ground.
"Okay, let's all settle down and see if we can hear that birds call again." Sanji suggests as he and Nami place their hands next to their ears in order to hear the bird calling.
Then, they heard that call, but it was Usopp trying to call the bird which it got them annoyed.
"Moron!" Sanji said as he catches him in the head.
"Hey, why are you catching me?" Usopp asks, turned to them, but he noticed something on Nami. "Hey, nice accessorizing there, Nami. Where'd you get that thing?"
"What thing?" Nami asks in confusion, looks down and glances over her shoulder when she noticed a tarantula on her miniskirt. "SPIDER!?"
It causes a spider to fly out of her skirt as she ran away with a scream.
"What? It's just a spider." Usopp said with a shrugs, kneels down and scoops up a tarantula. "Come here, you poor thing."
"I HATE SPIDERS YOU IDIOT!?" Nami yelled with white eyes, shark-like teeth, and a tick mark, pops out of the bushes and points at Usopp. "THROW THAT THING AWAY!?"
"Get rid of it, Usopp! It's gotta be poisonous!" Sanji adds with his face pale, but it got him shrieked when he and Nami notice a number of tarantulas fallen down into the ground. "They're fallen from the trees!?"
"THIS IS JUST TOO NASTY!?" Nami yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth, dropping her jaw.
"I bet you're a species of tarantula." Usopp said with a smile, looks at Sanji and Nami while rubbing the spiders abdomen. "Don't worry, you guys. They don't bite you, unless you make them angry or frighten them. I used to wrestle with spiders all the time."
"Are of your tiny little mind?! Hairy bugs like that completely freak me out!" Sanji shouts, waving his hands in panic.
"Yeah, me too!" Nami agrees, waving her hands in panic as well. "That made my flesh crawl! THROW IT AWAY, I CAN'T STAND IT!?"
"Oh really? Like, you don't seem to have any problem with the centipedes and moths on the tree behind you." Usopp states.
It got Nami and Sanji's jaws dropped with their faces pale when the tree revealed a number of moths and centipedes from behind as they slowly glances at the tree. Then, Nami and Sanji screams in panic when the moths flew to them, causing them except Usopp ran deeper in the forest.
"Wait! Don't leave me here alone!" Usopp shouts, trying to catch up to the two.
"Wait." Robin called him, leaps over the quicksand and on the tree root when she and Zoro heard a scream loud enough to hear. "That sounded like someone's screaming."
"Really?" Zoro said sarcastically, slicing the centipede as he grabs it and looked at it. "A centipede, and a big one."
"You don't have to kill every living thing we meet, it's kind of rude." Robin suggests as Zoro drops the dead centipede.
"Yeah, well it shouldn't have snuck up on me." Zoro retorted, heading in the opposite direction.
"Hey, wait!" Robin called him as he stop.
"Now what." Zoro said without looking at her.
"You're going back the way we came." Robin informed him, making his face pale in embarrassment when they heard the bird calling. "There it is again! Come on! And be careful not to step in the quicksand!"
And just as Robin went on ahead, Zoro is getting very annoyed while try to catch up, but he steps into the quicksand.
Meanwhile, Luffy isn't taking it seriously because instead of a South Bird, he caught something from the inside of a tree.
"I gotcha!" Luffy said with a grin, showing an Atlas beetle to Chopper. "It's an Atlas!"
"Atlas?" Chopper repeats curiously.
"That's right." Luffy replied. "This one and the Hercules beetle are some of the most prized insects in the world for collectors."
"You mean there are people who collect insects?" Chopper asks.
"Yeah, and guys are some of the hardest to catch." Luffy told him.
"Hey, which one is cooler? The bug or the One Piece?" Chopper asks with a grin.
"That's a tough one!" Luffy groans, clenching his fist since he doesn't want to make a choice when they notice a Stag beetle crawling on a tree.
"Luffy, there's one over here too!" Chopper said which it got Luffy looking at the beetle in excitement.
"Oh, yeah! A Meomas Stag beetle!" Luffy exclaims. "Gotta catch it!"
Then, the Meomas Stag beetle flies away, which Luffy doesn't give up easily as he and Chopper chases after it. Little did they know, the South Bird is watching them as it purposely drops the beehive in front of them.
"A beehive! Run!" Luffy shouts as he and Chopper ran while a swarm of bees flies after them.
After a few minutes of running, both Luffy and Chopper were stung by them, but unfortunately, a hornets next falls down to the ground as a number of hornets flies out. Luffy and Chopper screams as they start running again, much to the South Birds amusement.
"WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THIS FOREST?!" Luffy yelled when Chopper noticed something at the branch.
"Luffy, look up there!" Chopper called out, causing Luffy to glance and saw a South Bird. "He's the one who drop the beehives!"
Then, the South Bird made a call.
"What'd he say? Did you understand him?" Luffy questions quickly.
"He said, 'I'll kill anyone who disturbs his forest'." Chopper told him.
Jaya, South Grove
Meanwhile, at the outside of Cricket's house, Bellamy and his crew arrived when Cricket, Shoujou, Masira, Leon, Ventus, and Caius notice their arrival.
"You guys just keep asking for a beating." Leon said with a serious glare. "Fighting at Mock Town is one thing, but demanding gold? That's something I won't let it slide."
"We don't have time to deal with any of you clowns." Ventus adds. "So, do us a favor and leave before someone could get hurt."
Bellamy, however, won't take that warning as he laughs it off.
"You must be their bodyguards, and the old man must be the ex-pirate, Cricket." Bellamy said with a smirk. "I heard the sad story of the Mont Blanc family back at the tavern. It moved me to tears, but stealing another mans treasure moves me even more. I'm a pirate."
He then pulls the coat out of his back.
"Cricket! Maybe you'd like to know what people call me before I take your whole life's work, 'the Hyena'!" Bellamy mocks, sticking his tongue and laughs.
Ventus, Caius, and Leon are disgust of Bellamy and his sick method of taking someone's treasure as they get ready for a fight.
That's it for the 19th chapter.