This is the 18th chapter. I don't own the series of One Piece.
Legendary Family! Noland, the Liar!
Somewhere at sea
While the Straw Hat pirates continued to sail at sea after the Shoujou pirates gave them directions to the South Grove, Usopp and Chopper were fixing up the ship while Zoro reluctantly helps them out by hammering nails at the main mast and Luffy is fixing the railing.
"I can't believe our luck...Seriously, we were lucky that Leon was able to persuade that orangutan, or he'll sink us." Usopp quietly muttered. "And now, it's up to me to fix it all and keep this thing afloat."
"Seems to be that this busted old ship is on its last leg, we need a new one." Zoro suggests which Usopp panicked at the sudden idea.
"HOW DARE YOU EVEN CONSIDER REPLACING THIS BOAT?!" Usopp yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth, turns to Zoro.
"YEAH, HOW DARE YOU?!" Chopper adds with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"You are aware of the origins of this ship, aren't you?" Usopp asks while Luffy lightly hammers the board. "You do know what she's capable of, don't you?!"
"Yeah, don't you?!" Chopper adds when Luffy turns to him.
"We all know the story, Usopp, and try not to be so defensive." Luffy told him with a carefree smile while Chopper practiced making funny faces. "The Going Merry is an important part of our crew, and we all know we have to take care of her. You shouldn't take everything so personal."
"You're right." Usopp cried in tears, covering his eyes. "Sorry..."
Then, Luffy raises his hammer as he began hammering the board, but he breaks them instead.
"Oops..." Luffy said, causing Usopp to scream with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE THE SHIP, NOT SINK IT!?" Usopp yelled.
"Sure thing. Here, I'll fix it." Luffy replied, but did the opposite when he breaks another. "Oops, that didn't work..."
"LUFFY!?" Usopp and Chopper yelled.
The Shoujou pirates can hear that shout loud enough for them to hear at a long distance, which it got them wondering what they're doing on the Going Merry when they noticed it could barely float and about to break.
"Uh, boss, should we help them repair their ship? It won't last."
"Now, now, we're helping them get to the other side of Jaya." Shoujou told his crew. "And once we land on the island, we'll help them by getting their ship repaired."
His crew agreed to his suggestion, but at the Going Merry, Nami, Ventus, Robin, and Leon were at the deck to have a discussion about their destination on the other side of Jaya.
"We left Mock Town and headed East by circling around the northern shore of the island." Nami said, analyzing the map. "Our destination is here. We're supposed to meet that man there, what's his name?"
"Mont Blanc Cricket." Leon replied simply.
"And you're sure that he'll be able to help us out, right?" Nami asks again.
Jaya, South Grove
But just as Leon was about to give her the answer, both Luffy and Usopp notices something at the island.
"Whoa! Amazing!" Luffy and Usopp exclaims with their eyes budged and their jaws dropped when they saw a castle by the edge of an island.
"That's where he lives? It's a freakin' palace!" Luffy shouted.
"I've never seen a house that big before! this Mont Blanc Cricket guy must be loaded!" Usopp adds.
Though, most of the Straw Hats, including Caius and Leon, knew better than that and knows that Mont Blanc Cricket isn't that rich.
"You really think so?" Ventus asks with a scoff.
"Look closer." Zoro adds, also scoffed.
"It's really unattractive." Sanji states. "That guys gonna have some guts to build a house that ugly."
"Hmm! What's that?" Chopper asks, adjusting his eyelids when Luffy disembark to investigate and saw what they meant.
"HUUUUHHHH!? This isn't a palace at all!" Luffy shouts shockingly when he saw that the palace is nothing but wood covering the half of the house.
"WHAAAAT?!" Usopp and Chopper shouts as the Straw Hats lands on the edge of an island.
"The actual house is only half that size, which you see is a facade, a fake." Zoro points out.
"Kind of a cheapskate, isn't he?" Ventus asks.
"For someone who's a dreamer, he's even vain." Caius states.
"Sounds like it, but even more vain than I thought." Sanji agrees.
"Why exactly did Cricket decide to leave his home and come live here?" Nami inquires, turned to the mercenary.
"I don't know much, he doesn't tell me about himself." Leon told her. "But all I know is he came here to look for a treasure that was somewhere here."
"And I think it has something to do with his belief that a large amount of gold rests somewhere at the hills of Jaya." Robin adds with a smile.
"G-Gold!?" Usopp exclaims.
"Do you think he's here searching for some sort of buried treasure?" Nami asks.
"You're only half right, though I wouldn't go for the buried part." Leon answered, but didn't get to finish his sentence when Nami shouts gleefully.
"GOOLLD!?" Nami said excitedly with her eyes revealed 'B' when Chopper starts digging the ground. "Try over here, Chopper! Dig up this spot!"
"I'll be right there, Nami." Chopper grunts.
Leon couldn't help but sighed since he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence when the rest of the Straw Hat pirates disembark.
"Sorry about that, some can be idiots at times. You'll get used to it." Ventus assures him, earned a nod from him.
"Must be hard to live alone in such a remote area." Sanji states, walk a few step while scanning the area.
"Hello!" Luffy shouts, opened the door as he enters inside.
"Don't just barge in there?!" Usopp yelled with his budged eyes and shark-like teeth.
'It's already too late...' Ventus, Caius, and Leon mentally thought with a sweat drop as Usopp ran towards the house.
"Huh, looks like nobodies home." Luffy muttered, looked around the house. "Anybody here?! I guess he's gone."
"Get outta there, you idiot!" Usopp warns him. "This guy could be dangerous!"
"Hey, you guys! Nobodies homes!" Luffy shouts.
"Thanks, we notice." Ventus thanked him sarcastically while Chopper continues digging when Nami noticed an old book lying on a tree stump.
"Huh, what's this?" Nami said as she grabs the book. "A book? And it looks pretty old...Huh, it's called 'Noland the Liar.'"
"Huh, sounds like he could be good." Usopp states with a smirk, crossed his arms. "I sure like the title."
"Noland the Liar?" Sanji and Ventus repeats when it got their attention of Nami mentioned the title of the book.
"Yeah, have you heard of it?" Nami inquires, then analyze the book. "It says here, 'It was originally published in the North Blue territory'."
"It was." Sanji replied with a smile. "Like Ventus, I was born in the North Blue territory. I'm certain I must've told you guys that."
"No, that's news to me." Usopp told him, confused. "I always thought you were born in the East."
"I grew up there." Sanji points out.
"Chopper, stop digging the ground, we found something that pegs our interest." Caius informed him, causing Chopper to stop digging with his white eyes and jaws dropped, then decided to hear about the book.
"Where we come from, this is a famous story. It's a fairy tale supposably based on the life of Noland who lived in the North Blue a long time ago." Sanji explains as Nami began reading the book.
The first image shows the image of Noland sailing at sea.
'This is a story of ancient origins...
The events here in transpired more than 400 years ago'
Nami turns the page and the second image shows of Noland called his people to get his attention.
'There once was a man by the name of Mont Blanc Noland
Who lived in the North Blue countryside'
The page turned and the third image shows of him talking to his people about his previous adventures.
'Noland, who's an explorer, always regaled the crowds with stories of his incredible exploits
But nobody knew whether or not to take Noland's tall tale seriously'
The page turned and the fourth image shows of Noland making his way towards to the palace to have a word with the King.
'One day, upon returning from yet another adventure, he reported to his King
And all that he had seen'
The page turned and the fifth image shows of Noland telling the King about his discovery.
'I saw a City of Gold on an island in a great sea', declared Noland
And the courageous King decided that he must have this treasure for his kingdom'
The page turned and the sixth image shows the King and his group of soldiers setting sail at sea, encounters a sea monster.
'The King set out with Noland and 2,000 of his finest soldiers
Along the way, they endured treacherous storms
And battled many ferocious sea creatures'
The page turned and the seventh image shows Noland, the King, and the remained group of soldiers arrived at Jaya.
'At the end of their journey, only the King, Noland, and 100 soldiers survived to set foot on the island that it house the City of Gold
And all they found for their troubles was a normal island covered with the ordinary jungle'
The page turned and the eighth image shows an island, which the King and his soldiers were furious.
'And so, upon their return
Noland was sentenced to death for the crime of lying to his King
His last words were as follows'
The page turned and the ninth and final image shows Noland said his last words before his death.
'I can only assume that the City of Gold sunk into the sea
The King and his court were dumbfounded
Nobody believed Noland anymore
And the last of his days were spend in shame and ridicule before his sentence of death was carried out before a cheering crowd.'
"It says that the book was based on a true story of Noland the Liar." Nami said, finished reading the book.
Jaya, Mock Town
Meanwhile at the bar, Bellamy and his crew were able to recover after the last fight against Leon. Though, they still hold a grudge against the mercenary, but they soon burst with a laugh when they mentioned about Mont Blanc Cricket.
"Mont Blanc Cricket is a descendant of the infamous Mont Blanc Noland." Bellamy said with a smirk. "I heard that fairy tale all the time as a kid, but I never knew that Jaya was the island where he thought he saw the City of Gold."
"When we were growing up in the North Blue, we were always warned that if we lied, we'd suffer the same fate as Noland and be ridiculed, until we're eventually put to death." Sarquiss told him as Bellamy burst laughing.
"It makes perfect sense that Cricket's related to that fool, but I can't believe that Jaya is the island from the fairy tale." Bellamy states when one of the pirates overheard their conversation.
"Pardon the intrusion, but if I heard you correctly, you're saying a descendant of Noland is here 400 years after the fact looking for that gold? He's gotta be doing this to clear his family name and regain some small amount of respect."
Bellamy just scoffs and then laughs in amusement.
"This story just keeps better and better." Bellamy said, then laughs. "Can he seriously hope to wipe away over 400 years of embarrassment by bringing back a few pieces of gold? What a joke! Sounds like he's a few bricks short on a wall!"
Jaya, South Grove
Back at the other side of Jaya, Luffy looks down at the sea when he saw bubbles which it got him curious, yet bored. The rest of the Straw Hats on the other hand, were able to learn about Mont Blanc Cricket's ancestor, Noland, died of lying to the King and paid the price for it. Nami closes the book as she spoke.
"Alas, the liar died before he could prove himself to the people." Nami said with a fake sad look, turns to Usopp. "All he ever really wanted to do is live the life of an adventurer."
"That last parts not in the book!?" Usopp exclaims, points at Nami in annoyance. "Don't try to attack on your own sentimental nonsense!?"
Then, they heard a loud shout coming from Luffy, who's been dragged into the sea.
"Did he just fall in the water?!" Nami exclaims in dread as Usopp rushes after Luffy.
"What's going on?" Usopp asks, but stopped when he noticed a man named as Mont Blanc Cricket merged out of the sea and lands on the island with his fighting stance.
Mont Blanc Cricket is a muscular, middle-aged man with blond hair. He has a large chestnut on his head which he inherited from his ancestor. He wears dark-purple tracksuit-pants with a white stripe running along each leg, and a rope around his waist. He has a tattoo of a chestnut with the word 'Maroon' written across it on his left arm.
"Who the hell are you?!" Mont Blanc Cricket demands with a scowl on his face. "You've got nerve relaxing at someone's house without permission! This is my land and I suggest you leave!"
"Cricket, they're not-"
"Hurry, Usopp! Move it! Go and fish Luffy out of the sea!" Sanji ordered, charges after Cricket while Usopp head towards the sea to get Luffy out.
"I know why you're here, you're after my gold!" Cricket snarled as he made his first move by delivering a roundhouse kick.
Sanji dodges to his right and ducks down, saw Cricket swings his leg with his spin kick. Sanji stands up, about to make his move which he didn't react in time when Cricket was about to deliver a finger jab, which the cook leans back and catches his hand with his leg. Both Sanji and Cricket grunts while struggle to move since they're in a stalemate, but he breaks by pulling out his pistol. It got Sanji widen his eyes as Cricket fires his pistol, leaving Nami and Chopper shocked.
"Sanji!?" Nami exclaims as the smoke disappears, revealing that Sanji was able to dodge in time.
"Don't worry, this guy is a terrible shot!" Sanji grunts, but Cricket fires his pistol and it got the cook to dodge rapidly. "Hey, cut it out!"
"Idiot, never underestimate your foe." Zoro told him, pulls out his katana when Cricket is starting to get exhausted. "Out of the way, I'll handle this!"
And just as Zoro was about to interfere, Cricket is starting to feel the pain of his body, causing both Zoro and Sanji to stop as they watched him drop his gun and collapsed down to the ground with a groan in pain. Usopp was able to get Luffy when they surfaced with a gasp of air.
"You really need to learn to be more careful." Usopp warned him.
"You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?" Ventus said in annoyance.
"But I thought I saw...bubbles in the water...so, I look closer and then the chestnut appeared, but it wasn't a chestnut, it was a guy and then he pulled me in." Luffy explains with a groan, but noticed Cricket passed out. "What's with him?"
With no answer, Leon and Ventus dragged Cricket inside of the house while the young Dragoon and Chopper began the medical treatment.
"I need more cold towels! And open up those windows!" Chopper instructed as he placed the cold towels on Cricket and Luffy and Caius opened up the windows.
"It's caisson disease, isn't it?" Ventus guessed.
"Yeah." Chopper replied with a nod.
"What's caisson disease?" Zoro inquires, crossed his arms.
"So, this guy is really sick, huh?" Luffy questions, turns to them.
"Yeah, caisson disease is an illness that sometimes affects divers." Chopper explains. "Though, it's called a disease, it isn't actually a chronic condition. It's caused by a lack of decompressing when surfacing from the seabed. The nitrogen in the blood releases too quickly and causes gas bubbles to form in the circulatory system. And when those gas bubbles expand, they can cause considerable damage to muscles and joints and seriously decrease blood flow."
"So, it's a mystery disease?" Luffy said, still don't know what it means. "Think you can help him?"
"I'm not sure." Chopper told him. "My guess is he kept diving every day without allowing time for his body to recover, and it finally caught up with him. That's why he passed out during the fight."
"Your assumption is right on the mark." Leon said, earned their attention when he's leaning against the wall. "From the past few weeks since I've been here, he's been diving non-stop, only to stop whenever he likes to eat or have a chat with me while smoking, which it doesn't help with his lungs."
"But why in the world did he do that?" Nami questions.
"He struck some treasure on the day he merged out of the sea." Leon said. "He kept saying 'he finally found it' and kept diving without a long recovery. What did he find? I can't really confirm it."
"He was taking a big risk." Chopper stated. "In some cases, caisson disease can cause death. So, he's lucky to be alive."
"But luck won't last for long if he keeps up." Leon points out seriously. "He's a good man and he doesn't deserve to die."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets better." Chopper assures him.
"While we're at it, would you mind tell us who you really are?" Nami suggested, turns to the mercenary. "By the look of how you beat those pirates, you seem to be experienced."
"Guess I owe you guys an explanation." Leon said, sighed. "As you guys are aware, my name is Leon. I'm a former resistance fighter, a mercenary, and a Gunbreaker from Gridania, a forest kingdom in Aldenard."
"Aldenard? But I thought it's a desert." Nami states, confused.
"Aldenard is not only a kingdom, but it's also an island where you have the continents that has different kinds of kingdoms." Caius explains. "Both Ishgard and Dravnania are part of the island Eorzea, but they also presenting the kingdom of Aldenard in the North Blue. But in Aldenard and Eorzea, they governed by The Black Shroud, Thanalan, Mor Dhona, Coerthas, Dravania, Abalathia's Spire, and Gyr Abania."
"The Black Shroud is the forest region in Aldenard with the woodland city known as Gridania. Thanalan is a desert region in Aldenard with the city of Ul'dah." Leon adds. "Mor Dhona is at the west-center of Aldenard that has airships dominating the landscape."
"And let me guess, Coerthas is a mountain regions that has a city known as Ishgard?" Sanji guessed.
"And Dravania that's located in the east." Zoro adds.
"Yes, and Alabathia's Spire is a mountain range that takes up at the northern part of Aldenard and prevents access to it's northern cost. It's large peaks host the Sea of Clouds." Caius explains. "And finally, Gyr Abania is a dry and mountainous region in Aldenard with the city known as Ala Mhigo. However, it was cut off from the rest of the region years ago by the Garlean Empire and the constructions of Baelsar's Wall."
It got the Straw Hats intense when they mentioned Garlean Empire.
"I was part of the resistance and a mercenary band called, Silver Lions when I was 15." Leon told them. "But unlike the Garlean Empire, we hold ethic code of honor and fight for freedom."
"Seriously, you were the resistance and a mercenary at the age of 15?" Sanji asks with a serious look. "How old are you now?"
"22." Leon told him, leaving them shocked.
'So that's how he took down those pirates, but with the way he fights and with that look, it's like he's combat experienced.' Zoro mentally thought.
"We've been gathering some recruits who were against the Garlean Empire and fought against them for only 7 years." Leon explains. "We were able to cut their supplies, stole their weapons and armor and use it against them. We took back of our towns and cities, including the Gyr Abania. But things have took a turn when the Garlean Empire turn the tide. They somehow found our base, we were able to fend them off, but only for a while."
"Wow, it sounds like you guys put up a fight against the Garlean Empire." Usopp states shockingly. "I bet you even took down one of those Five Stars guys."
"No, we only fought their soldiers, but we were overrun and was force to fall back and scatter." Leon said. "Most of us survive the fight, but the cost was to lose the base and our group who fought and died. I was the only one leaving Aldenard to find the new recruits who can stand and fight against the Garlean Empire."
"But were you able to find the recruits?" Nami questions.
"Not a single one, I even tried to convince them to help us fight, but not one wants to withstand against them." Leon told her. "I continue to set sail across the Grand Line, fight against the Garlean soldiers and took down their ship to prevent them for their world conquest. I've been doing it ever since, but as for Jaya, I thought I can try my luck on recruiting them."
"But all you ever find were pirates who looks down on dreamers and other people." Sanji states.
"Yeah, but the rest is history since I've stayed there in weeks, fight against pirates." Leon said.
The Straw Hat pirates and Caius began to understand why Leon is here on the Grand Line, which they can tell that the mercenary has been fighting against the Garlean Empire for only 7 years. However, they're planning to head for Altivalios and put an end of the Garlean Empire after helping Ventus defend his homeland against them.
"Well, we were planning to head to Altivalios ourselves." Nami told him, leaving him confused. "According of what we've learned, the Garlean Empire is ruling there and we were planning to head that direction."
"But we still need to get to Ishgard." Zoro adds.
"What do you mean?" Leon inquires.
"Ventus' home and Dravania are about to be invaded by the Garlean Empire." Robin clarifies. "But after learning about the dark secret that's been hidden thousand years ago, we believe that one of the generals are leading them to the two islands."
"I see." Leon said with a sigh. "When will they invade?"
"We don't know." Chopper told him, turns to the mercenary. "We're still trying to find a way to get to Ishgard without any problems. And sail towards the Calm Belt and having Ventus to fly is out of the question."
"And we're gonna help Ventus defend his home against those bastards." Zoro adds with a scowl. "But after all that crap, I still had a half mind of beating the crap out of those people."
"Same goes for me." Sanji agrees, puffing the smoke out of his mouth.
It got Leon wondering what they mean and why, as the Straw Hat pirates, except Ventus, gives him an explanation while he listens carefully.
Meanwhile at the outside of Cricket's house, Masira rush towards the house when Shoujou catches up to his brother.
"Masira! I thought you were salvaging!" Shoujou told him.
"Was! But I came to find out what all that gunfire was about!" Masira said.
"I'm also here to find out! Hopefully nothing bad happens to Leon or the old timer!" Shoujou said with worry.
And just at the two pirate captains made their way towards the house, both Masira and Shoujou pop their heads at the entrance and spoke.
"Hey Leon! Hey old timer! Are you alright?!" Masira and Shoujou shouts with worry, earned their attention.
It got both Usopp and Chopper panicked as they ran around the house, but both Masira and Shoujou glared at the Straw Hats.
"What in the world are you people doing here?" Shoujou demands.
"And what are you doing to our friends?!" Masira adds, but Leon had enough as he sent both him and Shoujou out of the house and bonked both Usopp and Chopper in the head.
"All this shouting isn't helping and neither does the both of you?!" Leon growled in annoyance. "All of you get out of the house and let Cricket rest, now!"
The Straw Hats, except Chopper and Ventus, got out of the house while the two stayed to continue the medical treatment. Leon then walk towards Masira and Shoujou since they wanted to know what were they doing with Cricket.
"The reason why Cricket is like this is because he passed out a while ago, and the Straw Hats are helping him recover." Leon told them, leaving both Masira and Shoujou shocked.
Usopp was about to beg Leon not to antagonize them, but both Masira and Shoujou were crying in tears as they turned to the Straw Hats.
"Thank you, guys." Masira and Shoujou thanked them, causing Usopp and Chopper to face fault down to the ground.
"What did they say?" Usopp asks, confused.
After a few minutes of medical treatment, Luffy spoke to the two.
"So, you guys live on this island too?" Luffy asks.
"Yep, this old timers house is the official headquarters of the Saruyama Alliance of Jaya." Masira answered.
"We call this home, but we spend most of our time on our ships." Shoujou adds. "We're more comfortable at sea, cuz' this place is too small for us."
"You guys are too big for your own good, but it's all how you look at it, I guess." Luffy states with a shrug. "To a giant, you still look nothing more than a ball of earwax."
It got Luffy, Masira, and Shoujou laughed of that joke.
"Well, those three sure are getting along well now, aren't they?" Usopp asks in annoyance, watching them laugh.
"Yeah, seems like they have a lot in common." Zoro replied, crossed his legs while on the ground with his hands behind his head.
"I'm pretty impressed you managed to get Masira here off your ship, it's quite a feat for someone as small as you'd overpower him." Shoujou told him, much to Masira's annoyance.
"Eh, it wasn't that hard." Luffy points out.
"Huh!? What's that?!" Shoujou exclaims, feeling offended.
"I'm sure you could kick his ass." Luffy said when Chopper opens the door.
"Luffy, he's waking up!" Chopper informed him, earned his attention.
"He's awake?" Luffy asks with a grin.
Then, Shoujou kicked Masira in the ass, sent him flying out of the island and splash down into the sea.
"He's right, I can kick Masira's ass." Shoujou said surprisingly when Luffy, Leon, and the rest of the Straw Hats entered inside of the house to see Cricket, who sat himself up after the recovery.
"Hey, chestnut guy, I got a question for ya." Luffy told him when Cricket takes the cigarette out of his mouth and puffs the smoke out.
"I'm sorry I attacked you." Cricket apologized. "I thought you were nothing more than another group of bandits who'd come to steal my gold."
"Did someone say something about gold?!" Nami exclaims excitedly, with her eyes shown 'B'.
"Just calm down, Nami." Usopp told her quietly.
"What exactly was it you wanted to ask me?" Cricket asks, ignoring the question and the whisper when Luffy walk towards him.
"We're searching for Sky Island, and we were told you might be able to tell us how get there!" Luffy replied with a grin.
"Are you serious?" Cricket said, glancing at Luffy and the next thing they knew, he started laughing. "Don't tell me you're really believe that place exists?!"
Nami was about to hit him with her fist, but Usopp and Caius restrained her while reminding her that he's still a patient.
"You mean there's no Sky Island?! Are you sure?!" Luffy exclaims, causing Cricket to stop laughing.
"...I don't know." Cricket said with a chuckle, placing the cigarette next to his mouth. "You see, nobody knows that the Sky Island really exists or not. I know of only one man who claims to have seen the island for himself, but he's considered a liar or epic proportions."
Luffy then turns to Usopp, who quickly denied the assumption.
"What are you looking at?!" Usopp shouts with his wide grin and budged eyes.
"There's an old fairy tale that the people of the North Blue know very well, it's called Noland the Liar." Cricket explains.
Luffy then turns to Usopp again, but denies once more.
"Stop looking at me Luffy! My name is not Noland!" Usopp shouts in annoyance.
"I take it he's the liar of your crew?" Leon asks, turning to Ventus.
"In more ways than one." Ventus replied when Sanji realized something.
"Now that I think about it, Noland's family name was also Mont Blanc." Sanji said, turns to Cricket. "Does that mean that you two are related somehow?"
"Is he right?! And is this island one mentioned in the fairy tale?!" Nami adds, caught on his assumption which Cricket simply scoffed.
"Yeah, Noland's my grandfathers-grandfathers-grandfather, he's the distant ancestor of mine, I am his descendant." Cricket replied, turns away. "But we so far removed, I doubt there's any single drop of his blood in my veins. The Mont Blanc family was driven out of the North Blue country a long time ago and we've managed to keep a very low profile ever since. People still denounce the family name, but we've never despised him for this."
"But why?" Chopper asks.
"Because Noland contrary to popular belief was a very honest person." Cricket answered, leaving them confused.
"That's not what the fairy tale said." Nami states.
"As the story goes, Noland's last words were as follows: 'I can only assume that the City of Gold sunk into the sea'. This line is accompanied by an idiotic face in illustration, but Noland was no idiot." Cricket informed him. "He knew what he saw and I believe he wasn't lying about it. Noland was sure the island he stumbled upon where he found the ruins of the City of Gold was the island of Jaya, but when he returned with the King, there was no gold. Unsuccessful, he insisted that the ancient city had submerged due to ships and the earths crust, but everyone dismiss this as the last ditching excuse of a doomed man. Noland was given a public execution, and when he died, so did his discoveries. Only the legend of a liar remained."
"I get it! You're trying to find the ancient City of Gold at the bottom of the sea in order to finally clear the Mont Blanc family name and prove Noland right!" Usopp exclaims with a grin.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Cricket shouts, shooting Usopp
"Usopp!" Chopper shouts with worry, which they notice he quickly ducks down with his hands raise in the air and in teary eyes with fright.
"I don't really care if the ancient City of Gold exists or not! The actions of my ancestor have nothing to do with me and my life! You can't possibly begin to imagine what it's like there's a kid for everyone to laugh at you and ridicule you because you're a descendant of that idiot, Noland! That's what I've dealt with my whole life!" Cricket shouts as everyone went silent. "Anyway, over the pass 400 years, a great many of my family have set sailed to find the City of Gold, prove Noland right, and restore the Mont Blanc name. But each and every one of them went missing. I was ashamed to be a member of such a pathetic family. So, I decided to leave home and become a pirate."
"Wow! So, you're a pirate just like us?" Luffy asked with a grin.
"I didn't even really wanna become a pirate, I just wanted out of Noland's shadow, to be my own man." Cricket explains, remembered his younger days as a pirate. "But overtime, I came to assemble my own pirate crew. Finally, I was seen as a leader, not a laughingstock. Then, I spend the world, looking for adventures. Then, 10 years ago as my crew and I sailed a calm sea. We discovered this island purely by chance and ironically, of all my family members who sought out this place, who lost their lives doing so, it was I who found it! I, who despise, the Mont Blanc name! We came ashore and found no trace of the City of Gold, I stood on a cape of the island and felt I was destined to be there."
Cricket even remembered his day as a pirate when his crew left him on the island alone since they want no part of his goal nor wanted to help him search the City of Gold. Cricket began his goal by searching the gold underwater.
"I don't care if I find the city or not, I'm not to prove Noland right or wrong. I have no interest in rewriting history. All I'm doing is following what I believe is my destiny. This is between me and Noland." Cricket said which the Straw Hats and Leon couldn't help but either sympathize or respect him while Usopp is in tears. "I'm facing what I fear, and whatever the outcome, the act is all that matters."
"Wow, what a sad story." Usopp cried, covering his eyes.
"But what about the monkeys? How did they come to be on this island with you anyway?" Luffy asks.
"I'm sure that's another story of bravery and the face of incredible odds!" Usopp cries. "Your life reads like a great book, you know..."
"That's not it, Usopp, it's just that Masira and Shoujou are here on this island, because they're just fans of the fairy tale." Leon told him.
"THEY'RE FANS!?" Usopp yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"How did they find you?" Nami asks Cricket with a sweat drop.
"I think it was 5 or 6 years ago, they heard a rumor and set out to find me. Those two truly believe that the City of Gold exists somewhere." Cricket explains. "And they're helping me find it."
Meanwhile, Masira merged out of the water with a loud shout as he jumps into the island with enraged look on his face.
"Shoujou! You have no idea what you've got yourself into!?" Masira yelled.
"Bring it on, you big ape!" Shoujou taunts, readied his fighting stance. "I'm ready when you are! Just step up, and you'll get knocked down!"
And with that, both Shoujou and Masria began fighting each other.
"The sea surrounding this island is very deep." Cricket continued. "And in those dark cold depths, you're surrounded by a profound sense of solitude. When I first arrived here, I spend my time searching the seabed alone. They entered my life without permission and assigned themselves as my crew without asking, and they do nothing but fight all the time. But having these idiots around puts me at ease. And truthfully, I enjoyed their company. You understand?"
Ventus knew that feeling, looking at his crew.
"I understand completely." Usopp said, trembling in tears as he silently cried. "True friends lived each other and give each other strength in times of need..."
"Are you just about finish telling us your life story-"
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU UNGRATFUL BRAT!?" Usopp yelled as he bonked him in the face.
"Stop it!" Luffy grunts in annoyance, tossing Usopp aside. "Look! All I really wanna know is Sky Island!"
"Impatient much?" Leon muttered in annoyance when Cricket chuckled.
"You're a pushy guy, aren't you?" Cricket said with a smirk. "But like I told you earlier, the only person who's ever seen the Sky Island is Noland, and nobody knows if he was telling the truth or if it was just another tall tale."
Cricket pulls out a very old logbook as he goes through the pages.
"Is there any record of his trip to the island?" Luffy asks when Usopp leans next to him.
"Officially no, but he does mentioned it here." Cricket answered when Nami walk towards him, noticing the logbook.
"What do you have there? That isn't Noland's logbook, is it?" Nami asks.
"Yeah, it is." Cricket answered, tossed the logbook to her. "Read from the bottom of that page."
"Amazing...This logbook is over 400 years old...'June 21st, year 1120, a Sunny day on the Sea of Ephemeris. Upon departing from the Jolly Villa, we left the harbor and sailed into the rising sun at a heading east by northeast with the wind of our back." Nami said, reading intensely. "At midday, we happened across a one boat carrying a rare item, a single person contraption called a Sky Waver."
It got Luffy, Usopp, and Choppers attention as they walked closer to Nami to hear the information.
"This small mysterious vessel can generate its own wind and sail at great speed, even it's on a still day." Nami continued. "But the ski-like ship was not easily maneuvered, I couldn't control it. Although, my crew is taking quite a liking to it...I've gotta get one of those things!"
"KEEP GOING! DON'T STOP READING!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper demands with budging eyes and shark-like teeth.
"We were told the vessel had been manufactured on the Sky Island, and that many more interesting devices could be found there." Nami said with a smile. "It brought to mind an explorer friend of mine who once showed me the most unusual specimen, a living sky fish. I've never seen a fish with such a bizarre appearance for all my years. This island remains the only unexplored domain, and as a sailor and an adventurer, I feel it is my destiny to one day reach the sea in the sky. Mont Blanc Noland. Do you know what this means?"
"The Sky Island must really exist!" Luffy said excitedly.
"Just like Robin said it did!" Usopp adds, excited. "Now, we only just gotta figure out how to get there!"
"The Sky Island does exist!" Chopper exclaims excitedly.
While Cricket walked out of the house with a smirk on his face, he can hear the excited noise from his house as he walk towards Shoujou and Masira.
"You're up! You feeling alright?" Masira asks.
"Better than ever." Cricket replied.
"Glad to hear it!" Shoujou grunts while he and Masira, who complains, kept fighting.
"Shut up! I need to ask you something." Cricket called them, causing the two to stop. "What do you think of those guys?"
"Why are asking, old timer?" Shoujou inquires, confused.
"It seems that they're determined to get to Sky Island, no matter what." Cricket answered seriously.
"Sky Island?" Shoujou repeats. "You know there's only one way for them to get there."
"And if they tried to get there on their own, they'll die." Masira points out.
"Exactly, I think we should help them along." Cricket suggested with his arms crossed. "So, what do you guys think about that?"
And with that, Masira, Shoujou, and Cricket decided to help the Straw Hat pirates get to Sky Island.
That's it for the 18th chapter.
