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After clearing everything up and having a small talk with the two strange monkey people and their leader, Luffy decided to ask more about the Sky Island.
"I Want to go to the Sky Island," Luffy stated with a wide grin.
"You're a hasty one!" Cricket chuckles. "Yeah, I did tell you, right? The witness to the sky island is 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 with a wider grin as he sits on a wooden box.
"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 harbor. 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. 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 their cook's interest. "I was surprised at how strange the fish looked."
"Skyfish?" Sanji mutters, listening to what Nami is saying. His first thought was how the fish tasted.
"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 said!" Luffy exclaims, standing up from the wooden box and looking at Usopp and Chopper with the same expression.
"And it sounds like the sky island was a pretty normal thing for people back then," Usopp exclaims with glee.
"So it really does exist!" Chopper cheers, jumping out of Vivi's arms, and Cricket walks out of the hut.
"Alright!" The boys cheer.
Later
Cricket stands in front of them after calling them 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 the whole crew.
"None of it's certain, but it's up to you if you wanna believe it or not!"
"Yeah! We already believe you. Just continue!" Luffy assures the man.
"Geez, you're fast!" Usopp lightly scolds their 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 are lots of clouds!"
"Yeah! Cloudy!" Usopp adds.
"Cloudy!" Chopper jumps up in front of the rest of them.
"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 is that cumuloregalis clouds are fossilized 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. This went against everything she knew about Weather.
"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 really 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 them.
"Okay! Gotcha! Let's go above those clouds!" Luffy cheers, jumping around, and Usopp joins in. "Get up, Zoro!"
"Huh? Is it morning?" Zoro asked as he was rubbing his eyes, trying to get rid of the feeling of sleeping.
"Get ready, everyone! Cloud rudder full! Thanks for filling us in, old guy!" Storm 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, except for the captain, who dodged everything.
"Now comes the real problem. Let me start by saying this... Put your lives on the line! We're already nearing death... The Knock-Up Stream is a current that shoots into the air... You can theoretically take it into the sky. Understand?" Cricket explains with a grim look on his face.
"It's a current that can send ships flying, right?" Nami asks him intently.
"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, swallowing a huge breath. Suddenly the idea of going to the Sky Island wasn't as appealing as before.
"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 looks around. There are several reactions, mainly fear, and shock.
"How exactly does a current water 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 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 seawater 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 answers while rubbing the top of his head.
"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 hopes the sky island shows up?" Luffy asks with a wide grin, already thinking of a way to survive if it all goes to shit. He almost thought of telling his crew but concluded that it would be more fun if they thought that they all would die if they failed.
"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 them. His tone clearly indicates that he wasn't joking.
"A-Alright! Let's give up on the sky island!" Usopp tries to stop their Captain.
"We'll be fine! Let's go!" Their Captain assures him.
"How do you know? How can you say such groundless stuff so easily...?! I mean, just look at the Going Merry now!" Thier Sniper warns, pointing over to their 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 will be blasted apart in the explosion."
"...See! It really is impossible!" Usopp choked, looking upset. The thought of Going Merry being blown to bits filled him with dread.
"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 reassures them.
"Yeah!" The monkey brothers shout from the windows of the small hut. "Just leave it to us!"
"Thanks, guys!" Luffy cheers and Vivi looks over to Nami and Usopp, who don't look that happy.
"Didn't even ask us...." They grumble to themselves, and Nami walks over to their Captain. Surprisingly, from the entire crew, Robin and Nojiko seemed to be the ones least concerned about what the captain wanted to do.
"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 Storm Boy.
"Shut up, you! Does tomorrow just happen 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! Robin-! Nojiko, Vivi, Dinner's-" He calls out to them 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 toward 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 they begin walking inside.
"Usopp!" he exclaimed, his voice booming across the land and causing his crewmates to halt in their tracks. Even though they were used to Luffy's unpredictable behavior, the sudden shift in his demeanor sent a shiver down their spines and made them turn back to see what was happening between their captain and Usopp. The once lively atmosphere was now replaced with an eerie tension that lingered in the air, leaving everyone on edge and wondering what was about to unfold.
"Remember that I'm the ship's captain, don't think for one moment that I would ever agree to do something that I thought could endanger the entire crew," Luffy spoke as his entire crew went silent, listening intently to their captain.
Luffy's sharp gaze bore into Usopp's eyes, causing him to recoil slightly as if struck by an invisible force. His voice was low but filled with authority as he spoke, "Be wary of your words in the future, Usopp. Remember, I am the captain of this crew, and I could have easily voiced those same sentiments myself. Your careless words could have jeopardized our chances of reaching the Sky Island." With a final glance in Usopp's direction, he turned on his heel and strode purposefully towards the house, the rest of the crew trailing dutifully in his wake. Meanwhile, Usopp stood there alone. His head bowed in shame. His hands clenched into fists as he berated himself for his foolishness.
As they walked inside, Usopp stood in the center, his eyes welling up with tears.
"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.
They all sit around the hut in a circle on the circular rug, enjoying Sanji's food and some alcohol. "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 wait on you!" Sanji tells him.
"I saw gold..." Cricket says, and Vivi looks over to see him kneeling in front of Robin, who sits away from the rest of them, 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.
"The day I arrived on Jaya. Entry for May 21, 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 huge 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...but experiencing the transience of this civilization 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 backward.
"Wow! A giant gold bell!" Nami's eyes sparkled at the possibility, already imagining a giant bell the size of a house made entirely of pure gold. Her eyes turned to berries as she did.
"Wait a minute, old guy! You like Noland, after all!" Usopp teases him, making them 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 civilization in this area. Ingots are made to have standardized 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 them.
"Huh?! What're you talking about?! Are you crazy, old guy?!" The Storm Boy asks what everyone is thinking.
"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 them.
"Well, usually we could just sail there, but this is the Grand Line, so we probably can't," Luffy answered, impressing Nami.
"Once you're on the open sea, you cannot get your bearings!" He reminds them.
"That's right!" Nami agrees. "We're heading for the ocean, not an island, so we have no guide to rely on! Then how do we go straight south?"
"You use that bird's behavior! 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!" They 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 going to 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 they follow behind them.
"Listen! Make sure you catch at least one South Bird before dawn!" He warns them.
Akainu
As the moon shone brightly in the sky, the warships glided gracefully across the glassy sea, their hulls slicing through the still waters easily. The sound of gentle waves lapping against the sides of the vessels filled the air, creating a soothing rhythm that lulled the crew into a sense of tranquility.
The sailors stood to watch on the decks, their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of danger, while the gentle sea breeze brushed against their faces, carrying with it the salty scent of the ocean. As the ship sailed through the calm waters of the Grand Line, the sturdy and steadfast admiral, Akainu, stood firmly on the main deck, his piercing gaze fixed on the horizon. With a keen eye for detail, he could make out the faint outline of the island they were approaching.
He heard footsteps approaching from behind, but he didn't bother to look back. "Akainu-Sama. We reach Mock Town within five minutes." Shini informed him, bowing respectfully behind the imposing admiral.
The night was dark, and the only light source came from the full moon that shone brightly in the sky, casting a white glow on the calm sea beneath. As Akainu strode towards the bow, his subordinate followed behind him, but he didn't bother to glance at him. His footsteps echoed heavily against the wooden floor, creating a symphony of sounds that reverberated through the stillness of the night as if announcing their presence to the world. The wind blew gently, carrying the salty scent of the sea that mixed with the fragrance of the wood, creating an intoxicating aroma that filled the air. Akainu's eyes were fixed on the horizon.
The moment Akainu reached the ship's bow, he took a deep breath, feeling the salty sea breeze filling up his lungs. As he exhaled, a thick steam of hot air escaped his mouth, blending with the cool sea air around him. Being the master of the Magma-Magma Fruit, Akainu felt his right arm suddenly turning into a blazing, molten mass of magma, bubbling and boiling underneath his skin.
Raising his fiery arm up high towards the sky, he unleashed a powerful burst of heat, causing the air to ripple and shimmer around him as the clouds above began to dissipate, revealing a clear blue sky beyond.
"Lava Meteor."
Shooting several massive blasts of magma toward the sky, these fiery projectiles soared high into the sky, leaving behind a trail of ash and smoke, all of them looking like giant fists made of magma. The entire Warships crew watched in awe as they disappeared above the clouds.
For a moment, there was naught but silence in the sea. Suddenly ten giant fists made of molten lava appeared in the sky, descending upon the dock with a fiery glow. Each fist was the size of a small house, and their descent illuminated the darkness with an eerie light. Akainu, watching the spectacle unfold. He knew that the Pirate Ships were docked at the Mock Town and that they would be obliterated if the fists made contact. He felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that once the pirate ships were destroyed, they would have nowhere else to run.
"I want no Pirate Prisoners," Akainu ordered his Warships as the first Fist Magma collided with the dock of Mock Town.
As the night sky was painted with an array of vibrant colors, a deafening blast echoed throughout the sea, signaling the end of the infamous Bellamy Pirates. The once mighty ship of the notorious group was reduced to nothing but floating debris as a fierce explosion sent lava rocks and magma fragments soaring high into the air, only to rain back down as fiery meteors, illuminating the dark waters below. The force of the blast was so intense that it created a massive shockwave, causing nearby ships to tremble.
"You have nowhere to go, Dragon's Son."
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