"What...what is this place?"
Staring in awe at the unbelievable scene before him, Cricket couldn't help but ask. Although he had already begun to suspect the truth, the sudden rush of excitement made it difficult for him to believe what he was seeing.
The skull-shaped island was exactly as it appeared on the sea chart, matching the mysterious place that had haunted his dreams.
"This is Jaya Island, 400 years ago."
A voice, faint yet clear, drifted into Cricket's ears as Leo slowly appeared in front of him, smiling.
With a wave of his hand, dark clouds suddenly gathered, casting a shadow over the entire sky.
Leo explained to Cricket, "About 400 years ago, your ancestor Noland arrived on this island. He used advanced scientific knowledge to help the Shandia, the island's indigenous people, solve many problems. He earned their trust and respect and uncovered the secrets they had guarded for centuries—the city of gold, Shandora."
"But unfortunately..." Leo gently shook his head, his expression tinged with regret.
With another slight wave of his hand—
Suddenly!
Cricket's eyes widened in horror, his diamond-shaped face frozen in shock.
Beneath them, the previously calm sea began to churn violently, as if a monstrous force was awakening.
Under the darkened sky, the entire island trembled.
Then, in an instant, a massive upward current burst from the ocean's depths, splitting the island in two. While one half of the island remained, the other half was lifted skyward by the rising waters.
"This... this is...!!?"
Cricket could barely articulate his shock, pointing at the scene in front of him. His voice failed him, leaving him only able to watch the awe-inspiring event in silence.
As he looked at the half of the island still in the sea, its shape so familiar, Cricket suddenly understood the truth.
The legendary Golden Land of Shandora hadn't sunk into the ocean—it had been blasted into the sky!
Leo continued, "Yes, as you can see, the truth you've been searching for has always been above your head. Your ancestor Noland didn't lie. The vanished Golden Land is directly above Jaya Island, just above us!"
"At 10,000 meters above sea level, the legendary Golden Land of Shandora is right there!"
"10,000 meters..." Cricket murmured softly, then fell silent.
He didn't know whether to feel excited and joyous at discovering the truth or regretful and frustrated about the years he'd spent searching in vain.
Fortunately, Leo didn't leave him too much time to dwell on his thoughts.
Snap!
With a sharp snap of Leo's fingers, Cricket's vision blurred, and he found himself back in the real world.
"How does it feel to know the truth?" Leo asked with a relaxed smile.
However...
Cricket shook his head and replied, "I don't know..."
He gazed into the distant sky, but saw nothing unusual—only the blue sky and drifting white clouds. He couldn't comprehend how there could be islands floating in the air.
Just as he was lost in thought, Leo suddenly smiled and asked, "So, do you want to go up and see for yourself?"
!?
"W-what!?" Cricket was startled.
"Go up and take a look?" He repeated in disbelief, "You mean, go up to an altitude of 10,000 meters? How could that be possible...?"
Cricket's words trailed off as he realized the young man standing before him was no ordinary person. This was someone from a legendary different world.
If he could travel between worlds, what was a mere 10,000 meters in the sky?
Cricket looked at Leo, his hands clenched, his body trembling with a mix of fear and excitement. "Is it really... possible? To reach 10,000 meters?"
"Of course~" Leo replied confidently, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
"That..."
After receiving such a positive answer, Cricket grew even more excited but forced himself to stay calm. After taking a few deep breaths, he looked up again, his eyes shining with determination.
"Lord Dimensional Merchant, please tell me how I can reach that altitude of 10,000 meters!"
Cricket's resolve was clear, and his tone had naturally shifted to one of deep respect.
"It's simple."
Leo maintained his mysterious smile, summoning a virtual screen with a wave of his hand. On it, several flying Pokémon appeared.
He whispered, "Just make a deal with me, and that's all there is to it!"
"A deal?"
Cricket, having read about dimensional trading in the newspapers, wasn't unfamiliar with the concept. He nodded firmly, his gaze unwavering. "I beg you, sir, to trade with me!"
"No problem."
Leo's smile widened as he extended a finger toward Cricket, projecting the trading interface directly into his mind and imparting the necessary knowledge.
"Now, you can decide in your mind what items you want to trade, convert them into points, and then exchange them for a Pokémon that can help you soar into the clouds!"
As a torrent of information flooded his mind, Cricket quickly understood the dimensional trading system. He immediately began selecting items to trade within his mind.
Though he lived in poverty, Cricket wasn't truly poor. As the leader of the Saruyama Alliance, his strength was formidable, even rivaling that of Sanji when he arrived on Jaya Island in the original story. He also had the wealth accumulated from salvaging sunken ships in the Grand Line—a lucrative business. If he hadn't been so focused on his romantic quest for truth, he could have easily dominated the Grand Line.
Without hesitation, Cricket decided to trade everything he owned, including the gold artifacts he had retrieved from the sea depths, possibly originating from the lost city of Shandora.
Now that he knew the truth, he was determined to put everything to good use!
A moment later, Cricket slowly opened his eyes.
Leo's voice came once more, "Congratulations, Mr. Cricket. Your total points for this transaction amount to 1,000, and you've been successfully upgraded to a VIP level 1 member of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce..."
"Here is your personal information."
A virtual screen appeared before Cricket:
[Mont Blanc Cricket]
[VIP Level: 1]
[VIP Experience: 1000/2000]
[Current Points: 1000]
"A thousand points?" Cricket, now familiar with the transaction rules, nodded in understanding. It was roughly what he had expected, given that the jewelry and gold he traded were likely worth around 500 million beli.
After acquainting himself with the interface, he turned to Leo with respect. "Please, sir, tell me which Pokémon I should exchange for to reach the island in the sky at 10,000 meters!"
Leo chuckled, amused by Cricket's anxious yet restrained demeanor. He then displayed the Pokémon that had been prepared:
[Pokémon: Pidgeot]
[Type: Normal, Flying]
[Ability: Keen Eye (ensures perfect vision, unaffected by external conditions.)]
[Level: 30]
[Price: 1000 points]
"Is this really... an eagle?"
Cricket, who had no prior knowledge of Pokémon, stared at the eagle on the screen for a while. After a moment, he asked hesitantly,
"Sir Dimension Merchant, can this eagle really take me up to an altitude of 10,000 meters?"
"That's correct."
Leo nodded with a smile and began his introduction:
"This is Pidgeot, a Normal and Flying-type Pokémon. It has remarkable flying abilities, often soaring at altitudes of thousands of meters, effortlessly overcoming even the toughest conditions."
"And the Pidgeot I've chosen for you is exceptional, even among its kind!"
"Due to the unique environment it lives in, this Pidgeot has grown to an extraordinary size. With a wingspan stretching up to 5 meters, it's capable of carrying multiple people high into the sky."
"Its massive wings also grant it incredible flying power. Compared to a regular Pidgeot, this one can maintain an average flight speed of Mach 3—1.5 times faster than usual."
"Moreover, this Pidgeot has a hidden ability: its powerful chest muscles. This makes it incredibly strong, allowing it to withstand the challenges of high-altitude flight without losing any strength, even in oxygen-thin air."
Like a seasoned salesman, Leo listed many of Pidgeot's advantages.
Although he already had 35,000 points in the system. Even for a "small" transaction of a few thousand points, Leo provided excellent service.
In fact, even in the Pokémon world, only a handful of Pokémon can fly at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
This Pidgeot seemed tailor-made for Cricket.
Sure enough, after listening to Leo's introduction, Cricket's eyes lit up. Without any hesitation, he nodded enthusiastically.
"Sir Dimension Merchant, I want this eagle!"
"It's perfect for me!"
He spoke with determination, as if afraid Leo might change his mind.
Leo, having anticipated this reaction, smiled and deducted Cricket's 1,000 points before handing over the Pokéball containing Pidgeot.
"Then, a successful transaction, Mr. Cricket."
"Thank you, sir!"
Cricket bowed deeply and respectfully took the Pokéball from Leo.
Having been introduced to the concept of Pokémon by Leo, Cricket didn't hesitate. He took the Pokéball, aimed it at the open space in front of him, and released Pidgeot.
"Pidgeooooooot!"
In an instant, a massive bird with enormous wings appeared before Leo and Cricket.
Cricket reached out and stroked Pidgeot's feathers, his mouth curving into a smile of amazement.
Leo, standing nearby, also couldn't help but marvel at the sight of the eagle.
While the system's interface couldn't do it justice, seeing it in the real world...
The colossal Pidgeot was truly majestic in both presence and appearance!
In Leo's opinion, this Pidgeot was one of the most impressive Pokémon he had ever traded.
In fact, the Suicune from the Alabasta Kingdom was also quite striking, but ever since Leo saw Goh's Suicune back on Earth, he couldn't help but feel a bit biased against that particular Pokémon.
Suicune? No thanks!
...
The sea breeze gently blew.
With Pidgeot's appearance, the coastline of Jaya Island suddenly became lively again.
For Cricket, who was encountering a Pokémon for the first time, the excitement was palpable. He examined the Pokémon from every angle, eager to study this magnificent creature from another world.
Thanks to the system's special processing, Pidgeot was also very friendly towards its new master.
As they interacted, Cricket and Pidgeot quickly became acquainted.
During this time, Cricket invited Leo to visit his humble home.
Looking at the small house nestled against the backdrop of the castle, Leo's interest was piqued, and he agreed.
The two of them began chatting.
Although Cricket might seem insignificant to Leo now, like an ant...
Back on Earth, Leo had been deeply moved by his story. Because of this, Leo was willing to engage with him warmly and respectfully.
Leo then took on the role of a customer service representative, patiently answering all of Cricket's questions about Pokémon.
For Cricket, the opportunity to communicate with such a great being as Leo was exhilarating.
Time passed quickly.
Soon, afternoon arrived.
The Saruyama Alliance and Orangutan Pirates, who had been out on salvage missions, began returning one by one.
Under Cricket's explanation, their eyes widened in shock, their mouths gaping in disbelief.
...
Half an hour later.
After explaining everything, Cricket returned to the house and solemnly addressed Leo, who was designing the Sky Island Pokémon Center:
"We've made our decision, Sir Leo!"
"Oh?"
Leo pulled his consciousness back from the system. Although he already knew the answer, he still looked at Cricket and asked,
"What decision?"
Cricket and the others stood straight and, in unison, declared,
"We've decided not to wait any longer!"
"We're going to take Pidgeot tonight and soar 10,000 meters into the sky to see for ourselves!"
Having confirmed that Pidgeot could easily carry all three of them, Cricket couldn't wait another moment. He wanted to fly into the sky right away to search for the clues about Shandora left by his ancestors.
"Very well."
An almost imperceptible smile appeared on Leo's lips.
Seeing the eager expressions on their faces, he said with a grin,
"Since you're all set, I also have some matters to attend to on Sky Island..."
"Let's fly into the sky together then!"
(End of this chapter)