Clang!
Clang!
The bell's majestic sound echoed as if resonating across the vast ocean. A sound imbued with a wish for the souls of ancestors to find their way home without getting lost. Or perhaps, a sound filled with hope that friends who had set out to sea might one day return.
"Hmm-hmm. A fine parting indeed," a woman mused.
"I'm more surprised that you're casually on this ship. Why are you here?" a sailor questioned.
"What are you talking about? I was already on board when you came to this island."
"That's my point! You were just standing there, watching the Admiral almost die! Why are you acting like it's perfectly normal to be here!?"
"Oh, my, don't shout. The esteemed Admiral seems quite moved over there, though," the woman said while smiling.
"Admiral!! Is it alright to have her on board!?"
One of the crew members raised his voice.
The woman merely laughed, not at all bothered by the idea of brazenly boarding the ship. Montblanc Noland, the "Admiral" who had just parted ways with a dear friend and was filled with various emotions, had his tears dry up due to the commotion. He sniffled, turned around, and looked at the woman.
"Hmph... I thought for sure you would stay," Noland stated.
"Why would I? I want to see your journey through to the end. To get off halfway would be such a waste, wouldn't it?"
"Because... at that time, you abandoned me."
On the day they had arrived at Jaya, he had forcibly stopped a ritual being performed in the village, searched for the "Kona Tree," and fallen into a fissure caused by an earthquake on the way back. The woman who had appeared there had not helped him, but merely stood by, grinning and watching him struggle. She had even politely cheered him on, saying, "Do your best, do your best."
"Abandoned you? That's harsh. I believed you would overcome that hardship with your own strength."
"...In the end, I couldn't manage it alone and was saved by Kalgara."
"Well, you see, that sort of thing is also quite enjoyable from time to time. Hee, hee, hee...!"
"To take pleasure in seeing someone suffer is a terrible hobby..."
"It's not that I enjoy seeing you suffer. It's that I want to see you struggle, fall to the ground, and still stand up again."
Noland was utterly exasperated by this woman's awful taste. He had let her on the ship because she said she was looking for someone, but all she did was watch from the closest vantage point when danger arose, never offering any assistance. He was beginning to think he had made a mistake in his kindness.
"...So, did you find the person you were looking for?"
"No, they weren't here either. Perhaps they're on the other side of the wall, after all..."
"The other side of the 'Red Line'?"
"Indeed. I came from that side originally. Toki and Mio are most likely over there... Well, leaving Mio aside, I don't expect to meet Toki again, considering she was lost when we were separated."
"? Why? Aren't they looking for you too?"
"Hee, hee, hee. Unlike me, she's weak. If she was sent to the future, even I wouldn't be able to find her. If fate allows, we may meet again."
The woman narrowed her eyes and smiled, and Noland was about to say something when he remembered the friend he had just vowed to meet again. He was lucky just to know where his friend was. It was exhausting to search aimlessly, separated by chance, without knowing where the other person was. A journey with no visible goal was the most tiring of all.
"Sahel. You—"
"Spare me your pity. I was only with them for my own purposes."
Sahel interrupted and showed a ferocious smile. With her long blonde hair flowing, she turned her back and began to walk towards the ship's cabin.
"At least, I have no intention of dying until I find 'Joy Boy'," she declared.
—Such was the conversation that took place on Montblanc Noland's ship as it departed Jaya, a conversation that would never be recorded.
As the picture book tells, Noland would later be executed, branded a liar. Regretting that he had failed to overcome that adversity, Sahel also disappeared into the shadows of history.
***
A space slightly separated from Skypiea.
A giant fox, carrying a ship by pulling on "flame clouds," gradually descended and landed on the water. The giant fox—Maraptonoka—changed back to her human form, looking exhausted, entered the ship, and slumped onto a sofa.
"You look tired," a childlike voice commented.
"Indeed. It was hardly worth the effort..." Maraptonoka sighed.
The one who had spoken, Martin, in his child form, was casually flipping through the documents he had stolen.
"How did things go on your end?" Maraptonoka asked.
"There were no documents that could be called important. There were some that could be linked to Ohara, but... it's a bit of a stretch."
The historical documents were mostly common knowledge, and no documents that could objectively demonstrate the relationship between Ohara and "Twilight" had been found. Perhaps the valuable documents were carefully hidden, or perhaps they were not kept in Ohara in the first place. While it was unclear, Martin's work could be considered a failure.
The government would likely complain, but Maraptonoka was already thinking that they should just mobilize Cipher Pol and do whatever they wanted. Especially this time, she had suffered injuries that would have killed her many times over if not for the Phoenix's ability. It was quite unexpected to encounter such a monster.
"Currently, the ones to be marked in this sea are the 'Adventurer' who joined 'Twilight's' umbrella a few years ago, and the 'Evil Eye' in 'Midgard'... but this Komurasaki person was completely off the radar. To think I would be so thoroughly defeated."
"The strongest of the Logia Natural types, the user of the Goro Goro no Mi... The previous user was also quite infamous, but this one is also quite something."
"Let's sell this information at a high price to compensate," Maraptonoka decided.
Information on "Twilight" was scarce. Especially when it came to those Kanata was hiding, the government would not be able to ignore it. She was sure they would offer a high price, and she planned to rest for a while. She didn't want to face a swordsman who could slice through a human body like tissue paper again anytime soon.
***
A few days after finding the Golden City.
The Shandia were placed under the protection of "Twilight" in exchange for storing the gold and jewels, excluding the Golden Bell. This was due to Maraptonoka's attack, as well as the urgent need to secure food and housing after their village had been burned down.
While Gan Fall was busy giving instructions in various places, Komurasaki was contacting Kaie.
"I've heard the situation to some extent from Kanata-san. She wants a survey of the land, so we'll organize a survey team soon. There were no problems with the Ark's test, were there? We'll conduct a navigation test between here and 'Midgard' soon, and have the necessary food and materials transported at that time," Kaie stated.
"Is George not there?" Komurasaki inquired.
"He's here, but he's busy with something else... It will probably take a few days to prepare, and we can't afford to have him run wild if we keep him waiting any longer."
"I see... We don't need anything urgently either, so please proceed with that plan, Kaie-san."
Since Kanata was busy, Kaie had taken over the task of supplying materials. The only way to travel to and from Skypiea was through the use of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, but once the Ark Maxim was operational, there would be more ways to travel through the sky. Although it used a Devil Fruit ability for power, its completion would bring about a revolutionary change in future travel. It would become easier to travel to and from Skypiea, as well as to cross the "Calm Belt" and the "Red Line."
The discussion with Kaie ended, and Komurasaki observed the impromptu work of accepting the Shandia. Housing was not a problem, as the lodgings originally prepared for tourism were being opened up. There were also plenty of old clothes. There was also a stockpile of food, so they would be fine for a while. The problem was... the friction between the residents.
"After years of conflict, it's suddenly resolved... Confusion is inevitable, I suppose,"
Komurasaki was not unconcerned. Within Wano Country, Orochi clearly divided those who fawned over him and those who did not, creating a disparity in their lives. Even if they regained Wano Country, this conflict would remain. It wasn't a matter of simply killing everyone who had been involved in the administration. Both the Oniwabanshu and the samurai were necessary military forces for Wano Country. Since Komurasaki alone could not intimidate the world, she needed to subdue them... This was, in fact, the purpose of Komurasaki's own unique forces.
"Komurasaki-chan!"
"Sora-san. What is it?"
Shaking off the headache-inducing internal strife of Wano Country, Komurasaki turned to Sora, who was approaching her at a brisk pace.
"Sanji and the others are apparently leaving soon! I was thinking of hurrying to pack my luggage. Could you help me?"
"Yes, of course," Komurasaki replied.
Her larger backpack was packed with changes of clothes and other necessities, so all that was left was to carry it... or so it seemed, but the less-than-strong Sora couldn't carry many. Since she had helped her when she came to Ohara, Komurasaki had a look that seemed to say, "Well, that's to be expected."
***
The Going Merry, with some blackened scorch marks in places, had been repaired, albeit simply, and loaded with as much gold and jewels as it could carry.
Excluding essential supplies like food and water, they had loaded as much as they could. They would have liked to exchange it for cash, but Ohara was currently a tourist destination. There wasn't enough cash to exchange a large amount of gold and jewels. Nami was satisfied with the amount, and she was snorting, saying that they were no longer poor pirates. Usopp, who had purchased many Dials, was also satisfied, and he was tinkering with them in his workshop.
"Isn't it time to depart?"
"Sanji's mom hasn't come yet. I wonder where she went?"
"Sora-san said she was going to get her luggage."
As if on cue, they saw Komurasaki carrying a large load and Sora, empty-handed, walking along the harbor. Luffy called out to them, and Sora waved back. Sora's luggage would make the ship cramped again, but this couldn't be helped, and no one complained.
"So, are we leaving... Huh? Where's Nami?"
"She's over there."
Zoro pointed to Nami, who was riding a Waver. She had apparently received the repaired Waver that she had given to Pagaya on the first day she had come to this island. It was an aside that she had paid with a jewel because she didn't have any cash.
"This is awesome!"
"Looks like fun! Hey, can't we buy one that I can ride too?"
"Where would we put it?"
Zoro cut him off bluntly, and Luffy pouted, complaining. Meanwhile, Zoro was staring intently at Komurasaki, who was loading her luggage onto the ship and forcing her backpack into her room. Ever since he had seen her fight Maraptonoka in Upper Yard, there was something he had been curious about.
"You, your sword was dyed black at that time, right. What was that?"
"That's due to Haki. A 'Black Blade' is a sword that is said to be so strong that even a dinosaur stepping on it wouldn't bend it a millimeter, but that's a sword that has 'become' so due to a skilled Haki user in the past. Depending on the user, an ordinary sword can also become a 'Black Blade'."
Komurasaki drew "Shunrai," placed it on her hand, and imbued it with Haki, dyeing the blade black. There were things that could and could not be done depending on the proficiency of Haki. Imbuing something other than one's own body with Haki was difficult, and there were those who could not do it with ordinary Haki. To begin with, the act of wielding Haki itself was difficult, so if he wanted to do it, he should start there.
"Whether you become a stronger swordsman or not depends on your future training. For now, I think it's good to focus on building your foundation. Everything is built on the basics, after all."
"...Yeah. You're right."
"You can ask Pedro and Zepo for details. They're also Haki users, and they should be able to teach you the basics."
With a clear goal in sight, he would be able to put more effort into basic training. Zoro looked at his palm and clenched his fist, determined to reach that level. While the two were talking, Nami returned with the Waver in her hand, and Chopper and Luffy were pulling it up.
Preparations were complete. Komurasaki also boarded a small boat and set out to lead Luffy and the others.
"Follow me. I'll guide you."
Normally, the patrol would be in charge, but they were currently hospitalized, having been severely injured by Maraptonoka. As a result, Komurasaki was in charge of the departure procedure. Their destination was the edge of the "White Sea," the lower layer below the upper layer "White-White Sea" where Ohara and Upper Yard were located. It was called "Cloud's End."
"Haa... It was long and short."
"We're saying goodbye to the white sea. When it comes time to descend, it's certainly nostalgic..."
"Can we come back?"
"That's..."
As they chatted, the ship slowly moved forward. Komurasaki stopped the ship at the pier of the gate set up at "Cloud's End" and spoke to Luffy and the others first.
"From here on, it's straight to the Blue Sea. Please furl the sails and move your belongings inside the ship."
"It looks like we're going at quite a high speed! It's a 7000-meter slope, so that's only natural!"
"Throw anything that might fly away inside!"
"Komurasaki-chan, thank you for everything. I also have Kaie-chan's letter, so I'll deliver it over there!!"
"Yes, have a good trip."
The next island would be reached with the Eternal Pose that Sora had. It was on the way, and Sanji's mother, so Luffy had agreed without even hearing the name of the island they were going to. Komurasaki removed the fox mask she had finally put on here and smiled, opening the gate. As Luffy and the others were sucked into the gate, she waved her hand.
"Alright!! Once we get down here, a new adventure begins!! Let's go, you guys!!!"
"Yeah!!!"
Luffy was excited about the next adventure, and his companions also raised their fists.
And.
"—Well then, be careful during the fall."
"—During the fall??"
Thrown out of the gate like a spoooon, the Merry and the Straw Hat crew realized that they were not on a steep slope, but falling vertically towards the Blue Sea, and their eyes widened in surprise. They reached out to Komurasaki, who was at the gate, as if to say, "Wait a minute," but it was already too late. They were enveloped in gravity, tearing through the clouds and falling straight to the Blue Sea.
Seeing this, Komurasaki took out a whistle from her pocket and put it to her mouth.
"The final surprise. Enjoy—Skypiea's specialty, 'Octopus Balloon'!"
Poooo!! As the whistle sounded, a giant octopus that had jumped out of the sea of clouds from the side clung to the Merry. Zoro, thinking that the ship was under attack at a time like this, tried to draw his sword, but Sora stopped him.
"Ubeh!?"
"Wh-What's this!?"
The ship was not being attacked, and the clinging octopus inflated like a balloon, causing the ship to decelerate rapidly. It didn't seem to be attacking, and the ship was slowly descending, riding the wind, unlike before.
"Haa! This is amazing!!"
"Fun—!"
"...Did you hear about this?"
"To some extent. Other than flying the ship, this is the only way to descend, so it was only a guess, though."
"M-My heart almost stopped..."
"You're a bad person, Hime-sama..."
"That's right..."
While the two were grumbling that she could have told them earlier, Luffy was enjoying this situation of slowly descending. Nami, Usopp, and Chopper were somewhat limp, but when Sora took out an Eternal Pose from her pocket, their gazes naturally turned to it. It was the pointer to their next destination. Nami, in particular, would be curious as a navigator.
"Is that Sora-san's destination?"
"Yes. 'Midgard,' the largest trading hub in the first half of the 'Grand Line.' A huge fortress commercial area where all kinds of goods gather."
"'Midgard'..."
"Well, to be honest, even if you don't use this, if you accumulate the Log Pose on this island, you'll reach that island, but anything can happen, right?"
Having left Alabasta and had their Log Pose stolen by Skypiea during their voyage, Nami could only nod at those words.
"Is there something there?"
"...Sanji might not want to meet him, really. But Judge is there now."
"......"
Sanji frowned, but he didn't open his mouth when he heard Sora's words. He probably had some idea. If Sora's destination was there, they would inevitably meet. He didn't really want to, but... He couldn't force a change of course. It was Luffy's decision. Sanji had said in advance that he wouldn't interfere afterwards.
"Besides, we can't just keep the gold on the ship, can we? I think they'll exchange it there. I also got a letter of introduction."
"Ah, that letter was for that?"
"That's right."
Sora didn't know anyone who ran an exchange shop, so Komurasaki had written a letter of introduction in advance. She put the letter back in her pocket and, while descending to the Blue Sea, went to Nami to deepen her friendship with Sanji's companions. If there was anything necessary, she would talk about it each time. She would probably forget if she didn't, and Luffy probably thought it would be better to see it once than to know it in advance.
As they were falling towards the Blue Sea, a majestic sound echoed in their ears.
Clang!
Clang!
The sound of the bell sending off a friend, showing that the light passed down from their ancestors was not extinguished.
This was Skypiea. A god's country on the clouds, 10,000 meters above sea level.
Today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow.
The sound of the bell sings as if to boast of the earth.