Chapter 14 – The Road to Sky Island
"Sky Island? Let's go! Captain Ash, it sounds amazing. There must be all kinds of bizarre creatures up there!"
Poker practically danced with excitement upon hearing Ash's description. The thought of a floating island in the sky made his scholar's curiosity explode.
"Captain decides everything." Gin replied coldly, his face expressionless. For him, Monkey D. Ash was absolute. He would carry out any command—even one that meant death.
"Hehe! I go wherever Boss goes!" Tuan Tuan raised his chubby paw and beamed cheerfully. Loyalty was in his fuzzy DNA.
Ash nodded with a grin. "Good. Then let's wait a couple of days. According to rumors, the Knock Up Stream appears five times a month. Based on the cycle, the next surge should hit in two days."
"But before that, we've got one task—catching birds."
"Catch birds?"
"Yeah. A special kind of bird with a weird screech. It's got a natural magnetic sense, and no matter how it turns, its head always points south. People call it a South Bird."
"It's the only way to navigate to Sky Island right now."
Ash explained their preparations. Once the Smile's internal log system captured a full Sky Island route record, the bird wouldn't be needed again—it would auto-track any reentry path.
"Hey, Boss, look ahead! Is that a castle?"
Tuan Tuan pointed his little black claws toward a distant structure. Ash recognized it instantly—it was the fake castle belonging to Mont Blanc Cricket, descendant of the so-called "liar" Noland.
From afar, it did look pretty real.
"That's just a prop."
"A prop?!"
"Yep. Just a background board."
"(ー_ー)!!" Tuantuan deflated. His heart had soared with excitement and crashed just as fast.
"Liar! Humans are all big liars!"
The crew anchored the Smile and entered the forest to hunt for the guide birds. Because the task was simple, Ash only brought Tuan Tuan and Carina with him.
Splash!
Suddenly, bubbles rose from the sea—and a strange-looking man popped out, drenched and blinking in confusion.
"Who the hell are you people?"
"Hello, Uncle," Ash replied calmly. "I'm Monkey D. Ash, a pirate, and these are my friends."
"Pirates?!"
The man's face darkened, but he quickly suppressed his irritation. It was Mont Blanc Cricket, the eccentric descendant of the famed explorer.
"What are pirates doing in a place like this? There's no treasure here."
"We're not here for treasure," Ash said casually. "We're looking to catch a South Bird to reach Sky Island. That's all."
"Sky Island…? And South Birds?!" Cricket was stunned. Most people either laughed at the legend or didn't even know about it—yet this guy spoke with certainty.
Ash didn't linger. "We'll be off now."
He led the group into the forest with a wave, time ticking down as the Knock Up Stream approached.
Behind them, Cricket muttered as he watched them disappear into the trees.
"Sky Island… Could it really be real?"
For over 400 years, the Mont Blanc family had lived under the shame of being called liars. A heavy silence followed his whisper.
"…I hope they bring back proof."
---
Southern Forest
Ash's group moved through the forest cautiously. His Observation Haki scanned the area within a 100-meter radius.
"Yo-woo~ woo~ woo~!"
A bizarre screech rang out up ahead.
"There!"
Ash launched himself through the air like a bullet. After Entering into the Grand Line, he'd added the Navy's Rokushiki techniques to his morning routine. He now used Geppo (Moonwalk) freely and could stay airborne for an hour.
With his own speed + Geppo, he could even break the sound barrier when going all-out.
"I see you!"
—Wind Binding Rope!
Two glowing ropes of wind burst from Ash's hands and snared a South Bird trying to sneak away. It thrashed, but Ash caught it with ease.
"WOO WOO WOO!!"
The bird shrieked curses in its native tongue.
Smack!
Ash flicked it on the beak. "If you cuss at me in bird language again, I'll stew you alive."
The bird froze.
Meanwhile, things weren't going as smoothly for Tuantuan and Carina. A whole flock of South Birds had rallied an insect army and were biting the pair to pieces.
"Ow ow ow ow!"
Tuan Tuan's cheeks puffed up.
"RRRAAAGHH!"
A thunderous panda roar burst from him. Shockwaves shook the trees. Insects dropped from the sky like rain.
One unlucky bird passed out mid-air from sheer terror.
"Ha! Gotcha!"
Tuan Tuan swiped the unconscious South Bird and held it tight.
"Well done!" Ash laughed as he approached.
"Hey, Boss, I did great, right?" Tuan Tuan beamed.
"Yeah. You're the strongest." Ash ruffled his fuzzy head, and Tuan Tuan melted with joy.
"Let's go. Time to wait for the Knock Up Stream."
---
Marineford, Navy Headquarters
At the Navy HQ, Fleet Admiral Sengoku convened an urgent meeting.
"We need to discuss the new pirate—Monkey D. Ash."
"Monkey D.? Like Garp?"
"Another one?! What's Garp doing breeding all these monsters?"
Sengoku slammed the table.
"Yes. He's related. Monkey D. Ash is Garp's grandson."
"But make no mistake. Bloodlines don't excuse piracy. Ash is now a threat to world order. He has Slaughtered the whole City of whiskey peak after entring the Grand Line. That cannot go unanswered!"
The debate raged on for three hours. The result:
> Monkey D. Ash – Bounty: 100,000,000 Berries
Gin – Bounty: 40,000,000 Berries
Tuan Tuan – Bounty: 300 Berries
Tuan Tuan: "▄█▀█... I fought so hard... (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)"
Ash patted him. "Don't worry. Look—Poker and Carina don't even have bounties yet."
Poker: "Hehe! I'll do something bounty-worthy next time, Captain!"
Carina: (Please don't… I like being alive...)
But this was only the beginning...
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To be continued…