Just as Nami was suspecting the Log Pose was malfunctioning, Robin suddenly spoke up.
"No! Navigator-san, what you should be thinking about now isn't what's wrong with the Log Pose…
…but rather, the method of ascending to the sky!"
"In this vast ocean, no matter how strange things get, you must never doubt the Log Pose. That is an ironclad rule."
"In this sea, if you're going to doubt anything, you can only doubt your own so-called common sense!"
"Where the Log Pose points… there must be an island!"
After hearing Robin's words, Nami and the rest of the crew were all left in a state of confusion and stupor.
At this moment, Luffy stepped forward and spoke.
"Alright! Let's search the ship that just fell; maybe we can find some useful information!"
Luffy remembered that in the original story, the Straw Hat found a map of Sky Island and a broken Waipa in that ship, which should be useful later.
Upon hearing this, Nami could only helplessly say,
"It seems that's all we can do for now."
...
On the merry go.
Usopp made a wooden barrel oxygen device for Zoro and Sanji, allowing them to breathe underwater and communicate with those on the ship through a pipe.
Before they went into the sea, Luffy reminded them,
"Pay close attention to whether there are any maps or unfamiliar items or anything like that."
"It might be a product of Sky Island!"
Apart from a map and a Waipa, there was nothing else of value in that ship, so Luffy only reminded them to mainly look for those things.
The two nodded upon hearing this and then dove into the ocean.
Just then, Vivi, who had already returned to the deck, suddenly said,
"I hear something; someone is coming!"
As she spoke, Vivi looked in a certain direction.
The others on the ship, including Luffy, hadn't heard anything at all.
However, when they followed Vivi's gaze, they indeed saw the shadow of a ship approaching from a great distance.
"Sugei, Vivi! You can hear from that far away?!"
Nami couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
At first glance, the distance was several kilometers.
Ordinary people couldn't hear that far.
Vivi smiled and said,
"After eating that Devil Fruit, my hearing and vision seem to have been enhanced. I can see or hear things from a very long distance."
As Vivi finished speaking, another round of exclamations erupted on the ship.
And Luffy couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
"Vivi is simply too perfect for the lookout position."
After Vivi discovered someone approaching, some time passed.
Luffy and the others gradually began to hear the sound of a gong from the approaching ship, accompanied by rhythmic shouts.
"Heave… ho!"
"Heave… ho!"
"...."
As the ship drew closer, Luffy and the others could clearly see that it was a huge sailboat with an ape-shaped figurehead.
They also saw the ape-faced man on the deck, along with his subordinates.
Seeing this person, Luffy couldn't help but be delighted.
Isn't this Shoujou, the "Salvage King"?!
He was one of the people who helped the Straw Hat crew reach Sky Island in the original story.
Since they were going to Sky Island now, they could directly ask Shoujou.
However, before Luffy could speak, Shoujou asked first,
"Hey! What are you doing there?!"
"This is our territory!"
"All the sunken ships in this sea belong to me!"
"Uu-chichichichi…"
Upon hearing the other party say this, some worried voices immediately arose around Luffy.
"Someone is trying to snatch our prey at a time like this!"
"They seem to be planning to salvage!"
"Are they here to fight us for that sunken ship?"
At this moment, Luffy suddenly stepped forward, came to the edge, and looked at Shoujou on the opposite ship, saying,
"Hey, Shoujou over there, we're planning to go to Sky Island. Do you know how to get there?"
Because Shoujou himself looks like an ape, calling him by that name is indeed reasonable.
Hearing Luffy ask such a question to a stranger, Nami immediately said nervously,
"Wait, Luffy! Don't just ask anyone such questions! What if Sky Island doesn't exist, won't we be treated like fools?"
Luffy, however, looked unconcerned and said confidently,
"Sky Island exists!"
In fact, Luffy asked Shoujou this question because he knew Shoujou could help them get to Sky Island; otherwise, he wouldn't just ask anyone.
Nami could only helplessly shut up when she heard Luffy say that.
This Captain is always inexplicably confident.
But the results are always correct in the end!
This made Nami unable to utter a single word of rebuttal at a time like this.
On Shoujou's side, he didn't seem to have paid close attention to Luffy's later words. Instead, when he heard Luffy call him Shoujou, he looked incredibly proud and excited, saying smugly,
"Hm?! You immediately saw my ape-like appearance?~ . !"
"That means I'm a super handsome guy!"
"Haha! You flatter me too much!"
Shoujou's look of enjoyment and smugness left Nami and the others extremely speechless.
Luffy, however, didn't pay attention to any of that and continued to speak.
"We want to go to Sky Island. Do you know how to get there?"
This time, he didn't call the other party Shoujou, so he heard clearly, immediately stopped laughing, and became extremely serious.
After silently staring at Luffy for a while, Shoujou suddenly smiled and said,
"Don't say such foolish things. There's no such thing as Sky Island!"
"How could you believe such a boring legend?"
Shoujou, of course, also believed that Sky Island existed, but having stayed in this place for so long, everyone around him treated Sky Island as a joke, so even if someone asked him this question, he wouldn't reveal his true thoughts.
Facing Shoujou's denial, Luffy still said confidently,
"I believe it!"
"Sky Island definitely exists!"
Saying that, Luffy pulled Nami's arm, pointed at the Log Pose on her arm, and said,
"Our Log Pose is pointing to the sky right now, so there must be a Sky Island up there."
"If you know how to get there, please tell us!"
Shoujou looked at Luffy's confident expression and couldn't help but be moved.
After all, it was rare to meet "fools" who believed in the existence of Sky Island like them!
He asked in a deep, serious voice,
"Do you really want to go to Sky Island, no matter what?"
Luffy nodded, saying firmly,
"Yes!"
Shoujou suddenly grinned, letting out an appreciative "hmph."
"Alright! I'll take you to meet someone!"
Saying that, Shoujou again showed a smug expression.
"It's because you recognized my ape-like appearance at first glance!!!"
"Ugh zhi zhi zhi zhi…"
Seeing Shoujou act that way again, Usopp immediately couldn't help but complain,
"I think he's only willing to take us because Luffy said he looked ape-like!"
The others also chimed in,
"But from what he said, it seems like he really does have a way to get to Sky Island!"
"He said he'd take us to meet someone. Does that person know the way?"
"He wouldn't be tricking us, would he?!"
Hearing everyone's words, Luffy smiled and said,
"It's fine, he doesn't seem like someone who would trick us. Let's just follow them!"
Just then, Zoro and Sanji surfaced one after another.
"Found it! There really is a Sky Island map inside!"
Sanji carefully took out a map soaked in seawater.
"We also found a strange thing, but it looks like it's already in tatters."
Zoro also opened a bag and poured out a damaged object that looked like a vehicle.
Everyone gathered around upon hearing this.
"This map actually says 'Sky Island'!"
"This strange vehicle looks unfamiliar too, could it really be something from Sky Island?"
"Sky Island… does it really exist?"
Now, the evidence was increasingly conclusive, even swaying Nami, who had been skeptical.
Thus, led by Shoujou and his crew, Luffy and his group began to head towards Jaya Island.
...
Jaya Island, Mock Town!
Inside a tavern!
A group of people in the tavern surrounded a table covered with the latest wanted posters.
Everyone looked at the faces and numbers on the wanted posters, each showing expressions of shock and disbelief.
"Is it real?! 500 million Berries!!!"
"Excluding those two pets, even the lowest one is 100 million Berries!"
"Straw Hat is truly terrifyingly strong!"
"That's right! When I watched that live broadcast, I was scared out of my wits by them. They all instantly killed their opponents. Especially their Captain, Straw Hat, he actually sent Crocodile flying with one punch."
"I was scared too! Crocodile is a Shichibukai! It's truly unbelievable!"
"I heard they're a new pirate crew, yet they've already become this strong. It's simply unimaginable what they'll become in the future!"
"Do you think Straw Hat will come here? Weren't they in Alabasta before? That's not very far from here."
"No way?! I saw reports saying Straw Hat is a group of vicious pirates! They kill without batting an eye, and they even dared to kill a Shichibukai in front of the world. If they come here, our town will be finished."
"That's right! I hope they absolutely don't come here!"
In a corner of the tavern.
Bellamy and his pirate crew sat together.
Listening to the discussions of the drunkards in the tavern, Bellamy took a big gulp of sake, then suddenly looked at the man on the opposite side, who was embracing two women, and said,
"Hey! Sarquiss! If I defeat Straw Hat, will Doflamingo let me become a member of the Donquixote Family?"
Upon hearing Bellamy say this, Sarquiss was instantly struck as if by lightning, exclaiming in fright,
"Are you crazy, Bellamy?"
"Didn't you hear? That Straw Hat is a man worth 500 million Berries!"
"You're only worth 55 million Berries!"
"Monsters like that are not someone we can afford to provoke!"
"You absolutely must not do anything foolish!"
Bellamy didn't speak upon hearing this, only had a thoughtful look in his eyes as he continued to drink his sake.
Just then, the discussion from a nearby table reached Bellamy's crew.
"Did you hear? That weirdo seems to have found gold nuggets recently!"
"Gold nuggets?! Which weirdo are you talking about?"
"Which other weirdo could it be? It's that old man Cricket!"
"Although the gold nuggets you mentioned are very appealing, that area is the territory of the Saruyama Alliance! And if you get involved with that eccentric old man, you'll catch his madness."
"Puhahaha… That's right! That's right! If you catch his madness, it's really not worth it!"
While everyone was discussing, a figure suddenly came up to them.
"I also want to meet that man named Cricket!"
"Tell me everything you know…"
Everyone looked at the speaker, and each of them immediately showed expressions of horror.
"B-Bellamy!"
...
On the way to Jaya Island, Shoujou came aboard the Merry and told them a story.
"Do you know Mont Blanc Nuo Lan Du?"
Everyone was stunned for a moment upon hearing this name.
Only Sanji suddenly thought of something and said,
"Are you talking about that big liar from North Blue, Mont Blanc Nuo Lan Du?"
The others all cast questioning glances at Sanji.
Sanji then explained,
"Oh! I forgot to tell you, I was actually born in North Blue, so I know this well-known story very well!"
Then, Sanji recounted the story of Mont Blanc Nuo Lan Du to everyone.
After listening to Sanji's story, everyone on the ship looked dejected.
"How pitiful, that big liar!"
"Just like that… he was unfortunately executed before he could even become a brave warrior of the sea!"
"Hey! Nami! Don't look at me when I'm telling it! And don't arbitrarily make up a sad ending!"
While the people on the ship were discussing, Sanji continued,
"Actually, I heard that this Mont Blanc Nuo Lan Du was a real person!"
Upon hearing this, everyone else was shocked.
At this moment, Shoujou spoke,
"That's right! The person I'm about to take you to meet is a descendant of Mont Blanc Nuo Lan Du."
"He is also the ultimate director of our Saruyama Alliance, Mont Blanc Cricket!"
Then, Shoujou began to tell Luffy and the others the story of Mont Blanc Cricket.
...
At the same time.
Jaya Island, East Blue coast!
From a distance, there was an extremely luxurious house on the coast here.
However, if you looked closely, you would find that the luxurious house was just a backdrop, and the real house was very strange, as if it had been cut in half.
On a table outside this house.
A man with chestnut-shaped hair and a man who looked like a Masira sat together.
In their hands, they held an exquisite, glittering golden bell.
Masira looked excited, with excitement in his eyes, and said,
"Old man, we found gold from the seabed again!"
"Perhaps we'll soon be able to find that lost Golden City!"
Mont Blanc Cricket smiled upon hearing this and said,
"Idiot! It's not that easy?!"
"This sea is so vast and so deep, the Golden City isn't that easy to find."
"But we've already found so much gold, at least it increasingly proves that the Golden City my ancestor spoke of wasn't a lie."
"That Mont Blanc Nuo Lan Du… didn't lie!"
Cricket's eyes held a look of determination.
He was determined to investigate this matter thoroughly.
While the two were admiring the gold together, a ship suddenly slowly sailed into view in the distance.
And when they clearly saw the appearance of that ship, Cricket and Masira simultaneously frowned, their faces showing solemnity.
Masira exclaimed,
Old man, that symbol is… Bellamy the Hyena!
"What are they doing here?"
Cricket silently hid the gold in his hand behind his back and said in a deep voice, "I bet they're here for our gold!"
...
On the merry go!
"Wuwuwuwu… Mont Blanc Cricket is truly a man!"
"No matter how much he's mocked, he's determined to find the Golden City mentioned by Nuo Lan Du, it's really too touching!"
"Ga!"
Usopp, Chopper, and Karu all cried tears of move after hearing Cricket's story.
Although the others weren't as dramatic, they were also moved by the story.
At this moment, Vivi suddenly spoke, "I see an island."
Everyone looked in the direction Vivi was pointing, but saw nothing.
However, after the merry go sailed for a while longer, everyone else indeed saw the small island Vivi had mentioned.
...
Jaya Island, East Blue Coast!
"Old man!!! Masira!!!"
Shoujou stood on the shore, looking at the two people lying on the ground, covered in wounds, his eyes filled with worry and shock.
The next second, he became incredibly furious and roared, "Who… who did this?"