As the giant dragon soared into the sky, high above the Blue Sea, 10,000 meters up, lay the Sky Island.
God's Island, Upper Yard.
Bazel led the two onto this sacred land revered by the God's guards.
This was just ordinary land commonly found in the Blue Sea, but in the Sky Island where even a speck of soil was scarce, it became something more valuable than gold.
"This island is a place all Sky Islanders dream of setting foot on."
Enel stepped onto the soil, his expression complex.
"In our eyes, nothing is rarer than a handful of this Vearth."
"Some families are even willing to pay large amounts of Extol just to acquire a little Vearth."
Toki crouched down to examine the soil. After confirming it was no different from the land she had seen before, she asked curiously.
"But Enel, this is just ordinary soil. And before, in the Raijin Forest, the trees there..."
She suddenly stopped speaking.
Toki suddenly remembered that the trees in Raijin Forest didn't seem to be planted in soil.
"It seems you've remembered, Aneki. Those trees rarely bear fruit… partly because of the lightning, but more because of the environment they grow in."
Enel grabbed a handful of soil and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Only land like this can easily grow the sweetest fruits."
"You'll get tired of seeing land like this eventually."
A red light flashed in Bazel's eyes.
"Let's go. We're going to meet the god of this place. If he's sensible, this might become an extension of Wano Country."
Hearing that her homeland might expand, Toki's eyes lit up, and she tightly hugged the man's arm.
"Hey, hey, Bazel-kun, what good idea have you thought of now?"
"It's not certain if it can be realized yet."
Walking through the forest, with nothing else to do, Bazel casually chatted with Toki about an idea he had come up with during his idle time.
"I want to have Big Bro Kaido move some Sky Islands from Paradise to the New World when he has time in the future."
"If we can find a way to create island clouds later, we can turn these sky islands into Hanging Gardens in the airspace above Wano Country."
Bazel's idea wasn't without basis.
Wano Country was easy to defend and hard to attack. In the future, once the Beasts Pirates fully developed, it would inevitably become a tempting target for the jackals of the New World.
No matter how fearsome the Beasts Pirates' reputation might be at that time, there would always be fools like Luffy who would come knocking, trying to take a piece of the pie.
Once the defense system of the Hanging Gardens was successfully built, they could eliminate as many pirates as came.
Unless the visitors were Great Pirates on the same level as Kaido.
More importantly, the residents of the Sky Islands longed for the land.
While the people of the land yearned for the sky.
The moment Wano Country's Hanging Gardens were established, the Celestial Dragons' symbol of supreme power might be diminished.
By that time, the Beasts Pirates would not be as isolated as they were now.
With the collaboration of two great scientists, Acier and Queen, plus his identity as a Transmigrator, that day would surely not be too far off.
Even more importantly~
Bazel remembered the Poneglyph hidden in this land, which recorded everything about Poseidon.
If he could move this stone tablet away and find a way to hide the Road Poneglyph in Wano Country as well...
Then, not only would the Roger Pirates lose all traces and information about Poseidon, but their course to the final destination would also be thrown into disarray due to the missing Road Poneglyph.
Add to that Garp, who had eaten the Goro Goro no Mi. By that time, whether they could become the Pirate King was still up in the air.
If Roger couldn't become the Pirate King, then the so-called Great Pirate Era would not come to pass.
Although some would still become pirates and set sail, it definitely wouldn't be like in the original work, where they sprouted like mushrooms after rain.
The Marine's goal of suppressing pirate momentum would also be achieved.
As they chatted, the three stopped outside a pumpkin patch.
"Oh~ unfamiliar travelers. Why are you here?"
An ordinary-looking middle-aged man took off his straw hat and fanned himself, then picked up the towel hanging around his neck to wipe his sweat.
"This is God's Island, Upper Yard, the dwelling place of the god. Ordinary people shouldn't be allowed to set foot here."
"We are pirates from the Blue Sea, traveling here."
Bazel stepped forward to speak.
"I'm looking for someone, Byrnndi World."
"Byrnndi World?"
Gan Fall inconspicuously took the sketch and looked at the somewhat familiar face.
"He looks familiar. I remember personally leading a raid against him a couple of days ago, but we couldn't find any trace of him."
"He seems very eager to leave the Sky Island. There are witnesses who say he's been searching for a usable ship."
"If you're looking for him, I suggest you wait at the edge of this island group. The only way to reach the Blue Sea is by descending the cloud path from that place."
"Is that so? Thank you."
After putting away the sketch, the smile on Bazel's face suddenly disappeared.
"Time for the second matter of business, God Gan Fall. Although proposing an alliance so abruptly might seem sudden, time is pressing, so I'll get straight to the point."
"On behalf of the Sky Island's people, join the Beasts Pirates. Given that you may have some Lunarian bloodline in your veins, I'd prefer not to use force."
"So you really are here for me..."
Gan Fall sighed, cautiously stepping back as his right hand gripped the long spear resting on the seat in the pumpkin patch.
"When you stepped into this pumpkin patch, I sensed your aura. As a Blue Sea native, you should look down on this sacred land. State your true purpose."
"The City of Gold and the Poneglyph."
Bazel pointed at the ground beneath his feet.
"Due to certain reasons, I do not wish for what lies deep within Upper Yard to reappear."
"And the Sky Islanders also need a true leader to mediate the war that has lasted for over four hundred years. Whether it's your people or the Shandians, this alliance with us will undoubtedly be a win-win situation."
'The Shandians? The war?'
Gan Fall's expression shifted slightly. As he tightened his grip on his spear and prepared to attack…
An overwhelmingly domineering aura suddenly erupted.
"!!!"
Gan Fall hunched over, instinctively driving his spear into the ground to support his trembling body and prevent himself from collapsing.
"I said I don't want to use force, because there are more important matters to attend to. Please forgive my rough behavior."
Bazel stepped forward until he stood before Gan Fall, looking down at the middle-aged man.
"I can promise you land sufficient for living and settlement, without charging a single Berry."
"In exchange, you will need to become citizens of the future kingdom and protect that nation for us."
"...I never believe that pies fall from the sky for no reason! I can't see how much benefit you would gain from an alliance with us!"
Gan Fall struggled to straighten his body, his eyes glaring fiercely at Bazel.
"Blue Sea pirate, what is your true goal?! What you want absolutely cannot be just gold!"
'This man really is as stubborn as in the original work...'
Bazel sighed inwardly, his last shred of patience vanishing. The increasingly heavy pressure forced this god to kneel on one knee.
"I don't have time to argue with you. This sky island will become Byrnndi World's grave."
"The Poneglyph hidden in this land absolutely can't be allowed to appear. Join us, and you and your descendants will enjoy endless land and freedom."
"If you refuse, I will turn and leave. But if you dare obstruct me from taking the City of Gold and the Poneglyph, I will not hesitate to kill you."
"Before my aura, you don't even have the strength to lift your weapon. This is the reality that shatters dreams."
"Choose, Gan Fall the Weak!"
Gan Fall gasped for breath, his clothes already soaked with sweat.
"I refuse!! I will never gamble everyone's freedom on an unknown path!"
"...I hope you can maintain this backbone forever."
After giving Gan Fall a deep look, Bazel turned and left, his steps somewhat hurried.
His impatience was understandable.
Whether the sky islanders truly had Lunarian Bloodline still needed confirmation. His reason for proposing the alliance was merely to give King a gift.
Even if they were impure, if they truly had even a trace of it, the people here could still be considered part of the Lunarian Tribe.
It didn't matter if they hadn't inherited the Lunarians' power.
Bazel believed King would be overjoyed upon learning the truth.
However, Byrnndi World, the user of the Moa Moa no Mi, was currently Bazel's greatest concern.
If he managed to find a ship capable of leaving the Sky Island, relying on his Devil Fruit and Geppo, there was a high probability he could directly plunge from the edge of the Sky Island back to the sea.
By that time, trying to kill Byrnndi World would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Without the bonds of his crew, Byrnndi World would undoubtedly run amok, and his fury would certainly be directed at everything related to the Beasts Pirates.
Bazel could clearly distinguish the weight between a gift and future trouble.
"Let's go. Now is not the time to get entangled with the Sky Island. We need to find Byrnndi World first. It's time to finish him off for good."
"We can deal with matters here after everything is settled."
Buru Buru Buru~~
Buru Buru Buru~~
...
Gan Fall, slumped on the ground, watched the retreating figures of the three, faintly hearing the sound of a Den Den Mushi coming from them.
'What a terrifying man... Was my choice right or wrong...?'
After pondering for a long time, a sigh echoed through the pumpkin patch.
"Ah! If only I could obtain information about the Blue Sea... The temptation of the Fairy Vearth..."
"Tch, it really is a tempting offer."
…
Kacha.
"It's me, Bazel."
King's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Kaido-san has returned. He said he's coming to help you and is already on his way to the Sky Island."
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