"Enel, you've got a blueprint for a flying ship, don't you?"
"How do you know that? It needs an absurd amount of gold—I haven't been able to build it yet."
"Don't worry about how I know. Starting tomorrow, you, Jerry, and Sky Island's shipwrights team up. See if we can retrofit the Tiger God so she can actually fly."
"…Fine."
"Ugh—my head's spinning. Aili, rub it for me."
Karl lay down with his head pillowed on Aili's long legs—pure bliss.
"Karl-nii, your alcohol tolerance is tragic, hehe~"
"We'll be on Sky Island for a while. So let's enjoy the place while the work happens."
After that, everyone got busy.
The Shandians hurried to build houses in Upper Yard; the Angel Islanders began planting crops; Karl's crew? Treasure hunting.
"Captain, this is incredible!"
"So Shandora, the City of Gold, is real!"
"Karl-nii, we're rich!"
By afternoon they found it—Shandora, buried beneath the island-clouds.
"It's magnificent. Enel—use as much gold as you need, so long as you get the Tiger God airborne."
"No problem. With this much gold, we can start the refit tomorrow. But… it'll take time. A year or two."
"Two years? I thought you'd say two months."
"Impossible. Just forging the precise components out of gold will take ages. We're making a ship that flies."
"Alright. Tomorrow I'll write a training plan. The thin air up here is perfect for building stamina."
"When do you teach me Haki?"
"How many times do I have to say this—call me Captain."
"I refuse! Teach me Haki first, then I'll call you Captain."
"Smelt the parts we need first. Then I'll start your lessons. And one more thing—the Tiger God's refit can't look golden from the outside. Otherwise every pirate alive will chase us."
"Hmph! The god knows."
"Fan out and look for a stone slab with writing," Karl said. Everyone split up to search.
"These ruins really are breathtaking… No wonder Robin loves this place in the anime."
"Captain! Over here—this one?" Adrian called.
Karl walked over—it was a Poneglyph, with a message carved by the Pirate King himself.
"That's it—the Poneglyph. Copy everything. We'll give it to Robin later."
"So this is what ancient script looks like… Alright, we've worked all day. Time to head back to the shrine for dinner!"
Sea Circle Calendar 1511.
By the river, Jerry was sparring with Enel—no Devil Fruit allowed.
After a year, both had learned Armament Haki. Without his powers, Enel couldn't beat Jerry; a fishman's body was on a different level.
"I'm done, I'm done! Without my fruit, even this god can't beat you," Enel panted.
"Wahahaha! Physically you're weaker. I'm fishman—ten times tougher than humans by birth!"
Enel had finally blended into the crew—more or less. He still went around calling himself "this god," and after so many of Karl's corrective beatings, everyone had just… let him.
They sat down cross-legged and started on the grilled sky-fish. Never gets old. Good thing the river was full of them—otherwise they'd have eaten the species extinct.
"Captain, the refit's complete," Adrian said, impatient. "When do we set sail?"
"Yeah, Uncle, I'm bored to death!" An chimed in.
Karl looked at An and couldn't help feeling nostalgic. The tiny kid was now a nearly 1.4-meter young lady.
"What is it, Uncle? Did I mess up?"
"Nothing. Time flies—you're almost twelve. Alright, back to the shrine. Make preparations—we leave in a few days."
He summoned Gan Fall and the Shandian chief to lay out the post-departure plan.
"Karl-dono, you're leaving?"
"Yes. It's been over a year. Keep cultivating Sky Dials like I taught—those things will be useful."
(And profitable. Dragon will pay handsomely, hehe…)
"Rest assured, Karl-dono! We'll raise many more Sky Dials."
Two days later, at Heaven's Gate. Even though the Tiger God could fly now, everyone decided to sail—what's the point of going to sea if you don't feel the sea?
As the Tiger God descended, the Blue Sea drew near. The ocean's old heartbeat rolled up to meet them.
"Yahahaha! So this is the Blue Sea—truly vast! This god will conquer it all—yahahaha!"
There he goes again. Peak chūnibyō.
"You can't even beat me. Conquer the sea?" Benson snorted—the only one on board besides Karl who could check Enel.
"Hmph! Give this god time—I'll beat you soon enough!"
"Hahaha! Enel, you'll need to work hard to beat Benson."
"Next stop: Water 7. Set sail!"
"Aye, Captain!"
"Can't wait to meet Tom-boss at last," Jerry said. "I wonder if the Sea Train is finished."
"It should be. And Tom's gonna flip when he sees our ship—flies and dives! Hahaha!"
At Water 7, Benson stayed with the ship while the others headed to Tom's shipyard.
"Wahahaha! Mr. Karl, long time no see—eleven years, right?"
"Right—eleven. Mr. Tom, did you finish the Sea Train?"
"Yes! The masterpiece of my life! Wahahaha!"
"Tom-boss! Long time!"
"Jerry? I heard you became Mr. Karl's shipwright. Looks like you're thriving!"
"Hahaha—all thanks to the Captain."
Tom's face turned solemn. "Mr. Karl, this is awkward, but… you should leave quickly, or I might drag you into my mess."
"You're worried about the CP agents watching you? Relax—I don't lose sleep over them. Enel, go clear the rats. I'm tired of them lurking around."
"Yahahaha! Ever since we landed I've felt those mice tailing us. I've been itching to fry them!" A flash of light—and he was gone.
"Even with the Sea Train complete, the World Government won't spare you, huh? What's your plan, Mr. Tom?"
"Wahahaha! I'm a man among men. If the Government wants my head, I won't flinch. Once I'm gone, they'll have no excuse to target my apprentices—Iceburg and Franky will be safe."
"Ever think of leaving? I can take you somewhere the Government will never find."
"Thank you, Mr. Karl… but I can't. The Sea Train will need Iceburg and the others. I must protect them. Everyone's got a mission—this one's mine."
"Alright. I'll respect it. Give Iceburg my Den-Den number. If he runs into something he truly can't solve, I'll handle it."
"Thank you, Mr. Karl!"
They stepped back into the streets to restock. Enel returned soon after.
"Captain, the little mice are all done. Not a single decent fighter among them."
"You'll get your strong opponents later. Folks here are too weak. Load up and we're off."
Elsewhere, CP9 chief Spandam smashed a cup. "Useless idiots! Do we have their photos? Put bounties on them now!"
"But, sir, we don't know their names. They came out of nowhere."
"Then find out! Imbecile!!"
"Y-yes!" The agent fled, thinking, What's so great about being a second-generation official? Then, with a sigh, Wish it were me…
"Karl-nii, buy lots of that Water 7 specialty—water-meat! It's so good!" Aili beamed.
"Oh, right! Karin, pick up a pile. With your touch it'll taste even better."
"And apples! The god's apples are gone!"
"Okay, okay—let me see what the fuss is about."
"Let's rent a few Yagara Bulls and tour the city!"
They shopped all afternoon and returned with mountains of goods. Even the Yagara Bulls looked exhausted.
"Benson, any trouble?"
"Mm… a few men in black came close. I tossed them into the sea. Probably Government types."
"Good. We'll sleep here tonight. Tomorrow we sail. Next stop—Sabaody Archipelago. The ultimate shopping paradise."
"Shopping paradise!?"
The women's eyes lit up like gems.
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