Chapter 75: Jaya – Knock Up Stream & the Ascent to Sky Island
Golden sunlight scattered across the sea. The Merry's sails billowed full in the morning breeze. The Straw Hat crew stood ready. Masira and Shoujou's ships flanked them on both sides. Three vessels cut through the calm surface, heading toward the unknown horizon.
Cricket stood on the shore, pipe clenched in his teeth, eyes deep as he watched the young group depart. His voice carried on the sea wind:
"Kids, this is as far as I go. But—" He took a deep drag, grinning wide. "No one has ever proven the Golden City or Sky Island 'don't exist'!"
"Maybe the world will laugh and call it nonsense. So what?" He spread his arms as if embracing the entire ocean.
"Betting everything on a dream—that's the most romantic adventure of all!"
Luffy stood at the stern, his smile brighter than the sunrise: "Hehehe! Waga daga!!"
As the ships drew farther away, Cricket's figure shrank to a tiny black dot, finally vanishing below the horizon.
After sailing some distance, Masira shouted from his bow: "Nami-san! Turn the rudder to 10 o'clock now!"
Shoujou added: "Straight toward the whirlpool! Don't hesitate! As long as you reach the eye, you're safe!"
Nami gripped the wheel tightly, eyes resolute: "Got it! Everyone—hold on!"
When they reached the outer edge of the whirlpool, the two escort ships slowed and stopped. Masira and Shoujou stood on deck, waving vigorously: "The rest is up to you! You have to find the Golden City!"
"Ooooh! Thanks, you guys!" Luffy shouted back from the sheep figurehead.
The Merry charged fearlessly toward the massive vortex. The hull began to tilt violently.
The roaring whirlpool suddenly vanished. The sea surface became mirror-smooth. Nami's pupils shrank. She grabbed the railing: "No! This is the prelude to the undersea eruption!"
"Wait! Straw Hat!"
A rough shout tore through the silence. Everyone turned. Sanji narrowed his eyes: "Who's that?"
Luffy pressed down his hat: "That guy… is Blackbeard."
"Zehahahaha!" Blackbeard raised two wanted posters high, laughing savagely. "Sorry, Sol! I've decided to come collect your two 100-million-Berry heads after all!"
Sol sneered, then shouted to Usopp: "Bring out that 'specialty' from Alabasta!"
Usopp hurriedly dragged over a barrel-sized custom bomb: "But the Merry's cannon can't fit this thing!"
"Who said anything about using the cannon?" Sol hefted the bomb one-handed, muscle memory awakening. "Hope my arm still has it."
From afar, Van Augur frowned through his scope: "At this range… does he plan to throw it by hand?"
"What did you just say?" Blackbeard's face changed. He immediately shouted for his crew to brace.
Sol's right arm bulged with veins, instantly coated in Armament Haki: "Fist Bone · Meteor!"
The bomb left his hand with a sonic boom, tearing across the night sky straight toward the enemy ship.
Sol's voice rang through the gale: "Take this—5-kilometer blast radius custom bomb."
BOOOOM!!!
A heaven-shaking explosion lit the sea like daylight. At that exact moment, the undersea upward current detonated.
The Merry rode the shockwave of the blast and soared upward, riding the thousand-meter water pillar straight into the clouds. "See ya, Blackbeard!" Luffy's laughter drowned out the roar.
The burning wreckage of the enemy ship contrasted sharply with the soaring Merry. Amid the mist and firelight, the Straw Hats' figures gradually vanished into the depths of the cumulonimbus.
On the sea surface, the Blackbeard Pirates floated in disarray.
Blackbeard clung desperately to a charred piece of driftwood, body scorched by the explosion, clothes in tatters. He coughed violently, spitting seawater, yet his feral grin never faded.
"Zehahaha… almost got done in there!"
Burgess surfaced and dragged his captain onto the wood: "Wehahaha! Who told you to underestimate them, Captain! Should we chase?"
"No need." Blackbeard wiped seawater from his face, eyes glinting coldly. "They won't stay in the sky forever… next time we meet, I'll personally wring that brat's neck!"
He touched his aching chest. If he hadn't activated the Dark-Dark Fruit at the last second to absorb part of the blast, the entire ship would have been obliterated.
Not far away, Van Augur sat quietly on a floating plank, carefully wiping his beloved sniper rifle with wet cloth. The barrel gleamed coldly in the moonlight. He murmured softly:
"All of this… is fate's design."
The sea gradually calmed. Dark cumulonimbus clouds drifted slowly overhead. Blackbeard looked skyward and erupted into even wilder laughter: "Zehahahaha! Interesting! Too interesting! Straw Hat… Fire Dragon brat… we'll meet again soon!"
——————
"Wait! Is the ship tilting upward?!" Sanji suddenly stumbled and grabbed the railing. The Merry's bow was slowly rising, as though lifted by an invisible giant hand.
Vivi clung to the rail in terror: "If this keeps up we'll be thrown off!"
Sol looked up at the sky: "Something big is falling."
Everyone looked up. A massive Sea King was plummeting from high above, its shadow engulfing the entire deck.
"Uwaaaah! Are we gonna fall like that too?!" Usopp and Chopper clung together, tears streaming.
Robin smiled faintly: "Falling together into the depths and shattering to pieces… doesn't sound so bad."
"Kyaaah!!! Robin-san, don't scare me!!" Chopper's fur stood on end, turning white from fright.
At the critical moment, Nami dashed to the helm, orange hair whipping in the wind: "Everyone—listen up! This isn't an ordinary water pillar! This is the upward current! The updraft below is lifting us!"
She spun the wheel fiercely, eyes blazing with confidence: "When it comes to wind and sea, there's nothing I can't handle! Tell me—who's the navigator of this ship?!"
"It's Nami-san!!!" Sanji leaped up first, hearts in his eyes.
"It's Nami-da! Quack!" Usopp, Chopper, and Karoo shouted together, hugging each other.
"Hmph. Not bad." Zoro's lips curved slightly.
"Starboard wind—full left rudder! Everyone adjust the sails!" Nami's orders rang clear and powerful.
The crew sprang into action. Zoro and Sanji adjusted ropes, Luffy ran around excitedly helping.
With perfect coordination, the Merry stabilized and shot straight upward along the towering current.
Nami stood at the bow, wind whipping her face: "Just stay with this current—we can fly as high as we want!"
"Oooohhh!!!" Luffy jumped onto the sheep figurehead, straw hat strings whipping wildly. He raised both arms, laughter echoing through the clouds:
"Sky adventure—START!!!"
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