Leaving the Sky Island above the clouds, the group rode the descending sea current and returned to the blue sea they had long been away from.
The long-missed scent of the real ocean, salty and damp, rushed over them.
Everyone greedily breathed it in, as if trying to fill their chests once more with the freedom that belonged to the sea.
The Red Hair Pirates' ship had long been waiting on the surface.
After abandoning the ship they had seized on Sky Island, which had been wrecked by the fall from high altitude, they all boarded Shanks' ship, finally gaining a safe place to stay for the time being.
However, the moment he settled in, Luffy began grumbling.
"Shanks' ship is great and all, but how can a pirate not have his own ship?!"
He stared at the deck beneath his feet, which did not belong to him, looking thoroughly dissatisfied.
The others exchanged speechless looks, but they still began preparing to get a new ship.
After all, they still had a long road ahead.
Though Luffy had one problem after another, his potential was already the sole foundation on which everyone present could continue forward.
This had always been a performance they were carrying on with Luffy at its center.
Now that the stage had been set, they naturally had to keep acting alongside him.
Until they reached the end, Luffy was the hope of all pirates.
After discussing it, the group set their course for the world-famous City of Water.
Water Seven, located on the Grand Line, was a massive city floating atop the water.
Canals crisscrossed through the entire city like a spiderweb.
People did not travel on foot or by carriage. Instead, they took small boats through the waterways.
Water splashed across the fountain square, while