Negotiation Success

Jaya Island, eastern shore.

Splash, splash... the waves tirelessly crashed against the beach.

Dragging Berg along, Reg stood on the deck, watching the dejected pirates file off the ship and onto the beach.

"Alright, everyone... now we can have a talk."

Reg glanced at the three people on the other side... the ship's doctor wearing thick-framed glasses, Fitch supporting Berg.

"Hello... Captain Berg. I'm Gray." Reg used a false name without hesitation.

"..."

Berg, who had only just woken up, looked at Reg with mixed emotions... saying he had no regrets would be a lie, but at least he was still alive.

"Captain Berg's collection really contains everything... impressive." Reg's tone was full of admiration.

"You... don't you dare touch my collection! I'll agree to any other condition!!"

The moment his collection was mentioned, Berg's face flushed red with anxiety... those were things he had collected his entire life!

"Of course... as long as you cooperate properly."

Sitting on the railing, Reg looked down... the remaining pirates were truly loyal. None of them had run.

"You..." Berg sighed, knowing that the situation was stronger than he was.

"You're familiar with the Knock Up Stream near Jaya Island, right?"

"Yeah... it happens once every five to seven days. At least five times a month, six at most."

"I see..." Reg blinked... it seemed he could save quite a bit of time.

"I want to go up there." Reg pointed at the sky.

Berg was initially bewildered, but once he understood... all three of them stared at Reg as though he were an idiot.

"Investigate the conditions that create the Knock Up Stream, the signs before it appears, and where it emerges with me... then sail me to the edge of the vortex. After that, you'll be free." Reg stated his demands without changing expression.

"..."

Berg's face grew solemn at the words "edge of the vortex"... that was a natural disaster!

"Or you can die." Reg smiled harmlessly.

At the sight of that smile, all three of them shuddered... this man was certainly capable of it.

"Fine!"

Berg's expression darkened as he had no choice but to agree. Going only near the vortex was dangerous, but still better than being killed now... since this fool wanted to die, Berg was more than happy to oblige.

"Your collection... can stay on this island. You can assign your men to guard it, then come retrieve it once our agreement is fulfilled."

"Are you a devil?"

"I'm being sincere... if I planned to kill you after using you, would I need to go through all this trouble?"

Reg spoke with a smile... in order to reach Sky Island as quickly and safely as possible, everything else could be set aside.

"Fine... you'd better keep your word."

After his expression shifted between green and red, Berg finally accepted this humiliating condition... as Reg said, if he had no sincerity, there would be no need for all this trouble.

"Don't try anything clever... you should know what Observation Haki is."

Reg jumped down from the railing... this did not really count as voluntarily revealing his trump card.

During their earlier fight, Berg had probably vaguely noticed it already... so it was better to state it openly now.

"You are..." Berg had just started to speak when Reg's cold gaze frightened him into silence.

"You look like a noble... I can't be bothered investigating your background, so don't come provoking me either. If I hear anything unpleasant in the future..."

"Understood."

Berg moved his aching body... now he was even more certain of his guess.

There was no doubt that this kid had used the "Six Powers"... the pirates aboard his ship might not understand, but he knew full well.

Only the P Organization and the Marines could use such techniques... judging by his age, he clearly belonged to the former.

Berg had personally experienced how terrifying those ghosts in the darkness were... unless necessary, he had no desire to provoke them.

"Is he carrying out a secret mission... no!"

If that were the case, there would not be only one P Organization member... nor would the other party have allowed his subordinates to escape.

"Then he defected... did he choose the legendary Sky Island because the World Government has no influence there?"

As he thought, Berg glanced at Reg... no matter what, he had to reclaim his collection.

He would cooperate obediently for now and test whether the other party truly intended to keep his promise... if this kid planned to silence them afterward, Berg would rather die together with his collection.

If the other party truly kept the agreement, then things would be even simpler... if he died beneath the Knock Up Stream, everyone would be happy.

And if he somehow survived... Berg would make sure everything he had seen today died with him.

"I'll give you one day... I'll be following you. Get started."

Reg, who had spoken up, glanced into the distance... There was more than one way to reach the Sky Island.

According to the Sky Island residents, Cornis's father had said... Another route was through the high-speed skyway, "West Summit." To reach Messenger Island, one had to pass through at least one or more islands.

Reg did not know where the "West Summit" mentioned by Cornis's father was... Given his status, he could not obtain deeper clearance within P9.

Even if he could, Reg would not choose it... In the "Dressrosa Arc," Bellamy had presented Doflamingo with the massive golden pillar that the Straw Hat crew had left behind when they departed the Sky Island.

Bellamy had said this at the time: "I went to the Sky Island too... Although I lost all my companions... it changed my outlook on life."

If Bellamy had ridden the Knock Up Stream from Jaya Island... then, as Gan Fall had said, there would only be two possible outcomes: everyone survived, or everyone died.

That meant he had entered the Sky Island through the other route, West Summit... Even with Bellamy's bounty of 55 million at the time, the powers of the Spring-Spring Fruit, and numerous crewmen, he had still ended up as the sole survivor.

The danger of that route was easy to imagine... Bellamy could rely on Doflamingo's influence to find another path, but Reg did not have that kind of extra time.

He could only choose the Knock Up Stream, facing... the two possibilities of death or life.

If he went up from Jaya Island... the first stop would be the "White Sea," 7,000 meters above the ground.

Reg took out the Log Pose and looked at its needle, which slanted upward... It would take four days for the Log Pose to fill on Jaya Island, and the next destination would be Water Seven.

Reg did not care about that... As long as he reached the White Sea, he would be outside Jaya Island's magnetic range.

The Log Pose would begin absorbing magnetism again... and would undoubtedly point toward Messenger Island, located on the "White-White Sea" 10,000 meters above the ground.

"Sky Islanders and Shandians..."

While multitasking, Reg began considering his next plan... He definitely had to go to Messenger Island.

Because Reg needed to travel to Birka, far to the southeast... He needed to learn more about the islands in the sky.

Or it would do if he could find the Shandians of Hidden Cloud Village... They could fight on the White Sea and were called "Sky Warriors" by Gan Fall, which showed that they understood the White Sea deeply.

Reg was not worried about directions... In the forest south of Jaya Island, there were birds called South Birds, whose heads always pointed south.

After that, as long as he could obtain help from either side... and overcome the disadvantage of being unfamiliar with the White Sea, Reg was confident he could reach Birka.

After all, if he simply set sail across the White Sea alone without knowing anything... who knew what bizarre weather he might encounter, or what Sky Sea creatures he should not provoke.