People's Dreams Never End

"What kind of monster is that?!" Everyone cried out in alarm.

"Skypieans." Li Ziming, on the other hand, had calmed down. "The sun is the light source, the people cast the shadows, and the fog is the screen. It's like shadow puppetry."

"Shadow puppetry? What's that? Is it fun?" Luffy asked with keen interest.

"You use shadows to make animals and other shapes." Li Ziming held up his hands to make a simple dove, though the poor light left its outline rather faint.

"That's so cool!" Luffy and Chopper were instantly hooked. With his rubber body, Luffy made all sorts of interesting shadow shapes.

"Wait a minute! Why is that guy on our ship?!" Nami pointed furiously at Shoujou.

"Get off!" Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro kicked Shoujou straight off the ship.

"Honestly. Let me see what you lot hauled up..." Nami began inspecting their finds, her expression darkening with every item.

"What did you do down there?! It's all junk! There isn't a single clue about Sky Island!" Nami shouted.

"But there wasn't much on that ship to begin with," Zoro said helplessly.

"Yeah, Nami, you can't blame me," Sanji said. It seemed there really hadn't been anything in the wreck. Luffy, meanwhile, got a beating from Nami for wearing a suit of battered armor.

"Here." Robin handed Nami a Log Pose.

"A Log Pose?" Nami said in surprise.

"Yes. I picked it up from our ape friend's ship," Robin said with a smile.

"Don't go learning from that Cat Burglar, Robin," Li Ziming teased. "One Cat Burglar aboard our ship is enough."

"Hmph. Watch your wallet." Nami gave Li Ziming a sly look.

"Anyway, let's see where that Log Pose points." Li Ziming shrugged. He hardly needed money except to buy liquor and bartending tools, and he could always ask Sanji to help with those. Buying something for Robin might be trickier, though. The thought gave him a headache. As the saying went, a thief eyeing your possessions was worse than one stealing them.

"Jaya?" Nami said, puzzled. "That must be their home base."

"Jaya?" Luffy asked around a mouthful of food. "Are we going there next?"

"You're the one who decides where this ship goes!" Nami yelled at him.

"All right! Turn the helm! We're heading for Jaya!" Luffy declared grandly.

"Wait! Then how are we supposed to get to Sky Island?" Nami suddenly realized. "What about the treasure?"

"All right, then! Let's turn toward Sky Island!" Luffy was ready to change course again.

"But how are we supposed to get there?" Nami asked, rubbing her temples.

"How about this?" Robin offered. "We leave before the Log Pose finishes recording Jaya."

"Good! Then we're heading for Jaya!" Luffy finally settled on a course.

"One more thing," Li Ziming added. "We might find out something about Sky Island on Jaya."

"Really?!" This time, even Nami was as excited as Luffy. "It's settled! Once we reach Jaya, we'll look for information about Sky Island!"

"Jaya doesn't have the best reputation, though," Robin said. She seemed to have heard a few things about the island.

"We'll deal with that when we get there." Li Ziming shrugged. "A lawless place, full of criminals and beyond the government's reach. But nobody on this ship is exactly ordinary."

"This town's so lively!" Luffy hopped off the ship as soon as it docked.

"Looks like a good place," Zoro said, apparently interested in Jaya too.

"No way. This place is trouble. There's absolutely no chance..." Nami gripped the railing, scarcely able to believe her eyes.

"I thought so... This town's notorious for violence. I'd better keep an eye on them..." Usopp said, without showing the slightest intention of leaving the ship.

"This won't do!" Nami jumped ashore and hurried after Luffy.

"You're going ashore?" Li Ziming asked Robin.

"Yes. Those three aren't likely to learn much about Sky Island on their own." Robin looked at him curiously. "You're going too?"

"Yeah." Li Ziming shrugged. "Someone older needs to keep an eye on those youngsters." He fell in a short distance behind Luffy and the others.

"People's dreams!" Blackbeard shouted. "Never end!"

"Wasn't I right? Picking on people doesn't make you happy!" Blackbeard paid no mind to the laughter around him. "Once you've set your sights on a goal, let them laugh all they want! You don't always have to fight with your fists!"

Luffy stared hard at Blackbeard, who stared right back at him.

"Hope you make it to Sky Island." Blackbeard stood up. "That was some good booze today."

Luffy and Zoro turned and left, paying no attention to Nami's insistence that they ask around for information.

"Thanks, Blackbeard." Li Ziming suddenly appeared beside him. "Those words really struck a chord."

"You're an interesting kid yourself." A force rose from Blackbeard that made Li Ziming dizzy.

"Conqueror's Haki? Terrifying stuff." Li Ziming swayed, but held his ground.

"Haha! Now that's the new generation!" Blackbeard laughed as he looked at Li Ziming.

"I'll be going, then. I still need to thank the people who took such good care of our captain." Li Ziming gave a slight bow, then vanished from Blackbeard's sight.

"The Straw Hat Pirates, huh? What an interesting bunch!" Blackbeard, too, gradually disappeared into the crowd.

Li Ziming stepped into the tavern. "Sorry." His voice may have been too quiet; no one noticed him. He shook his head and looked around, soon spotting an exceptionally arrogant man whom nearly everyone seemed to fear.

"That's Bellamy the Hyena?" Li Ziming pulled aside someone nearby.

"Hah, sure is. You're here to ask Lord Bellamy if you can join his pirate crew, right? Well, you—"

Boom! An explosion knocked the man to the floor. Everyone turned in shock, but Li Ziming wore a lazy smile, as though he hadn't done a thing.

"Sorry. Was that too loud? Did I disturb you?" Li Ziming slowly walked up to Bellamy.

"You've got guts, kid." Bellamy raised a bottle to smash over Li Ziming's head, but Li Ziming vanished and reappeared behind him.

"Explode." At Li Ziming's quiet command, Bellamy went flying.

"You bastard!" The tavern erupted.

"I've lost interest." Li Ziming shook his head. "I'm in a hurry. Goodbye, everyone. Big Explosion!"

A burst of intense light and heat tore through the tavern. In an instant, it lay in ruins.

"You bastard!" Bellamy's legs turned into springs, and he launched himself at Li Ziming.

"What a... waste of space." Li Ziming narrowed his eyes, looking at Bellamy without a trace of emotion. "Miniature bombs."

Explosions erupted across Bellamy's body. He was badly wounded, but his life wasn't in danger.

"I'll leave your life for our captain to take." Without another glance, Li Ziming turned and walked away.