A Man's Dream Will Never End

"What was that monster?!" Everyone cried out in panic.

"Skypiean." Li Ziming, on the contrary, remained calm. "The sun is the light source, people are the objects, and the thick fog is the screen. It's something like shadow puppetry."

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

"Shadow puppetry is basically using shadows to make all sorts of animals and shapes." As he spoke, Li Ziming formed the simplest shape of a dove with his hands. However, because the lighting was poor, it was not very clear.

"So fun!" Luffy and Chopper were immediately drawn in by the game, and with his powerful rubber body, Luffy made all sorts of amusing shadow shapes.

"Wait a minute! Why is this guy on our ship?!" Nami viciously pointed at the ape-man.

"Get off our ship!" Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro directly kicked the ape-man overboard.

"Honestly, let me see what exactly you idiots salvaged..." Nami began inspecting Luffy and the others' haul, but the more she looked, the darker her expression became.

"What exactly did you idiots do down there?! It's all junk! There isn't a single clue related to Sky Island!" Nami said furiously.

"But there really wasn't anything on that ship," Zoro said helplessly.

"Yeah, Nami, you can't blame me for this." Even Sanji said so, which meant there really had been nothing in the wreck. Still, Luffy got beaten up by Nami for wearing a suit of tattered armor.

"Here." Robin helplessly handed Nami a Log Pose.

"This is a Log Pose?" Nami asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I swiped it from that ape-man brother's ship," Robin said with a smile.

"I told you not to learn from that thieving cat, Robin," Li Ziming teased. "One thieving cat on this ship is enough."

"Hmph, watch your wallet." Nami looked at Li Ziming with ill intent.

"Alright, let's see where that Log Pose is pointing." Li Ziming shrugged indifferently. Aside from buying some equipment and alcohol related to bartending, he did not really need money. Even those things could be handled by Sanji. But if he wanted to buy something for Robin, that might be troublesome. Li Ziming secretly had a headache. As the saying went, it was not thieves stealing from you that was frightening, but thieves keeping their eyes on you.

"Jaya?" Nami said doubtfully. "This must be their headquarters."

"Jaya?" Luffy stuffed food into his mouth. "Are we going there next?"

"Isn't it your job to decide where the ship goes?!" Nami shouted at Luffy.

"Alright! Turn the helm! Set course for Jaya!" Luffy said grandly.

"Wait, then wouldn't we have no way to get to Jaya?!" Nami suddenly realized. "What about the treasure?"

"Alright, then turn the helm toward Sky Island!" Luffy immediately prepared to change course.

"But how are we supposed to get there?" Nami said with a headache.

"How about this?" Robin offered her suggestion. "Let's leave before the Log Pose finishes recording."

"Alright, then we'll turn the helm toward Jaya!" Luffy finally decided on their course.

"Oh, right." Li Ziming added, "Maybe we can ask around Jaya for information about Sky Island."

"Really?!" This time, not only Luffy but even Nami became excited. "It's decided! Once we reach Jaya, we'll look for information about Sky Island!"

"However, Jaya's reputation does not seem very good." Robin seemed to have heard some information about the island.

"We'll deal with it as it comes," Li Ziming said with a shrug. "A lawless land, a gathering place for criminals, a place beyond even the government's reach. But no one on our ship is ordinary."

"This town is so lively." Luffy got off the ship as soon as it docked.

"It looks like a pretty good place." Zoro seemed quite interested in Jaya as well.

"Impossible. This place was supposed to be full of trouble. There's no way it could be..." Nami gripped the railing tightly, unable to believe it.

"I thought so too... This town was violent to begin with. I have to keep an eye on them..." Usopp said he would keep watch over Luffy and the others, but he showed no intention of getting off the ship at all.

"This won't do!" Nami suddenly got off the ship and chased after Luffy.

"You're getting off too?" Li Ziming looked at Robin.

"Yeah. Those guys alone will have a hard time finding out anything about Sky Island." Robin looked curiously at Li Ziming. "Are you going too?"

"Yeah." Li Ziming shrugged. "Someone older has to keep an eye on those young brats." As he spoke, Li Ziming slowly followed behind Luffy and the others.

"A man's dream!" Blackbeard shouted. "Will never end!"

"Wasn't I right?! Bullying people doesn't necessarily make you happy!" Blackbeard did not care at all about the mockery of others. "As long as you lock onto your goal, let them laugh if they want to! You don't necessarily have to use your fists to fight!"

Luffy stared fixedly at Blackbeard, and Blackbeard stared fixedly back at Luffy.

"It would be great if we could go there. Sky Island..." Blackbeard stood up. "The booze was pretty good today."

Luffy and Zoro turned and left as well, completely ignoring Nami's insistence that they should ask for information.

"Thanks, Blackbeard." Li Ziming suddenly appeared beside him. "Those words were really quite moving."

"You're an interesting kid too." A sensation that made Li Ziming dizzy suddenly rose from Blackbeard's body.

"Conqueror's Haki? What a terrifying thing." Li Ziming swayed, but he still steadied himself.

"Hahaha, this is the new generation!" Blackbeard laughed as he looked at Li Ziming.

"Then I'll be taking my leave first. I still need to thank those 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? They really are an interesting bunch!" Blackbeard likewise gradually disappeared into the crowd.

Li Ziming stepped into the tavern. "Excuse me." Perhaps his voice was too soft, because no one noticed him. Li Ziming helplessly shook his head, looked around, and noticed an especially arrogant fellow whom nearly everyone feared.

"That would be Bellamy the Hyena?" Li Ziming pulled over someone nearby.

"Ha, that's right. You came looking for Lord Bellamy because you want to join his pirate crew, right? Then you're..."

"Boom!" With an explosion, the man fell to the floor. Everyone looked over in shock, but Li Ziming wore a lazy smile, as though he had done nothing at all.

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

"Kid, you've got guts." Bellamy had already pulled out a bottle and was about to smash it over Li Ziming's head, but Li Ziming vanished and reappeared behind him.

"Explode!" Li Ziming spoke softly, and Bellamy was sent flying.

"You bastard!" The people in the bar immediately erupted into an uproar.

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

The tavern suddenly erupted with intense light and heat, and in an instant, it became a pile of ruins.

"You bastard!" Bellamy's legs suddenly turned into springs, and he flew toward Li Ziming.

"What a... worthless fool." Li Ziming narrowed his eyes and looked at Bellamy without the slightest emotion. "Miniature Bomb."

Immediately afterward, explosions erupted all over Bellamy's body. Though he was severely wounded, his life was not in danger.

"I'll leave your life for our captain." After saying that, Li Ziming turned and left without even looking back.