The Great Liar Noland

"What happened?" Usopp stared in shock at Luffy and Zoro, both covered in wounds.

"A doctor!" Chopper cried in a panic.

"You're the doctor!" Usopp thumped him on the head.

"Sounds lively." Robin returned. "I bought some clothes and asked around about Sky Island."

"No..." Nami looked utterly defeated.

Boom! An explosion caught everyone's attention.

"So he came to the island too?" Nami watched the blast with immense satisfaction.

"He really doesn't hold back," Robin said helplessly.

"Ming, didn't I tell you? No fighting!" Luffy complained as Li Ziming approached with a smile.

"Sorry, but you were the ones who promised not to fight. I never did." Li Ziming shrugged, then boarded the ship to put away the liquor he had bought on the island.

"Nice work!" Nami gave Li Ziming a thumbs-up.

"By the way, I found out a few things about Sky Island. Want to hear?" Robin asked with a smile.

"Not Sky Island again!" Nami snapped. "I think the whole thing's a joke! Everyone laughed at me the moment I went ashore."

"I think we'd better stay away from her for now," Usopp told Robin nervously.

"It's fine. I heard there's an old man who was driven out and lives on this island. His name is Mont Blanc Cricket," Robin said. "He's obsessed with dreams. Doesn't that sound like you?"

"And as far as I know, he's a descendant of the great liar Noland." Li Ziming spotted a ship approaching. "But we'd better leave. A ship's coming."

"Why would we leave just because a ship's coming?" Nami asked.

"Because there's another ape on it," Li Ziming said with a sigh. "Every ape we've met lately has been trouble."

"An ape? He isn't related to the one I kicked away, is he?" Luffy asked without a care.

"Surely not. What are the odds in a sea this big?" Nami refused to believe her luck was that bad.

"You kicked my brother away?" Masira's face darkened. "How dare you treat my brother like that? An enemy of Shoujou is an enemy of mine! Sonic wave—Destructive Roar!"

"Do all these apes have lungs like that?" Li Ziming muttered, his head starting to ache.

"Let's get out of here! Our ship can't take any more!" Usopp cried. The Going Merry was already falling apart.

To Usopp's relief, Masira did not seem inclined to pursue them. Even so, the Going Merry was damaged all over.

"That damned ape!" Usopp ground his teeth. "Thanks to him, there's even more of the ship to repair!"

"When did this ship get so battered? Maybe we should get a new one," Zoro said casually as he repaired the mast.

"What did you say, you heartless jerk?" Usopp shouted.

"Quit complaining, Usopp. The Going Merry's been through thick and thin with us. We have to fix her, no matter what." Luffy was working on the ship too.

"Luffy, you really are..." Usopp began, moved. The next second, Luffy smashed the plank he was working on. "You damned idiot!"

Between repairs and bickering, Luffy and the others crossed most of Jaya and reached their destination.

"This is what's-his-name's house?" Nami asked in surprise.

"Mont Blanc Cricket," Robin corrected her wearily.

"It's so..." Usopp stared in amazement.

"So cool!" Luffy was just as impressed.

"That huge mansion is his house?" Chopper exclaimed. "He must be rich!"

"Idiot. Look closer," Zoro said.

"Some dreamer. He looks more like a show-off to me." Sanji had already taken a dislike to the Mont Blanc he had yet to meet.

"Look closer?" Chopper used his hands to pull his eyes wide open.

"That's not what they mean." Li Ziming chuckled and picked Chopper up. "See? It's obviously painted on."

"Painted on?" Chopper said in shock. As the ship moved, a tiny house came into view behind the facade.

"Was he driven out for being such a show-off?" Nami wondered. How could someone like that know anything about Sky Island?

"I'm not sure about that," Robin said, shaking her head. "But I heard a huge amount of gold is buried on Jaya."

"Gold!" Nami lit up at once.

"I don't know where it is, though," Robin added.

"Chopper, start digging!" Nami ordered immediately.

"As if he could just dig it up anywhere!" Usopp retorted.

"Anyone home?" Luffy paid no attention to the gold. He pushed the door open and walked straight into Mont Blanc's house.

"You can't just barge in!" Usopp had nearly run out of energy to protest.

"Come on, Nami. Stop ordering Chopper around." Li Ziming held Chopper back. "The Tale of Noland the Liar is a famous story in the North Blue."

"Oh, right. I knew it sounded familiar." Sanji seemed glad to hear something connected to his homeland.

"You're from the North Blue?" Usopp had always thought everyone aboard was from the East Blue.

"Yeah, I was born in the North Blue. Didn't I tell you?" Sanji looked excited. "Anyway, where I'm from isn't important. It may be a fairy tale, but Noland the Liar was a real person." Sanji then told them the story he had heard growing up.

"Poor liar..." Everyone seemed caught up in the tale.

"Poor? He made friends with the Skypieans and witnessed Sky Island disappear. I wouldn't call him all that unfortunate," Li Ziming said with a shrug.

"So the story's true? Or at least what Noland went through was?" Nami's eyes turned into Beli signs. "Then the gold is real too?"

"Didn't I tell you? There's a lot of gold on Sky Island." Li Ziming shrugged helplessly. "Or we could ask that man."

A man with chestnut-shaped hair appeared before them. "You've got some nerve, barging into my home like that! Don't you know these waters are my territory?" He dropped into a fighting stance.

"You must be Mont Blanc Cricket. Hello. We're the Straw Hat Pirates, and we're hoping to reach Sky Island. Could you help us?" Li Ziming asked, acting as though he had not noticed the man's stance.

"Mister, you know about Sky Island?" Luffy hurried over to Mont Blanc Cricket, brimming with excitement.

"You believe Sky Island really exists?" People had doubted him for so long that Mont Blanc Cricket seemed unsure how to react when someone finally believed him.

"Of course! We're going there!" Luffy shouted excitedly.

"I..." A hint of happiness had barely appeared on Mont Blanc Cricket's face when he doubled over in pain. "Huff... huff..."

"A doctor! A doctor!" Chopper cried anxiously.

"That's you. Hurry and treat him." Li Ziming patted Chopper.

"Oh, right!" Chopper said at once. "Get him inside, quick!"

Chopper examined Mont Blanc Cricket. "It looks like decompression sickness. Make the towels colder! Open all the windows!"

"Decompression sickness?" Luffy asked curiously. "Is that something you get from diving?"

"Not many people get it," Chopper said with a frown. "And even fewer develop a chronic case like his." He went on to explain decompression sickness.

Li Ziming looked around the room and spotted a photograph of Mont Blanc Cricket with the two apes.

"Old man! Are you all right?"