The return of the Bellamy Pirates caused a sensation in Mock Town.
At first, everyone thought the group had forged the bounty notice, but now no one doubts it anymore.
Bellamy and his group, returning in a sorry state, are the best proof of this.
That brat in the straw hat really is a pirate with a bounty of 100 million, at least in the first half of the Grand Line.
"One hundred million?" Blackbeard looked at the bounty poster in his hand, first startled, then burst into laughter, "Zhehahahaha~"
"I knew that kid was worth more than 30 million, but I didn't expect him to be worth 100 million."
Blackbeard was muttering.
"Hey! Who are you? If you're ugly, don't stand in the middle of the road!"
Sarquiss was furious. Frustrated by his defeat at the hands of the straw hat, he wanted to vent his anger on the big man in front of him and didn't hold back at all.
In this Mock Town, the Bellamy Pirates can still do whatever they want!
Slap! A large hand landed on Sarquiss's face, pressing down before he could even react.
"It's so noisy."
In winter, Sarquiss, whose entire head was instantly buried in the soil, will probably need to see a doctor again; if he's lucky, he might survive.
"I don't have time to waste on someone as insignificant as you."
Blackbeard grinned, revealing a mouthful of broken teeth, his eyes gleaming with excited ferocity.
"What I want are 100 million heads! Only by defeating those pirates can I become famous throughout the world!"
"Oh, oh, oh, are we finally going to start hunting interesting prey?"
Wearing a wrestler's mask, Gizzas Burgess, nicknamed "The Champion," laughed heartily, looking up at the sky.
The tall, slender man carrying an unusually long musket, Yin Yuefan Oka, calmly asked, "But Captain, didn't we agree to wait for Laffitte here?"
"Don't worry, thief, hahaha!"
Blackbeard let out a hearty laugh, "Even if we miss each other for now, we will meet again eventually."
The ship's doctor, Doc Q, who was sprawled on a sickly horse, chuckled, "That's right, fate is often used to measure a person's worth... cough cough..."
Blackbeard led his crew and set off towards their destination.
After a night of repairs and modifications, the Going Merry's renovation was finally completed before noon.
The Going Merry is now in Forward- Going Merry flight mode!
"This could definitely fly!"
Luffy were filled with starlight.
"Hehe, what an interesting idea." Retsu Unohana chuckled. Adding wings to a ship and then being able to fly... well, I have to say, their thought process is truly unfathomable.
Even the seemingly normal Nami didn't rule out the possibility, merely frowning, "Is that so? The more I look at it, the more uneasy I feel."
"That's right, it should be made into a pigeon's head. After all, pigeons can fly better than chickens."
Zoro offered his suggestion in a very serious manner.
"Who was talking about that, you idiot!"
Nami is worried about whether the ship can even take to the sky.
Cricket had the Masira and Shoujou see them off. Standing on the shore, he looked up at Luffy on the ship and shouted, "Kids, I'm saying goodbye here."
"However, there's one thing you absolutely must understand, and you can't get it wrong: no one has ever proven that the City of Gold or the Sky Island doesn't exist!!"
Cricket shouted emotionally, "Some people may laugh and say this is nonsense, but what does it matter!"
It is because of dreams that romantic legends can be created!!!
"A romantic legend."
Luffy smiled, looking at Cricket and giving her a genuine smile.
"Thank you all. You've shown me that there are others like me who are pursuing their dreams. Don't let your dreams fall from the sky!"
"Hehehe, goodbye, diamond-faced uncle!"
Luffy goodbye, but even as they parted, he still hadn't remembered the other person's name. Instead, he addressed them by their facial features, hoping to avoid upsetting them.
It's also one of Luffy's innate abilities.
Escorted by the two ships, the Masira and the Shoujou, the Going Merry sailed toward the Knock Up Stream.
On the other side, at the massive ship made of bound logs, Blackbeard sat cross-legged and asked, "Hey, what do you see?"
Van Augur, gun slung over his shoulder, his cloak billowing in the sea breeze, said, "No, not even a glimpse of the other side."
Burgess asked, "Are they really going to the Sky Island?"
"Yes, that's what they said."
Blackbeard was absolutely certain that such a person would never lie; like Old Man, he would never take back what he said. "It would be troublesome if we waited for them to ascend to heaven; we need to take them down before that happens."
And so, three hours passed.
"Darkness has been detected to the southwest!"
"Deep-sea divers have been dispatched to locate the Knock Up Stream!"
The two specialized vessels each performed their respective duties.
The exploration vessel is responsible for detecting ocean currents, while the salvage vessel is responsible for observing weather and shipping routes.
Only the Going Merry had the opportunity to meet the demanding conditions of a flying carpet at the right time and in the right place.
"Reflection confirms a large ocean current at the 12 o'clock position!"
"A giant creature appeared at the 8 o'clock position; it must be Sea Kings!"
"Waves appearing at the 10 o'clock position, moving in the opposite direction to the ocean current, have been confirmed as a whirlpool!"
As the reconnaissance crew members who had dived into the water transmitted information, all three ships quickly began to move.
"It's at the 10 o'clock position! Turn the rudder!"
"A whirlpool is a sign of Knock Up Stream erupting. Keep up!"
That's insane.
Normal ships would absolutely avoid ocean whirlpools, right?
Who would dare to deliberately steer a ship into the center of a whirlpool?
"Hold on! Let our two ships shield you from the storm!"
"We've hit the jackpot! A massive, Knock Up Stream!"
The entire ocean is filled with roaring giant waves. If you look down at the ocean from the sky, a giant whirlpool with a diameter of several hundred or even thousands of meters appears on the surface of the sea, with surging seawater spinning and rushing rapidly towards the center.
As far as the eye can see, there are only waves, one higher and one lower; the roaring sea connects with the sky, as if trying to fill everything.
Faced with the immense power of nature, the Going Merry was as insignificant as a withered leaf in a raging torrent, seemingly about to disappear into the surging current at any moment.
"This is all we can take you this far!"
The Masira and Shoujou had to leave.
As the whirlpool grew increasingly turbulent, both the massive salvage and exploration vessels had to change course and do their utmost to escape the ocean current.
Otherwise, instead of the Going Merry soaring into the sky as a single ship, it would have become three.
Haha~~ Thanks~
Faced with this immense power of nature, Luffy showed no fear whatsoever; instead, he raised his head, looking exceptionally expectant.
"Aaaaaah! What do we do?!" Usopp cried out in panic, tears streaming down his face. "No, I don't want to go to Sky Island! Turn around!"
"Turning back now will only lead to faster death. The center of the whirlpool is the epicenter of the erupting Knock Up Stream. Once we reach there, we can ride the Knock Up Stream to the Sky Island."
Shiraishi patted Usopp on the shoulder.
"Hey, how is that possible? We'll die before the Knock Up Stream even reaches us!"
Usopp cupped his face in his hands, mimicking the screaming pose in a world-famous painting.
Shiraishi turned his head and, unsurprisingly, Nami and Chopper had the same expression as Usopp.
The Masira and Shoujou's boat remained in calm waters, offering not only assistance but also emotional support. "Little ones, good luck from now on!"
"Yes, thank you." Luffy waved goodbye.
"Wait! Help us!"
Usopp roared, "This is terrifying! This place is absolutely terrifying!"
"You never mentioned there would be such a large vortex! This is fraud! Fraud!"
Nami screams.
" Luffy, this giant whirlpool alone is enough to kill us several times over. Sky Island is just a dream within a dream. Let's go back."
Luffy laughed loudly, "If I miss the epic adventure on the dreamlike Island of Dreams, I'll regret it for the rest of my life!"
" Usopp, we'll be at Sky Island soon! Don't look so sad, laugh out loud!"
Shiraishi patted him on the back.
Usopp and Nami were utterly desperate, but these two guys actually looked happy...
"Hey, while you're putting up futile resistance..."
Zoro pointed outside the ship; the Going Merry was now completely engulfed in the whirlpool.
"We're about to be swallowed by the whirlpool."
"Waaaaaah!!"
Just as Usopp screamed in terror, the whirlpool suddenly disappeared, and the sea became calm.
He was stunned. "Disappeared? Why?"
Nami looked at it and said, "This is a sign of an impending underwater eruption!"
"What!" Usopp exclaimed in surprise.
"Stop right there, Straw Hat Luffy!"
Blackbeard appears.
Luffy over and saw a pirate ship made of just a few huge logs appear in front of the Going Merry. Three skulls were painted on the sails, which was the symbol of the Blackbeard Pirates.
"Hahahaha!! I finally caught up with you, Straw Hat Luffy!"
Nami looked at Blackbeard and said, "They were back in Mock Town..."
"Who is it?" Sanji asked, puzzled.
"Hahahaha, I'm here to take your head, worth a hundred million. Just obediently accept your death."
Blackbeard's arrogant voice drifted over.
"What? You're saying my head is worth a hundred million?"
Luffy shouted in confusion.
"You really don't know? The wanted poster says your head is worth 100 million. Pirate Hunter Zoro, your bounty is 60 million."
Usopp, holding binoculars, looked at the two bounty posters in Blackbeard's hand and exclaimed with delight, "They really are new bounties, Zoro! You're a wanted criminal now!"
Sanji hurriedly went to Usopp's side and asked, "What? Hey, wait, what about me? I'm definitely in too, right?"
"No," Usopp answered honestly.
Luffy and Zoro excitedly discussed their bounties in the back.
Nami, speechless, said, "Ah, it must be because of the Alabasta incident that the bounty has increased so much."
But what's there for you two to be happy about?"
Retsu Unohana raised her hand, " Hadō #73, Sōren Sōkatsui."
A dazzling blue-white light shone forth, transforming into a blinding bolt of Lightning Flash that sped forward.
"What?!" Blackbeard was shocked, even forgetting to use the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit to resist this Kidō.
With a deafening crash, Blackbeard's ship fell apart.
Everyone fell into the water.
"Ah~ dear sister, you must protect me later."
Nami's eyes lit up as she pressed herself against Retsu Unohana, feeling incredibly safe with such a powerful figure by her side.
Sanji a drag of his cigarette and asked, "Is that guy strong?"
Retsu Unohana said, "He's no weaker than that Sand Crocodile; he'll still be a bit of a headache for you."
As they spoke, the ship began to shake.
"This is bad!" Nami's face turned grave. It's coming! The Knock Up Stream!
Boom!
With a tremendous roar, a huge current surged from the sea, propelling the Going Merry into the sky.
Its speed is no less than the Kidō that Retsu Unohana just used.
"Wa...
Luffy, holding his straw hat with one hand, shouted excitedly.
At this moment, Nami sensed something was wrong with her body.
"Set sail immediately! I finally understand the principle behind the Knock Up Stream, and there are updrafts blowing from below!"
Nami was no longer timid. At this point, she had plenty of courage and confidence. Looking at everyone, she said, "If the target is the wind and the sea, then I have a way."
"Who do you think is the navigator on this ship?"
Nami asked a question.
" Nami- san!" Sanji shouted excitedly, his eyes filled with love.
Nami began directing the group, including Shiraishi, and under her guidance, the ship actually took to the air steadily.
"Huh? It's flying!!"
"Awesome!!"
And so, amidst a mix of emotions—excitement, thrill, and shock— the Straw Hat Pirates...
The Going Merry, carrying its crew, flew towards the Sky Island.
"Haha, it hasn't fallen down after all this time!"
On a whole log in the ocean below, Blackbeard sat Fuza- legged, slapping his thigh and laughing loudly.
"This is really troublesome, looks like they got away! Hahaha~~~"
"How strange,"
Doc Q, who was leading the horse beside him, tilted his head and said, "That attack of light, if you were to say it was Devil Fruit, it doesn't quite feel like one."
Haki? Not really. A slash? He didn't draw his sword.
Moreover, what that woman said should be the Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkatsui.
He looked sickly, but his Observation Haki was still quite good, and his hearing was excellent.
" Hadō, speaking of which, there's been a strange rumor circulating in the first half of the Grand Line lately: at the same time, the same person appeared and taught a technique called Kidō."
Blackbeard stroked his chin, his face beaming with excitement, and said, "That woman might know that man, zehahaha, the world is getting interesting!"
"You still have time for sarcastic remarks? The prey that was almost in your grasp has escaped!"
The physically strong Gizzaz Burgess didn't care about any of these intricacies.
"Captain, we must find a way to catch up!"
"Hahaha, what's the rush, Burgess? They're not just disappearing."
Blackbeard, on the other hand, was quite magnanimous.
"As long as we remain on this Grand Line, we will meet again someday."
"That's right."
Van Oka nodded. "In this world, you'll meet someone if you want to."
Fate is like the turning of gears...
"Hehehe, I told you so!"
Blackbeard stretched his arms into the air, a broad smile on his face. That brat must have reached Sky Island.
"Hmph, really!"
"Cough cough cough..."