" Roger died seven years ago!" Vic's first words were like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through Gan Fall's mind.
"What? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could a man like Roger die! Who could have killed him?"
Gan Fall could hardly believe that a man like Roger could die; he had no idea that Roger had not been defeated by his enemies, but by illness.
"Indeed, no one can kill him. He probably didn't tell you he had a terminal illness when he was on Sky Island!"
After returning to the Blue Sea from the Sky Island, he conquered the treacherous and unknown sea in no time, and people called him the Pirate King!
It means he was the king of the entire sea. Not long after completing his voyage, Roger disbanded the Roger Pirates. The Roger Pirates have since fallen apart and scattered to various places.
Before his death, Roger ushered in a new era, and their story became a legend on the high seas!
Vic only gave a general overview of Roger and the fate of the Roger Pirates, without mentioning the Navy, but he still acknowledged Roger's status and strength.
"Dead! Terminally ill! The pirate crew disbanded!..." Gan Fall was stunned upon hearing this information, muttering to himself. Clearly, the end of Roger Pirates had a huge impact on him, and he couldn't accept it in a short time.
It's such a pity that such a spirited team has come to an end!
Vic saw that Gan Fall was lost in his own world and didn't disturb him. If someone suddenly told you that a good friend you hadn't seen for years had passed away, not everyone could accept it immediately, unless the relationship wasn't deep. But people in this world have more intense emotions, and perhaps a single meeting can be unforgettable for a lifetime.
It took Gan Fall a long time to accept the news, mainly because Vic said Roger died of illness, which seemed more credible.
He would never believe Vic if he said Roger was murdered, and it was unlikely that he died of old age either. Roger was only in his sixties; a powerful man like him couldn't have died so young!
The ocean below is home to many people in their seventies who can still smash a mountain, while Kureha, who just met Vic, is already over a hundred years old and still very active.
Although he accepted the news, Gan Fall's expression was still full of regret. Roger's personal charm was undeniable, as evidenced by how he managed to win over Rayleigh with just a few words. He was definitely the ultimate master of verbal sparring.
"I never imagined that someone like Roger would end up like this. This world has lost one of its wonders. Ah! Everyone dies eventually, it's just a matter of sooner or later!"
Gan Fall sighed as he thought about his own age. Life is neither long nor short. He had been trapped on Angel Island his whole life, while Roger's life was not as long as his, but it was incredibly exciting. Roger's life was not as long as his, but his achievements were unparalleled.
"Wrong! The new era will only be more exciting, and Roger will forever be remembered by those who come after. This world doesn't belong to any one person; it's a stage for everyone. As long as you have a dream, the future holds infinite possibilities!"
Vic disagreed with Gan Fall's view that this was the difference between young and old, and that the era of great upheaval was yet to come.
"You!... Maybe you're right, let's go! I'll tell you how to get to Birka!" Gan Fall gave Vic a deep look and walked out of the room. Vic didn't say anything and just followed behind him.
As soon as Gan Fall left the God's Shrine, he summoned Pierre, a large red bird covered in black spots.
Gan Fall, sitting on the back of the giant bird, invited Vic to ride on, but Vic refused. Pierre could see the disdain in Vic's eyes and knew he had been rejected. He looked aggrieved.
Gan Fall simply smiled and didn't say anything, assuming that Vic also had a mount, and then directly ordered Pierre to fly towards the horizon.
Vic made no other move, simply following behind with Geppo, completely at ease. Gan Fall and Pierre both turned around and looked at Vic in astonishment, almost rushing into the White Sea.
They had never heard of such an ability to fly without any aid, and coupled with Vic's elusive nature, Gan Fall even speculated that Vic had used this ability to reach the Sky Island.
If someone has such an ability, then Sky Island can come and go as they please, just like their own backyard. This news is very unfavorable to Sky Island.
If many people in the Blue Sea possess this ability, then Sky Island won't be very safe. He has witnessed the power of the Blue Sea people; those who can come to Sky Island independently are almost impossible for the people here to resist.
Actually, Gan Fall is overthinking it. There are plenty of people in the Blue Sea who can use Geppo, but none of them have mastered Geppo to such an absurd degree as Vic. They're lucky if they can fly freely on the island; going to the sky is a dream, something that can only be done in dreams!
Even someone as skilled and talented as Vic would find it difficult to fly that high; he needs to rely on the power of Devil Fruit to achieve it. So, others shouldn't even think about it. Only by using other methods can one achieve this, which means it can only be done by a select few.
Gan Fall suppressed his worries and led Vic to the edge of Angel Island, which was also the edge of the White Sea. White Sea was surrounded by a ring of Island Cloud, and one more step forward would be a bottomless abyss, where he would fall into freefall like Kaido.
The two men and the bird stood on the very edge of the Island Cloud, looking down at what lay ahead, but there was nothing there. Vic even suspected that Gan Fall had brought him here so that he would jump down and do the same heroic thing as Kaido.
"You don't mean for me to just jump down, do you? Is Birka down there?"
Vic glared at Gan Fall with a hint of hostility. He'd finally made it this far, and now he was going to go back before even achieving his goal? And by jumping off a cliff, no less? At least everyone else had an octopus balloon; was he just going to rely entirely on luck?
"Young man, don't be so impatient. I haven't said anything yet. You can fly, so even if you jump, you won't die. Since I promised to exchange information with you, I won't go back on my word. It's just that we can't go to Birka right now."
Gan Fall also felt that bringing people directly would cause misunderstandings, and he should have informed Vic of the details earlier.
"Can't go now? What do you mean? Are there some conditions that need to be met to go to Birka?"
Upon hearing Gan Fall's words, Vic knew that going to Birka might not be something that could be done anytime or by anyone, and that there would likely be some twists and turns involved.
"Yes, the timing is wrong. Birka is surrounded by several Sky Island, and the outer Sky Island hardly move."
However, the central Birka floats in a loop between several Sky Island, able to communicate and interact with the surrounding Sky Island.
Of course, very few people come and go like that, because there are only a few days each year when they come into contact with the outer Island Cloud of Angel Island.
The same applies to the other outer Sky Island; the only way to get there is at this time, and the point of contact is here.
"Although it's called contact, the two Sky Island won't be directly touching; there will still be some distance between them."
To get to the other side, we need to create a channel using artificial Island Cloud so that we can travel between them. But if you can fly, you don't need a channel!