The air inside the tavern was unnaturally still as Blackbeard's voice faded into the thick smoke curling through the rafters. A single beam of sunlight illuminated the dust swirling lazily above their heads, as if time itself had paused. The tavern's usual chaos seemed suspended, every patron waiting to see what would unfold next. Even the bartenders, once busy with mugs and bottles, stood frozen behind the counter.
Zoro's eyes didn't leave Blackbeard. His grip on Wado Ichimonji was light, but his gaze was steel. His body remained relaxed on the surface, but there was a predator's tension behind his eyes. Beside him, Nami slowly pushed her chair back, her hand already creeping toward her climate baton, fingers brushing against the familiar cool metal. Her eyes flicked to the exits, already calculating the quickest escape path if chaos erupted. Robin simply observed, silent and calculating, her sharp eyes studying Blackbeard's every gesture like a historian deciphering a forgotten ruin. There was something about his aura that pulled her attention more than most.
Blackbeard chuckled, his wide grin unshaken. "I've been watching you lot. Straw Hat Luffy, right? You've stirred up quite a storm for someone chasing myths." His voice was deep, gravelly, and carried weight, as though each word held a layer of meaning. His presence felt like gravity in the room, drawing everyone toward the confrontation.
Luffy leaned forward, elbows on the table, expression unreadable. "We're going to the sky." His tone was even, not boastful—just resolute. His voice, quiet but steady, cut through the dense atmosphere like a knife.
Blackbeard let out a booming laugh that rolled through the tavern like thunder. Tankards rattled on nearby tables from the sheer volume. Some pirates flinched; others watched with growing curiosity. "The Sky Island, huh? I love it! A man who believes in impossible dreams—that's rare these days."
Chopper and Usopp entered at that moment, halting mid-step when they saw the scene. The tension hit them instantly like a wall. Usopp's hand instinctively went to his satchel, eyes wide and scanning. "What's going on?" he whispered to Chopper.
"I don't know," Chopper replied nervously. "But it feels serious."
They stayed near the entrance, exchanging wary glances as they took in the confrontation at the heart of the room. The silence wrapped around them, thick and suffocating.
Blackbeard turned slightly. "Ah, more of your crew? Good. They should hear this too." He took a deep swig from his mug, froth dripping from his chin as he lowered it. Then he wiped his mouth with the back of his glove, his tone shifting from playful to intense. "There's something wrong with this world. The moment you speak your dreams aloud, people mock you. They laugh like they've seen it all. But you know what? That laughter means nothing. They fear what they don't understand. They're afraid of those who dare to go beyond what they know."
After a brief pause in the tension, the door opened again.
Sanji entered then, just in time to hear the end of Blackbeard's rant. He glanced around the silent room, lighting a cigarette before walking over slowly and standing behind Luffy. Smoke curled from his lips as his eyes narrowed. "You sound like someone who got laughed at a lot," he muttered, his voice low but sharp.
Blackbeard's grin only widened. "Maybe I did. But I kept dreaming. And one day, I'll reach the top. That's what separates us from those who mock—the will to keep climbing."
Luffy's fingers tapped against the wooden table. Each tap echoed like a countdown. He tilted his head slightly, his voice calm but firm. "Dreams aren't about stepping on people to climb higher. They're about freedom. The sea… the sky… they're open to everyone. No one has the right to look down on that."
The two men locked eyes—one grinning, one grim. For a moment, no one in the tavern breathed. It was as if the entire building braced itself for something unknown. A bottle rolled off a nearby table and shattered, but no one reacted. The crew remained tense, feeling the pressure between the two visionaries build like a gathering storm.
Outside, the wind began to howl. A dark cloud rolled overhead, casting long shadows across the windows. The wooden frames creaked under the sudden pressure. The air smelled faintly of ozone, and distant thunder echoed over the rooftops. Nami instinctively checked her Log Pose, her face paling.
"The magnetic field just shifted," she said, her voice sharp and tight. "Something big is coming. I've never seen it move like this before. It's… wild."
Robin's eyes flicked toward the door, then toward Blackbeard. "Perhaps the sky isn't as far away as it seems," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.
Blackbeard stood slowly, his chair scraping across the wooden floor. The tavern floor groaned beneath his weight. "You're right. The sea's stirring. Maybe it's fate. Maybe the sky's calling."
He tossed a few coins on the table—more than enough to pay for his drink—and turned toward the door. He paused just before stepping out, the light from outside outlining his broad silhouette. His coat flapped slightly as a gust of wind surged through the crack in the doorway.
"You'll see," he said as he stepped into the sunlight, wind catching his coat. "Fate has plans for all of us."
The door creaked closed behind him with a lingering echo that seemed to shake the silence back into motion.
Robin watched him go, her voice soft as she looked toward the swirling sky. "The sky is calling." Her tone carried not just intrigue—but a chill of warning.
To be continued...
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