Luffy stared up at the sky in wonder. "Sky Island! There really is a Sky Island!"
"Strange," Sanji muttered, lighting a cigarette as he glanced upward. "I thought Sky Island only existed in the stories of dreamers."
Usopp squinted, trying to peer through the clouds. "Are there really islands in the sky? Why don't I see anything? I mean, this ship fell from that exact spot..."
Shirogai was kneeling by the damaged parts of the Going Merry, inspecting the aftermath. He pulled out a rusty spear embedded in the deck and chuckled. "Since a ship came from above, there's obviously a Sky Island. Think about it: if there's a sea of clouds, the islands are floating above that. From below, we can't see anything except the cloud layers. Just like fog — you can't tell what's hidden inside."
"Whoa! A floating sea of clouds, that sounds so cool!"
Luffy beamed, his eyes sparkling as he stared up. "Not only is there a mysterious Sky Island, but there's a sea in the sky! This is gonna be amazing! We're going, for sure!"
Usopp smacked the Going Merry's railing. "We have to! This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure!"
Shirogai, still holding the spear, casually tapped both their heads. "And do either of you geniuses know how to get there?"
"Of course!" Luffy puffed up his chest, pointing dramatically upward. "Crew! Steer up! We're going to the sky!"
Usopp, swept up in the excitement, shouted, "Full rudder up! Prepare for takeoff!"
Bonk! Bonk!
The rusty spear smacked both of them again, a little harder this time.
"You two seriously want to fly?" Shirogai said flatly. "The Going Merry doesn't have wings. Rushing off without a plan will just get us killed. Do you want this ship to fall from the sky like that pirate ship did?"
"Fall... from the sky?" Usopp's excitement faded, and he gulped. "Right, right, maybe we shouldn't rush it... I don't want to plummet into the sea."
"Why are you all so quick to believe Sky Island actually exists?" Nami still looked skeptical. She eyed the trembling record pointer on her wrist. "Islands and seas floating in the sky? The log must be broken."
Meanwhile, Robin was quietly gathering pieces of wreckage scattered across the Going Merry's deck. She picked up a tattered ship flag and smiled at Nami. "Nami, as the navigator, you should focus on figuring out how to follow the log's direction, not questioning it."
Robin, having survived years of wandering the Grand Line, had long discarded conventional logic.
She added calmly, "Out here, no matter how absurd something seems, never doubt the log pose."
Nami frowned at the trembling pointer. "You're saying I should trust this thing no matter what?"
Shirogai gave her a relaxed smile. "Just remember this, Nami — if the pointer's pointing somewhere, then there's definitely an island in that direction."
"Oh, right!" Nami suddenly brightened. "Shirogai, you can fly! Why not go up and check? See if there really is a Sky Island up there. If there is, then we'll find a way to reach it!"
Under Nami's hopeful gaze, Shirogai gave a casual shrug and shook his head. "Sorry, Nami. I'll have to pass."
She blinked. "Why not?"
Luffy answered before Shirogai could. "'Cause it'd be boring that way! Shirogai doesn't want to ruin the fun!"
"Boring? That's the reason?" Nami frowned. "I don't get it at all."
"Nami," Shirogai said calmly, "don't you enjoy mysteries? Solving something before it even begins spoils all the fun. Knowing the answer takes the soul out of exploration."
He began piling up pieces of wreckage neatly. "Half the thrill is not knowing what's waiting ahead. That's what makes an adventure worthwhile."
Even though Shirogai already knew much of what was coming, experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely. Watching anime was one thing — living the story was another.
"Wahoo! Usopp, hold on tight!"
Luffy grabbed the mast and swung himself toward the slowly sinking pirate ship nearby. He yanked Usopp along with him, and the two launched into an impromptu treasure hunt.
"Wow! Usopp, there's a treasure chest over here!"
"Open it! Is there pirate treasure?!"
"Aww, it's just a feather…"
"Wait! Luffy! This one's even bigger!"
Chopper, watching them from the Going Merry, looked longingly at the chaos. "That looks like fun..."
Shirogai noticed the reindeer's gaze, scooped him up, and leapt into the air using Moonwalk. With a few effortless steps through the sky, they landed on the half-submerged ship.
"Eh?" Chopper blinked. "I... I flew?"
Shirogai picked up a rusty coin and flipped it to him. "Curiosity's a good thing. A sunken ship's a man's kind of adventure, right?"
Chopper caught the coin with a grin. "Hehe, let's find treasure too!"
Shirogai glanced at the rapidly sinking hull. Placing his hand on the ship, he smirked. "We'll need to keep it from sinking though."
[Wax-Wax Fruit Activated]
A wisp of waxy flame flickered above Shirogai's head. Thick white wax flowed from his palm, spreading over the wood and forming a floating platform beneath the ship. With buoyancy restored, the ship stopped sinking.
"Hey, Shirogai! Chopper! Get over here!"
Luffy waved frantically from a doorway. "We found a huge treasure chest — but it's locked tight!"
The chest was bound shut with a rusted iron lock.
Shirogai stepped forward with a small grin. He already knew what lay inside.
[Cut-Cut Fruit Activated]
His hands sharpened into sleek blades. Gently, he gripped the lock and — crack! — shattered it effortlessly.
With everyone watching in anticipation, Shirogai lifted the lid.
"Huh? Just stones?"
Usopp pulled out one, inspecting it with a disappointed sigh. "It's just mossy rocks. What a waste…"
"Even the chest's design was fancy," Luffy grumbled. "You'd think it'd have real treasure."
Chopper tapped a stone, tilting his head. "Is this... really it?"
Shirogai laughed. "Don't be fooled. You're falling into the trap the original owner set."
"Trap?" Luffy and Usopp asked in unison.
"This is how some pirates hid their treasures — throw a pile of junk on top, so looters give up and leave."
He reached into the chest and slid a hidden panel aside with a gleam in his eye.
Click!
Sunlight poured in through the new opening, and gold gleamed brilliantly from below the false bottom.
"Oh my God!!"
The crew gasped.
"It's gold! Actual gold!"
"A whole chest full of it!"
Usopp and Luffy's jaws dropped.
Chopper sparkled with excitement.
Even Nami's eyes turned into Berries signs.
Shirogai leaned casually on the lid, smirking.
"And that, my friends, is what you call a real pirate's trick."
___
Thanks for the Power stones.