"Ding, ding, dong dong…"
The sudden sound made everyone tense.
Chopper hid behind a pillar, nervously peeking out from his hiding spot. "Quick, blow the whistle! Call Uncle!"
Usopp warily looked around. "Idiot, Shirogai is here. No need to summon that Uncle!"
Zoro tilted his head curiously. "Right, Shirogai, do you feel uncomfortable? Weak, like you can't exert your strength?"
Shirogai gently clenched his fist, smiled faintly, and shook his head. "Everything feels normal."
"Shirogai wasn't affected at all."
Zoro felt a bit provoked and immediately started doing one-handed push-ups on the spot. "Seems I haven't trained my body enough. If I were stronger, I wouldn't be affected either."
Robin chuckled softly. "It's more likely because Shirogai isn't exactly a normal person."
In the midst of their chatter, the Straw Hat Pirates turned their eyes toward the source of the sound.
Not far away, on a high, protruding cloud, stood a well-proportioned, beautiful blonde woman with two spherical braids atop her head. She wore a pink, high-necked dress, barefoot except for a pair of pink slippers. From her back extended a pair of small wings, swaying gently in the breeze as she played a harp with full focus.
The music was lively, soothing, and beautiful.
"Danger averted," Usopp sighed in relief.
The crew gasped. "An angel? Do all Sky Islanders have wings?"
Shirogai explained with a smile, "It's just an ornament unique to Sky Island, like necklaces or earrings."
"What? So they're not real wings?!" Luffy pouted in disappointment, gnawing hard on the melon Shirogai had tossed him earlier. "Crunch, crunch… this melon's so tough!"
Sanji's eyes turned into hearts as he sighed dreamily. "Beautiful angel! Miss, I feel as though I've just met the angel of love. I'm already in love!"
Zoro kept pushing himself up and muttered coldly, "Only natural for a lovesick kappa to drown in a river."
"Shut up!"
Sanji immediately lashed out with a kick.
"Want to fight?"
Zoro braced with his hands, dodged, and countered.
"Hmph, bring it on."
The two immediately broke into a scuffle, but the others ignored them as usual.
"Wow, what a beautiful lady. Is she from Sky Island?" Nami asked, fascinated by the woman's attire. "Her clothes are amazing! I wonder if there are clothing shops here. I really want to shop!"
With the recent gold discovery, Nami's confidence in shopping had grown considerably.
A reddish-white fox suddenly dashed past the crew, curious eyes gleaming as it scampered toward the harp-playing woman.
"Su, su…"
Startled, the woman glanced down, finally noticing the Straw Hat Pirates.
She tensed slightly. Pirates from the Blue Sea. The flag on their ship confirmed it. But she quickly remembered God Enel's oracle: outsiders must never be concealed and should be reported to the local militia.
"Hassho~" The woman greeted them with a sweet smile.
"Hassho?" The crew exchanged confused looks. "What's she saying? Belly button?"
Shirogai smiled. "It's a Sky Island greeting. It means wishing peace and health."
The crew brightened. "Ah, got it!"
Luffy waved both arms enthusiastically. "Hassho! Hassho!"
Relieved, the woman approached, cradling the little fox in her arms. "Hassho, are you from the Blue Sea?"
Luffy laughed. "Yep! We just flew up here. Are you a resident?"
"Yes, I live on Angel Island," she replied warmly. "My name is Conis, and this is Shu, a Cloud Fox."
The crew introduced themselves, though Zoro and Sanji continued their duel in the background.
Conis pointed to the fruit in Luffy's hands and smiled. "That's called a Congo. You need to…"
Before she could finish, Shirogai extended a finger. With a flick, a sharp glint cut open the top of the fruit.
"Luffy, drink."
Luffy's eyes widened, then he gulped eagerly. "Ohhh! This is delicious!"
Conis tilted her head curiously. "Shirogai San, have you been to God's Country before?"
Shirogai gave a sincere smile. "No, I just know a little about it."
Conis smiled brightly. "Then you must be a knowledgeable scholar."
Robin glanced sideways at Shirogai, eyes narrowing.
Meanwhile, Luffy shouted with joy. "This is the best drink ever!" Usopp and Chopper immediately begged Shirogai for some too, and he casually produced more Congos using his Dark-Dark Fruit ability.
Conis gasped softly. "Can Blue Sea people all grab things out of thin air?"
Nami quickly interrupted with a smile. "Don't mind him. We'd love to know more about this place, Miss Conis. Everything here is so strange."
Conis, relieved by their friendliness, agreed happily.
Soon after, Conis's father, Paggaya, arrived clumsily by boat, crashing head-first into the shore. The crew exchanged bewildered looks, while Shirogai silently observed, the system in his mind suddenly chiming.
[Host has observed: Master of advanced ancient technology. Learned: Perfect-level ancient technology.]
Shirogai's smile lingered as he thought to himself. Ancient technology… Sky Island truly did hold connections to the lost civilizations of the past.
_____
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