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Chapter 10
Heracles was serious about making Victor the captain, and the rest of the crew gave their unconditional support.
"Hahaha, I agree too!"
Crocus had already treated Victor as captain from the moment he joined—he nodded with a smile.
"Alright, Victor. You're the one who wanted to set sail, so you're the captain. No arguments."
Heracles cut Victor off before he could protest.
"Hey, Heracles—I wasn't even refusing! You won't even let me speak?"
Victor grumbled, half-annoyed, half-amused.
"Hahaha, good! Then it's settled. You're captain now."
Heracles laughed heartily.
Crocus grinned. "Captain—what's our next destination?"
Victor thought for a moment. "Next stop: Jaya Island. And if luck's on our side… we'll head to Skypiea."
"No problem. Wherever the captain says, we go."
Heracles raised his voice excitedly. "But right now, the most important thing is throwing a party for our newly elected captain!"
"ROAR! Banquet time!"
The crew erupted in cheers.
"ROAR! Food for everyone! And bring out our homemade booze! Hahaha!"
Victor joined in, laughing and shouting for drinks.
Heracles immediately teased him. "Hey—you're still just a teenager. No alcohol for you. Sit at the kids' table with your juice, little guy. Hahaha!"
Victor's enthusiasm instantly deflated.
"Hmph… fine, no booze then. Juice is good too. Hahaha!"
He ended up laughing at himself.
Right now, he looked completely carefree and easygoing—no trace of the terrifying fighter who'd just executed a king.
Crocus watched the lively atmosphere and smiled softly. "Haha… this really is fun. I bet the Rumbar Pirates are having a banquet somewhere right now too."
He murmured, thinking of his old crew.
"This group seems pretty good. Easy to get along with."
With that, Crocus jumped into the celebration.
Victor watched his cheerful crew and reflected quietly.
Most of them were ordinary people—stronger than average civilians, roughly on par with regular Navy soldiers.
He wondered: should he try finding Devil Fruits for them? At least enough to let them protect themselves in the New World.
If he could tap into the underworld… things would be much easier. He could hunt for information on the Baku Baku no Mi too.
"Victor! Stop spacing out—come sing and dance!"
Heracles dragged him back into the party.
"Alright—let's sing!"
Victor laughed and joined in.
After some time at sea, they reached Alabasta.
They didn't stay long—just resupplied and moved on.
Along the way, they encountered a few Navy patrols, but no conflicts arose. They weren't officially pirates yet, so Heracles handled all inquiries. As a legitimate botanist, his identity checked out perfectly.
News of the Drum Kingdom incident hadn't spread widely yet—and when it did, it painted them in a surprisingly positive light (a tyrant overthrown). For now, they could still sail freely.
When they arrived at Jaya Island, they found the island swarming with pirate ships.
Mock Town was a notorious pirate gathering spot, but the crews there were small-time nobodies—meaningless to Victor.
Recruiting or subduing them now wouldn't bring much benefit.
So Victor decided to skip Mock Town entirely.
"Looks like Mock Town's full of low-level pirates. No point joining that mess."
"We'll head to the other side of the island. That's better for us."
Heracles looked curious. "Then why come to Jaya at all?"
Victor grinned. "I'm planning to go to Skypiea. What do you think? You guys brave enough?"
Heracles' eyes lit up. "Skypiea? It really exists? If it does… I'd love to see it. The plants up there must be incredible!"
The rest of the crew perked up with curiosity—even Crocus looked intrigued.
Victor nodded while eating. "Yeah, it's real. Once we reach the sky island, you'll see for yourselves."
After reaching the other side of Jaya, they encountered members of the Mont Blanc family.
They were currently salvaging gold from the seabed—still carrying on their ancestor's legacy with unwavering belief.
Victor asked for directions and quickly located the Knock Up Stream's position.
He didn't want to disturb the Mont Blanc family further, so they waited at sea for the current to appear.
To prevent the ship from breaking apart or anyone falling off during the ascent, Victor had the crew wrap the entire vessel in thick ropes—layer upon layer, like wrapping a giant dumpling. Additional ropes stretched across the deck for everyone to hold or tie themselves to.
The next day, the sea surface began to bulge and rise dramatically.
"The Knock Up Stream! Everyone—get to positions!"
Victor shouted the order.
"Yes sir!"
The crew snapped into action.
"Everyone—tie yourselves down! Grab the ropes! Make sure you won't fall!"
Victor called out again.
The crew quickly secured themselves.
Then—a colossal pillar of water erupted skyward.
The ship was swept upward, rocketing into the heavens along the massive current.
"WOOOHOOO! This feels insane!"
Victor shouted into the wind, sea spray whipping across his face.
"Ahhh! So this is how you reach Skypiea?! Terrifying!"
Crocus gripped the ropes tightly, momentarily startled by the sheer vertical climb.
"Hahaha! Sky island plants—I'm coming for you!"
Heracles, on the other hand, was already fantasizing about exotic flora.
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