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Chapter 11
As the ship shot violently upward, the crew was terrified—screaming and clinging desperately to the ropes. Thankfully they'd prepared in advance; otherwise they'd already be fish food in the ocean below.
Down on Jaya, the Mont Blanc family members watched Victor's ship vanish into the sky. "They actually made it…"
Shock filled their eyes—but no jealousy, only pure envy. They knew that if they dared follow, they might reach the sky island too. But they were self-aware: their courage and strength weren't enough. All they could do was continue salvaging fallen relics to prove their ancestor's discovery.
The ship pierced through layers of clouds, the blue sea disappearing far below. After a while longer, it passed through another sea of clouds and arrived at a massive gate-like entrance.
A middle-aged man stood guard there, ready to demand a passage fee.
But when the 2.5-meter-tall Victor stared down at him, the man instantly shut his mouth. He silently directed his giant crab to tow the ship upward.
Paying was never an option—Victor had no money anyway.
The crab moved fast. In moments, it dragged them through the White Sea—the cloud ocean above Skypiea—and vanished beneath the surface.
Victor, Heracles, and Crocus felt nothing unusual. But the rest of the crew suddenly began collapsing one after another, faces contorted in pain.
Crocus snapped out of his daze and rushed to check them.
"Hm… no serious issues. Just a suffocating sensation. They'll recover once they adjust."
He exhaled in relief after examining them.
Heracles looked confused. "What happened? Why are only the three of us fine?"
Victor explained calmly while eating. "Our physiques are stronger. We adapted to the thin air almost instantly. This place is extremely high altitude—air is much thinner here. Weaker bodies struggle at first."
Crocus nodded. "He's right. They're not in danger—just need a moment to acclimate."
Heracles stared at Victor. "Wait—you know all this? You've never been here, but you seem so familiar with everything."
Victor shrugged casually. "I've never been here. I just… know. Don't ask how—I don't even know how I know."
Crocus gave a helpless shrug.
Once the crew recovered, they docked the ship at a small pier near the Green Sea (Vearth).
Victor immediately sensed two groups of winged people fighting across the island—still battling over territory.
The moment they stepped ashore, a group of winged Skypieans burst from the forest—armed with spears and dials, riding wind shells.
"So you're the Skypieans. Still occupying the land? Fighting the Shandians right now?"
Victor asked directly.
The leader stepped forward on his wind shell, spear raised. "Blue Sea people? Get out of here! We don't welcome you. Leave—or don't blame us for what happens next!"
Heracles smirked at Victor. "Hey, Victor—they're not taking you seriously at all."
Crocus chuckled. "Haha, looks like the captain's on his own for this one."
Victor sighed helplessly. "Fine. Guess I'm warming up."
He cracked his knuckles. "You were rude. So now I'm going to knock you all out."
With a single leap, Victor closed the distance to the leader.
Bang!
The Skypiean didn't even react—he was blasted backward into the forest. Whether he was unconscious or just in extreme pain didn't matter.
The others took flight, charging the ship with spears and dials.
But Victor gave them no chance.
Using Geppo-like air steps, he flickered between them—each appearance followed by a heavy thud as another winged warrior crashed into trees or ground.
Soon, the entire group lay scattered and unconscious.
Heracles used Observation Haki to scan. "Hoho—Victor's gotten even stronger. They're all alive, just knocked out. Perfect control. Clean and efficient."
Victor dusted his hands. "Alright—let's go ashore. The plants here are worth studying."
Heracles smiled at the crew. "Come on. Time to explore."
Crocus followed. "I'll look for rare herbs too."
Victor addressed the group. "Everyone disembark. I'll store the ship's valuables—no need to guard it. If anyone wants to die trying to destroy our ship… they're welcome to try."
He quickly returned aboard and stored everything important—especially the botanists' research materials. He knew: touch those, and the scholars would fight to the death.
The ship itself was just an ordinary vessel—no name, no special features. Easy to replace. Victor already planned to visit Water 7 and build something bigger and better.
Heracles asked: "So… should we split into teams?"
Victor nodded. "You and Crocus handle it however you want. I've got my own goal."
Crocus grinned. "No problem, Captain. We've got this covered."
Heracles sighed dramatically. "Fine… guess I'm leading a team now. I just wanted to study plants…"
Victor vanished before Heracles could complain further.
His target: the Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit). One of the main reasons he came to Skypiea.
He began searching streets, stalls, and any place with fruit—hoping to find it before Enel was even born.
Along the way, he passed several battles between Skypieans and Shandians. He ignored them completely.
But every time he crossed a fight zone, someone would insult him—or attack outright.
So Victor didn't hold back. Anyone who crossed the line too far got knocked out. The rest? Just unconscious.
After searching for hours—no sign of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Victor muttered to himself. "No way… Enel hasn't even been born yet. The fruit has to still be here somewhere on Skypiea."
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