บท 71: Chapter 71: As Long As You Want It, Ace, We Can...
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"In order to take advantage of the rising currents and fly into the sky, the ship needs to be modified," Cricket said. "Based on my calculations, the rising tide should occur tomorrow!"
After saying this, Cricket, along with Masira and Shoujou, got to work on transforming the Going Merry. Based on the wind direction and his own experience, he judged that the upwelling current would break out the next day. If anyone could make it to Sky Island, Cricket believed it would be this powerful pirate crew, especially with a bounty of 155,000,000 beli.
"We're really lucky," Nami said with a smile as she examined the recording pointer in her hand. "It should only take one more day for it to finish recording the magnetic field of Gaya Island. After tomorrow, we'll have to give up on Sky Island if we don't make it."
Cricket glanced at Nami and pointed at Masira, saying, "Miss, you don't seem like a particularly brave person. While it's theoretically possible to ride the rising current up to the clouds, the ships that get caught in it usually crash back into the sea. That's why we have to fish them out."
Nami's face tensed. "How rude! What do you mean I'm not a brave person?"
"Hmph! Even if something goes wrong, Ace and Kaya can use *Geppo* (Moonwalk) to safely bring us down from the sky, right, Kaya?" Nami said, grabbing Kaya's arm with a confident smile.
"Mm-hmm," Kaya nodded, smiling softly.
"Moonwalk?" Cricket looked puzzled.
"It's a physical skill that lets you walk in the air by stepping on it," Kaya explained.
"I see... A pirate crew with a 150 million bounty would indeed have such miraculous skills. No wonder you're not afraid of failing," Cricket said with a mix of awe and respect. With that kind of ability, even if the rising current posed a danger, they could avoid falling into the sea.
"You're wrong about that," Ace interrupted, putting his arm around Nami's shoulders. "As long as I'm sailing, whether it's on the surface of the sea or riding the rising current, my navigator won't fail. And she's the bravest person I know."
Ace gently squeezed Nami's hand, flashing a warm smile. Nami's eyes softened as she looked at Ace, her heart rippling with emotion. Kaya, Nojiko, Vivi, and Tashigi also smiled. Even if they didn't always feel extraordinary, in Ace's eyes, they were the best.
"I have the best navigator, doctor, helmsman, sniper, historian, swordsman, and fighter in the world," Ace often said. Robin, too, remembered those words, her beautiful eyes lighting up with a faint smile.
"Is that so?" Cricket chuckled as he closed his eyes. He started to believe that Ace and his crew would actually reach Sky Island. And if the Land of Gold really was up there, they might just ring the legendary Golden Bell!
"Let's give it our all, boys!" Cricket shouted, and Masira and Shoujou worked hard, hammering away at the Merry, their hands nearly smoking from the effort.
Ace smiled, his hands glowing slightly. He was determined to make the transformation of the Going Merry as perfect as possible.
Soon, the next day arrived. The Merry had undergone significant changes, the most striking being the wings attached to its sides.
"This is even better than I imagined!" Cricket exclaimed as he admired the modified Merry. "With these wings, you'll be able to soar into the sky using the rising current."
"Not bad," Nojiko, the ship's helmsman, said as she carefully inspected the modifications, mentally simulating how the ship would handle in flight. Satisfied, she nodded.
"The Entei Pirates, set sail! Next stop, Sky Island!" Ace announced, leaping onto the bow.
"Yeah!" The girls raised their hands in unison, shouting excitedly. Even Robin, usually more reserved, joined in the enthusiasm.
"Let us escort you," Cricket said with a smile as they set sail. "According to my calculations, the rising current should be around here," he said, scanning the sky as clouds began to darken.
"Go find the exact location!" He ordered Masira and Shoujou.
"Leave it to us!" they shouted back, and their salvage experts quickly dove into the sea.
"The steam is starting to spread!" One of the divers resurfaced after a while and yelled excitedly.
"That's it! The rising current will break out here," Cricket confirmed, pointing to the spot.
The rising current, as he explained, was caused by geothermal heat producing steam beneath the ocean floor, which then erupts when the pressure becomes too high. Finding steam was the key to pinpointing the current's location.
"Good luck to you all!" Cricket shouted. "We'll be waiting to hear the Golden Bell ring from Gaya Island!"
Ace smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting. "You will," he said confidently.
"Yeah!" Cricket cheered, and Masira and Shoujou joined in, their hearts racing with excitement.
——
"It's coming," Ace said quietly after waiting for a few minutes, his Observation Haki spreading out, his expression suddenly focused. The women grew serious as well.
*Buzz!*
In an instant, a massive whirlpool appeared in the once-calm sea. The clouds above turned pitch black.
Nami screamed in shock, "This—this wasn't part of the plan! Why is the whirlpool so huge?!"
As the Merry began to get pulled into the whirlpool's center, Nami shouted, "Reaching Sky Island is definitely harder than I thought!"
Robin, watching the immense vortex, mused, "It's incredible how something like this can swallow everything in its path."
"Wow, this is amazing!" Vivi and Kaya said in awe as they stared at the massive whirlpool.
"Hahaha! What an interesting sea!" Ace laughed from the bow, stretching out his arms as if to embrace the challenge. "Let's go, Nojiko!"
"Right!" Nojiko focused, steering the Merry into the heart of the whirlpool.
Nami clung to Ace's arm, her face pale with fear. Vivi and Kaya, who were using their Sand-Sand Fruit and Six Powers to stabilize themselves, noticed Nami's movement and exchanged a look.
*Thud!*
Both Vivi and Kaya suddenly fell into Ace's arms.
"We need to secure the captain!" they said, blushing slightly as Ace gently stroked their hair, smiling fondly.
Kaya and Vivi's faces turned even redder. Of course, Ace, with his powerful Observation Haki, knew they had done it on purpose. But Ace was as gentle as ever...
"It's starting! Hold on tight, everyone!" Cricket shouted loudly, watching from afar as the swirling vortex began to form.
"The updraft is coming!"
Ace's eyes sharpened, and using Observation Haki, he closely monitored the birth of the powerful rising current.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, the sea erupted like a volcano, and a massive ocean current shot straight up into the sky, piercing the heavens. The overwhelming sight left even Cricket and his team, who had witnessed it numerous times, awestruck by nature's raw power.
*Boom!*
Under Nojiko's expert steering, the Going Merry swiftly caught the rising current.
*Boom!*
As the ship made contact with the forceful water, the modified wings helped the merry soar into the sky with the wind.
"We're flying!" Vivi gasped in excitement, clutching Ace's arm as the sky drew nearer.
"It's the wind... it feels incredible," Nami said, stretching her arms out, enjoying the breeze against her skin.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, the going merry shook slightly, and the ship began to drift away from the updraft.
"We're drifting off course! If we lose the current completely, the going merry will fall!" Nojiko shouted, gripping the helm tightly.
"Unfurl all the sails!" Nami commanded, letting go of Ace's arm, her expression full of confidence.
"Nami?" Nojiko looked at her, surprised.
"Who do you think is navigating this ship?" Nami grinned confidently. "As long as I'm the navigator of this ship, and as long as we have the sea and wind, there's no route I can't navigate. I am the best navigator in the world!"
Nami's smile matched Ace's, who looked back at her with admiration.
Ace believes in me, Nami thought. I'll make sure I live up to that.
"Nami..." Nojiko smiled, her confidence restored. "And I'm the helmsman of the Entei Pirates! Vivi, Kaya, get the sails open!"
"Shave!" Kaya's eyes narrowed with focus, and in the blink of an eye, she appeared beside the sails.
Ace believes we are the best. We'll definitely make it to Sky Island!
Vivi, too, closed her eyes momentarily, transforming her body into wind and sand. In the next instant, she reappeared by another sail, unfurling it.
Yes, Ace sees me as the best fighter. I'll prove it to him!
"Tashigi!" Vivi and Kaya called out in unison.
"On it!" Tashigi grabbed the ropes with determination in her eyes. She was a part of the Entei Pirates, and she was ready to give her all!
"Let's go!" Nami shouted, her fist clenched.
*Whoosh!*
With all the sails unfurled, the going merry completely broke free from the rising current. The wind, swirling around the powerful updraft, caught the sails perfectly.
"We did it!" Nami, Nojiko, Vivi, Kaya, and Tashigi shouted, their eyes bright with triumph.
"Hahaha!"
Ace stood at the bow, laughing as he felt the wild energy of nature. His crew had done it.
"Well done, my amazing crew," he said, smiling at them. Robin stood nearby, watching, her eyes full of emotion.
Is this the strength of the Entei Pirates? As long as Ace believes in them, Nami, Kaya, Vivi, Tashigi, Nojiko—they can accomplish anything.
Even me?
Robin bit her lip, shaking her head slightly.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, the merry burst through the clouds.
*Boom!*
The ship landed heavily on a sea of white.
"No way..." Nami whispered, looking down at the fluffy clouds. "We're... floating on clouds?"
Vivi's eyes also widened in disbelief. "We're really above the clouds..."
Kaya, too, looked around, stunned. "We actually made it... to Sky Island!"
Nojiko smiled softly. Robin stood frozen, staring at the endless white expanse before them.
"Hahaha! We're here!" Ace's laughter echoed as he gazed across the vast cloud sea. "What an amazing world this is."
*Squawk!*
But suddenly, a harsh screech interrupted the moment.
"There's someone approaching!" Kaya, using Observation Haki, pointed toward a masked figure racing toward them on a strange flying board.
"A Sandia warrior?" Ace squinted, recognizing the attire. "Looks like we've got company. Sky Island has its own pirates, huh?"
"Great... more trouble," Nami muttered, her face tensing.
Kaya, Vivi, and Tashigi moved to fight but found themselves unable to muster any strength.
In an instant, the masked figure was above them, but before he could strike, Ace's iron fist met him mid-air, sending him crashing into the clouds with a sickening *crack*. He disappeared from view.
*Squawk!*
At that moment, another figure emerged, riding a strange Pegasus-like creature. He wore armor and wielded a spear. Ace's eyes narrowed.
"Gan Fall... the previous 'God' of Sky Island?"
Nami's brow furrowed. "Another one? Can't we catch a break?"
Vivi, Kaya, and Tashigi tried to move again but felt weak. "Why... why can't we fight?" Vivi groaned.
"You're from the Blue Sea, aren't you?" the armored figure asked, eyeing them.
"The Blue Sea?" Nami repeated, confused.
"Yes, people from the world below the clouds. The air here is thinner, so it's normal for newcomers to feel weak. Haven't you adapted yet?"
"Adapt? We just rode the rising current to get here!" Nojiko explained.
"Riding the rising current?!" Gan Fall's eyes widened. "That's the most dangerous way!"
"There was another option?" Nami looked at Ace with tearful frustration.
Gan Fall looked at Ace in disbelief. "You're not affected by the air here... how?"
Ace simply smiled. "Maybe I'm just a fast adapter."
Ace's hands glowed slightly as he spread a strange energy over the girls, restoring their strength.
"Our strength is back!" Vivi, Kaya, and the others smiled brightly, feeling reinvigorated.
Gan Fall could only shake his head in disbelief. "I was going to give you a whistle to call for help if needed... but it seems you won't be needing it after all."
"We'll be fine," Ace smiled.
"Perhaps we'll meet again," Gan Fall said before riding his peculiar Pegasus back into the clouds.
Nami wrinkled her nose. "That's one ugly Pegasus."
Ace chuckled. "Probably a bird that ate a Devil Fruit. But enough of that—let's explore Sky Island."
"Wait, Ace! The log pose is still pointing upward!" Nami held out her hand.
"That means the island where the magnetic force is strongest is further up," Robin smiled. "We're really on Sky Island now."
"Let's keep moving then!" Ace grinned.
"Yes!" The girls all cheered with excitement.
As the going merry sailed forward, a large gate loomed ahead, signaling the start of their adventure on Sky Island!
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