The Express Shrimp carried everyone at a dizzying pace, ascending the circular aerial path. They barely had time to appreciate the beauty of the aerial route when the Express Shrimp finished its mission.
A monument with the inscription "GOD LAND SKY PIEA" stood beside the entrance to the aerial path. Above it was the entrance to Sky Island. The Express Shrimp exited the aerial path, detached itself from the ship, and completed its mission. A fluid and perfect sequence of movements.
The pirate ship landed heavily on the clouds, swaying a few times. Ahead was Sky Island, the Land of God.
"We finally made it! The Land of God, surely this is where a god should live!" Doflamingo observed everything in front of him. Sky Island, bathed in sunlight, glowed, mysterious and appealing.
"Doffy, is this Sky Island? The Land of God?" Diamante asked, excited.
"That's right, this is Sky Island, but it's not our final destination," Doflamingo replied to Diamante.
"Nhehehe, Doffy, this is where a god should live!" Trebol also exclaimed with excitement.
"Fufufufu, this place is already mine. How could I let others get their hands on what's mine? There can only be one god, and that's me! But now isn't the time to take possession. Let's first gather some information and then we'll see," Doflamingo said, laughing.
Shortly after, the Donquixote Pirates officially docked on the coast.
"Vergo, it's about time you came out for some fresh air. Enjoy the beauty here and change your mood a bit," Doflamingo said, addressing Vergo who was inside the cabin. It so happened that Vergo lived reclusively in the cabin, rarely appearing to reduce the chances of being exposed. Since there were no Marines or journalists here, it was time for Vergo to come out for some air.
Vergo was as always: silent and a man of few words. The Young Master's orders were more important than anything to him. In his eyes, Doflamingo was the person he respected most and the king he swore to protect until death. After receiving the Ito Ito no Mi, his gratitude for the Young Master became even stronger. It could be said that the most loyal ones there were Diamante and Vergo. Pica was still a bit behind, and Trebol, though a bit of a flatterer, was also loyal.
Vergo slowly emerged from the cabin and, upon reaching the deck, observed everything around him. Although he said nothing, the subtle expressions on his face gave him away. After all, Vergo was still a teenager at the time, and such a beautiful scene was still capable of moving him.
Cricket saw Vergo for the first time but said nothing. His mind was focused only on Golden City; nothing else mattered.
"Brother Doflamingo, is the Golden City you mentioned really here?" Cricket finally couldn't contain his curiosity and asked.
"Fufufufu, be patient, Cricket. The Golden City is here, and the Shandians, who were friends with your ancestors, are also here. This place is full of mystery and the unknown. To unravel it, you'll have to put in the effort yourself. We'll be back," Doflamingo patiently explained.
"Each goes their own way, and we part here. We have other places to go. You can stay here and search for the truth yourself. We'll be back soon." Upon hearing Doflamingo's words, Cricket didn't say much. After all, their goals were different. Doflamingo had already said everything he had to say, and it would be bad if Cricket didn't realize that. After all, they were pirates, and irritating them might not result in a friendly farewell. It was better to know when to stop.
"So that's it! Brother Doflamingo, I hope you also get what you desire." Cricket bid farewell to Doflamingo, jumped into the White Sea, and walked towards Sky Island.
"Get what you desire, huh!? Fufufufu, Cricket, you'll also get what you desire," Doflamingo muttered. He was about to order everyone to look for clues about Birka but was suddenly interrupted by a noise.
It was a group of Sky Island security officers, armed with various types of Dials, rushing towards Doflamingo. Doflamingo also led his men to confront them.
"Is that you, you guys? How dare you enter illegally!"
"You are the pirates from the Blue Sea? A bunch of lawless people!"
"Surrender, people of the Blue Sea!"
The noisy guards surrounded Doflamingo and his crew, giving them no chance to escape. Seeing such a comical scene, Doflamingo really wanted to laugh, but he didn't. He was thinking of asking his subordinates to look for clues and ask for directions to Birka. Surely, doing too many "good" things was almost turning him into a "good" person. Pirates' way should always be violent! Why be a civilized person? He was almost believing this, Doflamingo thought, a little depressed.
"Fufufufu, since you're so eager to surrender, I have no choice but to accept this gift from you. Take them down, leave them half-dead, but don't kill them!" Doflamingo's long-hidden murderous aura suddenly erupted, making the air a bit colder, which was quite frightening.
Upon seeing the Young Master's irritation and his desire to kill, his subordinates also became excited. The anger they had accumulated from being oppressed by the Marine would be unleashed on these clueless people. Howling, they charged at the Sky Island guards.
"Seriously, any cat and dog dares to challenge the Young Master's majesty!" Diamante was also irritated, feeling that the Young Master's majesty had been severely violated, and decided to personally take action to teach them a lesson and vent the Young Master's anger. He was, indeed, Doflamingo's number one henchman, worthy of the title.
"Half-Moon Funeral!" A powerful sword shockwave flew towards the guards. The guards had never seen anything like it and dodged in a panic, but those who dodged slowly were hit by the shockwave and instantly severely injured. This situation, however, awakened the fighting spirit of the Sky Island guards. When had they suffered such humiliation? They then pulled out their other Dials and used them against Doflamingo's subordinates. The Dials were not weak and improved their situation. Due to their ignorance that Dials could also be used as weapons, a considerable number of people were severely injured due to carelessness. Doflamingo didn't care; gold had to be refined carefully. After all, they were just subordinates; why care?
However, these Dials caught Doflamingo's attention. There were many specialties on Sky Island, especially these Dials. Each type was different. There were combat Dials, like Impact Dial, Heat Dial, Flash Dial, etc., and everyday use Dials, like Lamp Dial, Tone Dial, Water Dial, etc. There was a wide variety, and each was used to its fullest. High-level combatants didn't need these things to increase their combat strength, but cannon fodder, like weak chickens, could be equipped with a batch.
Doflamingo cleared his mind. Thinking about these things now wouldn't help much. The most important thing at the moment was to find the Goro Goro no Mi and the way to Birka. As for this place, although Gan Fall governed it, Doflamingo didn't fear him. When he had what he needed, he would deal with it. After all, it was time for the god to change.
Quickly, the guards were captured. Their arrogant attitude from before had vanished, and they looked like defeated roosters, completely demoralized.
"Take us to Birka, and I'll free you," Doflamingo said without emotion.
"You Blue Sea people, what do you want in Birka? Our God won't forgive you!" a guard said, defiantly.
"What kind of shitty god! Our Young Master is the God! Tell us quickly, how to get to Birka?" Diamante couldn't stand the other's insolence and demanded: "If you don't take us, we won't spare your families either! We are pirates, and your god can't protect you!"
"Sure enough, my loyal henchman. Very good, I don't need to bother speaking," Doflamingo thought to himself. The guards hesitated for a moment, fought a long internal battle, and finally gave in.
"I can take you to Birka, but you must release my comrades first."
"Fufufufu, sure, you are loyal and righteous. Worthy of a captain. I greatly admire people like you. Rest assured, let them go," Doflamingo laughed, seeming genuinely happy, as if he truly admired the captain. Thus, the guards left, supporting each other, to report to their god, swearing revenge for this humiliation.
None of this mattered to Doflamingo. Under the leadership of the guard captain, the Donquixote Pirates set sail again, navigating the White Sea at ten thousand meters altitude.