Jaya Island was Jerry and his crew's next destination.
Jerry had mentioned wanting to visit Shandora, but he only knew that the legendary golden city was located somewhere in the sky. Its exact position remained unclear to him.
With vague fragments of memory, Jerry dimly recalled that the island where Shandora was located had once been part of Jaya Island. It had been launched into the sky by a massive knock up stream four hundred years ago, becoming part of the Sky Island realm that now floated high above the clouds.
Although Jerry could create towering ocean currents himself, he didn't know the exact location of the Sky Island, and flying there blindly would be a waste of effort.
Therefore, he planned to sail to Jaya Island first, then make further plans based on the actual situation they encountered.
Moreover, Jerry vaguely remembered that to reach the sky island, one had to wait for the arrival of a particular type of thick cloud called a cumulus cloud.
If he launched himself skyward from the seas near Jaya Island, his positioning shouldn't be too far off. It wasn't as if Shandora could have grown legs and wandered away from its expected location.
The distance from Water 7 to Jaya Island was considerable. Fortunately, even the youngest crew member, Carrot, had gradually adapted to the long sailing days aboard ship.
Additionally, everyone maintained a pleasant routine: morning exercises, afternoon work on personal projects or group games that Jerry had taught them, and evenings filled with either parties or rest. The journey proved quite enjoyable overall.
During their voyage, they passed by Long Ring Long Land, but the crew didn't linger there for long. They simply went ashore to replenish necessary supplies before continuing their journey.
This meant that Gion and Isuka, who were pursuing them closely, couldn't even catch their ship's wake and could only rely on intelligence networks to determine the Black Star Pirates' general direction.
That afternoon, Deuce walked onto the deck carrying a compass, nautical charts, and other navigation materials. He announced loudly:
"Everyone, pay attention! We're almost at Jaya Island."
Carrot jumped up excitedly. "Really? I can finally see the magical sky island that Brother Jerry's been talking about this whole time!"
"Carrot, focus on what's important—the Golden City!" Carina's eyes literally sparkled with golden light at the prospect of treasure.
While everyone was talking excitedly about their arrival, Jerry quietly approached Carrot.
He smiled and gently patted her head. "Carrot, who taught you to use words like 'talking about'?"
"Hehehe, it was Skull who said that," Carrot replied with her characteristic sweet smile, enjoying the head pat.
"Huh? Skull?" Jerry's eyes narrowed as he shifted his gaze toward the intelligence officer.
Skull suddenly felt that despite the hot weather, his heart had gone cold. He waved his hands defensively: "Oh, Captain Jerry, please let me explain! I didn't mean to suggest that Carrot should say you were just talking..."
Before he could finish his explanation, Jerry kicked out with a long-range attack, launching his slipper directly at Skull's head.
After many days at sea, they were finally about to reach their destination. Everyone was in excellent spirits, and Ace had even eaten several extra bowls of rice in celebration.
Food was his passion, and adventure was the common interest of most people who chose the pirate's life. The prospect of gaining treasure after adventure could motivate almost any pirate crew.
"Jerry! There's an island shadow ahead!" Carrot called out from the observation tower, holding a telescope. After spotting a blurry silhouette on the horizon, she leaped down and shouted, interrupting everyone's activities.
Deuce and Skull confirmed successively that the gradually clarifying outline in their vision was indeed the long-awaited Jaya Island.
Jerry looked around for several minutes but found no signs of the massive ocean currents he expected, so he decided to land on the island first and make plans from there.
It was nearly dusk, and the surrounding sea currents and sky appeared calm, with no unusual phenomena visible.
Jerry pondered for a moment and thought it might be wise to visit the local expert he vaguely remembered.
"Deuce, do we have a map of Jaya Island?"
"Yes, thanks to Skull's preparations," Deuce confirmed.
Hearing the affirmative answer, Jerry nodded slightly and took the map. He scratched his head, realizing he couldn't quite remember the exact location he was seeking.
Glancing at everyone's expectant expressions, Jerry straightened his back and confidently gestured in the air above the map:
"Well, we'll just follow the coastline in this direction."
However, everyone looked at his wavering finger and showed varying degrees of confusion.
"Where exactly are we going?" Deuce asked with obvious puzzlement.
"Haha, Jerry, are you too hungry to think straight?" Ace laughed good-naturedly.
"Captain Jerry, why is your finger shaking constantly?" Skull asked with folded arms.
"Looking at you like this, could it be that the golden city you've been boasting about was all lies?" Carina narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Before Brook and Cavendish could add their own comments, Jerry withdrew his hand and flexed his fingers under the curious gazes of Carrot and Kotatsu:
"Tsk, tsk, don't be impatient. You can't rush things properly."
"I just need to confirm some information to ensure everyone's safety. Please think of me as a mature and steady young man."
As everyone looked ready to voice their skepticism, Jerry continued: "Anyway, let's head to that section of coast first."
In the end, the crew followed Jerry's instructions and circled nearly halfway around Jaya Island's coastline, traveling from south to east and then north.
After all, Jerry controlled the ocean currents that moved their ship. If he wanted to go this way, everyone else could only go with the flow—literally.
Finally, Jerry spotted the small, ramshackle house facing the sea that matched his fragmented memories.
"Over there—let's dock."
Seeing his confidence return, everyone immediately began cooperating with the landing procedures.
Soon, they were standing before a peculiar two-story building on the shore.
It was strange because the structure appeared to have been cut off in the middle, with only the remaining portions standing on the ground.
The gap had been artificially covered by a large wooden panel. Looking from the front while approaching from the sea, one could only see a lifelike castle pattern painted on the covering.
Just as Jerry and the others were observing their surroundings and examining the unusual building up close, a strange old man with chestnuts stuck to his head suddenly emerged from the sea near the coastline. Upon seeing Jerry's group, he immediately became alert and asked in a serious tone:
"Who are you people, and what do you want here?"
"Dream chasers," Jerry replied with a knowing smile. Without waiting for the other man to respond, he continued: "We're here seeking the legendary Sky Island and its gold."
"Sky Island? Haha, you actually believe in that? And gold... do you know that story too?" The chestnut-haired man was stunned for a moment, then smiled and slowly relaxed his defensive posture.
"Story? Doesn't the Golden City really exist?" Carina's eyes widened in dismay.
Throughout their entire journey, Jerry had spoken with absolute certainty about various rumors concerning the Golden Country that he could remember.
The well-informed Skull had initially doubted whether it was just a fairy tale, but he'd been convinced by Jerry's serious expression and confident words.
Moreover, Jerry's version of the Golden City and Sky Island differed somewhat from the stories Skull knew. After Skull stopped questioning the details, everyone had believed Jerry's accounts.
The chestnut-haired man—Mont Blanc Cricket—looked at Carina and asked: "Haven't you heard the story about the great liar Noland?"
As Carina stared at him with growing doubt, Jerry continued speaking with unwavering certainty: "That's not just a story. The Golden Country is absolutely real."
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