Looking at Jerry and his crew celebrating enthusiastically, Cricket couldn't help but laugh along with their infectious joy.
Then he suddenly thought of another important detail and said: "Wait a minute—tomorrow there will only be the Cumulus Cloud, but no knock up stream. You won't be able to reach it."
However, Jerry and the others fell silent for only half a second. After exchanging knowing glances, they continued laughing and began planning to return to their ship to gather supplies for an outdoor party.
Seeing Cricket's puzzled expression, Deuce closed his notebook and said with a confident smile: "Don't worry, uncle. We have our own method—just watch for it when the time comes."
"For now, let's get this party started and have some fun!"
After speaking, Deuce followed everyone out the door and began preparing party supplies with the rest of the crew.
Looking at his house that had suddenly become empty again, Cricket felt his heart warming. He didn't seek fame or fortune—it seemed the thing he'd been pursuing for years would soon have a definitive answer.
At this moment, he didn't want to worry about whether his and Jerry's speculation was right or wrong. He just wanted to relax and welcome a brighter tomorrow.
Later, the members of the Masira Pirates and Shoujou Pirates, attracted by the bonfire, joined the celebration alongside Cricket at everyone's invitation.
"You fools actually believe the story of that great liar," Cricket said with mock criticism, though his tone was friendly.
"Hahaha! Uncle Cricket, don't you believe in it just as much?" Jerry responded with good humor.
"But I only searched the ocean floor—you guys are imaginative enough to want to reach the sky! Let's not even discuss whether Sky Island exists. Even if it does, is there actually a golden city there?"
"Uncle, the romance of adventure and pursuing new discoveries is humanity's eternal driving force," Jerry replied thoughtfully. "If the Golden Country is indeed on Sky Island, we'll find a way to let you know."
"Yohohoho! I'd be truly grateful for that," Cricket laughed heartily.
During the banquet, perhaps because he hadn't felt so relaxed in years, Cricket drank considerably and chatted happily with Jerry and the others.
Even though both parties were strangers who'd known each other less than a day, shared dreams and pursuits gave them plenty of common ground.
The next morning, the sun shone onto the sea as usual, its dazzling golden light continuing to warm the hearts of tiny humans below.
After celebrating for most of the night, everyone gradually awakened. After all, they hadn't forgotten the exciting journey that would begin today.
According to their plan, they needed to set sail early and reach the waters where the Cumulus Cloud would pass.
Everyone prepared quickly. As their ship left the shore, Cricket, aboard the Masira Pirates' ship, suddenly shouted loudly:
"Hey! I forgot to remind you to catch a South Bird! How will you maintain your direction after going to sea?"
Jerry gave a thumbs up, flashing his bright white teeth: "It's okay! I'm a human-shaped navigation bird, don't worry!"
Afterwards, the Black Nova slowly sailed away from Jaya Island, heading in a precise straight line toward the waters where Cricket had predicted the Cumulus Cloud's path.
"How's this, Uncle Cricket? Is this the right spot?"
"It should be. The timing seems about right."
As locals who frequently went to sea and dove for treasure, Cricket and his allies were very familiar with the astronomical phenomena and ocean currents in the nearby waters.
After Jerry and the others confirmed they were in the correct position, they began waiting.
"Here it comes! Look over there!" Everyone heard Carrot's shout from the observation tower and looked in the direction she was pointing.
Sure enough, a massive, thick cloud was slowly moving toward them in the distance.
Within the area covered by the cloud, exactly as Cricket had described, it resembled dark storm clouds covering a city, blocking out all sunlight from above.
As the Cumulus Cloud moved, the area beneath it instantly transformed from bright daylight to dark night.
"Well, uncle, thank you for everything! Goodbye!" Jerry and the others bid farewell to Cricket and his crews, then directed the Black Nova toward the approaching Cumulus Cloud.
"Yohohoho! Over there—it seems other people have come to witness the beginning of our Sky Island journey," Skull observed, pointing toward the front-right of their bow.
Cavendish and his beloved white horse Farul quickly arrived at the ship's side, striking an elegant pose. "Where? Are they fans of mine?"
"It's Isuka and the others!" Deuce took the telescope and spotted warships slowly appearing on the distant horizon.
"Haha! They have perfect timing—arriving just as we're about to leave," Jerry said, looking up at the thick Cumulus Cloud overhead. He smiled and began controlling ocean currents beneath their hull to accumulate power.
The two ships gradually approached each other, and the familiar roar of cannons rang out. Gion's warship used their traditional greeting method.
"Yohohoho! Is this the same Marine force that chased us from Water 7?" Brook asked as he and Cavendish drew their swords to intercept cannonballs fired at the Black Nova. Both were unfamiliar with Gion and Isuka, having only seen them from a distance when departing Water 7.
"Vice Admiral Gion, why has their ship stopped moving?" Isuka asked with confusion.
"I don't know, but they must have some plan. Let's get closer and see what's happening," Gion replied.
Isuka and Gion stood at the bow, looking with puzzled eyes at Jerry's pirate ship floating motionless in the distance. Though they couldn't understand what the pirates were doing, they ordered continued artillery fire.
After a while, they sensed something wrong with the sea surface ahead of them. Something seemed to be rising from the ocean floor, and a slowly ascending hemispherical current gradually formed on the water's surface.
Jerry told the others to sit down quickly and secure themselves in the newly installed safety seats on deck.
Then he walked to the ship's railing, waved his hand, and shouted toward the warship: "Time to say goodbye again, fellow Marines! Please don't follow us!"
"Haha! Take care, everyone!" Ace, sitting at the ship's edge, also called out cheerfully.
Seeing the enemy pirate ship slowly rising with the hemispherical current, Gion realized tremendous energy was building beneath the water, ready to be unleashed.
Her eyes widened in alarm as she turned abruptly and issued urgent orders to the Marine soldiers behind her: "Not good! Stop the ship immediately! Don't go any closer!"
The moment Gion finished speaking, a massive current suddenly erupted from the sea where the pirate ship waited, carrying the excitement and anticipation of the Black Star Pirates straight into the sky.
An enormous ocean current surged upward like a tower, and the surrounding waters suddenly became turbulent with waves.
Fortunately, the warship remained far enough from the Black Nova to be only slightly affected by the resulting waves.
Isuka looked up at the huge current standing before them like a pillar and couldn't help muttering: "This time they didn't dive underwater—they went straight into the sky..."
"Hmph! What an unpredictable young man!" Gion's eyes flashed with frustration. She could only accept the fact that they'd escaped again, though she had no intention of giving up pursuit.
"Can they really control knock up streams like that?" Mashira asked in amazement.
"Hahaha! Who knows? I wish them safe arrival at Sky Island. Let's go," Cricket called out from his ship.
Following Jerry's morning instructions, Cricket and the Monkey Mountain Alliance had already moved away from the Cumulus Cloud area. They smiled at each other and slowly returned to Jaya Island.
The surging ocean current quickly dissipated, and scattered water droplets danced lightly in the air. Under the returning sunlight, they transformed into several gorgeous rainbows across the sky, as if foretelling that everything would become beautiful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more early access chapter of this fanfic or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~