Hearing Jerry's confident assertion, Cricket abandoned his hostility. He realized the group before him didn't seem to be here to steal his gold, but rather believed in the same "foolish" story he'd dedicated his life to investigating.
Then he heard Jerry continue: "And the gold wasn't lost to the bottom of the ocean like the ending of that story suggests."
"You know something more?" Cricket suddenly became excited. The fact that Jerry could say this proved he hadn't simply read the fairy tale and believed it blindly—he might actually possess accurate information.
Jerry continued with practiced confidence: "Uncle, I'm guessing you've heard of Sky Island, right? After all, you just mentioned it."
Cricket looked surprised: "Huh? You mean Sky Island is actually real?"
Jerry nodded with complete seriousness: "Yes, and there's a close connection between Sky Island and the gold you're seeking."
Cricket's eyes flickered as he vaguely grasped a possibility, then spoke hesitantly with uncertainty: "But around here, Sky Island is just a rumor..."
Jerry pointed toward the dilapidated house standing on the shore: "Uncle Cricket, if you're interested, why don't we sit down and discuss this properly?"
After both parties entered the house and completed introductions, Cricket picked up the picture book "Noland the Liar" from beside him and handed it to Carina.
"Little miss, this is the story we were discussing earlier. I feel sorry for you—you haven't even read the tale, but you believe in it."
Carina rolled her eyes and took the book. With Skull's explanations, the group quickly read through the illustrated story.
"Uncle, are you a descendant of Noland from this story?" Ace asked with obvious curiosity, staring intently at Cricket's distinctive hairstyle. "Is that inherited? Can I eat it?"
Smack! Deuce slapped Ace on the back of the head. "Ace, stop thinking about food constantly!"
Cricket laughed good-naturedly: "Hahaha! It's fine. Of course you can't eat this—it'll explode if you try."
Then, fixing Jerry with a slightly hopeful gaze, Cricket spoke in a lower voice: "Alright, you've all finished reading the story. Brother Jerry, can you tell me about those clues regarding Sky Island and gold that you mentioned earlier?"
Seeming to realize how abrupt it was to request information from strangers, Cricket continued without waiting for Jerry's response: "After all, while the picture book portrays Noland as a comedic figure, as far as I know, he was an honest man who never told lies."
"Before he died, he still firmly believed in the Golden Country's existence. He thought it was crustal movement that caused the Golden Country to sink beneath the sea."
"However, aside from my family members, this explanation convinces no one else..."
"Because of this, our Mont Blanc family was exiled from our homeland, and we've continued living with constant criticism from others."
At this point, Cricket clenched his fists and growled angrily: "Because of that man, we descendants—separated by hundreds of years and only distantly related by blood—have been cursed by strangers since childhood!"
Ace's eyes flashed with recognition. He glanced at Cricket but said nothing, understanding all too well the burden of an ancestor's legacy.
Realizing his emotions were getting out of control, Cricket closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, then continued in a calmer tone: "Years ago, I left my family, became a pirate, and arrived here by chance."
"The ironic part is, I actually felt the guidance of fate at that time, because this is exactly the island described in the picture book's story... So I decided to come ashore and stay."
"I'm not trying to verify anything, nor am I attempting to prove his innocence. I just can't accept that this bastard who's been dead for hundreds of years is still disrupting our lives!"
When discussing his past, Cricket unconsciously became agitated again.
"I want to confront him face-to-face here! As long as I can still move, I'll dive into the sea and search for any remaining clues he left behind!"
"I want the truth of this matter to finally come to light!"
As Cricket finished speaking, his audience showed various expressions while processing his emotional story.
Cricket exhaled a puff from his previously lit cigarette. "Sorry for making you listen to me complain."
He turned his attention back to Jerry, his eyes sparkling with renewed interest: "Actually, the Sky Island you mentioned was also referenced by Noland."
As he spoke, Cricket retrieved Noland's navigation diary and opened to the page that mentioned Sky Island for everyone to examine.
"So if you have any concrete clues from other sources, please share them with me."
Jerry smiled, feeling there was no harm in revealing what he knew. He was already here—the only thing left was reaching the sky. Besides, he still had questions for Cricket.
"Uncle, you've been searching for years but can't find any trace of the Golden City on the ocean floor. Have you ever considered changing your approach?"
"You must have observed many powerful ocean currents around here, right?"
"Yes, they erupt about five times per month," Cricket confirmed with a nod.
"The eruption locations aren't fixed, but the scale is quite massive, correct?" Jerry adopted a mentor's tone, patiently guiding his student toward understanding.
Cricket seemed uncertain: "What do you mean exactly?"
Jerry held up one finger: "Is there a possibility that such currents could shoot up from beneath this island and blast it into the sky?"
"Of course, I'm just hypothesizing."
Looking at Jerry's knowing smile, Cricket's eyes widened with excitement: "But if Sky Island truly exists, this hypothesis could very well be accurate!"
When Deuce and the others heard this explanation, they exchanged meaningful glances. Though they didn't know how Jerry had obtained this information, they realized this journey hadn't been wasted—they hadn't been listening to Jerry's "boasting" for nothing.
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Jerry grinned broadly: "Well then, uncle, I have one final question. Where exactly is Sky Island located? You're the local expert here—do you have any clues?"
After brief consideration, Cricket offered his educated guess as reciprocation for Jerry's information.
"I believe that if Sky Island really exists, it should be positioned above the Cumulus Cloud."
"Cumulus Cloud?" Deuce and the others weren't familiar with this meteorological term.
With a slight nod, Cricket explained that Cumulus Cloud was actually an extremely thick cloud layer. When it appeared, it covered the sky so completely that the area below seemed to suddenly plunge into darkness—a phenomenon that occurred regularly in the nearby waters.
"Uncle, do you know where the Cumulus Cloud is right now?" Jerry asked immediately after Cricket finished his explanation. This was exactly what he needed to know.
As the leader of the Monkey Mountain Alliance, Cricket commanded two pirate crews: the Masira Pirates and the Shoujou Pirates.
Combining the latest intelligence he'd received and calculating mentally, he replied: "It should appear in our southeast direction around noon tomorrow."
Jerry raised his fist and shouted with genuine excitement: "Alright! It's decided! Tomorrow at noon, we blast off to Sky Island!"
Everyone heard this announcement and responded with equal enthusiasm:
"Excellent! What an amazing story and inspiration!"
"Yeah! Let's do it!"
"Golden Country! Carrot, let's go together!"
"Okay! Sky Island adventure!"
"This young master is essential for such a magnificent journey!"
"Then let's throw a party tonight to celebrate!"
"Yohohoho! Mr. Ace, that's an excellent suggestion!"