Although Buggy already guessed what was happening, Kuro and the others were confused. They couldn't understand why this man in front of them was acting like this.
"Captain, do you know him?"
Everyone turned curious eyes toward Buggy. They also wanted to know what kind of connection there was between them.
Buggy, under their stares, simply shook his head.
"I've never seen him before. I don't know him."
He had already guessed who this person was, but the truth was they had never actually met. And in this situation, this was the only answer he could give. He couldn't exactly claim to know Montblanc Cricket—saying such a thing would only confuse even Cricket himself, since the two of them clearly had never crossed paths.
"Then… what's going on with him?"
The crew shifted their gaze to Cricket. Under their eyes, Cricket raised his onion-shaped hair, looking at Buggy with a pair of sincere, burning eyes.
"Lord Buggy," he said with a deep bow, "my ancestor was Montblanc Noland, the so-called 'Liar King.' What you did in Lubni—the words you spoke—lifted a four-hundred-year curse from him and restored his honor. On behalf of the Montblanc family, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude and thank you for the great contribution you've made to our name."
Hearing this, the crew understood his purpose.
Buggy replied calmly:
"I didn't deliberately defend Noland. I simply told the world the truth. I truly have seen the City of Gold, Shandora. I truly have been there. And I destroyed the execution platform because I could not stand to see a brave man of the seas, who told the truth, suffer such humiliation for no reason."
Cricket froze for a moment at those words, and then his face lit up with joy. His eyes blazed with excitement as he looked at Buggy.
"My lord, then… does the City of Gold, Shandora, really exist? And where is it?"
Cricket's voice trembled with hope. Deep down, the Montblanc family had always been torn—many doubted that Shandora existed at all. Cricket himself had harbored such doubts. But now, hearing Buggy admit he'd been there, he longed desperately to hear the answer, to solve the riddle that had haunted his family for over four centuries.
Buggy glanced around the bustling street, then gave Cricket a strange look.
"You sure you want me to answer that here?"
Realizing the meaning behind Buggy's tone, Cricket quickly came back to his senses. This wasn't the kind of topic that should be discussed out in public.
"My lord, please… allow me to host you at my residence by the shore."
Seeing that Cricket understood, Buggy nodded. The crew followed him to his home—a half-house by the sea with castle-like walls painted on the exterior.
"Big brother, is this your castle?" Jessica asked curiously, tilting her head at the strange painted walls. She couldn't understand why anyone would make their house look like a fake castle.
Cricket scratched the back of his head awkwardly and gave an embarrassed laugh, unable to answer.
Buggy, catching on, helped him out smoothly:
"This is the castle from Noland's tale. Perhaps Mr. Cricket painted it to honor his ancestor's memory."
Jessica's eyes widened in understanding. She nodded her small head vigorously. "That makes sense, Captain!"
Inside, the house was cramped, but that was to be expected—it was only half a house after all. After everyone sat down, Cricket leaned forward impatiently.
"Lord Buggy, tell me—could the City of Gold, Shandora, be at the bottom of the sea?"
That was the conclusion he had reached during his years on Jaya. It made sense to him that the golden city had sunk beneath the waves. He wanted Buggy to confirm it.
But Buggy shook his head. Then, lifting his hand, he pointed straight toward the sky.
Cricket's heart skipped. His theory was wrong. He followed Buggy's finger upward, confusion clouding his face. What did he mean?
Seeing his bewilderment, Buggy didn't drag it out.
"The City of Gold, Shandora, was blasted into the sky by the Knock Up Stream. It now rests on an island in the sky—Skypiea—directly above Jaya."
Buggy himself didn't know every detail about the Knock Up Stream. He only knew that it had launched Shandora into the heavens. In fact, the very reason he sought out Cricket was to ask him about the timing of the Knock Up Stream's eruptions.
Cricket's eyes widened. His breath caught in his throat. His long-sought answer was too shocking—Shandora wasn't under the sea at all. It was in the sky!
"My lord… is what you say true?"
Buggy only nodded silently.
Cricket's disbelief was understandable. Even Buggy's own crew, though they trusted their captain deeply, found it hard to accept. It was too unbelievable.
"To think… the City of Gold really is in the sky… on the legendary Sky Island…"
Cricket muttered, still in a daze. His world had been overturned. This revelation was too much to process in an instant.
Buggy didn't interrupt him. He understood perfectly well. For the Montblanc family, Shandora had been a curse, a four-hundred-year torment. For Cricket, it was his heart's greatest obsession. Now, with the truth revealed, his spirit was overwhelmed. It was only natural that he needed time to recover.