Early the next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds and bathed the coastline of Gaya Island, Kaidou was already prepared to set off.
"Everyone, prepare to set sail immediately." Kaidou's voice was deep and commanding, leaving no room for doubt.
"Yes!"
King stepped forward with a furrowed brow, confusion evident in his tone. "Boss Kaidou, aren't we supposed to be searching for the City of Gold? Why are we suddenly returning to the ship?"
Kaidou didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took the Wine Gourd from his waist and took a large swig of strong liquor. The alcohol dripped down his chin, glinting like amber in the sunlight. Wiping his mouth, he finally spoke gravely, "Because the City of Gold isn't on Gaya Island at all."
This statement exploded like a bomb among the crew, causing a stir. Gavin thoughtfully stroked his chin and ventured a guess, "Could it be... that the City of Gold has sunk to the bottom of the sea?"
Kaidou shook his head and suddenly raised his thick arm, pointing toward the azure sky. "You're all mistaken. The City of Gold isn't on the island, nor is it in the sea—it's in the sky."
"In the sky?" Queen immediately looked up, his round face filled with disbelief. Squinting his small eyes, he stared for a long time but saw nothing but empty blue sky. "How is that possible? There's clearly nothing up there!"
Kaidou let out a low chuckle and explained, "Of course you can't see it. Back then, the massive Upward Knock Stream around Gaya Island swept the entire City of Gold up ten thousand meters into the sky."
This astonishing revelation made everyone gasp in shock. The crew members exchanged glances, their faces a mix of astonishment and skepticism. Someone muttered under their breath, "This is unbelievable!" while others rubbed their eyes as if to confirm they weren't dreaming.
The sea breeze swept across the deck, carrying with it the salty, damp air. Yet Kaidou's gaze remained fixed on the seemingly empty sky, as if he could see through the clouds to the legendary City of Gold. A confident smile gradually spread across his lips as he suddenly declared loudly, "Get ready—we're heading to Sky Island!"
The crew exchanged looks once more but were quickly swayed by Kaidou's undeniable authority.
Queen scratched his bald head and hesitantly asked, "Boss, how are we going to get to Sky Island?"
"Worororo... Of course, I'll use my ability to fly you all up there." Kaidou laughed heartily, his booming laughter echoing across the deck like thunder. "Follow me, and you'll soon witness the legendary City of Gold with your own eyes!"
Before his words had fully faded, Kaidou's body began to transform. His muscles swelled, and blue scales emerged across his skin as he completed the astonishing shift from human form to his Azure Dragon Form right before everyone's eyes. With an earth-shaking roar, the massive Azure Dragon soared into the air, circling above the pirate ship.
The sheer size of the Azure Dragon was breathtaking, nearly blotting out the sky. Each of its scales shimmered with a cold gleam under the sunlight. The overwhelming pressure made everyone on board hold their breath, and some of the more timid crew members instinctively dropped to their knees.
"Is... is this our captain? So... so powerful," stammered a recruit who had joined the ship just yesterday, staring dumbfounded at Kaidou's form.
"Hahaha, with such a powerful captain, all the treasures and beauties will be ours," someone greedily shouted.
"Excellent! Under the captain's leadership, we'll secure our place even in the latter half of the Grand Line," another exclaimed, looking toward the future.
Kaidou skillfully manipulated the Flame Clouds, special clouds generated by his Azure Dragon Fruit ability that swiftly surged from his dragon claws like living entities, coiling around the entire pirate ship. The Flame Clouds first enveloped the vessel as gently as gauze, then gradually solidified, steadily lifting the heavy wooden structure.
Under the crew's astonished gazes, the massive ship began to slowly rise from the ground. The hull creaked as the distance from the sea steadily increased. Crew members gripped nearby fixtures, feeling the faint vibrations beneath their feet. Some stared in terror at the receding sea, watching the blue waters shrink into a tiny azure dot.
Kaidou precisely controlled the intensity of the Flame Clouds to ensure the ship's smooth ascent. His dragon form continuously circled the vessel, his golden vertical pupils attentively monitoring every detail. As they gained altitude, the sea winds grew increasingly fierce, howling past the ship's sides. The flags on board flapped vigorously, producing sharp cracking sounds.
The surrounding scenery began to transform magically. Clouds flowed around the ship, sometimes soft as cotton, other times light as gossamer. Sunlight filtered through cloud gaps, casting dappled, ever-shifting patterns on the deck. Since Kaidou was flying directly using his ability rather than conventional means like the Upward Knock Stream, he deftly navigated the Flame Clouds past the White White Sea beneath Sky Island, heading straight for the legendary City of Gold.
The ship's navigators stared dumbfounded at their spinning compasses, completely unable to comprehend the miraculous voyage they were experiencing. Some attempted to record their course but found all navigation instruments had become useless.
As the climb continued, the air grew thin. Some crew members began struggling to breathe, though none dared complain.
With the increasing altitude, the howling sea winds intensified further, making the ship's flags snap loudly. Kaidou's dragon form circled the vessel, ensuring a stable course. Navigators watched their wildly spinning compass needles, utterly baffled by this defiance of conventional sailing methods.
Soon, thanks to Kaidou's ability, the pirate ship bypassed the White Sea entirely and proceeded directly to the sacred island of "Skypiea."
From the aerial view, though the island's structures appeared somewhat dilapidated, facilities like the clock tower and floors were astonishingly crafted entirely from gold. This discovery thrilled the crew, their eyes gleaming with avarice.
"Gold! It's all gold!" the pirates shouted excitedly, gazing at the countless golden structures below.
Particularly Queen, whose obese frame trembled uncontrollably with excitement. As a researcher, he needed funding for his projects more than anyone else on board. Even those like King and Bullet, who typically had little interest in gold, couldn't help but be awestruck by such immense wealth.
"Wororororo..." Kaidou's distinctive laughter echoed through the air, a flash of pride visible in his enormous dragon eyes.
This gold was precisely the crucial bargaining chip in his plan. With this wealth, the Beasts Pirates' influence would reach new heights. The crew had already begun scheming how to divide the spoils.
Using his abilities, Kaidou guided the pirate ship to descend slowly onto the plaza before the Golden Bell.
The ancient bell tower, weathered by time, shimmered with dazzling brilliance under the sunlight, as if recounting Sky Island's thousand years of history. Queen couldn't wait any longer and leaped off the ship, breaking off a chunk of gold from a nearby golden pillar with his bare hands. He excitedly shouted, "Boss, we've struck it rich!"