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"Cough, cough..."
"Wait, wait! This is a misunderstanding!"
"It's all a big misunderstanding, big bro..."
Thirty minutes later—
The two leaders of the Saruyama Alliance, Salvage King Orangutan and Exploration King Gorilla, were left battered and bruised after being beaten up by the Straw Hat crew, who had significantly improved their strength through intense training.
Now, these two were grinning and groveling, trying their best to appease the crew.
Meanwhile, Nami was in high spirits, eagerly counting the treasure they had just salvaged from a sunken ship.
Even though Shaka had gifted them a fortune worth at least ten billion Berries, for a money-loving person like Nami, more treasure was always welcome.
"By the way, do you guys have a Log Pose?" Luffy asked, tilting his head. "Ours seems to be broken!"
"Your Log Pose is broken?"
"Is it pointing to the sky?"
The Salvage King and Exploration King exchanged glances before their faces lit up with realization.
"Do you know why?" Robin asked curiously.
"Well..." The Salvage King stroked his chin, about to act mysterious and hold back the answer.
"Huh?"
Zoro raised an eyebrow, drawing his gleaming sword and pressing it against the man's neck without hesitation.
"It's not that your Log Pose is broken," the Salvage King quickly explained, sweating profusely. "Every Log Pose that follows this route starts pointing to the sky after leaving Alabasta!"
"All the ships that pass through this route usually end up at Jaya Island nearby. There's a town full of pirates there..." The Exploration King added nervously. "There are rumors about an island in the sky, and occasionally, wrecked ships fall from above. But nobody actually believes in Sky Island. Most people think those ships got caught in a massive tornado and were thrown into the sky before falling back down."
"Most adventurers who reach this point give up on waiting and head to Mock Town to buy a Log Pose pointing to another island so they can continue exploring."
"I see..." Nami, Robin, and Zoro all nodded in understanding, then turned to Luffy, waiting for their captain's decision.
"Alright then, let's check out Jaya Island first!" Luffy grinned, slamming his fist into his palm with excitement.
At the same time—
Somewhere in the Calm Belt, located between the first half of the Grand Line and the South Blue...
Despite carrying a massive golden sphere, Panda Bai Long, transformed into a Nimbus Cloud, was flying at an astonishing speed.
Following Shaka's instructions and guided by a Vivre Card, they stopped to rest for a night on an island before entering the Calm Belt the next morning.
The sea here was eerily still—no wind at all. But beneath the calm waters lurked unimaginable dangers.
Giant Sea Kings, each massive in size, inhabited this region. The slightest disturbance could attract one of these monstrous creatures.
"ROAR!"
Suddenly, the water ahead splashed violently as a terrifying Sea King over a hundred meters long leapt out from the depths to catch a breath of air.
Before it could dive back into the sea—
"SPLASH!"
An even larger, several-hundred-meter-long, ferocious Sea King surged out of the water, opening its enormous jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth and biting down on the smaller one.
No matter how much the smaller Sea King struggled, it couldn't escape.
Blood dyed the ocean red.
The hundred-meter-long Sea King let out a sorrowful wail before losing all signs of life, becoming nothing more than food for the larger predator.
"The Calm Belt... it's been a while!" Shaka muttered as he soared through the sky on the giant cloud.
He had no idea what the Straw Hat crew was up to at the moment. Even if he did, he would probably just smile and move on.
Amazon Lily, an island deep within the Calm Belt, was home to the fierce warrior tribe known as the Kuja.
This nation was unique—there were no men. Even if a woman from the island gave birth after traveling the seas, the child would always be a girl.
That's why it was also called the "Daughter Island."
"It's only been a year for me, but in reality, fifty years have passed... How strange!" Shaka mused as he stood atop Panda Bai Long, who had transformed into a massive Nimbus Cloud using the copied abilities of the Cloud-Cloud Fruit.
From a distance, he could see the island approaching.
"Still, it doesn't look like much has changed."
"Wu wu..." Bai Long made a noise in response.
It had been here before with its master.
But back then, those barely dressed humans were terrifying—they always wanted to pet it!
"Huh? Is that a cloud?"
"There's someone on it... A MAN?!"
"Wait... so this is what men look like?!"
"Quick! Report to Lady Snake Empress! We have an intruder!"
Shaka's arrival, along with Bai Long, quickly drew the attention of many on the island.
Because Bai Long had to carry the massive golden sphere, its cloud form was enormous, making it impossible to miss.
"No way..."
"A cloud that carries people?"
"Wait, do all men have the ability to ride clouds?!"
"Idiot! Of course not..."
"Stay on guard! He's an intruder!"
"Don't let your guard down!"
A group of fierce female warriors, dressed in revealing yet practical battle attire, quickly gathered. Their eyes widened in shock as they watched the enormous cloud draw closer.
Except for the Kuja Pirates, who had sailed beyond the island, most of these warriors had never seen a man before. They stared at Shaka in awe and disbelief.
But despite their curiosity, they didn't lose focus. Bows were drawn, arrows nocked, and guns were aimed at the approaching figure.
"SWOOSH—"
The enormous cloud hovered above, and Shaka leapt down, landing gracefully in front of the warriors.
"BOOM!"
The massive golden sphere was tossed aside by Bai Long, causing the ground to tremble and dust to rise.
The women gawked in shock as Bai Long's cloudy form rapidly shrank. Within moments, it returned to its normal panda shape and trotted over to Shaka's side.
"Who are you?! How dare you trespass on Kuja territory?!" demanded a short-haired, curvaceous warrior named Lan. She aimed her Haki-infused arrow at him, her sharp gaze full of suspicion.
Shaka smiled calmly. "Relax, ladies. I come in peace..."
His eyes scanned the warriors before him as he asked, "Where is your former Empress, Flame Flower? I'm here to find her."
But after arriving, he realized something disappointing—he couldn't sense the presence of Flame Flower or Peony. It seemed they hadn't kept their Vivre Card with them, possibly leaving it on the island long ago.
However, one powerful aura did catch his attention.
It was undoubtedly the current Kuja Empress—Boa Hancock.
"....."