"Then we'll do as you say and wait a little longer." Rogen didn't mind. He wasn't in any hurry.
The crew wasn't impatient either; they were having a great time. After spending so many days together, the trainee crew and the regular crew had become quite familiar with each other. Since the Knock Up Stream hadn't appeared yet, they simply stayed with Cricket.
Sitting cross-legged at the bow of the 'Logan', Rogen quietly reflected on everything he had gained from his battle with Mihawk.
He wasn't nearly as gifted as Mihawk when it came to the sword, so he hadn't come up with any new techniques or profound insights. What had improved, however, was his combat experience and understanding; both had risen to another level.
He replayed the battle over and over in his mind, breaking down every one of Mihawk's movements as if a movie were being played frame by frame in slow motion.
Time passed quickly. Before they knew it, it was already the fifth day since they had arrived.
During those five days, Cricket dove into the sea more than a dozen times every day, constantly measuring the strength of the underwater currents and estimating when the Knock Up Stream would erupt.
He truly believed this group could reach Skypiea, so he threw himself into the work with everything he had. When people had hope, they worked harder than ever. Deep down, Cricket felt that his ancestors' lifelong wish was only one step away from coming true.
At dusk on the fifth day, Cricket finally reached the edge of the sea where the Knock Up Stream would erupt. This place was already far north of Jaya Island. Deep beneath the sea, countless bubbles were rising.
"Here! The vibration is incredibly strong!"
Cricket stared in shock. Large streams of bubbles continuously appeared and burst apart, forming what looked like towering underwater trees made entirely of bubbles.
"This level..."
Excited, he swam toward the dense cluster. Reaching the seabed beneath the bubbles, he immediately began taking measurements. Three minutes later, excitement flashed across his face.
"That's it! With this level of pressure, it'll definitely reach an altitude of ten thousand meters!"
He immediately began calculating when the current beneath this area would erupt. Unfortunately, he was running low on oxygen and had no choice but to return to the surface.
Half an hour later, he came running toward Rogen and the others, practically overflowing with excitement.
"My friends! I found it! The Knock Up Stream is fifteen nautical miles due north of Jaya Island! The currents there are unbelievably active. Once it erupts, it'll definitely launch you all the way to Skypiea!"
Cricket shouted loudly, his whole body trembling.
Not from fear... but from excitement. After waiting for so long, it was finally about to happen. How could he not be thrilled?
"When will it happen?" Rogen's eyes lit up.
"I still need a little more time to calculate the exact moment. But I'm certain, the Knock Up Stream will erupt there," Cricket kept pointing toward the northern sea as he spoke.
Everyone realized it: the opportunity they had been waiting for had finally arrived. Once the Knock Up Stream erupted, they could ride it into the sky and finally witness the legendary kingdom of Skypiea. Maybe they might even meet a real god.
"Yes! That's awesome!" Chaporos and Dina clapped and jumped excitedly, while everyone else wore eager smiles.
After delivering the news, Cricket immediately refilled his diving gear with oxygen before diving back into the sea. This time, he spent three full days carefully observing, recording data, and taking measurements. At last, he arrived at an exact answer.
"The time is three days from now," he spoke with complete confidence. "At around nine o'clock in the morning, three days from now, the Knock Up Stream here will erupt and send you all to Skypiea."
Aboard the 'Logan', Cricket guided everyone to the sea fifteen nautical miles north of Jaya Island and pointed at the water below. Everyone looked down. The sea appeared perfectly normal. There were no bubbles, no unusual waves, nothing at all.
"Good. Then we'll set sail for Skypiea at nine o'clock three mornings from now!" Rogen laughed.
The crew answered with excited cheers. Just thinking about Skypiea, the sea made of clouds, the winged people, and everything else in that mysterious kingdom, filled them with anticipation.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Early that morning, Cricket piloted a small boat and cautiously followed the 'Logan' back to the designated location.
"It's seven-thirty now. The Knock Up Stream should erupt in about an hour and a half," he checked the waterproof watch on his wrist and shouted toward the ship.
He couldn't help feeling nervous. When the Knock Up Stream erupted, its power was enough to destroy everything in its path. Compared to it, even a high-pressure water jet was insignificant.
If Rogen and the others were unlucky enough to be directly over the center when it erupted, they would be blown to pieces instantly. No matter how powerful someone was, they couldn't stand against the terrifying force of nature.
"Cricket! You should fall back! It's too dangerous here. We'll wait here," Jason called out from the ship.
Meanwhile, Rogen remained seated at the bow, quietly looking down at the sea. Ripples spread across his eyes as the Rinnegan appeared. Through the seawater, he could clearly see what lay beneath.
About a nautical mile below the surface, dense streams of bubbles were constantly forming and slowly rising upward. Deeper still, there were so many bubbles that it was almost frightening.
It was hard to imagine what kind of pressure could create such a phenomenon beneath the sea. Not a single fish could be found anywhere nearby; even marine life seemed instinctively afraid of whatever was happening below.
Following Jason's advice, Cricket retreated five nautical miles and watched through a telescope from a safe distance. He had no intention of being blown to pieces by the Knock Up Stream; he valued his life very much.
His eyes repeatedly drifted to his watch. Although he had calculated the estimated time, he couldn't be completely certain. The unpredictable power of nature wasn't something humans could control; at best, they could only estimate a general time window.
An hour passed. Crocodile stood on deck, cigar in his mouth, looking down at the calm sea. Nothing had changed.
"Did Cricket make a mistake? There's still no sign of anything happening," he said, walking over to Rogen and asking.
Instead of answering directly, Rogen spoke calmly. "Have you ever seen a volcano erupt?"
"Hm?"
"A volcano stays quiet for a very long time before it erupts. And besides..." he looked at the sea beneath the ship. "This place isn't quiet at all."
Beneath the surface, the bubbles had already risen to within a thousand meters of the sea, becoming increasingly violent. It was as if some enormous beast hidden on the ocean floor was growing more and more restless, roaring in fury.
"It's almost time..." Far away, Cricket checked his watch again. Nine o'clock was drawing closer.
At that moment, above the 'Logan',
'Rumble...'
Dark clouds suddenly rolled in, filling the sky. Bolts of lightning streaked across the heavens as thunder roared. The weather had begun to change.
(End Of This Chapter)
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