After hearing Montblanc Cricket's words, everyone fell silent.
Then Sandy suddenly stepped forward and said calmly, "Uncle, actually, your ancestor Noland was innocent."
"Innocent?" everyone echoed, turning toward him curiously.
"That's right." Sandy crossed his arms and continued, "I believe the City of Gold back then didn't sink into the sea — it was blown up into the sky by a massive upward sea current. Under the pull of gravity, that island became what we now call Skypiea."
Cricket frowned. "Do you have any proof?"
"Proof?" Sandy pulled out a tattered map and spread it out.
"When we first arrived in these waters, a ship that had been missing for over two hundred years fell from the sky — this map was found aboard that ship."
Cricket took the map. On it, in faded ink, were the words Skypiea Map.
He squinted. "A ship falling from the sky doesn't prove the existence of Skypiea. And this map could easily be fake. I said proof, didn't I?"
Sandy sighed. "That ship was from two centuries ago. If there's no Skypiea, why would a ship from that era suddenly fall down after two hundred years? And that enormous phantom shadow we all saw — that also proves something exists up there!"
Masira suddenly exclaimed, "I saw that too! That day, I saw the same thing!"
Everyone's eyes lit up. If Skypiea truly existed…
Luffy tilted his head. "What are you guys talking about? We came to ask Uncle how to get there!"
"Hehehehe… hahahahaha!" Cricket burst into laughter.
The sound immediately made Nami furious again. "Are you laughing at me for being naive and stupid too!?"
Sandy quickly caught her by the waist before she could attack. "Don't mind him — this woman's easily agitated!"
Cricket chuckled. "Don't be so impatient. To be honest, I don't know if Skypiea really exists. But if you want to go that badly… you'll have to be prepared to risk your lives."
"Risk our lives?" Usopp gulped.
Cricket nodded. "There's something called the Upstream Current. If you can ride it, theoretically, you can reach the sky."
Zoro asked, "So it's basically a sea current that shoots the ship upward?"
"Really?" Luffy's eyes sparkled. "So if we get blasted high enough, we'll reach above the clouds?"
Robin folded her arms. "That's if we're lucky. If we're not, we'll fall from midair — maybe into the sea, or maybe onto land. Either way, we'll all die."
"WE'RE NOT GOING TO SKYPIEA!" Usopp and Chopper screamed in unison.
Usopp clung to Sandy. "Sandy, hurry and convince Luffy! What Robin said is too scary!"
Chopper grabbed Sandy's leg. "Yeah! Please stop him! I don't wanna die!"
Sandy laughed. "Don't worry. With my Space Fruit ability, you won't die from falling. And with this stinky woman's navigation skills—"
Nami cracked her knuckles. "What was that? 'Stinky woman'?"
"—ahem, with the great beauty's navigation skills, we'll be fine," Sandy corrected quickly.
Nami's eyes gleamed like Belly signs. "What's there to be afraid of? There's supposed to be a City of Gold in Skypiea! Uncle, hurry up and tell us what to do!"
Sandy slapped his forehead. "It's over. She's gone completely money-mad."
Cricket took a deep breath. "Listen up. Being launched skyward by that sea current isn't as easy as it sounds. It's not some pleasant flight — it's a natural disaster."
He leaned forward, speaking seriously. "No one knows exactly how it works because no sane person would investigate it up close.
But, theoretically, there's a massive cavern on the seafloor where cold seawater flows in. When combined with geothermal heat, it builds up enormous steam pressure.
Once it reaches its limit, it explodes — and that explosion shoots seawater straight into the sky."
Nami's jaw dropped. "Seawater shooting into the sky? How powerful is that explosion!?"
Cricket continued, ignoring her question.
"The explosion's location changes every time, and it happens roughly five times a month. But trying to describe such a massive natural phenomenon with mere words is foolish."
Usopp raised his hand nervously. "So, you're saying Skypiea has to be right above that upward current that only appears five times a month?"
Cricket nodded. "Exactly. If it isn't, then it's a wasted trip. You'll just… fall back down."
Robin finished for him, "And everyone would be buried at the bottom of the sea."
Usopp and Chopper screamed again. "Forget Skypiea! We're not going!"
Luffy laughed. "It's fine! Let's go anyway!"
Sandy and Zoro slapped their palms together at the same time. "So it's an incredible current and incredible clouds!"
Sanji groaned. "You two really don't get it, do you?"
Sandy looked at the Going Merry and said, "Luffy, going is fine, but look at our ship — it's practically falling apart. The current would tear it to pieces."
Cricket followed his gaze and sighed. The ship was patched together like a set of old rags.
"Indeed," he said seriously. "Even if the ship were brand new, it might not survive. Its speed, weight, and structure — it would be shattered instantly by the force of that current."
"Uncle, do you have a solution?" Sandy asked.
Cricket nodded. "There's a way. I'll have Masira and Shojo assist with navigation. But first, you'll need to reinforce the Merry from bow to stern."
"Oh!" Shojo and Masira said together. "Leave it to us!"
Luffy grinned. "We're counting on you!"
Usopp and Chopper muttered in the background, "Bunch of busybodies…"
Cricket turned toward the horizon. "Get ready. The next upward current will occur tomorrow at noon."
Usopp's eyes narrowed. "That's… way too convenient. You're lying, right? We just met today, and now you're being all nice?
Helping us fix the ship and navigate? Isn't that a little suspicious? And you're the descendant of Noland the Liar—"
"Usopp!" Luffy barked.
Sandy frowned. This idiot…
Usopp ignored them. "Skypiea? A place no one's even sure exists? And it just happens to open up tomorrow? What's your game?!"
Cricket turned around, his expression firm. "After the phenomenon of day and night occurs on Shojo's territory, cumulonimbus clouds form in the southern sky.
The current appears five times a month, and the next one's due tomorrow — south of here. It's not guaranteed, but the probability is very high."
His explanation was so calm and precise that Usopp immediately fell silent.
As Cricket headed back toward his cabin, he said over his shoulder, "I'm truly glad to meet fools like you. Let's go — it's time to eat. Make yourselves at home."
"Yihahaha!" Luffy cheered. "Let's eat! Hurry up, Usopp!"
Sandy watched Cricket's back, then looked at Luffy. These two… they're genuinely good people.
He smiled faintly. "Uncle, do you have noodles? I want noodles…"
Usopp, still slumped on the ground, didn't follow them in. Sandy knelt beside him and patted his shoulder.
"Uncle and Luffy have good tempers. We could learn a thing or two from them. They won't mind your rudeness just now. But, Usopp — don't question your captain like that again."
Usopp muttered weakly, "Sandy… am I just a hopeless coward?"
Sandy nodded with a grin. "Yeah, you're not just a coward — you're a complete idiot. Now hurry up and apologize! Hahaha…"
"You bastard!!" Usopp's face went red, but he still got up and ran inside. "Uncle! Luffy! I'm sorry!"
From inside, Cricket's voice roared, "Bastard! Don't wipe your snot on me!"
"Hahahaha!"
The laughter echoed through the house, carried away by the salty breeze.
...
Author's Note:
The fanfic One Piece: My Flirtatious System Adventure is now fully completed.
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📚 Category: One Piece (Chapters 1–657)
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