"What a massive beanstalk!" Vivi exclaimed, her head tilted back in awe as she stared at the giant vine that pierced the clouds.
Ssssss—
A deafening hiss suddenly erupted from the forest behind them. A four-hundred-meter-long serpent burst from the trees, its massive jaws gaping as it lunged for Ryuuto and the others. Ryuuto turned slowly, his eyes fixed on the colossal python.
"What a huge snake. Is this because of the Sky Island's unique environment?" Vivi asked calmly, observing the giant python known as Nola.
Crocus and Jean Bart were equally composed, seemingly unfazed by the creature's attack.
As Nola's jaws, reeking of a foul stench, closed in on them, Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. An invisible wave of pressure shot out, and a bolt of black and red lightning slammed directly into the giant snake's head.
Boom!
The overwhelming force of his Haki was almost tangible, shattering the branches of the surrounding trees. Nola's mind felt as if it had been struck by a sledgehammer. A crushing pressure bore down on it, instilling a terrifying, instinctual fear, like facing a natural disaster. Beads of sweat, massive in size, formed on its head before it collapsed to the ground with a thunderous thud, knocked unconscious.
"Is that... Conqueror's Haki?" Vivi and Jean Bart stared, their eyes wide with astonishment.
"Alright, I've heard this snake's belly is full of gold. Let's go take a look," Ryuuto said with a smile, turning back to the others now that Nola was dealt with.
"Gold? Why would it be inside a snake's stomach?" Vivi asked, confused.
"It probably got confused and swallowed it by mistake. After all, this is the legendary land of gold! There's nothing more plentiful here," Ryuuto explained with a grin.
He casually chopped down a large tree and propped open Nola's jaws before being the first to climb inside. Vivi and Crocus followed, while Jean Bart, due to his towering stature, opted to wait outside, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Strangely, the inside of Nola's stomach wasn't dark at all. The path was lined with the remnants of ruined buildings and splintered wood. Amidst the debris, the glint of yellow gold could be seen everywhere.
"Captain, there really is gold!" Vivi exclaimed, running over. In just a few moments, she had gathered an armful of golden cups, belts, and other treasures.
"Hahahaha, excellent! That's the spirit! Let's gather all the gold we can find!" Ryuuto, perhaps infected with Nami's love for treasure, felt his spirits soar at the sight of the riches. He shouted to Vivi and Crocus, leaping about as he began collecting the scattered gold.
After a flurry of activity, they had managed to gather all the treasure in the area.
"We're rich, we're rich!" Vivi, still in her long white dress, had her sleeves rolled up, her arms and clothes now smudged with dirt as she clutched a huge pile of gold.
First, I questioned Nami. Then, I understood Nami. Now, I have become Nami, Ryuuto thought to himself with a chuckle.
The three of them then carried their haul back outside.
"Captain!" Jean Bart immediately stood up and called out as he saw Ryuuto emerge.
Ryuuto nodded and turned his gaze toward the top of the giant beanstalk.
"Next up, we're taking Enel's Ark Maxim," he thought. With a slight movement of his right hand, a fierce gale swirled around them, enveloping the group.
"Time to go up," Ryuuto said softly.
Bang!
A vortex of wind erupted, and the group shot up the giant beanstalk at incredible speed. After passing through another layer of clouds, they soon saw the giant Golden Bell at the top of the vine, as well as an enormous ship docked nearby. Of course, if one were to look even higher, they could faintly see the countless volts of lightning Enel had stored within the island clouds.
With a light leap, Ryuuto brought Vivi and the others onto the deck of the Ark Maxim.
"What a massive ship!"
"This doesn't look like something that could be built with modern technology!"
"So much gold!"
The three of them exclaimed their thoughts as soon as they landed.
The Ark Maxim was a colossal vessel, six hundred meters long and three hundred meters high, its entire hull crafted from some unknown wood. Below the hull were two neat rows of rudders, and from the deck, one could clearly see massive propellers on the port, starboard, bow, and stern.
But the most striking feature was the enormous golden condor statue at the front of the cabin. Its design was majestic and filled with an imposing aura. This was also where Enel supplied power to the ship.
"Captain, how does this ship float in the air, and how does it sail?" Vivi asked curiously.
Ryuuto happened to know the answer and began to explain. The Ark Maxim was a combination of Skypiea's Dial technology, ancient technology, and electrical power. The ship's construction and propulsion systems were far too advanced for the current era, likely originating from an ancient civilization. Giant Cloud Dials allowed the Ark to float, while the electrical drive controlled the massive propellers. It was a vessel that required an immense amount of lightning to operate.
Fortunately, it wasn't just Enel who could wield lightning; Ryuuto could as well.
He placed his hands on the golden condor, and a powerful blue electrical current flared to life, gradually seeping into the golden statue. A moment later, the propellers at the stern of the Ark Maxim began to spin rapidly, and the entire ship started to move.
"It worked," Ryuuto said with a faint smile, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. The first simple test was a success, a pleasant surprise.
"This will be our second pirate ship from now on! Vivi, let our black dragon flag fly once more!" Standing at the bow, Ryuuto looked down at the God's Shrine of Skypiea and the boundless sea of clouds, a surge of ambition rising within him as he called out to her.
A smile touched Vivi's lips. She went into the cabin and reemerged moments later with a large white cloth and several brushes. With a few deft strokes, a lifelike black dragon appeared on the fabric.
As expected of the Princess of Alabasta, she made drawing a perfect black dragon look easy, Ryuuto thought, nodding in satisfaction.
He took the flag and mounted it atop the Ark Maxim's main cabin. The massive black dragon flag began to flutter in the wind once again.
On the deck below, Vivi, Crocus, and Jean Bart looked up at the billowing flag, then turned their gazes to Ryuuto. He was the soul of the Rising Dragon Pirates.
Enel, being the madman who planned to obliterate Skypiea on his journey to the "Endless Vearth," had stocked the Ark Maxim with everything one could possibly need. This saved Ryuuto a great deal of trouble.