The Swordfish cut through the blue sea, steadily sailing toward Jaya Island.
Marcus patted Hans on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Hey, Hans, you're getting better and better at handling the ship!"
Hans scratched his head shyly.
"Yeah… During our rest on Bolse Island, it felt like something suddenly clicked. Sometimes when I'm holding the wheel, I can sense the movements of the world around me… almost like I've become one with the sea's weather."
Hearing that, Sami turned his head with interest.
"Hans, don't tell me you've started touching the threshold of that… hahaha…"
"I'm not sure either…"
"Just keep feeling it out! Hahaha…"
While everyone was chatting and laughing, Ardo walked over with his spiked club resting on his shoulder.
"Boss, I heard Jaya Island is a paradise for pirates. Think we can… make a score there? After spending half a month on Bolse Island, the guys are nearly out of money."
"That's true. Just buying that Wine King already cost me quite a bit," Sami said with a smirk. "I hope the pirates there don't disappoint me."
At the mention of the Wine King, Sami and the others couldn't help swallowing.
Just as the words left his mouth—
Suddenly several shocked cries erupted on deck.
"T-The sky…!"
"What the hell is that?!"
Every crew member—whether training, chatting, or working—instinctively looked up.
In the clear blue sky were several enormous blurry shadows, like colossal giants walking among the clouds.
The overwhelming visual impact triggered instinctive fear.
"Monsters—!!!"
"B-Bigger than the giants on Little Garden!!!"
"Run! Turn the ship!"
Marcus instantly gripped the hilt of his sword, preparing for battle.
Even he felt a suffocating pressure in the face of such incomprehensible beings.
Hans was terrified as well, but he forced himself to stare carefully at the shadows for several seconds.
"N-No! Everyone calm down! It's a mirage!"
"A mirage?"
Hans began explaining earnestly.
"Yeah! It's a phenomenon where distant scenery gets projected somewhere else. Clearly these are shadows of giants from another place being reflected here!"
The crew looked uncertain. But remembering all the strange phenomena of the Grand Line, the explanation seemed somewhat plausible.
Sami walked over and smacked the back of Hans's head.
"Stop talking nonsense. Put your weapons away. They're not monsters—they're just shadows."
"Shadows?"
The crew stared at the sky nervously.
Sami stepped to the railing and pointed toward the slowly fading silhouettes.
"What you just saw were people living on Sky Islands. If you look carefully, you'll notice small wing shapes behind their shadows."
Indeed, behind the enormous silhouettes were faint shapes that looked like small wings.
"S-Sky… islands?" Cahelo sheathed his swords thoughtfully. "Captain, you mean…"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Sami said calmly. "Islands floating in the sky."
"Islands… in the sky?!"
The crew's expressions became even more exaggerated than when they had first seen the shadows.
"Of course. There are many floating islands above the Grand Line, collectively called Sky Islands. Up there are Sea Clouds that ships can sail on and Island Clouds that people can build houses on. What we just saw were sky islanders whose silhouettes were refracted and magnified by special light or clouds, projecting their shadows down here."
"Islands in the sky… people living on clouds…"
The story sounded far too unbelievable for most of the crew.
They exchanged doubtful looks.
But the person saying it was their captain.
Gradually, the doubt faded, replaced by renewed discussion about the Grand Line's incredible wonders.
Meanwhile, Sami gazed silently at the distant sky, lost in thought.
Several days later, the outline of Jaya Island finally appeared on the horizon.
"Pirate ships! So many… Captain, the harbor—it's packed with pirate ships!"
The lookout swallowed hard.
Flags of different pirate crews filled nearly every docking spot. Even the air seemed thick with chaos and savagery.
"Now that's what a pirate paradise should look like." Sami waved his hand. "Pull in. The officers and I will go ashore first to check things out."
After landing, the scene before them was somewhat different from what they had expected.
Pirates with swords and guns strapped to their waists were everywhere.
But at the same time, there were street vendors pushing carts, women carrying children, and elderly men repairing fishing nets.
Shops were open as usual.
Drunken singing drifted from taverns.
One pirate was even arguing with a fruit seller over a few Berries.
The atmosphere wasn't exactly peaceful—but there was no open bloodshed either.
"So… peaceful?" Isaac said in surprise. "I thought this place would be crawling with ruthless killers."
"Even pirates need services," Cahelo replied, adjusting his sleeves. "If they killed or scared away all the civilians, who would they spend their stolen money with?"
"Good point…"
The group headed toward the largest tavern on the island.
Sami pushed open the wooden door, which was covered in axe and sword marks.
Inside—
A pirate was gleefully scooping a pile of Berries into his pocket.
"Hahaha! I won!"
His opponent slammed the table in frustration.
"Damn it! I was so close!"
But the moment Sami appeared in the doorway—
Dozens of eyes snapped toward him.
The noise in the tavern paused for a split second.
Then the room fell into dead silence.
The pirate who had just won froze mid-motion. The Berries slipped through his fingers and clattered back onto the table.
He slowly raised his head toward the door.
His opponent's fist remained suspended in the air.
"Cough! Cough!!"
In the corner, a pirate who had been drinking suddenly choked, his face turning red as he desperately tried not to make noise.
Another drunken pirate stood up.
"Hey, why did it suddenly get so quiet?"
His companion instantly dragged him under the table.
"Shut up, you idiot…"
"Y-Yes…"
"…Predator… Riberra Sami!!!"
Someone finally shouted the name with trembling fear.
"The 150-million-berry pirate…!"
"Clang!"
A bartender's hand slipped, dropping a tin pitcher as ale spilled across the table.
"The Jellyfish Pirates are here…"
"The crew that attacked two member nations and got away…"
"What are they doing here?!"
Whispers and sharp intakes of breath spread across the tavern.
Moments earlier it had been noisy.
Now it was so quiet that even a falling needle would be heard.
Some quick-thinking pirates had already begun slowly inching toward the door, hoping to slip away unnoticed.
A big shot has arrived! Someone untouchable! We need to warn our captain to get out immediately!
Sami rubbed his nose and revealed a faint smile.
"Everyone, sorry for the interruption. We're just passing through the island to pick up some supplies."
With that, he led his officers straight toward a large table in the center of the tavern that had just been vacated.
Along the way, pirates and bounty hunters stepped aside one after another.
The tavern remained eerily silent.
The only sounds left were heavy breathing—and the suffocating tension filling the air.
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