Over the next few days, the crew of the Swordfish gathered around the strangely designed Skylark, beginning an intense yet fascinating training regimen.
Although old Barry's back was no longer straight with age, whenever the conversation turned to his ship, his eyes lit up with the vitality of a young man.
"Watch closely!"
"This red rope controls the opening angle of the left wing! The blue one handles the right wing!"
"These two linked bronze levers adjust the swing of the main sail!"
"Remember—High West's upward wind is the route! The wings and sails are the Skylark's rudder and oars!"
Hans and Leon learned the fastest.
Hans, thanks to his long experience steering ships, quickly grasped how the mechanisms interacted with each other.
Leon, on the other hand, was calm and meticulous—excellent at observation and fine adjustments.
Together they formed a perfect pair.
One controlled, the other assisted.
Under Barry's guidance, they repeatedly practiced unfolding the wing membranes, adjusting the main sail, and using the tail sail to maintain balance.
"Wrong!"
"Leon, you swung the sail too quickly!"
"Hans! Adjust the wing angle again—the wind's biting too deep!"
But time shows no mercy.
During one demonstration of a rapid turning maneuver, Barry moved too abruptly.
Crack!
He suddenly grabbed his lower back and froze in place.
"Old man!"
Everyone rushed over.
"M-my back… it slipped…"
Barry grimaced in pain, sweat instantly covering his forehead.
Hiriluk was urgently called over.
After examining him, the ship doctor wrapped Barry's waist in thick bandages and strictly ordered him to rest.
"No sudden movements."
"But the training—" Barry protested anxiously.
"We'll handle it!" Hans said confidently, patting his chest.
"You just sit there and give orders."
"We'll practice every move properly."
From that point on, Barry directed training from a reclining chair.
While occasionally hissing from the pain, he shouted instructions from afar.
Hans and Leon's coordination improved rapidly.
At first they struggled to synchronize.
Later, they could smoothly maneuver the Skylark through the harbor—turning, adjusting speed, even drifting in the wind when the conditions were right.
A few days later, the two had basically mastered the operation.
Now it was time to decide who would go to Sky Island.
That evening, the Swordfish's dining hall was temporarily turned into a meeting room.
Everyone knew that although the Skylark's interior was spacious, it couldn't carry more than a limited number of people.
Too much weight would seriously affect the ship's ability to ascend and its flight safety.
Sami sat at the head of the table and spoke directly.
"You all know the situation."
"The Skylark isn't the Swordfish."
"We can't take everyone."
"A large number of people must stay behind to guard the ship."
"And not all officers can go either."
"So we need to decide."
"Who goes."
"And who stays."
The silence lasted only a second.
"Boss obviously has to go. That's a given."
Aldo was the first to shout.
Then he pointed his thumb at himself.
"And of course I'm going!"
"Wherever the boss goes, I go!"
"Besides, how could a big adventure like this happen without me?"
Before he finished speaking, a quiet figure silently stood behind his chair.
Aldo grinned and threw an arm around Sargins' shoulders.
"See? My apprentice too!"
"The two of us come as a package deal!"
Marcus crossed his arms and snorted.
"The situation on Sky Island is unknown."
"As the ship's second strongest combatant, I must go to ensure the captain's safety."
He glanced deliberately at Aldo.
"Compared to certain people who only rely on brute force…"
"It's better to have someone with a brain watching things."
"Oh yeah? Who made you number two?!" Aldo snapped.
"Enough."
Sami raised his hand, cutting off the argument.
"Hans and Leon."
"You two are the pilots. You're going."
Then Sami turned toward the old man resting in the chair.
"As we agreed earlier, Mr. Barry must come aboard."
Barry tried to sit up in excitement.
But the movement tugged his injured back.
"Hiss—!"
"G-good… thank you… thank you, Captain!"
"Then Hiriluk has to come too."
Sami looked toward the ship's doctor, who was scribbling notes.
"Huh? Me too?" Hiriluk pushed up his glasses.
"Barry's back injury requires monitoring."
"And at high altitude, sudden pressure and temperature changes could cause unexpected medical problems."
"You're coming."
"Just in case."
"Alright," Hiriluk sighed.
"For the old man and everyone's safety."
"I'll start preparing medical plans for altitude sickness and emergencies."
"Good."
Sami nodded.
"So far we have:
Me Aldo Sargins Marcus Barry Hiriluk Hans Leon
That's eight people."
He turned to the rest.
"Isaac, what about you?"
Isaac, who had remained silent until now, raised his head.
"Captain, I'll stay."
"The Swordfish still needs someone in charge."
Sami looked at him for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright."
"The Swordfish and the remaining crew are in your hands."
Kahailo spoke next.
"Isaac is right."
"If all of us leave, the younger crew members would be in danger."
"So I'll stay too."
Alberto silently nodded.
He pointed to himself, then to the deck beneath his feet.
His meaning was clear:
He would stay and guard the ship.
Feiqi stood up next.
"Captain, I want to go to Sky Island."
"My marksmanship could be useful in long-distance or complex situations."
"And I'm used to handling emergencies."
Sami thought for a moment.
"Alright."
"You're in."
As soon as Sami finished speaking, the quiet dining hall erupted.
The officers' positions had already been decided.
Now the remaining spots were precious crew positions.
Sky Island.
For many of them, this might be the only chance in their entire lives.
"Captain! Take me!"
"Captain, pick me! I'm good at lookout and scouting!"
"Bring me along! I've dreamed of flying since I was a kid!"
"Me too!"
"Pick me! Pick me!"
Voices overlapped as sailors stood up one after another.
The dining hall filled with noise.
Aldo scratched his ear, slightly overwhelmed.
"Wow… everyone's really eager…"
"Enthusiasm is good," Sami said.
"But we can't fit that many people."
After careful selection, the final number of Sky Island travelers was set at eighteen people.
Sami stood up and looked at both those chosen and those remaining behind.
"To those staying behind—"
"Guard our ship well."
"When we reach Sky Island, I'll contact you through a Den Den Mushi."
"While I'm gone, don't slack off."
He then looked at those selected.
"As for those going to Sky Island—"
"Make your preparations."
"We depart in three days."
"YES, CAPTAIN!!!"