Chapter 188 - 27

Chapter 27 The Banquet, Legend, Capture of Nan Nan Jian Niao!On the other side of Jaya Island, at Cricket's house,Everyone gathered for a feast!"Ah, today's sake tastes so good." Cricket held a bottle of sake and drank it heartily."Come, come, everyone, eat as much as you like, there's plenty more." Sanji enthusiastically served the dishes.Luffy ate large mouthfuls of meat, replenishing his vitality.Zoro and Chopper clinked their cups.Nami drank juice while thinking about tomorrow's events.Robin elegantly sipped red wine and read the newspaper.Meanwhile, Usopp was sprinkling chili sauce on Shoujou's food, being chased around the house by Shoujou!...Suddenly, Cricket came up to Robin, startling her."I saw gold in the right eye of the skull..."Everyone immediately fell silent."These were Noland's tearful last words. 'I saw gold in the right eye of the skull.'Noland was executed that very day. But after I came to Jaya, I still couldn't grasp the meaning of this sentence.What is in the right eye of the skull? Was that guy trying to allude to some ancient city? Or was he metaphorically referring to his impending death?Unfortunately, there were no more words on the blank pages that followed!That's why we dive to the bottom of the sea to search,Because our dream is at the bottom of the sea!" Cricket roared, then took a big gulp of sake."We're going to fly to the Sky Island!" Luffy stuffed a handful of dried saury into his mouth."Luffy, you're eating so much, will you even be able to fly up?" Usopp teased."Hahahahaha!"A happy and lively atmosphere filled the small house....This is the logbook entry for May 1st, 1122, the day we arrived at Jaya Island.After reaching that island, we heard the wonderful chirping of birds from the jungle and the sound of a very large, truly very large bell!It was a gigantic golden bell made of pure gold!Its chime spread across the land, resounding through the clouds!It was as if the ancient city of yesteryear was boasting of its former prosperity. Witnessing a civilization long nurtured by the vast sea,Ultimately, it could not withstand the impermanence of things, the great changes of time!It made us, who had lived for decades and felt indifferent to everything, feel an unspeakable heaviness in our hearts.We stood there motionless until the bell stopped ringing!"Ah ah ah!" Cricket's expression was agitated."What's the matter, old man, do you really like Noland?" Usopp had a punchable expression."Look at this!" Cricket pulled out a small golden bell."How is this bell gigantic?" Usopp asked, confused."Noland certainly wasn't talking about this; this is just a bell-shaped casting. We found three of them at the bottom of the sea!" Cricket said."And about the strange bird calls mentioned in the prologue!" Cricket pulled out a golden bird."This bird is called a South Bird, and it still lives on Jaya Island today," Cricket said calmly, then his expression suddenly changed, and he roared, "Oh no, hurry and go to the southern forest to find this South Bird now!""Catch a bird, why?" Everyone was confused."Listen, tomorrow you are going to ride the Knock Up Stream, which goes from bottom to top. Its location is directly south of this cape! Do you know how to get there?" (Cricket)"So, we need a South Bird to guide us?" Luffylaughed."That's right, whether it's on vast land or in a chaotic sea, its body can always point in the correct direction!In short, without this bird, there's no point talking about anything!" Cricket said firmly.Everyone left the small house,"We're going to slightly modify your ship! You go and catch me that South Bird!" Cricket said, "Come to think of it, there's no time for a feast tonight!""You're just saying that now!" Usopp was angry."Alright, let's go catch the bird!" Luffy stretched his arm, like a monkey, leaping up and down in the jungle."Luffy, wait for us!" Nami chased after him, but it was already too late.Everyone ventured deep into the jungle, looking at the pitch-black path."Damn it, why does it have to be night? I always feel like there's something extremely terrifying in there!" Usopp looked terrified."Speaking of which, where is that bird?" Zoro said."Who knows! If we knew where it was, would we all be out here?" Nami swore."Currently, we only know the bird's call and appearance. Finding it in this jungle is like looking for a needle in a haystack!" Robin analyzed."That old man said the South Bird's call is unique, how unique?" Sanji looked confused."Jiu~" Several sounds came from the forest."That's it!" Everyone was startled."Let's split into two groups!" Zoro said, he wanted to be alone."Okay, Miss Robin and Miss Nami, come with me!" Sanji's intentions were well-known."Tch~!" Everyone scoffed.Ultimately, Zoro, Chopper, and Robin formed one group, and Sanji, Usopp, and Nami formed another, splitting into two paths...."First, we need to listen for its sound!" Sanji said calmly."Damn it, where did Luffy go? To just leave us behind like this, I'm going to beat him up!" Namiwas both scared and angry."It's alright, Nami-san, I'll protect you well!" Sanjiwas full of manly spirit."What about me?" Usopp looked expectant."Who cares about you?" Sanji said disdainfully."Uh, Nami, when did you catch it?" Usopp calmly pointed at a spider clinging to Nami's skirt."Ah! A spider!" Nami shrieked.Sanji and Nami instantly moved to the nearby bushes, but alas... spiders kept falling down."Ah!!"Nami and Sanji were both terrified."It's okay, I used to deal with them a lot when I was a kid. As long as you don't provoke them, they won't hurt people, right?" Usopp carefully let a spider crawl onto his hand."Throw it away!! We're scared!""So, you're not afraid of the moths and centipedes next to you?" Usopp asked, confused."Moths??""Centipedes??"Suddenly, countless red eyes lit up."We are!!" Sanji and Nami ran for their lives!..."I think I heard screams?" Robin asked, confused.Suddenly, Zoro drew his sword without hesitation."Swish~" An arm-length centipede was struck down."Don't just draw your sword casually, it's pitiful!" Robin spoke up for the centipede."Stop nagging, it provoked me first!" Zoro sheathed his sword, turned, and walked forward."Hey! Zoro, that's the way we just came from!" Chopper yelled.Suddenly, the surrounding atmosphere quieted, and Zoro's face was extremely dark....At the same time, strange things kept happening!There were human-sized mantises!There were numerous ladybugs!And centipedes that fought without fear of death!They obeyed the South Bird's command,To eliminate those who invaded the forest!"It's a slug! Quick, sprinkle salt!""If you dare, sting me!""It's a firefly, how beautiful! No, it's a cockroach!"There were even pigs!Everyone's scalps tingled."Jiu~ jiu~" The South Bird's call echoed through the forest, but finding their location was no easy feat!...The moon hung high above the jungle,Everyone gathered back at the starting point,"No use, let alone catching a bird, we didn't even see a single feather!" Zoro said calmly."We saw them, but didn't catch them..." Usopprubbed his head.Thus, what they could catch, they couldn't see; what they saw, they couldn't catch!"Everyone, look! I caught one!"Just then, Luffy, who had left alone, returned, holding a bird in his arms."Jiu~ jiu~" The South Bird cried out helplessly."Luffy!!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise."You guys didn't catch any?" Luffy asked, confused."Didn't see a single feather!" Zoro complained."So, Zoro, you don't use Observation Haki?" Luffysaid bluntly.Everyone's eyes instantly lit up, then they looked at Zoro with resentful gazes."Uh... ah..., alright! I forgot!" Zoro couldn't find a good excuse."Zoro~!!" Everyone roared....The Straw Hat walked out of the jungle,Luffy held the South Bird, but had a large bump on his head."Who told you to leave us and run off by yourself! Do you know how scared I was? Spiders, cockroaches, ladybugs, moths, centipedes...!" The more Nami spoke, the angrier she got, and the more wronged she felt.No one dared to cross her...."Oh! You're back!" Cricket called out."Old man, we caught the bird!" Luffy shouted."Hey, your ship has also been modified! The rest is all up to fate!" Cricket said calmly."Hehe, we can definitely do it!!" Luffy laughed with determination."Alright, go to sleep! It's very late, and we still have to go to Sky Island tomorrow?" Cricket replied.Everyone returned to the house to rest and recuperate."They're a bunch of crazy fools who risk their lives for their dreams!" Cricket sighed, then said to Masira and Shoujou, "Work overtime tonight, we absolutely cannot have any problems!""Yes!!"PS: Watching episode 150 of the anime made me feel a bit stifled!