Chapter 144: Returning with a Full Load! Falling Towards the Blue Sea
The faint light of early morning had just illuminated the ruins of Gods Island.
"Hoo... hoo... Run quickly!!!"
On the jungle path, Luffy, Zoro, Chopper, and Sanji were carrying huge bundles, almost as tall as they were, running desperately as if they were thieves.
The bundles made a crisp "clatter-clatter" sound, which was clearly the sound of countless gold items colliding.
"Don't look back! If we get caught, it's all over!!!" Luffy's tongue was lolling out, his legs churning like windmills.
Behind them, dust was flying.
A large group of Skypiea residents and Wyper's warriors were chasing after them, roaring.
Even more exaggerated, the leading strongmen were actually carrying a huge, priceless golden pillar!
"Wait!!! Benefactors!!!"
"Don't run!!! Take this too!!! This is our heartfelt gift!!!"
However, this enthusiastic shouting instantly changed its meaning in Luffy's peculiar way of thinking.
Luffy looked back at the pillar, which was thicker than a cannon, and his eyes almost popped out in fear:
"Waaaaah!!! Run!!! They want to smash us with that big pillar!!!"
"That must be a heavy weapon!!!" Zoro was also sweating profusely, "Was it really too hateful to take all the gold after all!"
"For Nami's treasure, I won't let go even if I die!!!" Sanji was running fast, but he held onto the bundle on his back tightly.
"Huh? I think their expressions are very strange." Chopper panted.
On the going merry.
Tatsuya was sitting leisurely on the ship's railing, holding a cup of tea, watching the comical chase in the distance.
In fact, through his observation and a few words just now, he had long guessed that the residents wanted to give gifts.
"However..."
Tatsuya pushed up his glasses, and a mischievous smile curled the corners of his mouth:
"As pirates, this 'grab and run' exit method is indeed more romantic."
He didn't want to ruin this rare atmosphere, so he stood up and shouted like a real villain commander:
"All hands prepare!!! Weigh anchor!!!"
"Usopp! Prepare the breath dial! Get ready to receive them on board!"
"Oh!!! Leave it to me!"
Just as the three of them jumped onto the deck with weird screams, Usopp activated the breath dial at the stern.
Boom!!!
A powerful airflow gushed out, and the going merry used the recoil like an arrow leaving the bow, instantly rushing out from the shore and heading towards the end of the clouds.
"Goodbye!!! Uncles!!! Don't smash us with that pillar!!!" Luffy lay on the stern, waving his hand with lingering fear.
On the shore, Wyper and Gan Fall, carrying the golden pillar, stood there in a daze.
"...They run really fast."
"It's really strange, it seems they don't like this golden pillar."
On the ship's deck.
After confirming they were safe, everyone collapsed on the ground, laughing.
Besides the four big bags of gold, Tatsuya also patted a large sack beside him.
It wasn't filled with gold, but stuffed with various dials from Skypiea — those were the ones he had specifically asked Wyper's warriors to collect yesterday.
"This is..." Usopp leaned over curiously.
"It's dials."
Tatsuya picked up a breath dial, tossed it, and said to Usopp:
"After we go back, we're going to have a big operation, Usopp."
"Nami's Weather Stick is clever, but lacks power; your slingshot has also reached a bottleneck."
Tatsuya's eyes flashed with light:
"We are going to make full use of these dials. impact dials, flame dials, breath dials... and then give your weapons a comprehensive upgrade."
Hearing this, Usopp's eyes instantly brightened like searchlights:
"Ohhh!!! Comprehensive upgrade!!!"
He hugged the bag of shells excitedly and rubbed against it:
"I almost forgot about these treasures! As expected of you, bastard Vice Captain! You thought of everything!"
The ship sailed to the end of the clouds, and ahead was a bottomless abyss.
"If we don't take the Knock-Up Stream, how are we going to get down?" Chopper asked with concern, looking below.
Just then, a whistle came from the sky.
"Everyone—!!!"
Conis and Pagaya, father and daughter, drove a Waver to see them off.
Conis blew a special whistle.
"Woo——"
A giant octopus that looked like a hot air balloon — the "Balloon Octopus" — floated up from the cloud sea.
Its tentacles gently grabbed the hull of the going merry, and its huge body inflated, turning into a natural parachute.
"With this, we can land safely on the Blue Sea!" Conis shouted, waving her hand.
The going merry was grabbed by the giant balloon and slowly descended from the cloud sea.
As the altitude decreased, the dreamlike scenery of the Skypiea gradually drifted away, becoming an unreachable memory.
In the sky.
"Screech——"
The Sky Knight Gan Fall circled above the going merry on his Pegasus, Pierre.
The old knight took off his helmet and offered the highest knightly salute to this group of pirates who, despite their rude behavior, were kind-hearted.
At the high point of the ruins.
Wyper was still wrapped in bandages, but he stood straight.
He looked at the departing ship, his eyes deep:
"Straw Hat Luffy... and that terrifying Tatsuya..."
"This sky will always welcome you."
Luffy's mindless shouting came from the wind:
"Uncles————!!! The food on the Skypiea is delicious!!! See you next time!!!"
Tatsuya stood at the stern, his coat flapping in the high-altitude wind.
He didn't speak, just turned his back to the others, and waved gently towards this sky where he had once fought.
Goodbye, Kingdom of God.
I'll come here when I retire, Tatsuya thought.
The balloon octopus took the going merry into the long vertical cloud path.
Airflow surged around, and white clouds flashed by rapidly.
As the adrenaline subsided, exhaustion washed over him like a tide.
After experiencing all the battles, calculations, serious injuries, and the not-so-easy carnival last night, Tatsuya finally couldn't hold on.
He didn't go back to his room, but leaned directly on the pile of bags filled with gold on the deck.
In his ears were the noisy sounds of Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper fighting over snacks, and the sound of Zoro snoring.
In this reassuring commotion, Tatsuya closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
"Shh..."
Nami raised a finger, signaling everyone to be quieter.
She picked up a coat, walked over lightly, and gently covered Tatsuya with it.
Looking at the face whose brows were slightly relaxed even in sleep, Nami did not leave.
She leaned sideways, burrowed into his arms like a kitten, and found a comfortable position to lean on.
Through the gaps in the clouds, the scenery below was no longer pure white, but gradually revealed that deep, vast azure blue.
That was the sea.
Nami looked at the hometown approaching below, the corners of her mouth raised slightly, revealing a beautiful smile.
"Ah... what a wonderful journey."
She whispered, her fingers drawing circles on Tatsuya's chest:
"Rushing to the sky for a dream, challenging the gods for friends... I suddenly understand a little bit of that idiot Luffy's thinking."
"Hey, Tatsuya."
Tatsuya did not answer, only his even and long breathing remained.
Nami turned her head, looking at her sleeping lover, the love and dependence in her eyes no longer needing to be hidden.
"In the future... please take care of me."
"My... my love."
The wind blew gently, carrying the salty taste of the sea.
Just like that, the Straw Hat ended their miraculous adventure at ten thousand meters in the sky, returning to the chaotic and wonderful Blue Sea with a ship full of gold, legends, and bonds.
Loving Book So Far Check Out 80+ Advanced Chapters At Pa Treon:
patreon.com/FicTonic1