To the Sky!

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--xLOVEx--

"You're not worth my time," Coby said dismissively and then punched him hard in the gut. Bellamy folded instantly, gasping for air. Without missing a beat, Coby grabbed Bellamy and Sarquiss by their collars and began dragging them out of the bar.

Nami and Luffy followed closely behind, Nami casting a wary glance around the room as they exited. The bar patrons, who had been jeering and laughing earlier, now stood in stunned silence. No one dared to challenge Coby as he made his way through the crowd with the two beaten pirates in tow.

Once outside, Luffy asked with his usual curiosity, "Will you really drop them from the sky?"

Coby nodded without hesitation. "Yeah." Screw the future developments, screw the plot. These guys crossed a line. His anger still simmering beneath the surface. Seeing Sarquiss talk to Nami like she was a cheap prostitute and Bellamy laughing at Luffy's dream had pushed him over the edge. As Usopp once said, "There comes a time when a man has to stand and fight! This is that time."

Luffy grinned, clearly liking the idea. "Sounds good to me!"

Bellamy, still wheezing from Coby's punch, managed to croak out, "You... You can't do this!"

Coby glanced down at him, unimpressed. "Watch me."

Just as they left the bar, they saw the man Luffy had been quarreling with over pies and drinks sitting on the ground, watching them. His wide grin revealed sharp teeth as he chuckled darkly. "Sky Island exists," he said, his voice deep and rumbling. "Zehahahaha. The cherry pies are really the best."

Luffy glanced at him but didn't respond. 

Teach's grin widened as he noticed the attention on him. "The new age those guys are talking about is total bullshit," he declared, his voice rising with excitement. "The age when pirates dream is over? Zehahahaha!" His laughter echoed through the empty street as he raised his arms wide, his presence commanding. "A man's dream never ends!"

Luffy paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Teach. For a moment, the two pirates locked eyes. But Luffy wasn't interested in exchanging words with him. He simply nodded once and continued walking, his silence speaking volumes.

Teach's laughter followed them as they left. Nami kept her eyes forward, gripping Coby's arm tightly as they made their way back to the Going Merry. The strange encounter with Teach lingered in her mind, but she pushed it aside for now.

As they reached the shore where the Merry was anchored, Zoro was already waiting, leaning against the mast. He raised an eyebrow as he saw Coby dragging Bellamy and Sarquiss behind him like a pair of ragdolls. "Looks like you had some fun," he remarked dryly.

Coby smirked, hoisting the two beaten pirates onto the deck and dropping them with a thud. "Just taking out the trash."

As Coby chained Bellamy and Sarquiss to the lower deck, the rest of the crew was already discussing their next move. Robin arrived and she brought information.

"There's an eccentric man living on the other end of the island," Robin informed the crew. "He might know something about Sky Island."

Luffy immediately perked up. "Let's go meet him!" he said, his excitement renewed.

The crew took the Merry around to the other side of the island. Upon arriving, they were greeted by a rundown shack and a man who introduced himself as Mont Blanc Cricket. After a little misunderstanding, the man invited them in. As they sat down, Cricket began to share the story of his ancestor, Mont Blanc Noland, often referred to as "Noland the Liar." He told the crew how Noland had been ridiculed for claiming to have found a city of gold, and how Cricket had spent his life trying to prove that his ancestor wasn't a liar.

Chopper, always the compassionate one, noticed Cricket's poor health and quickly offered his medical expertise. Cricket, though initially reluctant, eventually agreed to let Chopper help him. The crew, now invested in Cricket's story, offered to help him find the city of gold. Cricket, touched by their offer, decided to help them reach Sky Island in return.

With the assistance of the Saruyama Alliance—Cricket's allies, who were a pair of monkey brothers—the crew set out to catch the South Bird, a key part of navigating the Knock Up Stream that would launch them into the sky. The bird, known for its stubborn and uncooperative nature, put up quite a fight, but with strategy and brute force, they eventually managed to capture it.

Of course, they didn't need to change the Going Merry into a rooster like in the original story. Thanks to Coby's influence, the ship was in top condition, practically sparkling from bow to stern. The repairs and enhancements they had made earlier ensured it was ready for whatever crazy adventure awaited them next.

As the crew circled a massive whirlpool that had appeared in the sea, Nami kept a close eye on the swirling waters, expertly navigating them through the treacherous currents. The sea roared around them, but the Going Merry held strong, slicing through the waves.

Suddenly, a massive raft, nearly the size of a ship, approached from the distance. The crew tensed as they recognized the laughter that echoed over the water.

"Zehahaha! I caught up with you, Straw Hat Luffy!" Teach's booming voice called out from the raft. His large figure loomed at the front, flanked by his equally formidable crew.

Sanji narrowed his eyes, his cigarette burning low as he asked, "Who are these clowns?"

Nami, her expression darkening, pointed at the men on the raft. "They were in Mock Town. I saw them."

Teach, unfazed by the tension, grinned widely. "I came for the 120 million belly head of yours, Straw Hat Luffy! And don't think I forgot about you either, Coby the Copy Ninja—100 million!" His voice echoed across the water, filled with confidence.

Luffy blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard. "120 million? What are you talking about?" He tilted his head, trying to make sense of the situation.

Teach, clearly relishing in the moment, raised four wanted posters high in the air, the paper flapping in the wind. "Zehahaha, so you really didn't know, huh? Straw Hat Luffy, 120 million! Coby the Copy Ninja, 100 million! Pirate Hunter Zoro, 50 million! And Usopp the Great Liar, 15 million!"

Usopp, who had been using binoculars to keep an eye on the raft, gasped and nearly dropped them. "He's right! Those are new wanted posters! I have one too!"

Sanji quickly moved closer, eager to see if he had finally earned his own bounty. "How about me? Do I have one too?"

Usopp, still in shock, glanced at the posters and then grinned. "You don't have any!"

Sanji's face fell, his shoulders slumping in disappointment. "Seriously?!"

Meanwhile, Luffy was already celebrating, his earlier confusion forgotten. He jumped up and down on the deck, pumping his fists in the air. "120 million! I'm worth 120 million! Woohoo!"

Zoro, though quieter in his reaction, looked pleased as well. He nodded in satisfaction, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Not bad."

Nami, on the other hand, was less thrilled. She paled, clutching the side of the ship for support. "It must be because of what happened in Alabasta! Gah! Coby, not just Luffy—your bounty is ridiculously high too!"

Coby grinned at her, clearly amused by her reaction. "It's not bad," he said, shrugging it off like it was no big deal.

Before they could speak any further, the sea churned wildly. Coby used his Wind Manipulation skill to guide the Merry closer into the center of the massive whirlpool. The ship looked as if it was about to be swallowed whole by the raging sea.

Teach, watching from his raft, looked bewildered. "What the hell is happening? Are these guys suicidal?"

Burgess, standing nearby, scoffed, "Since they can't escape us, they must be planning to die with us."

But before Teach's crew could make sense of the situation, the whirlpool suddenly stilled. There was a brief, eerie silence as everything seemed to freeze in place. Then, with an Almighty Push, the whirlpool shot upwards, launching the Going Merry into the sky with a powerful force.

Teach and his crew could only watch in shock as the Straw Hat Pirates and their ship were propelled high above the clouds, disappearing from view in mere seconds. "What the hell...?" Teach fell to the sea, completely taken aback by the spectacle as his raft broke down.

Meanwhile, on the Going Merry, the crew held on tightly as the ship soared upward. The sudden ascent was jarring, but the ship held steady. Luffy was the first to break the tension, laughing excitedly as they shot toward the sky. "We're really going up!"

Nami, gripping the helm tightly, yelled back, "Hold on, everyone! This is going to be rough!"

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