Chapter 169: The Technology of Sky Island (Part 2)

"Sky Island, huh? We do have some maps. I'll have someone send them over." Since he had decided to go to Sky Island, Daniel naturally wanted to be well-prepared.

Information about Sky Island was certainly available with the Navy, but Daniel couldn't ask them directly without revealing his intentions. Instead, he turned to the Revolutionary Army.

Using the Den Den Mushi left by Dragon and the anti-eavesdropping white Den Den Mushi, Daniel maintained contact with Dragon. The white and black Den Den Mushi were rare; using a white Den Den Mushi in a call prevented eavesdropping by a black one, which worked best at close range. Long-distance eavesdropping would capture only a few words at most.

The Revolutionary Army, while seemingly weak, had leaders like Dragon and Sabo, who knew many world secrets.

Had Dragon not betrayed the Navy to join the Revolutionary Army, the Navy's three admirals might have been different today.

"So it is you." In the expanded underground base of Rain Dinners, now filled with advanced instruments from various underground sources, Daniel saw Bartholomew Kuma appear.

Among the advanced instruments were those sold by Doflamingo. Despite losing his Celestial Dragon privileges, Doflamingo was highly influential.

Daniel aimed to establish good relations with Doflamingo, who seemed interested in Daniel as a fellow Shichibukai. They had talked several times via Den Den Mushi, though never meeting in person.

Daniel met Doflamingo during an underground auction, where he also encountered Gecko Moria, a regular buyer of powerful slaves likely intended for zombie creation via his Shadow-Shadow Fruit.

Despite his harsh methods, Moria deeply valued his comrades. After Kaido annihilated his crew, Moria's pain and despair led him to create powerful zombies, which wouldn't suffer when destroyed.

Later, Moria even infiltrated Blackbeard Teach's base alone for his comrades, an extraordinary feat for any pirate.

Perona's respect for Moria was well-deserved.

Though Daniel knew Moria and Doflamingo, he never met Boa Hancock, Jinbe, Mihawk, or Kuma in the auction circles.

The reason was likely due to their unique circumstances.

Daniel's motive for befriending Doflamingo was simple. Beyond Doflamingo's Celestial Dragon secrets, his crew's ability to produce artificial Devil Fruits made him valuable. Doflamingo also had access to powerful Devil Fruits like the Gold-Gold Fruit, Ope Ope no Mi, and Mera Mera no Mi.

Additionally, Doflamingo's family members all had Devil Fruits, indicating his extensive resources.

Big Mom's crew similarly boasted numerous food-based Devil Fruits, showcasing incredible luck.

"This is what you requested." Kuma, appearing in Daniel's underground base, handed over the Revolutionary Army's intelligence on Sky Island. Kuma's presence was conspicuous and could spark rumors in Rainbase.

Moreover, Daniel doubted the World Government and Navy were unaware of Kuma's true identity. Kuma's unique status and role in the Pacifista project likely earned him leniency.

This leniency was not something Daniel could enjoy. If his contact with Kuma was exposed, it might lead to a crackdown by the World Government or Navy, forcing Daniel to flee.

"Thanks." Daniel took the information from Kuma and led him to a storage area.

"Here's what you wanted. Tell Dragon to keep a low profile. I've heard the World Government and various underground groups are looking into these weapons."

The Revolutionary Army, armed with these weapons, had recently been very active, capturing two countries in the West Blue.

Daniel didn't know their full plan but suspected they followed a strategy akin to surrounding cities from the countryside, starting with the Four Blues before attacking the Grand Line.

While the Four Blues seemed weaker than the Grand Line, they had a larger population. Many strong individuals from the Blues had moved to the Grand Line, such as Shanks from the West Blue and Roger from the East Blue.

With proper training, the vast population could produce strong fighters, like Sabo.

However, unifying the vast and diverse Four Blues was a monumental task. The Revolutionary Army needed the people to understand and embrace their ideology, not just use force.

If force alone could rule, Dragon's strength could conquer many countries, like the Four Emperors who controlled numerous islands.

"I'll relay the message. Don't worry, your involvement won't be leaked," Kuma assured, carrying two containers of weapons. He then vanished with a teleport.

"What strength." Each container held Gatling guns and ammunition.

Gatling guns had great power but high ammunition consumption, which even the Navy couldn't afford on a large scale.

Only Daniel's use of alchemy to produce ammunition allowed the Revolutionary Army to use them without worrying about supply.

In the pirate world, the guns' typical drawback—requiring immense physical strength—was less of an issue, as many had superhuman capabilities. Gatling guns could injure even CP agents, whose techniques couldn't fully evade the firepower.

The CP organization had various branches, with only CP0 and CP9 known for their combat prowess. The rest focused on intelligence, resources, and infiltration.

The queen of the pleasure district, for example, was a CP agent managing the world's largest underground nightclub network.

"Hope Doflamingo doesn't mind me stealing his business. After all, his main arms clients oppose the Revolutionary Army."

Selling weapons to the Revolutionary Army was a grave crime. Even Doflamingo, despite his status, couldn't openly do it.

"Is this all? People here don't value Sky Island. Maybe it's the transportation issue." Without planes, reaching Sky Island required special abilities or mastering Moonwalk.

"I remember Luffy arguing about Sky Island's existence. Information is outdated. A certain lunatic jumps from Sky Island regularly, not from the 7,000-meter White Sea but the 10,000-meter White White Sea."

Falling from such heights had little difference between land and sea impacts.

"Is Kaido using a Devil Fruit? Or maybe one that defies the sea's curse? My Ope Ope no Mi is an example."

Kaido was a headache for Daniel. Before his transmigration, Kaido was a legendary figure with scarce appearances but numerous tales.

Daniel vividly remembered one of Kaido's subordinates—a fearless powerhouse who resembled Luffy, repeatedly challenging and being defeated.

Remarkably resilient, this individual survived and escaped after two near-death beatings.

"Sky Islands are numerous. Enel's domain is just a small part." Revolutionary Army data, though limited, gave Daniel an overview of Sky Island.

Sky Island consisted of the 7,000-meter White Sea and the 10,000-meter White White Sea. Its currency was ridiculously devalued, worse than some historical hyperinflations, requiring sacks of money for transactions.

"Let's visit other Sky Islands first." Major Sky Island areas were in the Grand Line, absent from the Four Blues. Perhaps the Grand Line's magnetic fields sustained them.

"Flying through the sky, hope I don't run into a big pirate." Daniel knew the notorious Golden Lion Shiki had escaped, with the Navy and World Government still hunting him years later.

Shiki's Float-Float Fruit could lift islands and ships to attack Marineford, devastating the Navy headquarters.

With such power, Shiki could theoretically destroy Mariejois, making his disappearance a major concern for the World Government.

While the Float-Float Fruit was immensely dangerous, Daniel's Lightweight Fruit subordinate, Miss Valentine, seemed much weaker, merely altering her weight to attack.

Hoping the Lightweight Fruit could awaken to rival Shiki's abilities, Daniel was disappointed by Miss Valentine's lack of ambition. Now, she ran a café in Rainbase.

Though ruthless, her simple aspirations meant Daniel didn't force his subordinates into battles unless willing.

Despite others being clueless about Shiki's whereabouts, Daniel knew he was on a Sky Island, amassing forces to challenge the Navy and World Government.

Shiki's giant insects were formidable, capable of significantly harming both if left unchecked. However, his fixation on the Straw Hats led to his downfall, thwarting his 20-year plan.

Eventually, Shiki was recaptured, ensuring he couldn't escape again.

With such a figure hidden on an unknown Sky Island, Daniel remained cautious.

"What a backward place, though technologically advanced." Spending time on various Sky Islands, Daniel gained deeper insights.

Sky Islanders traveled between islands by flying or sailing on the White Sea and White White Sea, which Daniel initially overlooked due to preconceived notions about Sky Islands.

Sky Island's shell technology was impressive, utilizing clean, renewable energy comparable to advanced solar tech.

This included everyday shells like Sound Dial, Lamp Dial, Water Dial, Flavor Dial, and combat shells like Impact Dial, Flame Dial, and Heat Dial.

Not widely used worldwide, these shells were a massive wasted resource.

Sky Island wasn't isolated. Visitors like Roger and Luffy had come before, but most focused on history or treasure. Only Usopp realized the potential of shell technology, using it effectively in battle against Luffy.

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