Under the protection of his personal guards, Mortomas waited at the port of Jaya Island for Brook's arrival. The Brook of today was no longer the same as when he had set sail from the Sabaody Archipelago. Now, as the captain of the Hell Pirates with a bounty of 200 million Belly, he had grown significantly stronger.
As the Yellow Springs, bearing the flag of the Hell Pirates, appeared on the horizon, Mortomas clenched his fists. If the legendary Skypiea truly existed, moving the World Economic News Agency there would mean freedom from the World Government's persecution.
"Brook!" Mortomas transformed into his half-beast form, taking to the sky and waving excitedly.
"Mort, how are things?" Brook, riding on his Qilin Lion, had already leaped from the ship, landing at the port with ease. He looked at the future media mogul with interest.
"A few people have left, and newspaper production has slightly decreased, but our publications are still in high demand!" Mortomas responded enthusiastically. As an up-and-coming private news agency, being able to compete with and even suppress the World Government's own media was something he took great pride in.
"You've prepared the oxygen masks and small oxygen tanks, right?"
"Everything has been arranged on other islands and will be transported here in a few days."
"Good. Now it's time to bring Jaya Island under the Hell Pirates' control."
"That's great news, Brook! I was thinking the same thing!" Mortomas was filled with anticipation for Brook's meticulous planning. Even if Skypiea turned out to be a myth, securing a foothold here was still a worthwhile move.
The Yellow Springs docked at Jaya's port. As a pirate haven, Jaya had long been occupied by various pirate groups. Strangely enough, the Marines had never attempted to purge the island—perhaps because the line between pirates and civilians here was too blurred. Many locals lived like pirates, yet had no bounties on their heads, frequently helping pirates escape capture. Over time, the Marines simply stopped bothering, and Jaya became a common resupply stop for seafarers looking to indulge in the pleasures of a pirate's life.
...
"Redfield, take over this island and raise our flag. This place belongs to us now!" Brook ordered.
The most powerful pirate on the island likely had a bounty of around 50 to 60 million Belly—nothing compared to the likes of Redfield.
"Understood!" Redfield gripped his cane sword and dashed toward Mock Town's center.
Silva and Shakky, both with bounties on their heads, eagerly followed Redfield, eager to take down Mock Town's pirates and perhaps even raise their own bounties in the process.
With people assigned to guard the ship, Brook led Tom, Crocus, and Antonio toward the headquarters of the World Economic News Agency.
The building was surrounded by tens of thousands of seagulls, all chattering noisily. Not far from the headquarters stood an aviary, packed with birds awaiting orders. Mortomas, the self-proclaimed Seagull King, had certainly earned his title.
Shifting into his full-beast seagull form, Mortomas let out a loud call. Instantly, the entire flock fell silent, turning their attention toward their king.
"Have a few seagulls wear the sample oxygen masks and take them up for a test flight. And get one for my Qilin Lion too!"
Under Mortomas's command, a few news seagulls unfastened the newspaper bundles from their necks and strapped on small oxygen tanks. A transparent mask covered their beaks, connected to the tanks beneath their hats.
Once the seagulls adapted to their gear, Mortomas and his Qilin Lion donned their own oxygen masks. Together, Brook, Mortomas, and a handful of seagulls ascended into the sky.
As they climbed higher, the temperature dropped sharply, and the oxygen levels thinned. While birds could tolerate the cold, the lack of oxygen was a different challenge altogether—except for certain exceptional species...
After rising past five or six thousand meters, they reached seven thousand meters above sea level. That was when Brook noticed something surprising—the oxygen levels had increased again. While still lower than at sea level, it was more than enough to sustain life.
Even the temperature was rising rapidly, returning to ground level conditions and continuing to climb, as if it were hotter than the Blue Sea.
The Shandians who lived on Skypiea barely wore any clothing, their sun-darkened skin resembling that of primitive tribes. This was proof of how high the temperatures could get in the sky islands. It seemed that both Skypiea and the White Sea had a way of trapping heat and generating oxygen.
As they continued their ascent, they passed through the White Sea's sea clouds, which left both Brook and Mortomas feeling drained. Brook quickly pulled Mortomas onto the back of the Qilin Lion.
These sea clouds contained a keratinous particle that the sky people called "pyrobroin." These particles were ejected into the air through volcanic eruptions, merging with water vapor and changing density to form both sea clouds and island clouds.
Sea clouds were similar to the waters of the Blue Sea, capable of nullifying Devil Fruit abilities. This was why many Devil Fruit users couldn't reach this altitude—if they fell directly into the sea clouds, they would be rendered powerless and drop back down. However, sea clouds also had significant buoyancy, allowing ships to sail across them.
Island clouds, on the other hand, floated above the sea clouds. They were soft and springy, allowing people to walk on them, functioning as the land of sky islands. The angelic residents of Skypiea lived on these island clouds.
When Jaya Island was launched into the sky, the Skypieans, who had never seen soil before, treated it like treasure. This led to a four-hundred-year war with the Shandians, who fought to reclaim their homeland of Shandora.
Now that Brook knew seabirds with oxygen masks could reach the White Sea, he gave the order for the Qilin Lion to return to the surface. Mortomas also commanded the seabirds to fly back down.
...
"Brook! The sky island might really exist!!"
Back on the ground, Mortomas shouted excitedly at Brook. They had already seen sky fish and sky beasts living just beneath the White Sea.
"So now you need to pick loyal employees to work on the sky island. In the future, even News Coo could be bred there."
Brook spoke, already making arrangements for Redfield to use his special Observation Haki to screen Mortomas' employees, ensuring none were spies for the World Government.
"I already understand all that! As long as we have a solid base, the World Economy News could grow rapidly and surpass the sales of the World Peace Dove News!"
Mortomas was an ambitious man. Having been hunted by the World Government before, he harbored a deep hatred for the World Peace Dove News and wished nothing more than to see it collapse—though he knew that was unlikely.
After all, the World Peace Dove News was backed by the World Government, and its customer base among affiliated nations guaranteed its high sales volume.
In the center of Mock Town, the unruly pirates drew their weapons against Redfield, enraged by his words. However, under his overwhelming strength, even the town's most formidable pirate was slain for his insolence. The others fell silent in an instant. Those who had only stopped by for supplies quickly made the decision to leave.
The native pirates of Mock Town had no choice but to submit to the rule of the Hell Pirates. Fortunately, Brook and his crew did not impose excessive protection fees, allowing tavern and restaurant owners to breathe a sigh of relief.
Several groups of pirate thugs even joined the Hell Pirates as auxiliary members, forming a pirate guard to maintain order in Mock Town.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg