In just over an hour, Ace and the others had thoroughly combed through Jaya Island.
Though it was a pirate island, it was only located in the first half of the Grand Line. The highest bounty on the island was merely a few million Berries, making its inhabitants no match for Ace and his companions.
Caesar had initially thought there might be one or two Devil Fruit users, but luck wasn't on their side—there wasn't a single one on the island.
This year's rookie pirates weren't particularly strong. In the original timeline, Ace was the only Supernova the year he set sail.
It's worth noting that next year's Supernova would be Cavendish—again, just him alone.
It wasn't until Luffy's debut year that a surge of Supernovas emerged.
In previous years, it was rare to encounter pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million Berries in Paradise.
This was precisely why Caesar's presence was so intimidating.
In a place where pirates with mere tens of millions in bounties could act like tyrants, suddenly encountering someone with a bounty in the billions was an overwhelming shock!
Before long, the strongest pirates on the island had all fallen to Ace's Fire Fist.
Bonney didn't kill, but Ace's Fire Fist showed no mercy.
On the other side of the island, guided by Observation Haki, the group—having cleared the island—found Caesar drinking and chatting with Cricket.
"Ha—chestnut head!" Yamato pointed at Cricket's head, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Haha, such energy." Cricket chuckled as he looked at the group of young people before him.
"Wait, that hairstyle…"
Noticing Cricket's chestnut-shaped head, Law's pupils trembled slightly. "The Liar Noland?"
"From the North Sea, huh…" Cricket studied Law, noting his fluffy hat—a distinctly North Sea style.
Moreover, the tale of the Liar Noland was particularly famous in the North Sea…
"I'm Noland's descendant, Montblanc Cricket." Cricket lit a cigarette and spoke calmly. "I've been here for many years."
"You're searching for the City of Gold?" Law pressed.
"Yeah…" Cricket nodded. "I always believed, like Noland said, that the City of Gold had sunk into the sea. But just now, this young man told me it was carried to the White Sea by the Knock-Up Stream."
"Truly unbelievable… the whims of fate."
"Doesn't that mean you've wasted many years?"
Law's gaze was complicated. He admired Cricket's dedication—spending so many years on a pirate-infested island like Jaya, all for the sake of a seemingly mythical legend.
"Haha, not entirely. I've gained some things."
With that, Cricket retrieved a bundle and unwrapped it, revealing a dazzling golden glow that lit up everyone's eyes.
"This is… a golden bird?"
Nami's eyes sparkled like stars as she instantly appeared beside Cricket.
"It's a South Bird, also called a Nananashi Bird. See, this one here."
Caesar nudged the South Bird at his feet with his foot. The large, clumsy bird had woken up and was now sitting reluctantly beside him.
"This is the South Bird's habitat, so the ancient City of Gold had many golden South Bird statues. If we want to ride the Knock-Up Stream to Sky Island, we'll need these birds for navigation."
"So these sculptures are artifacts from the City of Gold?"
Robin picked up a smaller South Bird statue, feeling its weight in her hand.
"Gold-plated?"
"Even the City of Gold couldn't be so extravagant as to build an entire city from pure gold. Otherwise, we'd have to hollow out this entire planet and still might not gather enough gold."
Caesar shook his head with a wry smile. The City of Gold wouldn't lack for gold, but it was impossible for everything to be made of pure gold.
Take the golden bell, for example—if it were truly solid gold, one strike would likely leave a dent.
"Nami, Bepo, you'll spend the next few days learning how to predict the Knock-Up Stream from Mr. Cricket," Caesar instructed. "The rest of you, help Dr. Wolf bring the ship over here. We'll need to make some modifications in the coming days."
"Finally heading to Sky Island..."
Ace was practically buzzing with excitement. Aside from his curiosity about Sky Island, his steamship project was also due for an upgrade.
"Then, Mr. Cricket, we look forward to your guidance."
Nami and Bepo bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities. I'm just doing what little I can to help. After all, this is my own long-cherished dream as well."
Cricket chuckled warmly.
He had a good impression of Caesar's crew—young, lively, and kind-hearted.
Though he had doubts about Caesar as a leader, it was clear that the young people around him were sincere.
Soon, the crew moved the ship next to Cricket's house, and Nami and Bepo began their studies on the Knock-Up Stream.
By nightfall, everyone gathered outside Cricket's hut for a feast.
Joining them were Cricket's two subordinates—the captains of the Saruyama Alliance.
One looked like a monkey, the other like a gorilla.
Their appearances matched their names perfectly.
The two had been out salvaging during the day, inadvertently avoiding Caesar's purge of the island's pirates.
Upon learning that all the pirates on the island had been wiped out by Caesar's crew, they were thoroughly shaken.
Caesar didn't give them any trouble, though—he still needed Cricket's help calculating the Knock-Up Stream.
Besides, these two hadn't done anything wrong; they were just salvage enthusiasts. Caesar wasn't an extremist like Akainu, so naturally, he had no reason to harm them.
Over centuries, piracy had become a cultural phenomenon in this world.
Much like the Vikings on Earth, the people of this world admired pirate culture more for its spirit of daring adventure than for pillaging and plundering.
Of course, most pirates were still scum.
...
The pattern of the Knock-Up Stream wasn't hard to decipher. The phenomenon was primarily caused by underwater volcanic eruptions.
Within just two days, Nami mastered the calculations and accurately predicted the next occurrence—four days later, thirty nautical miles east of Jaya.
So Caesar caught an East Bird to bring back.
He didn't release the South Bird either—after all, the two could keep each other company.
And with their different directions, they could serve as reference points for each other.
Meanwhile, under Dr. Wolf's direction, the rest of the crew gave the ship a complete overhaul!
Small sails were added to the bow and stern, and two cylindrical structures were installed at the rear.
On either side of the ship, straight wing-like panels extended outward.
Caesar stared at those wings in silence.
Though the Going Merry in the original story had already proven the feasibility of wings, they still looked... odd.
"We'll have the Saruyama Alliance take your ship to the destination soon. All you need to do is wait for the Knock-Up Stream to erupt."
Early in the morning, Cricket saw them off with a cigarette dangling from his lips.
"I won't say much else. Just stay safe on your journey."
"Yeah, thanks for the well-wishes."
Caesar waved casually before leaping onto the ship's bow. With the Saruyama Alliance's assistance, they sailed eastward from the island.
Soon, the ship reached the general destination.
Galdino and Bon Clay trembled like leaves in the wind, yet they forced themselves to stand steady on the deck.
Even the usually composed Law felt his heart racing, while Ace and Bonney couldn't keep still, their excitement barely contained.
It was understandable—the idea of riding a ship ten thousand meters into the sky sounded like pure fantasy.
Fortunately, with Caesar and Issho backing them up, the crew had confidence in this voyage.
Compared to the others, Caesar remained completely calm, even finding time to tease the South Birds, much to their indignant squawking.
No one questioned why Caesar didn't just have Issho use his powers to lift them into the sky—not even the typically timid Nami.
When it came to adventure, achieving the goal without personal effort would render the accomplishment meaningless.
In fact, Nami was the most composed among the younger crew members.
As the ship's navigator, her concern wasn't whether they could make it—it was how to guide Caesar to where he wanted to go.
"This should be about the spot!"
The monkey-like man leaned over the salvage ship's railing, calling out loudly.
"Next, we'll pinpoint the exact location using echolocation to find the underwater whirlpool."
"Leave that to me."
With a wave of Caesar's hand, four blood-red bats took flight, landing at the ship's four cardinal directions.
Then, the Blood Bats opened their mouths wide, emitting sharp sonic waves.
The intense sound waves rippled across the sea's surface, spreading rapidly in all directions.
Caesar shifted into his Human-Beast Form, his ears twitching slightly before he pointed. "Nine o'clock."
"Nine o'clock, full speed ahead!"
Nami commanded, and Kuma gently turned the helm. The ship veered left, but before it could travel far, the sea suddenly surged violently.
"That's it! These are the precursor waves before the eruption! Everyone, be careful—don't get thrown overboard!"
The monkey-man shouted his warning.
"Look ahead!"
Nami pointed forward, and everyone followed her gaze to see a massive, swirling vortex appear before them.
"This is as far as we can take you! Any closer and we'll get sucked in!" the monkey-man yelled.
"Got it! Thanks, you two!"
Caesar waved before turning to Nami. "What now?"
"We wait for the right moment to enter."
Nami studied the vortex intently. After about thirty seconds, she suddenly shouted, "Now! Go!"
"Wha—?!"
Tears streamed down Galdino and Bon Clay's faces.
The vortex's radius alone spanned two kilometers—falling into that would mean certain annihilation!
Boom—
Kuma casually spun the helm, sending the ship charging straight into the whirlpool.
The wings on both sides of the ship generated buoyancy, causing the vessel to glide toward the center of the whirlpool.
Suddenly, under the horrified gazes of Galdino and Bon Clay, the whirlpool vanished into thin air, and the sea returned to calm.
"It's gone…"
Everyone was stunned, but those with the strongest Observation Haki grew even more solemn.
"It's about to begin—hold on tight!" Caesar shouted, gripping Nami and Robin's wrists firmly.
Yamato quickly pulled Baby 5 close, while Kuma silently gathered Bonney into his arms. Law and Bepo steadied Dr. Wolf, and Galdino swiftly crafted dozens of wax chains, distributing them to everyone. The ends of the chains were looped around the main mast.
"Good thinking," Caesar praised him. Galdino's lips twitched, too tense to muster a smile.
Nervousness!
The entire ship was thick with tension. Everyone had wax rings secured around their waists to prevent being flung overboard.
Just as the tension peaked, countless bubbles surged upward from beneath the sea.
The water below seemed to boil, swelling into a massive bulge that lifted the entire ship high into the air!
"It's coming!"
Caesar's heart pounded wildly.
He wasn't afraid of dying.
But this felt like riding a pirate ship for the first time—an unstoppable thrill.
In the silence, the bulge grew taller and taller, lifting the ship over a hundred meters into the air. Then, as if reaching a threshold, it paused for a split second.
And then—BOOM!
The Knock-Up Stream erupted!
A towering azure pillar of water shot skyward like a dragon, soaring thousands of meters in an instant, bridging the gap between sea and sky with a celestial pathway.
The ship was hurled upward by the violent force, propelled by the rapidly rising currents, riding the Knock-Up Stream toward the heavens.
"We… we actually made it!" Deuce stood against the cabin wall, staring in awe at the unbelievable miracle before him. Overwhelmed, his legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees.
Click! Click! Click!
Caesar snapped photos frantically, capturing the spectacle.
With a scene like this, selling each shot to Morgans for a million Berries wouldn't be unreasonable, right?
Looking around, he saw everyone—except the composed Issho—gaping in shock. Even the usually stoic Law was stunned.
Even Issho seemed moved.
After all, flying to Sky Island using abilities was one thing, but sailing there through sheer seamanship? That was on a whole other level.
Using powers to fly up? That was the Fruit's doing.
Sailing up? That was nothing short of a miracle!
"Hey, hey—the ship's tilting!" Barto, the most sensitive to balance, suddenly yelled.
"Lower the sails!" Nami, clinging to Caesar's arm, commanded calmly.
"This isn't just a water column—it's a Knock-Up Stream! And the wind beneath us is an updraft from geothermal vents and steam explosions. As long as it's wind and sea, I can navigate it!" Her eyes burned with determination. "Now, lower the sails!"
Whoosh—
The sails dropped instantly. Without hesitation, the crew obeyed.
Just as expected, as if confirming Nami's words, the ship gradually broke free from the Knock-Up Stream. Under the influence of the rising air currents below, it immediately accelerated toward the cloud layer above at a speed faster than before.
"Hooray!!"
"We're flying!"
"Long live Nami! Haha!"
Witnessing this, the deck erupted in cheers.
"As expected of the navigator our captain has been so fond of."
Robin smiled faintly, while Nami's cheeks flushed slightly. This was the first time she had truly affirmed her value as a navigator, filling her with both excitement and satisfaction.
However, now was clearly not the time to celebrate. The Knock-Up Stream didn't rise in a straight line—it spiraled upward in a twisting motion.
"Port side to the wind, turn the rudder starboard! Align the ship with the current!"
Hearing this, Kuma silently turned the rudder to the right.
The wind howled as the ship transformed into a soaring bird. Amid the cheers of the crew, it plunged straight into the dense cloud layer!
The moment the ship entered the clouds, everyone felt a brief suffocation, as if breaking through some invisible barrier. Surrounded by damp whiteness, their vision momentarily darkened.
Caesar took a deep breath, instantly adapting to the oxygen-thin high-altitude environment, then stood up and surveyed the scene.
Before his eyes stretched an endless sea of clouds!