"Sigh... That's not it either."
Setting down his spyglass, Tesla let out a weary breath.
Since morning, he'd been piloting the Pufferfish around this section of the sky, searching for the St. Briss for over two hours, and still, not a trace of it.
Each time a ship appeared on the horizon, Tesla's heart would leap, only to fall back into disappointment upon closer inspection.
Puru Puru!
Just as Tesla gathered his focus to continue the search, the transponder snail on the control panel began to ring.
"Captain, it's Tesla," he answered without hesitation. It was a regular den-den mushi, only capable of one-on-one communication, so he didn't bother to ask who it was.
"How's it going on your end, Tesla? Any sign of St. Briss?" Ashen's voice came through.
"Not yet. There's too much drifting cloud in this area, and they're constantly shifting. It's making the search incredibly difficult."
Tesla gave a straightforward report. He'd mentally prepared for this possibility, so he wasn't looking for sympathy.
"Alright then, come to my location first. I've just secured some gold, you guys can come help with transport."
Before Tesla could respond, a fishman burst into the cockpit, panic in his voice.
"Tesla! Someone's approaching us from behind, he's riding something that looks like a cross between a horse and a bird! And he's fast!"
"Tesla! That man's the ruler of Skypiea. Don't hang up, I need to speak with him," Ashen said, having overheard the commotion.
Ashen had originally planned to meet with Gan Fall after gathering the gold, hoping to enlist his help in finding St. Briss.
Now that Gan Fall had shown up on his own, this was the perfect opportunity to talk.
"Got it."
When Tesla arrived at the central hatch of the Pufferfish, Dan was already negotiating with Gan Fall.
"You've gotta be joking! We're pirates, we don't pay entry fees!" Dan stood defiantly on the extended platform, visibly agitated.
"Yeah! Charging a toll just to enter? My old man's diner isn't even that shady!" Old Nick chimed in, just as outraged.
"Heh. You're all illegal entrants. Technically, I should be charging you ten times the normal fee as a fine."
Gan Fall chuckled softly, then continued, "But since it's your first time, I'll settle for a regular entry fee. My advice? Follow the rules and pay up. Otherwise…"
He trailed off, but the unspoken threat hung heavily in the air.
"Or what, exactly?"
Handing the transponder snail to the fishman beside him, Tesla stepped forward.
Seeing everyone make way for him, Gan Fall assumed this was their leader.
He pointed toward a pirate ship Tesla had spotted earlier and said, "Otherwise, under Skypiean law, you'll owe ten times the fee, and if you refuse, you'll meet the same fate as them: Cloud Drifting."
Gan Fall, in his prime, was still the undisputed ruler of Skypiea.
He had yet to suffer the crushing defeat that would come later in his life. Even alone, he showed no fear in the face of the Pufferfish's crew.
Hearing the word Cloud Drifting, everyone turned to Tesla, ready to fight at his command.
"Cloud Drifting… again with that damn punishment…"
Tesla clenched his fists, joints cracking from the tension. His anger had reached the boiling point.
It was because of Cloud Drifting that St. Briss had vanished without a trace. His family had poured endless resources, and lost countless lives, in their search.
And in the last two hours, the broken wrecks he'd seen, the haunted silence of ships that met the same fate, gave him a chilling glimpse into the hopelessness that must've gripped the St. Briss crew.
So when Gan Fall casually threw that word around, the storm Tesla had long held inside finally broke free.
"Tesla! Do whatever you feel you need to!"
Even through the transponder snail, Ashen could sense Tesla's fury. He knew Gan Fall had crossed the line, his line, and gave his full support without hesitation.
Between his crew and a stranger, Ashen had no doubts where his loyalty lay. The idea of asking Gan Fall for help was now off the table.
He had only considered it because of Gan Fall's longstanding rule over Skypiea and his ability to command its forces.
But Gan Fall wasn't the only option, and Ashen was never one to rely on just a single method.
"Thanks, Captain."
Tesla turned toward Gan Fall, eyes burning. "Our answer is, no."
"In that case, we'll have to settle this by force."
Stroking his black beard, Gan Fall raised his long spear and lunged at Tesla.
Tah!
With a sharp stomp, Tesla launched into the air with Geppo, focusing his Armament Haki into his fists as he rushed to meet the strike.
Clang!
Their clash rang through the sky like thunder. As their weapons met, Gan Fall's expression changed. The power traveling up his spear made his arms go numb.
He hadn't expected this Blue Sea man to be this strong, strong enough to shake him, the lord of the sky.
He'd been aggressive earlier only because of the Pufferfish, the entry fee had just been an excuse.
Normally, Skypiea only enforced it against weak pirates. The strong ones? He turned a blind eye. Otherwise, that man Roger would've crushed him ages ago.
But now that he'd seen the Pufferfish up close, alarms were going off in his head.
Skypiea's continued isolation depended on how difficult it was for Blue Sea people to reach it.
A ship like this, one capable of bringing many outsiders, had to be destroyed, or peace would never return to the sky.
What he hadn't counted on was that Tesla, not even the captain, was this powerful.
Gan Fall was already starting to regret his decision.
Dodging a powerful kick using his Observation Haki, Gan Fall tugged on the reins of the creature beneath him, Pierre, and shouted, "Wait! Let's talk this out!"
"Hmph. Now you want to talk? Too late."
Boom!
…
Over ten minutes later, in a hidden village on Skypiea, a winged boy rushed into the central cone-shaped hut.
"Chieftain! This is it!"
He hadn't even stepped through the doorway before he shouted excitedly.
"What is it now? Don't be so loud!"
From within, a middle-aged man wearing a fox-shaped hat emerged, clearly annoyed by the boy's outburst.
"Chieftain, this is our chance! Gan Fall picked a fight with a group of Blue Sea pirates, and he's getting chased down!"
The boy practically burst with excitement as he recounted what he'd just witnessed.
"What?!"
The man's face changed instantly, clearly shaken by the news.
"Hurry! Gather the warriors, now!"
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