At this point, with the entire nation chasing them, there was no way they could land—
They couldn't even drift too close to shore.
If they got too near, the enemy would immediately attack.
Too far, and the Log Pose couldn't store the magnetic record.
Hearing this, Lena immediately summoned a Necromancer Hawk and held out its hand to Nami.
"Give me the Log Pose. I'll sneak back into the city, get it charged, and meet up with you all tomorrow. I haven't been given a bounty yet, so it'll be easier for me to move around unnoticed."
Besides storing the magnetic record, he also wanted to see if there was anything else worth "salvaging."
Nami hesitated for only a second before nodding.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you, Lena."
She removed the Log Pose from her wrist and handed it to him.
"Be careful once you're inside. We'll wait nearby for your signal."
"Don't worry, it's all under control," Lena replied with a grin, taking the compass and fastening it to his own wrist.
Then, mounting the skeletal hawk, he rose into the night sky.
"I'll take the night watch," Zoro called, climbing up to the crow's nest to keep lookout.
"Your quartermaster's abilities really are convenient," Robin remarked with a smile as she watched the fading silhouette of Lena vanish into the clouds.
"He's so reliable."
"Of course," Nami muttered with a sigh, glancing toward Luffy, who was squatting on deck with a blank grin.
"If Lena's not reliable, we're doomed… ahh, I'm too tired to even say it anymore."
Four monsters of strength on one ship… and only one with a working brain.
Sure, the others could be dependable when it counted—
But more often than not, those "critical moments" were messes they had caused themselves.
The more Nami thought about it, the more irritated she became.
She puffed her cheeks, smacked Luffy on the head, and slammed the cabin door behind her.
Bang!
Luffy stood there, rubbing the growing lump on his head, looking pitiful.
"What did I do this time…"
Robin chuckled softly and went inside, too.
By dawn, the sky began to brighten.
The sun had yet to rise, and a faint silver glow stretched along the horizon.
The crew had stayed awake all night, exhaustion creeping in as the hours dragged on.
It would still take most of the day for the Log Pose to finish storing, and Lena was expected back by afternoon.
Yawning, Chopper lifted the hatch at the mast base, intending to catch a short nap below deck.
Soon, everyone except Zoro—still standing watch in the crow's nest—was asleep.
By midday, the streets of Golder Island were alive again with crowds bustling under the sun.
Inside an elegantly simple high-class seafood restaurant—
"Boss, two bowls of seafood ramen—hold the noodles."
"Eh? Sir, that's just—"
Bang!
"Ahaha! Of course, sir! Right away!"
The owner nervously grabbed the stack of Berries, slapped it on the table, and shouted toward the kitchen:
"Two bowls of ramen broth, load them up with seafood—LOTS of seafood!"
Lena lounged on a sofa, pulling a nearby ashtray closer.
Beside him sat a petite twin-tailed girl—the ghostly mage he'd summoned.
"It'll take a while longer," Lena said lazily.
"Once the compass finishes, we'll head out. No point wasting a luxury suite for nothing."
After all, he'd just walked out of a casino; leaving without enjoying the perks would be a shame.
Still, he wanted to visit the harbor one more time—
That swordsman with the massive blade had to be guarding something valuable.
As for the palace… he'd rather not get tangled up there.
Leaning back, Lena sank into the sofa's plush cushions, entering "sage mode" as he waited for his food.
Soon, after a satisfying meal, the Log Pose finally settled and began pointing steadily toward their next destination.
"Skypiea... Enel, huh," he murmured under his breath, before standing up and heading for the port, spectral staff in hand.
Meanwhile, aboard the Going Merry, Sanji lifted the deck hatch, heading to the galley to start cooking.
The rest of the crew stirred awake one by one, yawning and stretching.
Then, something in the distance caught their attention.
A small black speck in the sky grew larger and larger—
"I'm back, everyone! Get ready to set sail!"
Lena's voice echoed from above as he dismissed the necromancer hawk, landing smoothly on deck.
He removed the Log Pose and handed it to Nami.
"Nice work, Lena," Nami praised, taking the compass and strapping it back on.
Then she glanced at the bulky bag on his shoulder and smiled sweetly.
"So… what goodies did you pick up this time?"
"Not for sale," he said with a grin.
A Few Days Later
New World — World Economy News Headquarters
"Breaking news! HUGE breaking news!"
A massive, sharply dressed albatross flapped its wings excitedly, clutching a newly delivered bounty poster.
"Someone get in here! Reprint the front page layout immediately!"
"President! What happened, a major event?"
The bird—Morgans, wielder of the Tori Tori no Mi: Model Albatross—slammed the poster onto his desk.
Despite being unable to truly fly, he was one of the emperors of the underworld,
head of the World Economy News, and a rival to the World Government in information power.
Just days ago, he'd run the story of the Shichibukai Crocodile being "captured" by Smoker the White Hunter—
a cover-up ordered by the Government itself.
Now, a new set of bounty posters had arrived.
"The Straw Hat Pirates! They've just entered the first half of the Grand Line—
and already, they're supernovas!" Morgans bellowed with delight, spreading the posters out across his desk.
"Whoa! Are you serious?!"
"Of course it's real—it's a Government-issued bounty!"
"Three people over a hundred million, right off the bat! This'll sell like crazy!"
"President, our circulation's gonna explode this month!"
"Ahahahaha! Fantastic!" Morgans laughed.
New World — Unknown Island
A spiky red-haired man sprinted into a pirate stronghold.
"Boss! Big news!"
"Why so tense, Rockstar? You'll never make it as an officer that way, hahaha!"
Lucky Roux chuckled, tearing another hunk of meat from the bone.
Rockstar looked around the room full of powerful men drinking together, trembling slightly as he held out the posters.
"It's that Straw Hat kid—his bounty's been updated!"
"Oh, Luffy, huh?"
"Let's see it!"
"Hey, is Usopp on there too?"
The tension instantly melted into laughter and curiosity as the posters hit the table.
One glance—and they whistled.
"One hundred and fifty million!"
"Hah! The kid's really making a name for himself!"
"Well done indeed."
Shanks downed his drink in one gulp, slamming the mug on the table.
A faint smile curled on his lips as his deep voice murmured:
"Looks like the day we meet again isn't too far off, Luffy."
"Wait, that kid's still not on the list?" Yasopp asked, scanning the posters in vain.
"Don't sulk, Yasopp," Shanks said, slinging an arm over his shoulder with a laugh.
"Come on, everyone! Let's have a toast—for the young pirates making waves on the sea!"
"You just want an excuse to drink again, Shanks," Beckman muttered.
"Hahahaha! And what's wrong with that?"
Back on the Going Merry
Days passed after leaving Golder Island.
They hadn't managed to restock supplies, but thanks to the provisions from Alabasta—and Lena's resourcefulness—they were doing fine.
The sea was calm, the weather bright and peaceful… until—
"Ahh! It hurts, Usopp!"
"Damn it, your punches are too strong!"
"I said—Ting! Ting—!"
"I can't take it anymore! That's enough for today," Usopp groaned, collapsing on the deck, drenched in sweat.
"This Haki training is torture."
Sanji pulled off his blindfold, rubbing his temples.
"I'll go cook. What should I make… hmm, maybe grilled oarfish with a dash of—"
He froze.
The sunlight vanished.
The sky darkened.
A massive shadow engulfed the ship.
Everyone instinctively looked up—
And then—
"Sh-sh-sh…"
Usopp's eyes widened in terror, his mouth trembling. Even Lena frowned, sensing something ominous.
"A ship… is falling from the sky!!!"
It blotted out the sun—
A colossal, shattered sailing vessel, surrounded by floating debris, plummeted straight toward the sea!
"It's fine! It won't hit us!"
Splash!!!
The impact sent towering waves crashing over the Going Merry. The crew clung to the rails as water surged across the deck.
"What happened?!"
"What IS that thing?!"
Seeing the half-sunken wreckage drifting nearby, Nami's voice trembled.
"Don't tell me—you guys sank another one?!"
"No, no, not this time!"
"It fell from the sky!"
"From the sky?! You expect me to believe that?!"
"Oi, stupid woman! We're not kidding!" Zoro barked.
Nami froze, remembering what Lena had told her earlier. She glanced at her wrist—
and her eyes widened.
"W-What?! The Log Pose—it's pointing… up?!"
"Lena! You said something about Sky Island before—what's going on?!"
"—I'm not totally sure," Lena admitted.
He'd heard rumors that the compass could behave strangely here, but didn't really understand why.
"The record's being pulled away by another island's magnetic field," a calm voice interjected.
"Robin?"
"The Log Pose is circular because not all islands sit upon the sea," Robin explained.
"Some are… above it. What we're seeing is a stronger magnetic field—coming from the sky."
"You're saying there's really an island in the sky? Maybe the Pose is just broken!" Nami protested.
"No," Robin said seriously, her eyes steady.
In the Grand Line, everything can be a lie—except the Log Pose. The compass never deceives. That is the law of this sea.