"I didn't expect that even a sky island that looks peaceful on the surface would only be peaceful in appearance."
Kaido stared out toward the White Sea rift at the horizons' end. This trip had widened his ambitions: he now knew of the ancient texts, of the Sea Kings' prophecy and existence. He was also more convinced than ever that nowhere in the world was truly idyllic — not even the sky islands. Four hundred years of war had left countless dead. Anyone different was mocked as a monster. Those born without wings were treated as outcasts.
"There's no real peace on the seas — probably ever since the Celestial Dragons set the world order," Olivia said as she watched the sky.
"I've never seen a Celestial Dragon," Moria grumbled, "and I doubt I'll ever get home again — unless someone offers a ten million Belli bounty."
Moria had developed his Shadow-Shadow Fruit a lot, but the more he trained, the more he felt intimidated by Sharn and Kaido's strength. Their strange auras could tear his shadow to pieces. Even Push-Push's ability could twirl a shadow into a pile. The Giant Wolf was in a class of his own; his shadow was impossibly big. As for Urouge — Moria's research suggested that a shadow like his could be taken. Still, on this ship Urouge ranked just a bit below Moria.
"What's a Celestial Dragon?" Urouge asked, clueless.
"A god — the world's god," Moria said, briefly explaining.
"Oh — like an island lord." Urouge understood island chiefs were called gods, so Celestial Dragons must be island overlords. Moria gave up trying to explain deeper.
The route ahead was coming to an end. Marn (Sharn) sat at the bow. After Birka, although he hadn't permanently claimed the Thunder Fruit, he had stored it in his Swallow space — along with food energy, gold, and alloys. The sky-people didn't value gold the way surface folk do, but the choice had still been successfully completed.
"Alright, everyone!" Sharn pointed to the horizon.
Molly put away her fork; the research ship drifted toward the White Sea's edge. As the ship plunged, the Demon Compass spun.
[Choice completed.]
Because Sharn had both taken control of God Island and secured the Rumble Fruit, the rewards arrived. He received the Lunarian trait; together with Fish-Man traits and his fur-blood, Sharn now possessed a combination of flame, water, and electricity. His body mutated again and the compass effulgence slipped into his soul — an awakening of Fish-Man karate power.
The ship fell rapidly. Sharn suddenly sprouted two black wings — then they vanished. The crew stared. Olivia recognized that only one race traditionally had wings, but Sharn didn't match the old descriptions. Wait — when had his hair gone white? That was one of the Lunarian traits.
"Just a little side effect from developing my Black Dragon form," Sharn said calmly.
"You went white!" Kaido growled; how could a Zoan have upper and lower-tier forms?
"I also have Fur-blood. Don't you know the Moon Lion?" Sharn shrugged, still falling straight down.
Everyone screamed. Moria hugged Urouge; the two kids were bawling, terrified that following Sharn always led to more impossible moments. Olivia, practical as ever, muttered that they'd die and be fish food if they fell. The Giant Wolf didn't care — he puffed and floated. Molly sat relaxed on the deck: "Trust destiny — Captain Sharn is destiny!"
Sharn spread his arms and felt the wind on his face. Getting launched was nothing — a quick bounce and they'd be fine. The Birka trip had accelerated development of the Paw-Paw and Swallow fruits. With exoskeleton, Fish-Man, and Lunarian traits layered in, plus full-body Busoshoku Haki and wide-area Kenbunshi perception and Fish-Man empty-hand techniques, the crew's power had leapt. Olivia had been recruited as sniper and scholar; Urouge as apprentice shipwright with the Cause-and-Effect fruit. Even Moria's Shadow fruit was nearly fully realized.
Soon the ship and crew landed on an ordinary-looking island with a functioning port. Sharn adjusted his aim and — one slap after another — sent the whole vessel and every crew member to the shore. When they hit, the ground groaned and the island's forest exploded with dust. Sharn and Kaido walked out, and from the ruined clearing a young, hot-blooded boy barreled in, clutching stolen food and a parasol, sunglasses clamped to his hair. He'd run from the shopkeeper in hot pursuit. The boy, slightly sun-darkened, hair a little messy, lips thick and earnest, was only eleven — Kuzan, who would one day be known as Aokiji.
Kuzan collided with the figure emerging from the pit: Sharn. The shopkeeper shouted, "Stop! Thief!" but then froze when Sharn calmly asked one question: "How much bounty?"
Both shopkeeper and Kuzan went silent. Soon the island's residents, alarmed by the earlier tremor, crowded around to see the Sharn Pirates — the newcomers from the West — standing before them. A coin flicked from Sharn's fingers and landed near Kuzan. Sharn smiled faintly and said to the boy, "Perhaps I have both luck and preparation."
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The interlude ends here.
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