Zino nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Then there's no doubt. This fruit chose you, Kaya."
"Me?" Kaya looked between them all, unsure. "But… I don't even fight. I'm not strong like the rest of you."
"It doesn't matter," Zino said. "Devil Fruits don't always choose based on strength. Sometimes, it's potential... or need."
"You don't have to eat it if you're unsure," Usopp said gently, concern in his voice. "You can wait, or—"
"Come on," Gin interrupted. "It's not like Devil Fruits are dangerous. Just gross. Let's find out what kind of power it gives."
"Still... it's a big decision," Robin added thoughtfully.
Zino waved his hand, and an ice chair and table formed beside Kaya, elegant and smooth. With a flick of his other hand, he created a clean plate, a fork, and a knife.
"If you're ready," he said softly.
Kaya hesitated... then took a deep breath.
"Alright. I'll do it."
She carefully placed the fruit on the plate and cut it into seven neat slices. The inside glistened, but even the scent hinted at how vile it tasted.
She hesitated for only a moment longer, then stabbed a piece with her fork and brought it to her mouth.
The moment it touched her tongue, her face twisted.
"Ugh—blegh!" Kaya gagged, swallowing it down with effort. She stood up abruptly, hands over her mouth, and rushed to the ship's railing.
"Kaya!" Usopp ran after her.
Everyone watched with concern as she bent over, coughing violently. But then—something changed.
With a sudden shimmer of light and a faint whoosh—
Fwoosh!
A pair of sleek, silver-tinted wings burst out from Kaya's back.
Everyone gasped.
"What the—?!" Binko exclaimed.
"She's sprouting wings?!" Hibari shouted.
Kaya, still gripping the railing, slowly straightened herself. She looked over her shoulder, trembling as she caught sight of the feathers fluttering gently in the wind.
"I… I have wings…?"
Zino's eyes gleamed. "Incredible. A Mythical Zoan? Or maybe something else?"
"Sky-type powers?" Mikita guessed.
Robin smiled, intrigued. "We'll need to study this."
Usopp rushed to Kaya's side. "How do you feel?"
Kaya took a breath, calming down. "Strange… but light. Really light. Like I could fly."
Zino chuckled. "Well then, seems the sky really did drop a gift for us."
All eyes were on Kaya as she took a few cautious steps forward, her expression unsure but curious. She focused, willing the strange sensation in her back to activate again. In response, the golden wings reappeared with a soft shimmer, spreading wide.
Then—flap.
The wings beat once, lifting her off the deck.
"Whoa! She's flying!" Binko shouted, jaw practically unhinged. "That's seriously cool!"
"That's a unique ability for sure," Robin said, her analytical gaze following Kaya's movements.
"If I knew it could make you fly, I'd have eaten the fruit myself," Stev grumbled. "I've always wanted to fly."
Alvida raised a brow and smirked. "What if it's a gender-based Zoan Devil Fruit? One that only works for females. You still interested?"
Stev paused, then cleared his throat. "Uh… I'll pass. Wings aren't worth that much confusion."
The whole crew burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, Moris and Chloris watched Kaya in awe, their eyes sparkling. Kaya made a gentle arc in the air, circling around the ship once. The wind caught her hair and her coat fluttered as she hovered above the deck.
But it was clear the power was still new to her—after a minute, she landed unsteadily, her wings fading back into her back as she stumbled slightly, panting.
"You alright?" Chloris asked, already stepping forward to support her.
"I'm fine," Kaya said between breaths, managing a smile. "Just… not used to it yet."
"Take your time," Zino said encouragingly. "Devil Fruit powers are strange at first. You'll get the hang of it."
With that, another Devil Fruit user joined the Silent Orca crew.
The ship sailed on peacefully for a while, the sea calm and the sun having dipped lower into the horizon. The crew gathered on deck, discussing the string of bizarre events that had unfolded—the Log Pose pointing skyward, the falling warship, the mysterious Devil Fruit, and now the possibility of a Sky Island.
"So, we all agree?" Sanji said, lighting a cigarette. "There's definitely something up there."
"More than just clouds," Mikita added. "I mean, where else could that ship and fruit come from?"
"Maybe, there is a way to go up there." Gin suggested.
Just then, the air changed.
Darkness began creeping in, sudden and unnatural. A cold wind brushed across the deck.
Sanji glanced up. "Is it already night?"
"No… this isn't right," Galdino muttered, squinting toward the sky. "It's too sudden."
Stev, who had been looking toward the horizon, suddenly paled. "H-Hey... look...!"
He pointed with a trembling hand.
The crew turned—and what they saw drained the color from their faces.
Three colossal silhouettes loomed in the far distance, towering so high they seemed to scrape the sky. Each one held massive weapons that looked like mountains themselves.
The figures were moving, and their presence was overwhelming. They weren't just tall—they were titanic, blocking the sunlight, and darkening the air like an eclipse.
"M-MONSTERS!!" Usopp screamed, diving for cover.
Stev's legs are turning to jelly, and Nami's eyes are almost turning white. Chloris and Moris are panicking. Even Zoro was showing panic in his eyes.
Only Zino remained calm, wind subtly swirling around him as his eyes locked on the looming giants.
"Calm down, everyone," Zino said, his voice steady despite the tension crackling in the air. "Take a closer look. Those aren't real giants—they're just shadows."
Stev, crouched behind a barrel, peeked over. "Are you sure? They looked pretty real to me... Like, 'squash-the-ship-in-one-stomp' real."
"Really real," Usopp added, gripping the railing like it might save him. "I already started writing my will."
"They appear vague, hazy," Zino continued. "Notice how they don't have defined edges? That's because they're projected onto the thick cloud layers. It's just a trick of light."
There was a pause. The crew exchanged wary glances.
"I-In other words… they're not real?" Stev asked again, still skeptical.
"Exactly," Zino said, pointing upward. "They're part of the upper atmosphere. Once the clouds shift, the shadows will disappear."
"Are you really sure about this?" Usopp asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're *sure* sure?"
"Just wait and see," Zino said confidently.
So, the crew waited. The Silent Orca continued its smooth course across the sea. Minutes ticked by. The eerie silence was broken only by the soft rustle of sails and the occasional creak of the ship's hull.
Then, slowly, the thick clouds began to shift. Light filtered in.
And just like that… the shadows vanished.
The tension evaporated in an instant. A collective sigh of relief escaped the crew as they stood tall again.
"They're gone…" Kaya said, still a little pale.
"That was terrifying," Sanji muttered, straightening his coat. "I've fought giants before, but not sky-sized ones."
"Still…" Binko frowned, "how did those shadows appear in the first place? Something had to cast them."
"They had wings. And weapons," Marianne added, still staring up. "It was like a moving mural on the clouds."
Robin had been silent until now, her eyes narrowed in thought. "If they were just shadows, then the source should still be out there. We can estimate their location."
"How?" Zoro asked, crossing his arms.
Robin pointed toward the sky. "The sun is the key. The angle of the sunlight and the way the shadows were projected onto the clouds—it tells us the direction. If we trace the trajectory of the light and consider the height of the clouds, we can deduce where those beings were."
The crew stared at her, half-impressed, half-lost.
"I mean... that makes sense?" Sanji blinked.
"My calculations agree," Stev said, pulling out a notebook and scribbling furiously. "Based on the light refraction, angle of incidence, and cloud altitude… they were above us. Way above."
"Exactly," Robin confirmed. "There should be some living beings, possibly with wings—up in the sky."
"So that really means…" Binko trailed off.
"There's an island in the sky," Nojiko finished.
Everyone paused, awe setting in once more.
"That's amazing," Hibari whispered.
"Captain," Stev said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity and ambition, "we have to go up there."
"Let's do it!" Usopp said, the fear from earlier now replaced with adventure-fueled excitement. "Sky Island—here we come!"
Zino chuckled softly. "Alright. So where exactly is the sea path to get up there?"
The crew looked at one another.
Silence.
"…Uh…" Usopp scratched his head. "That's a good question."
Zino let out a light chuckle. "Looks like we'll need more than just excitement and curiosity. A sky island isn't something you reach with a paddle and a good vibe."
Robin nodded thoughtfully. "Then we should begin by gathering information. If we can find people who know about the sky islands, we might get our first clue."
"But how do we even start that?" Hibari asked. "There's no land in sight."
"We can ask the locals—*if* we come across an island with inhabitants," Gin suggested. "Fishermen, traders, someone must've seen something strange in the skies."
"Hey, Mikita," Nami said, turning to Mikita. "Could your Devil Fruit help us reach the sky island? Maybe lift the ship up?"
Everyone's attention snapped to Mikita.
She gave a small shrug and shook her head. "Nah, it doesn't work like that. I can make myself lighter, but not anyone or anything else. And even then, I can only jump maybe a few dozen meters high before gravity pulls me back down."
"What about your wind powers, Zino?" Alvida asked, folding her arms. "Can you lift us that way?"
"I could probably launch one or two people at a time," Zino said. "But lifting the whole ship? That's out of the question—at least for now. And even if I could do it, without knowing where the island is, we'd be flying blind."
He paused, then added, "If only everyone could use Geppo, we'd have a better shot."
"Geppo?" Creed tilted his head. "What's that?"
"It's one of the Rokushiki techniques," Gin explained, glancing at the new recruits. "It lets the user leap into the air by kicking the air itself. Zino uses it all the time."
"Wait, wait…" Stev leaned forward. "You're saying there's a martial arts technique that lets you literally kick the air and fly?!"
"It's real," Mikita chimed in. "Back on the winter island, Zino used it to carry us up and down a mountain taller than anything I've ever seen."
"That sounds incredible." Creed looked intrigued. "Can anyone learn it?"
"It's difficult. But I can teach you if you are interested." Zino said honestly.
"Count me in," Marianne said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Even if it's difficult, I want to try and learn it."
Chloris and Moris nodded in sync. "Us too."
"Learning to fly sounds awesome," Stev added. "Maybe not sky-island level yet, but even being able to jump off cliffs without dying would be neat."
Sanji, who was jealous when he heard about Zino bringing Mikita up the mountain, said, "I can also use the Geppo."
Not wanting to be left behind, Zoro spoke up, casually resting a hand on his sword. "I can use Rankyaku."
Gin joined in next, his arms folded confidently. "I can use Shigan."
"I've been using Soru," Alvida added with a smirk. "At this rate, I'll unlock Geppo soon too."
As each of them announced their techniques, a quiet tension settled among them. Their eyes narrowed, a subtle but intense energy passing between the fighters.
"A little friendly rivalry, huh?" Robin remarked, watching the sparks fly.
Zino chuckled and waved his hand. "Alright, alright, cool it. We're not here to compete right now. Focus up—we still don't have a solid plan to reach the sky island."
"That's true…" Nami sighed. "The log pose keeps pointing straight up. It's practically useless right now."
"So how do we find a regular island, then?" Ussop asked, scratching his head. "I mean, we can't just hope one pops out of nowhere."
"I might be able to help with that," Zino said calmly, stepping toward the mast. "Keep the ship steady. I'll try scanning the area."
"Scan the sea?" Stev raised a brow. "What, you got sonar now?"
"Something like that." Zino sat cross-legged near the base of the mast, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.