By morning, the work on the Silent Orca was in full swing. Masira's crew swarmed the ship, reinforcing the hull with salvaged steel, while Shoujou used his sonar to monitor the ocean floor for signs of seismic pressure building.
Cricket spread out a large map on a makeshift table, calling Zino and Nami over.
"This is the spot," he pointed. "If Shoujou's readings are accurate, the Knock Up Stream should erupt in this area."
Just then, the entire coast was trembling.
The skies were clear, but the waves churned unnaturally. Seabirds flew inland, screeching as if warning of something massive about to rise.
Cricket stood on a rocky outcrop, binoculars in hand, eyes locked onto the horizon.
"…It's starting," he muttered. "The Knock Up Stream is about to erupt."
"What?!" Nami snapped her head toward him.
Shoujou's sonar crew confirmed it seconds later, shouting from the raft nearby, "The pressure's rising fast! This is it!!"
"Everyone, get ready now!!" Zino barked, already leaping onto the Silent Orca. "Raise anchor! Secure the deck!"
The crew scattered into action. Masira's team finished the last bolts of reinforcement as Hibari and Binko fastened ropes and crates.
"We don't have time for any test run," Nami said. "This launch will either work—or it won't."
Usopp swallowed hard. "We're doing this today?! No warm-up?! No countdown?!"
Zoro smirked and slung his swords over his back. "A sword doesn't need a countdown."
Gin locked his tonfas onto his back, standing near the edge of the deck. "This'll be our proving ground."
Kaya stood by the medical bay, chanting softly. "Let the ship hold, and may no one break their bones…"
Cricket ran alongside the ship and shouted, "Once the stream rises, it'll shoot you into the sky in under thirty seconds. You won't get a second chance—stay dead center or the force will tear the ship apart!"
Zino gave a firm nod, his voice steady. "We'll take it from here. Thanks for everything."
Shoujou, already aboard his own vessel with his raucous crew, grinned wide. "We'll escort you to the launch site. Wouldn't want you flying off without a proper send-off!"
Masira was ready as well, his ship positioned on the opposite side of the Silent Orca. "Come on! We need to move—fast!"
"Understood," Zino said, gripping the helm. "Let's move out!"
The three ships surged forward, racing across the water in formation. The sky above darkened ominously as thick cumulonimbus clouds rolled in, casting a heavy shadow over the sea.
It didn't take long before they reached the designated area. A strange stillness loomed. The sea ahead churned violently, forming a wide spiral—nature's warning that something massive was about to erupt.
The Silent Orca shook under the pressure as winds howled around them.
"W-Wait, are we heading into a storm?!" Usopp clung to the railing, his face pale. "This is suicide!"
Stev stared ahead, sweat dripping from his temple. "That's no ordinary storm… it's the eye of a cyclone."
"Calm down," Zoro muttered, while steadying his footing. "We've been through worse."
From across the waves, Masira's booming voice echoed, "You need to head straight into the center! That's the launch point!"
"WHAT?!" Usopp's eyes bulged in terror. "That's crazy! Are you trying to kill us?!"
Shoujou shouted from the other side, urgency clear in his tone. "Hurry! You don't have much time—the Knock Up Stream is about to erupt!"
Zino narrowed his eyes. "You heard them. Trust them."
With that, he raised his hand, gathering air pressure at his palm. A burst of compressed wind shot out behind the ship, propelling the Silent Orca forward like a cannonball.
The ship rocked violently as it entered the edge of the storm, the winds slapping the sails and the sea tossing them around like a toy. The cyclone's wall loomed around them like a massive watery coliseum.
Kaya gripped the ship's side tightly, whispering prayers beneath her breath. Mikita, anchored by the mast, scanned the water for the first signs of the stream's rise. Meanwhile, Sanji kept a vigilant eye on the ladies, poised to assist immediately if anything went wrong.
The ocean roared below, its waves spinning in a powerful cyclone motion that swept away everything in its path, even a massive Sea King.
Then—a sudden, complete stillness.
The water turned quiet, the waves calming instantly as the cyclone motion ceased. It was the absolute calm before the storm. For the Silent Orca, which had already entered the eye of the whirlpool, the serenity was even more profound.
Just then—
"HEEEY! ORCA PIRATES!"
A loud voice echoed across the raging sea.
From the distance, a massive silhouette emerged, cutting through the swirling mist. It wasn't a traditional ship, but a giant raft reinforced with steel plating and thick ropes. Atop it stood several dangerous figures.
The Blackbeard Pirates.
At the front of the raft, Marshall D. Teach stood with his signature crooked grin, his coat billowing behind him. Behind him loomed his key officers—Jesus Burgess flexing his muscles, Doc Q slumped on his horse Stronger, and Van Augur adjusting his long rifle.
"I finally caught up to you!" Teach bellowed, laughter rumbling from his chest. His eyes locked onto the Silent Orca. "I've been lookin' for you brats!"
Zino and the others turned to watch the newcomers. Even Masira and Shoujou, far in the distance, shifted their attention toward the new arrivals.
"Who are these people?" Shoujou wondered aloud, his voice full of questions. "What are they here for? Are they friends?"
On the other side, Masira used his binoculars to get a closer look. "They seem to be holding up some bounties... the Orca Pirates' bounties?"
Back on the giant raft, Teach's gaze narrowed, fixing intently on the figure standing at the bow of the Silent Orca.
"You've hidden yourself real well... Monkey D. Zino," Teach said with a dark chuckle. "A man with a bounty like yours doesn't stay in the shadows forever."
Zino remained calm, hands at his sides, his expression unshaken. "I wasn't hiding. I just didn't see the need to announce who I am to every loudmouth I meet."
Teach grinned wider, eyes gleaming with menace. "Heh… cocky, huh? Doesn't matter. I'm here for your head. You're worth too much to ignore."
He raised a hand, and his crew began rowing the raft closer, their intent clear.
"Surrender now," Teach ordered. "Make it easy."
Zino's calm smile didn't falter. "You're late."
That made Teach pause. "Late? What do you mean?"
Zino slowly raised his hand and pointed upward. "Because we're about to sail upwards."
Suddenly, the sea beneath them trembled violently.
A low, thunderous rumble echoed through the ocean floor.
And then—
BOOOOM!!!
A colossal pillar of water erupted skyward, a towering geyser that split the sea open like a cannon from the earth itself.
The Knock Up Stream had begun.
Water shot hundreds of meters into the air in a spiraling burst, dragging wind, debris, and raw energy with it. The Silent Orca rocked wildly, already caught in the pull of the rising current.
Teach's grin twisted into a snarl as the truth hit him.
"They're going up?!" he barked, eyes wide in disbelief.
The Orca Pirates held on as their ship rose into the air, carried by the monstrous surge of water.
Zino shouted over the roaring wind, "We'll talk later, Teach! If you survive the storm!"
And just like that, the *Silent Orca* was launched into the sky, riding the massive Knock Up Stream and vanishing into the clouds above, leaving the Blackbeard Pirates behind in the raging sea.
The tremendous surge of water had completely shattered their makeshift raft.
"Gah—H-HEBBU! (Help!)" Teach screamed, thrashing wildly in the water. As a Devil Fruit user, he was helpless—his body sinking like a stone.
"Hang on, captain!" Burgess dove in, swimming with ease. He grabbed Teach by the collar and hauled him toward a large chunk of the broken raft. Doc Q and Van Augur also clung to drifting debris, drenched and struggling to stay afloat.
The sea gradually calmed as the Knock Up Stream subsided, leaving behind wreckage and foam. From atop the wood, Teach coughed and spat out seawater, eyes locked on the sky where Zino and the others had disappeared.
"…Tch. Looks like luck's on your side today, *Monkey D. Zino*," he muttered bitterly, his grin sharp despite the setback.
Van Augur, adjusting his soaked rifle strap, asked in his usual quiet tone, "What now, captain?"
Burgess scowled. "There goes our shot at becoming Shichibukai. We were supposed to offer up a big name… but now he's gone."
Doc Q wheezed a laugh. "Maybe it's fate... or maybe bad luck's just our crew's specialty."
Teach let out a grunt, his expression returning to calm determination. "Doesn't matter. Let 'em go. Sooner or later, they'll come back down. No one stays in the sky forever. Next time, we won't miss."
He then turned to the others. "Alright, let's head back to the island first."
"Aye aye, captain!" they echoed.
Burgess took charge again, swimming effortlessly with the others in tow, dragging their broken raft toward the shore.
...
On the rising Knock Up Stream
The ship roared skyward, shaking violently as it was propelled through the massive column of water.
"Everyone, hold on tight and don't fall!" Zino shouted over the howling winds and crashing waves.
The warning was hardly needed—most of the crew had already locked themselves in place.
Stev had both arms and legs wrapped around the mast like a koala, his eyes wide with panic.
"Whyyy are we doing this?!" he screamed.
Usopp had tied himself securely to the railing using a rope he always kept in his pouch. "I don't care if we reach the sky or not—just let me live!"
On the opposite side, Galdino had used his wax to glue himself, Marianne, and Mikita against the deck, creating a wax wall around them. "No one's falling on my watch," he muttered through clenched teeth.
Suddenly—
"AHHH! HELP!"
Chloris had been gripping a rope tied to the rigging, but her strength gave out. Her hand slipped, and she screamed as she began to fall backward off the ship.
"Chloris!" Moris yelled, terror flashing in his eyes as he watched his sister tumble.
"I got her."
Creed raised his hand calmly. A ripple tore through space behind Chloris—a spatial rift that swallowed her whole just before she could fall further.
Another rift immediately opened beside Gin, and Chloris flew out of it mid-scream. Without hesitation, Gin caught her around the waist with one arm, his other hand still gripping the railing for support.
"Ah!" Chloris gasped, blinking in confusion. "W-what just happened?!"
"You're safe now," Gin said, tightening his grip to steady her. "Hold on tighter next time."
Moris exhaled in relief. "Thank goodness…"
But just as things seemed to settle—
CRAAASH!
Something massive fell from above, casting a shadow over the deck.
"LOOK OUT!" Kaya shouted, pointing upward.
A huge sea king, clearly pulled into the Knock Up Stream earlier, came crashing down toward the ship.
"That's the one we saw get swept by the cyclone," Robin noted calmly, her eyes narrowing. "It got launched before us."
"A sea king?" Zino grinned. "Perfect. That's dinner."
He kicked off the deck with a burst of speed.
"Rankyaku!" he called, slicing the air with a sharp, compressed flying slash.
SHLAAAK!
The blade cut cleanly through the beast's body midair.
As it fell in two halves, Zino flipped above it, touched both chunks with his hand, and opened a glowing portal beneath them.
Fwoop!
Both halves vanished into his system storage in an instant.
"Meat secured," Zino said, landing lightly back on the deck. "We'll eat like kings once we reach the sky."
The crew stared in awe for a moment—then quickly returned to clinging on for dear life as the stream carried them higher and higher toward the clouds.
Just then, the ship began to tilt away from the main current of the stream.
"Ah! We're falling!" Usopp shouted, panic rising in his voice.
"Release the sails—now!" Nami commanded without hesitation.
Zoro and Sanji leapt into action, loosening the ropes and unfurling the sails with practiced speed.
The wind immediately caught the sails, pulling the ship forward as if guided by an invisible hand. Though no longer directly in the center of the stream, the vessel continued to ascend, riding the powerful updrafts.
"W-We're flying!" Binko cried out, wide-eyed with amazement.
"It's the wind," Nami explained with a grin. "The same gusts that push the Knock Up Stream are carrying us too. As long as the sails hold, we'll keep climbing. We're really sailing into the sky."
Usopp clutched the railing, staring at the endless clouds above. "This is… terrifying. But also kind of awesome!"
"Wooohooo! We're flying!" Stev yelled, throwing his arms into the air, hair whipping in the wind.
The crew around him laughed, their nerves giving way to excitement. For a moment, the chaos of the ascent faded into awe.
They weren't just crossing the sea anymore—they were chasing the sky.
And the journey continued.