"Anyway, let me introduce everyone. This is Crocodile, you've probably heard of him, he's quite famous on the seas."
Ian quickly moved the topic along, pointing toward the others. "This is—"
Before he could finish speaking, Ace hurriedly interrupted him: "Ace. Just call me Ace!"
"Alright, Ace it is."
Seeing how embarrassed Ace looked at the mention of his background, Ian decided to let it go.
Ian then said, "Nami, from the East Blue, just an ordinary little thief."
Nami: "..."
Expecting a more flattering introduction, Nami could only glare at Ian with a mix of irritation and helplessness. "Ordinary? Really?"
"Mr. Ace, Ms. Nami."
Kuma greeted them politely with a warm smile, which immediately eased the tension the two had felt toward him after hearing his fearsome title, the Tyrant.
Then Kuma nodded toward Crocodile. "Mr. Crocodile."
Crocodile simply gave a cold snort. "Hmph. Someone like you is called a vicious pirate by Marine Headquarters? They must be blind."
"Anyone who poses a threat to the Marines gets labeled that way, no matter what they have actually done."
Ian explained casually, then turned to Kuma. "So, he refused, didn't he?"
Kuma: "..."
Kuma stayed silent for a moment before locking eyes with Ian and finally speaking. "The Sapphire Scale Disease..."
"Once my business is taken care of, I will help you resolve it."
Ian said while stroking his chin. "But you know I might not be able to handle it. Still, there's a small chance it will work."
Kuma's face lit up with visible excitement. "As long as there's hope, that's enough. No matter the outcome, I won't give up. As long as it can save Bonney, I'll do whatever it takes, no matter what you ask of me."
"Then it's settled. Let's deal with this matter first."
Ian turned to Crocodile. "When will your people have everything ready?"
"Are you underestimating me?"
Crocodile grinned with a disdainful look. "Just some supplies? I'll have them ready by tomorrow morning. You would better focus on finding that City of Gold. If you tried to trick me, I'll make you regret it."
"Then it's decided."
Ian said, waving his hand firmly as everyone watched. "We will set out tomorrow morning."
…
The next morning, at the sea area where the Skypiea once was, a sturdy eight-masted ship was anchored on the surface of the sea
At this moment, everyone stood quietly, staring at the raging sea surface ahead.
"The City of Gold? That's it?"
Crocodile frowned impatiently. "Are you messing with me? There's not even an island out here, let alone a city made of gold!"
"Be patient. Didn't you say yourself that the City of Gold wouldn't be easy to find?"
Ian replied calmly, unfazed. "As long as we're in the right place, it will show itself."
"As long as your information isn't wrong."
Crocodile retorted with a mocking smile while flicking the ash from his cigar. "So? What's the deal with those fruits you had us prepare? Are they actually useful or not?"
"They might be useful... Or they might not."
Ian admitted after a moment's thought. "We will see once we find the City of Gold. With Kuma here, once we locate it, getting there won't take long."
"How mysterious."
Crocodile muttered while rolling his eyes as he stared at the sea ahead.
"I'd like to see how you plan to find the City of Gold in the middle of the damn ocean."
Ian: "..."
Hearing that, Ian didn't respond. He simply gazed silently at the sea area before them.
To be honest, even he wasn't sure if Crocodile had found the right place.
According to the standard route, you first have to obtain a Log Pose pointing to the City of Gold, then locate the Knock Up Stream, before you can even think about reaching Skypiea.
But he skipped the Log Pose step and had Crocodile search directly in the sea area near the Mock Town for the Knock Up Stream.
It saved time, though the weather in Paradise is strange and unpredictable, and even near Mock Town, it's uncertain where the Knock Up Stream will appear.
Some of them aren't strong enough to reach the White Sea at all.
That's why, even if they really did find the Knock Up Stream, there was still no guarantee they would make it up to the Skypiea safely.
As time passed, the usually impatient Crocodile grew even more irritable.
Even Ace and Nami, who had been full of curiosity at first, were starting to lose patience.
Only Ian and Kuma sat quietly under the deck, waiting calmly.
At this moment, Ace, who was also restless, scratched his head, moved closer to Ian, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Mr. Ian, you haven't come to the wrong place... have you...?"
However, before Ace could finish speaking, Ian, who had been keeping his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
Ignoring Ace, and amidst the puzzled looks of the crowd, he stood up and said, "Here it comes!"
The sudden movement drew everyone's attention.
They all turned in the direction he was looking, and their eyes widened in shock at what they saw.
"That's... The Knock Up Stream!"
As the one with exceptional navigation skills, Nami was the first to react.
"Quick, steer the ship away from it!"
But as soon as the words left her mouth, unlike Nami, who was anxious, and the others, who were about to take control of the ship, Ian said with a serious expression, "No, charge towards it!"
Before everyone could react, Ian stopped hiding anything and said directly, "I didn't say anything wrong. Charge towards it! The City of Gold... is in the sky!"
"Charge towards it? Hahaha! What a crazy choice."
Hearing Ian's words, Crocodile, who had been standing there in a daze, also came to his senses.
Looking at the surging current in front of him, a ferocious smile appeared on his face. "Now I'm starting to believe what you said!"
Then, looking at Nami with displeasure, he said, "What are you still standing there for? You're this guy's chosen navigator. Why are you standing there in a daze? You're really a brat!"
"You bunch of lunatics!"
Nami, who had initially thought someone would stop Ian, was surprised to see everyone staring indifferently at the current, with two even looking at it excitedly.
Having no time to hesitate, Nami gritted her teeth and shouted, "Raise the sails! Hurry up, don't just stand there!"
"This isn't just any current, it's a current that shoots straight into the sky!"
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