After a few hours, they reached Jaya. Thick jungles surrounded the coast, and in the distance, something shiny caught their eyes.
"Whoa! Look at that!" Usopp shouted, pointing.
There stood what looked like a huge, colorful castle with pink domes and tall towers.
"Looks fancy," Sanji said. "Maybe we'll find someone who knows about Sky Island there."
The crew anchored the Merry near the shore and walked closer.
But as they came around to the front, something felt… off.
Zoro frowned. "Wait a second…" He tapped on one of the "castle" walls. It made a hollow thunk.
Luffy poked it next. "It's fake!"
The entire front of the castle was nothing but painted boards nailed together to look real. Behind it, the rest of the building was half-broken and old, propped up with wooden supports.
Usopp's jaw dropped. "You mean we got all excited for this?!"
A deep laugh came from behind them. "Heh-heh-heh! You lot sure look disappointed."
Everyone turned. A tall, muscular man with a short brown mohawk stood there, a rope tied around his waist like a belt. His skin was tanned, and a large tattoo shaped like a sun covered his arm.
Luffy blinked. "Who's this guy?"
The man grinned. "Name's Cricket. This place is my home… or what's left of it."
"BOSS CRICKET!"
"WE BROUGHT BANANAS!"
The crew turned to see Masira and Shoujo, the two monkey brothers, running toward them with wide grins.
Luffy gasped, pointing. "Hey! It's those guys again!"
Noah crossed his arms. "Great. Just what I needed."
But instead of fighting, the brothers saluted proudly. "We work for Boss Cricket! Don't worry, we're friends now!"
Cricket chuckled. "Yeah, these two help me with diving. They're loud, but they mean well."
Masira flexed his arms. "You bet we do! We raise ships from the deep!"
Shoujo nodded, showing off his long hair and headphones. "And I find the treasure!"
Luffy burst out laughing. "You guys are awesome!"
Usopp looked amazed. "So you're treasure hunters?"
Cricket grinned. "Sort of. More like researchers. But lately, we've been finding something strange… pieces of sky shells and wrecks that don't belong down here."
Robin's eyes glowed with interest. "From the sky?"
Cricket nodded slowly. "That's what it looks like."
The crew glanced at one another. Nami sighed. "Then maybe… this really is connected to Sky Island."
Cricket looked at her, then at Luffy's big smile. "You're after the sky too, huh?"
Luffy nodded. "Yep! We're going there!"
Cricket laughed, shaking his head. "You've got guts, kid. Sky Island's no joke. If you really want to go, I might know a way."
Noah stepped forward. "Then tell us. We'll find it—no matter what it takes."
LATER THAT DAY.
The sun was setting over Jaya, painting the sky orange and red. The Going Merry sat near the shore beside a strange, half-fake castle. A campfire burned nearby, crackling softly as the crew gathered around.
Masira and Shoujo,were busy eating bananas and arguing loudly.
"I caught the biggest one today!" Masira shouted.
"Ha! You wish!" Shoujo yelled back.
Cricket sighed. "Can you two ever stop arguing for one minute?"
Luffy laughed. "They're funny!"
Cricket shook his head but smiled. "Yeah, they're idiots. But they're good men."
The crew sat around the fire as Sanji grilled fish and Nami mapped the coast. Robin quietly flipped through her notebook, while Noah leaned back against a barrel, listening.
"So," Nami said, glancing at Cricket, "what are you doing living in a place like this? There's nothing around for miles."
Cricket poked the fire with a stick, watching the sparks fly up. "I'm searching for something."
Robin looked up. "Something?"
"Yeah," Cricket said. "A city. A city that's said to be made of gold."
Usopp's jaw dropped. "A city of gold!? Like in fairy tales!?"
Cricket nodded slowly. "You've heard the story—'Noland the Liar,' right?"
Robin smiled faintly. "Yes. A man who claimed he found a city of gold four hundred years ago, only for it to disappear. When he brought people back to see it, it was gone. He was executed for lying."
Cricket's eyes narrowed. "That's the one."
He stood up, stretching his back. "The story says he was a liar, but I don't buy it. I've been diving here for years. Every time I go under, I find strange things—old ruins, gold fragments, even shells that aren't from this world."
Robin tilted her head. "Shells?"
Cricket nodded and held one out — a smooth white shell that shimmered in the firelight.
Robin's eyes widened slightly. "A Sky Shell. Those come from the clouds above the Grand Line."
"That's what I thought," Cricket said. "So maybe the city Noland talked about… wasn't gone. Maybe it just went up."
The crew went silent for a moment. The only sound was the soft hiss of the fire.
Luffy leaned forward, grinning. "Then let's go find it! The city of gold!"
Nami groaned. "We don't even know if it's real!"
Cricket chuckled quietly. "Heh. That's what they all say."
He turned and looked out toward the dark sea. "People used to laugh at me too. Said I was crazy to look for a fairy tale."
Noah frowned. "You talk like this means something to you."
Cricket paused, then smiled sadly. "It does. Because Mont Blanc Noland… was my ancestor."
The crew froze.
Luffy blinked. "Wait—what!? You mean the liar guy!?"
Cricket laughed roughly. "Yeah. The liar guy. The man who died for telling the truth. The whole world mocked him, and my family carried that shame for generations."
He looked down at his hands. "That's why I came here. To find the proof he wasn't lying. To clear his name."
Noah's eyes softened. "So you're not searching for gold… you're searching for the truth."
Cricket nodded slowly. "Exactly."
Luffy smiled, his eyes bright with excitement. "Then we'll help you find it!"
Cricket blinked, surprised. "You will?"
"Of course!" Luffy shouted. "If the city of gold is up there, we'll find it! We're going to the sky!"
Usopp panicked. "The sky!? Are you crazy!?"
Cricket chuckled. "Heh. You're not the first to call me that. But… maybe you can pull it off."
Robin smiled softly. "You believe that we can reach the sky?"
Cricket took a deep breath, his eyes glinting. "There's one way to try — something called the Knock-Up Stream.