The embers of the explosion had not yet cooled, yet the horizon looked like paper trimmed with scissors, leaving a square black void.
The speed-boat sliced through spray, heading for the "Sky-Citadel Raft" suspended among clouds. Along the platform edge torches formed a winding ribbon of light, as though rolled out as a welcome carpet for two uninvited guests.Leon stood at the bow, palm upward, a purple-glowing "coordinate shard" spinning slowly—the physical form of the "seed +10 %" the system had awarded after the Gellman blast.[System Alert:Shard tradable, fuse-able, destruction prohibited]Nami adjusted the Log Pose to point at the citadel's underside. "Below the platform is the 'Cloud-Sea Market,' the underground world's flea-port. Pay enough and you can even buy Marine Headquarters secrets.""I don't want intel," Leon narrowed his eyes, "I want the sky-citadel itself. Buy it and turn it into our mobile base."Nami blinked, then grinned. "Mobile base? I like that brand of crazy."The boat pierced the cloud layer; temperature dropped. Massive iron chains hung from the platform bottom, each link thick as a mast, welded with the World Government's emblem—apparently this aerial island had once been an observation post for the "God's Knights," later seized by underground merchants.At the entrance two black-suited guards blocked the speed-boat. "Entry fee: five million Berries or equivalent rarities."Leon raised his hand; a "Sea-Spirit Stone Ring" materialised and clinked to the deck, radiating the same magnetic field as Sea-Prism Stone. The guards paled and stepped aside. "Honoured buyers, please."Inside, the Cloud-Sea Market blazed with lights but reeked of damp copper. Auction houses, weapon shops and slave pens stood side by side like three parallel serpents.Leon headed straight for the "Sky-Citadel Property Exchange." Behind a glass gate a penguin-type broker in a gold monocle twirled a quill. "Wish to purchase a floating island? Prove solvency first."Leon placed the coordinate shard on the counter; purple light flooded the hall. The penguin's pupils shrank. "A 'Uranus' fragment?! Please wait, I shall summon the major shareholder."The shareholder appeared—an agent of the World Government's underground bank, code-named "Mr. Depreciation." Grey-robed, his voice like rusted gears: "Shard value: one billion. Sky-citadel price: one-point-five billion. You lack five hundred million."Leon sneered and snapped his fingers—an invisible backpack interface unfolded in mid-air, rows of "Ender Pearls," "Bedrock Ingots," and "Pseudo Sea-Prism Stone" lining up, total value exceeding seven hundred million."Are these enough?"Mr. Depreciation was silent for three seconds, then nodded. "Deal. Sky-citadel property transfer—effective immediately."The instant the contract was signed a golden system prompt popped:[Achievement:Sky Buyer]
[Coordinate-Seed +5 %]
[Remaining Count-down:69:59:59]Leon looked up at the huge platform floating overhead—it now belonged to the "Orange Flag" Pirates.Nami tucked the new deed into her coat, smiling like she'd stolen the entire treasury. "Next—turn this city into our warship!"On the back of Leon's right hand the purple counter ticked; his voice was low but firm: "Seventy hours—enough to make it the hardest mobile fortress in the world."Beneath the clouds of sea, torches swayed, and a new flag rose—orange field, pixel seagull, snapping in the wind.Count-down 69 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds—begins.