"Anyway, back to the matter of the Sky Island. Did I just hear you say you found some intel?"
"Hehe, that's right! Robin and I gathered some information while we were out shopping."
Looking incredibly smug, Nami pinched her collar, reached two fingers into her cleavage, and pulled out a folded map. She said, "Although we ran into a little trouble, we still managed to hear some stories circulating around the island and found this ancient map of Jaya Island in the library."
Spreading the yellowed, tattered parchment out on the table, Allen leaned in for a look. It depicted an island shaped like a skull.
Nami pointed to the jawbone section at the bottom of the 'skull' and said, "I compared it to current maps. The outline of this lower section perfectly matches the present-day topography of Jaya Island, but the upper half has completely vanished."
"So, Robin looked through the library's archives. While there are no factual records regarding the main island's disappearance, she did find some popular theories. The most mainstream belief is that the other half of Jaya Island sank to the bottom of the sea."
"But an island sinking usually takes tens of thousands of years, unless it was struck by a cataclysmic natural disaster. Following that clue, I checked the natural disaster records for this stretch of ocean and finally discovered something."
Nami held up her index finger. "And that is the Knock Up Stream!"
"Because there are massive caverns on the seafloor in the nearby waters, the buildup of steam pressure causes a phenomenon where ocean currents erupt into the sky. It happens five times a month at random locations. It's a massive natural disaster."
"The books record that geologists once examined the fracture marks on the eastern shore of Jaya Island. It's highly likely that the missing half of Jaya Island vanished during the eruption of a supermassive Knock Up Stream."
"While this doesn't tell us where the island was blasted to, if we assume the island was launched into the sky, it perfectly explains the strange phenomenon of the Log Pose pointing upward here."
"But that raises another unprovable question: why didn't the island fall back down? Why did it stay up there?"
Nami threw her hands up and shook her head. "Unfortunately, all the knowledge I've acquired cannot prove this premise. At the end of the day, it's simply impossible for an island to float in the sky."
"So you investigated for half the day, and not only did you fail to find a way to the Sky Island, but you also conveniently disproved its existence, right?"
Allen gave her a deadpan look.
*You babbled on for all that time just to tell me this?*
"Hmph."
Nami crossed her arms over her chest, turned her head away, and grumbled, "There's only one way up, and that's to ride the Knock Up Stream and launch our ship into the sky the exact same way. How is that any different from suicide? I'm absolutely not doing it."
Beside her, Robin picked up the conversation, speaking calmly, "I looked through the library's records. Almost everyone who tried to reach the Sky Island this way ended up smashed to pieces. By now, practically no one even attempts it anymore."
"Of course, there are occasional exceptions. For instance, an expedition team from the South Blue two hundred years ago. Although they didn't fall to their deaths, records state they mysteriously vanished and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day."
"Perhaps they all died on the mysterious Sky Island," Robin said, her tone completely flat.
Hearing this, Nami shivered, feeling an inexplicable cold draft sweep down her spine.
At that moment, Vivi walked over from across the table. She raised her hand sheepishly and stammered, "Um... sorry to intrude. I heard you talking about the Sky Island. Um... I have some information. Could I discuss it with you?"
"Oh, right! My name is Vivi. I'm the apprentice navigator for the Straw Hat Pirates."
Vivi bowed politely as she introduced herself.
The group turned their gazes toward her, sizing her up briefly.
"Hello, I'm Nami. Come sit over here."
Nami took the initiative to grab her hand, pulling her down to sit beside her like an older sister, and smiled. "You're the princess of Alabasta, right? I never expected you to actually set sail and become a pirate with them."
"Yes. After all, everyone saved my life. I really couldn't bear to watch them charge into the Grand Line without a navigator."
Vivi explained with a helpless smile. She then pulled out a yellowed, old map and handed it to Nami. "We encountered something bizarre in the nearby waters. A ship fell out of the sky out of nowhere. This is a map Luffy and the others salvaged from the sea."
"A ship that fell from the sky?"
Nami looked at her strangely, taking the map and unfolding it.
"This is... the other half of Jaya Island?!"
"No! Wait a minute, why is the background of this map made of clouds?!"
Nami's jaw dropped in disbelief. With just one glance, she was completely blown away by the drawing.
Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but gather around. They saw that the island depicted on the map was unmistakably floating above a sea of clouds!
"My, my. It seems the existence of the Sky Island can now be confirmed," Robin chuckled softly.
"Yes. Although it's hard to believe, we also found a torn logbook on that sunken ship. It recorded that they saw the legendary [City of Gold] in the sky."
Vivi nodded in agreement and asked, "I wonder if you've ever heard the legend of the City of Gold? It's a popular tale in the North Blue."
Hearing the name, Sanji frowned slightly. "You're talking about Liar Noland, right? I read that story in a book when I was a kid."
"He was an explorer from the North Blue four hundred years ago. Legend has it that during his travels, he came across a place covered entirely in gold—the legendary City of Gold. Later, his king ordered him to lead an expedition back to that place, but they couldn't find it no matter how hard they searched."
"But Noland still insisted that the City of Gold was real. Eventually, he was executed on charges of deceiving the king. It's said that right before his execution, he said, 'I know now! The City of Gold must have sunk to the bottom of the sea!' Those were the last words of his life."
Sanji explained the origins of the story to the group. He took a thoughtful drag of his cigarette and said slowly, "I see. So the City of Gold didn't sink to the bottom of the sea, but flew up into the sky instead?"
"How could this be? Is there really no escaping this for me?"
Nami wept, looking as if she had lost the will to live.
*Why? Why does the Sky Island actually exist?*
Just the thought of falling from high in the sky and being smashed to pieces made her want to cry.
After hearing Nami explain the method of reaching the Sky Island, Vivi also wept, looking equally devoid of the will to live.
...
Over the course of the afternoon, Allen gradually dealt with a mess of miscellaneous chores and settled in the newly recruited crew members.
Meanwhile, Nami took Vivi and frantically researched information on the Knock Up Stream, continuously calculating the operational feasibility of riding it to the Sky Island.
Everyone had their own duties to attend to. Luffy and the others, who had nothing to do, were kicked out to wander around town.
This continued until evening.
"Finally done..."
"I feel like I'm going to die..."
Putting down their pens and paper, Nami and Vivi both leaned back, collapsing limply onto the sofa in sheer exhaustion.
After calculating the eruption patterns of the ocean currents countless times and simulating the process of riding the stream into the sky over and over, their brain cells were practically burned out.
Vivi looked so drained she seemed hollowed out, but when she thought about the monumental feat they had just accomplished, a trace of pride swelled in her heart. She sighed with emotion, "You're amazing, Nami. To be able to calculate a navigation method that should be completely impossible... you're on a whole different level compared to a half-baked navigator like me."
"Don't say that, Vivi. You did a great job too. Have a little more confidence in yourself. I believe you'll become an excellent navigator."
Nami encouraged her with a gratified smile on her exhausted face.
"Mhm, I'll definitely work hard."
Vivi and Nami shared a smile.
The two lay there resting for a while before Nami sat up and said, "Although we've calculated the estimated success rate to be over 60%, there will still be a lot of variables in actual practice. Furthermore..."
"Just steering isn't enough. To withstand such a violently erupting current, the ship's hull needs to be sturdy enough to handle it. We'll be fine, but the same can't necessarily be said for your Going Merry."
Nami smiled at Vivi and said, "Later on, I'll have our shipwright help reinforce it for you."
"Really?! That's wonderful, Nami. Thank you!"
Vivi sat up excitedly. "We finally have a shipwright to take a look at the Going Merry! Usopp is going to be thrilled when he hears the news."
"Ah, well, it is the ship Kaya gave him. That guy has a different kind of emotional attachment to the Going Merry than the rest of you," Nami couldn't help but remark.
Hearing this, Vivi pursed her lips, curled her legs up, and hugged her knees. She asked curiously, "You have a really good relationship with Luffy and the others, right, Nami? Why didn't you set sail with them?"
"Eh? Why..."
Hearing this, Nami couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
Before she could react, Vivi smiled softly and followed up, "Is it because of Mr. Allen?"
"..."
Nami didn't answer. Instead, she reached out and pinched Vivi's ear, grumbling, "Stop asking so many nosy questions. Hurry up and pack your things so we can go check on the ship."
"Ah, ow! Ow! I get it, I'm sorry!" Vivi cried out, tears squeezing from the corners of her eyes as she repeatedly begged for mercy.
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