Chapter 23 - The Man Who Climbed Ten Thousand Meters to Sky Island! (Please keep reading)
"No, I only need a Sky Island that's relatively close to me, and a way to get there!"
All the great pirates in the New World knew about the existence of Sky Islands, even the World Government knew.
However, going to a Sky Island, if not for long-term survival, can be a bit uncomfortable initially, and life there isn't as free as on the sea, so not many people have designs on Sky Islands themselves.
Bai Ye didn't want, or rather, didn't want any entanglement of interests with Golden Lion right now.
Having Golden Lion send him to Birka was clearly the fastest method.
But first, he would owe Golden Lion a huge favor, just like Kaido was able to get the Blue Dragon Fruit from Big Mom.
Similarly, if Golden Lion knew that the fruit he wanted was the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, then Golden Lion would never give him that fruit, no matter what.
Golden Lion was an out-and-out ambitious man. In pirate crews, especially those like the Rocks Pirates who gathered for profit, there wasn't much trust to speak of. Not every pirate crew was like the Straw Hat Pirates; even the Whitebeard Pirates had a traitor like Blackbeard, didn't they?
"Well, then you'll have to go up via the Grand Line or the Western Sky Peak. One is an upward current, and the other is above West Blue, where you can go up via the Giant Tree. However, it's guarded by the Giant Race, so getting up might not be that simple!"
Captain John told Bai Ye a few ways to get up, but he still suggested finding Golden Lion.
Because Golden Lion's ability was too convenient; if Golden Lion helped, Bai Ye could just go to Sky Island whenever he wanted.
Of course, if Bai Ye wasn't willing, he wouldn't say anything either.
After listening to John's suggestion, Bai Ye fell into deep thought.
One in West Blue, one in the Grand Line; both seemed to take too much time, making it impossible to return in over a month. It seemed he could only ask Golden Lion for help?
"Alright, it seems I can only go find Golden Lion."
Bai Ye sighed. It looked like he had no choice but to go. This time, he would probably owe Golden Lion a favor.
However, he just needed Golden Lion to drop him off on a Sky Island. He could search for it himself, and then after getting the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he could return, or have Golden Lion wait for him. If Birka didn't have the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he would return with Golden Lion.
Wait!?
Bai Ye thought of someone else, then turned to Captain John and asked, "Does the New World also have Giant Trees?"
The Giant Trees were the Treasure Tree Adam, guarded by different Giant Race members. Bai Ye felt that these trees most likely all led to Sky Islands, and the way to get up was to climb!
Climb all the way up!
If he fell midway, unless he had the exaggerated physical strength of someone like Kaido, he would basically be dead.
According to the original story, after Luffy and the others left Sky Island, Bellamy also went up later, but he didn't take the upward current route. Instead, he took the Western Sky Peak route, which meant climbing all the way up from the bottom of the Giant Tree. This is why Bellamy said that most of his subordinates had died, because they all died on the way up the tree.
"Hey, hey, hey, you're not actually thinking of trying it, are you?"
Captain John saw that Bai Ye seemed serious, and he was a bit stunned.
The mortality rate was very high!
"Of course, consider it training. If I can't even do this, then how can I maintain my position as a Captain?"
"Are you serious?"
"Absolutely!"
Bai Ye nodded. He had to climb up. In terms of time, it was simply not enough now.
He either had to climb up the Giant Tree in the New World, or find Golden Lion, but Bai Ye didn't want to owe Golden Lion a favor.
Once he owed him a favor, he would probably have to help deal with Roger in the future. For now, Bai Ye didn't want to add another enemy. Besides, Roger and the others had no conflict of interest with him; he just had to wait for Roger to die.
Neither Rocks currently, nor the subsequent three legendary pirates—Roger, Golden Lion, and Whitebeard—were within his current strength to provoke.
Bai Ye's plan was to lay low later and then start his own era during the Four Emperors era, because no matter how much he courted death at this time, it would be useless, as the Sea King hadn't been born yet.
Moreover, if he always thought of asking others for help whenever something happened, then what was he even doing?
He wasn't someone who liked to ask for help whenever he encountered trouble!
He would rely on himself for everything he could. His other selves in other worlds were also himself!
"Alright then, I can take you there now with a super-fast ship."
"Can those Giants let us up?"
"What are you talking about?! I'm from the Rocks Pirates! Not let us up? When you're out here, you talk about power, about background. Don't the Giant Race know where we're from?"
In the entire New World, who dared to challenge the Rocks Pirates now?
Even the Giant Race didn't dare!
So, you're a pirate mafia, huh?
But Bai Ye thought about it, and it made sense. It wasn't the era where the Four Emperors carved up the New World yet. Big Mom was also desperately trying to win over the Giant Race, but right now, the Giant Race wasn't something Rocks needed to win over too much.
The king of the New World was currently the Rocks Pirates. With so many monsters gathered, even if the Giant Race provoked them, they would still be annihilated.
"Alright, let's set off now!"
After speaking, Bai Ye and Captain John set off together. Upon arriving in front of the Giant Tree guarded by the Giant Race, seeing the colossal tree that shot straight into the clouds, a hint of emotion flashed in Bai Ye's eyes. At the same time, he turned to Captain John and said, "I'm starting to climb. John, you can leave if you want to."
"Damn it! I'm going to watch even if you fall from the sky, how can I leave!"
You're...
Intentionally cursing me, aren't you?
A dark line flashed in Bai Ye's eyes. Then he glanced at John, and then at the Giants nearby who dared not speak their anger, and began to climb upwards directly.
According to what the Giant Race had said before, this tree was a total of ten thousand meters tall, just enough to reach the White White Sea with its island clouds. The tree leading to Sky Island in the New World was the strongest, because of the New World's volatile weather, even at high altitudes, it would be affected.
Bai Ye felt a bit tired during the first three thousand meters, but he didn't have many problems. After coming to the pirate world, his physical strength had also become very strong.
Upon reaching six thousand meters, Bai Ye felt that every step he climbed upwards was exceptionally difficult. His hands trembled uncontrollably, the air became thinner and thinner, and there seemed to be a powerful gravity on his body trying to press him back to the ground.
At nine thousand five hundred meters, lightning snakes flickering in the clouds were irritating Bai Ye's body.
With the White White Sea right before his eyes, Bai Ye felt his consciousness blur, and the strength in his body diminished even further. A sense of powerlessness arose spontaneously.
A voice in his mind seemed to keep telling him, "You've reached your limit, you can give up now, you don't need to go up anymore, you can't make it!"
Bai Ye gripped tightly with his hands, gritting his teeth: "I'm a man who's going to become the King of the Pirate World! Victory is right before my eyes, and you're telling me to give up!!!"
Crack, crack, crack! Several distinct finger marks were clearly imprinted on the Treasure Tree Adam!
Bai Ye felt as if he had broken through some kind of limit. His dizzy mind became clearer, and a powerful aura suddenly erupted from Bai Ye's body!!!