The sea stretched endlessly behind them—Alabasta shrinking to a memory in the haze. The Going Merry cut through the waves gently, but silence ruled the deck.
Zoro leaned on the railing, arms crossed, his voice the only one that dared speak.
"Looks like we finally lost the Marines… We threw 'em off, right?"
"....."
Zoro glanced over his shoulder. "Guys?"
The replies came, half-hearted.
Chopper, slumped at the mast: "How barbaric…"
Nami, arms folded tight across her chest: "Could you sink any lower…"
Sanji, lighting a cigarette with a dead look in his eye: "Marimo…"
Luffy, sitting with his knees tucked to his chest: "Three swords…"
Usopp groaned. "Luffy, that's not even an insult! …"
"Four swords," Luffy muttered.
"How does increasing the number even change anything?!" Usopp snapped, slapping his forehead.
Zoro grunted. "Fine. Cry as much as you want. All of you."
No one laughed.
The space Vivi left behind hadn't gone anywhere.
And that's when Blizz stood up.
He had been sitting cross-legged at the edge of the deck, hood half-draped, silent like the rest—until now.
"…I know what we're all feeling," he said quietly, stepping toward the center of the ship. "And yeah… I'm right there with you. It sucks. It really does. But…"
His voice picked up as he reached into his cloak and pulled out a long scroll.
"…maybe I've got something to lighten your moods."
All eyes turned to him.
"Why is that?" asked nami, blinking.
Blizz smirked and flicked the scroll open across the wooden floor. With a small pulse of chakra, it ignited with inked symbols—and poof! A cascade of suitcases burst into the open air, thumping onto the deck in rows.
"What the—?!" Usopp stumbled back.
"Are those… bags?" Zoro asked.
Nami's brow furrowed, cautiously standing up. "What's in them?"
Blizz grinned. "Take a guess."
He bent down, cracked one of them open—and a golden glint poured into the sunlight.
"Money?" Nami's voice pitched up an octave.
She was at Blizz's side before he even looked up.
"Where did you get all this?!"
She was already counting stacks, her eyes transforming into glowing berri signs.
"You robbed a royal treasury or something?!" Usopp shrieked.
Blizz shrugged casually. "Let's just say… Crocodile wasn't too careful about where he stashed his stuff."
Usopp gasped. "You stole it from Crocodile?!"
"No, no. Liberated. Big difference."
Sanji whistled. "Now that's a loot haul."
Even Zoro cracked a crooked smirk.
Blizz looked around at them—all these misfits now standing a little straighter, breathing a little easier, a touch of joy returning to their eyes.
"Figured we could use something to smile about," he said, softer now. "Vivi wouldn't want us to mope forever."
Nami's eyes glinted like polished gold, her fingers twitching with accountant precision. She stepped closer, eyes fixed on the open suitcase like it was the Holy Grail.
"How much?" she whispered.
Blizz didn't miss a beat. "Two hundred and thirty million."
The deck went silent.
Then—
"WHAAAAAAAAAAT!?!?"
The chorus of voices nearly lifted the sails. Even the Going Merry creaked like it couldn't believe it.
Nami shot forward and wrapped both arms around Blizz in an uncharacteristic bear hug, squishing her face against his shoulder.
"Blizz… I take back everything I said about you not pulling your weight!"
Blizz raised a brow. "Wow, that was fast."
Usopp staggered toward a suitcase, still blinking. "Th-there's more money in here than I've ever seen in my life…"
Sanji knelt beside a case, flipping through the stacks with wide eyes. "Think there's enough for a floating restaurant upgrade?"
"Meat…" Luffy whispered, practically drooling. He launched himself onto Blizz's other side and flung an arm around his neck. "Now we can eat as much meat as we want!"
"Don't even think about it!" Nami barked, immediately pulling the suitcase out of reach and hugging it tightly like a precious child. "This money is for supplies and repairs—not for stuffing your faces!"
"Awwww," Luffy groaned, pouting.
Chopper danced around the pile. "We're rich! We're rich! I'm going to buy fifty new medical books!"
Zoro leaned against the mast, arms crossed, smirking faintly. "Tch. Never thought I'd see the day Nami hugged someone out of gratitude."
"I'd hug a sea king if it spat out this kind of treasure," she snapped.
Blizz chuckled, watching the energy shift—watching pain melt into joy, at least for a moment.
He turned, letting the sea wind brush against his cloak. The money had worked—not just as wealth, but as a bridge. A moment of light in the storm.
And then—
A calm, chilling voice rang from behind them:
"…So that's where all the money went. Well done."
The laughter died in an instant. Nami froze. Chopper ducked behind a barrel. Zoro's hand dropped to one of his swords.
Blizz blinked. Finally.
"Hi, Robin," he said smoothly, not even turning. "Well, I figured Crocodile wouldn't be needing it anymore."
The rest of the crew whipped around.
Standing on the far side of the deck—elegant, poised, and completely at ease—was a woman with raven-black hair, draped in a flowing robe, the sun catching her sharp features.
The ship jolted—or maybe it just felt that way.
"Y-you!" Nami stammered.
"Here to avenge Baroque Works?" Zoro asked, already drawing his blade. "Fine by me."
Sanji instantly dropped into a formal bow. "Oh my… such elegance, such grace!"
"Enemy attack!" Usopp yelled, ducking behind a barrel. "Enemy attack!!"
"Who is she?!" Chopper squeaked.
But Luffy only stared, wide-eyed. "Oh. It's you. You're alive."
Robin smiled serenely. "Please… don't point those savage objects at me. I told you before, didn't I?"
Hands bloomed from the deck, the railing, thin air—knocking Zoro's sword away effortlessly.
"What the hell—?!" Zoro snarled.
"Since when did you get on board?!" Nami demanded.
"Oh, a while ago," Robin said coolly. "I was reading. Took a shower. Borrowed some clothes." She glanced toward Nami with a sly smile. "I believe they're yours."
"What the hell are you up to?!" Nami shouted.
Robin's eyes finally landed on Luffy.
"Monkey D. Luffy," she said, voice lowering like silk over steel. "You haven't forgotten what you did to me, have you?"
"Luffy, what did you do to this fine lady?!" Sanji demanded.
"Nothing!" Luffy shot back, confused.
Robin stepped forward, expression unreadable. "Oh no… you committed an unbearable act against me."
"DIS-EMBARK IMMEDIATELY!" Usopp cried, already halfway up the mast.
Luffy blinked. "You're not making any sense. What do you want?"
Robin smiled.
"Let me join your crew."
Silence.
Blizz raised an eyebrow. He saw the rest of the crew react—some suspicious, others stunned.
But he already knew. This moment was written. And it was perfect.
Robin's voice softened. "You made me live when I wished for death. That's your crime."
"I… what?" Luffy frowned.
"I have no place to go. No one waiting. Let me stay."
Luffy looked at her, then nodded.
"Fine by me."
"LUFFY!" Nami, Usopp, and Zoro shouted in unison.
"She's dangerous!" Usopp yelled.
"She could backstab us!" Nami barked.
"She already disarmed me!" Zoro growled.
"Don't worry," Luffy said with a grin. "She's not a bad guy."
Robin smiled.
"Since I was eight, I've been an archaeologist. My head's been on wanted posters for twenty years. I survived by placing myself under the care of… let's say, less reputable people. I know how to stay useful."
"What's your specialty?" Usopp asked, suspicious.
"Assassination," Robin said with perfect calm.
"…Luffy," Usopp whispered, pale as paper. "After careful thought… I've concluded she is VERY dangerous."
Meanwhile, Luffy and Chopper were playing with Robin's hands—multiple hands sprouting from the deck, lifting them in the air like swings.
"Are you even listening to me?!" Usopp cried.
Nami sighed. "Pathetic. Getting handled like that…"
"Oh, by the way," Robin added casually. "I brought some of Crocodile's jewelry. Thought it might be useful."
Nami blinked.
Then her soul left her body.
"I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, SISTER!!"
Usopp and Zoro both faceplanted.
"Unbelievable," Zoro muttered. "And we're supposed to be pirates."
"Underhanded tactics…" Usopp groaned.
Sanji twirled. "She's perfect."
Blizz leaned beside the railing, arms folded, quietly watching it all unfold with a half-smile.
Zoro came over. "You're awful quiet, ninja-boy."
Blizz shrugged. "Not much to say. Just enjoying the show."
Robin approached, giving Blizz a look—curious, unreadable.
"You weren't surprised."
"Not much surprises me anymore," Blizz said smoothly. "But welcome aboard."
She tilted her head. "Mm. I think I'll like it here."
And just like that, the crew had one more stranger among them—and something new about to begin.
The Going Merry rocked gently on the open sea. The crew was still buzzing from the chaos Robin had stirred. Blizz leaned casually against the railing, arms crossed, watching the sun glitter on the water like shards of gold.
Sanji had gone to fetch tea. Chopper was cautiously offering Robin snacks. Nami was still inspecting the suitcases. Peace—however fleeting—had settled.
Then—
SHHHHFWUMP!
A sudden gust of wind screamed down from above, sending the sails fluttering violently.
"Whoa! What was that?!" Usopp staggered to the side.
Blizz's eyes narrowed. "Something's coming."
"LOOK OUT!!" shouted Zoro.
Then—
BOOOOOOOM!!
The sea split.
A gigantic shadow fell over the Going Merry. An entire ship—a shattered galleon with massive, barnacle-covered hull—plummeted out of the heavens and crashed into the sea right beside them, sending up a wall of water that slammed over the Merry like a tidal wave.
The crew screamed, gripping whatever they could. Blizz's feet planted firm, chakra locking him in place as waves drenched him.
"IT'S A SHIP!!" Usopp yelled, soaked.
"A SHIP FELL FROM THE SKY!!" Chopper cried.
"Protect the Merry!!" Zoro roared.
Everyone scrambled—ropes tightened, sails pulled in, gear secured.
"What the hell is going on?!" Nami demanded, trying to steady the Log Pose on her wrist. "The magnetic field is all over the place—wait…"
She paused.
Everyone turned to her.
"…The needle," she said. "It's pointing up."
"Up?!" Luffy blinked. "As in… the sky?"
Robin calmly wiped seawater from her arm, expression as composed as ever.
"If the Log Pose needle is pointing upward," she said, "then the Log has locked on…"
She looked up.
"…to a Sky Island."
Silence fell.
Then Luffy lit up with a grin like a child at a candy stand.
"AWESOME!!"
"Sky Island…" he muttered, a small grin curling. "So we've reached that part."
"So, there's an island floating in the sky?" Luffy repeated, eyes wide with wonder.
"The ship and the skeleton fell from up there?" Usopp added, peering into the water.
"Don't see anything resembling an island, though," Zoro muttered, scanning the sky.
Robin, ever composed, interjected, "You're a little mistaken. It's more accurate to say there's a sea floating up in the sky."
"A sea?" Nami echoed, incredulous.
"That makes even less sense," Sanji commented, lighting a cigarette.
Luffy and Usopp, however, were unfazed. "Awesome!" they exclaimed in unison.
"Alright, that's it for the Sky Island," Luffy declared, determination in his voice. "Up, up, up into the sky!"
Blizz stood near the edge of the ship, arms crossed, eyes narrowed as he stared at the fallen vessel.
"Was the ship this big?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone. "I don't remember it being this huge in the anime… Damn. If this thing fell on us, we'd be dead meat. No… worse than dead meat—we'd be chum in the sea."
Nami frowned, "This is absurd. An island, or a sea, or whatever floating in the sky. The log pose must be broken, that's all."
"No, Ms. Navigator," Robin corrected gently. "What you should be worrying about now is not how to fix the log pose, but how to get into the sky."
Luffy and Usopp had already begun investigating the fallen ship. Moments later, Luffy returned, holding a weathered map.
"Look! I found a map of Skypiea, the Sky Island!" he announced proudly.
Nami snatched the map, examining it closely. "I have no freaking clue how to get there," she admitted, frustration evident.
"Well, you're the Navigator. Do something about it," Luffy said, grinning.
"Nami, please treat the ship with care," Usopp pleaded as Nami slammed the map onto the deck.
"Ugh, this is getting nowhere," Nami sighed. "In any case, with the log pose needle pointing upward like this, we can't exactly continue sailing. Like Robin said, what we need is information."
Blizz stepped forward, arms still folded, voice calm but thoughtful. "Hey, guys… I think I've heard of Sky Island. There's a story about it—a legend, maybe, but something real enough to chase."
That caught everyone's attention. Even Nami turned toward him, brows raised.
Blizz continued. "If I'm right… we need to get to an island called Jaya first. Someone there might know how to reach the sky."
"Jaya?" Zoro echoed, narrowing his eyes.
Robin's expression flickered—surprised, but impressed. "Yes… I've heard of it too. It's known as a pirate haven. Lawless, violent… and full of rumors."
"Rumors?" Usopp edged closer, hands twitching nervously. "Rumors like… ghost ships and cannibal birds? Because I can work with denial, but not those."
Robin gave a soft, mysterious smile. "No, more like whispers of impossible islands and seas no map dares to chart."
Nami clenched the Log Pose tighter. "But even if we wanted to go there, how do we know it's in range? The log's locked upward. That means the next island is in the sky. How do we detour to Jaya if we're stuck pointing up?"
"Let's wait for now," he said, voice low but clear. "We might not know how to get to Jaya just yet… but something tells me this ship isn't done telling us its story."
"You think someone's gonna come for it?" Zoro asked, arms folded.
Blizz nodded. "Yeah. If a ship falls from the sky, it won't go unnoticed. Sooner or later, someone's going to show up—and when they do, we ask about Jaya."
Robin glanced at him, intrigued. "You think like a historian."
"I think like someone who's seen stories like this unfold," Blizz replied without flinching.
Sanji flicked his cigarette overboard and cracked his knuckles. "Well, while we wait, might as well check if there's treasure inside."
"I'll go!" Luffy raised a hand enthusiastically. "Maybe they left sky food behind!"
"Hey it's sinking."
"If it's sinking, then we need to salvage it right away," nami suggested.
"Like hell we can,".
"Right on."
"What does salvage mean?" Chopper asked innocently.
"It means lifting a sunken ship back up to the surface," Robin explained.
"That ship's too big for that to be possible," she added.
Undeterred, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji donned diving suits—somehow procured from the ship's storage—and prepared to dive.
Blizz stood at the edge of the deck, watching the preparations. He knew the importance of this moment.
"Be careful down there," he advised. "The currents around that wreck might be unpredictable."
Zoro glanced at him, smirking. "Worried about us?"
"Just cautious," Blizz replied, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
As the trio submerged, the rest of the crew waited anxiously.
"Do you think they'll find anything useful?" Chopper asked.
The sea had grown eerily quiet—too quiet. Nami tapped the Log Pose absently, pacing, while Robin leaned lazily on the railing with a book open but unread. Usopp sat beside the mast, squinting through a pair of rusted binoculars he'd insisted were "legendary" in precision.
Then, faint at first—like a radio being slowly tuned—came the sound.
Boom-tss. Boom-boom-tss.
Music. Loud, bouncy, ridiculous music, like a festival had hitched a ride on an engine.
Blizz lifted his head from where he sat sharpening his blade. "You hear that?"
Nami groaned. "Don't tell me this sea has DJs now."
Usopp suddenly bolted upright, binoculars glued to his face. "Hey! Hey hey hey! There's something coming! I see a ship—no, a contraption—no wait—is that a monkey?!"
Blizz stood. "You're joking."
"I never joke about monkeys!"
Robin took the binoculars calmly from Usopp's trembling hands and looked. A smirk curled on her lips. "He's right. It's a salvager. And he's… dancing."
"Great, a bunch of crazy people popped up again," Nami muttered with a long sigh, clearly referencing the ridiculousness Usopp was known for dragging into their lives.
The music got louder. The waves around the fallen sky ship began to churn with movement. Something enormous pushed closer, its top deck packed with pulleys, cranes, and spotlights, all rigged to one massive yellow salvage vessel.
Then the voice came, blaring through a loudspeaker:
"HEEEEEEEY! SALVAGE TIME, BABY!"
Blizz narrowed his eyes. "Well… there's our information lead."
As the Merry rocked from the force of the new arrival, Blizz turned to Nami. "If these guys are here to haul something this massive, they might know every current and wreck in this sea. I say we let them talk."
"Or scream," Robin added playfully.
From the far edge of the salvager's deck, a massive figure in a diving suit stood saluting with dramatic flair.
"I am Masira the Salvager! King of the Salvage Apes! This ship… IS MIIIIIIINE!!"
Blizz narrowed his eyes, brow twitching.
"…Ah, this is so annoying."
He turned and started walking toward the cabin.
Usopp looked over, baffled. "You're going inside? Now?!"
Blizz didn't even glance back. "Yeah. I need to do some… stuff."
Nami arched a brow. "Stuff?"
"I'm gonna meditate, call me when this fiasco ends,and don't worry this monkey is not Dangerous."
Usopp said angrily," how do you know that exactly?"
"I just know."
"Seriously?" Chopper blinked.
"I think that's his way of saying 'I've had enough of this nonsense,'" Robin said with a faint smile.
Blizz sat cross-legged, hands resting on his knees, eyes shut as the rhythm of the sea rocked the ship gently around him.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Focus.
CLANG.
BANG.
"Gyaaahhh!"
Laughter. Screaming.
A vein throbbed on his forehead.
He clenched his jaw.
Breathe in—
A high-pitched horn wailed somewhere outside, followed by Luffy shouting something incomprehensible and Chopper panicking in reindeer form.
Blizz's eye twitched.
"How the hell am I supposed to meditate with all this noise!?" he growled, fists tightening on his knees.
And then—BANG!—the door flung open.
Usopp's face exploded into the room, pale and sweaty. "Blizz! Help us! There's like—three giant monsters! They just rose outta the sea! They're huge—like, mountain-sized—"
Blizz stood up in one smooth, irritated motion, cloak brushing against the floor like a drawn breath before a storm.
"You mean the Shadows?" he said, brushing dust off his shoulder.
Usopp nodded rapidly. "Shadows?!"
Blizz exhaled through his nose, already walking past Usopp.
Just as Blizz stepped out of the cabin, brushing off the frustration from his failed attempt to meditate, Nami walked up to him, holding something small and metallic in her hand.
"Hey, Blizz," she said, a glint of both surprise and satisfaction in her voice. "We found an Eternal Log Pose… and guess where it's pointing?"
Blizz raised an eyebrow, already knowing the answer. "Let me guess. Jaya."
Nami nodded. "You were right. There is a nearby island named Jaya."
Blizz smirked, crossing his arms. "Well, when wasn't I right?"
Before Nami could snap back, he continued, "about those giant monsters—were they holding spears? With some kind of wings?"
"Well, I didn't exactly stop to sketch them!" Usopp cried. "I was too busy not dying!"
Robin joined them, arms crossed, eyes calm and curious. "Yes… something like that. You recognize them?"
Blizz looked out at the sea, his tone shifting to something low and steady. "Then the legends are true… They're not real monsters. Just shadows. Projections from above."
"Above?" Chopper blinked.
Blizz nodded. "If I'm not wrong… they're from the Sky Island. A reflection from a phenomenon called Fire Might. I've read about it—only thought it was a myth."
"Sky Island again…" Nami muttered, gripping the Eternal Pose tighter in her hand.
Robin's eyes flicked to her. "If the log pose is locked and we're seeing those shadows… it lines up."
Luffy leaned over the railing, eyes wide, almost glittering with awe. "So those monsters were just… shadows of people in the sky? That's crazy! That's awesome!"
"Awesome?!" Usopp yelped. "I nearly died of fear! And you're calling it awesome?!"
Blizz gave a half-smile. "Well, fear or not, they prove one thing… the Sky Island isn't just a fairy tale. It's real."
"Then Jaya really is the next step," Nami said, looking down at the needle still pointing unwaveringly in one direction. "If we want answers… we head there."
"Let's go then!" Luffy shouted, already raising his fist. "Time to find this Jaya place!"
"But first," Sanji said, appearing with a towel slung lazily over one shoulder, his shirt half-unbuttoned from the earlier dive, "how hungry is everyone?"
Luffy's head snapped around like a bullet. "STARVING."
"I could eat three plates!" Usopp shouted, arms flailing dramatically.
"I'm always hungry," Chopper mumbled, already imagining a warm bowl of stew.
"I could go for something," Zoro added casually, leaning against the mast, arms folded. "As long as it doesn't delay getting to Jaya."
Sanji smirked and lit a cigarette. "Then I'll whip something up. You lot look half-dead anyway. Can't have you passing out before we even hit the next mystery island."
He turned and strutted toward the galley, calling over his shoulder, "Blizz! You coming? Or are you gonna keep staring dramatically into the sea like a tragic poet?"
Blizz, still looking out at the horizon, waved a hand without looking. "I'll join in a bit."
"Suit yourself."
Nami rolled her eyes and tucked the Eternal Pose into her belt. "Honestly, the only thing stronger than Luffy's obsession with meat is Sanji's ego."
"That's just the balance of nature," Blizz said with a faint smile.
Robin watched him quietly. "You knew about those shadows… and the island… You seem to know a lot, Blizz."
He glanced at her with a calm shrug. "Call it intuition."
Robin's lips curved slightly. "A curious kind of intuition."
Usopp stepped in between them, eyes darting. "Okay okay—before you two start exchanging riddles, can we all agree no more surprise monsters from the sky?"
The Going Merry cut through the gentle waves, its patched sails billowing under the wind's steady push. The weather had cleared up since the incident with the falling ship, and the Eternal Pose pointed forward with unwavering certainty.
On the horizon, the jagged silhouette of an island began to take shape—lush with trees, peppered with small port buildings, and flags. Pirates. Dozens of them.
"Hey! I see land!" Usopp shouted from the crow's nest, gripping his binoculars.
Chopper jumped excitedly. "That must be Jaya!"
"It looks rowdy," Nami muttered, squinting through her spyglass. "Pirate town, for sure."
Luffy grinned. "This is gonna be awesome."
Zoro cracked his neck. "Yeah, smells like trouble already."
But just as Sanji turned the rudder slightly to approach the harbor, Blizz stepped forward, his coat fluttering in the breeze. His voice cut through the excitement like a blade:
"Turn the ship."
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Huh?" Luffy blinked. "But Jaya's right there."
"That's not where we're going," Blizz said calmly. "Go around the island."
"What are you talking about?" Nami asked, wary. "That's the only port visible."
"No," Blizz said, his tone firm now. "Our destination isn't that pirate-infested city. That town's full of drunks, scavengers, and bounty hunters. What we're looking for lies on the other side of the island."
Robin raised a brow, intrigued. "You seem certain."
Blizz didn't flinch. "I am. The man we need to talk to—he's not in that city. We won't find what we need facing pirates who want to loot us before asking our names."
Sanji frowned. "huh? You sound like you've been here before."
"Something like that," Blizz replied, eyes narrowed at the horizon.
Luffy grinned. "Alright! Let's go around then! Sounds cooler anyway!"
Nami hesitated, still watching Blizz, then gave a slow nod. "Changing course. But if this turns out to be a dead end, I'm charging you interest."
Blizz gave a smirk. "Fair enough."
As the Going Merry turned wide to circle the island, the pirate city behind them vanished from view… and a different kind of anticipation settled over the crew.
And like this we avoided Luffy and Zoro and Nami being humiliated, and of course meeting Blackbeard this early in the story. I mean If it can be avoided, why not avoid it.
Now the rest should go smoothly… we could also avoid Bellamy beating Noland and his crew. Now we have to find when the upstream is, and also do some maintenance to the Going Merry… and then reach the Sky Island.
Sounds easy enough.