One Piece Volume 25 : The Hundred Million Man Chapter 229 Let's Eat - Page 47 - Chapter 229 - Let's Eat - Page 48 - Cricket: Okay, first of all... I'm gonna tell ya everything I know about Sky Island. None of it's gonna seem very reliable, so it's up to you to decide whether you believe me or not. Luffy: I BELIEVE YOU. Usopp: Not yet. Zoro: Zzzzzz - Page 49 - Cricket: In this stretch of the ocean, there are occasions when "Night" falls in the middle of the day, and strange phenomena occur. Luffy: OH!! YES!! YES, WE SAW THAT!!! Right?! Usopp: Yeah!! It was night all of a sudden and some monsters showed up. Cricket: Giants, huh. There's an explanation for where they come from, but for now, forget about it. The sudden "nightfall" is the shadow of extremely heavy CLOUDS. - Page 50 - Nami: You mean cumulonimbus clouds? That darkness is too thick for mere clouds to cause. Luffy: Geez, you're dumb. When there's lots of clouds, it's called "cloudy". Usopp: Yeah, "cloudy". Chopper: "Cloudy". Cricket: SHUT UP AND LISTEN!!! "Emperonimbus clouds". That's what they're called. They pile up high into the sky, but create no atmospheric currents and let loose no rain. When they appear up in the air, even sunlight cannot penetrate them, turning "daylight" on the ground into "nighttime". Another opinion states that emperonimbus clouds float above, unchanged for thousands and tens of thousands of years, like "fossilized clouds". - Page 51 - Nami: Clouds that pile up but don't create currents?! That's impossib... Cricket: Feel free to think it impossible. I'm not telling you to believe me. Luffy: So they're "Magic Clouds". Cricket: That's about right, they haven't been explained by science yet. Chopper: Wow, Luffy!!! Cricket: Listen, if there is such a thing as Sky Island, it can only be THERE. Luffy: OKAY!! I GOT IT!! WE'RE GOIN' ON TOP OF THOSE CLOUDS!! Wake up, Zoro. Zoro: Morning already? Luffy: GET READY, EVERYONE!! SET THE RUDDER FOR THE CLOUDS!! THANKS FOR TELLING US, MAN!! Nami: How many times do I have to tell you we DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET THERE?!! - Page 52 - Cricket: Here comes the important part. And I have to warn you: YOU NEED TO RISK YOUR LIFE. Both: Yeah, we're almost there. Cricket: The "Knock Up Stream". The theory is that you ride this sea current up into the sky, understand? Nami: ...oh...!! That's a current that blows your ship up into the air, isn't it? Luffy: Okay, then. We'll just get blown up into the clouds, hahaha. Usopp: By a sea current? Nami: But in Mocktown they said the ships... just come crashing back onto the waves... - Page 53 - Cricket: Yeah, that's what normally happens. Timing is absolutely critical here. First of all, it's easy to talk about being blasted up by a sea current, but it ain't some kinda refreshing, gentle ride, like you might be thinking. When you talk about the Knock Up Stream, you're talkin' about DISASTER. The kind of thing you should stay away from, at all costs. Nami: ...how is it possible to go upwards on a current? We've never heard of anything like that before... Cricket: Even the principle behind that monstrous thing isn't beyond estimation. Although you won't find anyone stupid enough to go check firsthand. - Page 54 - Cricket: Here's the theory. There's a huge hollow cave, below the ocean floor. The low temperature seawater floods into the cave, And the pressure of the huge volume of steam coming from the earth's heat causes an explosion on the sea floor. It's an enormous blast powerful enough to shoot the water up above the surface and create a "current". The ocean will continue to burst upwards for approximately one minute. Nami: What kind of scale is that explosion on, that it can keep water shooting up for up to a minute?! Cricket: The place of the blast is different every time. It happens about five times a month. Usopp: Is it just gonna blast us to BITS? - Page 55 - Cricket: But anyhow... Talking about grandiose natural phenomena with words and theories is ridiculous. Usopp: Then... Then, you mean-!! If we go on this sea current that only shows up five times a month, and there's no Sky Island... Cricket: Yeah, you're gonna wish you HADN'T GONE UP. You won't grab onto anything, just crash back onto the surface of the ocean and sink. Plus, even if you manage to land on the emperonimbus clouds, if there's no Sky Island there, the outcome might as well be the same. Usopp: O... okay!! Let's give up on Sky Island!! Hahaha!! Awwwwww...!! Too bad, Luffy. This is impossible. Basically, unless you're one lucky lucky lucky lucky lucky upon lucky son of a bitch, you won't make it. Luffy: DON'T WORRY. LET'S GO. - Page 56 - Usopp: Don't worry? You've got no proof there, pal... Look over there... you see how painful the Going Merry looks right now...?! It can't stand up to any massive damage. Cricket: You're right... it couldn't stand up even if it was brand new. Usopp: WHAAAT?!! Cricket: Speed... weight... strength... That ship would blow up right along with the explosion. Usopp: ...but... yeah?! See?! I told you, we can't do it. Cricket: But you don't have to worry about that. I'm gonna have Masira and Shoujou help you out with your ship. And we're gonna strengthen your original model as well, of course. Monkeys: YEAAAAAH!! JUST LEAVE IT TO US!!! Luffy: THANKS, GUYS!! Nami + Usopp: {Why did they have to go and do that...?!} - Page 57 - Nami: Do you understand this?! And besides... oh yeah!! We can only spend the next day here! Once that's done, the Log Pose is gonna switch to the direction of the next island! Luffy: Whaaat? Usopp: Right?! Right?! It's not gonna be in time! Right, buddy?! I mean, you're not a prophet or anything. But anyways, when do you suppose the next day with both a Knock Up Stream and emperonimbus clouds is gonna come? How many days? No, no... how many months? No, how many years?! Cricket: Midday tomorrow. Get ready, if you're gonna go. Usopp: THAT *IS* GONNA BE IN TIME!!!! Cricket: What? If you don't want to go, then don't. - Page 58 - Usopp: Y... You're LYING, right?!! Cricket: What?! Usopp: THIS IS TOO WEIRD!!! WE JUST MET TODAY!! AREN'T YOU BEIN' A BIT TOO NICE?!! Besides!! Luffy: Hey, Usopp- Usopp: YOU SHUT UP!!! The opportunity for us to go Sky Island... this unknown place only spoken of in legends...!! is TOMORROW?!! AND YOU'RE GONNA HELP US BEEF UP OUR SHIP SO WE CAN MAKE IT?!! THAT'S JUST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLOTTING?!! YOU'RE THE DESCENDENT OF "NORLAND THE LIAR"!!! WE CAN'T TRUST YOU!!! - Page 59 - Masira: POPS!! WE GOT DINNER ALL PREPARED!!! IT'S A SPECIAL MENU TONIGHT!!! Shoujou: This guy's cooking is like, crazy delicious!! I'm all a pitter-patter! Sanji: I told you, I'm a first class cook. Nami-saaan, food's read... Huh? Usopp: WHAT... YOU WANNA FIGHT?!! Cricket: In Masira's... - Page 60 - Cricket: In his Territory Log, the day after "night" is spotted there are always emperonimbus clouds to the south... Based on the pattern of 5 times a month, I'm guessing the Knock Up Stream will happen tomorrow. That also happens south of here. I'm not sayin' it's 100% for sure, but the probability of all those things coinciding tomorrow is high. I'M OVERJOYED TO MEET A BUNCH OF IDIOTS LIKE YOU. NOW, LET'S EAT. YOU CAN SPEND THE NIGHT AT MY HOUSE. - Page 61 - Cricket: COMRADE. Luffy: ...heehee!! FOOOOOOD!! Hurry, Usopp! Masira: Yeah, hurry!! Sanji: Hey Chopper, go call Robin-chan. Chopper: Okay. Nami: Looks like we'll just have to give it our best shot... to reach the sky. Still... in the end, it's gonna be all down to luck. Usopp: Nami... am I just a miserable coward? Nami: And stupid to boot... I know how you feel. You should go apologize. Usopp: I'M SORRY, POPS!!! Cricket: Bleah!! Keep yer damn snot offa me!! - Page 62 - Cricket: DAMN, THE BOOZE JUST TASTES GREAT TODAY!!! Sanji: Eat up, eat up, we got a full course of pike comin' right up!! Masira: BUHAAAAAHHHOOOO!!! Usopp: Gahaha, you fell for my "Tabasco Bomber", ya salvage bastard!! Masira: OOK-OOK!!! LONG NOSE!!! Usopp: Gyahahahahahaha!! - Page 63 - Cricket: Hey baby, c'mere and sit down on my lap!! Sanji: 'ey, don't even think about tryin' to make Nami-san serve your beer or anything!!! Shoujou: Damn, you sure can drink! Zoro: I'm just gettin' started! Cricket: "I SAW GOLD IN THE RIGHT EYE OF THE SKULL." Nami: Gold?! - Page 64 - Cricket: Blotted with tears, they were the last words written by Norland... It was the day he was executed. When I came to Jaya, it made no sense at all. Right eye of the skull?!! Does that represent the name of some city that once stood here? Or is it a symbol of his own death...? The blank pages that follow tell us nothing. THAT'S WHY WE DIVE!!! WE SEE DREAMS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN!!! Masira: THAT'S RIGHT, OOK OOK!! Shoujou: WHOA HOHHH!! Luffy: AND WE'LL FLY!! Crew: FLY INTO THE SKY!!! YEAAAHHHHH!!! - Page 65 - Eddie: It's pretty dark by now, but I see it. Bellamy. Bellamy: Prepare to land. "REAL GOLD" IS TOO GOOD FOR AN IDIOT WHO CHASES DREAMS... - Page 66 - SBS Corner O: We've got a game from Pen Name MESO, aka Yucchi-san from Asahikawa. A sailing game!! Avoid the dangers and arrive at the goal!! Answer's on page 186!! Oh no! The rudder on the Going Merry is broken, and now they can't turn starboard (right)! There are many dangers out there, but you CAN make it to the goal just by turning left!! * The ship cannot go backwards. - Chapter 229 Owari -