In the center of Mock Town on Jaya Island—
"Except for the pirate crews that have already set sail, the rest are just local thugs from Mock Town. They've never even been out to sea. They just run taverns and restaurants, and when weak pirate groups show up, they rob and kill them!"
Redfield reported to Brook, clearly having already scanned them all with his advanced Observation Haki.
"By the way, can you check if there are any World Government spies among Moore Thomas' news agency employees?"
Brook asked Redfield to investigate once more, while he himself turned his attention to the local crime bosses in Mock Town.
"From this moment on, this island is under the control of the Hell Pirates. I don't care how you run your businesses, but if I find out that any of you are providing information or services to the Navy or World Government, you'll be frozen solid!"
Brook swung his sword, releasing a surge of ghostly ice energy. A pirate who had been looking at him with disdain was instantly turned into an ice statue. Without hesitation, Brook stepped forward and shattered him into countless shards.
The sight made the remaining pirates shudder in fear. They now understood—Brook wasn't playing games.
"Starting today, you will keep records of every suspicious person who sets foot on this island, especially those looking for information. If you find any spies or undercover Marines, you report them immediately. If anything happens under your watch, you're as good as dead."
Brook's cold warning sent a shiver through the gathered pirates. By now, Moore Thomas' news agency had already been operational on the island for a couple of weeks. There was no doubt that word had spread.
"Captain Brook, this is our home. We won't let the Navy destroy it! We'll keep watch!"
A few pirate bosses quickly swore loyalty. After all, Brook was a big-name pirate with a bounty of 200 million berries.
"That news agency will be relocating soon. From now on, it doesn't exist. No one talks about it. Understand?"
"What news agency?"
A tavern owner immediately caught on and turned to the other pirates. "We've never had a news agency here, right?"
His quick thinking earned a round of nods from the others, and Brook couldn't help but smirk. This guy was sharp.
"Good. From now on, you're in charge of gathering intel and managing these people."
"Thank you for your trust, Captain Brook! I won't let you down!"
The tavern owner—Will—was overjoyed. He'd secured a management role just by saying the right thing at the right time.
Brook then designated a nearby forest on the outskirts of Mock Town as the new base for the Hell Pirates, as well as a supply hub for the World Economic News Agency's operations in the sky.
After Redfield completed his scans, he successfully identified a mole within the news agency. The revelation was a tough pill to swallow for Moore Thomas. The man had been a trusted employee for over three years—how could he be a spy?
No amount of pleading or emotional appeals could save him. In the end, Moore Thomas personally carried out the execution.
---
With the customized oxygen masks and tanks delivered to Jaya Island, Brook decided after some discussion that the first step was to send the Voyager up to the White Sea. Their mission was clear: explore, occupy, and establish a stronghold on Sky Island.
Brook and Crocus also gave Laboon strict instructions to stay near Jaya and not wander too far. The young island whale needed time to grow.
"Brook, everyone in Mock Town is going to see us fly up. Even if we reach Sky Island, it won't take long for word to spread."
"Doesn't matter. Once we're up there, we set up defenses and shoot down any intruders."
Crossing the White Sea wasn't easy—not even for Zoan-type Devil Fruit users—unless someone had an ability like Golden Lion. If the World Government started outfitting birds with oxygen masks like they had, then controlling Sky Island first would give them the aerial advantage.
Brook had already thought of a solution—just kill any birds ferrying enemies up.
With their plan in place, it was time to act.
---
On the big day, the Hell Pirates ordered all businesses in Mock Town to close and for no one to leave their homes. Some people were confused by the sudden command, but Brook's reputation left no room for argument.
The Voyager was stripped of unnecessary weight to travel light. Tens of thousands of strong seagulls took flight, lifting the massive ship. Even the Kirin Lion and Parrot Assistant lent their strength.
Once they passed the frigid, low-oxygen layer between five and seven kilometers, the air and temperature returned to normal upon reaching the White Sea at 7,000 meters.
As the seagulls broke through the thick cloud layers, they were immediately attacked by sky fish. Brook, being a Devil Fruit user, was powerless when submerged in the sea clouds, but Redfield stepped in, easily fending off the sky beasts.
When the Voyager finally reached the White Sea, the ship's buoyancy kicked in, allowing it to float naturally. The seagulls no longer needed to pull—it could now freely sail across the White Sea.
Brook, regaining his strength, immediately reported their success to Moore Thomas through Den Den Mushi. One by one, the seagulls descended back to Jaya Island.
As the Voyager moved forward, they spotted a structure made entirely of white clouds, with people stationed on it.
"Oh wow! Blue Sea people actually made it up here! I always thought that was just a legend!"
A middle-aged man with the signature wings of the Sky People held up a video dial, snapping images of Brook and his crew.
"No one's come from Blue Sea in who knows how long. I signed up to be stationed here just so I could slack off!"
The Sky Islander muttered to himself, earning a few curious glances from Brook and the others.
"Welcome, visitors from Blue Sea! Are you here for sightseeing? Each person only needs 100 million Extol, which is about 10,000 berries in Blue Sea, to take the Shrimp Express straight to Angel Island!"
The winged man flipped through a booklet, comparing prices.
"Yeah, we're here for some sightseeing."
Seeing that Eneru wasn't in charge and the prices weren't outrageous, Shakky casually handed over 100,000 berries. She didn't even ask for change—the extra was a tip.
"Well then, have a great trip!"
The Sky Islander put away his booklet and video dial before blowing a whistle. Moments later, a massive red shrimp surfaced, gripping the Voyager and propelling it along the sea clouds. In no time, the ship was hurled onto the deeper White Sea.
As Brook and his crew took in their surroundings, they spotted buildings and lush greenery.
"This is Angel Island… and that over there is the Island of Gods—'Apayado,'" Brook murmured. "That island is the missing piece of Jaya that got blasted into the sky centuries ago."
"Captain… is that really the legendary Golden City of Shandora?"
Shakky stared at the distant ruins, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Yeah. That island was torn from Jaya by the Knock-Up Stream. The neighboring white island is where the Sky People originally lived—Angel Island, made of island clouds."
Brook took a deep breath, his grip tightening on his sword. Their journey had only just begun.
---
More than three hundred years ago, part of Jaya Island, including the city of Shandora, was launched into the White Sea by a massive knock-up stream, landing next to Angel Island, home of the Sky People.
The Sky People, who had never seen soil or lush greenery, were instantly captivated by the floating island. They waged war against the indigenous Shandians and emerged victorious. They renamed the land "Upper Yard", declaring it the Island of God, and merged it with Angel Island to form a new kingdom—the Kingdom of Skypiea. The Shandians were driven into exile, forced to live in the outskirts of the island.
Over time, these exiles became the Shandian warriors of today. Determined to reclaim their homeland and ring the Golden Bell once more to fulfill their ancestors' promise to Noland, they waged a relentless war against the Sky People for over three hundred years.
But despite their resilience, their numbers dwindled over time. Reduced to guerrilla tactics, they harassed the Sky People and eventually learned to use Dials as weapons. The conflict remained at a standstill, but the Shandians' smaller population made it impossible for them to fully reclaim their land.
Then came Enel. His arrival tipped the scales even further, reducing the Shandians' numbers yet again. Their once-determined warriors were now fighting just to survive.
---
"The Dial technology on this Sky Island is incredibly advanced, so be careful!"
Brook briefed his crew on the various Dials and their unique properties.
"Isn't that basically like Devil Fruit abilities?" Shakky raised an eyebrow as she listened to Brook list off Impact Dials, Repel Dials, Flame Dials, Water Dials, Axe Dials, and more. She was already scheming ways to use them in battle.
Sniper Hiruba was particularly interested in the Flash Dial—its blinding effect, combined with his sniping skills, sounded like a deadly combo.
Antonio, being the weakest on the crew, immediately eyed the Water Dial for countering Devil Fruit users and the Flame Dial for launching fire attacks. "Wouldn't that make me stronger?" he muttered.
Tom, the shipwright, was more interested in potential new materials. "I wonder if there's a floating material strong enough to improve the Sea Train…" He rubbed his hands eagerly, excited to explore.
The ship doctor was already thinking of ways to use Breath Dials—maybe even to store anesthetic gases or toxins.
Redfield, however, remained unimpressed. He wasn't interested in tools—only raw power.
"The Sky People and Shandians don't care about gold, so we can take as much as we want!"
"Seriously? Captain Brook, what the hell are we waiting for?! Let's take over this island and grab the gold!!" Shakky was already charging ahead, her eyes gleaming with greed.
"I'm planning to make Skypiea our main base. This time, we're not just passing through—we're taking the whole damn island!" Brook declared.
"YES, CAPTAIN!"
Even Tom was fired up. A few days ago, Brook had given him some ancient blueprints—ones even he couldn't fully decipher. But what he could understand had already blown his mind. His fingers twitched at the thought of adding new features to the Voyager.
---
As the Voyager approached Angel Island, they spotted the Sky People—humanoids with feathery ornaments on their backs and hair styled into tentacle-like shapes.
The Beret Corps, the local enforcers, rushed over upon spotting the strange ship docking at their shore. Their mission was simple—monitor the Blue Sea People and prevent them from causing trouble.
Meanwhile, deep within Upper Yard, inside the Palace of the Island of God, a man clad in armor sat upon a golden throne. He was the current "God" of Skypiea—Gan Fallmo. Beside him stood his 12-year-old son, Gan Fall, the next in line for the title.
"Fall, why hasn't your Mantra awakened yet? Are you slacking?!"
Mantra—the ability to sense and predict enemy attacks—was a skill that every god of Skypiea was expected to master. Every generation of rulers had wielded this power, keeping the Shandians in check and ensuring Skypiea's dominance. But Gan Fall lacked talent. He had a kind heart but nowhere near the strength needed to protect their people.
A weak god would doom Skypiea. If the Shandians ever regained power, the results would be disastrous.
"Father, why can't we just live in peace with the Shandians? Why must we keep fighting?"
Gan Fallmo fell silent. Should he tell his son the truth? That their ancestors stole this land? That Upper Yard originally belonged to the Shandians, and they were the invaders?
"You only need to know this—power is what protects our people. If you grow strong enough, maybe you'll be able to convince the Shandians to lay down their hatred and coexist."
He sighed, patting his son's head. He, too, wanted to end this centuries-old war. But every generation, a new Shandian warrior would rise—one strong enough to challenge even a god.
If the Shandians had more numbers, the Sky People wouldn't have been able to suppress them for this long.
"I understand. I will train hard, become the strongest, and bring true peace to Skypiea!" Gan Fall clenched his fists with renewed determination.
---
Meanwhile, the Voyager had docked at Angel Island. As Brook and his crew stepped ashore, their overwhelming presence made the Beret Corps visibly tense. Some even instinctively backed away in fear.
"Take us to your god," Brook demanded. His voice sent shivers down the spines of the Sky People.
The locals panicked.
"They're not tourists—they're invaders! Alert the god immediately!" The Beret Corps scrambled to sound the alarm.
Brook smirked. He knew how this would play out. He planned to defeat their god outright and make him submit. In the original timeline, Gan Fall had surrendered to Enel to ensure his people's survival.
Brook would force him to do the same.
Back at Upper Yard, Gan Fallmo had already received the emergency report. Without hesitation, he grabbed his Flame Dial Rifle and rushed toward Angel Island.
"Captain Brook, let me handle this so-called 'god'!"
Redfield stepped forward, eager for battle. He had been training his Haki, and his combat power had skyrocketed. He wanted to test his new strength.
Brook shook his head. "No. This needs to be overwhelming. We need to show them that they stand no chance against us. Only then will they submit willingly."
His Underworld Aura flared up, chilling the air around him.
This was going to be a one-sided slaughter.
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