Chapter 29: Mock Town
After five days of sailing, the weather in the Grand Line finally began to stabilize.
"Looks like we're close. There's an island nearby," said Da Vinci, who had managed to get a general grasp of the Grand Line's erratic weather in just a few days. Truly, a genius of human history.
"Mhm, hopefully that island is our destination—Jaya Island," Eric agreed.
Suddenly, the sky darkened, as if fast-forwarding time to 8 or 9 p.m.
"What's going on? An eclipse? It turned dark way too fast. Or is it a weather shift? Doesn't seem like it should be," Da Vinci muttered in confusion. Having started keeping a log of weather patterns, she jotted down the sudden change in the sky to look into the cause later.
At that moment, in the clouds where the sky met the sea, a silhouette appeared—black and flat, like a cutout. A figure shaped like an ordinary human, holding a spear as tall as themselves, with small wing-like ornaments on their back. Describing its scale, it appeared gigantic, towering as if it were tens of thousands of meters tall, making one question their own eyesight.
"What is that?" Everyone except Eric was startled, though they quickly composed themselves.
"Captain seems to know what that is?" Chiron noticed Eric 's unchanged expression.
"Mhm, it seems Captain-kun knows the reason behind it too," Da Vinci added curiously.
Even the usually silent Akame turned to stare at Eric .
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a human shadow—a shadow. Since the body casting it is so far from the clouds, the projected shadow appears massive," Eric replied casually. In his mind, he thought, 'Isn't this the same scene the Straw Hats encountered with the salvage monkey? I ran into it too. Maybe I really am the protagonist?'
"I see. It's just the light enlarging the shadow. The clouds act like a canvas. That explains why I couldn't sense anyone up ahead," said the sage-like Chiron, quickly grasping the phenomenon.
"But, based on the size of the shadow and the proportions of a normal human, those people must be at least 10,000 meters up in the air. And judging by their posture, they're standing on solid ground. The wings are too small to support their weight, and they're not riding anything. Standing at 10,000 meters without support? That's just not possible," Da Vinci, as a physicist and expert in optics, calculated their height and expressed doubt.
Eric placed a hand on Da Vinci's shoulder and said, "Hahaha, Da Vinci-, you must believe in the light—no wait, wrong reference. Believe in this world! And its creator god (Oda)!"
Then, with a serious face, he addressed his three companions. "Those are people from Sky Island. The wing-like appendages on their backs prove that they live up there. Our next step is to find a way to reach them. Also, Da Vinci-, even if the physics here resemble the previous world, don't take what you see at face value. The forms of people and animals here will overturn everything you think you know. You'll probably be very interested in studying the biology and botany of this world."
'After all, there are way too many people with torsos bigger than elephants and legs like toothpicks,' Eric thought, recalling a certain fighting champion and someone who went toe-to-toe with Rayleigh after escaping prison.
"Since we can see that sight, we must be near Jaya Island."
An hour later, the island came into view.
"The people here don't look very friendly. For someone as perfect as me, this place is terrifying," Da Vinci said, pretending to be scared as she leaned toward Eric . "Captain-kun, make sure you protect your big sister, okay?"
"Yes, yes, I'll protect you," Eric replied. After being teased for days, he was gradually developing some immunity.
"You were cuter when you used to blush like a little brother."
"Then please tease me less. That way my resistance won't grow as fast, and I'll go back to being that easily flustered little brother."
"So you admit you're a little brother~"
"..." He was about to retort with "old hag," but remembering how seriously women take their age—and not wanting his face rearranged—he kept his mouth shut.
"Chiron, mind watching the ship? Need us to bring anything back?"
"Hmm… here's a shopping list. We need some essential medical supplies." Chiron had prepared it ahead of time. As expected of the strategist—always thorough.
Mock Town, on Jaya Island, was a city built by pirates who spent money like water. It was full of thugs and cutthroats, so conflict was constant. Within moments, two separate groups involved in a pursuit ran past Eric , Da Vinci, and Akame. A nearby tavern had likely just experienced a brawl; its interior lay in ruins.
"So this is what real pirates are like in this world?" Da Vinci asked, intrigued. She hadn't met any before, though she would encounter both pirates and Marines as enemies going forward.
"Eh, not exactly. Some of them rob and plunder towns, sure. But the true great pirates are terrifying. Like Charlotte Linlin , who wiped out an entire country just because her snacks were late. Or Shiki the Golden Lion, who spent twenty years planning to destroy the world. Compared to them, these guys are small fry."
(Note: I write that most pirates attack towns, steal valuables, and destroy buildings, but they don't slaughter innocent civilians wholesale—otherwise the population would've gone extinct. Also, I'm not great with dark themes, so some scenes are just glossed over.)
"So in other words, the pirates here are just street punks and lowlifes who pick on ordinary people?" Da Vinci rephrased.
"Uh… sure, but don't say that out loud! Look, we're surrounded!"
"Huh? Did you just call us punks? Lowlifes?!"
"Wanna die?!"
"Three brats playing pirate in Mock Town—what do you think you're doing here?!"
"Too scared to move? Ahahaha…"
"Akame, use the back of your blade."
"Mhm."
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The surrounding pirates were instantly knocked to the ground.
"Eep~!" The last one fell on his butt in fear. Eric and Akame had moved so fast that he hadn't even seen them, just watched as his companions dropped like flies.
"Tch, a bunch of broke thugs. Were they trying to rob us?" Eric rifled through their pockets—only 30,000 Berries. Well, can't let money go to waste, right?
"You—" Eric began.
"This is all the money I have!" The last one quickly surrendered his cash. Who was robbing whom again?
"Fifteen thousand. I've got a question. Where's the currency exchange?"
"There isn't one here. If there was, it would've been looted already."
"Well, it is a pirate haven… Do you have a map of this island or the town? And where's the pharmacy?"
"Maps are sold at the shop near the docks. The pharmacy is at the second intersection on this street." Hoping to get rid of them quickly, the lackey answered everything rapidly and thoroughly.
After purchasing everything on the list, they treated Akame to a full meal, bought a bento for Chiron, and—at Da Vinci's request—picked up various types of metals. They returned with a full haul.
For the record:
Shopping list items – 500,000 Berries
Food – 1,700,000 Berries
Various metals – 5,000,000 Berries
Science experiments are really expensive.
(END CHAPTER)
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