The Emperor Cloud

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It feels like hours before my lungs are full and no longer burning for air, but it is only a couple of minutes. Chestnut-head is moved into his house during that time, and Luffy carries me in his arms right as I feel good enough to move. Now all of us but Robin are in the man's house.

"Get me a cool wet cloth," Chopper orders as he stands on a chair to look over the passed out man. "And open all the windows!"

"What is wrong with him, Chopper?" I ask, leaning into Luffy's side as he places my feet on the ground. "It wasn't just fighting with Sanji that did this, was it?"

"The Bends," Chopper nods as he places the cloth Sanji hands him on the man's head.

"He's sick?" Luffy's arm wraps around my waist.

"What is the Bends?" Zoro asks.

"A condition divers can get," Chopper answers. "Not a chronic condition. Usually. When a diver comes up from deep water too quickly, the abrupt decompression causes air bubbles to form in blood and tissue. They expand and cause vascular system, muscle, and joint problems."

"An unnatural phenomenon then," Luffy turns us to look out the widow to see the sea.

"This man must have been deep diving day after day after day without enough time in between for his body to rest."

"But why?" Nami asks.

"I'm not sure, but it is dangerous. The Bends can be fatal in cases like this."

"Then we'll do everything we can to help him," I nod. "Whatever you ask of us, we will do it."

"I need some cool water, and make sure that the air is moving around in here."

"If that is what you need," Luffy untangles his arm from me.

There is peace and quiet for all of twenty seconds before the front door is flung open and the two monkey guys from earlier haver burst in.

"Boss, are you alright!?"

The whole room freezes as we look over at the men, but it is only for a moment before we all get back to the tasks that Chopper assigned to us. No matter who these two are to the man we are caring for, we can't let them stop us from properly treating the Bends.

"They've come to kill us!" Chopper screams as he hides behind my legs.

"What have you done with boss!?" Masira shouts.

"What are you even doing here!?" the other monkey brother shouts.

"We're giving him medical treatment, so go away," Luffy nonchalantly says.

"Are you stupid!?" Usopp screams. "They aren't going to listen to reason! Those two are savages! We have to escape right this instant! Out the window everyone!"

The two monkey brothers look at each other before bursting into tears. "That's so nice!"

"They listened!" Usopp crashes into the wall as he trips over his own feet in shock.

"Enough excitement in the house," I motion for everyone to head outside. "Let's leave Chopper to tend to your boss."

It doesn't take long for us all to exit the house as Nami and Sanji hang back to assist Chopper. Zoro and Usopp take a seat next to the door while Luffy grabs my hand to drag me to the tree-stump table where Masira and his brother are sitting. Luffy catching them up on all that has happened as best he can.

"You wouldn't mind telling us your name, would you?" I look at the orangutan looking brother.

"Not at all, I am Shoujou," he widely grins.

"And you guys live here too?"

"Well, sort of," Masira answers. "This is our boss's house, and the headquarters of the Monkey Mountain Allied Force. We normally sleep on our own ships."

"Since the house is small for us," Shoujou laughs.

"You guys are big, but to a giant, you're tiny," Luffy chuckles.

I giggle, shaking my head as I give Luffy a small shove.

"How did a little man like you even beat this big lug?" Shoujou pats his brother on the shoulder.

"It was real easy," Luffy says. "You could have done it. Even Akari could have done it," he pinches my side.

"Is that so?" he slaps Masira on the shoulder a few more times.

"That's too much credit for me," I say. "But the two of you would be evenly matched," I motion at the two brothers."

"Luffy! Akari! He's coming too!" Chopper calls out to us.

Luffy and I turn around just as Shoujou sends Masira flying into the sky with a perfect kick.

"That's wonderful!" I smile as I push off the table and start heading to the house.

"Great!" Luffy falls into step next to me just as we walk through the front door. "Hey, Mr. Diamond-head, we have something to ask you."

"Diamond?" I mumble. "That's totally a chestnut."

Chestnut-head is sitting up in his bed with his back facing us. "Sorry I attacked you all," he takes a drag of his cigarette before turning to face us all. "I thought you were coming after my gold."

"Gold?" Nami greedily smiles as her eyes light up. "What about gold?"

"Cut that out," Usopp narrows his eyes at her.

"What is it you want to ask me?" Chestnut-head looks down at his lap.

"We want to go to the island in the sky!" Luffy exclaims. "We need to know how to get there!"

"A sky island?" he looks over at Luffy with anger before bursting into laughter. "You still believe that!?"

Nami's demeaner changes in a flash to that of pure anger, and Usopp has to hold her back before she does serious damage to the man.

"Are you saying that it doesn't exist?" Luffy frowns.

He stops laughing, but a soft smile stays on his face. "There was one man who said that such an island did exist, but he went down in history as a liar. His descendants have been ridiculed ever since."

"It is not me!" Usopp screams as Luffy looks over at him.

"Noland the Liar is an ancient tale."

"We have different names! We are different people!"

"Luffy, Usopp is not the man from the tale he's talking about," I pat Luffy's arm. "Not everyone who lies is the same person."

"And I am his descendant," Chestnut-head sighs.

"Wait, you're his descendant!?" Nami blurts out. "This is where that story took place!? Right here!"

"That makes you Mont Blanc Cricket then," I say. "Am I correct?"

"Yes, Noland was my great, great, great, great, great, great—anyways, it is a lot of greats and a silly story about a distant relative. I'm sure only a drop of his blood runs through me," Cricket pulls one leg up and rests his arm across it. "The Mont Blanc family was driven away to live in shame. We are still ridiculed to this day. No one in the family has ever held it against him, though."

"How come?" Nami asks.

"Because we all know that Noland was no liar. That books says that his last words were, 'I know the mountain of gold must have sunk into the sea!' He's pictured with a stupid grin on his face, but he truly died with tears streaming down his cheeks. The island they reach back then was without a doubt Jaya. The island that is said to have the City of Gold ruins. I don't believe he made any of that up. Noland theorized that those ancient ruins fell into the sea because of the earth's crust. Everyone thought he said that out of desperation in a last ditch effort to redeem his reputation. He was put to death as they all laughed at him."

"There must be evidence of the Gold City somewhere then," I say. "It existed at one point, so there has to be some clue as to where it went somewhere."

"That's why he's diving into the sea each day," Usopp grins. "He's searching the ocean floor for the City of Gold in order to clear the Mont Blanc name."

"Ridiculous!" Cricket explodes, pointing a gun that he pulls out of nowhere at Usopp who slams back into the wall.

"Usopp!" Chopper screams.

Luffy angerly grunts as he clenches his fists and glares at Cricket.

"So what if he was telling the truth?" Cricket snaps, lowering the gun. "So what if he was the best explorer there ever was? None of that matters! Because of him and the blood that flows through my veins, total strangers have made fun of me since the day I was born! Do you know what that's like!? I grew up with people taunting me every single day!"

I grab Luffy's arm as he relaxes.

"The last four-hundred years have seen countless Mont Blancs going out to sea in order to restore the family name, and all of them have disappeared without a trace. I was ashamed of them all, so I took to the seas and became a pirate."

"Oh, you're a pirate too?" Luffy asks.

"I didn't set out with the intent to become one. I just want to get as far away from the Noland curse as I could. Then ten years, my ship landed here after one adventure. It's ironic that I would be the one to land on this island as the one who hates the Mont Blanc family and Noland the most. As I was standing on the island's cliff, just as the book says, there's no sign of the City of Gold, and it was then that I realized that fate had brought be here. There was no way to escape my lineage. Whether I find it or not, that doesn't matter to me. I'm not looking for gold. I'm not looking to clear his name. My battle is with the man who ruined my life. Before I die though, I intend to set the record straight!"

Usopp sniffles as he wipes the tears streaming down his face with his forearm. "What a man. A moving tale about men who risk their lives in the ocean's depths."

"How come those monkeys are here?" Luffy asks.

"Them?" Cricket shrugs. "They are just fans of the story."

"Fans!? Really!?" Usopp and Nami blurt out.

"Five, maybe six years ago now, they heard about me and came uninvited. Convinced the tale of Noland's was real."

"And you just let them stay?" I ask, hearing the two guys fighting outside.

"The sea is deep in this area, and diving in the dark cold water intensifies the loneliness. Day after day I would dive, searching all by myself. Then those two knuckleheads stumbles into my life. They self-appointed themselves as my henchmen. To be honest, those buffoons saved my life. I'm sure you can understand."

"Sure," Usopp sniffles as he hides his face in his forearm. "True comrades like that can lift a sad man's heart."

"I'm tired of monkey stories," Luffy says, pulling his arm out of my hold.

"Then stop listening or grit your teeth and deal with it!" Usopp screams at him. "Akari! Tell him he's being rude!"

I chuckle, holding my hands up in dismissal. "These stories are heartwarming, yes, but that's not why we are here."

"That's right!" Luffy shoves Usopp out of the way as he takes a step forward. " I want to go to the Sky Island mister!"

Cricket grins, reaching over to grab a book on a shelf nearby. "One impatient lad you are. Did you not hear me say that the one who spoke of the island in the sky was Noland? Noland the Liar if I must remind you. If you really believe in his tales, you'll become a laughing stock just like I have."

"He went to the Sky Island?" Luffy smiles.

"Well, he doesn't come out and say it."

"Is that the Noland's log?" I ask.

"That is correct," Noland nods, handing the book over to me. "Read that passage."

"Amazing," Nami comes to stand behind me, looking over my shoulder. "That log is from four-hundred years ago."

I hum, focusing on the passage that Cricket opened up to. "The Age of Kaien, 1120, June 21st, clear skies. Sailed from the lively Vira. Will follow the log pose straight east-northeast. Got hold of an unusual item today from a merchant ship. A one-man boat called a Waver. It rides like a ski. This strange vessel even sails on windless days by creating its own wind, but there's a knack in operating. I have not been able to master it quite yet. The crew are enjoying it." I glance over to see Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper looking at me with their mouths open in grins with eyes wide.

"That sounds so cool! I want one!" Nami blurts out.

"Don't stop, Akari!" the three boys shout. "Keep reading!"

I clear my throat, "The power this vessel runs on is found only on Sky Islands. I have heard of many with these special properties being up there. Speaking of Sky Islands, a fellow explorer showed me a living Sky Fish. It was amazing to see. A land our ships have never visited. As a sailor, I wish to visit this sea in the sky someday. Signed, Blanc Noland," I look up, seeing Luffy and Usopp looking at each other with pure happiness as Chopper is in shock.

"A sea in the sky!" Nami grabs the book from my hands to probably read some more entries.

"That's what Robin said!" Luffy exclaims.

"And according to this, people didn't doubt the existence four-hundred years ago!" Usopp adds.

"It really exists!" the two boys start to dance around.

I giggle, looking over to where Cricket was sitting in order to thank him for this news, but he's left his spot since my reading. "Hey, guys, I think he went outside."

"Then let's head outside!" Luffy rushes over to me, grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the house.

"You don't have to drag me! I'm coming with you!" I stumble as I speed up in order to catch up with Luffy.

"Ah, I see you've decided to come out," Cricket places a fresh cigarette between his lips. "Take a seat so I can explain what I know about the island in the sky."

Nami and Usopp take their seats on the tree-stump stools on the sides of the table while Luffy plops down in the middle. I'm able to snatch Chopper and plop down in front of the table with the sweet reindeer in my lap. Luffy's too focused on the idea of Skypiea to pull me to him, and the stool is a little small for us to share.

"First, I'm going to tell you what I know about the sky island. This is all hearsay, so it is up to you if you want to believe it or not," he crosses his arms.

"I believe," Luffy says.

"Wait and hear it first," Usopp whispers.

"Sometimes a mysterious phenomenon happens in the seas around here. The middle of the day will suddenly fall into night in one part."

"We know that!" Luffy blurts out. "We saw it! Right?"

"Yes!" Usopp adds. "it got dark and then monsters showed up!"

"They were giants not monsters," I give Chopper a small squeeze.

"The giants origin is a mystery too, so we'll leave that for now. The sudden night is the shadow of a dense mass of clouds."

"You're talking about cumulonimbus cloud, right?" Nami asks. "They can't create total darkness though."

"You're not very smart, mister," Luffy scoffs. "When there are a lot of clouds like that, it becomes cloudy not night."

"Yes, cloudy," Usopp agrees.

"Cloudy," Chopper echoes.

"Shut up and listen!" Cricket screams. "Imperiocumulus, the Emperor Cloud. That is the phenomenon that takes place. A dense mass of clouds in the sky. There are no air currents or condensation within them. When it appears, it blots out the sun. Day is suddenly turned to night. According to one theory, the Emperor Cloud has remained unchanged for thousands of years. It is like a petrified cloud that floats through the sky."

"A dense cloud formation that doesn't create rain?" Nami clarifies. "That is ridiculous. There's no way that is possible."

"Believe what ever you want. All I'm telling you is what I have heard."

"It's a mysterious cloud, huh?" Luffy questions.

"Right," Cricket nods. "It has remained unexplained to this day."

"You're so smart Luffy!" Chopper jumps out of my lap to look back at Luffy.

"If a sky island does indeed exist, that is almost certainly where it will be found."

"I understand!" Luffy exclaims. "We need to get to the top of that cloud! Zoro! Wake up!"

I jump to my feet, turning to see Zoro stirring awake as Luffy and Usopp dance around. "I'm not sure it is that easy, captain," I chuckle.

"Full speed to the clouds! Let's go everyone! Thanks a bunch, mister!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that we don't know how to get there!?" Nami screams. "The information we just learned did not help us to get there at all!"

"Boys, focus!" I grab Chopper and step out of the way as Nami barrels at Luffy and Usopp to knock some sense into them.

"She's really mad," Chopper says as I set him on the ground.

"Frustrated more than anything," I pat his hat.

"If you're done, this next part is the most important of all," Cricket says.

"They're listening," Nami glares as the two boys next to her.

"You will be risking your lives."

"We're half dead as is," Luffy and Usopp mumble as the return to their seats.

"The Knock-Up Stream is deadly, and it is what you have to let carry you into the sky."

"So what you're saying is that this Knock-Up Stream is an ocean current that tosses our ship into the air?" Nami asks as she sits back down.

Zoro crosses his arms as he steps up to the table since Luffy woke him up.

"I get it," Luffy widely smiles. "All we have to do is get thrown up into the clouds," he chuckles.

"Won't it just smash us against the ocean?" Nami asks. "That's what I was hearing back in Mock Town."

I settled back on the ground in front of the table, grabbing Chopper's arm to tug him back into my lap.

"That usually happens," Cricket says. "Timing is the critical thing. It may sound easy, but the experience is quite violent. To be hurled into the air by the Knock-Up Stream can be catastrophic. Normally, it is to be avoided at all costs."

"Why does this ocean shoot a current upward?" I ask. "I've never even heard of something like this happening anywhere else."

"It is mostly speculation on this monstrous oceanic current since no one has been foolish enough to research it. The theory goes that there is an enormous cavity deep beneath the sea. As cool seawater flows into it, geothermal heat creates enormous pressure and steam, resulting in a massive eruption. This explosion propels the water high into the air for about a minute."

"A whole minute!?" Nami slaps her hands down on the table. "Where do we find this current!?"

"The coordinates change each time. However, it does happen five

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