Chapter 127: A Song of the Sky and the Sea

[Brook POV]

I drew my bow across the strings of my violin, letting a gentle, flowing melody drift over the deck of the Titan’s Glory.

Three months had passed since the sky burned with lightning and monsters. Looking out over the railing, the view of Upper Yard was vastly different from the war-torn crater we had created.

The rebuilding effort had been a massive success. Our crew worked side-by-side with the Skypieans and the Shandians every single day. We cleared away the massive chunks of floating bedrock Shiki left behind and filled in the craters caused by the Kaiju. The ancient animosity between the two tribes was completely gone. Fighting a war for survival together had forged a deep bond. Shandian warriors like Wyper and Kamakiri now trained openly alongside the Skypiean guards, sharing food, building materials, and laughter. They lived together in a newly built, unified settlement near the roots of the Giant Jack.

During these three months, Isa and little Aisa had practically moved onto our ship. They ate with us, helped us clean, and treated everyone in the crew like family. Aisa loved riding on Bepo’s shoulders and playing tag with Gammamon. We loved having them around. However, when the time came to pack our supplies, they stayed on the grass. Captain Victor knew the Blue Sea was far too dangerous for a child, and Isa had a strong desire to stay and help guide her newly united people. We shared tearful hugs, promising to visit them again in the future.

We did not just spend the last three months building houses. We trained relentlessly. The war had shown us exactly where our limits were, and every single member of the crew worked to break them.

Captain Victor spent his time refining his Haki and increasing the fluid control over his massive Jade Clones. Gammamon trained his stamina, learning to hold his various powerful Champion forms, for much longer periods and change between them without collapsing.

Robin especially made incredible progress. She mastered the rapid transition into her new Hybrid Were-Tiger form, learning to manage the massive strain on her two synchronized hearts. I spent my days sparring with Law, honing my fencing skills and pushing the range of my soul music to better assist the crew in large-scale battles. Yohohoho!

Law meditated daily, drastically expanding his Haki reserves so he could maintain his massive Room for longer durations. Bepo sharpened his martial arts, perfectly blending his natural Mink Electro with his heavy kicks. Shachi and Penguin focused on their agility and teamwork, creating new synchronized strike patterns that were nearly impossible to block.

Gwen developed dense, new web-traps and sharpened her Observation Haki to sense danger faster. Baby 5 expanded her weapon arsenal, learning to transform her limbs into heavier, more destructive artillery cannons. Perona pushed her Devil Fruit limits, increasing the speed and the blast radius of her negative hollows. Laura was able to stabilize her hulk transformation and maintain it for extended time.

Peter gained much better control over his massive Spinosaurus hybrid form, practicing the exact timing of his Ghost Touch intangibility to avoid taking damage during close combat. Maria pushed her Ulti-Zoan body, maximizing the use of virtual mass of her Star Rage ability so she could hit with the weight of a mountain without shattering her bones. Jacob spent the entire three months storing massive amounts of energy in his bandages, ready to unleash devastating combos at a moment’s notice.

Everyone was stronger, faster, and more prepared for the New World.

The ship felt a little quieter today, though. A few of our guests had already departed.

Jasmine, Palmon and Koala left a few weeks ago. Their time off was over, and they had urgent duties back at the Revolutionary Army Headquarters. Jasmine used an Accompany card, teleporting herself and Koala directly back to their base.

Ace left under much darker circumstances. He received an urgent, grim message through his personal Den Den Mushi. One of his fellow Whitebeard commanders, Thatch, had been fatally attacked by a crewmate named Teach. Ace was furious and desperate to save his brother. Captain Victor gave Ace a thick stack of Breath of the Archangel healing cards. Before Ace used his Accompany card to teleport back to the Moby Dick, both Victor and Jasmine gave him a very strict, serious warning. They told him exactly how dangerous Blackbeard was, urging the Fire Fist to exercise extreme caution.

Now, it was our turn to leave.

I stopped playing my violin as the last crates of supplies were loaded onto the deck. Wyper, Gan Fall, Isa, Aisa, and hundreds of locals stood on the cloud shore, waving and cheering as we raised our sails.

Captain Victor stood at the bow. He raised his hand, his jade daggers glowing brightly.

He summoned the Sky-Rift Roc.

The massive, majestic jade bird materialized in the air above us. The giant eagle flapped its massive wings, generating a strong gust of wind. It reached down gently with its massive talons, gripping the reinforced hull of the Titan’s Glory.

With a powerful screech, the Sky-Rift Roc lifted our heavy galleon right out of the cloud sea. The natives cheered louder as we soared into the sky. The giant bird banked gracefully and began the long, steady descent through the thick, white cloud layer toward the Blue Sea.

The crew gathered on the main deck, watching the white fog roll past the ship.

“Captain,” Penguin asked, leaning against the railing. “Where are we heading now? Back to Paradise?”

Victor turned around, a wide smile on his face. “We had to postpone a very important trip a few months ago. I think it is finally time we get back on schedule.”

Victor pointed down toward the unseen ocean. “We are heading to the phantom island. We are going to Zou.”

Bepo gasped. The polar bear mink covered his mouth with his paws, large tears of joy streaming down his furry cheeks. He was finally going home. The rest of the crew cheered loudly, patting Bepo on the back and celebrating the new destination.

The white clouds outside the ship began to thin out.

The Sky-Rift Roc broke through the bottom of the cloud layer. The bright, warm sun hit the deck. We all leaned over the railings, taking in the beautiful, familiar view of the endless blue ocean stretching out to the horizon. We were back in the Blue Sea.

Suddenly, a loud, sharp ringing echoed across the deck.

Puru puru puru! Puru puru puru!

The sound came from the captain’s quarters. It was Victor’s official Warlord Den Den Mushi.

The cheering stopped. Victor’s smile faded. He walked quickly to his quarters and picked up the receiver.

“Victor speaking,” he said calmly.

A frantic, out-of-breath Marine voice yelled through the speaker. “Warlord Costa! Thank the heavens you answered! We have a critical emergency! We need you to mobilize immediately!”