"The god of the Sky Island people lives in Upper Yard. You should be careful," the Shandian man said, as if feeling guilty about deceiving someone from the Blue Sea.
Hearing this, Mio stopped and smiled. "It's alright."
Of course he understood the man's intentions. He simply didn't care.
The so-called god of the Sky Island people wasn't a real god.
If he remembered correctly, the current "god" ruling Skypiea was Gan Fall, the former Sky Knight from the original story. If it had been Enel, Mio would have shown some concern—but Gan Fall? He didn't even register as a threat.
The strength gap between them was simply too wide.
After getting the answer he wanted, Mio let the Shandian man leave.
Then, Mio resumed sailing, steering the ship toward Upper Yard.
…
During the voyage, Mio occasionally spotted enormous fish creatures rolling in the white sea. It was a beautiful sight—strange yet fascinating—adding a bit of wonder to the journey.
Knowing there was a Poneglyph on Upper Yard, Robin had already prepared in advance. She clutched her notebook full of ancient text references, flipping through its pages with eager anticipation, wondering what secrets this Poneglyph might hold.
Puff—
Another massive fish rolled over in the sea of clouds. Warwick stepped forward, swung his claws in one swift motion, and cleaved it in half. He grabbed a large chunk of the fish's body and carried it back to the deck, handing it to Erica.
"I wonder what fish from the sky tastes like," Lilith said, sitting in her chair like a proper lady, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. Her chin rested on both hands, occasionally flipping the pages of her book as she looked at Erica.
Erica chuckled softly. "I'll try to make it delicious."
With that, she carried the fish into the kitchen.
Mio sat at the bow, a bottle of rum in his hand, a troubled expression on his face.
"There's too much gold in the Golden City. I don't think I can take much of it with me."
That was the issue bothering him right now.
He wasn't particularly attached to money. After all, this wasn't the real world. But it still felt wasteful to return to the Grand Line from Skypiea without bringing back a hefty load of treasure.
"Tch. I'll just dump more gold in Warwick's room when the time comes. We'll take as much as we can carry," Mio muttered to himself, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he made up his mind.
Not long after, Erica returned with the food she'd prepared.
The group sat together and ate happily. The taste of creatures from the White Sea was clearly different from those of the Grand Line. While not necessarily better, they had a unique flavor of their own.
After nearly five hours of sailing…
An island finally came into view.
There was no doubt about it—it was Upper Yard.
However, Mio frowned when he noticed something unusual. "There's a ship… is it from the Grand Line?"
Sure enough, a ship was anchored near the shore of Upper Yard. It didn't resemble the designs used by the Sky Islanders. Its construction and style were clearly those of the Blue Sea.
Mio narrowed his eyes at the unfamiliar ship. "Hei Yan, stay with our ship."
If someone else from the Grand Line was already on the island and returned before them, there was a risk they might steal Mio's ship. It was better to be cautious.
"Understood," Hei Yan replied without hesitation.
Once the ship docked, Mio led his group ashore.
The unfamiliar ship bore no flag or markings, so it was impossible to tell if it belonged to pirates or an ordinary traveler.
"Captain, do you think the people from that ship will take the Poneglyph?" Robin asked anxiously.
Mio rolled his eyes. "What are you thinking? You can't just walk off with a Poneglyph."
It was possible to move one—but not just anyone could do it. Unless you had tremendous strength or resources, a Poneglyph was basically immovable.
"I do hope we run into them, though. I'd love to know who else made it to Skypiea." Mio grinned. He was genuinely curious to see who else had reached the island from the Grand Line.
"Let's move."
With a wave of his hand, Mio led the group inland. Everyone except Hei Yan followed, stepping into the dense forest of Upper Yard.
Hei Yan watched them disappear into the trees, then sat on the deck with a book, calmly reading as he waited.
…
Within the forest, towering trees surrounded them. The air was humid, the sounds of insects echoing faintly in the distance.
"You should all activate your Observation Haki. Keep an eye on the surroundings," Mio instructed, activating his own Observation Haki to scan the nearby area.
Upper Yard wasn't a particularly large place. After all, it was just a fragment of the former Jaya Island.
Soon after, Mio noticed footprints on the path ahead.
"Could this be the person from that ship?" Robin asked, squatting to inspect the tracks.
"It looks like it," Mio replied, gazing at the trail. "But if that's the case, it seems they're alone. And these footprints… they're not quite human."
"Could it be a Sky Islander?" Erica asked.
"No idea. But we'll find out soon enough. We don't know the exact location of the Golden City anyway—might as well follow the trail," Mio replied, and they pressed onward.
Walking on the forest floor proved difficult, as fallen trees and thick brush repeatedly blocked the path. Eventually, Mio picked Robin up and began leaping through the trees with the others following suit, gracefully weaving through the dense canopy.
Before long…
Erica suddenly stopped. "Master, there's someone ahead."
"Yeah, I sense it too." Mio nodded with a faint smile. "Let's go see who it is."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Mio leapt forward, flying toward the source of the aura. Erica and the others followed closely behind.
Soon, a massive valley came into view.
When Mio saw what lay inside, a glint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
There were ancient ruins scattered throughout the valley—collapsed structures, cracked walls, and broken pillars. However, what truly stood out was the golden light glittering under the sun.
Gold.
A lot of gold.
But Mio only glanced at the treasure briefly before shifting his gaze elsewhere.
In the middle of the ruins, two figures were engaged in fierce combat.
One of them wore armor and held a long spear—it was Gan Fall, the current god of Skypiea. Mio recognized him immediately.
The other figure, however…
Mio furrowed his brow, trying to recall the face. After a moment, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Why is he here?"
The man had red skin, thick curly hair, a wide mouth, and a beard. He wasn't human—he was a fishman.
And not just any fishman.
He was Fisher Tiger, the legendary founder and first captain of the Sun Pirates.