Cursed Seas and Slashing Tides

Cricket stood in front of the crew, Zoro absent and snoring somewhere while Sanji was inside, busy cooking. Robin was off in her usual solitude, reading her books.

"All right…First, I'll tell you all I know about Sky Island. It's nothing confirmed, mind you. So believe what you want." Cricket began, his voice steady but carrying a mysterious edge.

"Okay, I believe it." Luffy immediately replied with unflinching trust.

Usopp shook his head, exasperated. "Wait until you actually hear it first!"

Cricket continued, "Strange phenomena happen around here—days turning into nights out of nowhere."

"Yeah, we know! We saw it!" Luffy interrupted, eyes bright with excitement as he turned toward the crew. "Right!?"

Ryomen raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Luffy? I don't remember that happening."

"Huh!? Did I imagine it?" Luffy scratched his head in confusion.

Nami sighed, exchanging disbelieving looks with Usopp and Chopper.

"We also ran into monsters." Usopp quickly jumped in, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

Cricket nodded. "You mean the giants? They're part of the mystery too. And that sudden 'night'—it's the shadow of a dense mass of clouds."

"Cumulonimbus clouds?" Nami asked, her navigator instincts kicking in. "But they wouldn't create total darkness."

"You're not that smart, mister!" Luffy said matter-of-factly. "When there are a lot of clouds, it's 'cloudy' not 'night'."

"Yeah, cloudy." Usopp echoed.

"Cloudy!" Chopper chirped in agreement.

Ryomen blinked, momentarily losing track of the conversation. "Cloudy?"

Cricket groaned, his patience wearing thin. "It's not just clouds! It's called Imperio Cumulus, the Emperor Cloud."

"A dense mass of clouds high in the sky." He explained. "There are no air currents or condensation. When it appears, it blocks the sun."

"But that's impossible!" Nami objected, her eyes widening.

Cricket shrugged. "Believe what you want."

"So, a mysterious cloud, huh?" Luffy said, fascinated by the idea.

"Still unexplained to this day." Cricket added.

Chopper looked up at Luffy with admiration. "Luffy, you're so smart!"

Ryomen smirked. "Never thought I'd hear those two words in the same sentence."

Cricket's tone grew more serious as he continued. "If Sky Island exists, that's where you need to look."

"Alright! Let's get on top of that cloud! Zoro, wake up!" Luffy shouted enthusiastically.

"We still don't know how to get there!" Nami snapped, already losing her temper as she beat both Luffy and Usopp to the ground.

Cricket, unbothered by the commotion, warned, "If you truly want to reach it, you'll be risking your lives."

"We're already half-dead." Luffy and Usopp mumbled simultaneously from the dirt, faces bruised from Nami's earlier outburst.

Cricket leaned in, his expression grim. "The Knock Up Stream is deadly. You'll have to let it carry you to the sky."

"And where do we find it?" Nami asked, her tone more cautious.

"The coordinates change each time, and it happens five times a month." Cricket explained.

"But unless the current erupted right under the mass of clouds…" Usopp trailed off, his voice tinged with unease as he contemplated the deadly risks.

"Your ship would be flung into the sky and come crashing down, killing everyone aboard." Cricket finished grimly.

"Alright! Let's forget about Skypiea! Only a lucky, lucky, lucky guy would have any chance of getting there!" Usopp exclaimed, trembling from head to toe.

"We'll be fine. Let's go." Luffy said with his usual unshakable optimism.

"I don't know, Luffy. It seems really dangerous." Ryomen added, his voice unusually tense, betraying his worry.

"Yeah, and look at Merry! She's falling apart! The current will turn her into kindling!" Usopp cried out, desperate for an escape.

"You're right." Cricket suddenly said, much to everyone's surprise. "But don't worry. Your ship can be reinforced. I'll have Masira and Shoujou help you."

"Yeah, leave it to us!!" The two brothers shouted from the window, their boisterous voices filling the air with enthusiasm.

"We're counting on you!" Luffy replied, his grin wide with excitement.

"So, when will the current and cloud align? A few months? Years?" Usopp asked hopefully, still grasping for some time to mentally prepare himself.

"Tomorrow at noon." Cricket replied with a casual nod.

"What!? So fast!?" Usopp's voice cracked with sheer panic.

"Well, if you're that afraid, forget it." Cricket said, shrugging indifferently.

"You…You're lying!" Usopp suddenly accused, pointing dramatically at Cricket.

"Huh!?" Cricket looked taken aback by the sudden outburst.

"The coincidence is too incredible! We just met today, and now you're offering to help us? Why!?" Usopp continued, his voice growing louder and more frantic. Cricket remained silent, watching him carefully.

"And besides—" Usopp began, but Luffy quickly cut him off.

"Hey, Usopp—"

"No! You shut up!" Usopp shoved Luffy back, eyes blazing with suspicion. "You're telling me the only way to get to Sky Island is tomorrow!? And you're even going to repair our ship and help us get there!? It's all too convenient!"

"What's your angle!? You're a descendant of Noland the Liar! I don't trust you!" Usopp's words rang with frustration and fear.

The rest of the crew watched quietly as Usopp finished his tirade. Just then, Cricket's two henchmen appeared outside.

"Boss! We're in for a treat!" Masira exclaimed.

"This guy's cooking is amazing!" Shoujou added, beaming with delight.

"Told you, I'm a first-class cook. Time to eat, Nami-san!" Sanji called out, his gaze glued to Nami. However, he quickly noticed the heavy tension in the air. "Huh?"

Usopp had already assumed a fighting stance. "Come on! Put 'em up!"

Cricket, unbothered by the accusation, calmly removed his cigar and walked past Usopp without a word. "The daytime 'night' appears in Masira's territory. According to it's monthly rotation, the knock-up stream is due to erupt tomorrow, just south of here."

Then, with a small grin, Cricket added, "I'm glad I met you fools. Now let's eat. You can rest here tonight…Friend." His words left Usopp standing there, stunned.

"Time to eat! Hurry up, Usopp!" Luffy shouted, raising his arms in excitement, snapping Usopp from his shock.

As the others headed inside, Nami and Ryomen approached Usopp.

"Looks like it's all up to luck now." Nami remarked, her voice lighter, as if some of the tension had lifted.

"Am I…Just a coward?" Usopp asked quietly, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"Yup, and a fool. But I get where you're coming from." Nami replied with a soft smile.

"Usopp, why'd you lash out like that?" Ryomen asked, studying him carefully. "Don't you see the similarities between you and him?"

Usopp fell silent, frowning.

"Think about it. Are you any better than Kuro when he mocked you and your dad?"

"No…You're right." Usopp sighed, realization washing over him. "I need to apologize!" Determined, he sprinted toward Cricket.

"I'm sorry, mister!!" Usopp yelled, leaping onto him with tears in his eyes.

"Argh! Get off me! You're getting snot all over me!" Cricket grumbled, though he didn't push Usopp away.

Nami and Ryomen exchanged smiles as they watched the scene unfold.

"Huh…It sometimes feels like we're babysitting a bunch of kids." Nami sighed.

Ryomen chuckled softly. "I can't say I mind it."

"Hm? So, you like kids?" Nami asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Well…Yeah, I guess." Ryomen replied awkwardly, glancing away.

"Hmm…" Nami narrowed her eyes playfully at him. "You doing okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, of course. Why?"

"You've seemed distracted since we got back to the ship." Nami observed, her voice softer now. "Is it because you killed that guy? We'll be fine! We even took down a Warlord!" She added, puffing up her chest with pride.

"We?" Ryomen raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly before shaking his head. "It's not that. I just…Have a lot of things I need to figure out about myself."

"Oh…" Nami blinked, her expression softening with concern. "Well, if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you." Her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink.

"Thanks." Ryomen said simply, and the two went inside, side by side. 

…

That night, the crew partied like there was no tomorrow, their laughter echoing through the night. Everyone joined in, except for Robin, who was quietly reading Noland's log, and Ryomen, who sat by the window, deep in thought, ignoring the food and drinks set before him.

Sanji, ever the observant one, noticed Ryomen's detachment but chose not to address it—for now.

Suddenly, Cricket leaned toward Robin. "'I saw the gold in the skull's right eye.'" He said mysteriously.

"Gold!?" Nami's ears immediately perked up.

"Those were the last words Noland wrote before his execution. I still don't know what they mean." Cricket explained, taking a long swig of his drink.

"Gold…Was it a city? Or maybe an omen of death? The blank pages don't give any answers." Cricket continued, his eyes flicking toward the crew. "That's why we dive—to chase our dreams at the bottom of the sea!"

"That's right!" Usopp, now reinvigorated, agreed loudly.

"We're gonna fly! We're gonna fly to the sky!" Luffy cheered joyfully.

As the party raged on, the crew remained unaware they were being watched.

"It's getting dark, but I see them." A blond man with glasses said quietly. "Bellamy."

"Prepare to land." Bellamy ordered, his smirk widening. "Material gold…Is wasted on fools chasing immaterial dreams." 

…

As the celebrations continued, Cricket suddenly mentioned a giant golden bell, showing them a small golden trinket.

"Doesn't seem giant to me." Usopp remarked, holding the bell, which fit snugly in his hand.

"This isn't it. I found this on the ocean floor." Cricket clarified. "There's also that strange bird mentioned in Noland's passage."

Masira then revealed a statue of a bizarre-looking bird.

"This is a south bird. They still live on this island." Cricket explained.

"Does it make a weird cry?" Luffy asked eagerly.

"Yeah, just like the log said." Cricket responded with a nod.

"Speaking of the south bird, the Marines once—" Masira started, only to be cut off by Cricket's sudden outburst.

"Blast!! This is bad! You have to go into the jungle!"

"Huh? What are you talking about, mister?" Luffy asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"You need to catch one of these birds! The knock-up stream is directly south of here, but how will you find it?"

"Can't we just go south?" Luffy asked, still perplexed.

"This is the Grand Line! Once you're out at sea, you'll have no way of knowing the direction!" Cricket stressed.

"I get it. The log pose can only take us to the next island, so we won't know which way is south!" Nami exclaimed, the realization hitting her.

"You'll need the south bird. They have a natural sense of direction." Cricket explained.

"You hear that, Zoro? You're worse than an animal!" Luffy teased with a wide grin.

"I don't want to hear that from you!!" Zoro shot back angrily.

"This bird always points south. You need to find one, or you'll never get to Sky Island!" Cricket said sternly.

"What!?" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper shouted in disbelief.

As the crew prepared to leave, they quickly noticed someone was missing.

"Hey, Ryo—" Luffy started to wake Ryomen from his trance, but Sanji quickly stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

The crew left him to have some time alone, sensing that forcing him to engage wouldn't do any good.

Ryomen continued staring out at the sea, lost in thought. His mind raced, jumping between the malevolent figure haunting him, the slow corrosion of his soul, his growing weakness, and—

"Are you not going with them?" A voice interrupted, pulling Ryomen from his thoughts. Cricket leaned in closer, his cigar glowing in the dim light.

"Huh? What?" Ryomen blinked, confused, stepping back slightly. He realized the two of them were alone, the distant chatter of Cricket's henchmen drifting from outside.

"Where are the others?" Ryomen asked, his tone distant.

"They went to find a bird." Cricket said matter-of-factly, taking a puff of his cigar.

"A bird?" Ryomen repeated, incredulous.

Cricket chuckled. "Yeah, a bird. You seem pretty distracted. Got something on your mind?"

Ryomen hesitated, glancing back at the horizon. "Yeah…But I doubt you'd find it interesting."

Cricket shrugged, sitting down on a crate. "I'm not doing much else. Go ahead."

Ryomen shifted, uncertain but feeling the need to vent. "I've been thinking a lot about dreams lately…What they really mean."

Cricket raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Dreams, huh? What brought that on?"

Ryomen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "For the longest time, I thought revenge was my dream—my only goal. But now, with the crew, I'm starting to see that it wasn't really my dream at all. Just my hatred talking."

Cricket nodded thoughtfully but didn't interrupt.

"And then there's something else." Ryomen continued, frustration creeping into his voice. "I'm starting to think that having dreams is…Selfish."

"Selfish?" Cricket echoed, leaning forward slightly. "How so?"

"If you have a dream, and it puts your life in danger…Rhen what about the people who care about you? Following that dream could hurt them if you die. Doesn't that make chasing it selfish?" Ryomen asked, his gaze intense.

"Even so, when this pirate, Bellamy, mocked my friends for having dreams, I couldn't help but get angry, and I don't know why."

Cricket took a slow drag from his cigar before responding. "So, that's what's got you twisted up? Let me ask you something. Why did Bellamy piss you off when he mocked your friends' dreams?"

Ryomen frowned, replaying the scene in his head. "I don't know…It just made me angry. I don't even share their dreams, but hearing him mock them…I couldn't stand it."

Cricket exhaled a cloud of smoke, a small smile forming. "That's because dreams are everything. They're what give life meaning. Even the smallest dream—like owning a pet, or falling in love—is worth fighting for. When someone mocks that, they're not just mocking the dream. They're mocking who that person is."

Ryomen blinked, taken aback by Cricket's words.

"Dreams aren't something you pick because they're convenient." Cricket continued, his voice firm. "They're born in you. You don't exist just for the sake of living—you exist to chase those dreams. That's why people get angry when they're belittled. Because without a dream, what's the point?"

Ryomen's fists clenched at his sides, still grappling with the idea. "But…Isn't it reckless? What if you don't succeed? What if you die for nothing?"

Cricket sighed, shaking his head. "You're missing the point. It's not about succeeding or failing. It's about trying. People would rather die chasing their dream than live a meaningless life. That's why Bellamy and his kind are bitter—they've given up. They failed once, and now they laugh at everyone who still has the courage to keep going."

Ryomen fell silent, the weight of Cricket's words sinking in.

"Look." Cricket said, standing up. "Not everyone will understand it. But a dream isn't about the destination. It's the journey that matters. And deep down, you know that. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so angry."

Ryomen watched him walk away, leaving him alone with his thoughts once more. He stared at the ground, his mind swirling with questions.

'What…Is my dream?'

Before he could dwell on it further, shouts erupted from outside.

Ryomen's eyes narrowed as a familiar voice pierced through the commotion.

"It's so much more rewarding to steal from others after they've suffered for it! Want to know what people call me? The Hyena! Hahaha!"