Montblanc Cricket

Jacob soared through the sky, the salty breeze whipping against his face as he scanned the ocean below. The water was murky, the deep blue waves rising and falling in rhythmic motion. But his keen eyesight spotted a figure beneath the surface, a man with wild, unkempt hair and a large scar running down his chest.

There you are.

Jacob suddenly dove at astonishing speed, his blue flames illuminating the sea below. He plunged into the sea, and with a mighty tug, he grabbed the man's right arm and brought him out of the ocean.

The man struggled, clutching a golden bird statue tightly to his chest, but Jacob was far stronger. He tossed him, grabbed him by the collar, and shot back into the sky, water dripping from the man's body as he soared high above Jaya.

Below, in the lawless streets of Mock Town, a handful of rowdy pirates had been lazing around, drinking, and brawling. When Jacob shot out of the ocean, carrying a man who clutched a golden treasure, it caught their attention.

"Oi, what the hell was that?!" one pirate shouted, pointing to the sky.

Another, wearing a tattered bandana, squinted. "Wasn't that… Cricket?"

A third pirate took a swig of his rum, unfazed. "Heh, let the crazy guy deal with his own problems. If that man in the sky wanted him, Cricket probably owed him money."

The pirates snickered and went back to their business.

With a powerful burst of speed, Jacob landed back at the clearing, his feet kicking up dust as he dropped Cricket onto the ground. The girls, who had been deep in conversation about Montblanc Noland, snapped their heads toward him in shock.

"What the—?!" Nami gasped, standing up.

Kaya and Carina stared at the soaking wet man, while Kuina instinctively reached for her sword. Porsche looked just as confused as the others.

Yamato grinned widely. "Oh! A new guy! Did you kidnap him?"

Jacob folded his arms. "Borrowed."

Cricket coughed up water, groaning. "The hell…?" He sat up, his hand still gripping the golden bird statue. When he got a look at the crowd of women staring at him, he blinked in confusion.

"Who… are you people?"

***

The atmosphere was rowdy and chaotic in one of the dimly lit taverns of Mock Town. Drunken laughter and the clinking of glasses echoed through the room as pirates brawled, gambled, and exchanged stories of plunder. At the far end of the bar, Sarquiss, Bellamy's second-in-command, leaned back in his chair, swirling a mug of rum in his hand.

His lazy smirk widened as he glanced toward the open window. A few of their lookouts had just burst in, breathless and wide-eyed.

"Oi, Sarquiss," one of them panted. "That guy… the Fire King… just snatched up that diver guy, Cricket, outta the water— and he had a huge golden statue with him!"

Sarquiss's bored expression flickered with interest.

"Oh?" He leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table. "The Fire King? That punk with the 55 million berry bounty?"

One of the pirates slapped a wanted poster onto the table. It was slightly crumpled, but the image of Jacob—flames trailing behind him—was unmistakable.

"Hah! That's him," another pirate scoffed. "And that swordswoman with him, The Huntress? She's only worth 15 million! A joke compared to us!"

A few of Bellamy's crew burst into raucous laughter, but their mirth quickly turned greedy.

Bellamy, who had been lounging on a couch nearby, suddenly perked up at the mention of gold.

"Big gold, you say?" he mused, cracking his knuckles. His signature grin stretched across his face. "And that Fire King brat just took it?"

Sarquiss chuckled. "He must think he's untouchable, flying around like that. But if he's dumb enough to show off treasure, he's just painting a target on his back."

Bellamy grinned wider.

"Then let's make this fun. I'll handle the Fire King myself. You lot…" His eyes gleamed dangerously as he turned to his gathered crew, a mix of rough-looking men and deadly women.

"Go steal that gold. And while you're at it…" He licked his lips, his voice dripping with arrogance.

"Crush the Fire King and his little harem."

***

The humid air around Cricket's house was thick with the scent of salt and damp earth as Jacob and the girls gathered around. The diver sat on a worn-out crate, his bare chest wrapped in bandages, blood seeping through from his latest deep-sea dive. His grizzled face twisted in irritation as he glared at Porsche, who had just mocked the legendary tale of Montblanc Noland.

"Liar Noland?" Cricket scoffed, his deep voice laced with anger. "Shut up, brat. You don't know a damn thing."

Porsche crossed her arms, about to retort, but Jacob shot her a look, silencing her.

Cricket exhaled deeply and leaned forward, his muscular arms resting on his knees. "Noland wasn't a liar. He was my ancestor. He really found the City of Gold, but when he returned, it was gone. They executed him as a fraud." His fists clenched, knuckles turning white. "And for generations, my family name was dragged through the mud because of it."

The girls were silent. Even Porsche looked away, slightly guilty.

Cricket gestured toward the massive golden bird statue sitting beside his shack. "That's proof the city existed. If there's gold down there, then there is a city there, too. That's why I keep diving—to find the remains of Shandora."

Nami and Carina practically had bell-shaped eyes, staring at the massive golden relic with pure greed.

"That thing must be worth millions…" Carina whispered.

"Billions," Nami corrected, her hands twitching.

Kaya, however, was more concerned with Cricket's wounds. She knelt beside him, inspecting the deep gashes and bruises across his body.

"You've been diving too much," she said, placing her hand over his wounds. A gentle glow spread from her palm as her Revitalize Fruit ability began healing his injuries.

Cricket blinked in surprise. "What the—?!" He looked down as the pain slowly faded, and the deep cuts sealed themselves.

Jacob focused on the real reason he came to Jaya.

"Cricket, I need to know the exact location of where you think the Sky Island is," he said, serious. "If it's real, I can fly there and plant a Vivre Card."

Cricket frowned. "You think Sky Island actually exists?"

Jacob grinned. "I know it does."

The conversation was interrupted by a loud crashing sound in the jungle. The girls tensed as birds scattered into the sky.

Jacob narrowed his eyes.

"Looks like we have company."

It was two towering men, their voices carrying through the humid air.

"Oi, Cricket! We found something interesting on our last dive!"

Jacob and the girls turned as two men emerged from the dense foliage.

One was massive and muscular, with golden fur covering his arms and chest, a scruffy beard, and a pair of goggles resting on his forehead. The other was shorter but just as burly, with a long, curly mustache and an anchor tattoo on his shoulder.

As soon as their eyes landed on Jacob and his crew, they froze mid-step, their expressions awkward.

The taller man coughed into his fist. "Uh… who are they?"

Cricket smirked and gestured toward Jacob and the girls. "They're not enemies. This guy is Fire King, and these ladies are his crew. They're looking for Sky Island."

The golden-haired man scratched his head. "Huh… Fire King? Never heard of ya."

Jacob wasn't surprised. His bounty was only 55 million, and unlike the big names in the Grand Line, he hadn't made an impact yet.

The shorter man eyed Yamato cautiously. "And this big horned lady…?"

Before anyone could answer, Yamato pointed at them excitedly. "Are you two Minks?!"

Silence.

Jacob groaned. "Yamato, not everyone with animal traits is a Mink."

Masira, the golden-haired man, burst out laughing. "Bwahaha! Nah, we ain't Minks! Just good ol' humans! But people mistake me for a monkey all the time."

He flexed proudly.

The other man, Shoujo, rubbed his mustache. "And I just got a deep voice. Nothing Mink about me."

Yamato pouted. "Aw, that's disappointing."

Masira remembered why they came and grinned, holding out a strange-looking shell. "Look at this! We found it on the ocean floor. A real shell from the sky!"

Jacob's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward and inspected the shell. It was a White Dial.

Confirmation. Sky Island was real.

Cricket nodded. "More proof that Shandora isn't down here—it's probably up there."

Jacob grinned. "Then it's time we go find it."