Chapter 51: Birka

Before Ganfall and Greenbull could begin discussing the finer details of their agreement, Koa turned to the elder sky knight with another question on his mind.

"Ganfall, what can you tell me about the other islands around here?" he asked, his voice thoughtful but firm.

There was a specific place Koa wanted to visit—Birka, the fabled birthplace of Enel. It was where the fearsome Goro Goro no Mi, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, was discovered. Recognized as one of the strongest Logia-type Devil Fruits, it held incredible potential. Koa wasn't just interested in the fruit—if possible, he wanted to find Enel himself.

Despite his arrogance and god complex, Koa always believed Enel could have become an entirely different kind of monster had he been raised in the Blue Sea instead of the isolated Skypiea. His raw talent was undeniable. Misguided? Yes. But the wasted potential was something Koa couldn't overlook.

Ganfall, sensing Koa's sincerity, produced a full map of the greater Skypiean region, complete with routes to various islands, including the isolated and now-abandoned Birka.

"Thanks," Koa said as he tucked the map away. Then, turning to his crew, he addressed them calmly.

"I'm heading out to explore a few of the other islands. Anyone want to come with me?"

Kuzan, who had already grown restless wandering around Angel Island, straightened and gave a relaxed shrug. "Yeah, I'll tag along. Might as well stretch my legs a bit."

The rest of the crew—Joichiro, Jhin, Greenbull, and Urf—chose to remain behind. With Ganfall still present, they were eager to see more of Angel Island and perhaps assist Greenbull in fulfilling the sky people's request.

"Alright then," Koa nodded. "We'll regroup later. Try not to blow anything up while I'm gone."

With a faint grin, he looked to the horizon, the winds of Skypiea tugging at his coat as he and Kuzan prepared to depart for Birka—an island steeped in mystery and power.

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"Is there any reason why you chose Birka before checking out the other islands? The Upper Yard is definitely closer," Kuzan said, floating beside Koa as they soared above the clouds, propelled by Koa's ability.

Koa smirked, eyes fixed on the horizon. "Just a hunch. I think something is interesting here."

Kuzan raised a brow. "You're being vague again."

"I just want to see how different the Birkans are from the Shandians and Skypieans. Plus, this place was the origin of a lot of tech—Jet Dials, especially. Maybe we'll get lucky."

Their journey was smooth, the air crisp and thin at this altitude. In just a few minutes of high-speed flight, they reached their destination—a large island floating southeast of Skypiea, just as marked on Ganfall's map.

As they landed, Koa immediately activated his Observation Haki to its fullest extent. Like invisible tendrils, his presence swept across the land, reading the energy of everyone and everything nearby. There was no sign of hostility—only the quiet hum of life and a few dormant sources of power buried beneath the surface.

"Come on," Koa said, stepping forward. "Let's go find some shells."

Kuzan blinked. "Shells?"

"Dials," Koa clarified. "Especially Jet Dials. We can use it for our ship as a propulsion, believe me, it's worth the trip."

They began making their way through the island, walking along soft cloud roads woven with old stone paths and the remnants of ancient architecture. More and more Birkans became visible, emerging from homes and alleyways to peer at the towering newcomers. Koa, imposing with his confident gait, drew attention instantly, while Kuzan's presence—laid-back yet intense—only amplified the crew's mystique.

The crowd grew quiet, whispers passing among them.

"Blue Sea people..."

"Outsiders... but they're strong."

'"Look, they don't have any wings in their back?"

"The other one has a horn in his head,"

Koa ignored the murmurs, his gaze scanning every structure, every tool, and vendor stall he passed.

They reached what looked like a central square—an open marketplace built on floating cloud stone, with a gathering of craftsmen and traders, some of whom were selling what looked like Dials of varying types.

"Bingo," Koa muttered with a grin, stepping forward.

A young Birkan boy with small wings and curious eyes stared at them, clutching a dial the size of a melon.

Koa crouched down and asked with a smile, "Hey, kid. Know where I can find Jet Dials? Big ones."

The boy looked at him, then pointed toward the far end of the plaza, where a large building stood, engraved with cloudstone symbols and surrounded by floating rings of light.

Kuzan gave a lazy smirk. "Looks like we're in business."

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"Welcome!!!" the shopkeeper's voice rang out the moment Koa and Kuzan stepped inside.

The man's eyes gleamed—not just with enthusiasm, but with opportunity. He immediately clocked them as outsiders—Blue Sea people—likely unfamiliar with local prices or the actual value of sky-based goods. A perfect chance to unload inventory he couldn't sell to the locals, who were far too experienced to fall for inflated prices.

"Hello," Koa greeted casually, his massive frame almost brushing against the ceiling. "We're looking for some Jet Dials. Do you have any?"

"I do indeed!" the shopkeeper said with a polished smile. "They come in a range of sizes. How many do you need?"

Koa leaned in slightly. "Do you have Jet Dials in my size—or his?" He gestured toward Kuzan, whose towering presence and long coat made him appear even larger.

The shopkeeper blinked, then did a visible double-take. Koa practically filled the space, his sheer size dwarfing the shelves and displays. If his door hadn't been originally designed to let ship parts in, Koa wouldn't have even fit.

"We do have dials that size… but they're rare," the shopkeeper said smoothly. "I only have a handful of the extra-large ones. They're not usually available."

"I'll take every single one of them," Koa said calmly. "Actually—give me all the Jet Dials you have."

The shopkeeper barely contained his glee. What luck! These Blue Sea fools were throwing money at him. The dials he had were mostly scavenged—common, worn, and picked up from around the shores. Selling them all in one go? This was a windfall.

"Ah, I must warn you, noble customers," the man said with mock concern, "the price… may be shocking. These are valuable treasures of the sky, you understand."

Koa didn't react. "Go on."

"Let's see… The total for the entire stock would be…" the shopkeeper pretended to do some quick math, "20 billion Extol… but since you're buying in bulk, I can give you a discount. Let's say… 18 billion."

Kuzan raised a brow but said nothing, glancing at Koa. The ice admiral had lived long enough to spot a swindle when he saw one—but he also knew Koa had his way of handling things.

"Do you accept other forms of goods?" Koa asked.

The shopkeeper smiled wider. "Of course, depending on the value. What do you have in mind?"

Koa reached into his pouch, pulling out several baskets of fresh fruit—ripe, vibrant, and bursting with color. Grown instantly from Greenbull's power, they looked nothing like the stunted crops native to the Sky Islands.

The shopkeeper's jaw slackened. Fruits. So many, and so fresh. In Birka—where land and soil were scarce—they were worth a fortune. More valuable than Extol.

"I… I believe this will do, sir. In fact…" he stammered, already calculating how many trades he could make with this bounty, "this is… more than fair. Too generous. Please… allow me to offer something in return, to even out the value."

He scurried to the back, and after a few moments of clattering and hushed muttering, returned holding something carefully wrapped in aged parchment.

"This," the shopkeeper said reverently, "is a blueprint. Ancient, I believe, was passed down from a Dial engineer long ago. It's a design for a Jet Dial cannon. It uses kinetic energy stored in oversized Jet Dials and releases it in a focused burst. It's never been built, but… perhaps someone of your talents could bring it to life."

He handed it to Koa.

Koa examined the blueprint with calm curiosity, then nodded. "Interesting. This'll be useful."

Kuzan glanced at the shopkeeper. "You got lucky today."

The man chuckled nervously. "And so did you, gentlemen. Come again anytime."

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Meanwhile, in the forest, a child not older than ten years old was foraging for food. He was now alone in the world, with no one to take care of him. If he didn't do this, he would go hungry. He had blond hair and earlobes stretched longer than normal.