One Piece Chapter 229: Let's Eat

A tall, muscular man with a tall mohawk, thick beard, and bare chest stands with hands on hips. He declares, “I’ll tell you everything I know about sky island.” Someone off-panel replies, “Alright.” In the lower panel the same man stands on a beach, arms crossed, telling the group: “So it’s up to you whether you believe it or not.” “But it’s all uncertain.” Luffy, wearing his straw hat, sits at a wooden table with Usopp (goggles on forehead), Nami, and Chopper (in a small top hat). Usopp says “Too fast, Luffy!” while Luffy responds “Ok, I believe you.” Chopper sleeps with “Zzz…”

Mont Blanc Cricket gestures dramatically, explaining, “When day suddenly turns into night.” He continues, “There’s a phenomenon that occurs in the seas around this region.” The crew reacts with shock: Usopp shouts “YEAH! NOT ONLY DID IT SUDDENLY BECOME NIGHT, BUT MONSTERS APPEARED TOO!” Luffy and Nami stare wide-eyed. A sign reads “AHH! THERE IS!” and “THAT’S TRUE FOR SURE!” Cricket adds that the sudden night “Is actually the shadow of an extremely dense, towering cloud.” He concludes, “In any case, the suddenly occurring ‘night.’ But let’s leave that aside for now.” “Ah yes, the giants. There’s a theory on where they come from.”

Usopp yells “JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN!” while the group argues about clouds. Someone says “Yeah, don’t be stupid, mister. If there’s lots of clouds up, it’s only ‘cloudy.’” Another voice adds “Yeah, just cloudy.” “Just cloudy.” Cricket continues explaining: “They stack up high into the sky but don’t give rise to any currents nor rain.” “There’s a type of cloud by that name.” “Emperorimbus.” He describes the theory: “All the while never changing, causing some to nickname it a ‘cloud fossil.’” “One theory states that the emperorimbus clouds have been drifting in the sky for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.” Luffy looks surprised as Cricket finishes, “Changing day on land to night.” “They block even the sunlight out.”

On the shore, Luffy, Usopp, and the old man with the long hair and cigar discuss the strange cloud. Luffy exclaims, "Luffy, you're amazing!" The old man replies, "In a way, I suppose, since nobody knows for sure yet." Usopp adds, "So it's a 'mystery cloud,' huh." The old man continues explaining, "I'm not telling you all this in order to convince you or anything. You're free to believe it or not. A cloud that doesn't let out any currents no matter how high it piles up!I That's impossible..." In a close-up, the old man declares with intensity, "Then it could only possibly exist on that cloud. Now listen up. If sky island really does exist," The scene shifts to the ship where the crew prepares to depart. Someone yells, "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT!I" Usopp thanks the old man, "Thanks for telling us, mister!" The old man instructs, "Everyone get ready! Set the rudder up for the clouds!" Zoro wakes up saying, "Zoro, wake up! Morning, alreadyI" Luffy shouts excitedly, "Got it! Let's go on top of that cloud!"

The old man warns the crew sternly, "WE'RE ALREADY HALF-DEAD... That you'll have to risk your lives. Now this is the crucial part. Let me warn you beforehand." Luffy looks determined as the old man explains, "If you can ride that, it'll take you to the sky, understandI" He names the phenomenon: "Knock-up Stream." Nami recalls nervously, "But I heard that's how ships come crashing down from the sky... At Mocktown..." In a thought bubble, a ship is shown being blasted upward with a "YAHOO!" Luffy laughs, "Oh, so all we have to do is get ourselves blasted up into the clouds! Hahaha!" Usopp asks, "You mean the stream that knocks ships up into the air!I" Nami reacts with shock, "What...!I"

The old man elaborates while pointing at a diagram of the sea, "Of course, it sounds simple when I say you'll be 'riding the stream.' Normally, yes. But it sure as hell ain't gonna be a picnic, that's for sure. The key point here is timing." A massive close-up shows the violent swirling water labeled "A NATURAL CALAMITY." He continues, "After all, the knock-up stream is... An event one normally wishes to desperately avoid." The crew reacts with disbelief. Nami questions, "Aren't beyond the realms of logic. Even the workings behind that monster of a stream. I've never even heard of such a thing until recently... Just how does a stream even travel up into the air anywaysI" Usopp adds nervously, "Though, of course, there isn't anyone dumb enough to confirm the facts..."

The old man draws diagrams explaining the mechanism, "The steam pressure caused by the intense geothermal heat builds and builds up, To which low-temperature water flows inside. Deep below the ocean floor, there's a large cave. Until a limit is reached and it comes exploding out." He gestures widely, "For about a minute, the ocean water continues to jet up into the sky. An explosion of such scale that it knocks up a volume of water so large as to make it look like an ocean current heading straight up into the sky." On the beach, Nami asks, "But it happens around 5 times a month. The explosion locations change everytime. The water shoots for a full minute...I Just how big is this explosion!I" Usopp panics, "So we're gonna get blasted to bits...I"

High above the ruined city, a massive man with a bare chest and spotted pants crosses his arms while speaking. "Sky island isn't there at the top of the knock-up stream," he states. Another voice continues, "Then if... I..." A third speaker adds, "Despite saying all that... Trying to accurately describe one of nature's greatest phenomenon with logic and reason alone is pure folly." Below, the same man explains, "Which only happens 5 times a month, each at different locations..." In the next panels a panicked man with a stitched face sweats heavily. "If it turns out sky island doesn't exist, then again, the end result are your deaths," he warns. A close-up shows a stern face replying, "And come crashing down to a watery grave for all your crew. Your ship would fail to catch anything up in the sky. Yes, it'd be all for naught. Also, even with the emperor nimbus located at the right spot..." Luffy grins widely in his straw hat and declares, "It'll be fine. Let's go." Usopp, wearing goggles and a netted cap, bursts into laughter with arms raised, shouting, "HAHAHA... AH, WHAT A SHAME, LUFFY. A... ALRIGHT! WE'LL JUST GIVE UP ON SKY ISLAND THEN!" while sound effects "うはは" and "あはは" ring out. Someone else notes, "ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO GO UP THERE. IT BOILS DOWN TO ONLY THE LUCKIEST OF THE LUCKIEST OF THE LUCKIEST OF THE LUCKIEST PERSON. BASICALLY, BUT THIS IS JUST IMPOSSIBLE."

The large earring-wearing man continues arguing, "Yes... It would be impossible for your ship, even if she were brand-new." Usopp points toward the battered Going Merry docked nearby and cries, "There's no way she could stand up to one of nature's greatest calamity in her current state. Just take a look at the poor Going Merry for god's sake... Look how beaten and battered she is...! It'll be fineI There you go again, making light of a shred of proof..." Masira, the bandana-clad man, kneels while working on repairs and reassures, "But don't you worry about that point at least. Masira and Shoujou can guarantee your ship will stay intact on the ride up... By giving it the needed repairs and strengthening reinforcements, that is." Luffy stares in shock as someone yells, "Considering the speed... weight... and strength... That ship of yours would be blasted into bits and pieces at the same time as the exploding stream. WHAT!I" Usopp panics with mouth agape. In the final wide panel the group stands before a stone structure as Masira and Shoujou raise their arms triumphantly. "We never asked for this..." one mutters with a sweat drop. "THANKS A BUNCH!" another shouts. "HELL YEAH, WE CAN! JUST LEAVE IT TO US!" they declare together while impact lines and "カチカチカチ" sound effects mark their excitement.

With motion lines flaring, Usopp insists, "If we stay any longer, the log pose will finish recording this island and point to the next one!" Luffy looks surprised. Nami, arms raised, shouts, "That... That... That we can only spend one more day. Do you even realize!I" Usopp adds, "That's right, that's right! There's no way we can make it in time!" The large man with the earring replies calmly, "Should happen tomorrow around noon. No one knows how many days - No, I mean how many months or even years it'll take for that to happen! The next time a knock-up stream and an emperor nimbus cloud will be located at the same place, rightI Well, mister! You're probably no prophet so there's no way you could know for sure." Luffy stands firm. In the bottom panel the muscular man with a tattoo glares and growls, "If you don't wanna go, then don't go." Usopp leans in with a fierce expression, yelling, "WHAT, SO WE CAN MAKE IT!I" while a large "ガバッ!!" sound effect erupts beside him.

A dramatic full-page spread shows a cloaked figure pointing upward dramatically inside a ruined structure as Luffy's group reacts in shock. "THIS IS WAY TOO SUSPICIOUS! WE'VE ONLY MET FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY! AREN'T YOU BEING A LITTLE TOO NICE!I" someone yells. Usopp sweats and accuses, "YOU'RE LYING, AREN'T YOU!I" The man answers, "It just so happens that the only way to get into the legendary sky island..." Usopp interrupts, "YOU JUST STAY QUIET!" while Luffy shouts beside him. The stern man with the earring glares and states, "NOT ONLY THAT!" In the final panel the bandana-wearing man points accusingly, "YOU'RE THE DESCENDANT OF NOLAND THE LIAR, AREN'T YOU!I SO HOW CAN WE EVEN TRUST YOU!I" Usopp yells, "JUST WHAT'RE YOU PLOTTING!I" The cloaked man replies, "THIS IS WAY TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!" Nami adds, "AND YOU'RE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO GET OUR SHIP FIXED UP AND READY TO GO BY THEN!I" while the large man demands, "Will happen TOMORROW!I" Sweat drops, motion lines, and intense expressions fill the confrontation.

Sanji cooks furiously in the kitchen, flames and utensils flying as he declares, "Well, I told you I was a first-rate chef, didn't II" A wild-eyed crewmate shouts, "THIS GUY'S COOKING SKILLS HAVE LEFT ME ALL IN JITTERS!" while another yells, "BOSS! THE FOOD'S ALL READY! WE GOT SOME REAL SPECIAL DISHES TODAY!" Nami's voice cuts in, "NAMI, THE MEAL IS-" Outside on the shore near a stone tower, the massive Masira stands with a puzzled "HmI" as dramatic sound effects echo. Shoujou, wearing goggles, reacts angrily in the foreground, "W-WHATI YOU WANNA GO OR SOMETHIN'!I" while a tall bearded man smokes nearby and another figure looks on.

Shoujou continues his weather report with concern: "I can't say any of this with 100% certainty, but there's a good chance of those two events happening together in the same place tomorrow." He adds details about a knock-up stream and an emperor-nimbus cloud visible from Masira's turf. Masira, the towering muscular man with a star-shaped scar, grins widely and declares, "NOW LET'S EAT." He turns to the group and offers, "YOU CAN STAY THE NIGHT AT MY PLACE TODAY." With a hearty laugh he adds, "BUT ABOVE ALL, I'M JUST HAPPY MEETING FOOLS LIKE YOU."

Luffy beams with delight, "Hee hee..." as he calls out "FRIEND." From the tower, Usopp shouts, "Chopper, go call Robin." Chopper replies, "Ok." and Usopp urges, "Yeah, come quickly!" Nami leaps down yelling, "TIME FOR FOOD! HURRY UP, USOPP!" In the next scene Nami bows deeply and apologizes profusely, "I'M SOOOO SOOOORRY-YYY, MISTER!" while saying, "Yes, and a bit of an idiot too... But I can understand how you feel. Just make sure to apologize properly." She asks, "Nami... Am I a pathetic cowardI" The man with goggles answers, "Looks like... We've got no choice but to give this our best shot. Of course in the end, it'll mainly come down to luck."

Massive impact lines and sound effects "ドン チャン!!" and "ぶれっはっはっはっ..." shake the tower area. The crew and Saruyama Alliance members gather for a feast. Masira raises a bottle and roars, "THE RUM TASTES GREAT TONIGHT!" while urging, "Eat, eat! We've got a full-course saury special coming up!" Laughter fills the air as someone yells "Gyahahaha!" and another cries "UKEE! LONG-NOOOSEEEE!" A man with goggles exclaims, "Goteha! How d'ya like the taste of my tabasco bomber!" while others react with "GAHHH!" and wild expressions amid the chaotic, joyful banquet.

The Straw Hats and their rowdy allies party hard inside the dim bar. A crewmate slurs, "Heh, I'm still well within my limit." Another laughs, "So you know how to hold yer drink, ehI" Someone else calls out, "It's still a 100 years too early for you to make Nami serve you drinks!" A voice urges, "Why don'tcha take a seat here by me, sister!" Nami sits apart, calmly turning pages in an old journal. She chuckles softly, "わはははは... SSP." Suddenly her eyes widen. "Gold!I" A close-up reveals a sweating, intense face as a voice declares, "I SAW GOLD IN THE RIGHT EYE OF THE SKULL."

Nami continues reading the journal aloud. "Even after coming to Jaya, I still have no idea what he meant by that line." The narration notes, "He was executed later that day. That tear-stained entry was the last thing Noland wrote in his journal..." She wonders, "The blank pages afterwards don't help at all in unraveling the mystery behind that line. Or was it just a cryptic message about his impending death...I" Luffy shouts excitedly, "Was that the name of the fabled cityI Right eye of the skull!I" The crew erupts in cheers as the Going Merry lifts off: "UP INTO THE SKY! WE'RE GONNA FLY! UOHO! THAT'S RIGHT, UKIKI! TO SEE THE DREAMS LYING ON THE OCEAN FLOOR! AND THAT'S WHY WE DIVE! WOO HOO!"

Night has fallen over the dark sea. A lone figure on a distant island thinks, "But I see it now." On a nearby ship, a man with binoculars orders, "Prepare to land. Bellamy." Below deck, the massive Bellamy Pirates ship sails under a grinning skull jolly roger. Large text declares, "MATERIAL GOLD, IS WASTED ON FOOLS WHO CHASE IMMATERIAL DREAMS..."

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