Chapter 55 – The Sinking Ship
"For me?"
Zoro froze, then broke into delighted surprise, lovingly stroking the blade.
"Then—thanks a lot!"
Zoro pulled out his sword-care kit and began to service the blade with meticulous care.
He unfastened Yubashiri from his waist and slid the new sword into its place.
One was the Great Grade sword Wado Ichimonji his teacher had given him; one was the cursed blade Sandai Kitetsu he'd won in Loguetown; the last was the famed sword Dante Voss had just presented.
Feeling the weight of all three at his hip, Zoro's grin wouldn't quit.
He'd craved fine blades for ages; now, at last, he was content.
After tossing the sword to Zoro, Dante Voss turned back to the items in his backpack.
Apart from the quest rewards, only 1.4 billion Berries, a chest of jewels, and the Sea Stone jitte he'd lifted from Smoker remained.
Dante Voss had now gained Devil Power, which could cloak itself much like Haki.
Yet he still wasn't sure it could counter Logia intangibility, so the weapon had to stay.
After all, his next target was the mightiest Rumble-Rumble Fruit user alive.
The man's Ability development already rivalled top-tier fighters.
Enel had island-destroying techniques—something even a Four Emperor might struggle to match.
The sheer terror spoke for itself.
Luckily the man lived in the sky; had he walked the Blue Sea, he'd be another Emperor-class powerhouse.
Even if his Physique was weak.
But the Rumble-Rumble Fruit granted him near-teleport speed; if he stayed cautious, not even Kizaru's light could easily close in.
Compared with Crocodile, Enel was leagues ahead.
Against such an opponent Dante Voss dared not relax.
So the Sea Stone jitte stayed; if Devil Power failed, it would serve.
As for the jewel crates—he'd keep them for Nami the money-lover… Time flew, waves rolled on.
Sailing the Grand Line offered unique isles, yet the stretches between them stretched; over ten days passed without sight of land.
On the sapphire sea the going merry shot forward.
An unnatural gale bulged in her sails, out-pacing fish that raced her flanks.
Nami, in a white tank-top and hip-hugging shorts, stood at the prow.
With days of practice she'd learned to ride the wind, driving the ship with Weather-Weather Fruit gusts.
"This feels amazing."
Heart light, she hopped; wind curled round her and lifted her into the air.
Luffy, Usopp and Chopper stared wide-eyed, waving wildly:
"I wanna fly too! I wanna fly too! I wanna fly too!"
Grinning, Nami flicked a finger; the three were airborne in an instant.
"Whoa!"
They spun through the sky, shrieking with thrilled laughter.
"Nami-swan is so gorgeous—I wanna fly too, fly too!" Sanji wriggled, love-struck.
Whoosh!
A fresh cyclone scooped him skyward.
"Ahhh!"
Sanji wriggled like a caterpillar among the clouds.
Ignoring the horseplay, Dante Voss gazed ahead; the outline of an island had appeared.
"Finally… Jaya Island?"
He murmured, anticipation stirring.
This was the place he'd set his sights on.
Below on Jaya waited hordes of pirates; above in Sky Island lurked a mighty boss.
Both were targets Dante Voss meant to claim.
His leisure had lasted long enough—time to move.
More importantly, the stone of translocation had cooled down and was ready again.
"Hm?"
Dante Voss sensed something aloft and glanced up.
A black speck was plummeting toward the Merry; his keen mind already recognised it—
A ship!
"A ship fallen from Sky Island?"
Understanding flashed through him.
Near Jaya, Knock-Up Streams could hurl vessels skyward.
After all, the geyser once carried off half of Jaya itself.
Shing—
He slowly drew the bloodthirsty sword, its dark-red hue gleaming.
"Hm?"
Training nearby, Zoro noticed and looked over. "Enemies, Dante Voss?"
"Not enemies…" Dante Voss answered, eyes skyward. "Just a falling ship."
High above, the five airborne friends spotted the plummeting vessel and panicked.
"Ahhh!"
"It's a ship—move!"
"How come there's a boat in the sky?"
Nami hurried them back aboard and blasted wind to deflect the falling hulk.
But her breeze, strong as it was, couldn't shift a craft far larger than the Merry.
She'd only mastered the Weather-Weather Fruit for a handful of days.
The Straw Hats stared upward in dread; the ship loomed like a collapsing sky, unstoppable.
If it landed they'd all sleep forever beneath the waves.
"A dream—this is a dream, right?" Usopp's eyes were bloodshot with disbelief.
"A dream? Great!" Chopper bought it at once.
"It's coming—brace!" Zoro, cold sweat beading, barked.
When the hull hung only tens of metres above, Dante Voss narrowed his eyes and slashed with the bloodthirsty sword.
Boom!
A gigantic scarlet Flying Slash shot skyward, cleaving straight through the vessel.
Crash!
The wooden hull stood no chance against a Great Swordsman's strike and split in two.
"Still not refined enough," Dante Voss muttered.
Though he could launch a Flying Slash, he could only form a single arc—unlike Hawkeye Mihawk, whose one sweep shattered into countless blades, erasing the target entirely.
He swung again and again, reducing the ship to splinters before finally sheathing the blade.
Yet a rain of debris remained; Dante Voss cloaked the Merry in Devil Power, forming a protective dome.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Wood drummed against the black shield, and the crew exhaled in relief.
"Good thing you're here, Dante Voss—else we'd be fish-food." Nami clutched her chest.
"We're alive… we're really alive." Usopp slumped on deck, gulping air.
"Hahaha, that was awesome!" Luffy laughed, thrilled by the close call.
At last the shower of timber ended; Dante Voss dropped the barrier and the danger passed.
Just as they relaxed, a huge salvage ship bore down on them, its crew shouting, "Great haul