Early the next morning, when the first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds and fell upon Jaya's coastline, Kaido was already prepared and ready to depart.
"Everyone, prepare to set sail immediately," Kaido's voice was low and powerful, brooking no argument.
"Yes, sir!"
King stepped forward, frowning with confusion. "Boss Kaido, aren't we looking for the City of Gold? Why are we suddenly returning to the ship?"
Kaido didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a gourd of liquor from his waist, tilted his head back, and took a large swig. The liquor dripped from his chin, gleaming like amber in the sunlight. He wiped his mouth before speaking in a deep voice. "Because the City of Gold isn't on Jaya Island at all."
These words dropped like a bomb, causing a stir among the group. Gavin stroked his chin thoughtfully, venturing a guess. "Could it be... the City of Gold has sunk to the bottom of the sea?"
Kaido shook his head, then suddenly raised his thick arm, pointing a finger toward the azure sky. "You're all wrong. The City of Gold is neither on the island nor under the sea. It's in the sky."
"The sky?" Queen immediately looked up upon hearing this, his round face filled with disbelief. He squinted his small eyes, staring for a long time, but saw only empty blue sky. "How is that possible? There's clearly nothing up there!"
Kaido let out a low chuckle, explaining. "Of course you can't see it. Years ago, the enormous Knock Up Stream around Jaya Island blasted the entire City of Gold ten thousand meters into the sky."
This astonishing news made everyone gasp. The crew members looked at each other, their faces filled with shock and doubt. Some muttered quietly, "That's unbelievable!" Others rubbed their eyes, as if to confirm they weren't dreaming.
A sea breeze swept across the deck, bringing a salty dampness. Yet, Kaido's gaze remained fixed on that seemingly empty expanse of sky, as if he could pierce the clouds and see the legendary City of Gold. The corner of his mouth gradually lifted into a confident smile, and he suddenly announced loudly, "Prepare yourselves. We're going to Skypiea!"
The crew members looked at each other again, but they were quickly infected by Kaido's unshakable conviction.
Queen scratched his bald head, asking hesitantly, "Boss, how do we get to Skypiea?"
"Wororororo... I'll use my ability to fly you all up there, of course," Kaido roared with laughter, his mirth echoing like thunder across the deck. "Follow me, and you'll soon witness the legendary City of Gold with your own eyes!"
Before the words had fully faded, Kaido's body suddenly began to transform. His muscles swelled, bluish scales surfaced on his skin, and right before everyone's eyes, he completed the astonishing transformation from human form to his Azure Dragon form. With an ear-splitting draconic roar, the immense azure dragon body soared into the air, circling above the pirate ship.
The sheer size of this dragon was breathtaking, almost blotting out the sun. Every scale glinted with a cold light under the sun. Its powerful presence made everyone on board hold their breath; some of the more timid crewmen even involuntarily fell to their knees.
"This... this is our captain? S-so strong," an apprentice who had boarded just yesterday stared dumbfounded at Kaido's form.
"Hahaha! With such a strong captain, all the treasure, all the beautiful women, they'll all be ours!" another greedily shouted.
"Excellent! Under the captain's leadership, we'll surely carve out a place for ourselves even in the second half of the Grand Line!" another said, looking toward the future.
Kaido expertly manipulated the Flame Clouds. These special clouds, generated by his Azure Dragon Fruit ability, rapidly flowed from his dragon claws, wrapping around the entire pirate ship like living things. At first, the Flame Clouds enveloped the hull as gently as gauze, then gradually solidified, steadily lifting the heavy wooden structure.
Under the astonished gazes of all, this behemoth began to slowly rise from the ground. The hull emitted creaking sounds as the distance between it and the sea surface grew. Crew members grabbed onto nearby fixtures, feeling the faint tremors beneath their feet. Some looked fearfully at the receding sea surface, watching the blue waters shrink into a tiny blue dot.
Kaido precisely controlled the intensity of the Flame Clouds, ensuring the ship rose smoothly. His draconic form continuously circled the vessel, his golden vertical pupils attentive to every detail. As their altitude increased, the sea wind grew fiercer, howling as it swept past the ship's sides. The flags on the ship snapped and fluttered loudly.
The surrounding scenery began to change in wonderful ways. Clouds flowed around the ship, now soft as cotton, now light as gossamer. Sunlight filtering through gaps in the clouds cast dappled, shifting patterns on the deck. Because Kaido was flying directly using his ability, not via the conventional Knock Up Stream, he skillfully maneuvered the Flame Clouds to bypass the White-White Sea beneath Skypiea, heading straight for the legendary City of Gold.
The ship's navigators stared, dumbstruck, as their Log Poses spun wildly, completely unable to comprehend the miraculous voyage they were experiencing. Some tried to record their course, only to find all their nautical instruments had ceased to function.
As the altitude continued to climb, the air grew thin. Some crewmen began to have difficulty breathing, but none dared to complain.
The howling sea wind grew increasingly violent as they rose, the ship's flags snapping loudly. Kaido's draconic body circled the ship, ensuring a steady course. The navigators watched the Log Poses spinning insanely, completely unable to grasp this method of travel that defied common sense.
Soon, with Kaido's ability, the pirate ship did not stop at the White-White Sea but proceeded directly to the island of God, "Upper Yard."
Viewed from high above, although the island's structures were somewhat dilapidated, the bell tower, floors, and other facilities were all actually made of gold. This discovery excited the crew immensely, their eyes gleaming with greed.
"Gold! It's all gold!" the pirates shouted excitedly, looking down at the countless pieces of gold below.
Especially Queen. His obese body trembled uncontrollably with excitement. As a scientist, he needed funding to support his research projects more than anyone else on the ship. Even King and Bullet, who weren't particularly interested in gold, couldn't help but be awed by such vast wealth.
"Wororororo..." Kaido's signature laugh reverberated in the air, a flash of pride in his enormous draconic pupils.
This gold was a crucial chip in his plans. With this fortune, the influence of the Beasts Pirates would rise to another level. The crew was already starting to scheme about how to divide the spoils.
Using his ability, Kaido guided the pirate ship to descend slowly onto the plaza before the great golden bell.
This ancient bell tower, having weathered the ages, shone with dazzling brilliance under the sun, as if narrating a thousand years of Skypiea's history. Queen couldn't wait any longer. He jumped off the ship, directly broke off a piece of gold from a nearby golden pillar with his hands, and shouted excitedly, "Boss, we're rich!"