At dawn the next day, just as a band of white was rising in the eastern sky, Kaido prepared to leave Skypiea with his subordinates. The newly risen sun cast golden light upon the White-White Sea, bathing this sea of clouds in a soft glow. A sea breeze brushed past, carrying the unique coolness of early morning.
"Ugo go go go..." Kaido let out his signature laugh, turning to speak to Gan Fall who stood beside him. "I'm leaving. Don't forget the tasks I assigned you."
Gan Fall immediately bowed his head respectfully, replying in a humble tone. "Please rest assured, Lord Kaido. Before your next return, I will certainly complete the conquest of the Shandians and will continue to arrange personnel to cultivate Impact Dials and other various Dials. As for the gold from the City of Gold, I have already arranged for it to be smelted into gold ingots for your convenience when you next come to take it."
Gan Fall had now completely abandoned any thought of resistance. After witnessing the overwhelming strength displayed by Kaido and his subordinates firsthand, he clearly understood that continued resistance would only lead to pointless sacrifices for Skypiea's people. As the ruler of God's Country, he was responsible for their safety. Although his heart was filled with reluctance, he understood this was the best choice available now.
Just then, King descended from the sky, his enormous black wings spread, landing steadily beside Kaido. He inclined his head slightly, reporting respectfully. "Brother Kaido, all preparations are complete. Supplies have also been replenished. We can depart at any time."
"Good. Set sail!" Kaido's command rang out like thunder across the port. He led everyone aboard the pirate ship docked in the harbor. Surprisingly, Kaido did not choose to transform into his Azure Dragon form this time and use Flame Clouds to directly carry the ship back to the Grand Line. Instead, he decided to let the pirate ship sail south along the White Sea. This decision surprised quite a few crew members, but none dared voice an objection.
The pirate ship slowly sailed away from the port, its sails billowing in the morning wind.
After taking control of Skypiea, Kaido, through consulting historical records, had obtained crucial intelligence about Birkans. This legendary sky island was located in the sea south of Upper Yard. What concerned Kaido even more was that the Goro Goro no Mi, hailed as the "strongest Logia-type fruit," most likely existed there.
From any angle, the Goro Goro no Mi could be considered a top-tier existence among Devil Fruits. It not only possessed astonishing speed rivaling the Pika Pika no Mi but also had terrifying destructive power not inferior to the Magu Magu no Mi. More amazingly, the user could greatly expand the range of their Kenbunshoku Haki by harnessing lightning power, potentially even covering an entire island.
In Kaido's assessment, even a person of average aptitude, upon eating the Goro Goro no Mi, could easily surpass the combat power of a Marine Vice Admiral. If a person of outstanding talent obtained this fruit, reaching the level of an Admiral Candidate or even a Yonko's Right-hand Man would be entirely within the realm of possibility. Precisely because of this, Kaido had long since viewed this fruit as something already in his pocket.
However, the voyage from Upper Yard to Birkans was no easy journey.
Three days after leaving Upper Yard, Kaido's group encountered extremely bad weather.
The originally calm White-White Sea had now completely transformed. Thick dark clouds hung like a massive black curtain, shrouding the entire sea area in darkness. Blinding lightning periodically tore across the sky, accompanied by deafening peals of thunder.
Howling winds raged across the sea, whipping up waves dozens of meters high that crashed against the pirate ship's hull one after another. The wooden hull groaned with teeth-grating creaks under the violent rocking, as if it might be torn to shreds by this violent ocean at any moment.
Crew members struggled to maintain their balance on the deck. Rain mixed with salty seawater slapped against their faces, making it almost impossible to keep their eyes open. Everyone's clothes were completely soaked through, but no one had time to care about that now. They had to concentrate fully on dealing with this sudden calamity; the slightest misstep could mean a watery grave.
"Reef the mainsail, now!" Queen roared at the top of his lungs through the storm, a cigar clenched in his teeth. "Helmsman, watch it! Maintain a heading 45 degrees to port!" His voice remained audible even amidst the howling wind. The well-trained crew sprang into action immediately, each performing their duty like parts of a precise machine. Some scrambled up the mast to furl the sails, others dashed to the holds to check cargo securing, and some assisted the helmsman in adjusting their course.
Kaido sat steadily in his specially made chair in the center of the deck, appearing completely unfazed by the surrounding chaos. He tilted his head back and took a large gulp of liquor, letting out his signature booming laugh. "Wororororo... Never thought we'd encounter such interesting weather even ten thousand meters in the air." As a pirate who had weathered countless storms, this level of tempest was mere child's play to him. He trusted his crew was fully capable of handling it; there was no need for him to intervene personally.
At the violently swaying top of the mast, King stood as steady as a statue. His black wings were slightly spread, remaining completely motionless in the gale. Lightning illuminated his stern face; those sharp eyes were fixed unwaveringly on the distant sea.
In contrast, Bullet and Gavin on the deck seemed a bit more flustered. Bullet held onto the railing for dear life, feeling nature's violent force, yet an excited grin spread across his face. Gavin appeared somewhat nervous, but after seeing Bullet's reaction, he gradually calmed down as well.
Sebastian led the fish-man crew members as they darted across the ship. Their natural affinity for water allowed them to move across the slippery deck as if on solid ground, nimbly assisting other crew in securing loose ropes and cargo. The presence of these fish-man crew members greatly enhanced the ship's overall safety, as they could detect any abnormalities with the hull immediately.
The storm raged for a full two hours, during which everyone on board remained on high alert. Only when the first rays of sunlight pierced the thick dark clouds, falling upon the soaked deck, did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief. The sea gradually calmed, the churning waves becoming gentle ripples. After the clouds dispersed, a blue sky reappeared overhead.
"Boss Kaido," Queen turned to speak to Kaido, who stood at the ship's bow, "the storm just now threw us off our planned course. It may take some extra time to reach our destination. Additionally, some of our supplies were soaked by rainwater. We'll need to find a sky island to restock."
Kaido waved a hand without turning his head. "Queen, you handle these minor matters. After all, right now, you're the one who knows navigation best on this ship of ours."
His voice carried its usual trust. Queen nodded and immediately began directing the crew to inspect the hull for damage and take stock of material losses. Sunlight glinted off his wet, golden hair, refracting a faint halo.