Pirates: Your emperor has returned!

Crocodile sneered, but then suddenly realized that Rowan didn't seem to be making a move, so he sneered, "I'm enough on my own, what are you doing here?"

Rowan shrugged helplessly and replied:

"I'll shield you."

"what?"

Crocodile was taken aback.

Suddenly, the thunderstorm clusters he had cut open began to react violently, with the lightning within them becoming restless and emitting a blinding light.

Those thunderstorms are about to explode!

boom!

A violent explosion, accompanied by a deafening roar, resounded through the sky.

Crocodile—and the people on the ship below—could only see one person in the lightning of those words.

The man, wielding a scepter, weaved through the gaps in the lightning, shielding them from all harm.

[54. Chapter Fifty-Four: The Scorched Sands]

"Ugh... Phew..."

Crocodile's vision went black, the devastating thunder still echoed in his ears, and his mind was in a jumbled mess.

Gradually, the thunder subsided, and Crocodile finally regained consciousness.

I think I... have passed out?

No, not at all, it was just a brief moment of distraction.

In Crocodile's memory, the last thing he saw was Rowan holding up a huge sand barrier with one hand, blocking all the endless bolts of lightning.

Then, because he didn't expect those lightning bolts to explode, Crocodile was the first to be hit head-on and seemed to be swept away.

"call……"

After taking a deep breath, Crocodile finally came to his senses and opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the vast, white ocean below.

That is the "White Sea," which exists only near Sky Island and has the same characteristics as the ordinary sea. Even Devil Fruit users will drown if they are in it.

Crocodile moved his feet and was even more surprised to find that there was no foothold below him.

Where am I?

After a few breaths, Crocodile regained consciousness and noticed that something had grabbed one of his hands.

Turning his head, Crocodile's face immediately darkened.

He saw that his hand was on Rowan's shoulder, and Rowan was pulling him along as they glided through the air together.

Behind Rowan, two tiny, sand-like wings, shrunk countless times, spread out and expanded, slowly adjusting their angle to control the direction in which the two moved forward.

Crocodile: "..."

It makes sense. If Rowan could control the gravel wings to glide through the air with an entire ship, then it would be easy for him to glide through the air with one person.

It makes sense, but Crocodile still feels very uncomfortable.

He looked down and around, but didn't see the ship from the Four Seas Alliance. He asked in confusion:

Where are they?

Rowan's flight ability is based on gliding, which is ultimately inferior to that of the bird-type Zoan-type Devil Fruit user who can fly on their own.

If Bell were there, their aerial maneuverability would likely be much greater.

But Rowan shook his head and explained, "They were swept away by the currents created by the explosion. They were going too fast to keep up with by gliding."

Crocodile frowned, pulled a new cigar from his pocket with grit, and put it in his mouth.

Looking around, he found that the white sea around him had calmed down and returned to a pure white beauty, probably because the people who attacked them had temporarily stopped.

"You bastard, don't let me find him..."

Crocodile rarely fought such a frustrating battle, not even getting to see his opponent's true form!

"call……"

Crocodile took a deep breath and puffed on his unlit cigar. "So, we're going to find them?"

"The wind here is too weak, so the gliding time is limited, and you can't fly for too long."

Rowan looked into the distance and spotted a raised section made up of white clouds.

That is the "physical land" above the Sky Island, composed of special clouds, and is the cornerstone of the Sky Island civilization.

"Let's get to land first."

Luo Wen spoke up.

Crocodile nodded.

He couldn't glide through the air like Rowan, but he didn't want to keep this pose with one hand on Rowan's shoulder for too long.

……

A few minutes later.

The two landed safely, and Rowan's wings turned back into sand and returned to his body.

Immediately afterwards, Crocodile suddenly squatted down, his expression somewhat strange.

He reached into the pocket of his fur coat, pulled out a lighter, lit the cigar, and took a deep drag.

"what……"

Crocodile forced himself to stand up straight and rubbed his temples.

"My head hurts so much, is it because of the thunder just now?"

"Do not."

Rowan also took a deep breath. "It's because of the special climate at high altitudes. We haven't adapted to it yet, so it's inevitable that we'll feel unwell when we use elementalization on a large scale."

Crocodile glanced at Rowan, understanding his plan. "So that's why you went to Drum Island and gathered a large group of doctors?"

Rowan nodded.

Crocodile then understood why Rowan wasn't in a hurry to find the people on that ship.

After all, that group was already quite strong, and with a team of doctors accompanying them, they were able to adapt to the climate of the sky island very quickly.

Rowan looked around and moved his fingers slightly, using gravel to simulate the surrounding terrain.

The two small dots represent him and Crocodile.

"We should now be in the middle layer of the Jade Cloud, surrounded by the White Sea Passage, with the main body of the Sky Island located above."

Crocodile nodded. "In that case, let's go to Skypiea first. It'll be easier to find people there."

But Rowan refused, saying, "No, I actually have a better way."

Crocodile was startled by what he heard.

By the way, this old guy's Conqueror's Haki is incredibly powerful; he might have already tracked down that ship!

But Rowan's next move stunned Crocodile.

Rowan reached into his pocket and pulled out a Den Den Mushi.

Crocodile: "..."

As Rowan picked up the receiver, he chuckled and exclaimed, "Technology is so convenient, isn't it!"

Crocodile: "..."

Bell's voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

"Ancestors? Are you alright?"

"It's alright, we've landed safely." Rowan nodded and asked, "And you guys?"

"Many people on board experienced symptoms of illness, but with the help of doctors, most of us have recovered."

Bell replied, "However, we are moving forward with the currents of the White Sea, and it seems unlikely that we will be able to turn back."

Luo Wen said, "Alright, let's meet on the upper level of Jidi Cloud."

"understood."

Click!

Rowan hung up the Den Den Mushi and looked at Crocodile, who was silently smoking.

"what happened?"

"Nothing much."

……

With a clear direction, the two began searching for a way out.

The ground of the Sky Island is slightly softer than soil, and feels like a blanket, giving a very comfortable feeling when you step on it.

Crocodile rolled over a cloud hill, gently stroking the ground with his right hand, and silently activated his Corrosion ability.

In an instant, the small cloud was completely drained of moisture, turning into a puddle of white sand.

Crocodile's face broke into a sinister smile once more.

Since the ability to corrode can be activated, it means that his combat power has not been weakened.

That would be for the best.

Crocodile was in high spirits when he looked up, but suddenly froze. "What's that?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Wen looked in the direction of the voice and was also stunned.

On the distant white sand beach, large areas of charred marks remain, as if a large number of lightning bolts had swept across the sand, leaving behind winding patterns.

"Was it caused by the thunderstorm just now?" Crocodile speculated.

Rowan shook his head and denied it, saying, "No."