Knock-Up Stream

Nami's face fills the top panel in fury, shouting "WHAT DOES HE THINK HE'S DOING!I" and "OH FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!" Below, the crew gathers near a large structure. Masira sits saying "Yup. 100% likely." while others discuss Luffy: "Uhh... I don't think he even made any calculations in the first place. He probably never even took that into his calculations! He's such a simpleton! I bet it's because of that heavy gold figurine slowing him down! He's 46 minutes later than the time he promised to come back by! Does he WANT to miss the knock-up stream!I It's already morning! MORNING!" Usopp reacts with shock "HEEEYYYYY!" as Nami and others argue "Just what do you even want from him, woman..." "IF HE LOST, I'D BEAT THE CRAP OUTTA HIM EVEN IF HE DID ARRIVE ON TIME!" "You don't think he was beaten, do you..." Usopp mutters "Ah."

Masira yells excitedly "It's him! Thank god he's back!" while another figure stands nearby. Luffy appears in close-up with wide eyes as someone shouts "LOOK!" and "HURRY UP, LUFFY! YOU'RE ALREADY LATE!" Luffy exclaims "I DID IT!" Monkeys react with surprise. In the large bottom panel, the crew stares in shock at a massive Hercules beetle as Luffy demands "JUST WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING!I" The beetle makes sounds "KEE KEE" and "たたたたた" while impact effects and motion lines fill the scene.

The crew reacts in awe as the Going Merry appears transformed into a flying model with large wings, a goat figurehead, and a Straw Hat Jolly Roger. Someone shouts "IT'S GOING MERRY'S 'FLYING MODEL'!" and "WHOAA! IT'S AWESOME!" Usopp gestures excitedly. In the lower panel Luffy stretches his arms wide yelling "THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S SOOOOOO GONNA FLY!" while others react: "Personally, I'm getting uneasy just looking at that thing." "Yeah, a pigeon's much better at flying than a rooster..." "RIGHT!I" "THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM HERE, YOU BLOCKHEAD!" with sound effect "シャキーン!!"

A massive rock slams down with a thunderous ガチャン...!! impact. The muscular man with the headband finishes his work and straightens up. Luffy stands nearby in his straw hat and black vest. The man shouts, "Time to set sail, boys! Are the preparations completeI" Luffy beams and replies, "Right, thanks for fixing up the ship." The man growls, "You idiot... Or do you want to waste your only chance to go to the sky. Get on the ship, you ain't got much time left."

Luffy reacts with wide-eyed excitement, "REALLY!I ARE YOU SURE!I MAN, YOU'RE SUCH A NICE GUY!" The headbanded man answers gruffly, "I'll give you my hercules beetle!" Luffy waves, "Thanks a bunch, guys!" The man corrects, "Thank them, not me." Nearby, the monkey-like pirate captain yells, "We'll go on ahead first so catch up!" while his spiky-haired crewmate shouts, "We're runnin' outta time! In any case, just get on the ship!" The headbanded man turns and calls, "Luffy! Hurry!" Luffy dashes forward, replying, "Right!"

The headbanded man clenches his fist with a ギュッ... sound. He laughs, "HAHA HAHA! THE CITY OF GOLD IS JUST ANOTHER ONE OF NOLAND'S FANTASIES!" A massive black cannon-like structure fires with SARUYAMA ALLIANCE! and ドォォォォォ!! effects as the crew cheers "AYE-AYE SIR! UOHO!" The ship is launched toward the distant tower. The headbanded man roars, "NO MATTER WHAT! PUT EVERY LAST OUNCE OF ENERGY YOU'VE GOT TO GET THEM UP IN THE SKY! DON'T GO SLIPPING UP NOW, Y'HEAR!I" Luffy leaps aboard shouting "LEAP!" while Nami and others wave, "Woohoo! Let's set sail! Aye-Aye, Nami!" Luffy smiles, "Alright, let's go!"

The headbanded man stands alone on the cliff edge and calls out, "Kid! This is good-bye for you and me now!" Luffy looks back with a quiet "!I" The man continues, "Sure, people might laugh, calling it an absurd fantasy, But so what!I Yup! There's never been a person who's proven they don't exist! Whether it's the City of Gold, or Sky Island," Luffy answers, "I know for certain at least... There's one thing." The man throws his head back and bellows with a massive ダァァァァァ effect, "ISN'T THAT FANTASY, PRECISELY WHAT MAKES IT ROMANTIC!!I"

On the deck of a massive striped structure, Nami, Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp lean over the railing. Someone remarks, "Romantic, huh!" Another replies, "That's right!" Below them a black sphere with a question mark erupts in a starburst. Luffy bursts into laughter, "SHISHISHI!" while telling the tall, turbaned man beside him, "Now don't you go falling out of the sky!" The man answers, "Thanks... For getting back my gold...!" The Going Merry sails away from the island, its crew waving. "DON'T PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD, MISTER!" "NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ME!" "I'm sure the city of gold exists!" "Thanks for everything, Mr. Cricket!" "SEE YA, MISTER!"

Waves crash as the sun rises. "It's already morning." The Going Merry floats on open sea with its distinctive skull-and-crossbones sail. Crew members scan the horizon. "No, I can't even see the shore's shadow yet." "Are you sure they said they were going to Sky IslandI" "Well, do you see anythingI" In a close-up, a grinning man with a black beard and open shirt declares, "So we'll take care of 'em before they can get up there!" Another voice answers, "Yeah, that's what they said, alright. Chasing them there'll be difficult," while large Japanese sound effects rumble across the sky.

Two distant ships sail on calm water. "It'll be around 11 by the time we get to our destination." "Listen up! It's 7 in the morning right now!" Closer, the Going Merry and a second pirate ship sit side by side. "The knock-up stream changes location everytime," one sailor explains. "So we'll have to quickly search for its exact location as soon as we arrive there." "Like our boss said," another adds. On deck Luffy points excitedly at the large South Bird. "It turned back around!" The bird bounces with a loud "BOOOING!" while Luffy shouts, "Hey!" "Now since we're a little behind schedule..." "Look, look!" The bird cries, "'LET'S GO!'"

Luffy and the crew laugh around the South Bird. "He said he'll face another direction to make trouble for us." "What did it sayI" "It's like a compass! Hahaha!" "It really can't face any other direction than South!" "That sure is one weird bird." The bird spins, insisting, "It can't rest unless it's facing South!" and finally points north with a cry of "TURN!" "Oh! It's facing North!" Below deck, masked figures in black outfits swarm the Going Merry. One clutches his chest, muttering, "Their ignoring me is giving my heart the jitters..." Another replies, "Ah, it's fine, it's fine." A third yells, "HOW DARE YOU IGNORE OUR BOSS!" "HuhI What is itI" "HEY!" The bird continues its call, "Jeeeeee!"

Luffy stands on deck with a wide grin, raising one hand high while laughing loudly. "So let's take this easy, eh, guysI" he says. "Panicking now ain't gonna solve anything." Behind him Sanji glares and snaps, "Whose fault do you think it is that we're lateI" Usopp, wearing a large hat and goggles, shouts orders to the crew: "Alright boys, put just half of your spirit into it. And sail on!" Another crew member replies, "Ah, okay then..." A second panel shows the same goggled man continuing, "So there's no point in staying nervous all the way through." "Well, he's got a point. We've still got a few hours left." Below, the Going Merry sails across calm seas under scattered clouds. Crew members relax with casual comments: "Ua... Ha..." "Ahh... Nice weather... we got..." "Aye... Aye..." One worried voice asks, "Is this really gonna be fineI" The ship rocks gently as small waves lap against the hull.

Three hours later, a wide-eyed lookout with curly hair yells in panic, "Night's falling... from the Southwest! WHY, WHAT IS IT!I BOSS! THIS IS BAD! IT'S THE EMPEROR-NIMBUS!" The dark cloud mass looms overhead. On the deck below, crew members react with alarm: "THIS IS BAD... SHOUJOU! YOU THINK THEY CAN STILL MAKE IT!I" "IT'S ONLY 10! IT'S HERE MUCH SOONER THAN WE THOUGHT!" "ALREADYI WHAT TIME IS IT!I" The sea grows rougher with heavy waves. A distant view shows the Going Merry and a smaller craft heading toward the forming stream. Someone shouts, "So that's the emperor-nimbus... UOHO!" An urgent command rings out: "UTAN DIVERS! DIVE AT ONCE AND FIND WHERE THE STREAM IS FORMING!" The sky darkens rapidly as the massive cloud formation presses down.

Nami leans over the railing of the Going Merry, staring at the sky. "The emperornimbus cloud's here much sooner than they thought! And we still don't know where the knock-up stream will be!" Crew members scramble across the deck and rigging. "WHAT'S GOING ON!I" A spinning dial device is shown with arrows and symbols. Crew reports come in rapid succession: "Likely to be a giant whirlpool! Waves crashing against the ocean currents detected at 10 o'clock!" "Most likely a sea king!" "Unidentified large animal at 9 o'clock!" "Echo detected! Large ocean currents at 12 o'clock!" Shoujou, wearing a large hat, points forward and roars, "THAT WHIRLPOOL IS OUR SIGN! WE HAVE TO CATCH UP TO IT! THAT'S THE PLACE! TURN THE SHIP FOR 10 O'CLOCK!"

A massive wave slams into the Going Merry. Zoro grips the railing, eyes wide. "WHA!I" Crew members are thrown about as the ship lurches violently. "AGHHH!" "GAHHH! WE'RE GONNA SINK!" The narration states, "THE WAVES GOT HUGE ALL OF A SUDDEN! IT'S THE TREMOR BEFORE THE BLAST! BE CAREFUL!" The ship tilts sharply amid roaring water and debris. Below deck, Usopp checks a log pose and cries out, "It's pointing straight up!" Nami stares at the device in shock. "What!I Where's the log pose pointing!I" A crew member nearby shouts, "Ms. Navigator!" The log pose needle stands vertically as the ship is battered by the growing current.

The massive spiraling currents roar with heavy sound effects as the ship is pulled violently. A voice declares, "THE WINDS ARE PERFECT! THEY'RE DIRECTING THE EMPEROR NIMBUS RIGHT ABOVE THE WHIRLPOOL'S EYE!" Luffy stares out in confusion and shouts, "WHAT WHIRLPOOL!I I DON'T SEE A WHIRLPOOL ANYWHERE!" Usopp, wearing a helmet, grins and says, "LOOKS LIKE WE GUESSED RIGHT THIS TIME, BRO!" while another crew member yells, "WE CAN MAKE IT!I" and "AND THE BLAST SEEMS TO BE JUST THE RIGHT SIZE!" Nami questions frantically, "THEN WHAT!I WHAT WE DO AFTER THEN!I" as the ship rocks. An unseen speaker calls out, "I'LL TAKE YOU TO THE WHIRLPOOL!" Someone replies, "YEAH, YOU SHOULD!" The vessel lurches with a loud metallic impact sound "ガキィーン!!!!" as the crew braces for the descent.

A colossal whirlpool dominates the page with enormous swirling lines and sound effects. The ship is shown being drawn toward the center. A voice instructs, "JUST FOLLOW THE CURRENTS ALL THE WAY TO THE CENTER WITHOUT RESISTING!" Luffy roars with excitement, "LET'S GO!" while another panel shows shock at "THE CENTER OF THE WHIRLPOOL!I" Usopp panics with sweat drops. Zoro looks serious. Nami sweats nervously. Sanji reacts with wide eyes. Chopper screams in terror. Robin remains composed and says, "Interesting. I've never seen a whirlpool of this size before." Nami shouts, "NAMI! ROBIN! DON'T WORRY, I'LL PROTECT YOU TWO!" Chopper and others yell in fear about the giant whirlpool. The crew is swept along the powerful currents toward the vortex.

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