Soon, the companions brought out platters of various fish dishes from the kitchen, arranging them on the lawn in the center of the ship.
Ah Hua appeared last.
He wasn't carrying a platter, but pushing a massive grill.
On the grill was the largest of the sky fish they had killed earlier, "Brother Octopus."
"Kong Tai, time to eat!"
"Alright."
Kong Tai stood up straight, glanced at Kolong who was engaged in a heated battle in the distance, then with a smile, he turned and headed towards his companions.
The first feast after reaching the sky island commenced in the lair of the sky fish.
Nearby, another pirate ship was performing a show of fighting sky fish, providing entertainment for them as they ate.
An hour later.
After feasting and drinking, everyone lay on the lawn in the center of the deck, resting.
The lawn was a mess, and no one wanted to do the dishes. Even Ah Hua, with his hands on his stomach and back against the mast, looked at Kong Tai with hopeful eyes.
"You guys!"
Kong Tai shook his head helplessly, stood up, and with a thought, the bones, food scraps, plates, and utensils on the deck flew up and towards the edge of the ship, making it look as if Kong Tai was throwing them away.
But none of those lying on the ground tried to stop him. It was clear they had seen this scene before, and more than once.
The items that fell into the sea of clouds stirred the water. The bones remained, while the plates and numerous utensils, controlled by Kong Tai, flew like a white thread into the kitchen and landed in the cupboards.
"Haha!!"
Seeing the kitchenware fly into the kitchen, Ah Hua's spirits immediately lifted, as if the dejected figure from before wasn't him. He withdrew his gaze, turned to Kong Tai, and chuckled, "Kong Tai, your ability is so convenient!"
Saying this, he raised his hands and brought them before his eyes. "If I had to wash them by hand, who knows how long it would take?"
"Alright, you just want to be lazy, don't you?"
Kong Tai shook his head, looking at Ah Hua with amusement, then his gaze swept over the others before lifting to Kolong, who was still fighting in the distance.
"We've eaten, it's time to set sail. I'll be back shortly. Let me see what that guy's treasure map is all about!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished from where he stood.
The companions, who had been resting on the lawn, sat up upon hearing Kong Tai's words, exchanged glances, and a silent smile appeared on their faces.
Then, one by one, they all stood up, strode to the edge of the ship, leaned on the railings, and gazed at the distant sailboat, enjoying the spectacle.
On the tattered sailboat.
Kolong, who had transformed into a mountain demon, had just killed a sky fish and was leaning on his knees, panting heavily.
More than two hours of continuous combat had drained most of his stamina.
He wasn't a monster; he couldn't fight for days and nights here.
"I need to find a way to escape!"
"But how can I escape?"
After all, the sea of clouds below was teeming with sky fish!
These beasts were endless. Staying here was tantamount to waiting for death.
And escaping in their sailboat's small boat would be even more suicidal.
Thus, he found himself in a desperate situation with no means of escape.
"Hoo~"
"Huh!"
Kolong looked up, confused, and glanced around. Why hadn't any monstrous fish attacked him for so long?
Had they been scared by him?
"Impossible!"
Kolong shook his head. After fighting these creatures for so long, he knew they were beasts completely devoid of reason. Beasts wouldn't be scared by being killed; they would only become more ferocious when stimulated by the scent of blood.
If they weren't scared by him, then what was it?
"Hmm..."
As if realizing something, Kolong, who had previously exuded an aura of defiance and volatility, suddenly became as tense as a snake whose seven inches had been gripped.
His entire body became vigilant, and the brown fur on his body stood on end as if electrified.
He dared not look up, and sweat poured from him like an unblocked floodgate, quickly soaking his fur and dripping from the tips.
Drop!
Drop!
Drop!
They fell to the ground, soon forming a considerable pool beneath him.
"Mmm! Did you notice?"
Kong Tai stood at the very top of the ship's sole mast.
The strong wind whipped his clothes and hair, making them rustle loudly.
His azure pupils gazed down at Kolong below, as if looking at an ant. Though his body was not large, an aura capable of suppressing the entire sea of clouds emanated from him.
The countless sky fish that were attempting to break through the clouds immediately halted their advance, as if something terrifying was above them. They panicked, quickly turned, and retreated into the depths of the clouds.
While killing them didn't instill fear, sky fish were still living beings. All life valued its existence and possessed a sense of danger, especially wild beasts.
"Yo! Pirate, can I have a look at your treasure map?"
"Who are you?"
"What are you standing there for?"
Before Kolong could speak, his subordinates furiously yelled at Kong Tai and, with bloodshot eyes, raised their guns, pulling the trigger towards Kong Tai.
"Don't..."
Kolong only had time to utter a single word before his subordinates' bullets shot out of their barrels, hurtling towards Kong Tai.
"Truly seeking death!"
A cold voice echoed in the hearts of every pirate. Then they realized that the space around them seemed to have been completely frozen by some power, rendering their bodies immobile. Even the bullets they had just fired were suspended just outside their gun barrels.
And at the front of the barrels, they could even see the smoke and sparks from the shots.
Of course, all of this was also frozen in time.
At this moment, they understood that they... seemed, possibly,...
had provoked an extremely terrifying being.
*Dong—!*
The sound of feet landing on the deck.
Ignoring the frozen pirate lackeys around him, Kong Tai walked directly towards Kolong.
As he approached, Kolong finally turned his head and looked up, clearly seeing Kong Tai's appearance.
He was indeed as handsome as depicted in the newspapers.
No, he was even more handsome than in the news.
His current body was massive, but he dared not meet Kong Tai's gaze. So, he reverted to his human form, bent over, and looked up at Kong Tai, saying, "Silver-haired one, we have no quarrel with each other. I can give you the treasure map you want, but you..."
He paused slightly, then his voice became pleading. "Can you please, please spare us."
"I promise, I will immediately return to the Blue Sea and will absolutely not reveal that you found the treasure."
After speaking, he anxiously stared at the approaching Kong Tai.
Even now, he still hoped Kong Tai would spare him.
But...
Kong Tai looked down at Kolong, a flicker of reminiscence crossing his calm pupils. Looking at this man reminded him of Badr. He wondered how that guy had been doing these past few months. Bass Island should have been completely built by now.
He figured it wouldn't be long before the small islands of the Grand Line would once again hear the news of Bass Ale.
Although he thought of Badr, the man before him was entirely different from Badr.
Badr's plea for survival was because he could not die; he wasn't fighting for himself but for his country.
This man, however, was purely driven by fear of death, which made him beg so abjectly. If Kong Tai really let him go, this man wouldn't change anything for the sake of treasure. Things would remain as they were.
However, even if this man were to improve in the future, Kong Tai would not let him go.
He believed that evil should go to hell; he wouldn't let him abandon his butcher's knife and become a Buddha!
So... "Er!"
Kolong suddenly found his body immobile, as if the space around him had suddenly solidified. He turned his eyes towards Kong Tai, his gaze filled with a desperate longing for life.
Without further words to the pirates on the ship, nor to Kolong.
The space encapsulating the pirates continuously compressed towards a central point.
The pirates widened their eyes and struggled incessantly, but it was futile. Soon, the pirates on the deck were all squeezed into spheres by the space.
Kong Tai, holding a treasure map, leaped onto the bow of the tattered sailboat. He glanced back at the hellish scene on the deck, his eyes devoid of emotion.
He pondered for a moment, then extended his right hand and clapped at the sailboat from a distance.
The sailboat, as if struck by an invisible giant hand, was instantly shattered into pieces.
A massive handprint formed on the sea of clouds.
Kong Tai turned and vanished from his spot, paying no mind to the cries of the many pirates who had been hiding in the sailboat's cabins and were now falling into the sea of clouds as the boat broke apart.
If they could survive in the lair of the sky fish, at this altitude of ten thousand meters, then they would truly be children of the world.
Indeed, after the *Freedom* disappeared into the sea of clouds, the sky fish that had previously been hiding in its depths immediately rushed out.
They opened their gaping mouths and vied to bite the pirates paddling rapidly on wooden planks on the surface of the clouds.
After feasting on the pirates, the sky fish, perhaps still hungry or perhaps releasing the pent-up aggression from being suppressed by Kong Tai, lost control of their violent emotions.
Thus, they began to slaughter each other again.
They churned the sea of clouds, their blood dyeing the clouds red. It was only after a long time that peace was restored.
No one knew how many pirate crews were buried in this sea of clouds, just as no one knew how many sky fish lay beneath it.
This was not heaven.
It was a graveyard.