The Crazy Journey of Kara and Kuzan
"Where did Kara go?" asked Zephyr, a vein throbbing on his forehead as he scanned the area for Garp's slippery granddaughter, who had a habit of vanishing from time to time.
"Pr-professor! I think she went to look for Vice Admiral Kuzan," one of the officers beside him stammered quickly.
"And where's Kuzan?" Zephyr asked again, even more irritated.
"I-I think... they saw him leaving on his bicycle, with a barrel in the back basket," the officer said, sweating nervously.
Zephyr sighed in resignation, ran a hand down his face, and growled:
"Let me know when they get back... And tell Garp his granddaughter's been kidnapped."
He shook his head, already giving up on the absurd problems that only his generation seemed to have to deal with.
...….
Meanwhile, out on the vast ocean, Kuzan "the future Admiral Aokiji" pedaled leisurely on his battered old bicycle. Beneath the wheels, ice formed rapidly, creating a narrow white path stretching out to the horizon.
In the rear basket, a barrel began shaking suspiciously... until it burst apart! From the debris, Kara, a girl of about twelve or thirteen, popped out, standing atop the basket like an acrobat.
"Ugh, I hate dark places!" she complained, shaking bits of wood from her hair.
Kuzan let out a guilty sigh without stopping his pedaling. He still felt bad about the "small incident" that had led Garp to send his granddaughter into intensive Marine training. Zephyr had taken her under his special tutelage, even though she still had a year before officially entering the cadet academy.
"And where were you so eager to go?" Kuzan asked, keeping his eyes ahead.
Kara settled into the basket, her legs swinging carelessly.
"I decided to create a guild," she announced, grinning with a mix of innocence and ambition. "If I can't find comrades on my own, I'll make them come to me! With enough subordinates, gathering information will be a piece of cake."
Kuzan blinked slowly.
"That doesn't answer my question... and it doesn't make any sense either."
"That's because you're slow-minded. Must be because your brain's made of ice," Kara teased with a mischievous giggle. "Let's go to Sky Island!"
Kuzan braked hard in the middle of the ocean, the ice screeching under the tires. He slowly turned to look at her over his shoulder.
"You do realize we're just on a bicycle, right?" he said calmly. "And we don't even know where that island is. There's no Log Pose pointing to it. The Marines have records... but they've never actually found it."
"But I know where it is!" Kara declared, pounding her little fist into her palm. "We'll find the gold there and I'll use it to create my own global guild!"
"Even if you made a guild, do you really think the World Government would just let you do whatever you wanted?" Kuzan replied as he started pedaling again.
"You're right," Kara admitted, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I'd need a powerful backer..."
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Kuzan.
"Pass," he said immediately, anticipating her idea.
"I didn't even say anything yet!" Kara protested with a pout.
"Still pass."
Kara crossed her arms and huffed.
"Fine... then I'll just have to rise through the ranks quickly and be my own backer. But anyway, we have to find the gold!"
"And how do you even know there's gold on Sky Island?" Kuzan asked, curious.
"Remember the story about the liar Noland?" Kara said, smiling conspiratorially.
"Yeah... but the gold was supposed to have sunk into the sea, not flown up into the sky," Kuzan replied, skeptical.
"What if the giant current, the Knock Up Stream, carried it to the sky?" Kara suggested, smiling as if she already had the treasure in her hands.
Kuzan stayed silent for a moment, thinking it over.
"I see... I guess we don't lose anything by checking it out. Just time... and a beating from your grandpa."
"Urgh..." Kara groaned, clutching her head, imagining the pain.
As the bike moved along at a steady pace, Kara spoke again, this time more seriously:
"Hey, Kuzan... do you think it's right for the Marines to stay under the World Government's control?"
Kuzan lightly squeezed the brakes, surprised by the question. Kara, staring at the horizon, continued:
"We're supposed to stand for justice... but it's just the justice the Government allows. Like what happened in Ohara. How many innocent people died just for wanting to know more?"
Kuzan remained silent for a few seconds.
"I don't know if it's right or wrong," he finally admitted. "But as long as there are Marines like your grandpa who fight to protect the innocent... maybe there's still hope."
"What if we separated the Marines from the World Government?" Kara asked suddenly.
Kuzan let out a small, dry laugh.
"That would be almost impossible. We depend on their money, their laws. The Marines were born under their shadow. Although Sengoku has given more freedom than the previous Admiral Sora... Without the Government, a single day of operation would bankrupt any country."
"What if we got support from several countries?" Kara insisted.
"Few would dare to go against the World Government," Kuzan replied calmly.
Kara crossed her arms, deep in thought.
"Then first, we need to make a lot of money," she said with a determined smile.
"I guess so," Kuzan nodded.
"If I did it... would you stand with me?" she asked suddenly.
"Yeah," Kuzan answered without hesitation, surprising even himself.
Kara stared at him, wide-eyed... then burst into joyful laughter.
"Then it's a deal!"
"I'd better pedal faster before you come up with another crazy idea," Kuzan said.
And with that, the bicycle shot forward at impossible speed, leaving only a trail of ice across the ocean behind them.
"Ahahaha!" Kara laughed, clinging tightly to Kuzan's back, enjoying the ride like it was a magical adventure.
Deep down, for Kuzan, Kara was like the little sister he never had. And for Kara, Kuzan was the big brother she had always wished for, in a family already full of mischievous younger siblings.
When they arrived at Jaya, both were strolling around the island, which was full of pirates walking peacefully while no one seemed to recognize them.
In truth, no one could recognize them; instead, they looked at them strangely because Kara had given Kuzan something to hide his face.
It was a pair of glasses with a fake nose and beard, which only drew more attention, but at least no one could say he was a Marine Vice Admiral.
Although, for some reason, she was wearing one too. She wasn't even recognized, but it seemed fun.
"Let's ask the locals when the next Knock Up Stream will appear," Kara said cheerfully as she spun in front of Kuzan.
"Why don't we just travel by the other route?" Kuzan asked, following her calmly like a guardian.
"Because this way is more fun!" Kara said, looking at him as if he were an idiot.
"Why do I even ask..." Kuzan muttered, shaking his head.
As they walked, they suddenly saw a stream of water shooting up into the sky in the distance.
"Damn it! It was now! Quick, Kuzan, freeze it and create a stairway so we can climb!" Kara shouted quickly, running toward the port.
"Sigh... I'll think twice next time I want to go out for a walk with her," Kuzan murmured as he walked after her.
All the visitors on the island witnessed something that filled them with fear and confusion.
They saw the sea around the island suddenly freeze completely, as well as the rising stream in the distance.
Then they saw a guy riding a bicycle, carrying a girl behind him, heading toward the now frozen stream.
...…..
"Well, it feels a bit heavier here," Kara said as she moved behind Kuzan, feeling the air pressure without any problem as they neared the clouds.
Kara quickly raised her hand to open a path, and both emerged above the clouds, looking at a large island floating in the sky.
"Looks like you were right," Kuzan said, calmly observing the island and sensing the presence of hundreds of people living there.
Kuzan approached the island while Kara excitedly looked around in every direction.
When they reached solid ground " or rather, a kind of dense cloud " they both started walking, while Kara stored Kuzan's bicycle in her storage space.
She had plenty of space, after all.
Kuzan never asked about abilities that were technically different from the ones she was supposed to have.
Both wandered peacefully while the island's inhabitants stared at them strangely, and some with suspicion and fear, but none dared to approach.
"I think we're on a different Sky Island," Kara quickly said, looking at the locals' wings.
"Why do you say that?" Kuzan asked.
"Their wings are different," Kara replied.
"Then let's just ask," Kuzan said, approaching a blond young man who was glaring at them with resentment.
"Excuse me, could you tell us where we are? And if there are any other islands nearby?" Kuzan asked calmly.
"Why should I tell disgusting wingless scum anything?" the blond young man said with contempt.
"Hey, that's not very nice," Kara said, annoyed.
"Shut up, bitch!" the blond shouted, spitting at her.
But before his saliva could touch her, Kara appeared behind him and struck his back, sending him flying and crashing into the ground.
"What are you doing, bitch? How dare you hit me when you don't even have wings?!" the young man shouted in pain, lying on the ground.
"So annoying..." Kara muttered before punching him in the stomach, knocking him unconscious.
"Let's find someone else to ask," she said, looking around. The people who had once looked at them with disdain now watched with slight fear.
"By the way... I won't forget my revenge," Kara said, glaring at the blond lying on the ground before leaving him completely stripped down to his underwear, even taking the bag he had on his back filled with fruits.
"Idiot," Kara said, kicking him before walking away with Kuzan.
Meanwhile, several young men rushed to the unconscious boy, shaking him.
"Enel, are you okay?" one of them asked, somewhat worried.
"Damn it, she stole the offerings we stole from the shrine!" another guy shouted as they carried Enel away quickly.
......…..
"Well, we just have to follow the directions they gave us and we'll reach Skypiea," Kara said while eating a strange fruit that grew in Birka, the place they seemed to come from.
After traveling through the sky using the sea of clouds " which looked like a completely white sea " they finally arrived at Skypiea.
This island was much larger, especially because it seemed to have trees in the distance, something unusual for a Sky Island since there was no real soil.
"It's better if we talk to the king of this island to avoid getting into trouble like last time you traveled alone," Kuzan said quickly, stopping Kara just as she was about to dash off.
"Tsk... fine," Kara said, annoyed.
It didn't take long for them to meet Gan Fall, who seemed to have been notified that two strangers had suddenly appeared.