The Crazy Journey of Kara and Kuzan pt2
"How strange to see people from the Blue Sea up here..." commented Gan Fall, with his staff in hand and his faithful bird Pierre by his side. "What brings you to Skypiea, if I may ask?"
In front of him were Kara "with a sly smile" and Kuzan, casually holding her by the back of her neck as if preventing her from running off.
"Let's say we're something like... explorers," said Kuzan in his usual calm, drowsy tone. "We arrived by accident and""
"Bah, stop beating around the bush!" Kara interrupted, easily shrugging him off. "Old man, where's the gold? You don't even use it, right? I've got a deal you won't be able to refuse!"
"Gold?" Gan Fall repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"This," said Kara, pulling out a golden ingot and dropping it forcefully in front of him.
Gan Fall looked at it with curiosity for a moment, then calmly shook his head. "I don't know what you call 'gold,' but here in Skypiea, we don't have anything like that. And frankly, I don't see any use for it."
"Ugh... of course, you shouldn't know the story yet... and for your way of life, this doesn't do much," Kara murmured to herself, thoughtful. "You shouldn't even know about the ruins... are those ruins over there?"
"Ruins?" Gan Fall asked, his expression growing more serious.
"Yes! Upper Yard! The ancient golden ruins are there, right?"
Gan Fall looked at her cautiously, then glanced at Kuzan, who shrugged indifferently.
"Well... if you promise not to cause any trouble, I can guide you. That land... it's special. Thanks to it, the island has food and resources. I wouldn't want anything to be disturbed there."
"Relax, old man. You can come with us if you want. And if the gold is still there... I assure you, I've got a deal that'll interest you," Kara said with a confident smile.
...
Hours later, with the help of Gan Fall's soldiers and Kara's specific knowledge, they found what they were looking for: the lost ruins of Shandora, a city almost entirely made of gold.
There was no one there.
Only ancient structures, fallen columns, glowing stones covered in moss, and history etched into the walls... forgotten for centuries.
"Impressive..." murmured Gan Fall as he looked at the golden city.
"A buried fortune, left unclaimed," added Kara, her eyes shining with excitement.
"But..." Gan Fall added, thoughtfully. "That land doesn't belong to the Skypieans. Technically, it's sacred territory, and using it for personal gain could cause conflict with the Shandians..."
"That's exactly why I've got the perfect solution!" Kara exclaimed, raising a finger. "What if I sell them an island?"
"An island?" Gan Fall repeated, perplexed.
"Yes. This island up here doesn't belong to them, right? But if the Shandians had their own land, they could stop fighting. They'd even have more resources than they ever imagined."
"Can you... bring Vearth?" Gan Fall asked, incredulous.
"Well, I'll need the help of an old man to get it up here, but..." Kara waved her hand confidently, and a block of clouds and earth nearby fragmented into floating cubes. "Turning a mountain into an island is easy with my ability."
Gan Fall's eyes widened in shock. "Are you... are you sure?"
"Of course. You take care of everything up here, talk to your people and the Shandians. I'll go down and come back with an island. Then we'll close the deal."
Gan Fall took a deep breath, a mix of excitement and hope in his chest. "This... could change everything. End the war. Secure resources, food... Skypiea would have a future."
Kara handed him a small device. "Here. We'll stay in touch with this."
"A dial?"
But when the "dial" popped its snail-like head out of its shell, Gan Fall stepped back, startled. "What... is this creature?! Does it have... life?"
"It's a Denden Mushi, old man. Relax. It's like magic, but friendlier," Kara laughed.
"Let's go, Kuzan. We've got someone to find," she shouted, as she started running like a whirlwind.
Kuzan sighed in exhaustion. "Tch... this is going to take longer than I thought..."
...…..
Moments later, Kuzan fell from the sky like a comet, while Kara screamed on his back as if she were on a fairground ride.
"Wooooo! This is the best part of being up here!"
Kuzan didn't even flinch, his face relaxed as he descended in freefall. Climbing was hard, but falling was simple: just let yourself drop… and then use Sky Walk.
"So," he asked in his usual monotone voice, cutting Kara's excitement short, "What exactly are you planning?"
Kara stopped screaming and smiled mischievously.
"Bringing in the first recruit for the bounty hunter guild... and with that, a great ally for us later."
"Who?" asked Kuzan.
"The Navy has data on powerful people across the Five Seas, right? Even if they're not a threat," Kara said, still not answering the question.
"Yes," Kuzan responded.
"Then ask them to look for an old blind man named Issho. He has the gravity Devil Fruit," Kara said with a smile.
Kuzan quickly understood what Kara had in mind.
"I see..." he muttered, pulling out a Den Den Mushi. "This is Kuzan. Get me information on..."
As he spoke, Kara looked up at the sky with joy. The plans she had were starting to take shape. But a voice from the other end of the snail snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Kuzan, you bastard! Where did you take my precious granddaughter!?" Garp yelled angrily.
"I didn't take her… she's basically dragging me around," Kuzan replied, as calm as ever.
"Shut up, rookie! And bring her back so she can continue her training, or I'll go there myself and punch you both!" Garp roared.
"Shut up, old man. We're on an important mission," Kara said, grabbing the Den Den Mushi.
"Huh!? And what mission could be so important that you skip your training?" Garp asked, annoyed.
"Well… We're looking for the best rice crackers in the world. Getting some from the Five Seas to compare would be ideal," Kara responded, quickly making up an excuse.
There was a silence on the other end.
"...And how's the mission going? Have you found any good ones?" Garp asked with sudden interest.
"Well… yes, some samples. How about we bring you some when we return? But we need more time because we have to look for someone else," Kara said.
"Mmm... okay. But you'd better bring all the rice crackers you can! If Sengoku bothers you, tell him you're on a mission under my command," Garp said before cutting the call cheerfully.
Kuzan and Kara exchanged glances.
"Looks like we'll have to stop by some store and buy all the rice crackers they have," Kara said with a smile.
Back on solid ground, on a nearby island, they had to wait for the information. Kara decided to go for a walk, and by coincidence, she found a store called "Rice Crackers from All Over the World."
It seemed like a joke, but Kara simply bought everything in the store and stored it in her inventory. She would give it to the old man later.
After a while, Kuzan's Den Den Mushi rang.
"Sir, we've found the man you were looking for..."
Upon hearing this, Kara smiled. They both hopped onto Kuzan's ice bike and set off in search of the wandering blind swordsman.
The next day, they arrived at an island known for its gambling. There were many entertainment spots, and though Kara didn't quite fit in with the atmosphere, she didn't seem to mind.
They entered a casino where a game of "higher or lower" with dice was being played. An old man with a wooden cane was winning a lot of money while the dealer cried, begging him to stop gambling.
Suddenly, Issho stopped, stood up, took his money, and slowly walked toward the exit.
"Hey, are you already running away as soon as you sense us?" Kara said with a teasing smile, appearing in front of him.
"Sorry, but I don't think I've gotten into any trouble with the Navy," Issho replied with a slight smile.
Kuzan watched him closely. He could feel the strength of the man. He wasn't as strong as him, but he was dangerously close. And he was about to be promoted to admiral.
"We're not here as Marines. And I'm not even one," Kara intervened, smiling. "I came to offer you a deal. Do you want to change the world with me?"
"You sound like a scam artist," Kuzan murmured.
"Shut up!" Kara yelled, annoyed.
"Change the world?" Issho asked, confused.
"I want to form a guild. And you, my blind friend, are my first guest," Kara said with a big smile.
.....
"I see... Your idea is good. It could help citizens with their problems, not just by capturing criminals, but by offering real support. In exchange for a reward, members would accept tasks. Even those who can't fight could find dignified work in this. It would give hope to many in need," Issho said thoughtfully after hearing Kara's plan.
"Of course. My plan isn't as simple as just creating a guild. But it's the beginning of real justice. And not only that... Since I'll probably end up in the Marines, adjustments can be made so that both paths, the guild and institutional justice, can coexist," Kara replied quickly with a smile. "Also, we have the icehead with us. Although he keeps denying it, it's obvious he'll end up joining."
"A world where even the weakest can earn a living with dignity... sounds like a noble dream," Issho said with a slight smile, lowering his head in respect.
"If your intentions are sincere, miss... then I see no reason to refuse to help you." He turned to Kara and raised his cane firmly, as if sealing his decision. "My sword will be at the service of the justice you wish to build. I only ask one thing."
He paused.
"Do not let this guild become the same as what we swore to change. If we ever stray from that path... I will stop us myself," he said seriously.
"Of course," Kara replied proudly, not looking away. "Our first guild mission to earn money is to move an island into the sky," Kara said, leaving Issho stunned.
.......
"How much of the island do you think you can lift?" Kara asked curiously while floating above a small wooden boat suspended in the air thanks to Issho's gravity powers.
Below them lay an abandoned island, marked by the silence of a past tragedy. Once a home, it had been reduced to barren land after a massacre caused by pirates. They didn't plan to take the whole island, but they intended to take as much as possible... at least enough to change the fate of others.
"About a sixth of the total, if I lift it to about ten thousand meters," Issho replied calmly, measuring his words. "But it will rise very slowly. To move everything you want, we'll need at least five trips."
Kuzan, fully reclined on the boat behind them, barely yawned without even opening his eyes.
"We might take several hours per trip," Issho added seriously, turning his face slightly toward Kara.
"And what I take to destroy a sixth... also takes a couple of hours," she responded after making a mental calculation. Her expression hardened. "So, if all goes well, we should have it in about a week."
"Mmm... Fine. I think that's enough time before Sengoku finds out that our 'special mission' was a complete invention," Kara said with a sly smile as she stretched her arms and shoulders, preparing to shatter the island.
And so began the joint effort: she reduced the island into large fragments with her devastating power, and Issho lifted them into the sky with surgical precision.
At the end of the first trip, they reached Skypiea. By then, Gan Fall and the Shandians, who had been working for some time to reconcile, were left speechless as they watched enormous portions of land being transported from the Blue Sea.
At first, they hesitated.
But when they saw the land suspended above the clouds, the tension dissipated like smoke. Kara wasn't lying. She was keeping a promise.
For seven days, they worked tirelessly. Seven days of exhausting effort, sweat, and precise coordination. Issho, silent but constant, and Kara, unstoppable like a controlled storm.
Meanwhile, Kuzan... simply slept. A full week of what he himself described as "passive meditation."
Until, on the last day, Kara kicked him hard off the boat, forcing him to sit up.
"A week without lifting a finger!! You're going to get rusty, icehead!!" she yelled in frustration, though with a small hidden smile.
Finally, with the work completed, Kara turned to the people of the sky.
"Here is your new island," she announced proudly. "It's even bigger than Upper Yard."
Gan Fall fell to his knees, tears streaming from his eyes.
"Thank you... really, thank you," he said with a trembling voice.
The Shandians were also moved. They would finally get their home back. Although technically half of the island had been "bought," as they had funded it with their gold, no one really cared about that detail.
Gan Fall offered to pay with Skypiea's reserves, but Kara showed no interest. That kind of wealth didn't serve her. Although, for the Shandians, who were used to trading with the sky's currency, it was more than enough.
The gold from their old land... it hurt to lose it. But not as much as what they had lost centuries ago: their roots, their history, their sacred land. The only thing that hadn't been recovered was the golden bell.
Kara then decided to give them one last gift.
She flew up to the huge central branch that jutted out from the floating island and destroyed it with a single strike. From above, a gigantic golden bell fell from the sky. Issho gently caught it with his power, preventing it from being damaged, not even a crack.
Kuzan, still reclined, half-opened his eyes as he felt the weight of the Poneglyph resting near the bell. He stared at it for a few seconds, with an unusual seriousness... and then closed his eyes again, as if not wanting to rush a fate he didn't fully understand yet.
And so, without having officially founded it yet, the guild completed its first mission.
With Kara's help, all the gathered gold was molded into a gigantic cube, which Issho lowered to an empty island near the Sabaody Archipelago. There, in secret, the foundation of the future guild would begin to rise.
But the calm didn't last long.
Sengoku, furious, contacted Kuzan, shouting. Apparently, Garp had been unable to contain his excitement and ended up spilling the story of their "special mission."
Sengoku, of course, wasn't as naive as Garp to fall for such an excuse.
Kara and Kuzan were immediately called to account.
Issho, however, stayed behind, guarding the gold. Before they left, Kara gave him a confident look.
"In a week, maybe two, I'll send the first members of the guild. I already have a few recruits in mind..."
And thus, the wheel of change began to turn.