After Robin carefully explored the ruins of the ancient city of Shantora, Lafitte also found the map of Sky Island and returned to the ship.
Sky islands are concentrated over the Grand Route. Although their number is not as many as the densely populated islands on the Grand Route, there are still quite a few. Just on the few maps Lafitte found, there are seven or eight islands recorded. .
"Bika... just go here."
After looking through several maps carefully, Rhodes pulled out one of them, clicked on an island drawn on the edge, and said: "Navigation on empty islands is no different from normal sea areas."
"Understood, Captain."
Lafitte responded with his cane, and did not ask Ross what the purpose of going to Bika was. Ever since he set foot on the sky island, Ross's image in his eyes has become more mysterious.
What purpose does Bika have? It may involve the secret of his own captain. Ross will naturally say it when he wants to say it. Of course, he will not ask if he doesn't want to say it.
After having the map, Ross and others headed towards Bika.
During this period, both the navy and the government on the Grand Line were frantically searching for traces of the Ghost Hand Pirates. However, the Ghost Hand Pirates seemed to have disappeared since they left Alkaria and could not be found at all. traces.
Some people wonder if Ross and others encountered a storm and were destroyed on the sea, but this idea is too exaggerated. With the strength of the Ghost Hand Pirates, how could ordinary weather destroy them on the sea.
The frantic search by the navy and the government did not last long. As time went by, it gradually began to slow down. There were more things on the sea that needed to be dealt with. It was impossible to put all the large intelligence resources on the sea for a long time. Looking for the Ghost Hand Pirates.
"There is no information at all... Did he disappear completely after leaving Alkaria? In this case, the mission will not be completed."
On a ship of the World Government's intelligence agency that was wandering in the waters near Alkaria, a man with curly black hair with a dove on his shoulder put down his phone, looked at the sea, frowned and murmured.
…
A month later, the Ghost arrived in Bika.
In just one day, Rhodes defeated the local tribal leaders and all the warriors in Bika, occupied Bika, and ordered Robin and Lafitte to secretly search for devil fruits that might be hidden in a corner of the island.
Two months later, the Thunder Fruit did not appear. Enel was found by Rhodes, but he had not eaten the Thunder Fruit yet, and Rhodes was not interested in him at all.
Three months have passed and the Thunder Fruit has still not been found.
As time continues to pass, the news about the Ghost Hand Pirates on the Grand Line has completely fallen into silence. Many people who occasionally think of the Ghost Hand Pirates are shaking their heads secretly.
"The Ghost Hand Pirates... haven't appeared for a long time. They must have been secretly destroyed by the government and the navy." A pirate hunter sat in the tavern and shook his head.
"Who knows? Probably not yet. The reward order hasn't been revoked yet."
For this stormy sea, Rhodes is a huge wave emerging from it, but this wave does not continue to bloom, but is gradually covered by the rolling waves.
Red-haired Shanks lost an arm!
The strongest swordsman in the Kingdom of Hespka declares a challenge to Hawkeye!
The Beasts Pirates clash with the BIGMOM Pirates!
Big news continues to emerge one after another, pushing the times forward, and the Ghost Hand Pirates are gradually forgotten as time passes month by month.
…
Seven months later, Sky Island Bika.
White clouds are floating here, and all the buildings are made of clouds. It looks like heaven. In the center of the island, in a huge empty garden, the sounds of battle can be heard from it.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ross's figure flashed back and forth, patting, pressing or pushing, and his palms kept falling towards Robin. Robin had his eyes closed, constantly catching Ross's movements, turning sideways or lowering his head, and pressing all of Ross's palms avoid.
Ross sped up a little, and a trace of sweat escaped from Robin's forehead, but he was still able to avoid it and occasionally got hit slightly.
"You have almost mastered the Haki of seeing and hearing color."
Ross put his last hand on Robin's chest. After she turned around to avoid it, he stopped moving, retracted his hand, and nodded slightly at her.
In the past seven months, in addition to studying the history of Bika and Sky Island, Robin has been practicing the Haki of Knowledge and Knowledge. Kongdao's practice route for the Haki of Knowledge and Knowledge, or the Heart Network, is clearer than Rhodes's. Easy to learn a lot.
Robin's mind is extremely high, and she has a heart that can remain calm in most situations. She learns the practice of seeing, hearing, color and domineering very quickly.
Robin opened his eyes and said, "The captain often 'tests' him, so naturally he has to learn faster."
She deliberately bit the word test.
Ross' expression remained unchanged and he said frankly: "Then you have to thank me."
"Then I really have to thank the captain."
The corner of Robin's mouth raised a dangerous arc, and he stared at Ross with a smile.
"It's been seven months..."
Ross looked up at the sky and murmured in a low voice. He had stayed on the Sky Island for seven months. For him, it was a bit longer than expected. He originally planned to stay for three to five months and then leave. But the thunder fruit has not yet been found, and time is constantly being stretched.
It was because he took it too much for granted. Even if he calculated the possible location of the Thunder Fruit through memory, it was not that easy to obtain it.
In the past seven months, he has been practicing continuously. He has mastered the ability to distort gravity to an almost perfect degree, and his physical fitness has also improved a lot.
but.
This kind of cultivation speed is obviously far slower than galloping the great sea route, hunting down pirates of all kinds, and defeating naval generals.
"It's time to leave."
Ross breathed a sigh of relief. He had not fought for seven months, just practicing repeatedly. For him, it was also a bit unbearably boring. Fortunately, Robin was here, so he could test it all the time. The scenery on the empty island was also Not bad.
Blackbeard did not hesitate to attach himself to the Whitebeard Pirates for more than ten years for the Dark Fruit, but Ross would not do this because the Thunder Fruit was not of such high value to him.
Moreover.
If the Thunder Fruit appears several years later, and if it happens to fall into the hands of a Sky Islander and is eaten directly as soon as it appears, then he will be wasting his time here.
For him who possesses the Distortion Fruit and talent system, the Thunder Fruit is not something he must obtain. Moreover, with the ability to distort gravity, he can come back to the Sky Island at any time without having to tie himself here all the time.
And the last and most important point is that he doesn't want the name Ghost Hand to disappear from the ears of the navy's top brass for too long.
aside.
When Robin heard that Ross was finally leaving Sky Island after more than half a year, his eyes flashed slightly.
Life on an empty island is much calmer than on the sea. There is no need to consider the pursuit of the navy or the collection of intelligence. However, if you stay here, you will not be able to collect all the historical monuments, let alone get the truth that has been blank for a hundred years.
It was indeed time to leave.