The Forgotten Angel: Sky Island Saga
Chapter 29: Down to the Blue Sea! Sakidō Tenshi the Sailmaster!
Rated Mature for: Explicit and suggestive language and graphic violence; rating may increase with time.
Characters may have altered/differing features from the canon. These are in accordance with the author’s vision of these characters.
After all the party celebrations, and collecting souvenir gold, it is time to continue the journey down the Grand Line. And the crew officially takes with them a new crewmember: Sakidō Tenshi the sailmaster.
“... Goodbye, Big Brother...”
“Nobody deserves to be judged for their family and their actions, whether they were good or bad, recent or in the far past! The only way they should be judged is based on who they themselves are, and what they themselves have done!”
“You're far too kind for your own good. Especially given what you've gone through.”
“What will you do? Will you stay here in Skypiea?”
“I can't quite explain it, but I've already deeply bonded with them, even after only being with them for a few days... I'm gonna stick with them.”
~ * < Down to the Blue Sea! Sakidō Tenshi the Sailmaster! > * ~
The celebrations went on for another three days, leaving everyone passed out around Shandora in a state of utter exhaustion. Even the Cloud Wolves, having survived the near destruction of Upper Yard and joined in, were scattered about.
In between the festivities, Tenshi was able to get a complete recounting of the story of Kalgara and Noland meeting from Wyper, the Shandian chief, and even the snake, thanks to Chopper translating her speech—they found out her name was Nola, named after Noland. She wrote down every single detail so that not only she could remember the true history, but could share it with Cricket if they came across him again.
It made the Shandian chief weep when she explained Noland's reputation after Shandora was sent flying up into the sky, and he was eager for her to someday tell Cricket the true history. “I would like to meet him as well,” he said.
But, for now, everyone was asleep and snoring.
At least, Tenshi was, alongside the rest of the Straw Hats on a platform. Until she was startled awake by a loud argument between Luffy and Nami. “'s not m'shift t'day,” she mumbled sleepily, patting around for her glasses.
The others around her were woken up, whether because they couldn't sleep, or because they were accidental collateral damage from their tantrums. Their angered or affronted shouts filled the ruins, shattering the peaceful early morning air.
Tenshi just sat off to the side, having found and pushed her glasses onto her nose, and watched the spectacle with a smile. “... I love this crew.”
But once they all calmed down, they gathered around to hear what Luffy had suggested to Nami, which led to the argument on who was talking too loudly: he knew where there was actually some golden treasure, and that they could swipe it and take off.
“So, that's the plan,” he concluded.
“Sounds good to me!” Usopp declared. “It's not often we come to a place like a sky island! You ought to make sure you leave without any regrets!”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Later, once morning properly broke, and everyone else had awoken, the crew was split; Zoro and Usopp remained in the ruins to make sure nobody went looking for them—and so Usopp could barter for dials—Robin wandered off, presumably to look for the Poneglyph she mentioned wanting to find, and Luffy took Nami, Sanji, Chopper, and Tenshi inside of Nola, who was still asleep with her mouth propped open. Both he and Nami remembered seeing ruins that she had swallowed, and he said he had also found treasure.
“What the heck?!” Sanji said, glancing at the ruins in surprise. “What does this snake eat?”
“She kept smashing her head against ruins when we were fighting her,” Tenshi recalled. “She probably swallowed some ruins by mistake over the last four hundred years. I'm just surprised her venom didn't melt it all, least of all her stomach acids.”
“Are we there yet, Luffy?” Nami asked in exasperation. She had already been complaining about the creepy dampness and pungent smell of Nola's esophagus and stomach.
“Look! There it is!”
Sure enough, there was an area where there was various treasure scattered about. Gold, silver, and gems, various types of crowns and jewelry, swords, ingots, crosses, and statuettes.
“So amazing!” Nami cheered, nuzzling her cheek against a red velvet and gold crown.
“This is the real thing!” Sanji declared, looking at a golden cross that was encrusted with green gems.
“How pretty!” Chopper exclaimed, admiring an ingot. “Just like the salvaged one from Tenshi's pops and little brothers' house!”
"This must all go back hundreds of years!" Tenshi added, polishing a South Bird statuette with her sleeve. "Depending on how fast Nola grew up and started eating it all!"
“See?! See?! See?!” Luffy said proudly. “There's so much here!”
As they began to gather as much treasure as they could stuff in sacks they brought, Tenshi found a small wooden box. She flicked it open, and found a pair of earrings sitting on a velvet pillow. They were big dangling earrings, each the size of her thumb, and were shaped like the ingots—or, rather, like the Golden Bell, which Wyper had told her was called The Light of Shandora by the Shandians.
“Hey, Nami. You think I could keep these earrings for myself?” she asked, showing her the box. “Just as a souvenir of this place.”
“Sure, go ahead!” she said happily.
With a pleased smile, Tenshi carefully stuck the hooks into her pierced earlobes, making sure they dangled just right. She even found an ornate mirror to look at her reflection with. The bells were big, but not too heavy. And they sparkled brightly, even in the dim light of their lantern.
“What do you guys think?” she asked.
“Ohhh! You look beautiful with those, Tenshi-sama!” Sanji exclaimed.
“They're so sparkly!” Chopper said, climbing onto her shoulder and gently poking at one of them with his hoof.
“Gold jewelry really compliments your eyes and hair, Tenshi,” Nami added approvingly. “And the purple stones on your necklace and ring add to it!”
“You're a proper pirate now, Tenshi!” Luffy said, happily grinning.
She was still smiling herself, even as they exited Nola's mouth with their bags of treasure in tow. She was just happy she was able to take a piece of Skypiea with her, even after they spent all of their treasure. From now on, whether I make it myself, or I get something, I'm going to have trinkets and other things that will remind me of the places I visited; maybe even of the people I encountered.
She eventually found herself in the ruins of Shandora again, with the rest of the crew, save for Nami and Robin.
“What do you think will happen to this place?” Chopper asked.
“From what the Shandian chief told me, he and their tribe will start living here,” Tenshi said. “This is their ancestral home, after all. And there's even talks of the Skypieans living here as well. Now that their four hundred-year war is over, and the six-year reign of a false god is too, there can be proper peace.”
She laughed softly and added, “And to think it's all because of a group of pirates. Hella ironic.”
“We helped our friend save her kingdom too!” Chopper said.
“Yeah, Robin mentioned that. Princess Vivi of Arabasta, right? I heard a couple of Marines saved it, but I guess it was a cover up.”
Chopper nodded happily.
“I wish you could have met her, Tenshi-sama,” Sanji said with a morose sigh. “She was so lovely! Always concerned for the well-being of her people, and so strong! She even stayed behind so she could help her people more.”
“She sounds like a great girl,” Tenshi remarked. “I'd love to meet her someday.”
Luffy, who had been looking out at the entrance to the ruins, whined, “Robin's laaate! What's she doing?”
“Maybe trying to find a Poneglyph,” Tenshi suggested. “She mentioned there might be one here.”
“In any case, this place has been so empty,” Sanji said. “Where did all the guerrillas and angels go?”
“Better for us, I'd say,” Usopp stated. “If they spotted us with their gold, they'd probably chase us off! They probably won't just let us get away with it.”
“Well, Nami-san and Conis-chan did take most of it back to the ship, and are preparing to shove off,” Sanji pointed out. “But you're right, we do need to hurry.”
“I almost feel bad for taking it out from under their noses,” Tenshi said softly. “Especially after all they've been through...”
“If it was in the snake this whole time, they don't know it exists. And you're gonna have to get used to it,” Zoro said. “You're a pirate now.”
“I'm still getting used to it.”
“What's your role gonna be on the ship, Tenshi?” Chopper asked, intrigued.
“Well, Robin did mention that me setting the sails and taking care of them was like that of a sailmaster,” she recalled. “So, I guess that's what I'll be: a sailmaster.” She pumped her fists and declared, “And I'll do my damn best at it!”
“Yaay!” Chopper cheered. “You'll be the best sailmaster ever!”
Suddenly, the rest of the guys broke out into a fistfight. She could barely hear what they were arguing about, only that Sanji kept calling Zoro 'Marimo', and Usopp shouting that he would get lost within three steps of the jungle.
When she glanced down, she saw Chopper 'hiding' behind her leg with wide eyes. “You really need to learn how hiding works...”
“Hey, look! It's Robin!” Usopp suddenly exclaimed.
Sure enough, Robin was returning to the ruins.
“Robin-chan!”
“Oooiii, Robin! Hurry up! We gotta run! We stole some gold!”
Tenshi flinched in realization and exclaimed, “Luffy, are you fucking blind?!”
“Exactly!” Sanji snapped in agreement. “Take a good look behind her!”
There was a crowd of sky-people behind Robin. And they were carrying something. It was huge, round, and looked long. And it was wrapped in a giant tarp. It took dozens of sky-people to carry it.
“They're all coming at once!” Sanji concluded.
Chopper screamed in fright, hugging Tenshi's leg tighter. “There's a ton of them!”
“This is bad!” Usopp cried out. “This is super bad! They got a giant cannon!”
“Is that everyone?” Zoro groaned in exasperation.
“Robin, you snitch!” Tenshi yelled.
“Hurry back to the ship!” Luffy shouted loudly. “We can't stay here any longer!” He twisted his body around to show the mouth of his sack of gold. “Lookee here! We got a big haul! We're rich now!”
The crowd of sky-people did stop, but they began to shout as well. Tenshi could just barely hear them telling the crew to stop and wait a minute.
“See there?! They found out!” Sanji said. “We're busted!”
“Run away!” Luffy laughed, taking off towards the jungle.
As the others started to follow Luffy, however, Usopp doubled back to strike a pose on a large piece of rubble. “You guys keep yelling, 'Wait! Wait! Stop! Stop!' But you listen here! We-”
But he was interrupted when Tenshi grabbed the back of his overalls' straps to drag him with her. “We need to book it, on the double!” she yelled.
“Hey! Y-you interrupted my cool speech!” he protested as he struggled to keep up with her.
“You wanna stop and go back for a do-over?!”
He glanced back as she let go of his overalls, and realized the crowd of sky-people were running after them now, and still shouting for them to stop and wait. He gulped, and answered, “N-nope!”
“Then, get those feet moving!”
“Robin-chan!” Sanji called out happily. “Hurry!”
“Keep going, guys!” Luffy shouted. “Keep running all the way to the end of the sky!”
Thankfully, it didn't take them long to reach the jungle. They were barely even slowed down by their bags of gold.
“How's it look?!” Usopp asked. “Have we lost them?!”
“Looks like they gave up!” Sanji declared as he ran backwards, shielding his eye with his free hand. “I can't see them anymore!”
“That huge cannon will be a pain in the ass to get through these trees!” Tenshi added.
Usopp sighed with relief. “Anyway, that humongous cannon sure did scare me! Where the heck were they hiding that thing, anyway?!”
“A cannon?” Robin asked in confusion.
“Yeah, you know! That huge thing the warriors were carrying!” Usopp explained.
Robin simply laughed in response.
“Hey, it's no laughing matter!” Usopp protested. “It was really scary!”
“He's right!” Chopper chimed in, bouncing up to make himself heard better. “Don't laugh!”
“Hey! There they are!” Luffy exclaimed. “Nami and Conis!”
“And Gan Fall and Pierre are with them!” Tenshi added, seeing them near the ship through the trees.
“What?! Nami-san! Conis-cha-ow!” Sanji yelled out, having gotten clotheslined by a low-hanging branch.
“... Are you alright?” Robin asked over her shoulder.
“Of course!” he declared, leaping back to his feet.
Before Nami could ask what was wrong as they ran to quickly board the ship, Tenshi said, “No time for questions! Just shove off!”
“Well, do your job, then!” Nami answered, half-affectionately and half-seriously.
“Aye-aye, Navigator!” she exclaimed happily, throwing her bag of gold aside to climb up the mainmast. She grabbed the clewlines for the mainsail and jumped back down to tie them to their respective cleats. “Hoisting the sails! Off for Cloud's End!”
The whole time, she didn't notice Gan Fall watching her proudly.
~ * <|> * ~
As the Merry sailed along the White-White Sea, Gan Fall and Conis rode on Pierre, who was in his horse form and flying alongside them. Tenshi, having set the sails properly, was now sitting on the yardarm, watching Skypiea disappear in the distance. She felt sad that she was leaving, especially because she didn't recover as many of her memories as she hoped she would. And because though she knew who her people and home island once were, they were all gone.
But at the same time, she was excited for any adventures that awaited her along the Grand Line. Never before did she feel more sure of her path. She had escaped Mock Town and left Jaya. She was finally going to see the rest of the world.
She looked over her shoulder at the rest of the crew—her crew. Her new friends. Maybe even, dare she think it, her new family?
Luffy, who had been the first to invite her to the crew, and had defeated her brother when nobody else could.
Zoro, who never once judged her for how she looked, and called her a great fighter.
Nami, who though started off wary of her, found a sense of female camaraderie in her.
Usopp, who trusted her to help keep the Merry in good sailing condition, and made her feel protective.
Sanji, who though could be annoying with his fawning and flirting, still treated her like a lady as nobody ever did before.
Chopper, who was always cheerful to her, and made sure she didn't go without untreated injuries.
And Robin, who while still a little distant and cold, could trust her secrets with her.
This was her crew, her friends. And she trusted that as she would help them go the distance, they would with her as well. But she would still miss the friends she made in Skypiea: Conis, Wyper, and Gan Fall.
“I wish there was a way to write to you guys to tell you about our adventures,” she said across the way to Gan Fall and Conis. “I'll miss you guys a lot; especially you, Gramps,” she added with a grin.
Gan Fall laughed heartily. “Ah, what cheek you have!” His expression became more somber and reminiscent as he added, “I remember seeing off an old friend many years ago at this very route: Captain Gol D. Roger.”
Tenshi's eyes widened in shock. “Gold Roger came up here?! And you knew him?!”
“Indeed. Over twenty years ago; if memory serves right, likely twenty-four.”
“Twenty-four years ago... I would have been five years old...” I wonder... Did I ever meet the King of the Pirates? Did he once come to Birka? And come to think of it, is this why he sounds so familiar? Not that I know of him because of people talking about him... but because I might have met him? There is a tiny hint of nostalgic déjà vu...
“How do you know about Roger?” Gan Fall asked curiously, interrupting her thoughts. “Is he still alive down in the Blue Sea?”
“From what I know, he became the greatest pirate of his time! He gathered a great deal of treasure, and everyone's out to find it and claim his former title of King of the Pirates. But about twenty-two years ago, he was caught and executed. He was the one who set off everyone to find his treasure just before he died.”
“Ahh, I see.” Gan Fall nodded with a sad sigh. His eyes brightened back up as he continued, “But I'm happy he led a great life. I shall drink and toast in his honor tonight.”
“Everyone! We can see it now!” Conis announced from Pierre's back. “Please look to the front! For we are reaching Cloud's End!”
Several meters up ahead, they saw what looked like a grand gate. It was white, with red roofing and gold trim, had a few towers, and statues of sky-fish spitting up sea clouds like water fountains. A rainbow was arched over it.
Everyone gasped in admiration. “Alright! So we can get back down through there?” Luffy asked.
“We got here a lot sooner than I thought,” Usopp remarked.
Luffy slumped down on the Merry's figurehead. “Do we have to leave already?” he whined.
“I know how you feel,” Sanji said. “Now that we're finally on the cusp of going back down, I admit I hate to leave.”
“Time to say goodbye to this pure, white sea of clouds,” Zoro remarked.
“The sky island was fun,” Chopper added, leaning over the taffrail and letting his feet dangle below him. “Even though it was scary.”
“Once we pass through this gate, we'll take the Milky Road straight down to the Blue Sea?” Usopp asked.
“You think we'll be able to visit this sky island again?” Nami wondered out loud.
“Hard to tell.”
As the Merry sailed through the ship, Pierre landed on the gate so he was running alongside it. “This is as far as we can take you, folks!” Gan Fall called out.
“Take care, everyone!” Conis shouted, waving her arm in the air.
“Thanks for seeing us off!” Nami answered.
“Conis-chan! Take care of yourself!”
“Say hello to the others!” Usopp added.
“Thanks for everything!” Luffy said.
“No, we should be thanking you!” Conis countered, her eyes already shining with tears. “I'll never forget you all! I hope you regain your memories, Tenshi!”
“I do too! Thank you!”
“Conis, Tenshi's gramps, and little white thing! You all take care!”
“Yes!” “Yes!”
“Now, furl your sails immediately and hold on tight!” Gan Fall commanded.
“Furling the sails!” Tenshi jumped down from the yardarm, untied the clewlines from their cleats, and quickly began to furl the sails. She was surprised when the others jumped in to help, but bit her tongue so as to not protest.
If she was going to be a part of a crew, she would have to learn to accept help from them. Even when she thought she could do it herself.
Suddenly, there was a loud, strange chirping. Something bright and colorful flew down and attacked Luffy, sending him sprawling onto the deck.
It was the South Bird, now perched on Luffy's back. It squawked angrily.
“He's saying, 'Don't forget about me.'” Chopper translated.
“Oh, yeah... That is the South Bird we brought with us,” Nami recognized.
As the ship sailed into the small tunnel of the gate, the sails were all furled. “Alright, Captain!” Nami announced, adjusting her Log Pose. “We have the log for our next island!”
“Hell yeah!” Luffy exclaimed, now back on his feet. “Once we get back down, we'll start our next adventure!”
“LOOK OUT, GRAND LINE!” Tenshi declared as loud as her lungs and throat would allow it, now in the crow's nest. “THERE'S GONNA BE A NEW PIRATE ON THE SEAS! I MAY NOT HAVE AN EPITHET OR BOUNTY YET, BUT I AM SAKIDŌ TENSHI! SAILMASTER OF THE GOING MERRY AND THE STRAW HATS!”
The crew down below cheered in response. “Ready, guys?!” Luffy shouted. “WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE BLUE SEA!”
“YEAH!” “YEAH!” “YEAH!” “YEAH!” “YEAH!” “YEAH!” “YEAH!”
“BE CAREFUL WHILE DROPPING, EVERYONE!” Conis called out as loud as she could.
The ship exited the gate, and slid down a Milky Road, eliciting more excited cheers. They had sped up, making it all seem like a fun ride.
But it wasn't until the Merry had leaped completely off of the Milky Road, which took a sheer drop, that they realized what she had just said. “Dropping?” “Dropping?” “Dropping?” “Dropping?” “Dropping?” “Dropping?” “Dropping?” “Dropping?”
They barely heard Conis calling out one last “Heso!” as gravity began to take hold. The ship was free falling, and fast, nearly knocking everyone off of their feet and into the air. And soon, they were all screaming in fright.
“I WISH WE HAD A MORE DETAILED WARNING EARLIER!” Tenshi shouted indignantly.
“HOLD ON, TENSHI-SAMA! I'LL CLIMB UP AND HOLD ONTO YOU!”
“DON'T GRAB ME!”
Suddenly, a giant pink and purple-spotted octopus burst out of the clouds and grabbed the Merry in its long tentacles. Everyone was slammed onto the deck with how sudden the ship stopped falling. Once they got their bearings, they could only look up in shock at the giant cephalopod that was now cradling the ship in its tentacles. Several of the suckers were bigger than their heads.
“Hey, look!” Luffy called out from where he was perched on the bulwark. “This is so cool!”
As everyone else staggered to their feet, they exclaimed in realization. “It's like a hot air balloon!” Chopper realized.
“This is so much fun!”
“We've slowed down!” Nami pointed out.
“Uggghhh... I really thought we were gonna end up in the afterlife...” Usopp moaned.
** GONG! ** ** GONG! ** ** GONG! **
Everyone looked up with delight gasps as they heard The Light of Shandora ringing. The gongs were loud enough that it sounded like the bell was right next to them.
“I'll never get tired of hearing that beautiful bell...” Tenshi whispered, feeling herself tear up again.
** GONG! ** ** GONG! ** ** GONG! **
She was reminded, again, of Cricket, Masira, and Shoujou. She wondered what they were doing when they first heard the bell. Were they watching the sky, wondering what they themselves were doing? What would they do, now that they knew the city of gold was up in the sky?
“Keep an eye out for my first bounty poster, Pops, little brothers,” she said, gazing off into the sunset.
** GONG! ** ** GONG! ** ** GONG! **
*** To Be Continued ***
“I'll make you guys proud.”