One Piece: The sky is azure, I just time-traveled today.

Page 80

After the sailboat came to a stop in the mangrove area of ​​No. 44, Liu Jiu led the three of them through the bustling streets to a bar called "Knockout Bar".

The wind chimes tinkled as the door opened. Behind the bar, Xia Qi, who was wiping glasses, looked up. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes when she saw who it was.

"Liu Jiu?" She put down her glass and quickly walked around the bar. "What a rare guest!"

She gave Liu Jiu a warm hug, then looked him over carefully: "So many years have passed, and you still haven't changed."

Liu Jiu nodded slightly: "Sister, long time no see."

Shakky turned her gaze to Kuina and the other two, a meaningful smile appearing on her face: "You even brought children?"

"It's on the way, let's broaden their horizons!" Liu Jiu said succinctly.

"Since you're here, stay a little longer." Xia Qi patted his shoulder. "You can help me tidy up the bar. Remember how you always quietly kept the ship spotless? Even that old man Rayleigh praised you for having the best eye and making the floors shine the brightest."

The three of them, including Guina, looked at each other in bewilderment. This was the second time they had heard about their uncle's past deeds, which confirmed his former status on that ship.

Even so, if my uncle is this strong, then wouldn't his former companions be even stronger?!

Xia Qi smiled and said to the three of them, "Come on in, don't just stand there like an idiot! Order whatever you want to eat!"

Chapter 92 Shampoo Islands

Xia Qi's neat short hair made her look exceptionally capable. Time seemed to have been exceptionally kind to her, leaving only a few faint smile lines at the corners of her eyes.

As she spoke, she naturally reached out and pinched Liu Jiu's cheek.

"Talking to you is such a hassle," she complained, gently tugging at his cheek with her fingers.

"It's easy to forget you exist if you're not paying attention. Your presence is ridiculously weak."

Liu Jiu let her pinch his face, his expression remaining calm.

The three of them, including Guina, were dumbfounded. They had never seen anyone dare to treat Liu Jiu like that.

"I remember once at a banquet," Shakky recalled, her grip tightening unconsciously, "Rayle counted and counted, feeling like someone was missing, only to find you sitting in the corner wiping the floor, and nobody noticed you for three whole hours."

Sabo couldn't help but laugh out loud, earning a glare from Kuina.

"Back then, the captain joked," Shakky finally let go of his hand, taking out a bottle of drink and placing it on the table, "that if you became an assassin, you'd be invincible. You could stand in a corner and an enemy could walk right past you without even noticing."

Robin interjected aptly, "That's quite in line with Uncle's personality."

Xia Qi leaned against the bar, looking at Liu Jiu with tender eyes: "So many years have passed, and you're still the same. But..."

She looked at the three young people, "The fact that you brought these children to see me shows that you've changed, that you've become more humane!"

As she spoke, Xia Qi lit a slender cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke. Her gaze, piercing through the wisps of smoke, held a hint of nostalgia.

"Seeing familiar faces reminds me of my days on the ship," she said softly. "It was so lively back then, even though I didn't stay long, just for a short time."

Liu Jiu saw the drinks on the table, poured a glass for Robin and the other two, and said without looking up, "I've been in the East China Sea all these years."

He paused, then added, "Pakistan too."

Xia Qi paused for a moment, then burst out laughing: "That red-nosed brat? He's still causing trouble in the East China Sea, isn't he?"

"Hmm." Liu Jiu continued wiping, "They formed a pirate crew, spending their days either searching for treasure or driving away the island's villagers to show off."

Sabo interjected curiously, "Who is Bucky?"

"An intern," Xia Qi flicked her cigarette ash, "always clutching his treasure map, dreaming of getting rich."

She looked at Liu Jiu, her eyes gentle: "It seems you've all found your own way of life after disembarking."

Liu Jiu gave a soft "hmm" and was about to pour himself a drink from the bottle in his hand.

Xia Qi replaced it with the most expensive drink, which overflowed with white foam when poured out.

One cup is all it takes to enjoy its excellent taste.

Kuina suddenly remembered, "I think I've seen that guy named Buggy before! His Split-Split Fruit is so interesting! Although he's not that strong, he's really good at livening up the atmosphere."

Robin took a sip of his juice and elegantly set down his glass. "He has quite a few skilled acrobats on his ship, and they're very protective of their captain; you can't say a bad word about Red Nose."

Shakky chuckled, nearly dropping her cigarette ash on the bar: "Just like something Bucky would do. But..."

She looked at Liu Jiu, her eyes gentle: "It's beyond my expectations that you've been able to stay in the East China Sea peacefully for so many years."

Liu Jiu also put down his wine glass: "Donghai...is very quiet."

These five words seem to hold countless stories.

Xia Qi took another drag of her cigarette, slowly exhaling as the smoke swirled around her. She sighed softly, "Yes, Donghai is indeed a place suitable for a quiet life; after all, it's the birthplace of that legendary man!"

More than a month passed quietly in the Sabaody Archipelago.

Kuina and her two companions gradually became familiar with this strange island shrouded in bubbles. During the day, they occasionally helped out at the bar by ripping off customers, but spent most of their time exploring the various areas of the archipelago.

Sabaody Archipelago, as the end point of the first half of the Grand Line, is a gathering place for powerful figures from all seven sea routes. These pirates who manage to reach this place are all formidable characters who dominate their respective sea routes.

However, they soon discovered that there were three unorthodox and ruthless individuals on the island.

The "Bonecrusher" pirate crew from the Second Route, with a total bounty of over 100 million Berries, provokes Sabo at the amusement park.

Three minutes later, everyone was knocked unconscious by steel pipes and piled up into a small mountain.

"That's it?" Sabo said, stepping on the unconscious captain. "Does he even deserve to be called the Bonecrusher?"

The "Shadow" pirate crew of the Fifth Route is known for its assassination skills and is attempting to ambush Kuina in lawless territory.

The moment Ziyun was drawn, all the weapons of the ambushing assassins were broken.

"Assassination?" Kuina sheathed her sword. "It's an interesting ability, but ultimately it's not something you can do openly. If you want to fight, you should fight head-on, fair and square."

The worst off was the "Beast" pirate crew from the third route. They tried to collect protection money because of their huge size, but Robin twisted them into human-shaped pretzel with her powers.

"The strongest pirate in the first half of the Grand Line?" Sabo looked at the mess on the ground. "Looks like this 'strongest' claim is a bit misleading."

Kuina nodded in surprise, wiping away the purple clouds: "They don't even have the right to make me take them seriously."

Robin gracefully adjusted her skirt: "My uncle often warned us that we must never be careless, for there is always someone more capable than you, and even on the Red Earth, there are masters."

That day, the three were strolling through Area 1 when a commotion suddenly arose in the distance. A fat Celestial Dragon rode arrogantly on the back of a slave, and the crowds along the way knelt down.

"Let's go, out of sight, out of mind," Robin whispered, pulling the two into a side alley.

Sabo clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with rage: "Those people kneeling, they're truly spineless..."

"Calm down." Kuina pressed down on his shoulder. "Uncle said that in the Sabaody Archipelago, don't provoke the Celestial Dragons without reason, or you'll attract the attention of the Admirals."

They hid in the shadows, watching the Celestial Dragons whip the crawling slaves, while the kneeling crowd around them lowered their heads, daring not to speak out in their anger.

"This is the third time this month," Sabo gritted his teeth.

Robin calmly said, "Everyone who comes to Sabaody for the first time experiences this kind of anger. The rigid class system has made many people accustomed to it and helpless. Once a person's spine is bent, it's too difficult for them to stand up straight again."

Kuina's knuckles turned white from gripping the sword, but she always remembered Liu Jiu's advice—before you have the power to change the world, you must learn to be patient.

After the dragons had gone far away, the three of them emerged from their hiding place. The residents on the street silently got up and continued with their lives, as if the humiliation they had just suffered had never happened.

"One day," Sabo whispered, "I will change this absurd rule."

Just then, a pirate with a thick beard suddenly exclaimed, "If only I could be a Celestial Dragon! I could have anything I wanted, and I wouldn't even have to lift a finger to walk!"

His companions chimed in, "Exactly, look how carefree they are..."

Before he could finish speaking, Sabo had already flashed in front of them. His fist, covered in Armament Haki, slammed into the bearded pirate's face with a whooshing sound.

The man collapsed to the ground, blood streaming from his nose, his eyes rolling back in his head.

"What...what are you doing?!" His companion backed away in terror.

Sabo's eyes were icy: "Since you envy those trash who treat others like livestock, then first taste what it's like to be treated like trash."

Kuina and Robin stood quietly behind him, without trying to stop him.

"We risk our lives at sea for freedom and dreams," Sabo said, stomping on the chest of a fallen pirate. "Not to become that kind of scum!"

The surrounding crowd watched silently, no one uttering a sound. The other members of the pirate crew wanted to step forward, but Sabo deterred them with a single glance.

"Get out." Sabo withdrew his foot. "Don't let me hear that again."

Chapter 93 Climbing the Red Earth

After spending two months in the Sabaody Archipelago, Liu Jiu made his decision.

"It's time to go."

Xia Qi paused slightly as she wiped the wine glasses, then smiled understandingly: "Leaving already?"

"Yes." Liu Jiu nodded. "We're planning to go from the Red Earth Continent."

This choice surprised all three of them. Pirates usually choose the Fishman Island route to enter the New World, so crossing directly from the Red Line was extremely daring.

Xia Qi put down her wine glass, walked over to Liu Jiu, and gently pinched his cheek: "Go ahead, it's a pity Rayleigh didn't come back, otherwise you two would have had a good chat. But no matter what trouble you cause in the New World..."

Her gaze swept over the four travelers, who were all ready to depart, and her tone was gentle and authoritative: "Remember to come back and visit me often, and chat with me, okay?"

Kuina nodded solemnly, Sabo grinned, and Robin bowed gracefully. Liu Jiu let Shakky pinch his cheeks and softly hummed in agreement.

"Then it's settled." Xia Qi finally let go, turned around, and took a package from under the counter. "Take these with you; you'll need them on the road."

The package contained carefully prepared special recording pointers, medicine, and a hand-drawn map of the smuggling route across the Red Earth.

As night fell, the sailboats quietly anchored in the shadows of the red earth continent.

"Abandon ship." Liu Jiu said succinctly.

The four traveled light, carrying only essential supplies. Gazing up at the towering, cloud-piercing red earth, Sabo couldn't help but swallow hard: "Are we really... going to climb up there?"

"This is the most discreet way." Liu Jiu had already begun checking the equipment. "Going through the official channels will definitely get us checked."

Kuina silently tightened the straps of the purple cloud, while Robin used her ability to conjure several observation eyes on the rock wall.

The climb began.

The rock face is so steep it's almost vertical; a slight misstep could send you plunging into the dark sea below.

The three-day, three-night climb is the ultimate test of willpower.

The scorching sun baked the red earth to a boiling point, and the surface of the rock walls was frighteningly hot. If you touched it, blisters would instantly form. You could only endure it by covering your hands with Armament Haki.

Sweat evaporated as soon as it seeped out, leaving lips dry, cracked, and bleeding.