Summary: Gasp! My first original isnd. Hopefully you don't hate it ;-).

  Warning! Chapters 48-52 were all posted back-to-back! Make sure you don't miss any of them!

  Chapter 51: Let the Journey Resume

  Sailing on the White Sea had proven to be just as perilous, in its own way, as anything else on the Grand Line. At first, the ck of such extreme weather as could normally be found down on the Blue Sea portion of the Grand Line had made it seem like an easier ocean to travel. The downside, however, had very quickly become obvious. Though, thankfully, they'd had a preemptive warning about the risks from Pagaya before they set sail. Simply put, the existence of the White Sea was…unreliable.

  At best.

  Logically, it was something that should have been obvious from the start. After all, there wasn't constant cloud cover hanging over the entire Grand Line, now was there? No, there were plenty of sunny days and cloudless skies to be found while sailing the Grand Line. Which meant, as it happened, that only a very few sections of the White Sea were truly permanent. Virtually all such areas directly correted to an isnd on the White-White Sea, which truly were permanent clusters of Sea Clouds, built up in the few pces that the winds naturally carried them to over time. The White Sea, on the other hand, was far more ephemeral. Something that could be there today and gone tomorrow.

  This was the reason that the 'isnd hopping' method of travel to the various Sky Isnds was considered extremely dangerous. It was entirely possible to end up 'shit out of luck,' as it were, by having the White Sea vanish both in front of and behind you. If that happened, you were either stuck until one or the other reappeared, which could take weeks…or until the bit of the White Sea you were on vanished under you and you fell back to the Blue Sea.

  Under ordinary circumstances, only those with some native knowledge risked the paths along the White Sea. Natives with access to Dial technology could reinforce Sea Clouds they were stranded on with Milky Road dials, radically increasing the odds that they could simply wait out the dey until the path forward or back reemerged. Smaller ships, such as wavers, could even carry enough Milky Road Dials to simply create a new path when the old one vanished, relying on the Milky Roads they created until they reached another bit of White Sea safely.

  Alternatively, and with a bit more risk involved, non-native crews from the Blue Sea without access to so many Milky Road Dials could at least mitigate the risk by carrying an octoballoon. A species of octopus that was the primary means to return safely from the White Sea to the Blue Sea, the octoballoon could undergo emergency inftion if the White Sea vanished out from under you. This allowed you to at least return to the Blue Sea with a solid chance of doing so intact. Though it often led to deaths if it happened unexpectedly, or if you were unlucky where you nded.

  Thankfully, the Discovery had access to both methods and the failsafe of the Jet Dial array just in case. Luffy might not want to risk prolonged use of the Jet Dials for flight just yet, but emergency use to allow them to hop a 'sinkhole' in the White Sea where it had weakened and begun to vanish, or to power up the octoballon for true flight, were fine. With a native's eye for the clouds and Nami's supertive instincts for all things weather and navigation, they'd managed to navigate safely enough. Though they had needed to use the combination of the octoballon and Jet Dials on one occasion to help them over a thin patch that couldn't have quite supported the Discovery safely.

  Now, a week after setting sail east from Skypiea, they found themselves on a safely permanent patch of White Sea, looking on with considerable surprise at the number of small craft that were waiting turns to use a set of 'Locks' that would take a ship up to the White-White Sea. The locals of this particur isnd had taken a different approach to raising and lowering ships than the Milky Roads and Mantis Shrimp Skypiea used. Instead, they had created Sea Cloud eleveators that acted much like a Lock on more traditional water. You sailed into a fixed chamber, where they pumped additional Sea Cloud in and out of the chamber to raise a boat slowly but surely up to the White-White Sea.

  They were waiting, at the moment, as there was only a single Lock rge enough for the Discovery, and it was typically not in use. It was also expensive to operate, but given that they'd kept half of the extol they'd looted from Enel's treasury, that wasn't exactly a concern. The amount they'd given back to Skypiea had still been significant enough to boost their economy. But they'd taken half the extol, plus a fair bit of gold, figuring it was a fair exchange for 'services rendered.' It hadn't hurt the locals any, and they did need to turn profits when they could if they didn't want to resort to more traditional acts of piracy. Turning in bounties would be rather difficult, after all, now that they'd been decred pirates.

  "Ahoy, Discovery! The Lock is ready! You're free to sail in! Careful with the sides, she's barely wide enough for your beam!"

  The shout came up from the dockmaster's assistant that had been prepping the Lock for their use. The isnd of Wind's Home was, according to Pagaya, the closest thing to a trade hub that existed on the White or White-White Seas. Located somewhat centrally in Paradise, it was close enough to Mervellie, Skypiea, Birka, and Skygrasper Isle that it had been a trade location between them all at one time. These days, Birka was gone and Skypiea had been cut off from trade for some time.

  Mervellie and Skygrasper Isle, along with a few more minor Sky Isnds, had still kept the trade flowing somewhat. Pagaya, however, had quietly informed them that the dozen or so waver-style ships they'd seen so far was a poor showing. Wind's Home had clearly gone into at least a degree of decline with two of its major trade partners now gone. Part of the reason that the dockmaster had even been willing to fill the disused lock was that they'd carried news of the resolution of issues with Skypiea with them. The Discovery was being seen as the possible resumption of trade from Skypiea, which would be fantastic for the city here. Luffy was gd that they'd thought to top off the holds from Abasta before leaving Skypiea, as showing those holds filled with metal tools, foods that required cropnd, and other such things had been part of what convinced the dockmaster they were legitimate. Upper Yard had meant that Skypiea was traditionally one of the only sources of such things on the White Sea, after all.

  Luffy called back down to the assistant in confirmation, then signaled back to Nami to get on with it. Nami, choosing to use the Jet Dials for the precision maneuver, guided the ship into the Lock with little fanfare. It was admittedly a bit of a tight fit, leaving only a few feet to either size of the Discovery, though plenty of room forward and aft. There were occasional downsides to Luffy's choice of design, since most docks and other services for ships weren't designed with such a broad beamed vessel in mind. Only full-blown 'ships of the line,' battleships meant to be used in a proper line of battle tactic, would normally be quite so broad as the Discovery.

  Thankfully, her total dispcement was well under those monsters, meaning this Lock could handle her despite being a tight squeeze in one direction. Even so, it was a slow and cautious process by the locals, something which Luffy honestly appreciated, even if he trusted Nami to keep them centered in the Lock with the Dials. Finally, after the long lift from the White Sea to the White-White Sea, they reached the top of the Lock and id eyes on Wind's Home. The sight that greeted them, even as they sailed out of the Lock, was one to take their breath away even after Skypiea…

  Wind's Home was a Winter Isnd, and the beauty that resulted from crystalline ice in such direct sunlight was almost indescribable. The Isnd Cloud here had either bunched up or been molded by the city itself, for the solid 'nd' here thrust up in dramatic fashion, like a monstrous icicle rather than a mountain. Into that icicle, a thousand meters high if it was one, were tiers upon tiers of carved buildings and streets. Icy Milky Roads spiraled up and down the edifice, creating more and faster routes between different levels. Large roads to connect industrial districts to markets, small roads to connect residential areas to pces of entertainment. Every st one of them, the roads and the buildings alike, sparkling with the prism effect of the sun's rays hitting polished-but-imperfect crystal.

  It was several minutes before anyone, even Nami who was idly guiding the ship to anchor, could manage more than verbal expressions of awe or delight. Finally, as they reached the only berth a ship their size could use, Nami snapped out of it and began barking commands. Luffy noted with amusement that the numbered crystalline pilr marking their berth looked to be using coal for the numbers so as to properly contrast with all the gleaming ice. Shaking off the inane observation, he pushed past the beauty of the city to take in the people and its general state. As soon as he did so, a little bit of the awe began rubbing off.

  The city didn't look destitute, but there were clear signs of economic troubles. While there were a smattering of well-dressed men and women throughout the thin crowds around the docks, those men and women were virtually all wearing uniforms of some kind. Not the same uniforms. Nor were they all armed enough to believe them to be guards or city officials. Instead, it looked like there were several different 'common' uniforms worn by the well-dressed sorts, while the rest of the popution were wearing clothes that looked like they'd seen better days. The divide extended even to those that were rapidly gathering near their own dock. A handful of extremely well dressed men and women in those same uniforms were keeping well separated from the more disreputable rabble of strong looking fellows.

  The tter group were almost certainly dockworkers, likely of the daily bor sort and hoping for a job unloading his ship. Normally, Luffy didn't bother with that sort of thing, his own crew all being abnormally strong and easily able to handle cargo unloading in a fraction the time a set of dockworkers could. All without letting anyone get a peek at the oddities that were inside his ship. Here, though, he was quickly becoming inclined to use the locals. There was no one here to report to the World Government, and he suspected he'd earn a fair bit of useful goodwill by overpaying a bit for as many dockworkers as possible to have a decent day's work.

  As for the uniformed men and women…he had a vague idea, but it remained to be seen if his suspicion was correct. Let alone if it was a good or bad thing if he was. Well, the crew were just about finished tying off the ship, so there was no time like the present to find out. Signaling Kuina and Nojiko to join him, he waited until they were near and spoke to Nojiko.

  "A bit of showing off for the locals is called for, I think. A ptform, if you would?"

  Nojiko nodded, neither of the women questioning him, their own instincts telling them a strong showing here was the best approach as well. Nojiko, rather than forming the ptform under them, made a far more showy dispy by forming it beside the ship. They could hear a few gasps and murmurs, even as all three of them gently hopped onto the crystal ptform and descended toward the grouping of uniformed locals. More than a few of that group looked abruptly cautious, trying to hide the greed he'd seen almost bare naked on more than a few faces before. Feeling justified for the showy entrance, he stepped off ahead of the girls. Doffing his hat with only a slightly exaggerated air, he spoke to the woman that appeared to be the most prominent among the group, standing a bit ahead of them.

  "Salutations, madam, I am Captain Monkey D. Luffy of the Discovery of Storms. Please, call me Captain Luffy if you would. Might I know whom I'm addressing?"

  The woman raised an eyebrow, but he was pleased to see a glimmer of both humor and respect in her eyes.

  "You may. I am Lady Nora Isabule, Representative of the Crystal Suns Merchant House. I and my fellow representatives are eager to hear news of Skypiea, as well as to see just what such a marvelous vessel as yours might be carrying for trade."

  Luffy mentally ticked off a checkmark by his suspicion. He hadn't known exactly what format they would take, but his guess had been that these people were representatives of either nobility or merchant factors. This was a trade city, so it made sense. The fact that his vessel was likely the rgest they'd seen in years, and had decred cargo from Skypiea, certainly expined them gathering quickly to meet his ship. Well, so far this Nora Isabule wasn't setting off his empathy negatively like several of her fellows were, so best keep pying to her specifically.

  "My dear Lady, I'd be delighted to tell both the tale of recent events on Skypiea, as well as talk business with you and your fellow representatives. I'd also love to hear about your positively gorgeous city. This is only the second Sky Isnd I've ever visited personally, so I'm quite eager to see what wonders exist here!"

  Turning his head only slightly, he gestured to Nojiko.

  "Quartermaster, some tables and chairs for these fine fellows, if you would? Ah, and Kuina, do ask Sanji if he can send down some refreshments for us, yes?"

  Nojiko looked utterly bemused at the request, but complied with fair fir nevertheless. To the startled surprise of the locals, she snapped her fingers…and a table of fine crystal formed between them and the group of Dockworkers, who shied away from its sudden appearance. Moments ter, even as Kuina casually dispyed her strength by jumping back up to the Discovery's deck, Nojiko snapped her fingers again and fine crystal chairs to match the table formed in pce. It certainly wasn't the normal use for her powers, but Luffy had drilled the need for fine control into her from the start, and she thankfully had just enough of an artistic fir that the results of her ad libing looked quite fancy.

  "If you dies and gentleman would care to have a seat? My chef is excellent and will send us down quite a nice few treats in a moment."

  Nora Isabule outright ughed at the expression on her fellow's faces, even as she swept toward the table. Luffy grandly held a chair out for her and she gracefully sat in it, with all the poise of a Queen.

  "Not quite how we normally do things, Captain Luffy. But I can't say I'm not a fan of your fir for the dramatic. I have a feeling your tale will be of even more interest than the goods you carry. Do try not to disappoint."

  Luffy smirked at her, even as a few of her fellows tentatively began to join them and Kuina returned with Sanji and Kaya behind her, carrying a round of drinks to get started with. Ignoring how underdressed he looked compared to the locals in his vest, silk pants, and straw hat, Luffy perched with just as much poise as Lady Isabule as he set about doing anything but disappointing…

  ... ... ... ... ...

  A/N 1: No, my thoughts on the White and White White Sea aren't canon as far as I know. But the make sense to me. It not only expins why Gan Fall called the isnd-hopping method dangerous, but also expins why the White Sea isn't super obvious every time anyone looks up.

  A/N 2: I hope everyone enjoys the first really original isnd :-)! I took inspiration from a lot of pces, though the actual physical description is entirely my own. As for the general feel of the pce, I drew a bit on inspiration from Sigil, Waterdeep, and Neverwinter to help me create the general system the city is running on.