Uchiha Puppet Master, Starting from One Piece.

Occasionally, their fingertips would touch again unintentionally, and Rangiku would wave her hand with a smile: "It seems we think the same way."

Robin smiled in agreement with her words, but his fingertips would secretly rub Bai Yu's shoulder a few more times, as if silently declaring something.

Bai Yu lay on the recliner, feeling two warm touches enveloping his back. On one side was Robin's delicate and gentle fingertips, and on the other was Rangiku's cheerful and gentle palm. The milky scent of sunscreen mixed with the individual fragrances of the two people, lingering around his nose. In addition, the occasional slight tremor when his sensitive spots were touched made him feel even more unbearable than practicing for several hours.

He closed his eyes, resting his forearm on his chin, and simply let the two of them do as they pleased. Only occasionally, when his sensitive spots were touched, would he cough softly and gently clench the fabric with his fingertips.

After an unknown amount of time, the sunscreen was finally applied evenly. Rangiku stopped first, wiped her fingertips, and patted Shiraha's back with a smile: "Alright, Shiraha-kun, you've applied it all over, so you're not afraid of getting sunburned anymore."

Robin also withdrew her hand, gently smoothing the ruffled hair at the back of Bai Yu's neck with her fingertips, her voice soft: "Yes, it's all smoothed out, it won't clump."

The two exchanged another glance, their eyes both revealing a barely perceptible competitive spirit, yet they both smiled and looked away, as if their earlier subtle rivalry was nothing more than an illusion.

Rangiku waved the sunscreen in her hand and turned to walk towards the sunshade: "I'm going to see the paper dolls that Connor and Hana folded. I heard they folded a lot of sea fish." Robin picked up the water glass next to her, handed it to Shiraha, and gently touched his arm with her fingertips: "Get up and drink some water. You must be thirsty after being in the sun for so long."

Bai Yu propped himself up on his arms, still feeling two warm touches on his back. He took a sip of water, looked up at Robin, then glanced at Rangiku walking towards the sunshade. He shook his head with a chuckle. These two women were so obviously competing, yet he couldn't get angry at either of them.

He raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, his fingertips still able to feel the slightly cool touch of Robin's hand. The warmth of Rangiku's palm lingered on his side, and the fragrance of the two of them lingered in his nose, mixed with the salty smell of the sea breeze, which made this hot afternoon a little sweeter and more tender.

Meanwhile, under the sunshade, Connor was holding a paper shark folded by Retsu Unohana and hopping towards Rangiku. Retsu Unohana leaned against the cushion, watching the little guy's joyful appearance, the tenderness in her eyes warmer than the sunlight overhead.

Upon seeing Rangiku return, he teased her, "Well, did you win or lose in your jealousy?"

Chapter 114 The Losers of Magic Valley Town

Three days later...

As the Dawn Breaker broke through the cool sea mist and its anchor chain sank into the harbor of Mogok, Gaya Island, the wind carried the scent of autumn. Golden and red maple catkins were blown everywhere, and stepping on the bluestone slabs of the dock could crush a layer of dry sycamore leaves. Even the sea breeze had lost its damp saltiness and was mixed with a touch of melancholy from withered wood and soil.

This is an island nailed to death by autumn. Even the sunlight that falls has a faint, dim yellow hue, shining on the crooked tavern signs on the shore and the dusty sails of the ships moored at the dock, making the whole town seem shrouded in a layer of decay and death.

When Bai Yu and his group stepped onto the dock, the first thing they felt was not the autumn chill, but the gazes cast upon them from all around them. Those gazes, hidden in alleyways and leaning against wine barrels, were numb, resentful, and even carried a hint of reckless abandon.

Most of them were unreliable pirates. Their sails were torn, some even had rusted swords, and some were missing arms or legs. They leaned against the wall, drinking cheap rum and cursing. They complained about the bad weather on the Grand Line or their bad luck in encountering a powerful enemy. Every word was an indictment of their fate, without mentioning their recklessness during the voyage or their usual laziness.

Connor clutched Retsu Unohana's sleeve, his brows furrowed, and glanced at the dejected people. He asked softly, "Retsu Unohana, why do they all look so unhappy?"

Unohana Retsu raised her hand and rubbed the top of her head, her eyes still gentle and her voice soft: "They just blamed their failures on the incompetence of others."

Retsu Unohana's gaze swept over a pirate on the street who had smashed a wine jar and was cursing at the sea. Her eyes remained completely calm, as if she had seen many such people before.

In Soul Society, many of the lower-ranking Rukongai souls have this self-destructive attitude, and very few souls make any special effort to change themselves.

Rangiku crossed her arms, a few strands of her long golden hair being tossed about by the autumn wind. She glanced at the complaining fools, a mocking smile playing on her lips, and turned to Shirayu beside her, saying, "Shirayu-kun, this is Demon Valley Town, this is the legendary Island of Losers. The air is thick with the smell of despair, worse than moldy wine."

"A person who has lost self-confidence cannot even see the road ahead; he can only stare at his own shadow and complain about his fate."

Robin didn't think much of these people either; they didn't have the courage to start over.

The group walked along the stone-paved road deeper into the town, searching for a guide to the Sky Island. Bai Yu knew that they first needed to find the descendants of Montblanc Noland, namely Montblanc Kulikai.

They encountered wave after wave of pirates along the way.

Bai Yu and his group did encounter a one-armed pirate who blocked the alley entrance, trying to rob their supplies. Before they could exchange more than a few words, he started complaining, saying that he was once a powerful figure in the East Blue, but he met a Logia-type Devil Fruit user on the Grand Line and ended up like this. As he spoke, his eyes reddened, as if the whole world owed him something.

Bai Yu merely glanced at him indifferently, yet that single glance caused the pirate leader to instinctively take two steps back, losing even the courage to reach out.

Along the way, groups of pirates gathered at the tavern entrance. Seeing that the group had an outstanding demeanor, unlike the down-and-out people on the island, they surrounded them, their mouths reeking of alcohol, spewing world-weary words: "I'm talking about you guys. Don't go any further. The Grand Line is a place that eats people. No matter how strong you are, you'll fall sooner or later. You might as well stay and drink, so you don't end up like us."

"Exactly, what's the point of striving for merit or fame? In the end, it's all for nothing. We were just as full of vigor as you were back then, but what happened? Weren't we worn down by this godforsaken place?"

"Don't waste your energy, the fate of a loser is predetermined!"

Their voices grew louder and louder, filled with negative emotions, as they tried to swarm Bai Yu and his group with their self-destructive and world-weary sentiments like miasma.

Connor shrank back at their noise, while Rangiku stepped forward, her fingertips already touching the Zanpakuto at her waist, her golden eyes gleaming with displeasure: "Shut up."

Bai Yu raised his hand and pressed down on Rangiku's wrist, signaling her to calm down.

He took a step forward, standing ramrod straight. The autumn wind ruffled his clothes as he glanced at the group of dejected pirates before him: "The Grand Line is not a place that eats people; what eats people is your own defeated hearts."

These words were like a stone thrown into the muddled hearts of the pirates, instantly causing an uproar.

"What did you say, you brat?!"

A burly pirate roared and reached out to grab Bai Yu's collar.

"Dare to laugh at us? I'll show you what's what!"

Before his hand could even touch Bai Yu's clothes, it was flung away by a force.

Robin stood beside Bai Yu, and with a flick of her finger, the pirate was lifted up and slammed heavily to the ground, causing the sycamore leaves on the ground to rustle.

Her eyes were still curved in a smile, but her tone was cold: "Using violence against people is not an excuse for losers, and how dare you?"

Seeing his companion being attacked, another pirate, his eyes red, swung his sword at him. The wind from his blade carried a hint of anger and frustration, but it was completely chaotic.

Rangiku's figure blurred, and she instantly appeared in front of him. With a light flick of her Zanpakuto, the pirate's sword was knocked away with a clang.

The blade pierced the trunk of a nearby maple tree, making a buzzing sound.

Rangiku raised her hand and pinched his wrist. With a little force, the pirate grimaced in pain: "You can't even hold a sword properly, and you dare to call yourself a pirate? Your high spirits back then were probably just an act."

Several pirates tried to rush forward, but Matsumoto Rangiku stepped forward slowly, casually raising her hand and brushing her fingertips across their wrists. Each touch was accompanied by a muffled groan.

The pirates felt a numbness in their wrists, their swords fell to the ground, and they didn't even have the strength to lift their hands. Two of them even had their arms dislocated.

Matsumoto Rangiku simply stood there, but the pirates looked at her as if they had seen something terrifying, instinctively backing away, their resentment turning into fear.

Bai Yu stood at the very front, his cold gaze sweeping over the group of people sprawled on the ground. His voice remained calm: "What you lost was not the Grand Line, nor luck, but yourselves. You retreated when faced with strong enemies, and blamed fate when you suffered setbacks. You didn't even have the courage to face failure, nor the inclination to reflect on yourselves. People like you will be losers wherever you go."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the town's desolation, and continued, "The path of the Grand Line has always been one that you forge yourself. What you fear is not the difficulties, but losing the confidence to keep going. You've trapped yourselves in this Demon Valley Town, trapped in your own failures, blaming others and complaining. You're just running away."

Chapter 115 Seeking Help

Bai Yu's words were like sharp knives, tearing away the self-deceiving facade of those pirates. Some blushed and wanted to refute, but opened their mouths and couldn't utter a single word. What Bai Yu said were facts they dared not admit.

They were not defeated by fate, but by their own cowardice and lack of ambition.

Many people covered their faces and sobbed in suppressed anger after hearing Bai Yu's words. Some pounded the ground and cursed themselves for being useless. Others watched Bai Yu and his group leave with a hint of confusion in their eyes for the first time. Perhaps they were really wrong.

Bai Yu withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at them, and turned to the crowd, saying, "Let's go, don't let these people delay our journey."

Rangiku chuckled, sheathed her Zanpakuto, and dusted off her hands: "It should have been done a long time ago. Talking to these pessimists is a waste of time."

Robin gently took Connor's hand, a red leaf falling into her hair. She glanced back at the pirates sprawled on the ground and whispered, "Shiraha is so gentle. I thought they were going to die."

"Robin!"

"Hmm, what's wrong, Bai Yu?"

"I'm not some ruthless killer."

The group continued deeper into the town. The autumn wind was still blowing, but the resentful and numb gazes that fell on them eventually turned into complex envy. They envied their steadfastness, their courage, and that even as they walked through the thorns of the Grand Line, they never lost sight of their original aspirations.

As Bai Yu and his companions wound their way along the stone path past two dilapidated taverns, the autumnal atmosphere ahead suddenly faded. The sea breeze, carrying salty, damp air, crashed against them, mingling with the rough sounds of wood being chiseled.

On the mudflats by the sea stands a crooked wooden house, the other half of its foundation sunk into the sand, revealing wooden beams bleached white by the sea wind. In the open space in front of the house are piles of rusted surveying anchors. A man with a distinctive chestnut-shaped head is squatting next to a wooden stump, using a file to polish a thick iron cable. His knuckles are covered with sand and rust. This man is Montblanc, a descendant of Noland.

He looked up at the sound of footsteps, his gaze sweeping over Bai Yu and his group with the usual wariness of a pirate. It wasn't until it passed over the Zanpakuto on Unohana Retsu's wrist and finally landed on Bai Yu's calm face that his wariness lessened. He asked in a rough voice, "The idlers of Mogu Town wouldn't come to my mudflats. You've come here specifically to find me?"

Bai Yu stopped in his tracks, and Kanna behind him curiously tugged at Bai Yu's trouser leg, staring at the chestnut hairstyle on Kulikai's head.

Bai Yu looked up at the churning sea behind the wooden house, his voice steady yet clear: "We are looking for rice because of the legend of Montblanc Noland from 400 years ago, and for the Sky Island."

The moment the words "sky island" were uttered, Kulikai's file slammed onto the wooden block with a clang, and the iron chain rolled into the sand, splashing up fine sand.

He stood up abruptly, his back ramrod straight. The numbness and exhaustion in his eyes were instantly washed away by burning emotions. His hand gripping the file was so tight that his knuckles turned white, and it even trembled slightly. He stared intently at Bai Yu: "What did you say? Say it again!"

“We believe Nolando wasn’t lying. The other half of Jaya Island is indeed above the sea of ​​clouds at an altitude of 10,000 meters. We’re going to the Sky Island.”

Bai Yu repeated, his gaze open and honest, without a trace of insincerity.

“I know you are a descendant of Noland, and that you have been guarding this sea all these years, searching for evidence of the Golden City and the Sky Island. That’s why I came to find you, hoping to use Noland’s clues to reach that sky.”

Kulikai stared blankly at Bai Yu, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times. Suddenly, he raised his hand and wiped his face. His hands were covered with thick calluses, and his fingertips had fine lines left from years of diving. When he wiped his eyes, he wiped away some of the moisture.

Four hundred years have passed. From Noland being branded a "big liar" and sent to the execution ground, to his father guarding this sea until his death, to himself risking his life to dive and explore, wearing out dozens of diving masks, and being ridiculed by all the pirates in Mock Town as a madman and a fool clinging to a lie, he has heard too much mockery and seen too much contempt, but he has never heard anyone say so confidently that Noland did not lie.

"Finally... finally someone believes..."

Kulikai's voice was hoarse, as if he had finally found an outlet for the pent-up frustration of four hundred years. He then suddenly looked up, his eyes burning with intense light.

"Are you really going? Or are you just messing with me?"

"Of course it's true."

Matsumoto Rangiku stepped forward slowly: "Our ship is anchored in the harbor, the Dawn, which is strong enough to withstand the storms at sea. We just need a way to reach the Sky Island."

Kulikai nodded fiercely, turned around and kicked open the door of the wooden house, pulled out a yellowed nautical chart and slammed it on the wooden table. The edges of the chart were worn, and it was densely marked with red ink the direction of the ocean currents near Jaya Island, as well as several circled ocean current nodes emitting white water vapor.

"I believe you. There is a way, but only one: use the surging ocean current!"

He pointed to a red circle on the nautical chart and tapped it heavily with his fingertip: "This is it, a vertically upward ultra-high pressure ocean current that can push a ship directly up to 10,000 meters in the air, through the sea of ​​clouds to the White Sea, and then up to the White Sea of ​​the Sky Island!"

As he spoke, he reached out and pushed aside a pile of iron barrels, pulling out a glass jar filled with murky seawater and a few bubbly crystals: "This current doesn't happen all the time. It's high-pressure water vapor erupting from underwater volcanic fissures. Once it's gathered enough power, it will surge into the sky. It takes anywhere from half a day to four or five days. I've been watching over it for years and figured out its patterns. You're lucky. In five days, it will be the time for the next surging current to erupt!"

Rangiku leaned closer to look at the nautical chart, her fingertip pointing to the vertical red mark. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Was it pushed ten thousand meters by the ocean current? If the ship couldn't withstand it, wouldn't it just fall apart?"

"Therefore, it needs to be renovated!"

Kulikai patted his chest, his eyes full of confidence: "Besides diving and exploration, my specialty in this life is shipbuilding and ship modification. The brothers of the Saruyama Alliance are nearby, and their ship modification skills are among the best in the first half of the Grand Line!"

As he spoke, he whistled, and immediately several ape cries came from the woods at the end of the mudflat. Several ape-men carrying axes and full of energy jumped out and bowed to Kulikai. They were members of the Ape Mountain Alliance.

As the group arrived at the dock, they saw the Dawn.

"The Dawn looks sturdy, but the keel and hull must be reinforced. The sails need to be replaced with thick canvas to protect against high-pressure airflow, and the bottom of the ship needs to be nailed with anti-collision iron plates. Otherwise, if it gets scraped by a reef in the current, it will be a big hole."

Kulikai walked up to Bai Yu, patted him on the shoulder, his excitement still lingering, but now tinged with seriousness: "I'll help you modify the ship. I have the materials, and all the brothers from Yuanshan will be on board. Within three days, I guarantee the Dawn will be modified to withstand the raging ocean currents! But let me make this clear: this journey is fraught with peril. Have you thought it through?"

Bai Yu looked towards the harbor, where the mast of the Dawn was faintly visible in the autumn mist.

Bai Yu turned around, met Kulikai's gaze, nodded slightly, and said in a resolute voice, "I've already thought it through."

"Good!" Kulikai laughed loudly, slapping the wooden table as he shouted.

"Brothers, grab your weapons! Follow me to the harbor to modify the boat. Let's show these punks what the Saruyama Alliance is all about!"

Chapter 116 Bai Hai

The apes cheered and, carrying axes, Ironhide headed towards the harbor. Cullika, clutching the sea chart, walked at the very front, his steps several times lighter than usual, as if four hundred years of obsession were finally about to be fulfilled. At this moment, he would follow Uchiha Hakuba's ship and rush onto that land belonging to the sky that his ancestor Noland had once seen.