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The endless speculation about the future and the past continued, but the journey by sea did not stop.
The journey to Sky Island was long, and Noir's ship sailed for a long time...
Noir docked the ship near closest Island's harbour, and both he and Robin disembarked.
In this world, if you want to find out something, the best place to do it is usually a down-to-earth tavern.
Such places are teeming with all sorts of people, and the comings and goings of countless individuals can provide a lot of hidden and important information.
So Noir headed straight for a tavern!
Standing at the door, they could hear the noisy chatter from outside, but when they pushed the door open, the conversations stopped abruptly.
Inside the tavern, everyone who was drinking fell silent, staring menacingly at the two strangers with suspicious expressions on their faces.
Noir and Robin, seasoned by many adventures, weren't uncomfortable in such situations. They calmly ordered a drink and found a seat.
The patrons subtly judged their attire, trying to determine their origins.
The woman was a delicate and sexy beauty, probably just the man's mistress, probably without any fighting skills.
As for the man, he was tall but looked like a young, inexperienced child.
He even wore a sword at his waist, as if to put on a show.
A child, could he really know how to use a sword?
After watching for a while, the seasoned veterans felt that they had quickly figured out the duo's abilities.
At a few tables behind Noir, a couple of burly men exchanged glances. Then a man with a face full of scars stood up and swaggered over with his drink.
As he passed Noir, he suddenly tilted his hand and the drink 'accidentally' spilled onto the floor.
The man "angrily" shouted, "You little punk! Are you looking for trouble? You spilled my drink!"
At this the men at the two tables behind him stood up and surrounded Noir and Robin menacingly.
"Hey kid, you spilled my friend's drink. How are you going to make it up to me?" they threatened.
Noir and Robin remained calm, looking at them as if they were watching clowns.
"A bunch of barking wild dogs," Noir said contemptuously.
Robin, showing no emotion, said, "Are you going to twist their heads off?"
Noir's face twitched and he said, "How can you say something so horrible with such a straight face?"
"You little punk! Y..."
The man, furious at being ignored, suddenly found his face covered by a large hand.
Noir pressed his hand against the man's face and said softly, "Sandification..."
With that, the man's expression changed to one of horror. He struggled to speak, but no words came out.
His skin gradually dried up, and in no time at all, a living person turned into a desiccated corpse.
Seeing this horrifying scene, the men who had surrounded them fell to the ground in fear, trembling and pointing at Noir as if they had seen a ghost.
Those who had not joined the confrontation felt lucky to have stayed out of it.
Noir looked at the group of cowards retreating frantically and said, "I want to ask you something. Can you answer?"
The men on the ground nodded frantically, "Ask anything, Sir! We know everything!"
"Do you know the way to Sky Island?" Noir asked.
Hearing this, they exchanged glances, unsure of how to answer.
Noir frowned and asked, "What are you thinking? Yes or no?"
Startled, the guests pushed a clever-looking man forward, who said with a pained expression, "Sir, you see, Sky Island is just a legend."
"Near the Island, there's a powerful sea vortex. Occasionally, a strong current shoots up into the sky. It's said to lead to a heavenly sea where Sky Island can be found."
Noir raised an eyebrow. "You seem to know a lot. Then why do you call it a legend?"
The man explained, "Every year many pirates come here in search of Sky Island. But those who ride the current never return alive."
"No one knows if they have reached Sky Island, or if it even exists."
Noir nodded and pointed to the man. "You, lead the way to the top of the sky."
The man's face turned pale, shaking as he shouted, "No way! I'd rather die than go there. Who knows how many have already died there!"
Noir, growing impatient, grabbed the fleeing man by the collar. "Just take me there. You don't have to stay."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you."
The man reluctantly agreed.
Noir didn't stay long and turned to leave.
The patrons watched in silent sympathy as the man was sent away...
Noir and Robin stood on the deck of their ship while the guide rowed a small boat in front of them.
After a while, Noir's keen sense of the weather alerted him to something. The guide called nervously, "Sir, madam, we're here!"
Robin frowned in confusion. "This place doesn't look any different from anywhere else."
The guide quickly explained, "The vortex appears periodically. Any moment a strong current will surge up!"
Noir nodded and waved at the guide. "All right, you can go back now."
Relieved, the guide gratefully rowed away.
But before he got far, Noir's ship suddenly began to shake violently.
A whirlpool began to form on the sea. The previously calm sea became a growing whirlpool.
Soon the whirlpool was expanding rapidly, like a deep black hole.
"Robin! Hold on!"
Noir stood at the bow while Robin clung to the mast, ready for anything.
Like the calm before the storm, a terrifying force gathered beneath the ship.
Suddenly, a powerful surge from below lifted the ship, throwing Noir and Robin off balance.
With a massive push, the ship was propelled skywards by a huge column of water.
Beside them, the guide's small boat was caught up.
Thrown into the air, the guide cried out in despair, "Why am I still caught in this?!"
His boat was torn apart and he fell into the distant sea.
It didn't look dangerous, but he might have to swim a day to get home...
...
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