After Taro revealed his full name, the originally solemn 'Payback War' turned into a massive scene of people acknowledging their long-lost father.
Listening to Rocks, Aokiji, Marco, Crocodile, and the others murmuring 'Father' over and over again,
Taro's head felt like it was about to explode!
It wasn't because he had gained too many sons at once, but rather the thought that if this were exposed, they would definitely scatter his ashes to the winds!
Sigh, why is it that no matter what happens, once he gets involved, things always develop in such strange directions?
Taro complained endlessly in his heart, shook his head vigorously, and spoke again, trying to pull things back onto the right track.
"I've already said my full name; now it's your turn. Speak up. The d clan, why...?"
Before Taro could finish his sentence, Rocks interrupted him.
"Because of Joy Boy. Since you know that title, don't you know that only this identity will gain the recognition of the D people?"
At the scene, only Taro and Rocks knew who Joy Boy was; Aokiji and the others naturally could only watch the drama unfold from the side.
Taro didn't care what they thought, but he found what Rocks said somewhat unbelievable.
"Why must we wait for Joy Boy to appear?"
The d clan has been waiting 800 years for Luffy to appear?
Looking at it this way, their brains don't seem to work very well; they don't understand flexibility at all!
"Without Joy Boy, no one will be convinced. Besides, in the future, where is the path?"
Rocks looked at Taro with a matter-of-fact expression.
Taro felt these guys were really mentally impaired and roared out,
"Are you insane?!"
"You guys hold each other back, so of course you don't know where the path is! Fuck!"
"Where is the path?"
"The damn path is right beneath your feet!"
Damn it, they're all lunatics. Do they have to wait for a hero to descend from the heavens before they're willing to move a muscle?
Fine, it took 800 years to wait for Luffy!
You guys are something else!
After venting his rage, Taro calmed down first and stared at Rocks.
"So, why is it Blackbeard?"
Rocks's pupils contracted slightly. "What did you say?"
Taro stared intently at him. "You know what I mean! Don't play dumb! Why did you choose Blackbeard before you died?"
Rocks's gaze flickered for a moment, and he remained silent.
Taro also fell silent for a while, then nodded.
"It seems this choice is related to the altar on that island, huh?"
Rocks's expression changed instantly, and he went silent for a moment.
"That is not an altar! It is a preparation for the Knock Up Stream! Using the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit to swallow the core of the entire island and trigger the Knock Up Stream!"
Taro raised an eyebrow. "There's a Sky Island up there?"
Taro knew that there were many Sky Islands.
Eneru destroyed his own hometown, Birka, before fleeing to the Sky Island in the 'Sky Island Saga' to claim he was a god, and then there was the small Sky Island where Nami was currently located.
"You indeed know the function of the Knock Up Stream and the existence of Sky Islands!" Rocks said, then added mockingly,
"How laughable it is that so many people in this world actually don't believe Sky Islands exist!"
Then, he shook his head with difficulty.
"No, what's up there is not a Sky Island!"
Taro frowned, very perplexed. "Then why did you put in so much effort wanting to go up there?"
Rocks glanced at Aokiji and the others and didn't speak.
Taro glanced at them. "You guys back off for a bit!"
His tone left no room for negotiation and brooked no doubt.
Crocodile was the first to be unwilling, but Taro glared at him.
"Don't force me to treat you like Ivankov!"
"You!" Crocodile was furious, his face instantly darkening. After a long moment, he was the first to leave.
Aokiji gave Taro a deep look and then walked away.
Seeing this, Marco and the others had no reason to linger!
"You can speak now, right?" Taro frowned.
"Hwahahaha, Taro, do you know that on a certain land, we of the d clan are known as the Natural Enemies of the Gods?"
Rocks gave a strange smile.
Taro nodded; Corazon had once told Law this.
Rocks smiled and said,
"Then have you ever considered that the d clan might also be called 'Gods'?"
Taro was dumbfounded, his throat feeling a bit stuck. "What... do you mean?"
A strange smile appeared on Rocks's face, whether it was one of longing or mockery.
"With just one factory, ordinary people can be turned into incomprehensible superhumans. People who possess technology far beyond common understanding—don't such people deserve to be called 'Gods'?"
Taro understood what Rocks meant.
The Giant Kingdom, the d clan, Joy Boy!
In the eyes of the natives of the Pirate World, whose technology lagged far behind, these nations and people who possessed world-shaking power were indeed as omnipotent as 'Gods'!
The appearance of Devil Fruit abilities could practically be called world-shattering!
"Then what does that have to do with the Knock Up Stream you mentioned?" Taro asked further after accepting Rocks's explanation.
"Can't you guess where all of this actually came from?" Rocks laughed mockingly.
Taro's heart stirred. "You mean, there's a Spaceship up there?"
"Spaceship?" Rocks repeated the 'coined term' Taro used. "That's a truly interesting name!"
"It was indeed there once!"
"Once?" Taro was stunned. "It's not there anymore? Then why do you still want to go up?"
"Sky Islands have no land! Taro!" Rocks suddenly said something else seemingly nonsensical.
Huh?
Taro was very confused!
He actually knew a bit about this. The City of Gold that was launched into the Sky Island was the only island there with soil. The war between the Shandians and the Sky People was to reclaim their homeland, a war that lasted 400 years.
And Shandora was originally part of Jaya Island, which was later launched into the Sky Island by the Knock Up Stream!
What a coincidence, the Knock Up Stream again?
But if there's nothing left up there, what's the point of Blackbeard building an altar on that island to trigger a Knock Up Stream?
"I say, can you be a bit clearer!" Taro thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out.
"Hwahahaha!" Although Rocks felt his consciousness fading, he still laughed incessantly.
"That island possesses the largest Sea Stone Ore deposit! And only the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit can swallow such a massive mineral deposit without coming into contact with it!"
Taro was stunned. "No, what are you going to do with all that Sea Stone up in the sky?"
"Don't you know that the Sea of Clouds on Sky Islands also contains Sea Stone components?" The smile on Rocks's face froze.
"You are clearly of the d clan, so why do you seem so ignorant of our clan's history?"
The corners of Taro's mouth twitched. Setting aside the fact that I'm not of the d clan, even if I were, you probably don't know that there's a fellow named Monkey D. Luffy who is even more ignorant than I am!
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