♩Solar ♩ Gravitas & Vitas♩Strong Bird♩Blitz Sticks♩Oto Oto♩Oto Tier 3 ♩Nitufia♩Santufia♩Nitufia - Tier 2♩
"We're all caged song birds, waiting for someone to hear our sound"

Upon arrival to the Kingdom in the Sky, Junbei and the gang found themselves floating in an seemingly infinite sea of white clouds in all directions, as their ship drifted towards the gigantic sign reading, 'Heaven's Gate'. As the ship drifted closer to the entrance, Junbei summoned the crew towards the deck of the ship. "Alright. I don't necessarily have an exact plan for what we'll do once we arrive in Skypeia. However, I plan to hand over this letter I've been given from my childhood friend to this man named Lao Fall." Junbei stated. "I'm not sure exactly who he is but I can find that out once we make it to signs of life." Junbei concluded. "I was reading about a city of Gold in Jaya but it seems to be a myth for certain. I'll go hunting for other treasures though, hehe. Try not to cause too much trouble, Capt'." Caprice said sighing as he strapped on his Neko Claw, backing his bag with several goods he'd bought in Alabasta, 'Neko Neko' snacks to be exact. "I'll follow Junbei and make sure he doesn't get into trouble." Charlotte commented. Walking over to the crew, Charlotte began to pull Jade's cheeks, "And this one too." Charlotte stated. "I swear... Jun's okay once he's playing music but you can just go berserk for the most simplistic things." Charlotte said, further stretching Jade's cheeks. "We should dock the Dutchman at the nearest port. Leave Jacob and friends on guard duty!" Charlotte exclaimed. "Bummer..." Iley said pouting, his head of golden locks pressed against the mast of the ship. "We can rotate shifts right Captain!?" Jacob asked. "Yeah, that's fine. Explore the city whenever ya'll get time." Junbei responded. "Captain!" Iley exclaimed rubbing his cheeks against Junbei's filled with tears of affection. "All I want is to see the rumoured angels!" Iley exclaimed with lustful eyes. "Besides... All we got to look at on this ship is flatchest-" Iley's statement almost rung out until his own genitals were rung like a gong. Curled up in ball, Charlotte walked into the cabin's on the deck, digging through a crate for several minutes until she pulled out two brown hooded coats. "Put these on you two. Ya'll are wanted now. I don't want get into the middle of any shoot-outs. Especially Mr.Flamboyant Jacket over there!" Charlotte said, commenting on Junbei's Strong Bird Coat. "Eh... It's so snazzy though." Junbei responded, checking out his duds once more. Slamming his fist into his hand, "I almost forgot. We need a pirate flag too. With a crew this size, it's ridiculous for us to not have a Jolly Roger." Junbei commented. "We need to find a flag maker in town then." Charlotte said. Veiling themselves, the ship approached the window.

A short woman, about 4'5 in height approached the window, hoisted on four boxes, unbeknownst to the adventurers. "Welcome to Heaven's Gate lovies." the woman stated. "My name is Merla. I'm the Guardian of Skypeia's Gate." the short woman with a stoic expression said clapping. Pressing a button, a big celebration of confetti and fire crackers went off, but this was really a distraction from the fact the Vision Den Den Mushi were focused on the ship's deck. His face tilted towards the ground, Junbei stepped forward from the pack. "I'm looking to handle some business in Sky Islan- I mean Skypeia. Is it possible me and my crew can gain entrance into the Kingdom?" Junbei said, putting on his most official and prim voice. "Why of course lovie. Anyone can enter into Skypeia... For a cost." the woman said ominously. Emerging from the pack, Caprice slid next to his Captain. "Oh yeah? How much?" the money main financial manager of the crew inquired. "10,000,000 Extol. I believe that's around 5,000,000 Million of your land dweller's currency correct?" Merla responded, her finger sliding underneath the desk, an index finger prime on a red button. Turning to his Captain, "Oi! Fi-Five Million, are you shitting me?" Caprice exclaimed angrily. "Captain... I've supported your wild spurs of adventure and your history with this unknown woman who made you a pirate or what not, but as a poor upstart crew, we can't afford to be shelling out this kind of money." Caprice argued, Caprice said kicking the ground. Sliding over to Jade, "Right Vice Captain?" the child inquired with glimmering eyes. "If it's wealth you seek, The Golden City possess many treasures. Gold, I believe that's an important thing to you land dwellers right?" Merla inquired, noticing Caprice dismay at the price. "In Skypeia, these things aren't very valuable to us due to the high commodities of gold we possess in our Vearth. I'm pretty sure whatever you make here is more than enough to make back up for anything you loose at the entrance." Merla said, with on eye closed, peering at the teenager. Caprice paid attention to nothing else that was said after this, the keywords, 'City of Gold' was all he needed. "Pay the woman Capt'! Hahahaha!" the teenager exclaimed. "So simple minded. Jacob!" Junbei exclaimed sternly sighing. "Go down to the treasure room, I need five million. If you please?" Junbei ordered, looking back under his hood and shooting a grin at the former bounty hunter. While the party waited, Junbei turned back to the woman, "Do you know anything about a man by the name of Lao Fall?" Junbei asked, not understanding the gravity of the question he just asked. A quick grim look flushed the face of the Guardian, an expression Charlotte quickly picked up on. "L-L-Lao Fall? Never heard of him. I don't think I've ever heard that name before either." Marla stated, diverting her eyes from the veiled pirate captain. "Oh..." Junbei exclaimed slightly disappointed. "Thanks anyway, I guess." the musician retorted. The woman's face was now flooded with sweat, as the sound of Jacob rushing up the stairs with several bags of beli impeded.

Dropping the sack of coins and paper onto the floor, Junbei turned towards the woman. "Will this suffice?" Junbei inquired. "Once it's 5,000,000 Million, I have no qualms. Place the bag onto the belt below!" the woman stated, shutting the booth's window. Emerging from the stall was a small mechanic belt, which retracted backwards towards the booth. Placing the bag onto the belt, the money was suctioned into the booth, and for the next five minutes, total silence befell the stall, until Marla reopened the window, "All green. Before ya'll move on, just a few rules about Skypeia. Right now, the whole town is under the law of the Human Consensus Act. What it means, is simply this, Wingless such as yourself are permitted to visit as tourists, as long as you have this piece of paper." Marla stated, extending the legal parchment towards the vessel with a grappling hand like device. "I'd urge you well to read it over." Marla said chuckling. "Oh! And remember! If your caught without that paper, you're technically an alien without his visa." Marla declared sternly. Scratching his head, Junbei was clueless. "She means..." Charlotte begun to speak slightly annoyed by the woman's decrees. "If we don't have this paper, we'll be seen as criminals to the nation, correct?" Charlotte inquired but the woman didn't answer the question. "Those without the paper if approached by officials can be sentenced to Five Years of Imprisonment in our jail system. Our old leader permits this to be so, and so, it shall be." Marla stated waving, the last words the crew heard from the woman, before the ship was shot off up the Milky Way Path, by at the time, an unknown force. Caprice clutched onto the paper tightly.

"I should've told them... Even with that paper.. The Shandian forces operate independent to the Kingdom's Laws. If they tangle with them, paper or not, they could end up enslaved, yohohoho..." the woman commented coldly.

♩Solar ♩ Gravitas & Vitas♩Strong Bird♩Blitz Sticks♩Oto Oto♩Oto Tier 3 ♩Nitufia♩Santufia♩Nitufia - Tier 2♩
"We're all caged song birds, waiting for someone to hear our sound"

Not visible to the Songbird's vision at first, a gigantic crustacean held onto the Dutchman Vessel, carrying them from Heaven's Gate towards a sea path that sent them upwards with a sign labeled 'Milky Road Ahead', several meters in the distance. However, before the crew could even read the sign, the ship had been shot off upwards. Meanwhile, in Skypeia, Angel Island, a tiny pink haired woman with a powerful voice screamed into her tone dial speakerphone, on top of a crate, preaching to the citizens of Skypeia. "Human's are not our enemies!" the small tulip colored woman scream feverishly. "Ugh... It's that brat again." an old man said, reading the Land Dweller's Coo as he sat in a nearby cafe near the preaching woman. "This Consensus Act leaves us at arms with the Land Dweller's! When all the Revolutionary's wish to do is bring peace to Skypeia!" the woman belted. "You've elected Lao Fall for what!? To send more of their kind into brutal punishment and slavery-" the woman shouted, her speech interrupted by several onlookers pelting rotten food at the child-like rebel. The mixture of the spoiled tomatoes along with the aging milk, sullied Chance's pure white dress with an odd dingy brown color. A gust of air rustled the woman's dress sky bound, as she closed in towards the Birkan defilers, only to have her lance stopped short of their throats. "Raven!" the woman called out in time, to halt the former Knight's movements. "They should watch their tongue and how they talk to you mistress!" Raven snarled in fury of their actions. Running away from the scene of the crime, Chance hopped off the box she was standing on, only to chop Raven playfully on her back. "Silly! If we cause trouble her, it'll only cause the White Berets to get involved!" Chance shouted, scolding the woman's brash actions. "I know but-" Raven spewed in frustrations of her actions being misunderstood, "It's okay." the small woman said embracing Raven. "Thank you for saving me." Chance smiling. "Eh.... Mistress. Anytime but could you let me go, you kind of stink." Raven said blushing. The embrace and awkward silence befell the duo.

Back on the ship, the Song Bird's vessel was being tossed around like a roller-coaster cart against an amusement park's rails by the seemingly unidentified force. Charlotte hung over the side of the ship, spewing out her insides into the Milky Sea. "I never get sea sick!" the woman exclaimed, as Jacob held onto the Navigator and the railing, while Iley grabbed her hair from whisking into the vomit. Junbei was sat rolling around the deck, curled up into a ball, thinking of the next piece he'd make while experiencing new life on Skypeia, full fascinated with the flora, he'd been seeing around him. "I think I'll make this next one an Opera piece-" Junbei's trade of thought interrupted as the ship flung itself upwards, treading the waterfall of Milky Sea before them in almost an instant. Revealing himself from below the Sea, The Speedy Shrimp popped out his head smiling, approached the clearing of the forest in the distance at a moderate rate. Rubbing her back to soothe the quick motions, Junbei walked over to the Kuja Clan member, "A navigator who gets sea sick with fast motions that's quite a riot! Gishishishi!" Junbei exclaimed, his head firmly tucked beneath the veil. "By the way, Jade's right. Something doesn't sit quite well with me either. She said, 'to have this paper at all times' does that make anyone who doesn't present it, is automatically a criminal?" Junbei exclaimed. "I guess she means what she says Capt'. If anything goes wrong, just know you can always count me on."Caprice stated grinning. In the distance, the purr of several engine's could be heard.

♩Solar ♩ Gravitas & Vitas♩Strong Bird♩Blitz Sticks♩Oto Oto♩Oto Tier 3 ♩Nitufia♩Santufia♩Nitufia - Tier 2♩
"We're all caged song birds, waiting for someone to hear our sound"

Tears begun to flow from Charlotte's eyes as she wrapped her hands around Jade, "He gets it!" the woman said nuzzling her face into the man's blue hair. "Junbei! You need to be more like our new Vice Captain!" Charlotte exclaimed scolding Junbei, who was now scaling the mast towards the Crow's Nest. Turning his neck backwards towards Jade and Charlotte, "I never wanted to cause a ruckus in the first place! It was Charlotte fault for not coming with us quietly! I had to kick Kipp's butt to win her over." Junbei stated pouted, almost near the peak of the ten meter mast, hopping into the crow's nest, the sound of the engine's became more apparent. "Radar!" Junbei exclaimed, releasing a series of high frequency sonar waves. "Something's approaching." Junbei thought. Closing his eyes, the man began to couple his Kenbunshoku with the sound-waves. "Ten- Twenty- Forty- Over Fifty! No- Nearly One Hundred!" Junbei discovered through his sonar senses. "Oi! A large party is heading in this direction!" Junbei exclaimed, Junbei said, sliding down a rope leading from the crow's nest towards the ship's deck. In moments, the force became apparent, a gigantic bird, similar to the species of a dodo bird, flapped it's feather's vigorously, in attempts to escape the party that followed directly behind it.

As the ship sailed, along the Milky Way Path, one of the Shandian's from the pack noticed the oncoming ship. "Boss. Below!" the Shandian informed. Making two hand signals, the force split into two packs, fifty jetted off towards the bird, engaging it into combat, the bird spread it's wings, releasing immense gusts which pushed the soaring winged men backwards about two meters in mid-air. It was a sight simply out of a storybook, creatures of the sky versus winged men. Landing on the deck of the ship, over fifty or so winged warriors encompassed the main deck, forecastle deck and poop deck of the Dutchman. Emerging from the floor boards, several ghosts appeared, swarming around the Shandian tribe, startling the men, the men took to arms, drawing the oddly shaped guns from their waists, others took grip onto their lances.

A muscular man about 5'9 in height raised his hand, the signal seemingly ordered the men to rest their arms at ease. "This is quite the welcome party. I didn't know Skypeia sent out welcoming parties to Land Dwellers like ourselves." Junbei said grinning, opening his hands outwards in a hugging like fashion. With his radar still active, Junbei solidly estimated they are fifty-one Shandian's on the vessel. Dressed in a colourful daishiki, with a headband filled with feathers, the leader of the pack had yet to draw any weapons or wasn't alarmed in anyway by the ghosts or the male's comments. A teen aged Shandian flapped from the forecastle towards the deck, next to the commanding officer. Making a series of hand signs, the teen began to interpret the warrior's hand-signs. "Right-o! I'll be the translator for our Boss Shikota! Simply put, what's your business in the Captia, Angel Island?" the teen said quite cheerfully. As the man's signs ended, he stated intensely at Junbei. Stepping closer to the boss of the pack, seven guards emerged, encircling the pirate."Woah there! Let's all relax." the teen announced, decoding the man's hand-signs with an immediate quote.

"I'm just getting closer to talk with your boss directly. No need to be so alarmed." Junbei responded. "We're a group of travelling musicians. I'm looking for unique instruments, I figured what better place to check than in the Sky." Junbei said smirking. "Oh..." the teen exclaimed. "Odd. If I remember correctly, I saw your face plastered in Land Dweller Press as a infamous pirate, The Auburn Songbird, Junbei Echo, ain'tcha?" the teen said grinning, this time conveying the information towards his boss. Immediately the demeanor of Shikota's body changed completely. Simply placing three fingers towards the sky, the party began to wreck the ship, firing off flaming shells from their oddly shaped guns, which set various parts of the ship aflame. "See since land dwellers started coming here about a couple years ago... We started paying more attention to what happens below our feet." the teen exclaimed.

---

Three hours before the Songbird's arrived in Skypeia, in Shandia Village, the chief sat among his clansmen, planning for the weekly hunt for game needed for the tribe to feast on over the next upcoming month. "Shikota." Sango shouted, turning towards the pack of tribesman, situated to the east his current location. Within the village, several houses are sparsely situated, resembling Native American tipi houses. Further off from the housing area, was a town square, which was indicated by a giant bonfire, boxing in multiple logs into it's fixture. This was where the Shandia People prepared for mass raids or war. Waving playfully towards Shikota, the chief begun to flap over to his Commanding Captain. Landing, the chief taunted the man, "Jeez! You always got that serious expression on ya' face Shiko! Cheer up!" he said, patting his hands on the man's shoulder, looking down directly into his eyes.

"Anyway. I need you to handle two things today. The first is the usual hunt, same old same old. The next is simple too. Knock Up Stream usually brings up trash from the floor, make sure that if we have any new incomers into Angel Island, that they aren't members of the Wingless Faction. We have a hard enough time handling the forces currently stationed here. Oh! And if you happen to come across any pirates-" the chief's words rung in the Commander's head back to the present moment.

---

"I've been ordered to Capture any pirates and their vessels." the man signed and the teen translated, smirking. "I'll need you to come with us, Auburn Songbird." the teen commented.