Chapter 23
After arriving in town, Ace quickly became the center of attention. The reason? He lacked the most distinct physical trait of the Sky Islanders—wings.
"Hey, my name's Ace. Could you tell me where I am?" he asked a nearby Sky Islander who looked relatively friendly.
"Hello, I'm Lati," the man replied, eyeing Ace with curiosity. "You're from the Blue Sea, right?"
Ace nodded. "Yeah, that's right. In your terms, I'm from the Qinghai below."
"This is Liuyun Island," Lati explained. "It's quite a distance from Angel Island."
Ace tilted his head. "Angel Island… I've heard of it. Isn't that part of the Kingdom of God?"
Lati nodded. "That's right. Are you planning to go there?"
"I do plan to, eventually," Ace said with a grin. "But right now, I'm starving. I need to eat something first. Is there a hotel or restaurant nearby?"
"The main food street is called Worry Street. It's at the eastern end of town. Just head straight east and you'll find it." Lati hesitated, then leaned closer and whispered, "But you should be careful. The 'Broken Monks' have been showing up around there a lot lately. They're not very friendly to people from the Blue Sea. If you see them, it's best to avoid trouble."
"Broken Monks…" Ace mused. He suddenly remembered something—among the eleven Supernovas who would rise to fame alongside Luffy, there was a pirate crew originally from Sky Island called the Fallen Monk Pirates. Their captain was known as Urki, or "Mad Monk" Urki. Could these be the same people?
"Thanks, Lati. I'll be careful," Ace said with a hearty smile before heading east.
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From Lati's explanation, Ace learned a few key things. First, this floating island was called Liuyun Island—an island that moves with the white currents of the White Sea. Second, it was home to a massive temple called the Sky Temple, inhabited by monks said to possess great power.
Because of its mobility and the powerful monks of the Sky Temple, Liuyun Island wasn't under the control of Enel and his Kingdom of God.
So Enel's already eaten the Thunder Fruit and tried to conquer Liuyun Island… but failed? That means this Sky Temple must be seriously formidable, Ace thought to himself.
"Liuyun Island… Sky Temple… and the Broken Monks. This is getting interesting," Ace chuckled, pulling down the brim of his hat with anticipation.
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When Ace finally reached Worry Street, he found that it was indeed a food paradise. The name, according to locals, came from the belief that good food could drive away one's worries.
Due to the lack of soil on Sky Islands, plants and meat were rare. As a result, most restaurants specialized in seafood from the White Sea—which turned out to be far more delicious than anything Ace had eaten in the Blue Sea.
A natural glutton, Ace hadn't eaten properly in days. Without restraint, he began raiding every restaurant on Worry Street. Within an hour, he had eaten his way through nearly every menu and bought out several places' entire stocks—drawing a crowd of stunned onlookers.
"Ahhh, that hit the spot!" Ace leaned back on a plush Rouyun chair in a hotel lobby, patting his stomach contentedly.
"The food here is surprisingly cheap," he commented. "I only spent 10,000 beli after eating all that!"
But Sky Island currency was Ik, and the exchange rate was 10,000 Ik to 1 beli. So Ace had just eaten 100 million Ik worth of food. Thankfully, he always carried cash, or he might've been forced to pull an Overlord Meal stunt this time.
"Please come again, honored guest!"
The shop owners on Worry Street gave him a collective farewell. Having received a 10,000 beli tip (worth billions in Ik), they even offered him a 20% discount for future visits.
---
Just as Ace was about to leave, an angry voice rang out from one of the restaurants:
"Urki, you bastard! Trying to eat and run again?!"
"And not only that—you even dared to pack the leftovers to go! Too much!"
The name made Ace stop in his tracks. He turned and saw several strong, robed figures bowing apologetically to a restaurant owner.
"Boss, we really have no money," said one of them sincerely. "If you want, you can beat us up to vent your anger."
Ace recognized the speaker—it was Urki, the future Supernova known as the Mad Monk.
"What's the point of beating you? You monk weirdos are always doing this," the shop owner fumed. "Why come to a restaurant if you can't pay? And then have the nerve to take food to go?!"
"I'm sorry," Urki bowed deeply. "My companions haven't eaten in days. If you'd allow it, we're willing to work to repay the debt."
"No way!" the owner waved his hands. "You guys would eat more than you'd earn. Just go. I'll consider it my bad luck today."
"Thank you, kind shopkeeper," Urki and the others said with polite bows before leaving.
Ace watched them go, deep in thought. So it really is Urki. And it looks like the Fallen Monk Pirates haven't formed yet. They're just struggling monks for now, not pirates.
Smiling, Ace walked into the restaurant and asked, "Boss, how much was their meal?"
"A full 10 million Ik!" the owner lamented. "What a loss…"
Ace casually pulled out 10,000 beli and handed it over. "Here. That should cover it. If they come back, just take it from this."
The shopkeeper stared in shock before breaking into a smile. "Thank you, kind sir!"
Ace simply tipped his hat and left with a grin.
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