After dinner, the training continued.
For the Black Crow Pirates, if there was nothing urgent to do, most of their time was spent training individually.
Of course, they also occasionally engaged in things that personally interested them.
At night.
After finishing his training, Mio returned to his room, took a sip of rum, and spread out a map across the table. His eyes landed on the location marked as "Impel Down."
Impel Down was situated in the Calm Belt. To get there, one had to pass through the current beneath the Gate of Justice. The prison itself was an underwater fortress, built on the seabed—a towering structure that reached deep into the ocean's depths.
Looking at the map, Mio's intentions were clear—he was planning to head to Impel Down.
Before entering the New World, he had to go there.
After all, that place was filled with Devil Fruit users. There was no way he could miss such an opportunity.
And this time, right before entering the New World, was the best window to act.
Gurgle gurgle.
Taking another sip of rum, Mio let the alcohol slide down his throat. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as a gleam of excitement flashed in his eyes.
It was clear he had thought of a perfect plan.
"There's no rush. Once we reach the Sabaody Archipelago, things should be just about ready," Mio murmured. He placed the bottle down, leaned over the table, and began tapping it rhythmically with his right index finger.
The reason Mio dared to set his sights on Impel Down was because he knew something critical—most pirates weren't killed outright by the Navy. Instead, they were first imprisoned, which meant their lives were preserved.
Only a few were sentenced to execution.
Most notably, the powerful overlords of the past, legends of the sea, were locked away in the sixth level of Impel Down and never executed.
That was something Mio found truly strange.
Why didn't the Navy simply eliminate such dangerous pirates? Why lock them up?
"It can't be…" Mio's expression shifted slightly. He had a theory.
Could it be related to the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit?
Rocks, Roger's predecessor, had been a user of that fruit. Perhaps the World Government had learned about the fruit's power during their war with Rocks—the ability to plunder other Devil Fruit abilities. Was it possible they were keeping powerful pirates alive to eventually strip them of their powers?
"Seems likely," Mio muttered.
Either way, it worked in his favor. Since the Navy preferred to imprison instead of executing, he didn't have to worry too much about dying if captured.
As for how he would escape from Impel Down when the time came—well, Mio had his own ways.
The next morning.
After breakfast, Mio and his crew resumed sailing around the area, waiting for the Knock-Up Stream to appear.
During the waiting period, everyone kept up with their individual training.
Notably, Erica once again displayed her Conqueror's Haki during training.
This was great news—it meant she was getting closer to truly mastering it.
But that day, the Knock-Up Stream didn't appear.
So they waited.
All preparations were already complete, so there was no reason to leave the area.
Three days passed.
Still no upwelling.
That afternoon, Mio lay on a lounge chair beneath a parasol on the deck, holding a bottle of rum in one hand.
"Ugh… So boring. When is that damn upwelling going to appear?" he groaned.
Robin, seated nearby, asked, "Captain, are you sure this thing appears every month? Maybe it only happens a few times a year, and you just remembered it wrong?"
"How could that be? I've got a great memory," Mio rolled his eyes and took another sip of wine. He glanced at Hei Yan and Warwick sparring nearby on the deck but wasn't in the mood to join them today.
If the Knock-Up Stream didn't appear soon, he might just ask Lilith to fly them up.
Though, Mio wasn't sure if his physical strength could handle flying that far—Sky Island was extremely far from sea level.
Just then, waves rippled violently across the water, and Hanba's massive figure surfaced beside the ship.
"Master!" he called out excitedly. "Something's happening at the bottom of the sea!"
"Huh?" Mio quickly sat up. "What is it?"
"There's a huge hole on the seabed! Something's building up inside. Could it be that upwelling you mentioned?"
Apparently, while they had been anchored in this area, Hanba had occasionally wandered around the seabed out of boredom. He had come across the hole and now noticed movement within.
"A deep hole…" Mio furrowed his brow before his eyes lit up. He suddenly remembered—the original cause of the Knock-Up Stream was a deep hole in the seabed.
If that's the case, then today might just be the day.
"Hanba! Move the ship directly above the hole," Mio ordered.
"Yes, Master." Hanba dove beneath the waves and quickly began steering the ship into position.
Soon, they arrived at the right spot.
Hanba surfaced again.
"Master, it's getting even more intense down there. Should we leave?"
"No need," Mio said with an excited grin. "If I'm right, the upwelling will begin any moment now. Hanba, head to a safe distance."
"Yes." Hanba nodded and immediately swam away from the area.
Robin stood up and asked, "Captain, do you think we'll actually make it to Sky Island?"
"If everything goes right—yeah," Mio said, walking to the edge of the ship and staring into the sea.
The corners of his mouth lifted.
"It's definitely coming."
He could already see changes in the water. The sea began to swirl—faint at first, then growing stronger.
"Robin, grab the mast and hold on tight!" Mio shouted.
Before she could ask why, the sea suddenly spun violently, forming a massive whirlpool that seemed to reach into the depths of the ocean.
The ship was quickly pulled into the whirlpool and began to sink.
"Master, what should we do?" Erica called out, frowning at the danger.
"Relax." Mio's voice was calm. He quickly adjusted the sails and used the rudder to stabilize the ship's position, preventing it from being pulled further into the whirlpool.
As long as the ship stayed stable, they wouldn't get sucked under—and if everything went right, the real phenomenon was about to begin.
Sure enough—
The whirlpool intensified, but thanks to Mio's efforts, the ship remained steady.
Then, just as suddenly as it formed, the whirlpool vanished.
The sea grew calm again.
Robin, still clinging to the mast, asked nervously, "That's it? Nothing happened?"
Mio's grin widened.
"Nope. The real show's just getting started."
BOOM!
The sea exploded beneath them.
A massive surge of water erupted from the depths, lifting the ship into the air.
Then, a colossal geyser of ocean water launched them upward—rising rapidly, higher and higher, piercing into the clouds.
"Hahahaha! It's finally here—the Knock-Up Stream!!" Mio burst out laughing, gripping the helm.
"Everyone, hold on tight! Don't let go of anything!"
The ship followed the rising current, ascending with incredible speed, surging into the sky—
Toward the legendary Sky Island.