I, Kizaru, only came to the chat group after I became invincible

Chapter 460 Freedom?

“Maybe one day you’ll be able to go and see it,” Robin said gently.

“My name is Leah,” the girl introduced herself. “If you need anything, please let me know.”

“Thank you, Leah,” Robin said. “Could you tell us when the elders will likely make their decision?”

“We should have a result by tomorrow,” Leah said. “The elders will discuss it all night. They take this matter very seriously.”

“We understand,” Borsalino said. “We will wait patiently.”

After Leah left, everyone sat together and shared the food. Although they were in a foreign land and under house arrest, at least they were safe for the time being.

"This food tastes pretty good," Luffy said, taking a big bite. "Although it's not as good as Sanji's."

“It’s good enough to have something to eat,” Usopp said.

“We should know the results tomorrow,” Nami said expectantly. “I hope the elders will understand.”

“Yes, they will.” Robin said confidently. “They will definitely feel our sincerity.”

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windows, waking the Straw Hat Pirates from their sleep. Despite being in a foreign land and under house arrest on their first night in Sky Lavala, everyone slept soundly.

"Good morning!" Luffy stretched lazily. "I wonder what today will be like?"

"We should have news soon." Borsalino stood by the window, gazing at the city view outside. The sky above Lavala looked exceptionally serene and beautiful in the morning light.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

“Please come in,” Robin said.

The door opened, and Leah, whom I had seen yesterday, walked in, followed by a middle-aged man. The man was tall and had a resolute face. He was dressed in exquisite traditional clothing, with a decorative short sword at his waist.

“Good morning,” Leah said with a smile. “This is Mr. Karen; the elders sent him.”

Karen stepped forward, first scanning everyone with a scrutinizing gaze, then bowing slightly.

“My name is Karen Stoneheart, and I am the deputy captain of the Lavala Guard.” His voice was deep and powerful. “The elders discussed the matter overnight and made a decision.”

Everyone waited anxiously for his next words.

“The elders have decided,” Karen paused, “to temporarily accept your intentions.”

"Really?" Nami said happily.

“But there are conditions,” Karen continued. “First, you must be accompanied and monitored at all times while you are in Lavala. Second, you cannot access any military facilities or important classified information. Third, your weapons must be temporarily stored away.”

“These conditions are acceptable,” Borsalino answered on behalf of everyone. “We understand the elders’ caution.”

“Very good.” Karen nodded, her expression softening slightly. “From now on, I will be your monitor. I will also serve as your guide, showing you around Lavala.”

“Thank you, Mr. Karen,” Robin said sincerely.

“You’re welcome,” Karen said. “It’s my duty. And, frankly, I’m quite curious about you as well. You are the first outsiders to arrive in Lavala in 800 years.”

"What about our ship?" Franky asked with concern.

“The Thousand Sunny will be temporarily stored on the docking platform,” Karen replied. “No one will touch it, but you can’t approach it for the time being.”

"Understood." Although Franky was somewhat reluctant, he understood that this was a necessary measure.

“So, are you ready?” Karen asked. “I will take you on a tour of Lavala.”

"Of course!" Luffy jumped up excitedly. "I've been wanting to travel everywhere for ages!"

Led by Karen, the Straw Hat Pirates left the guest room area and officially began their exploration of Sky Lavala.

The city of Lavala was full of life in the early morning. Many residents were already out and about on the streets, some cleaning, some carrying goods, and children chasing and playing.

“Lavara is the heart of our entire island,” Karen explained. “It’s home to about five thousand people and is the only city on the island.”

"Only five thousand people?" Nami was somewhat surprised. "I thought there would be more."

“For 800 years, we have strictly controlled our population,” Karen explained. “The island has limited resources, and too many people would be a burden.”

They walked along the wide main street, where the buildings on both sides maintained a unified black ballast style, but each had its own unique characteristics.

"Are all these buildings built with pumice?" Franky asked curiously.

“Yes,” Karen nodded. “Pumice is our most important resource. It’s used not only for construction, but also for all sorts of tools and facilities.”

"How do you mine pumice?" Franky continued to press.

“Beneath Lavala Island lies a vast pumice vein,” Karen said. “We have specialized miners responsible for extracting it, but we must be careful not to damage the island’s structure.”

"If there are too many pumice stones, won't the island fly too high?" Sauron raised a practical question.

“Good question.” Karen gave him an approving look. “We have a specialized balancing system. By moving and distributing light stones, we can control the island’s altitude and stability. This is a technology passed down from our ancestors, and it’s the key to our ability to survive in the air for 800 years.”

They arrived at a wide plaza, in the center of which stood a colossal statue. The statue depicted a human figure with outstretched arms, exactly like the one in the underwater temple.

“This is the god of power,” Karen explained. “The deity our ancestors worshipped.”

“There are similar statues in the underwater temple,” Robin said. “It seems this belief has persisted for 800 years.”

“Yes,” Karen’s voice rang with pride. “We have maintained the traditions of our ancestors. Our language, writing system, beliefs, and customs have remained virtually unchanged.”

“This is truly an amazing cultural heritage,” Robin exclaimed sincerely.

Continuing on, they passed through the market area. Various stalls were set up there, selling food, clothing, tools, and other daily necessities.

"Where do you get your food?" Sanji, as the chef, was very interested in this. "It must be difficult to grow crops in the sky, right?"

“Quite the opposite,” Karen corrected. “Pumice makes agriculture much easier.”

He led everyone to a farmland area on the outskirts of the city. The sight there amazed everyone.

Vast farmlands floated in mid-air, each supported by a lightweight stone platform. Various crops were grown on them, a lush, vibrant green, thriving vigorously. Farmers stood on the flying platforms, moving between the different fields to cultivate the land. "This is amazing!" Chopper exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Farmlands can fly!"

“Because of the pumice, the soil becomes very light, and plant roots don’t need to work as hard to grow,” Karen explained. “And at this altitude, there’s plenty of sunshine and rainfall. Our crop yields are much higher than in the lower realm.”

“And this tiered planting method makes the most of the space,” Franky exclaimed. “What a brilliant design!”

“This is the wisdom of our ancestors,” Karen said. “We have been continuously improving this system for 800 years.”

They saw a farmer operating a flying platform loaded with freshly harvested vegetables. Small pebbles were embedded in the bottom of the platform, allowing it to fly easily.

"Besides crops, do you also have livestock?" Sanji asked.

“Yes.” Karen led them to another area. “This is the ranch.”

The pasture was also built on a pumice platform and was home to animals resembling sheep and chickens. These animals looked similar to those in the Nether, but were slightly smaller.

"Where did these animals come from?" Chopper asked curiously.

“They all flew into the sky with our ancestors when the region split apart,” Karen said. “Over the past 800 years, they have adapted to this environment.”

Continuing their tour, they arrived at a huge reservoir. The clear water shimmered in the sunlight.

"Where does your water come from?" Nami asked.

“It mainly relies on rainwater harvesting,” Karen said, pointing to the collection devices around the reservoir. “We’ve installed rainwater harvesting systems throughout the island. In addition, there are several streams on the island, whose water source is underground aquifers.”

“What a self-sufficient and complete system,” Borsalino exclaimed. “Your ancestors created a perfect aerial ecosystem.”

“But there’s a price to pay.” Karen’s tone suddenly turned heavy.

"What price?" Robin keenly caught the meaning in his words.

Karen was silent for a moment, then said, "Come with me, I'll take you somewhere."

They left the agricultural area and came to a tall tower on the edge of the city. The tower was taller than the surrounding buildings, and its top had an observation deck.

“Climb up,” Karen said.

The group climbed the stairs inside the tower. When they reached the top, the view before them took everyone's breath away.

From this height, the entire island of Lavala is clearly visible in the sky. The island's edge is a steep cliff, below which lies a thick layer of clouds, and beyond that, the unseen ocean. And as far as the eye can see, besides this solitary island, there is only the endless sky.

“It’s beautiful,” Usopp said, “but also very lonely.”

“Yes, loneliness.” Karen’s voice was filled with complex emotions. “This is our price. For 800 years, we have lived in isolation, under these skies.”

"Haven't you thought about going back to the surface?" Borsalino asked the question that had been on his mind all along. "Or at least going down and taking a look?"

Karen turned around and looked at them, her eyes revealing a deep sense of helplessness.

“It’s not that we haven’t tried,” he said slowly. “In fact, for the first few generations, returning to Earth was our biggest dream.”

"Then why didn't it succeed?" Robin pressed.

“Because our bodies can no longer adapt to the environment of the lower realm,” Karen sighed. “About two hundred years ago, our ancestors organized an expedition to attempt to land on the sea.”

He paused for a moment, recalling historical records.

"When the expedition team descended to an altitude of approximately 500 meters, everyone began to experience severe physical discomfort. Dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing, and some even fainted."

“The reverse version of altitude sickness.” Nami understood. “You’ve adapted to the thin air at high altitudes, so you can’t handle the normal air pressure at ground level.”

“That’s right,” Karen nodded. “It’s like how you lower-world people experience altitude sickness when you climb high mountains; we experience similar symptoms when we descend to lower altitudes, only in reverse.”

"What happened to the exploration team after that?" Chopper asked worriedly.

“They were forced to turn back,” Karen said. “If they had continued descending, their lives would likely have been in danger. Since then, no one has dared to try again.”

“So you’re trapped in the sky,” Robin said with sympathy.

"Trapped? Perhaps," Karen said with a wry smile. "But this is our home. For 800 years, we have lived and thrived here, creating our own civilization. Sky Lavara is our world."

"But aren't you curious about the world below?" Luffy asked. "The sea, islands, all sorts of people, and adventures."

“Of course I’m curious.” A glint of longing flashed in Karen’s eyes. “Every Lavaran is filled with imagination about the lower world. But we can only learn about it through ancient records and the occasional object that floats up.”

"Items that floated up?" Franky asked curiously.

“Yes,” Karen explained. “Sometimes strong winds blow things up to our height. Planks, feathers, and even the occasional bird. We study these things carefully, trying to understand the changes in the lower realm.”

“That sounds so lonely,” Nami said sadly.

“Perhaps,” Karen said. “But we don’t feel unhappy. We have our own lives, our own happiness. And, at least we are free.”

“Freedom?” Sauron repeated the word.

“Yes, freedom.” Karen’s tone became firm. “When Lavala was attacked and split, our ancestors could have surrendered and accepted the rule of those attackers. But they chose to fly into the sky, preferring isolation to maintaining their freedom and independence.”

“Who were those attackers?” Borsalino asked. “Why did they attack Lavala?”

“This…” Karen hesitated for a moment. “It’s the greatest mystery in our history. The ancient records about that attack are very vague. We only know that the attack came from the sky, from some powerful force, but who exactly attacked, and why, nobody knows.”

“Perhaps the elders know more,” Robin speculated.

“Perhaps,” Karen said. “But that’s a secret of the higher-ups, something beyond my level to know.”

They stood atop the tower for a while longer, admiring the unique view of the sky. Then Karen led them down the tower to continue their tour of the rest of the city.

“This is our library,” Karen said, pointing to a magnificent building. “It contains all the records from the past 800 years.”

"Can I go in and take a look?" Robin's eyes lit up.

(End of this chapter)