Grandma, do you see this? Do you see this Vearth?, Sid thought as she sat on the steps of Iwan's front porch. She watched the sun slowly rise and turn the sky purple and the fields and pastures a soft yellow. A blanket was draped over her shoulders and Boo was snoring lightly in her lap.

Everyone was still asleep in the house. Iwan, Cricket, Shoujo and Mashira stayed up late chatting and catching up. While Sid went to bed early, she was too excited to really sleep. She had lied awake on a flattened out haystack on the loft overlooking the living room, thinking about all that she had experienced already and her journey had only just begun. It was this excitement that drove her out of her makeshift bed before anyone else. She was eager to start the day. Eager to learn all that she can. Eager to just be in this world.

They had only spent barely an hour in town yesterday and Sid was looking forward to the next time they could go. The town, itself, was only an hour's walk from the farmlands, half that time if Sid could just ride Boo full speed. It was situated on the outskirts of the island and Iwan had told them that if they go through town and head onwards the base of the mountain, they would reach a bigger town, Molaga, which was the capital of the Lisart kingdom and where the entrance to the fortress and the factories were. Sid could only imagine what awaited for her there.

However, with all the excitement, she did not lose sight of her purpose. They were told by Iwan that the farming territory covered almost two thirds of this island. Each farm grew a variety of crops. Sid couldn't wait to learn about them and possibly collect a few seedlings.

The door creaked behind her and Cricket joined her on the steps.

"You're up early," he said and handed her a mug of something hot and steaming, "Here. Have some coffee."

"Is it food? Good! Because I'm starving," Sid groaned as she sniffed the cup, "It smells nice. Like dirt."

"Earthy. We describe that as earthy," Cricket chuckled. He lifted his mug for her to see the contents, "I drink mine without anything in it. Black. But I added milk in yours. Since it's your first time drinking coffee, I figured to go easy on you. It can be a little bitter."

"Thank you," Sid said as she looked down at her mug, "And not just for the coffee...Thank you for everything."

"Don't mention it," Cricket said.

"You didn't need to do all this. You could've just listened to my story and then sent me on my way. I would've figured something out..."

Cricket shrugged. "It's not like I had anything better to do. Besides, I like helping out fools like you."

"Would you want to go to Sky Island? I can take you when I'm-"

Cricket shook his head and he held up a hand. "No. That chapter of my life is done. Noland and I have settled our score."

"I understand," Sid said and took a sip of her coffee. She let it coat her tongue, hitting all her taste buds and alerting her to the mildly bitter but deeply complex flavor, "This is good. I like it."

She downed her cup and held it out to Cricket. "Can I have more?"

Cricket gaped at her. "You finished it that quickly?! You're going to burst with energy!"

"Huh? Why? Is this something-?" Sid started to ask and then she stopped herself. She stayed very still for a brief second. Then she set down her cup and slowly transferred Boo to Cricket's lap.

"What's going on?" Cricket asked.

Shing! Thwack!

In one swift move, she pulled her trident out from the cloth and threw it into nearby row of tall tomato plants.

"AH! Don't kill me! I'm just a journalist!" Paddy screamed as he came running out with a slight tear on his left sleeve, "My name is Paddy!"

"Jour...nalist?" Sid repeated and she looked at Cricket, "What's that?"

"He's just a kid," Cricket snorted, "Ignore him."

"I saw you..." Sid said slowly and walked down the steps to meet Paddy, "I saw you yesterday. You were on that hill with that man and bear..."

"Oh good! You remember me!" Paddy said with a sigh of relief. He straightened up his posture and gave a slight tilt of his cap, "My name is O'Bearan Padra. My father, Fergal, is a farmer. He lives just down the road from Iwan."

"What the hell were you doing sneaking around then? This doesn't seem very neighborly," Cricket asked as he drank his coffee.

Paddy tilted his chin up. "Like I said, I'm a journalist. I wasn't sneaking around. I was just seeing if I could get a story."

"Sounds like snooping to me," Cricket mumbled.

"A story? You came here looking for a story?" Sid asked.

"Not just a story," Paddy said and whipped out his pad and pencil, "I want your story. Who are you? What is with your wings? And that thing that was on your lap? That thing is alive isn't it? What is it?"

"I'm-," Sid started to say. She was stopped short when Cricket grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back behind him.

In his haste, the old diver forgot about the sky sheep and he was flung into the air before naturally stopping himself. Boo opened his eyes and blinked sleepily at his owner while still hovering in midair. "Boo?"

"No comment," Cricket yelled as he turned his back on the boy and gently pushed Sid towards the door, "No comment ever!"

Boo floated over to Sid and flopped over her shoulder. "Boo?"

"Wow! So it is alive! What is it?!" Paddy exclaimed.

"Sorry, kid," Cricket said without turning to him, "You won't be getting any answers from us."

"Could you at least give me your name?" Paddy yelled out in desperation just as Sid went into the house.

"I'm Sid!"

Thwack!

The door slammed shut.

"Sid..." Paddy murmured to himself as he scribbled it down on his notepad, "Interesting."

Inside the house, Sid put her hands on her hips as she waited for Cricket to explain himself. When he didn't, she reached for the doorknob, only for him to beat her to it.

"At least, let me go outside and bring the cups back in," Sid said exasperatedly.

"Wait until that kid is really gone."

"What kid, old timer?" Shoujo yawned as he poked his head out from under the blanket. He and Mashira had decided to sleep right on Iwan's living room floor while Cricket and Sid had each taken a guest bedroom. Next to him, his brother stirred in his sleep but did not wake up.

"Nothing," Cricket grumbled, "Just a nosy neighbor."

"Why couldn't I tell him who I was?" Sid asked and folded her arms over her chest.

"You have to be careful of who you talk to," Cricket said, "Remember what happened to Montblanc Noland. You don't want to be called a liar, believe me."

Sid rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to hide who I am. If people can't handle the truth, that's their problem. Not me."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Cricket scowled and flung the door open to tear a new one into the overly aggressive boy. "Oy! We already said-"

He stopped when he realized that the person who knocked wasn't Paddy. Dirty blonde hair hung awkwardly over a sunken, gloomy face, who's hollow eyes narrowed at the sight of Cricket. "You're not Iwan," the visitor stated.

"No. I'm not," Cricket said, "Sorry about that. I thought you were-"

"Get off my property, Leroy!" Iwan roared as he charged into the living room. He was a short and stout man. Years of diving had kept Cricket in shape but farming did not have the same effect on Iwan. He had a pumpkin sized belly that he covered with a red and blue plaid shirt, tucked into olive green corduroy pants. His salt and pepper hair extended all the way to his scraggly matching beard, "I already said I wasn't selling my property!"

"Iwan," the visitor said, unfazed by the hostile greeting. He dug into his ragged coat pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper, "I actually wasn't here to make a new offer. I came to invite you...and I guess, your guests...to the ball tomorrow evening."

"Ball?" Sid asked, "What's a ball?"

"Not now, Sid," Cricket muttered, sensing the tension in the room.

"Not going!" Iwan announced, "Tell your king he's not going to sway me with his fancy shenanigans."

"But he's opening it to everyone in the country. Even you farmers," Leroy said, giving a look of disgust for saying the last word, "It would be in your best interest for you to attend."

"Doesn't change my mind so you might as well leave," Iwan insisted.

"Fine..." the man grunted, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Warn?" Sid raised an eyebrow, "Warn us about what?!"

Leroy coughed. "Must've misspoke. Good day to you all," he said as he gave a nod. Just as he left, he was almost pushed aside by the teenage journalist.

"I am completely and ready to hear the truth!" Paddy declared as he stormed through the front door and scribbled away on his notepad, "As a journalist, it is my duty to tell the truth and reveal both sides of the story. So, please! Tell me everything!"

"Oh, Paddy! Good morning to you," Iwan said brightly as he ceremoniously closed the door on the man's offended face.

"Ah! This kid," Cricket groaned, "We're not telling you anything!"

"But-"

"Paddy," Iwan interjected, "Does your dad have any fresh eggs to spare? I'm running low. I wasn't expecting to have so many guests."

Sid winced. "Is this because I ate a lot of those sandwiches last night? I'm so sorry. I don't usually eat this much but I'm just...so hungry these days. I can compensate you with gold! Do you want some gold?!"

Cricket's annoyance with the boy was replaced by concern for his former crew member. "Ah! We didn't mean to intrude, Iwan," Cricket said, "We can stay at the inn in town."

"Yeah," Mashira said as he sat up from the floor and rubbed his eyes. Finally awakened by the noise, "Shoujo and I are happy to stay back on our ship too. Our crew is there right now."

"Please keep your gold, Sid. You'll need those on your journey and what are you all talking about? Staying on your ship? Do you know how long it's been since I had guests? And I could never turn away my old captain," Iwan said with a grin.

"Your old captain?!" Paddy gasped as he turned to a new page for this breaking news, "Do you mean you're all pirates?! Oh gosh. Two pirate crews in two days. Wow!"

"There is a pirate crew here?" Sid asked.

"I'm not a pirate!" Cricket exclaimed at the same time, "Well, not anymore at least."

"We're scavengers!" Shoujo said proudly, "The best on the Grand Line."

"Oooh! Scavengers," Paddy said, "Anything in particular you're looking for? Buried treasure? Sunken ships?"

"Actually, we were looking for the City of Gold. Ookekeke," Mashira laughed, "Until Sid came along and-"

"That's enough, Mashira," Cricket snapped.

"Sid? Was he talking about you? You know something about the City of Gold?" Paddy asked to the Shandian and then continued to write. He didn't notice the glare Cricket was shooting at the rest of the room, daring them to say anything else.

"Paddy," Iwan said gently, "The eggs?"

"I'll ask my dad when I get home," Paddy said, oblivious to the atmosphere, and then he grinned at the winged woman, "Well?"

A firm smile locked on to Sid's face and she put her hands on her hips. "I'm Sid. A warrior of the Shandian tribe, now returned to the ancient city of Shandora, a legendary city of gold...Which is now part of the country of Skypiea, a sky island."

"Sid!" Cricket yelled as Mashira, Shoujo, and Iwan all buried their face in their hands.

The tip of Paddy's pencil broke from how hard he was writing but that did not stop him one bit. "Wow! Wow! Amazing! Go on! You're from an island IN THE SKY?! How'd you get down here then?!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Cricket fumed and he tore the notepad away from Paddy's hands. On her shoulder, Boo shrank a little and tucked himself behind Sid's neck, using her two low hair buns as extra cover.

"Hey! That's mine!" Paddy said as Cricket began to rip away the pieces of paper concerning them, "HEY!"

"Sid, believe it or not, I'm trying to protect you!" Cricket said, "You don't understand how cruel the people here can be!"

Sid couldn't believe her eyes and ears as she watched the old diver shred the pages into little bits. "I fought in a 400-year war! Of course I understand!"

Paddy's eyes widened. "A 400-year old war?! How old are you? Are you an ANGEL?!"

"No. I didn't actually fight all those- Ah! One person at a time!" Sid shouted and then pointed her finger at Cricket mostly to help herself keep focus, "I may not know how things work down here but I am familiar with how people work. I might not have spent much time down here but I wasn't born yesterday. I know how dangerous and cruel people can be. Believe me."

She brought her fists to her sides but kept her eyes locked on the old diver. "I don't care if people laugh at me. I don't care if they don't believe me. I spent my whole life putting my own selfish desires and dreams to the side for my people. Now that the war is over, I can finally do what I want and just be me! So I'm not going to hide who I am."

The room fell into a long and uncomfortable silence as everyone waited for either Sid or Cricket to say something. Finally, the old man sighed and handed the notepad back to Paddy. "Sorry," he said and rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess there's still a chip on my shoulder."

Sid sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "I understand."

Iwan gave a small cough and he smiled when they turned to look at him. "Paddy, why don't you take Sid to town, get some food for her there, and bring back some eggs for me? Maybe some bacon while you're at it. You know this land just as well as I do. You can introduce her to all the different crops you pass by. There's still a farmer's brain under that journalist cap, I know it."

"Sure," Paddy said as he adjusted the cap on his head and took back his notepad with loose pages fluttering to the floor, "Sid?"

Sid waited for Cricket to object but when he said nothing, she shrugged and gave a nod. "Alright. Let's go. I'm going to take Boo with me, okay?"

Cricket let out a snort. "Do what you want. Why are you asking me for permission? You're a free woman."

"Yes," Sid said with a relieved smile, "Yes, I am."

Sid and Paddy were both delighted to find how easy it was to talk to one another. They both had a lot of questions for each other and answered them with equal enthusiasm. Their journey through the fields, up the hills, and around the coastline to town went by a lot sooner than either of them expected and before they knew it, they were walking down the main street.

When the Shandian had first arrived in town the previous day, she was struck by how vastly different it was to both the farmlands and Mock Town. The wide streets were paved with cobblestones and the buildings that lined each side were also made with the same sturdy, grey rock. Wooden signs hung outside each business with weathered green and bronze paint indicating what kind of establishment it was. She and the Saruyama Alliance had visited a lot of them, including the bakery, the toy shop, and a general store that was pretty much a museum of Blue Sea wares to Sid.

The town had been busy the day before but it was nothing compared to the commotion that was happening in front of Sid and Paddy. The street was practically jammed full of people. It was all Sid and Paddy could do to grab a sandwich and squeeze there way towards the front of the general store, which was so crowded there was a line of people just waiting to get in.

"Wh-What's going on here?" Sid asked with her mouth full. She used her free hand to pluck Boo off her shoulder and put him in the messenger bag. With all the pushing and shoving going on, she'd rather not have him knocked down and trampled over.

"I have no idea," Paddy said with his sandwich still untouched. His hand held to the back of his cap as he whirled around to find someone who could possibly give them answers. He spotted a woman with an armload of fabric and ribbons hurrying down the street and he intercepted her before she could run past the store, "Hey! Hey, Gemima-san!"

"Oh! Paddy-kun," the woman gasped. Sweat beaded down her wrinkled brow and left a trail mark down her heavily powdered face, "You startled me. I'm sorry I didn't see you there. I'm in bit of a rush to get home. You understand, yes?"

Paddy gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I actually don't know what's going on."

Gemima clucked her tongue. "See? This is exactly why my husband and I sold our land and moved into town. You have to convince your father to do the same. Staying back there means you never know what's happening around you and you miss out! To think, if you didn't come into town today, you'd miss out too."

"Miss out on what?"

Gemima clutched her swaths of fabric closer to her and she let out a delighted squeal. "Oh! The king is opening up his monthly ball to the entire kingdom!"

Paddy's jaw dropped more than a few inches. "WHAT?!"

Gemima let out another squeal again. "I know! It's going to be wonderful. It's not just the people who work in the factories! It's everyone, including the farmers! Oh! You must go back and tell your father, Iwan, and everyone else who's still there," she said as her hips wiggled by the sheer thought of the occasion, "Oh! I must be going. I have to make a whole new outfit not just for myself but my husband too. We have to look our best!'

"Y-Yes, of course. See you tonight then, Gemima-san," Paddy tipped his cap to Gemima, who was more than happy to go about her day.

"I don't understand," Sid said when Paddy returned to the general store. She was finishing off the last bits of her sandwich...She hadn't even bothered to get through the line and was sitting on the railing that lined the front porch. Her arms were crossed and her back was up against the support beam that went all the way to the thatched roof. Her messenger bag, with Boo poking his nose out from the flap, rested on her lap, "Everyone keeps talking about the king's ball. Does ball mean something different in the Blue Sea? Isn't it just something round?"

Paddy rested his elbows against the railing and leaned out so he could see the mountain that loomed over the island. He stared at the fortress with it's waving flags and imposing presence. "A ball is a formal social gathering with lots of dancing."

"Oh! A celebration," Sid said and she uncrossed her arms, "What is the king celebrating?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Paddy admitted, "But I'd sure like to find out."

Sid frowned. "Sounds like fun but why doesn't Iwan want to go? That guy you almost ran over this morning was the one who came to invite us. Iwan almost tore his head off..."

Paddy winced and he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah...Iwan is like my dad, he wants nothing to do with the king."

Sid tilted her head to the side. "Why? Did the king do something bad?"

"No! King Sadal is a great man!" Paddy shouted and then he realized how public their current setting was. More than a few people were eyeing them with curiosity. "Come on!"

He grabbed Sid by the wrist. He led her around the general store and to the back, where it faced a quiet back alley with no one in sight.

Sid eyed her surroundings but kept her mouth shut. She patted her bag and Boo came floating out of it. He plopped on top of her head and looked curiously at the boy.

"Boo?"

"Okay," Paddy said as he took off his cap and raked his hand through his hair. He flipped the cap back on and he took a deep breath, "You see those factories and the fortress up in the mountain?"

"Yes?"

"Well, those weren't here a few years ago. The only thing on that mountain was the king's broken down castle. A few years ago, this town that we're standing in now wasn't even here. It was just farmland! Everything, aside from Molaga, which wasn't as big as it is now, was just farmland."

"What?" Sid exclaimed and then a look of outrage took over her face, "Who destroyed your crops?! How dare they take away your land!"

"Wh-What? No! No one destroyed anything!" Paddy said and he held up his hands, "Okay. Let's take a few steps back and let me start from the beginning...Up until recently, this country was a very poor country. Sure we had lots of land, great climate for growing all types of things, and an abundance of fruit and vegetables but not a lot of people came here to buy it. We're on the Grand Line. People don't know how to get here unless they know about it in the first place. Why would they come here anyways? For something stupid, like a carrot?"

"What's a carrot?" Sid asked.

Paddy groaned. "Not the point, Sid!"

"Right. Sorry. Continue."

"Then King Sadal made a deal with the World Economic Journal."

"The what? A book?"

"It's the world's leading newspaper," Paddy said and he sighed, "You do know what a newspaper is right?"

Sid nodded. "Cricket explained it to me. He was reading one the other day. It's a stack of sheets that informs everyone about what's happening around the world."

"Sure. Let's go with that. Anyways, King Sadal was able to convince the World Economic Journal to open up a publishing branch of their newspaper here on this island. Because of that, not only did more people come to this island to work in the publishing factories, journalists started to come here to submit their stories and also trade information with each other."

Sid snapped her fingers. "Ah! I think I'm getting it. A journalist is someone who writes other people's stories and puts it in this paper...and you said you were a journalist...so you want to put my story in the newspaper?"

"Well..." Paddy blushed and he started to kick the cobblestones with the heel of his foot, "I'm not an actual journalist. I don't work for the newspaper yet. But I'm hoping that if I get a good enough story, like yours, they'd publish it and give me a job."

"Oh. I see," Sid said, "And you think my story is good enough?"

"Are you kidding?" Paddy gasped, "A 400-year old war? An island shot into the sky?! A false god made of lightning? Your story is the most insane story I've ever heard!"

"Why do you even want to work for the newspaper?" Sid asked.

"Because!" Paddy exclaimed, "Because there's a big world out there with so many things happening! I've been stuck on this island all my life with no one to talk to and nothing to talk about. The only interesting that happened around here is whatever was written in the newspaper that day. If I become a journalist, I can get out and see the world! Meet people. Talk to them! Share their stories!"

"Boo!"

Floomp.

The sky sheep was all caught up in Paddy's enthusiasm and he rolled right off of Sid's head. Without blinking, she reached out and caught him right by her ear and casually placed him right back on top.

"Okay," Sid said, "I get the factories and the king...and I get you...So why doesn't your father or Iwan like the king? It sounds like he was doing a good thing..."

Paddy folded his hands across his chest. "Ever since the third factory opened, the king has been trying to buy the land off of the remaining farmers. Leroy has been making the rounds almost every week with offers. My dad, Iwan, and many others think the king is being too greedy. That the town and three factories should be enough for the kingdom. They're refusing to sell the king their farms but the king keeps trying."

"Well, without the farms, what would you guys eat?" Sid asked, "Someone should still provide food for the island, especially since you said more people are coming in."

Paddy threw his hands up in the air, "We can get it from other islands! It's not that big of a deal. People are coming here from all over now!"

"Does your father hate farming?"

"No. He loves it."

Sid laughed. "I think you're letting all the excitement get to your head. It's fine if you want to work for the newspaper but if your father doesn't want to sell, then the king should leave him alone."

"I guess..." Paddy said as he puffed up his cheeks and looked away from the Shandian.

Sid chuckled and put her hands on her hips. "Well, we should get the stuff Iwan asked for. Whatever they decide, at least we know we're going."

Paddy blinked. "You are?"

"Of course," Sid said, "I'm not going to be the first Shandian in 400 years to miss out on a party."