: The crew splits into groups and ventures into a dense, dangerous forest.
In , titled "Steer for the Clouds! Capture the South Bird!" , the Straw Hat Pirates prepare for their perilous journey to Skypiea. Planning the Ascent
: Sanji, Nami, and Usopp encounter giant spiders, while Luffy and Chopper are chased by a swarm of bees after a South Bird drops a nest on them. Trouble at the Shore
While the Straw Hats are busy in the forest, danger approaches Cricket’s home.
To navigate toward the exact point where the stream will erupt, the crew needs a "living compass".
Mont Blanc Cricket explains the only way to reach the sky: riding the , a massive vertical current that erupts from the ocean. According to his calculations, the next stream will occur the very next day. The Hunt for the South Bird
: They must capture a South Bird , a creature that instinctively always faces south.
The episode also reveals more of the backstory regarding Mont Blanc Noland. Cricket shows the crew bell-shaped gold ingots he found underwater, proving that a civilization—and the gold Noland described—actually existed.
