"From the Blue?"
An old woman stood at the door, her gaze dark and scrutinizing as she looked at Ron and his crew.
"Wow, is she a Sky Islander?" Kaya and the others observed the old lady curiously.
"Yeah, look! She has a pair of little wings on her back!" Nojiko pointed to the small wings behind the old woman.
"She really does have wings!" Apis blinked in amazement, her curiosity piqued.
Ron stood on the edge of the Going Merry and said, "Yes, we've come to Sky Island."
Ron knew the situation well. This woman was looking to collect a toll from them. But would his money be that easy to take?
"People from the Blue sea need to pay a price to enter Sky Island!" the old lady said in a deep voice. "Do you have any money?"
Ron smiled calmly and replied, "No money."
Money? Not for her.
The girls watched Ron confidently lie with a straight face and couldn't help but exchange amused glances.
"No money?" The old lady's smile grew darker. "Well, that's fine. You can still enter Sky Island without paying. Go ahead."
"Oh, what a nice grandma!" Apis chimed in cheerfully. "She's letting us in even without money!"
"Yeah! It's great that we don't have to pay!" Nami added, delighted by the thought of visiting Sky Island for free. That was music to her ears.
Ron gave the old lady a knowing look. She was surely planning to alert the Sky Island patrols, marking them as intruders. Just like in Luffy's original journey, they would be chased by the patrol guards. This old woman was definitely trouble.
"Let's go!" Ron waved his hand, turning the ship's rudder toward the entrance. As they passed through, a creature from Sky Island's sea appeared, dragging the Going Merry along the cloud-like waterway, heading toward the sky.
"So fast!"
The girls marveled at the speed of the Sky Island creatures, clearly amazed by the new sight.
"Are we getting close to the real Sky Island? I wonder what it looks like," Kaya said curiously.
"It must be beautiful up there!" Nami said thoughtfully, tapping her lips. "If the scenery down here is so great, then the place where the true Sky Islanders live has to be even more amazing!"
"You're right, Nami!" Kaya smiled and nodded in agreement.
"We're here!"
Rumble!!!
The Going Merry, pulled fiercely by the sea creature, finally reached the real Sky Island.
"Wow, it's really so pretty!" The girls gazed at the breathtaking view, smiling with joy.
"Let's dock the Merry at the beach first!" Ron suggested. He glanced around and spotted a green island in the distance. He knew it was the Holy Land, a place that had been launched from Jaya Island into the sky by the underwater torrent. It was also the ancestral land of the Shandians.
On the other side, the ground was covered with white clouds. Ron knew that this was where Luffy and his crew had gone in the original plot. It was also where the Sky Island girl, Conis, lived.
"Ron, where should we dock the ship?" Nami asked.
"Over there!" Ron pointed, and Nami expertly steered the Merry to the designated spot.
Once the Going Merry was secured, the crew disembarked one by one. As they set foot on the strange white ground, they heard a faint buzzing sound. Turning toward the noise, they saw a beautiful girl approaching them on a strange vehicle, gliding smoothly over the lake nearby.
The girl stopped her vehicle beside the Merry, stepped off, and walked over curiously.
"Hello, everyone!" Her voice was soft and pleasant, her expression gentle. "Are you from the Blue sea below? Welcome to Sky Island!"
"Hello!" Nami greeted her with a smile. "Are you a resident of Sky Island?"
"Yes, my name is Conis." Conis approached the group, her eyes filled with curiosity. "And who are all of you?"
"Hello, Conis! I'm Kaya!" Kaya, finding Conis cute and friendly, walked up to her with a smile. "It's nice to meet you!"
"I'm Nami!"
"I'm Makino!"
"I'm Vivi..."
After a round of introductions, it was Ron's turn.
Ron smiled and said, "I'm Ron, captain of this ship."
"Hello, Captain Ron!" Conis smiled warmly and nodded.
The girls were excited to meet a Skypiean and crowded around Conis, eagerly asking her questions about Sky Island.
Ron stood to the side, his eyes fixed on the Holy Land in the distance. Robin walked up to him and asked, "Is that the island you mentioned on Jaya, the one that was launched into the sky?"
"Yes, this island was originally part of Jaya Island. Now it's part of Sky Island," Ron shrugged.
Nearby, Conis noticed Ron and Robin looking at the Holy Land and her expression turned serious. "You can move around freely on Sky Island, but you mustn't go there."
"Why not?" Kaya asked, confused.
"That is the most sacred place on Sky Island—the Holy Land where God resides!" Conis explained gravely. "Anyone who sets foot on the Holy Land will be executed immediately if God discovers them!"
"Wow! It's that serious?" Kaya gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
"Yes," Conis nodded, "even we Skypieans are forbidden from entering the Holy Land without permission. If we're caught, we'll be executed. You must stay away from it!"
"All right!" Kaya nodded quickly. "We won't go there!"
Ron chuckled softly. "God? I don't believe there's any god up there!"
"We really do have a god on Sky Island!" Conis said urgently, her voice filled with concern. She was genuinely worried that Ron didn't believe her and might foolishly go to the Holy Land, only to be killed.
"I understand," Ron said, noticing her genuine worry and choosing not to argue further.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from nearby. The crew turned to see a group of white-clad patrol guards approaching. The leader among them shouted as they ran closer, "Hurry! There they are! Those are the intruders from the Blue sea who've invaded our Sky Island!"