"Luffy, I look forward to that day," Shanks said with a smile. "To fulfill the promise we made back then."
The reason Shanks cared so deeply about Luffy wasn't just out of gratitude. Perhaps... he was the one who imparted his dream to Luffy!
Seeing Luffy was like seeing his own dreams...
...
[Before long, the pirate group arrived at the edge of the whirlpool. All they had to do was wait for the current to erupt, which would propel them straight to the Sky Island!]
[Of course, even though it sounds easy, the dangers involved are beyond imagination!]
[A Sea King had just passed by the edge of the whirlpool and was instantly sucked in by its terrifying suction force.]
[Sea Kings are already larger than warships, with unimaginable strength. Yet, they couldn't escape the vortex's pull.]
[This path was fraught with peril from the very beginning, and the dangers that lay ahead were unimaginable...]
[Even the pirate ship carrying Luffy and his crew couldn't hold out much longer, seemingly on the brink of being engulfed by the whirlpool.]
[However, despite the looming danger, Luffy's face showed no signs of panic; his expression remained resolute as he gazed at the sky.]
"I have to go to that Sky Island myself!" he declared.
[This wasn't just about satisfying their curiosity; it was about proving that dreams are just as real as those who had once laughed at them.]
[Then, suddenly, the sea grew calm...]
[The massive whirlpool vanished instantly, leaving everyone in shock as they stared at the now tranquil sea.]
"The current is about to erupt!" Nami exclaimed.
And indeed, as Nami spoke, a torrent of water suddenly shot into the sky like a pillar of optimism, piercing through the clouds.
[This tremendous force lifted the entire Straw Hat Pirate Ship into the air, propelling them toward the heavens.]
Everything now appeared safe, but reaching Sky Island wouldn't be that simple.
[Because they were ascending with the ocean currents' help, the ship had detached from the pull of gravity.]
[If this continued, it wouldn't be long before the ship was peeled away from the current and plummeted heavily from such a height.]
[At this altitude, a fall to the water's surface would likely result in everyone being reduced to pulp.]
Faced with imminent danger, Nami, the navigator, ordered the crew to unfurl all the sails. With the wind's assistance, the ship briefly slid higher...
Throughout the journey, they encountered dangers like wind, currents, high altitudes, gravity, and vibrations.
[At this moment, Luffy and his crew were in extreme peril, but they had no choice; they could only move forward.]
[Either they would successfully ride this current to the Sky Island, or...]
[They would plummet from the sky and be reduced to nothing.]
Those watching the live broadcast couldn't help but gasp at the dangerous scene on their screens.
Did Sky Islands really exist?
Even if they didn't, the sight of this current rising from the sky was astonishing enough!
But what impressed them even more was the Straw Hat Pirates' courage.
In the face of such danger, they dared to press on. Weren't they afraid of shipwrecks?
Viewers stared at the screen, filled with dread.
Experiencing it themselves was unthinkable.
If they were flying through the air, their legs would go weak instantly, rendering them unable to stand.
Even sea bigwigs like Garp, Sengoku, Whitebeard, Shanks, and others were horrified by the scene.
They knew Sky Islands existed.
They also knew that the path to the Sky Island was through this knock up current.
But they had never attempted it themselves, so they only knew it was dangerous...
But they had no idea it was this perilous!?
For a moment, they watched Luffy and his crew, who were still headed for the Sky Island in the screen, and silently sweated.
Garp, in particular, seemed unfazed, but sweat dripped from his forehead.
Inside, his heart was a tumultuous mix of anger and worry.
"Kid... How could you be so reckless? The Grand Line is vast; you didn't need to go to the skies! Are you really unafraid of death? Even when a sailor ought to be cautious, you act so recklessly, without any consideration for this old man's feelings! The next time I see that brat, I'll give him a proper talking to..."
[Finally, after a long and treacherous journey...]
[Luffy and his crew, along with their pirate ship, endured countless dangers and climbed an unknown distance.]
[In a blinding flash of white light, they broke through the clouds...]
[When they looked again, the Knock Up Stream had vanished, replaced by an endless sea of white clouds.]
[The sea of clouds before them stretched as far as the eye could see, resembling a land made of clouds, truly peculiar.]
[Luffy and his crew were left in awe at the breathtaking sight before them...]
Those who watched the broadcast were equally astonished.
The Sky Island... It really did exist!
And it was even more extraordinary than they could have imagined...
**********
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