Chapter 167: Skypiea
After crossing the White Sea, which left Robin feeling weak and limp, the two of them and a giant eagle named Hast finally arrived at a location 7,000 meters above the sea.
In the White Sea, all the ferocious beasts attempting to attack them were ruthlessly dispatched by Rodney, leaving no room for mercy. This level of protection made Robin feel intoxicated, as sometimes, the feeling of safety was what girls cherished the most.
Hast flapped his wings angrily, and Robin regained her mobility. However, she had no intention of getting up from Rodney's embrace. Meanwhile, Rodney was searching for the entrance.
"There it is, Hast. Head in that direction," he pointed to the northwest, where a waterfall composed of white clouds descended. Beneath the waterfall was a modern gate adorned with neon lights.
"Hmm, quite tacky..."
"Heaven's Gate? Captain, is this place heaven?"
"How is that possible? It's just people living on a sky island, not much different from those living down here," he shook his head, gazing at the sign that read "HEAVEN'S GATE!"
Although it was written in Japanese, the world's script was actually in English, so he decided not to dwell on it too much.
Hast entered the gate, and at that moment, a woman with wings on her back, no bigger than the palm of a hand, and wrinkled like an old lady, pushed open a small door on the wall. She held a camera and began vigorously snapping pictures of Rodney and Robin.
Rodney landed with Robin beside the old lady and said, "Thank you, Hast. You can rest now."
Hast nodded and let out a call before vanishing with a bang.
Robin looked at the surprised old lady and said, "Captain, are you sure this isn't heaven? Isn't this lady an angel?"
"Have you ever heard of angels growing old? She's one of the people from Skypiea," Rodney replied. He couldn't understand why Robin, usually so clever, would ask such a question.
"But she has wings on her back!"
"Well, that's just a characteristic of the people from Skypiea. Anyway, ma'am, we want to enter Skypiea. How can we do that?"
"I am the surveillance officer of Heaven's Gate, Amazon. Are you here for sightseeing or for a fight?" the old lady smirked strangely. "Either way is fine. If you want to go higher, each of you needs to pay one billion Ikes!"
"Ikes?"
"It's the currency of Skypiea. If you want to convert it, one Berry can be exchanged for ten thousand Ikes, so twenty billion Ikes is equivalent to two hundred thousand Berries."
Rodney took out two hundred thousand Berries from his pocket and handed them to the old lady.
"This is the entrance fee. Don't report us recklessly."
Although Berries were not the primary currency here, they could still be used as currency, and they were more popular than Ikes. However, the official currency in Skypiea was Ike, with Berries being used less frequently, as not many outsiders visited the place.
Amazon, the old lady, accepted the Berries and smirked.
"You can go in."
Suddenly, a large lobster floated up between the gates. Its two large pincers tried to grab something, but it failed to catch anything.
A special product of Skypiea, the Express Lobster, could reach its destination in just a few minutes, even when carrying a ship at a height of three thousand meters. It simply followed the spiral cloud path leading straight to the sky.
Rodney wrapped his arm around Robin's waist and jumped onto the back of the Express Lobster. His feet stuck to it as the lobster didn't seem to mind them standing there. With a snap, the lobster shot backward.
Yes, it was a backward motion. After all, a lobster's movement was somewhat similar to a backward thrust, right?
One of the distinctive features of Skypiea was the Cloud Road. It was soft and fluffy, pure white, and remained intact despite the passage of time. The sheer audacity of the concept behind it was awe-inspiring.
The Express Lobster sped through the cloud sea, making a ninety-degree turn in front of it seem like a trivial matter. It easily ascended the path and maintained the ability to climb even while carrying two seemingly negligible people. If it were carrying a ship, it could still climb effortlessly. Its incredible speed on the clouds allowed them to reach the sky in no time.
"We're almost there."
The cloud sea disappeared from view, revealing a clear blue sky and a beautiful island hidden among the white clouds. It looked like a dreamland straight out of a fairy tale.
Rodney pointed ahead to a green giant tree that appeared hazy in the clouds. "Our target should be over there, although it may not necessarily hold the information we're looking for in these blank hundred years."
"No problem, Captain. I'm prepared," Robin replied, tucking her hair behind her ear and smiling.
"Great. Let's go." Using Moon Step and alternately combining it with Rocket Step, Rodney sped up to the highest speed possible. They effortlessly crossed Angel Island and arrived in a forest.
"It's further ahead."
Crossing the forest, they arrived at a dilapidated ruin covered in moss and vines. It was evident that no one had lived here for many years. However, from the remnants left behind, they could vaguely see that this place had once been a thriving city.
They landed on solid ground, and Robin looked at the city full of historical vibes, exclaiming, "This place is..."
"Golden Town Shandora!" Rodney said, "I think it was destroyed a few hundred years ago, but I'm not sure exactly how long ago. It was washed here by the Knock-Up Stream about four hundred years ago."
He continued, "Robin, let's go. Let's listen to that legendary voice of God, beneath the Golden Bell should be the information you're looking for."
"Alright." Robin nodded. Her full attention was now on the historical context, and she didn't notice the seriousness in Rodney's tone.
Rodney stayed behind, sitting cross-legged on the ground, and closed his eyes. A streak of lightning flashed from afar and instantly appeared in front of him.
The lightning transformed into a young man wearing a white headscarf, with long earlobes hanging down to his chest. He had heavy golden earrings and was shirtless, with four drums carved with three hooks each strung together by iron rings on his back, running from his shoulders through to his lower back.
He wore golden rings on his fingers and held a long staff made of gold. His lower half was dressed in flamboyant lantern pants, and he was barefoot, adorned with rings on his toes. He had the aura of a nouveau riche.
The god of Skypiea, Enel, with the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit!
The man looked arrogant, gazing at Rodney, who was sitting cross-legged, with curiosity in his eyes. He spoke softly, "Blue Sea dweller, this is a forbidden place of the gods. You'll be punished by the gods if you stay here."
Rodney didn't respond. When Enel took out an apple seemingly from nowhere and began eating it with relish, Rodney smiled and said, "I find gods quite interesting, you know. The last one who claimed to be a god was defeated. So, do you also want to make the world feel pain?"
Enel: ???