The Miss Love Duck and the Going Merry rode up a pillar of water. "This is amazing," Ben remarked.
"It is," Nami added, as she held Ben. She looked over to the Going Merry and she was doing fine.
"Hold on tight," Nami shouted across the ships.
"You heard Nami-swan," Sanji said as he glared at Ben being close to Nami.
"You might fall over stupid chef," Zoro remarked.
"What did you say Moss head?" Sanji firedback.
"Classic," Ben muttered to himself.
"We are travelling up a pillar of water," Usopp shouted.
"It's not a pillar of water, it's the wind blowing the current, This is the result of a geothermal explosion, spread the sails," Nami shouted.
Luffy, Zoro, Sanji nodded and they got to work on the Going Merry. At the same time, the Miss Love Duck`s sails start to change the angle. They could hear a rumble and vibration from the back of the Miss Love Duck.
Both ships then flew upwards as they left the water. "Nojiko got this covered," Ben remarked with a smile. His arm comfortably draped around Nami`s waist.
"Of course, she is my sister," Nami chimed in.
"Onwards," Luffy shouted. The entire Strawhat was smiling.
They pushed through the cloud layer. Ben had covered Nami with his wings. She was protected from the atmosphere change. Ben was panting loudly.
Sanji, Zoro, Usopp were in shock. They were wet and panting loudly. "What happened?" Sanji asked.
Chopper was lying on his back, panting loudly. "I am okay," Chopper replied.
Ben asked Nami,"Are you okay?"
"I am, but get off me," Nami shouted. She lightly pushed Ben who landed on his butt.
She was a violent woman, he thought but that made him want her more.
"My love, are you okay?" Alvida asked as she came out of the Bridge. She was accompanied, Kaya, Vivi, Marianne and Mikita.
"I am fine," Ben replied and added, "Is everyone okay on the Miss Love Duck?"
"Yes my love, everyone was strapped onto a seat on the Bridge," Alvida replied.
"It was a good warning from you," Mikita added.
"Hi Nami," Alvida then said. Nami greeted back.
"Where is sis and mum?" Nami asked.
"Nojiko is on the Bridge looking at the Miss Love Duck," Kaya replied.
"BM is not on this ship, she wanted to take our sister ship Miss Love Geese back with our new crew members," Vivi added.
"Okay," Nami responded, her tone carrying a tinge of sadness at the thought of not seeing Bell-mère again.
Seeking to ease her melancholy, Ben offered a solution, "We have a radio and monitor set up so you can talk to her."
"I…," Nami hesitated to say.
"As part of the harem, you get lots of perks," Alvida stated.
Nami protested, banging her hands on Ben's chest, "I am not part of the harem."
"Easy," Ben said. He smiled. She looked cute.
"Beautiful ladies," Sanji commented.
"Nami look around," Luffy shouted.
They saw white fluffy clouds around them. "It's like the ocean but white," Kaya remarked.
"Then it's time for me to go swimming," Usopp said as he took off his shirt. He wore his goggles and jumped off. He divided into the white ocean. `
"Luffy get him now, there is no bottom, he was going to fall off into and land below," Ben said.
Luffy heard the seriousness of his tone. He immediately stretched his arm and plunged it into the ocean. Luckily, he was able to grab Usopp and pull him out.
"He got him," Chopper said. Usopp landed on the deck of the Going Merry. He was panting.
"Thank you Luffy," Usopp weakly said.
Nami sighed. "Idiots," she muttered.
At that moment, the tranquillity of the ocean shattered as the waves parted. Towering above the water's surface, several colossal tentacles emerged, each adorned with gigantic suction cups. As the monstrous creature unveiled itself, a head surfaced, resembling an otherworldly mushroom with eyes that gleamed a haunting shade of grey, framed by ominous black eyelashes. The immense, light-red monster's sheer size loomed large.
Beside the colossal mushroom-headed sea creature, another aquatic behemoth emerged – a massive eel monster. Its scales glistened in shades of blue, contrasting sharply with the vibrant yellow scales that adorned its stomach. It had a long, menacing mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth. Its eyes were small and circular. The creature had two large fins on its sides.
"Those are some big creatures," Chopper shouted.
Alvida looked at them. "Slipstream Cannon," Alvida said as she spun her body rapidly. She created a powerful current of air around herself. Alvida then compressed the air and fired it at the giant tentacle monster. The projectile hit the monster on its large head and blew a hole out. The monster slowly descended down back to the ocean.
Zoro, swiftly and decisively, leapt into action. With an acrobatic flourish, he soared into the air, dual swords drawn with precision. The blades gleamed in the sunlight as he sliced through the massive eel monster.Blood spurted from the grievous wound. The eel emitted a deafening shriek. It began to sink beneath the waves.
"That was cool," Marianne stated.
"Wow, they're both incredibly strong," Vivi remarked, a genuine admiration colouring her tone.
"You're no slouch yourself," Kaya added with a supportive nod.
"But—" Vivi attempted to interject.
"You are," Alvida insisted.
"They are right, you are strong,"Ben added himself. He smiled at Vivi. Robin came out of the bridge smiling.
She saw the tentacles and the dead eel on the surface. She looked at Nami and smiled. Robin then saw a fish swimming in the white ocean. She crossed her arms and sprouted an arm on the fish and threw it on the deck of the Miss Love Deck from the ocean.
"Impressive," Kaya remarked.
They looked at the blue fish. It had a large mouth with sharp teeth. Its body was covered in scales. It had blue fins. Robin picked it up. "He feels lighter," Robin remarked.
"It's adapted to the environment here. The air and gravity is lighter here so they need to be lighter," Ben added.
"That is correct Captain," Robin replied.
"This reminds me of Nolan`s book we had, I think it was called a skyfish," Nami said. Robin let the fish go back to the white ocean.
"Do you still have it?" Ben asked.
"No, we left it down there," Nami replied.
"I remember this tale vaguely from a childhood book," Vivi remarked.
"Let's hear later then, right now we need to see what is out here, if there was one monster there could be more," Ben said. Ben could see Marianne panting, she looked tired.
"Ben, could you fly me back to my ship?" Nami asked.
"There's a fee, and it's a kiss," Alvida replied with a playful smirk.
"She's right there," Mikita chimed in, nodding toward Nami.
Resigned, Nami replied, "Fine," and leaned in to plant a kiss on Ben's cheek. The gesture, however innocent or not, didn't escape the notice of Sanji, who witnessed the scene unfold.
"You," Sanji erupted in fury, his anger palpable.
At that moment, they heard an explosion. "A ship exploded," Chopper shouted.
They saw two figures fighting. The first figure was an old man of average height with long white hair, moustache, and beard. He wore metal armour with a dark red shirt, and brown pants. He also has the knight's visor and a long dark blue cloak.
The second figure was a tall, muscular man who had a pair of little white wings on his back. He had tribal tattoos across his left shoulder. He had very long dark brown hair and little spherical earrings. He was shirtless and wore a grass skirt, with a rope belt decorated by three small ornaments that look like fangs around his waist.
The second figure came flying towards the Going Merry. "Who are you and what do you want?" Sanji asked.
"To eliminate you," the figure replied.
"Fine then," Zoro said.
"What is going on?" Luffy asked. They looked tired and were panting. Ben was about to spring into action when the first figure came riding one a pink pony and kicked him away.
The second figure went into the white ocean. Luffy was panting. "I feel slow," Luffy said.
"Slow?" Vivi asked.
"It's probably due to the higher altitude, our body have not adjusted yet," Ben explained.
The first figure landed on the Going Merry. "You are blue sea people?" the man asked.
"Blue sea people?" Usopp asked.
"Yes, we refer to those living 7000 meters below us as blue sea people," the figure said. He looked at Ben in his hybrid form. He had large black wings. "You are correct on why you people are slower here,"
"That could be tough," Vivi remarked. She looked fine.
"The White White sea is 10000 meters above the blue sea," the figure added.
"There are places above this," Kaya said.
"Correct young lady," the figure replied.
"My body feels better," Luffy remarked.
"I think I have adjusted as well," Sanji added. Ben looked at Marianne who was still panting. He thought she was going to need a bit more time.
"If you can fight like that, then you will need protection. Luckily as a freelancer, I can offer you my services," the figure said.
"What are you talking about old man?" Luffy asked.
"Also what is Extol?" Sanji asked.
"You came via the High summit?" the figure asked. He looked nervous and confused.
"Nope, the Knock-up Stream," Ben replied, who flew over with Nami in his arms.
"That stream, well there are people gusty to do that," the figure replied.
"There was another way," Nami cried, knowing she risked her life for nothing.
"You people are mysterious, you young man are as well," the figure said.
"Thank you, allow me to introduce myself, I am Ben," Ben said.
"I am Monkey D Luffy, the man who will be Pirate King," Luffy said.
"I am Gan Fall, you people are courageous, almost no one survives that journey. Here take this whistle, call me if you are in an emergency," Gan Fall said, giving two whistles.
He then jumped into the air and rode his pink pegasus away. "He was unimpressive," Luffy said.
"He was the former ruler of Skypiea," Ben replied.
Their mouths dropped. "That guy," Luffy shouted.