The Merry moved forward, clouds resembling waterfalls appeared before the crew, framing a simple gate. Above the gate, a plaque read "Heaven's Gate."
"The Gate of Heaven... You can't enter heaven from here, can you?" Robin mused, pinching her chin.
"Don't say such creepy things with a straight face," Nami shuddered. "The meaning of that plaque is truly unsettling."
"Hey, look, someone's there!" Vivi pointed toward the entrance. They saw a short, wrinkled old woman in purple-pink clothes, holding a camera, and sporting small wings on her back.
"I am the gatekeeper here, Amazon," the old woman croaked. "You're from The Blue Sea, aren't you? To enter, each person needs to pay 1 billion Ike, the legal tender here."
"One billion? That's outrageous! And what is Ike?" Vivi exclaimed.
"If we don't pay, what happens?" Nami demanded, irritated by the unexpected toll.
"You can still pass," Amazon replied nonchalantly.
"Then what's the point of the fee?" Vivi protested.
"I'm neither a guard nor a bodyguard. I'm just informing you of the rules," Amazon responded with a twisted smile.
Suspicion grew among the crew. The woman's demeanor and the seemingly pointless fee felt off.
"Huh, you're being honest?" Ace asked, his eyes narrowing at Amazon.
"Old woman, I don't have time for lies. If you want to go in, go ahead," Amazon sneered.
"Nojiko," Ace said calmly.
With a loud bang, blood spurted from Amazon's shoulder as Nojiko fired.
"You... you!" Amazon gasped in pain.
"What I despise most is a deceitful heart," Ace said coldly.
"This bullet is our entry fee. Any objections?" Ace added with a smirk.
Amazon grimaced but forced a smile. "No, no problem. You are welcome."
Suddenly, two pliers-like appendages emerged from the clouds, grabbing the Merry. It was an express shrimp, a creature native to the White Sea, designated to transport them to Sky Island.
"This express shrimp will take you to your destination," Amazon said through gritted teeth.
"Let's go," Ace said, moving toward the bow. The Merry quickly passed through the cloud passage, leaving Heaven's Gate behind.
Watching them disappear, Amazon's face twisted in rage. "Damn Blue Sea people! They injured me, but God's punishment will be severe. Report to the priest, a group of Blue Sea people entered illegally and attacked me. They deserve divine retribution!" She smiled viciously, savoring the thought of their doom.
But suddenly, flames erupted from her wound, engulfing her in an instant. With a scream, Amazon perished.
At express shrimp speed, the Merry shot through the cloud waterfall, entering a realm labeled "The Kingdom of God." The crew marveled as they landed softly on the cloud surface.
"We've really arrived at Sky Island," Kaya gasped, her eyes shining with wonder. They explored the cloud terrain, noting how the fluffy surface supported their weight.
"It's incredible here," Tashigi observed.
"Yeah, but if Ace says it exists, we'll reach it," Nojiko added, watching Ace with admiration.
They soon encountered a beautiful woman playing a harp, who introduced herself as Conis. With her serene eyes and gentle smile, she welcomed them to Angel Beach.
"Are you from Qinghai?" she asked, noting their lack of wings.
"We came up from there," Nami confirmed.
A small fox-like creature named Sisi, a cloud fox, took a liking to Ace, perching on his shoulder. The crew followed Conis to her home, marveling at the cloud structures and unique shell technology along the way.
At Conis's home, her father, Pagaya, warmly welcomed them and shared various shell tools, explaining their uses. Over a meal, Pagaya warned them solemnly, "There is a place you must never go. It's where God resides."
"God?" Vivi echoed, puzzled.
"Yes, the Kingdom of God is ruled by Enel, an omniscient and omnipotent being," Conis explained.
"Omniscient and omnipotent?" Kaya doubted.
"Yes, God Enel knows everything and controls all Everything here," Conis insisted, a hint of fear in her eyes.
Ace smiled slightly, "I doubt he knows everything."
"Why?" Conis asked, astonished.
"Because we're here," Ace replied confidently, his smile unwavering.
"Ace, what do you mean when you say that God can't know?" Conis asked cautiously. Paigeya also looked nervous, fearing the consequences of offending God.
Ace gazed out the window, smiling lightly. "As soon as I entered here, I felt an amplified Observation Haki. This so-called 'God' uses it to monitor everyone here. He's no god—just a bad bastard."
Nami, angered, chimed in, "But isn't God's home far away? How can his presence be felt here?"
"Didn't I say this Observation Haki is amplified?" Ace replied, smiling.
"Could it be…?" Nami and Nojiko exchanged glances, then exclaimed together, "Devil Fruit?!"
"Exactly," Ace confirmed. "Covering such a vast area is impossible even with advanced Observation Haki. Only through Thunder Fruit's radio wave amplification can it be achieved."
Conis, now restless, asked, "Ace, what is Observation Haki?"
Ace was about to explain when he suddenly frowned. "Enel, are you provoking the king?" His eyes flashed purple-black, and countless purple-black lightnings appeared, intercepting the amplified Observation Haki.
Following the radio waves, the lightning surged to a giant vine where a man lay in a temple. This was Enel, the 'god' of Angel Island and Thunder Fruit user. Enel frowned, having never faced someone who could block his heart network.
"Blocked my heart network? Is this what these Blue Sea people did?"
Enel frowned slightly.
No one has ever been able to avoid the detection of his heart network. This feeling makes Enel, who thinks he is a god and can control everything, extremely unhappy.
After a moment of silence, Enel's regained his arrogance.
He mused, "This should add some fun to my boring days."
It will take some time to create the Ark Maxim. This group of Blue Sea people people who can Block his inner network should be regarded as nice labour slaves.
Suddenly, black and purple lightning roared toward Enel, causing him excruciating pain. Enel, who had never been hurt since obtaining Thunder Fruit, screamed in agony. He was rendered immobile, his abilities neutralized by the Conqueror's Haki-entangled lightning.
Since getting the Thunder Fruit, no one can hurt him in the slightest.
Pain? This word had nothing to do with him after he obtained the Thunder Fruit.
He is a God with divine power, omniscience and omnipotence!
No one can hurt him at all!
But now, this kind of terrifying pain makes Enel feel extremely strange and at the same time unbearable.
"Why?! Why can it hurt me as a thunderbolt?!
"Ace?" The Nami girls were astonished.
"Just teaching that ungrateful Enel a lesson," Ace said, smiling.
Conis and Paigea looked at Ace in disbelief, expecting divine punishment for his blasphemy, but none came. Ace reassured them, "Don't worry. Enel probably can't even move now."
"Ace, really…" Conis began, but Ace interrupted, looking at Nami. "Nami, I found your Devil Fruit. How about the Logia, Thunder Fruit? Worth more than 3 billion Baileys?"
Nami's eyes widened. Robin explained, "Thunder Fruit is one of the most invincible Logia abilities. It's very powerful. If it appeared, many would chase it."
Vivi, hearing this, exclaimed, "Amazing! It sounds even more powerful than my Sand-Sand Fruit."
Nami, though, was conflicted. Ace comforted her, "Don't worry. Enel is worse than Arlong. Killing him will be no burden."
Determined, Nami stood up. "Thunder Fruit! It's mine!"
Ace promised to get it for her, and the other girls expressed their support.
Conis, still in shock, asked Ace to explain. Ace demonstrated his Devil Fruit ability by turning his hand into flames. "I'm the flame man with Mera-Mera Fruit. Enel is a thunderman with Thunder Fruit."
Conis realized the divine punishment and omniscience were only Enel's abilities, not some divine power. Furious, she declared, "What a bastard!"
Ace reassured her about defeating Enel. The Nami girls and Robin all expressed confidence in Ace's abilities.
Conis, inspired, offered her help. Her father, Paigeya, was taken aback but ultimately supportive. Ace extended an invitation for Conis to join them as a musician, promising to help her become stronger to protect Angel Island.
Finally, Ace prepared to confront Enel. The girls readied themselves, and Ace, exuding confidence, declared, "Let's show that ungrateful frog in the well what Haki really is." The girls smiled, ready for the challenge ahead.