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A massive sea current shot up from the whirlpool, and Noir gripped the ship's helm, struggling to control the direction.
As the ship ascended higher and higher, to their surprise, the force of the upward current began to weaken.
Robin, looking into the distance, saw an abrupt white cloud sea and shouted, "Noir! Look over there!"
Noir looked ahead and saw a large mass of clouds that appeared to flow like water.
Formed by clouds, was this the Sea Clouds?
Noir steered the ship towards the Sea Clouds, but the ship had taken a beating and was in poor condition.
Gritting his teeth, Noir jumped off the ship in Robin's startled cry, flying through the air.
Falling rapidly, Noir reached the bottom of the ship, exerting great force with his arms, igniting the flames of the Flame-Flame Fruit from his elbows, and creating a powerful thrust.
With his tremendous strength and ability, he guided the ship steadily towards the Sea Clouds.
Managing to hover briefly using his flames, Noir was finally pulled back onto the ship by Robin's powers.
Landing on the deck, Noir said, "Thanks!"
Robin shook her head, and they both safely landed on the exclusive Sea Clouds of the sky island.
At an altitude of about 7,000 meters above the ground, they would need to ascend a bit more to find the island.
The battered ship creaked ominously, making their voyage feel perilous.
Following the upward sea current, Noir successfully navigated the route to the peak of the sky.
Sailing in the sky was a magical experience, with the ship circling upward along the cloud sea, continually gaining altitude.
The sensation of flying in the sky felt wonderfully strange to Noir, and even Robin was intrigued by their surroundings.
Led by the cloud sea, Noir gradually moved from the peak of the sky into the depths of the cloud sea.
This layer, as far as the eye could see, was an endless white ocean.
In addition, there was a structure standing on the sea, behind which was a stairway leading further up into the cloud sea.
Noir, shielding his eyes, surveyed the area. This seemed to be the gateway to the upper Sea Clouds.
He remembered that to enter Enel's "God's Land," one had to pass through this place.
As Noir's ship sailed slowly, he sensed through his Observation Haki a figure rapidly approaching.
A half-naked man wearing a grass skirt with small white wings on his back was flying toward them.
The man wore a bull mask and had strange jet-powered shoes, clearly heading straight for them.
Carrying a long-barreled cannon on his shoulder, he leaped from the sea cloud, swinging the cannon at Noir and shouting, "Greedy outsiders! You shall not pass!"
From his appearance, was he a Shandian from the sky island?
Noir frowned and extended his five fingers, calmly catching the cannon swung at him.
The Shandians had been fighting to ring the Golden Bell and fulfill their ancestors' wishes for generations, a spirit Noir admired.
However, dealing with troublemakers was another matter.
Noir raised his fist and, under the astonished gaze of the Shandian, punched him in the nose.
The mask shattered, revealing a young but fierce face.
Recognizing him, Noir was about to speak when calls came from beneath the ship.
"Wyper! We need to go, Enel's men have found us."
Hearing the name, Noir remembered the character.
In the world of pirates, there were many minor characters with impressive abilities despite their brief appearances.
For example, Gin, who once dominated Sanji in the East Blue, and now the warrior Wyper.
Equipped with a set of seastone and numerous impact dials, Wyper nearly defeated the god Enel.
Wyper, hearing his companion's call, glared fiercely at Noir.
Hesitating for a moment, he jumped off the ship to join his companion.
This small episode did not delay Noir's plans. Watching Wyper's retreating figure, Noir felt oddly interested.
He planned to find some companions on the sky island. Wyper might be a good choice!
He had already been considering potential candidates.
Enel was one option; if he refused, Noir would beat him up and bring him along.
If that didn't work, Noir would kill him and take the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Including Wyper, that would make two.
It would be ideal to find a gentle woman, too; the ship shouldn't have only one woman, Robin.
Though he hadn't recruited anyone yet, Noir had his plans all figured out.
After the Shandians left, Noir prepared to visit them after landing on the island. Meanwhile, their ship reached the gate.
The gate, shaped like an arch, had a small room beneath it, seemingly guarded by someone.
As they approached, a voice suddenly called out.
"You two, entering the sky island requires an entrance fee."
Another entrance fee?
Noir squinted at the small house, from which an elderly woman emerged.
She was extremely short, with small wings on her back, and her face was wrinkled.
Holding a camera hanging around her neck, she blocked Noir and Robin with an expressionless face.
Annoyed, Noir asked, "How much?"
"Ten billion Extols per person," the old woman said flatly. "Equivalent to one hundred thousand Berries from the Blue Sea below."
Not expensive, but why would the domineering Noir pay?
The Bell-mère family didn't pay unnecessary fees.
Noir shook his sword at his waist, threatening, "What if I don't pay a single coin?"
The old woman glanced at Noir, who didn't look friendly, and said, "If you don't pay, you can still enter."
Noir was taken aback, then nodded in satisfaction. "Then we won't pay. Let's go!"
Robin, looking at the camera in the old woman's hand, sighed helplessly.
It seemed they had already offended someone just upon arriving.
The old woman nodded, and soon, red claws grabbed the ship, lifting it.
This was a sky island's Sea Clouds specialty, a speedy shrimp, used to carry people to the higher sea.
Prepared by his Observation Haki, Noir was unfazed. The large shrimp quickly carried the ship towards the cloud sea staircase.
After they left, the old woman took out a communication shell and reported in a slow voice:
"Amazon, the gatekeeper of Heaven's Door, reporting to the Almighty God and the priests."
"Two individuals have illegally entered the God's Land. Please bestow them with Divine punishment!"
...
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