As Buggy said earlier, the so-called gatekeeper was essentially just that—a guard at the door.
Although Amazon had asked whether they were here for tourism or war, her question didn't really make much difference.
This old woman had a reputation for being cunning. Probably because she had been stuck guarding the gate for so many years, she had grown bored. Whenever people from the Blue Sea arrived, she would first ask them these questions for formality's sake, only to then play tricks on them as they stood there bewildered.
Before Takumi or Buggy could say anything, Mohji, looking completely exasperated, said, "There's just a few of us here. Who are we going to fight?"
Amazon, her face expressionless, replied, "Oh, if you're heading to the upper layer, please pay the entrance fee for the Kingdom of Heaven. It's 1 billion extols per person. This is the law."
"1 billion?!?" Mohji's eyes widened. "You've gotta be kidding! Do you even know who we are? We're pirates! Pirates! You're really asking pirates for money? Are you tired of living?"
Unfazed, Amazon continued in her monotone voice, "Whether you pay the entrance fee or not doesn't concern me. I'm not a gatekeeper or a guard. I'm just here to ask you your intentions."
"Huh?" Mohji was dumbfounded.
Cabaji rolled his eyes. "So, this old lady has been talking to us for nothing? Was this all a joke?"
"It doesn't seem that simple," Mohji muttered. "I'm not sure how many extols equate to beli, but saving 4 billion extols is still a good deal." He turned to Buggy and asked, "Captain, should we just go through?"
Buggy responded by hitting Mohji over the head with a sharp smack. "Idiot! We have to pay this entrance fee!"
"Huh?" Mohji whimpered, holding his head. "But Captain Buggy, you're always so greedy. Why are you being so willing to fork over money this time? That's 4 billion! Where are we going to find that kind of cash?"
"Greedy, huh?" Buggy hit him again. "Listen up! If we don't pay this fee, once we reach the upper layer, we'll be charged double! And if we don't pay then, we'll be considered invaders. The whole White White Sea's army will come after us. 4 billion extols is only 40,000 beli! And compared to the mountains of gold in Shandora, that's peanuts. Paying 40,000 now is the smartest choice. Go get the money!"
"Yes, Captain…" Mohji muttered dejectedly, heading off to retrieve the cash.
Amazon looked at Buggy curiously. "It seems you've been here before. But your total is not 40,000 beli—it's 50,000. That lion counts too."
She pointed at Richie, Mohji's pet lion.
Cabaji protested, "Richie's just a lion! He counts?"
"Of course," Amazon said. "Any living being from the Blue Sea counts."
She had initially hoped to trap them as invaders, but now her plan was foiled.
Buggy scowled at Amazon and gritted his teeth. "Mohji, bring 50,000 beli."
Mohji gulped and quickly nodded.
After they paid the entrance fee, two massive pincers emerged from the cloud sea beside the ship, clamping onto its sides. A gigantic shrimp then hoisted the ship up.
"What the heck is that?!" Mohji cried out in surprise.
"It's a local delicacy of the White Sea," Amazon said, still emotionless. "A 'Super Express Shrimp.'"
As soon as she finished speaking, the shrimp began to pull the ship swiftly along a winding cloud path.
"Ahhhh!" Mohji and the others screamed in terror.
Takumi, however, leaned casually against the door to the cabin, watching calmly as the bright white clouds drew closer.
In no time, the Super Express Shrimp had carried Buggy's ship up to the White White Sea, the highest layer of Sky Island.
"I feel like I'm gonna die…" Mohji clung to Richie, trying to hold back his nausea.
Cabaji's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the deck.
Buggy, on the other hand, was ecstatic, his eyes fixed on a nearby island made of specially crafted clouds. "Hahahaha! It's Angel Island! I'm back, Buggy is back, hahahaha!"
"There really is an island up here!" Mohji cried, almost in tears.
Takumi remained silent as he opened his system navigation. The destination indicated by the navigation wasn't the Angel Island they could see.
"Turn the ship," Takumi ordered coldly, pointing toward the direction shown by the system. "Head that way."
"Huh…" Mohji hesitantly leaned toward Buggy and whispered, "Captain, we finally found an island in the sky. Shouldn't we check it out?"
Buggy narrowed his eyes as he looked at Takumi. Though it had been more than a decade since he last came to Sky Island as a child, he remembered that the direction Takumi was pointing in was roughly the same direction as the Golden City of Shandora.
So, this brat was after Shandora's gold too, wasn't he?
"Captain Buggy? Can you hear me? Hello? Is anyone home?" Mohji waved his hand in front of Buggy's face when he didn't respond.
Buggy snapped back to reality and delivered another punch to Mohji's head. "Shut up and do what the kid says first."
"Got it…" Mohji sniffled as he returned to the helm.
Cabaji joined Buggy's side, keeping a wary eye on Takumi, who stood at the bow of the ship. "Captain Buggy, could that Takumi kid be like you? Has he been to Sky Island before? He seems awfully familiar with this place."
"I'm starting to think so too," Buggy replied, squinting his eyes. "For now, let's just see what he's planning."
Though Buggy and Cabaji tried to keep their voices low, Takumi's sharp ears caught every word.
He turned and glanced at the two of them.
Immediately, Buggy and Cabaji reacted like startled cats, quickly changing the subject.
Cabaji forced a laugh. "Captain Buggy, nice weather today, isn't it? Hahaha…"
"Yes, yes! Very nice indeed!" Buggy responded with an overly hearty laugh. "Hahaha…"
Takumi: "…"
Ignoring them, Takumi turned back to face the front. Soon, a massive island filled with towering trees came into view.
"It's Upper Yard!" Buggy shouted excitedly.
This was the only island on Sky Island with actual soil.
It was also the other half of Jaya Island that had been blasted into the sky.
The Golden City of Shandora, which Buggy so desperately sought, lay on this island.
And Takumi's destination for his system sign-in was also here.
"I remember there's a cloud river nearby that leads into the interior," Buggy muttered, surveying the land. His upper body split off from the rest of him and floated into the air, searching the area. Soon enough, he spotted a cloud river leading into Upper Yard. "There it is! Mohji, steer left!"
"Yes, Captain Buggy!" Mohji replied obediently.
As the ship neared the shore of Upper Yard, Takumi suddenly leapt over the railing, landing on the ground as Buggy and his crew stared in surprise.
******
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