"Ahhh! We're going to be swallowed up!" Nami exclaimed, staring at the roaring whirlpool ahead.
"Is it too late to turn back now?" Usopp's legs shook with fear.
Robin, sweat dotting her forehead, remarked, "This is the biggest whirlpool I've ever seen!"
"Indeed, it's the biggest one I've seen too!" Kai nodded in agreement.
"Hey hey hey, can you guys stop talking so calmly?" Usopp ran over, clearly distressed.
With the apes and orangutans now involved, Usopp's already worried heart grew even more anxious.
"Hey hey hey, don't leave!!"
"Stop panicking, Usopp. We're about to get sucked in. It's not too late to cry when we're actually dying!" Kai said nonchalantly.
At Kai's words, Usopp's face went pale, and he collapsed to the deck. It seemed like his spirit was about to float away.
But Kai soon focused on the whirlpool beneath the ship and the rising sea currents, eagerly anticipating what was to come!
Before long, the ship was engulfed by the whirlpool. However, to everyone's confusion, the massive whirlpool they had been battling had vanished, and the sea's surface was eerily calm.
"Hey, what's going on? Where did the whirlpool go?" Luffy scratched his head in bewilderment.
Nami thought for a moment and then quickly explained, "The whirlpool disappeared because the current was about to explode. Everyone! Grab onto something!"
At Nami's command, everyone scrambled to hold onto whatever they could. Even Usopp, who had been lying helplessly, got up and clung tightly to the mast.
Kai remained unaffected, his strength rendering the bump nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Soon, everyone felt the ship shaking beneath their feet, then lifting slowly. A powerful sea current erupted, flipping the entire hull in an instant.
"Hoo! The ship is climbing up!" Luffy shouted joyfully.
Kai also looked around, marveling at the magical scene.
"Hey, everyone! This isn't good; the ship's hull is starting to float, and we'll fall if this keeps up!" Sanji suddenly warned with a grim expression.
"What!!"
Everyone was taken aback. Kai looked at Nami and said, "Nami, we're riding the current. With the sea and wind as your allies, you should be able to handle this!"
"Sea and wind?" Nami murmured, then seemed to realize something and said confidently, "No problem!"
Under Nami's guidance, everyone adjusted the helm.
What happened next astonished everyone—their ship actually lifted off the surface of the water column and soared upward.
"Wow! This feels completely different from when I was on Kai's cloud!" Luffy exclaimed in amazement.
The group watched the scene in awe, their eyes fixed on the top of the water column.
"Is that where Sky Island is?"
As Kai and the others ascended into the sky, Cricket on Jaya Island also watched the rising sea currents, puffing on cigarette after cigarette.
"A bunch of dreamers, you better succeed!!"
On the Merry~
Kai watched as the clouds drew closer. With a thought, he used his Water Avoidance Technique on himself, then applied it to Nami and Robin.
He knew what was coming next!
"Whoosh!"
As the ship plunged into the clouds, Luffy and the others instantly felt unable to breathe, overwhelmed by the suffocating sensation.
However, Kai, Nami, and Robin, who had the Water Avoidance Technique active, felt perfectly fine.
After another ten seconds, as Luffy and the others were on the verge of collapsing, the Merry finally broke through the clouds.
"Cough… cough!"
The moment they inhaled the fresh air, it was as if they had been transported from hell to heaven. The sensation was indescribable.
After a while, Luffy and the others recovered somewhat. However, when they stood up, they saw a scene that made them green with envy.
Kai, Nami, and Robin were each enjoying a bottle of juice, looking perfectly comfortable with no signs of discomfort.
Seeing this, Luffy let out a strange cry.
"Why are you guys okay?"
"Kai used his abilities to create a protective layer on us, so we could breathe normally. Not like you!" Nami explained.
"What??"
Luffy and the others were stunned and turned to Kai, anger etched on their faces.
"Why did you only help Nami and the others and not us?"
"Sorry, I'm not strong enough to make enough for everyone," Kai said calmly, sipping his juice.
m9( `д ́ )!!!!
Hearing this explanation, their anger only intensified.
Even a dog wouldn't believe Kai's excuse. He clearly didn't want to help them.
At that moment, the five male crew members on the ship, except for Kai, exchanged glances, and it was clear they all had the same thought.
In the next instant, they surged towards Kai with fierce expressions.
"Kai, I've had enough of you. Take a punch from me!"
"I'm going to chop you up today!"
...
"Strengthen!"
Looking at the five charging at him, Kai shook his head helplessly and said calmly, "If you don't fight at least once a day, you'll end up tearing the roof off!"
None of the five saw how Kai acted. They only felt a blur, then were knocked backward in an instant, their faces swelling up.
Regardless, Kai was skilled. The slap marks on their faces were all perfectly aligned.
After landing, the five groaned weakly, "What happened? Why do I feel so weak?"
Kai looked at them and said calmly, "It's normal. We're at high altitude, and the air is much thinner than at sea. It's normal to feel this way when you first arrive!"
After a while, their strength began to return, and the feeling of weakness faded.
The group tacitly agreed not to mention what had just happened. They were not masochists!
They had only troubled Kai in their moment of irrationality. If they were in their right minds, they wouldn't have done such a thing!
Sanji stood by the railing, watching the Merry floating among the clouds. He marveled, "I didn't expect the ship could actually float on the clouds!"
"Hey, isn't the ship supposed to float on the clouds?" Luffy asked, puzzled.
"Idiot! How could that be possible? Have you no common sense?" Sanji retorted.
"But… Kai's clouds can carry ships too!"
Sanji:. . . .
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.