While Kai and the others were fooling around, the Merry arrived at a mysterious gate.
"Gate to Heaven?" Usopp read the sign, sweat instantly pouring down his face.
"Heaven? Wait, are we… dead already?"
"Yep, that's right. We died the moment we flew into the sky," Zoro whispered eerily into Usopp's ear.
!!!
Usopp instantly collapsed as if lifeless, while Zoro couldn't help but twitch in disbelief. This guy gets scared way too easily!
As the ship sailed through the gate, an old woman with wings appeared from a small side door and approached, patting the air a few times before addressing the crew.
"This is the Gate of Heaven. Anyone wishing to enter Sky Island must pay a toll of one billion extol!"
Kai stepped forward and in the blink of an eye, appeared next to the old lady.
"Hm?"
w(゚Д゚)w!
The elderly Amazon was so shocked by Kai's sudden appearance that she nearly lost her composure. With everyone's eyes on her, she did several backflips in an instant before taking up a defensive stance.
"Boy! Are you human or ghost?! Why did you appear out of nowhere?"
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? Human or ghost?" Kai smirked.
He hadn't expected someone who looked so frail to be this fast and agile!
"Relax, old lady. I'm just here to pay."
The Amazon elder kept her stance for a moment longer, circling Kai suspiciously before finally lowering her guard and patting her chest.
"Okay, he's human!"
Kai: . . .
Without another word, Kai pulled out 800,000 Berries and handed them to the old lady. "There are eight of us. That should cover it."
The Amazon woman eyed the group, then the money, and pulled out 100,000 Berries from the total, returning it to Kai.
"The pet only costs 50 Berries. And since you've paid 700,000, I'll give you a discount—your pet is free."
Chopper: "Huh?!"
Chopper froze for a second before flaring up, eyes blazing with anger.
"Who are you calling a pet?! Do I look like some cheap animal to you? Are you in league with those jerks from the Marines who look down on everyone?! Fifty Berries?! Who are you insulting—"
"Huh? Did the pet just… talk?" The Amazon elder looked baffled, her eyes darting around the ship.
Nami quickly covered Chopper's mouth, laughing nervously. "No, no, you must've misheard! He just squeaked a bit!"
"My pet's been moody lately, tends to get upset easily!"
"I see! That makes sense. My civet cat does the same thing all the time!"
"Exactly!" Nami nodded, smiling as she held Chopper tightly.
"Alright, now that you've paid, you're free to go."
As the old woman finished speaking, a large shadow appeared under the Merry, lifting the ship up.
"What's that?" Luffy asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
"That's the Express Shrimp, a creature unique to the White Sea. It'll take you to the White-White Sea, over three thousand meters away. Have a pleasant journey to Sky Island!"
"Thanks, old lady!" Luffy shouted as the Merry was carried away.
"Whoa, this shrimp is fast!" Luffy cheered, his excitement overflowing.
"Let's go! Run, shrimp!"
"That's Express Shrimp," Zoro corrected, shaking his head.
"Whatever, just full speed ahead! Hahaha... Sky Island, here we come!"
As the Merry reached the end of the waterfall, the Express Shrimp launched them into the sky, and everyone braced themselves as they ascended.
Eyes wide open, the crew gasped in amazement.
"Is this… Sky Island?"
Before them was an island made entirely of clouds, dotted with various buildings, all resting upon the fluffy surface.
"Oh ho ho!"
Luffy, unable to contain his excitement, ran off the ship and grabbed onto a nearby tree.
"Let's go explore!" Kai smiled and leaped off the ship.
As his feet hit the ground, a soft, cushiony sensation made him feel like he was stepping on cotton.
Intrigued, Kai stomped a few more times, marveling at how different it felt from solid land.
Just then, a familiar notification rang in Kai's mind.
[Ding! You've successfully checked into Angel Island. Your Conqueror's Haki has been upgraded to Advanced Level, and you've unlocked the secret of Observation Haki: 'Killing Intent'!]
A look of surprise flickered across Kai's face as he processed the reward.
I just upgraded my Conqueror's Haki to Intermediate Level back on Jaya… and now it's jumped to Advanced? Two levels in such a short time?!
But that wasn't even the most shocking part. Kai had just learned how to use Conqueror's Haki on his own, and now, he had also unlocked an advanced technique—Observation Haki's deadly 'Killing Intent'!
This is a game-changer! As far as Kai knew, only one other person—Shanks—had mastered this ability.
He wasn't sure if other elites had it, but one thing was certain: very few people could wield this power, and it made him significantly stronger.
Kai couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
Time to challenge an Admiral soon! Let's see how far I've really come!
As Kai finished organizing his thoughts, the rest of the crew was already playing on the beach.
Just then, Luffy tossed something resembling a pumpkin toward him. Kai casually raised his hand, catching it effortlessly before smiling at Luffy.
"Luffy, how'd you know I was thirsty?"
"Huh?" Luffy blinked, confused by Kai's remark.
Before Luffy could respond, Kai poked a hole in the "pumpkin," pulled out a straw from who-knows-where, and started drinking with relish.
Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ノノ
"Kai, I want some too!"
"Get your own," Kai replied coolly, knocking away Luffy's reaching hand.
After messing around for a bit, Kai turned to the group and said, "Alright, let's head deeper into the island and see what fun stuff we can find on Sky Island!"
"Fun?!"
(˵ ̄͒〰 ̄͒˵)
The "Fun Trio" — Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper — immediately lit up at the idea.
With excitement in the air, the crew began walking toward the island's main path. Just then, a girl with wings descended from a nearby staircase.
Spotting Luffy and the others, she cheerfully greeted them, "Navel, are you from the Blue Sea?"
The crew froze.
"Navel?"
What kind of greeting was that?
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.