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As the going merry advanced, clouds resembling waterfalls appeared before Ace and the others. Beside the clouds stood a simple gate. Above the gate, a plaque read "Heavensgate," symbolizing the "Gate of Heaven."
"The Gate of Heaven? We're not actually going up to heaven from here, are we?" Robin mused, pinching her chin.
"Don't say such creepy things with that expressionless face!" Nami shivered, clearly unsettled by the plaque's ominous name.
"Huh? Look, someone's there," Vivi pointed toward the entrance.
An elderly woman, short and wrinkled, wearing purple-pink robes, and holding a camera, stepped forward. The most striking thing about her appearance was the two small wings on her back.
As she approached, all the girls—except Robin—who had been trained in Observation Haki by Ace, instinctively frowned. The old woman exuded an uncomfortable aura.
"I am the gatekeeper of Heaven's Gate, and my name is Amazon," the old woman croaked in a hoarse voice.
"Judging by your appearance, you must be from the Blue Sea, right? If you wish to enter, you'll have to pay a fee of one billion extol per person. That's the law here," she stated flatly.
"One billion? That's outrageous! And what is an extol?" Vivi exclaimed.
"Extol is the currency here, accepted everywhere," Amazon continued indifferently.
"What happens if we don't pay?" Nami demanded. After all they'd gone through to reach Sky Island, paying such a fee felt like robbery—something Nami could never stand for.
"If you don't pay, you can still pass," Amazon replied calmly.
"What?!" The group, even Robin, was startled.
"Then why even bother asking for a fee?" Vivi muttered in disbelief.
"I'm not a guard, nor a protector. I'm simply informing you of the law," Amazon continued, her expression unchanging.
Nami and the others felt increasingly uneasy. If there was no consequence for not paying, why even have a toll? And why did this woman exude such a menacing feeling?
"Oh? So you're being completely honest?" Ace questioned, eyeing Amazon closely.
"I'm just an old woman, I don't have the time to deceive you. If you want to pass, just do so already," Amazon snapped, her tone harsh.
"Nojiko," Ace said calmly.
*Bang!*
A gunshot rang out, and blood spurted from Amazon's wrinkled shoulder.
"You! What have you done?!" she cried out in pain, her previously expressionless face contorting.
"What I despise most is a corrupt heart," Ace replied, still calm.
"She really did give off a bad vibe," Nami muttered, her eyes narrowing.
"That bullet was our entry fee. Any objections?" Ace's lips curled into a smile.
"N-no, no problem," Amazon stammered, her smile strained as she tried to bear the pain.
Suddenly, large pincers reached out from the clouds and latched onto the going merry. It was an express shrimp, a creature native to the White Sea, used to transport travelers from the Gate of Heaven to Sky Island.
"This express shrimp will take you where you want to go," Amazon gritted through her pain.
"Let's go," Ace ordered, walking toward the bow.
In the blink of an eye, the going merry shot forward, disappearing through the Gate of Heaven.
"Damn those Blue Sea people!" Amazon seethed as she watched the going merry vanish into the distance, her old face twisting with malice.
She had hoped to trick the Blue Sea travelers into committing an illegal entry, but they had seen through her scheme and shot her. Very well, the punishment from God would be even harsher now!
"Report to the priest! A group of Blue Sea people has entered illegally and attacked me! I request divine punishment for them!"
Amazon smiled wickedly, imagining their fate. "Prepare yourselves for God's wrath, Blue Sea intruders."
Suddenly, flames erupted from the wound on Amazon's shoulder, engulfing her completely. Her screams echoed as she was consumed by fire. The first shot had been a warning. Disobey, and the second punishment would always be death.
Meanwhile, the going merry raced through a cloudy waterfall passage. At the end of the path, a sign appeared in the distance.
"'The Kingdom of God?'" Robin read aloud, astonished.
In the next instant, the express shrimp reached the end of the passage, launching the going merry into the sky before it quickly plummeted. The shrimp released its hold and vanished into the clouds.
*Boom!*
Despite the fall, the going merry landed softly.
"These clouds are so gentle," Vivi remarked, glancing at the fluffy ground in awe.
"This place is... incredible," Kaya whispered, her hands covering her lips in disbelief as she gazed at the breathtaking sight before her.
The girls gathered at the bow, their faces lighting up with wonder. Between the clouds, countless homes appeared, nestled in the mist, connected by bridges made of clouds. It was like a scene from a fairy tale.
"We're really on Sky Island," Kaya marveled, her eyes sparkling.
"It's like a dream," Vivi agreed.
"I'll go first," Nojiko said, jumping off the going merry to test the ground. Since she hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit, it was safest for her to explore.
She landed safely on the clouds.
"It's solid! The clouds can hold us!" Nojiko exclaimed.
"No problem!" she called back.
The girls exchanged excited smiles and jumped off the ship, eager to explore.
Ace stood watching them with a satisfied smile.
"This really feels like an adventure," Robin said softly, her eyes full of emotion. The idea of adventuring with companions was something she had never imagined before.
"Ace, come join us!" Kaya called, her angelic face lighting up with excitement.
"I'm coming," Ace said, leaping from the ship.
*Splat!*
"Aah!" The girls squealed in surprise as Ace splashed cloud water onto their faces.
"Darn it, Ace! You're going to pay for that!" Nami laughed, grabbing a handful of clouds to throw at him.
"We'll help you, Nami!" Kaya and Vivi giggled, chasing after Ace with clouds in hand.
——
"It's incredible here," Tashigi mumbles as she takes in the surroundings.
"Yeah, but as long as Ace says a place exists, we can definitely reach it," Nojiko replied, glancing at Ace, who was in the middle of a playful tussle with Vivi, Nami, and Kaya. A slight smile played on her lips.
"That fruit looks pretty weird," Tashigi noted, pointing to a nearby tree where fruits resembling pumpkins hung.
"Weird fruit? Let me have a look," Ace said, strolling over victoriously after making Nami, Kaya, and Vivi blush from their playful banter.
With a slight raise of his hand, *thud*, the fruit fell into Nojiko's hands.
Ace was probably the only person in the entire ocean who could use Conqueror's Haki to casually pluck fruit from a tree.
"It looks like a coconut, but how do we open it?" Nojiko wondered, examining the fruit.
At that moment, a beautiful melody from a harp reached their ears. Ace and the girls looked around, spotting a graceful figure in the distance, bathed in sunlight.
"It sounds beautiful, doesn't it?" Vivi sighed.
"Let's go check it out," Ace smiled as he led the way forward.
As they approached, they saw a stunning woman with light yellow twin braids ending in rounded buns, and two small white wings on her back. She was perched on a marble stone, skillfully playing the harp.
Sensing their presence, she opened her eyes, her gentle gaze resting on Ace and the group. Her pure and kind expression radiated serenity, and she greeted them with a refreshing smile.
"Heso."
"Heso?" Nami asked, raising an eyebrow at the odd greeting.
"Are you from the Blue Sea?" the angelic woman asked, still smiling warmly.
"If Blue Sea refers to the sea below, then yes, we came up from there," Nami answered.
Suddenly, a small creature resembling a fox dashed towards Ace and nuzzled his leg affectionately.
Ace picked up the little fox and set it on his shoulder, stroking its soft fur.
"What a cutie!" Kaya beamed, her pretty face lighting up with a smile. Anyone who liked Ace quickly won her heart.
"His name is Suu. He's a cloud fox, and it looks like he's taken quite a liking to you," the woman said, still smiling. "I'm Conis, a resident here. Welcome to Angel Beach, part of the Kingdom of God."
"How did you know we were from the Blue Sea?" Vivi asked, curious.
"Heso is a common greeting here, but you didn't recognize it. Plus, you don't have wings like the other islanders. It's easy to tell you apart," Conis explained with a gentle laugh.
"By the way, are you planning to drink from that fruit?" Conis asked, noticing the fruit in Nojiko's hands.
"We were just about to open it," Nojiko chuckled.
"The shell of that fruit is as hard as iron. You'll need special tools to open it." Conis glanced around but couldn't find the necessary tool. "I'm sorry, I must've left them at home. Would you like to come to my house?"
"Could we?" Kaya asked eagerly. Visiting someone's home on Sky Island was like stepping into the fairy tales she'd read as a child.
"Of course," Conis smiled.
"We'll visit in a bit, but let me handle this first," Ace said, taking the fruit from Nojiko's hand. With a simple swipe of his finger, the fruit split open effortlessly.
Conis gasped in shock, watching as Ace nonchalantly opened a fruit with a shell said to be as hard as iron.
"That's how you drink it, right?" Ace said with a grin.
"Amazing!" Conis exclaimed, covering her mouth in disbelief. No tools were needed—Ace had opened it with just a touch.
"It tastes great, Ace. You should try it too," Nojiko said, sipping through a straw she had placed into the fruit.
"Really? Let me have a taste." Ace took a sip and nodded approvingly. "It's delicious—definitely unique."
Nojiko's face turned slightly pink as she realized they were sharing the same straw. Was this an indirect...
"Oh? Nojiko, you've gotten bold!" Nami teased, nudging her with a mischievous grin.
Nojiko's blush deepened. Although she usually kept her composure, anything involving Ace left her a little flustered.
Just as Nojiko was about to reply, a strange puffing sound filled the air.
"Conis, heso!"
Everyone turned to see a black dot rapidly growing closer.
"That's my father," Conis explained with a smile.
"Father! Heso!" Conis waved excitedly.
"What's that thing your father's riding on?" Nami asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"That's a Waver, our island's special form of transportation," Conis said.
Before her father could properly stop, the Waver veered out of control, crashing into a coconut tree.
"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" Conis' father asked weakly as he stumbled out of the wreck.
"You should worry about yourself first, Uncle!" Vivi and Nami said in unison, shaking their heads.
"I'm really sorry," he apologized, massaging his lower back. "I'm not as good at controlling it as I used to be."
"Let me help," Kaya offered, her hand glowing softly as she placed it on his back.
"Swish!"
"All done," Kaya smiled after a moment.
"Amazing!" Conis' father straightened up, his eyes wide with surprise at the relief he felt.
Conis also looked astonished at how remarkable these new friends were.
"Conis, are these your friends?" her father asked.
"Yes, they're from the Blue Sea, and I'm showing them around," Conis said cheerfully.
"I'm glad you've come to Angel Beach. My name is Pagaya. Apologies for earlier—my greeting wasn't the most graceful," he said, bowing slightly.
"You're too kind, Uncle," Ace smiled back.
"Father, I've already invited them to our home," Conis added.
"Of course! If you don't mind, you can come over and try some of our local delicacies," Pagaya said warmly.
"We'd love that," Ace replied.
As they followed Conis and Pagaya to their home, Ace and the others marveled at the unique sights of Sky Island, like the cloud mining fields and the Cloud River Road.
At Conis' home, Pagaya showed off various Sky Island shells: Sound Shells for recording audio, Flame Shells for cooking, Lamp Shells for light, and Video Shells that functioned like video recorders. These shells were essential to the daily lives of Sky Island residents.
Soon after, Pagaya served Sky Island's unique dishes. Ace took a bite and couldn't stop praising the food. The flavors were entirely different from anything they had tasted in the Blue Sea.
As they ate and chatted, the atmosphere became warm and cheerful. Then, Pagaya's expression grew serious as he remembered something.
"By the way, there's one place you must avoid at all costs."
Everyone turned to him curiously.
"That's where God resides."
"God?" Vivi asked, puzzled.
"Yes. Angel Island, where we are now, and the surrounding islands are all part of the Kingdom of God. They are ruled by an omniscient and omnipotent god—Enel," Conis explained.
"Omniscient and omnipotent?" Kaya raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Could this god possibly be stronger than Ace?
"It's true. God Enel knows everything and controls the fire of the world," Conis said quickly, noticing Kaya's skepticism.
"For instance, God knows exactly what we're doing right now," Conis added cautiously, her eyes flashing with unease.
Ace smirked slightly. "I doubt that."
"Why?!" Conis gasped, looking at Ace in disbelief.