A cheerful humming echoed through the bathroom.
Steam curled in lazy wisps, misting the air with warmth.
With the expansion of the Enlightenment's fuel chamber, the ship's electrical system could now sustain stable operations.
As altitude increased, the air naturally grew colder—so, of course, the heating system was on.
The humming carried an unmistakable sense of contentment.
This was, by all rights, a time of pure personal bliss.
It should have stayed that way.
But Ren, who wasn't supposed to be there, was deep in thought.
The convenience of his Translucent Body lay in how it let him pass through semi-transparent obstacles—like glass—by transforming himself into pure light and slipping through, without damaging the object itself.
A perfect stealth tool.
His Invisibility was far superior to that of any potion.While an invisibility potion merely erased the body from sight, it couldn't hide footsteps, rustling air, or displacement in mist—empty shapes that fog only made more visible.
But the Sixth Calabash Brother's invisibility—his own—wasn't bound by such limits. Unless someone had an advanced level of Observation Haki or a special perception ability, no one could see him.
Like now, for instance—the humid mist swirled around him, carrying a faint floral fragrance.
There were plenty of girls aboard the Enlightenment: Nami, Nojiko, Vivi, and Robin—that made four.
He'd met quite a few women by now, and he'd noticed something curious.
Women here rarely had any unpleasant scent. In fact, their body fragrance seemed to reflect their personalities.
The prettier they were, the more natural their scent—often soft and distinct.
Nami smelled like a mix of tangerines and money.
Nojiko, like grapes and blossoms.
At first, Ren thought it was just his mind playing tricks on his nose.
But no—he was certain now. It was real.
Like the third scent before him—sunflowers.
A light fragrance that somehow conjured words like sunlight, warmth, loyalty, and hope.
Yes.
It was Vivi.
Her long sky-blue hair clung wetly to her waist, and the steam couldn't hide her perfect hourglass figure.
Her pale skin glistened in the mist, her silhouette stirring the very limits of Ren's sanity.
Ren instinctively clutched his nose—heat surged upward.
He turned into a streak of light and vanished on the spot.
Vivi blinked, tilting her head as she noticed a faint red speck on the floor.
( ´ ω｀?)
Ren decided: bathrooms were meant for relaxation, and moral standards tended to slip in relaxing places.
So there was nothing wrong with indulging his curiosity—at worst, he'd reflect later on whether it was time to move his relationships forward and release all that pent-up brainpower.
So he did just that.
Leaving the second deck, he went to "socialize."
First Nami, then Nojiko, and afterward, he tried to drop in on Robin.
But the last one was nowhere to be found.
After all, not everyone had experienced flight at ten thousand meters, and Robin hadn't either.
Once she got used to the turbulence, she'd joined Nami and Nojiko at a small table on deck for afternoon tea.
Ren finally looked around him.
No waves, no storms, no unpredictable weather—only a golden glow cascading down from the heavens, turning the world into a dream of light.
The Enlightenment glided swiftly across the golden-tinted White Sea.
Around the ship shimmered a translucent bubble barrier, holding firm against the fierce winds.
Clearly, it wasn't a coating bubble.
Ren's eyes flickered—his irises shifting from crimson to luminous green.
A beam of light shot from above, illuminating the bubble as he examined it closely.
The bubble was enormous, shaped almost like a bear's paw.
Without a doubt—the Paw-Paw Fruit's power.
"So the elasticity's been developed this far? That's already conceptual-level manipulation," Ren murmured, rubbing his chin as he dismissed his Clairvoyance.
When he turned around, Nami and the others were staring at him curiously.
"Was that... your new ability just now?" Nami asked.
"Mm. Still getting used to it."
Ren nodded and sat down in a seat still faintly warm—Vivi's, no doubt.
"Freshly baked cookies," Nojiko said, passing him a plate full.
"Where's Zoro?" Ren asked, taking one and biting into it. He glanced around—no sign of the green-haired swordsman.
It was afternoon; even if Zoro had been on night watch, he should be awake by now.
"He said he had nothing to do, so he went to train," Nami reported.
"So dedicated," Nojiko praised.
Robin nodded in agreement. "It's no wonder Dracule Mihawk values him so highly."
Ren: "..."
It had nothing to do with him, yet he still felt oddly uncomfortable.
After a moment, he stood up, taking the cookie plate.
"I'll bring these to him."
After that came training—and waiting.
Kuma had once mentioned some knowledge about Skypiea, though he'd admitted he'd never personally been to Angel Island.
He couldn't send them directly there, so they'd have to reach it through navigation.
Fortunately, Skypiea was a cluster civilization connected by a unique geography—instead of sea routes, there were cloud routes.
After landing, they'd have to travel along these to reach Angel Island.
For those who'd never seen the sky ten thousand meters high, this was a journey worth anticipating.
Even Ren found himself eager between training sessions.
Watching it in the anime was one thing—seeing it in person, another entirely.
On the morning of the fourth day after leaving Alabasta, the Enlightenment finally sighted what looked like a floating island of clouds.
Or rather—a Cloud Island.
"It's huge!"
Vivi, her hair tied in a high ponytail, stared wide-eyed at the endless sea of white clouds and the massive island nestled within them.
"So this is Skypiea? It really looks like it's made of clouds!" Nami leaned on the railing, eyes sparkling.
"Are we sure we won't sink?" Nojiko asked nervously.
"The Poneglyph... could it really exist in a place like this?" Robin's fingers touched her cheek, thoughtful.
"Don't worry. If something's wrong, the captain will tell us right away."
Zoro, for once at ease, admired the approaching landmass. "Looks like a full-sized island... So this is Anka, huh?"
"Yes," Ren nodded, turning to the unflinching figure beside him. "Mr. Karasu, you look like you've been here before. Care to enlighten us?"
He already knew most of it from Kuma—but he wanted to get this quiet commander talking, maybe leak something interesting.
Karasu glanced at him silently, remembering Sabo's orders: Maintain relations with Ren. Strengthen ties with the Revolutionary Army.
He switched on his voice modulator. The faint buzz of electricity accompanied his words.
"The White-White Sea, ten thousand meters above the ground, has its own unique ecosystem.
It's composed of a keratin particle called pyrobroin, expelled from volcanic eruptions and condensed with water vapor.
This forms both sea clouds and island clouds.
Sea clouds are like seawater—dense and buoyant, almost indistinguishable in function.
But because they contain trace seawater elements, they also weaken Devil Fruit users."
At that, Karasu cast a warning glance toward Ren and Vivi—both Devil Fruit users.
"You'd best be careful."
"Understood," Ren said with a nod, gesturing for him to continue.
"Island clouds float atop sea clouds. They're soft, elastic, yet sturdy enough to support life.
Sky Islanders live upon them.
By processing island clouds, they create a special construction material called Processed Cloud, used for buildings like the ones you see ahead."
Karasu continued, his knowledge surprisingly extensive."Skypiea also has shell-based resources unknown to the Blue Sea.
These Dials are used in everyday life and combat alike. Some can unleash considerable power."
"You sound... familiar with this place," Ren noted.
"Not firsthand," Karasu replied, shaking his head. "We found it recorded in ancient texts.
Once, a friend of ours sought information about the Moon People, so the Revolutionary Army helped gather related records."
"Moon People?" Ren's eyes narrowed slightly in surprise.
"I don't know the details," Karasu admitted. "But the existence of Skypiea has always been a legend in the Blue Sea.
Only certain Grand Line routes lead to Heaven's Gate—the path to the sky.
A waterfall of clouds leading upward, almost impossible to ascend.
Even the return route lies elsewhere.
So for ages, Skypiea only appeared in rare texts. We found its records while tracing the Moon People's origins."
"You mean the Sky Islanders descended from the Moon?" Ren asked, recalling how Enel once called the Moon the 'Endless Earth.'
After Luffy defeated him, he'd gone there himself.
"Not exactly. The Skypiean civilization was founded by a group of Moon People who left their home," Karasu said.
"They say the Moon was the cradle of all life. As distance grew, languages, customs, and even nations diverged.
Some islands in the Grand Line still exist in prehistoric conditions due to weather—but none are as extraordinary as Skypiea.
A civilization built without soil, surviving for millennia—its history as long as the Blue Sea itself.
Thus came the theory: the first civilization was born on the Moon.
When resources ran out, they descended to the White-White Sea.
Some stayed, creating the culture we now call Skypiea."
He continued, "Each Sky Island functions like a separate nation, yet they share remarkably similar cultures.
They believe in divine authority—each island has a 'God' ruler, and priests or messengers who act in the name of that god.
They favor feathered decorations—artificial wings that can't move or fly—and wear twin braids as a cultural symbol.
Unlike Blue Sea nations, their societies show high homogeneity.
Of course," he added, "this is just what I've heard. You'll have to see for yourselves."
"Then let's," Ren said, gazing out over the shining sea of clouds.
The Enlightenment had begun to decelerate—the energy within the paw-bubble was nearly depleted.
They'd arrived at their destination.
Skypiea—Anka!
In a shadowed corner of Anka Island—
A group of ragged pirates huddled together, plotting their next move.
"Alright, here's the plan," said Mok the Biter, a pirate worth twenty million Beli. "We'll watch how they pay at that restaurant.
If they pay first, we nab one of them, eat, then run.
If they pay after eating, we eat first, then kidnap the owner and force them to buy him back."
"Uh, Captain, are we really doing this...?" one crewmate asked timidly.
"What, you doubting me?" Mok snarled. "Don't you know I'm a Zoan user—Mutt-Mutt Fruit, Model: Honey Badger?!"
His stomach growled fiercely, pairing with his glare to make him seem like a beast ready to devour them all.
"N-no, Captain! It's just... because of your Devil Fruit, we've been starving for days!"
His men nearly burst into tears, ready to kneel if it meant surviving.
Ever since reaching Heaven's Gate, their "bite-anything" captain had been itching for a big heist.
That had always worked before—but not here.
The air in the White-White Sea was far thinner than the Blue Sea's, and their strength had plummeted.
Meanwhile, the native Sky Islanders were completely unaffected.
Their late ship doctor had said their bodies had evolved to rely less on oxygen—hence their monstrous physiques.
Unfortunately, the Biter Pirates realized this too late.
Two of their ships had already been sunk in Skypiea's upper clouds.
Now, barely surviving, they were desperate for one last score.
(End of Chapter)