At the end of the Cloud Road—
Near the border of the Land of God, a massive waterfall cascaded from an even higher altitude.
Around the waterfall, a ring of soft island clouds floated like a garland of mist.
"There," said Urouge, pointing to the waterfall in the distance, "is Heaven's Gate."
He explained calmly, "From what I know, entering Heaven's Gate requires an entrance fee. Otherwise, you'll be registered as intruders and hunted down by the local priests. At the same time, that's our destination—once we pass through, we'll be in the Land of God."
His last sentence was somewhat redundant, but Ren understood his meaning. Under Urouge's tense gaze, he reached out and removed the explosive collar from the man's neck.
To be honest,that thing was pretty useful.
Ren retrieved it and looked at him. "The exchange is complete. You're free now. Nami, give him a boat—let him go."
But—Urouge didn't turn to leave. He hesitated under Nami's confused gaze, then, as if coming to an important decision, stepped forward and blocked Ren's path with a firm expression.
"Hmm?"
"I'd like to ask something, Mr. Ren."
"I don't recall owing you an answer."
"What if," Urouge said seriously, "I wish to pledge my loyalty to you?"
"…What?"
Ren gave him a strange look. "Do you even know what you're saying?"
"Of course. I wouldn't dare deceive you," Urouge replied bluntly. "As you already know, I've long been fascinated by the Blue Sea. Even if I haven't gone there yet, sooner or later I'll venture down to experience the boundless world of Vearth with my own eyes. But I've also realized—I'm not that strong.
In a world where even someone like you can't dominate an entire generation, I doubt I could go far on my own. So I thought—why not place my faith in someone truly worthy of it?
At the very least, your ideals don't conflict with mine. I may be battle-hungry, but I've never forgotten the compassion I learned as a monk."
"You intend to treat me as your god?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
Well, that was a surprise—but that was just how the Sky Islanders were. They didn't so much "worship gods" as they called their rulers gods.
"To be exact," Urouge said candidly, "I believe following you will lead to a far more brilliant future. That's why I regard you as someone worthy of devotion."
He was completely open about his intent. Just from the fragments of conversation he'd overheard, he knew this man before him was no ordinary figure. His pursuits and ideals were utterly unlike those of the Blue Sea pirates Urouge had studied. And perhaps most importantly—Ren possessed overwhelming strength.
A true powerhouse would shake the world no matter what he chose to do. Like a monster beneath the deep sea—one small movement was enough to stir up a storm.
Ren narrowed his eyes in thought.
Urouge's strength wasn't bad at all—his debut bounty was a hefty 180 million Beli. Even at this earlier point in time, his combat ability was on par with Zoro's—maybe slightly lower. And according to the original reports, aside from being brash and battle-hungry, he had no real flaws. In fact, he could even be called a compassionate man.
Within Ren's crew—the Iron Knights served as support troops, handling menial tasks like night watch and patrol duty. The Angels of Glory were the developing "soldiers," with potential caps around the hundred-million mark. Zoro, Nojiko, and Nami were already the officers, each capable of surpassing that ceiling.
And Urouge clearly possessed the same kind of potential—if he went to the Blue Sea now, earning a hundred-million bounty wouldn't be difficult.
More importantly,he didn't have a record of heinous deeds.
Which meant—he was worth recruiting.
Ren finally spoke. "Our ideals differ from those of ordinary pirates. What we experience may indeed be thrilling, but the dangers we face are equally terrifying. So, strength alone doesn't make one of us. It's about shared understanding—and unity of heart."
"I understand," Urouge nodded solemnly. "I'll prove my worth."
"He's joining?" Nami's eyes sparkled, practically glowing as she leaned forward like she'd just found the perfect tool for her schemes.
Zoro, Nojiko, and Vivi stayed silent. If it was the captain's decision, there was nothing to object to.
"Only as a trainee for now," Ren decided plainly.
Nami's eyes gleamed brighter. She pointed at Ren, then herself. "As you can see, Ren's the captain. I'm the vice-captain. You can just call me Big Sis Nami."
"Yes, Big Sis Nami."
"Good, say it again."
"Big Sis Nami."
"Louder!"
"BIG SIS NAMI!"
A new round of antics began. Nami's playful bullying made Nojiko shake her head helplessly, like she was watching a mischievous child. Vivi, on the other hand, blinked at Zoro in confusion.
Wait—wasn't he supposed to be the vice-captain? She'd always thought so!
Zoro, however, didn't meet her gaze. He turned away, staring calmly at the cloud sea. He'd lost too many of these petty arguments to care anymore. As long as he was the acting vice-captain, the title could go to Nami—it didn't matter. He truly didn't mind. Really.
The Enlightenment continued sailing forward, gliding beneath the cascading skyfall.
Before long, a massive structure appeared ahead—half a star suspended in midair,its center forming a colossal arched passageway.
Its name—Heaven's Gate.
An old woman holding a camera shell emerged from the side of the archway, turning toward the approaching ship. She snapped photos with practiced ease—flashes flickering repeatedly and catching the crew's attention.
'Wow, she looks like a dried plum,' Nami thought inwardly.
The old woman then spoke slowly,"I am the Gate Inspector of Heaven's Gate—Amazon. Are you here for sightseeing, or for battle?"
"Is there a difference?" Ren stepped forward, recalling what he knew of her. Though she was Heaven's Gate's monitor, she possessed no fighting power—not a guard, not a soldier, merely a record keeper who photographed visitors and filed reports.
And also—a scammer.
In the original timeline, Luffy's crew had fallen for her con because they didn't understand Skypiea's currency exchange rate. Amazon had sweet-talked them into unknowingly becoming "illegal entrants," which triggered their pursuit by the priests.
Still, it fit Ren's view of Skypiea perfectly. People like Conis were the exception, not the rule.
"No matter which it is," Amazon said expressionlessly, "if you wish to enter, you must pay One billion Extol per person. That is the law."
"And if we can't pay?" Ren smiled faintly.
"You may still enter. After all, I am neither guard nor soldier. I merely ask for your intentions."
The corners of her mouth twitched upward slightly, a trace of mockery hidden in her voice—malice thinly veiled.
"Eh? So you're saying we can enter for free?" Nami narrowed her eyes, her gesture uncannily similar to Ren's earlier.
Then she remembered—Haredas had warned them. Every Sky Islander in the Land of God was a pawn of Enel. Their every word and action guided outsiders toward punishment for "illegal entry."
So this old hag…she was trying to trap them.
After all, ten thousand Extol equaled only one Beli. A ridiculous exchange rate for such an absurd "fee."
Nami turned toward Ren. "So, do we pay?"
"There's no need."
Ren flipped his palm—Thunder Spear formed instantly, aimed straight at the suddenly panicked Amazon.
"I, here and now—declare war!"
BOOM!
Lightning roared forth, tearing through the air and obliterating the archway wall.The structure collapsed, burying Amazon beneath the rubble.
'Ahhh, that felt good. I always wanted to punch that scammer when I saw that episode,' Ren exhaled contentedly. Perhaps that was one perk of reincarnation—to personally deal with all those infuriating moments from another life.
Zzzzt!
The Thunder Spear dissolved into a coiling Thunder Spirit, dancing joyfully around Ren before activating its static-dynamic property. Positive and negative charges built up electricity, which the spirit directed deep into the sea of clouds.
Moments later, it pulled out a trembling, gigantic white sea creature—the famous Express Lobster of the White Sea.
Stimulated by lightning, the Express Lobster extended its massive claws and latched onto both sides of the Enlightenment's hull, then shot forward at blinding speed, racing toward the Cloud Road beyond Heaven's Gate.
Up close, they finally saw it clearly—the "waterfall" wasn't made of water, but flowing cloud. The ascending Cloud Road spiraled upward, looping around more than ten times.
The Express Lobster rocketed up the path, carrying the ship through the luminous sky until they reached the radiance at its peak. With one last mighty fling, it hurled the Enlightenment forward—then plunged back into the sea of clouds below, escaping the fate of being roasted alive.
BOOM—!
The Enlightenment splashed down in a great plume of cloud-water, entering the domain of Angel Island.
Standing at the bow, Ren gazed into the distance—a vast island of clouds stretched before him. It was huge—perhaps the size of a medium island—and faint bridges could be seen disappearing into the mists.
"Do we move in?" Zoro's hand instinctively went to his sword. They were in enemy territory now.
"That old hag shouldn't have been able to send any warnings," Ren said calmly. "This might be our best chance to strike by surprise."
"No rush," he continued evenly. "Let's play along for now. We don't want to alarm the snake before striking."
He gathered the crew on deck and began outlining their plan.
The core issue of Angel Island was simple—Enel.
His priests and divine soldiers might have some strength, but not enough to matter. The Angels of Glory alone could wipe them out. And with Zoro and the others here—
Even giving each one a personal opponent might not be enough.
(End of Chapter)