"York, is Alabasta the place of seclusion you mentioned?"
In a tavern at the port of Nanohana, Kaido asked York curiously.
"Of course not!"
York smiled calmly and pointed to the Log Pose on Stussy's wrist.
"The place of seclusion I spoke of is the next island magnetically linked to this one!"
Hearing this, everyone showed curiosity on their faces.
"The next island linked to Alabasta?"
Gloriosa asked curiously: "But I heard the next island magnetically linked to Alabasta doesn't exist?"
Shakky added from the side: "It's said that after storing magnetic force in Alabasta, the Log Pose eventually points to the sky."
"Even if one sails following the pose and reaches an island, it's merely a super-small island unable to store magnetic force."
"Countless pirates gathered on that island because the way forward was cut off."
"But no matter how long they waited there, the Log Pose wouldn't change at all."
"Finally, they would return to Alabasta along the original route, buy an Eternal Pose to other islands, and take other routes to the end of the first half of the Grand Line."
Hearing this, a trace of mockery appeared on York's face.
"The Log Pose points to the sky; those ignorant pirates don't know what's going on, but don't you know?"
Only then did everyone realize.
"You mean... Sky Island?!"
Most of the people present had actually never been to Sky Island, only hearing people mention it occasionally.
However, someone had been there after all.
For example, Stussy.
She went to sea the earliest and had been active on the sea for many years; she had visited Sky Island.
Only the Sky Islands she visited were all in the New World; she truly hadn't been to the Sky Island in the first half of the Grand Line.
"Truly surprising. I didn't expect the island after Alabasta to be the legendary Sky Island!!"
"York, how did you know this?"
"Hehe, secret!"
...
Staying in the port of Nanohana for a few days.
York and his group did simple disguises. Shakky, Stussy, and Gloriosa even wrapped their whole bodies up.
Wearing loose robes, opaque veils on their faces, and hoods on their heads.
Unless one was an acquaintance, one could at most judge they were women from their exposed eyes and faintly revealed figures; nothing else could be seen.
Therefore, even though York and his group lived here for several days, no one guessed they were the legendary York gang.
Finally, the moment the Log Pose was fully charged with magnetic force, everyone hesitated no more, boarded the previously seized warship, and set sail immediately.
Then, after sailing for more than a day, they successfully arrived at the fragmented Jaya Island.
York had no interest in landing on this island. Seeing the needle on Stussy's wrist still pointing to the sky, he had Kaido release flame clouds to lift the ship into the sky.
"Hey! Is that ship flying?!"
On the fragmented Jaya Island, a pirate saw York and the others' movement and called other partners to look.
Unexpectedly, the other partners didn't believe it at all.
"Are you drunk? How can a ship fly!"
"But... I really saw the ship flying! Right there!"
"Stop talking nonsense! Your behavior will only make others on the island look down on us!"
"But Captain! It's true! Look if you don't believe me!!"
This pirate pointed at the sky with a wronged face, but his partners and captain didn't even have the interest to look up.
"I think you're looking for a beating!"
"Talking unrealistic nonsense all day long! Brothers! Beat him!!"
Chaos ensued on the fragmented Jaya Island because of this, but York and his group were unaware.
Or rather, even if they sensed it with Observation Haki, they wouldn't care.
Just a bunch of small-fry pirates; fools who didn't even want to believe in Sky Island would likely not even qualify as cannon fodder in the New World.
Under the lifting of Kaido's flame clouds, the pirate ship rose slowly.
As the altitude increased, discomfort from pressure changes and hypoxia gradually appeared in everyone.
However, most people present were experts.
Even the youngest, Teach, inherited Rocks' bloodline.
Though uncomfortable, the worst-case scenario didn't occur.
Finally.
The pirate ship passed through the cloud layer, arriving in a vast white world.
Looking at the world before them seemingly constructed of white clouds, a trace of recollection flashed in Stussy's eyes.
"This is the White Sea leading to the true Sky Island! An ocean suspended at an altitude of 7,000 meters!"
"You might not believe it if I say it. Kaido, fly over and release the ability."
Kaido was stunned.
"Not worried about the ship falling directly?"
"It won't! This is the White Sea! Ships can sail normally here."
Hearing this, Kaido transported the ship above the White Sea half-believingly, then released the flame clouds lifting the ship.
*Splash!*
With a soft sound of entering water, the huge Marine warship truly stopped steadily on the White Sea.
"Truly incredible!"
Those who hadn't seen Sky Island exclaimed in admiration.
"This is just the beginning!"
Stussy felt a hint of desire to show off.
"The real Sky Island is even higher up in the sky!"
"I'll command now! Searching for the channel to the real Sky Island!"
Under Stussy's command, the warship arrived at a special channel entrance formed by mountains composed of clouds.
Looking at the mountains made of clouds ahead, York leaped up curiously from the warship deck.
"Hey! York! This is 7,000 meters up!!"
Gloriosa screamed in fright, but surprisingly, York didn't fall!!
He stood directly on top of the mountain made of white clouds and even started jumping up and down.
"Hahaha! Like a trampoline!"
York regained his childhood innocence from his previous life, having a lot of fun.
Seeing this, Ivankov and others on the warship were also eager to try.
Then, York waved at them.
Ivankov, Kuma, and Ginny felt as if granted a great pardon, leaping excitedly from the edge of the ship and starting to climb one of the cloud mountains.
Teach sat on Kuma's shoulder, poking the wall of the cloud mountain curiously.
Soft, elastic, and also very warm; not at all like the mountains below, hard and cold, no fun at all.
...
After some playing around, York and the others followed the pirate ship's advance from the top of the cloud mountains, guiding the ship's direction along the way.
Finally, after passing through dense cloud mountain ranges, York and the others returned to the warship because the path ended, and they found the legendary Sky Island entrance.
A stone gate with a sign reading "God's Land" stood on the clouds in the distance.
Next to it was a building resembling a reception room, and behind it was a winding white cloud channel.
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