The seas near Jaya Island surged violently, waves crashing and roaring like a feral beast hungering for its prey.
The sky was shrouded in dark clouds, the oppressive gloom making the entire sea below resemble the end of the world—a place no ordinary man would dare approach.
And yet…
Amid this merciless ocean, a small sailing ship cut through the monstrous waves as though the sea itself had opened a path for it.
"Woohoo~ We're taking off!!!"
"We're going to Sky Island!!!"
At the ship's bow, Luffy had both hands stretched out like ropes, wrapped around the figurehead of the Going Merry, his mouth stretched wide by the gale as he bellowed with pure excitement.
As if responding to his call, a brilliant golden light suddenly burst from the Merry's figurehead.
To commemorate the Merry's first flight—and Luffy's first victory over a legendary beast—
…the ship had been refitted to look like Zapdos.
A golden lightning crest adorned its head, and artificial wings spread proudly from its sides.
But unlike the flimsy wings of the original timeline, these Zapdos wings were crafted by Usopp using Wapometal No. 23, a special lightweight alloy.
Thanks to the AR System, the Merry could now temporarily adopt an Electric-type attribute, using controlled currents to move the wings for limited gliding through the air.
It was an impressive design—though, in practice, a bit unnecessary.
After all, accompanying the Straw Hats to Sky Island this time weren't just Ace and that unlucky Celestial Dragon, but also Issho, the Gravity Fruit user, and his disciple Koby.
Things had been so hectic lately that Red hadn't even properly introduced Issho to the crew.
Up till now, they only thought Red had recruited a swordsman bold enough to execute a Celestial Dragon—nothing more.
That suited Red just fine. According to his plan, the Straw Hats weren't supposed to attract too much attention this time.
His goal was to resolve the crisis with Whitebeard's Pirates in the New World… and let the Straw Hats withdraw safely afterward.
A noble plan—but perhaps a little too optimistic.
"Sky Island, huh…"
Watching Luffy's ecstatic cheers from the "VIP seat," Ace's emotions were complicated.
Part of him worried for his father and crewmates in the New World.
According to Doflamingo's intelligence, the Celestial Dragon abduction hadn't caused widespread panic, but it had shaken the Marines' operations severely.
Under pressure from the World Government, many Vice Admirals stationed in the New World had withdrawn back to Paradise to investigate the disappearance.
Meanwhile, the Whitebeard Pirates, still unaware of the truth, had just learned of the Marines' underhanded moves.
What Whitebeard once thought a minor provocation, he now realized was a direct assault.
Reports said his rage that day tore through the heavens, shaking the surrounding seas as if the apocalypse itself had arrived.
And yet—seeing his little brother surrounded by such strong, joyful companions, Ace couldn't help feeling proud.
He had a premonition… that before long, these people would turn the world upside down.
"Enough worrying," he murmured, clenching his fists. "Luffy and his crew have already done more than enough for me."
If things went wrong later, he was prepared to sacrifice himself—for Luffy, and for Whitebeard.
That was his resolve.
Meanwhile, on the deck, laughter filled the air.
Chopper and Usopp had their arms slung around each other's shoulders, hopping in excitement.
They'd been spending more time together lately—Usopp often needed Chopper's help for his crazy projects, and Chopper, ever gullible, loved being impressed—making them closer than ever.
Sanji silently lit a cigarette, while Zoro leaned against the railing, smiling faintly.
Both had been training relentlessly these past days—perhaps not to the extreme of Luffy, but giving everything they had nonetheless.
They now stood at opposite sides of the ship, saying nothing, their eyes sharp and calm—two dormant volcanoes hiding their fire, waiting for the right moment to erupt.
The girls' side, meanwhile, was much more peaceful.
Nami, glasses perched on her nose, scribbled notes into her logbook, recording every phenomenon before the appearance of the Knock-Up Stream.
To date, every navigational record of the Straw Hats had been documented solely by her.
Beside her, Robin used her powers to assist, sprouting hands to steady instruments and hold pages as Nami wrote.
Everyone was busy, preparing for the coming storm.
Then, suddenly—
A massive whirlpool appeared ahead of the Merry, swirling violently as if trying to swallow the entire sea.
"There it is!"
Nami's eyes lit up. She pointed forward, shouting, "That's the one!"
"Merry! Red! It's all yours!"
"OK~!"
"Leave it to us~!"
Red and the ship spirit, Little Merry, replied in unison from the mast.
The sails unfurled automatically, while the wings on both sides adjusted their angles precisely, guiding the Merry into the whirlpool's flow.
The ship spun violently, yet stayed perfectly balanced.
Then—something miraculous happened.
Several strange waves rose from within the vortex like a giant's hands, gently lifting the Merry upward—not enough to throw it off course, but just enough to cradle it.
Even so, Koby, whose Smooth-Smooth Fruit powers had made him slim but not brave, screamed in terror, clinging to the railing as if welded to it.
Finally, unable to watch any longer, Usopp shot a seed that sprouted into a vine belt, tying Koby securely to the deck like a living safety harness.
The whirlpool didn't last long.
After just a few minutes of rotation, a huge bulge formed beneath the sea's surface—larger even than Laboon—
—and then, with an earth-shaking boom, the sea erupted upward!
A pillar of water soared into the sky—a Knock-Up Stream that pierced the heavens!
"WAAAAAHHH!!!"
Even though they'd braced themselves, the sudden loss of gravity sent everyone's stomachs lurching.
Luffy dangled from the figurehead, laughing wildly through the rush of air.
"SKY ISLAND!!! HERE WE COME!!!"
His voice echoed through the clouds.
...
...
Sky Island was real.
All of them—Straw Hats, Ace, and Issho alike—believed it without question now.
But reaching this mythical place was a privilege few could ever earn.
Under Nami's command, the Merry rode the current straight into the clouds.
A thick white mist enveloped them—then, with a flash of light, the ship burst through.
In the blink of an eye, they emerged above the White Sea, seven thousand meters high.
The current's force dissipated, leaving the ship to float gently atop the sea of clouds.
As the dizziness faded, the crew gathered at the bow—stunned into silence.
Even the calm and stoic Zoro couldn't hold back a breath of awe.
"We… we really made it above the clouds!?"
"Yahoo! We actually did it—we're on Sky Island!!!"
Luffy pumped his fists, cheering—only to cough violently moments later.
"Cough—ugh—ahhh!"
The air was thin—painfully so.
In such high altitude, oxygen was scarce, and the sudden shift from dense to thin air hit them hard despite their enhanced strength.
"Idiot!" Nami scolded, pulling out her Clima-Tact and pressing a switch.
A large bubble emerged from its tip, resembling the oxygen helmets the Celestial Dragons wore.
She fitted it over Luffy's head, and he immediately stopped coughing.
Then she made more bubbles, distributing them among the crew.
They'd prepared well for this.
"Ahh~ that's better," Red sighed, taking a deep breath.
Then he added casually, "Oh, right—don't forget about the guy in the cage."
"He's the star of the upcoming event. Wouldn't do to have him die now."
"Relax~" Nami waved him off. "Usopp's already done tons of experiments on that Celestial Dragon. His body's ridiculously resilient."
"In fact, Usopp was thinking of using his blood to breed bugs."
"Honestly, that guy might adapt to this place better than we do~"
"Fair point." Red chuckled knowingly.
In the original story, Saint Charlos, after taking Luffy's furious punch, was still alive and arrogant two years later.
That alone proved how absurdly durable Celestial Dragons were.
"Oh, by the way, Red," Luffy suddenly said, having already emptied his oxygen bubble.
"Over that way—I can feel a really strong presence."
"Feels like that infinite energy battery thing you talked about…"
"Should we go find him now!?"