"Not bad, Luffy."
"Your Observation Haki seems to have grown stronger again~!"
Following Luffy's gaze into the distance, a smile curved across Red's face.
Sensing Enel's presence from such a distance — even if only vaguely — was proof enough of how much Luffy's Observation Haki had progressed. After all, Luffy's Haki had always favored precision over range.
As that thought crossed his mind, Red's eyes flickered thoughtfully.He wondered just how far Luffy could grow once his locking technique further amplified his Observation Haki. After all, merely foreseeing a second or two into the future was no longer enough to meet Red's expectations for him.
Their wonder at the White Sea didn't delay the Straw Hats for long. Soon, the Going Merry continued forward once more.
Guided by the Log Pose, they soon arrived before a vast sea of clouds that cascaded downward like a waterfall.
The breathtaking sight drew gasps of awe from the entire crew.Even Ace and Issho, seasoned veterans who had seen countless marvels, found themselves quietly impressed by the scene before them.
And at the top of that cloudfall stood an enormous, star-like gate.Above it were large words carved into the archway.
"The Gate of Heaven?"Zoro's voice carried faint disappointment. "Too bad it's a fake."
If a real heaven existed, he would've liked to see it for himself…Perhaps his old friend had already heard his name there.
But soon, Zoro cast aside those thoughts.
From beneath the so-called Gate of Heaven, a tiny old woman appeared — dressed in faded pink and violet garments, her wrinkled skin shriveled like a dried plum.
"Whoa! She really has wings!?"
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper immediately threw their hands up in excitement, eyes sparkling like children seeing a miracle.
Red shook his head helplessly. "You guys… is that really something to get this worked up over? Don't tell me I've never explained Sky Islanders to you before."
He sighed, then suddenly grabbed Luffy by the collar and pulled him close, pressing the Straw Hat down firmly on his head with a grin.
"We don't have time to waste!"
"Since we're already at someone else's doorstep—let's give the host a proper greeting!"
"Greeting!?"
Luffy froze for a moment.But when he caught the gleam in Red's eyes, that long-cultivated intuition kicked in instantly.
His lips curved into a grin, hand pressing over his hat."You're right. Using that to say hello might save us plenty of time."
"Zoro! Ace! Give me a hand!"
"Huh?"Zoro and Ace turned at his shout, puzzled.
But before they could even react, Luffy's eyes sharpened—and a surge of overwhelming pressure burst from his body like a storm tide.
This was the king's—
Unique way of saying hello!
The blast of Conqueror's Haki roared across the boundless sky, leaping beyond the white sea and straight toward the divine palace on the distant island of the gods.
Though its strength weakened over distance, that was the nature of this power.Unlike Armament or Observation, Conqueror's Haki was something only a chosen few could wield—a will so potent that, no matter how faint, it carried the presence of a king to every corner it touched.
BOOM!
Seeing this, Zoro and Ace instantly understood. Their gazes met—then hardened in unison.
BOOM!BOOM!
Two more waves of Conqueror's Haki erupted, each distinct from Luffy's own.
The might of kings, the majesty of dragons, the burning heat of fire—Three unique wills intertwined and surged skyward, greeting the self-proclaimed god of Skypiea—Enel.
The entire sky island trembled under the collision of their auras.The heavens rippled in seven colors, clouds above and below the Gate of Heaven roiling violently outward.Black lightning flashed amid the radiant storm of energy bursting across that white world.
A sweeping gust of kingly pressure tore through the divine palace.Every servant within fell unconscious in an instant, eyes rolled white.
"Hmm!?"
High atop the island of the gods, Enel froze mid-bite, the apple in his hand forgotten as his face stiffened.Then that dreadful, alien presence washed over him—a gaze from another dimension, like an ant suddenly realizing it was being watched by something incomprehensibly greater.
"Who's there!?"
Unfamiliar with Conqueror's Haki, Enel's shout was filled with panic.Only silence answered him, echoing off the empty walls.The humiliation made his face flush with rage.
Snapping out of it, he flung his "Mantra" — that peculiar form of Observation Haki — across the skies like a radar scan.
Following the lingering echo of that oppressive will, his awareness locked onto the Going Merry at the Gate of Heaven.
"Sky dwellers from the Blue Sea!?"
His brow furrowed. Glancing at his unconscious servants, he muttered coldly,"So you're the ones who dare play tricks here?"
Recalling that terrifying sensation from moments before, fury surged within the self-proclaimed god.Arcs of lightning danced across his body.
"You dare trespass upon my divine realm… and break my rules!?"
"What insolent insects!"
CRACK!
In a flash of blue light, Enel vanished from the palace, a blazing thunderbolt streaking toward the Straw Hat crew.
The clouds split apart in his wake, leaving only a searing trail of light behind.
Meanwhile—every living being on Skypiea felt it.
The citizens of the Upper Yard, the Shandians of Cloud Village, the former god Gan Fall hidden in the shadows, even the colossal sky serpent "Nola" coiled on the island—each one instinctively looked up toward the heavens.
"What's happening!?"
That oppressive, kingly will weighed upon their souls.
In the hidden Shandian village, those long hunted by Enel all raised their heads in alarm.Among them, young Aisa — gifted with extraordinary Observation Haki — suddenly went pale.
She clutched the leg of the female warrior Raki beside her, eyes trembling.
"Raki! S-something's wrong!"
"So many… so many terrifying gods like Enel—they've come to Skypiea!!!"
"Gods?" Raki echoed, confused. She couldn't sense what Aisa did.But knowing the girl's strength, she didn't dismiss it either.
Crouching down, she comforted Aisa softly while signaling another warrior to call for Wiper and the chief immediately.
If her guess was right… something serious was about to happen in the realm of the gods.
"Their power's grown again!"
At the center of the swirling storm, Usopp peered through his goggles, eyes gleaming as he muttered in awe.Even his bug troops wouldn't last a second under such overwhelming pressure.
"No good… I'll need to upgrade their mental resistance soon! Otherwise, no matter how many I raise, one blast of Conqueror's Haki will wipe them all out!"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Conqueror's Haki, huh~"
Watching the sheer dominance radiating from Luffy and Zoro, Sanji silently lit a cigarette.He didn't say anything, but Red caught the faint note of envy in his tone.
With a grin, Red clapped him on the back."What's there to be jealous of? It's just Conqueror's Haki."
"The one people should envy is you."
As the Vinsmoke Family's most successful creation, Sanji's latent power could easily elevate him to an officer-level fighter once unleashed.Compared to that, Zoro—who built every ounce of his strength through raw effort—was arguably the more pitiful one.
"W-who said I was jealous!?"Sanji's face flushed crimson as he shouted in embarrassment.
Red only laughed wider."Relax. Your time just hasn't come yet. In the future I've seen, your coolness is unmatched."
"Just don't slack off before that happens~"
"Hmph!""That goes without saying!"
Sanji smirked lightly, clearly pleased by the reassurance.But as he exhaled a plume of smoke, his golden bangs drifted over his eyes. Beneath them, a faint fire burned.
"Slack off?" he murmured to himself."In front of these monsters? Not a chance~!"
BOOM!
With one final surge, the last echoes of Conqueror's Haki faded into the air.Luffy, Ace, and Zoro returned to their usual calm.
"Good timing. That guy's already on his way," Luffy said, tilting his hat back and glancing toward the horizon.
Zoro's lips curved faintly, the battle heat in his eyes rekindling."So according to your plan, once we beat this guy, we can claim the whole Sky Island as our own, right?"
"To execute the Celestial Dragons here—that's one hell of an idea, Red."
"This place is a sealed-off world above the clouds… the perfect stage!"
Zoro clicked his tongue, impressed by Red's foresight.Ace nodded in agreement.
After Red's explanation, he too understood how exceptional Skypiea was strategically.There were only two ways to reach this island:
One, to ride the Knock-Up Stream like Luffy's crew did—a method with an almost nonexistent success rate.The Navy would never risk it.
The second was to travel via the "Summit of the West Sky," passing through several other sky islands before reaching the realm of the gods.Though safer, it carried one fatal flaw:
That summit was a wall—a deadly barrier meant to keep the weak from surviving the ascent.
Meaning…Neither path allowed the World Government or Navy to send large forces here.
With their superior broadcasting tech, the Straw Hats could expose the world while ensuring even the Five Elders' elite forces couldn't easily interfere.
Their only real opponents would be the Navy's finest.
They'd still be dangerous—but thanks to Red's calculated strategy, the scales of war now tilted in their favor.
The rest—depended on how the World Government, the Navy, and Whitebeard's crew would play their cards.
"Zoro. Sanji."
As they awaited Enel's arrival, Red turned to them with a sly smile.
"One Enel won't give Luffy much of a challenge. How about you two warm up with him first?"
"Huh!?"
Zoro and Sanji both blinked in surprise.
Sanji frowned. "But… we're on a tight schedule, aren't we? Is that really okay?"
Fighting didn't scare them—it never did.But time was precious now, and Luffy was clearly stronger than either of them.
Red waved off the concern."Relax. Enel's strong, sure—but like Ace, he's overreliant on his Devil Fruit. In pure combat, he's weaker than Chopper on a Rumble Ball."
"With your strength, it won't take long."
"Besides," Red's grin deepened, "you might as well get used to fast opponents. You'll be facing one soon enough in the coming war."
Ace / Chopper: "Hey! Care to elaborate!?"
"I've got no problem," Zoro said, drawing his blades with a grin, though his gaze flicked toward Luffy."As long as Luffy doesn't mind us stealing the spotlight."
"Don't worry!" Red waved dismissively. "It's just some lightning guy. Luffy's been fighting that type nonstop lately—he's probably sick of it."
"Not that he could even hit this one anyway."
Nami: "Red! Do you ever hear yourself when you talk? You're being so rude today!"
(End of Chapter)