Dawn arrived peacefully over the White Sea. Beneath the golden sunlight, a cool breeze filled Athena's sails as the magnificent vessel glided away from Angel Island, leaving its harbor behind.
Along the Cloud Coast, hundreds of people had gathered to see them off.
Shandians stood alongside the people of Skypiea without the hostility that had divided them for four centuries. Warriors who had once fought over Upper Yard now shared easy smiles, exchanging jokes while children ran freely between them as though the old conflict had never existed.
Gan Fall stepped forward first.
"I wish our paths had crossed under different circumstances," he said warmly. "But I'm grateful they crossed nonetheless."
"The feeling is mutual." Arthur smiled politely.
"Our skies will always welcome the ART Pirates." The former God chuckled before extending his hand.
"I'll hold you to that." Arthur accepted the handshake without hesitation.
Nearby, Wyper folded his arms as always.
For several seconds, he remained silent.
"...If you ever return..." Then he finally spoke.
"...bring stronger warriors." His gaze drifted toward the distant forests of Upper Yard before settling back on Arthur.
"Is that your way of saying you'll miss us?" Sugar let out a laugh.
"I didn't say that."
"You practically did."
"I absolutely didn't."
The exchange drew laughter from everyone nearby.
Even Wyper eventually let out a quiet snort, unable to maintain his usual stern expression.
Not far away, Conis and Pagaya approached carrying several baskets filled with Sky Fruits, preserved Cloud Fish, and bundles of carefully packed Sky Herbs.
"They're simple gifts," Conis said with a gentle smile. "But we hope they'll remind you of Skypiea."
"They certainly will." Baby-5 accepted the baskets gratefully. "Thank you."
"Please visit again someday." Pagaya adjusted his glasses before bowing slightly.
"We intend to." Hancock answered with a graceful smile.
Little Su waved both hands enthusiastically from behind Pagaya.
"Come back soon!"
"We'll bring presents next time!" Bepo shouted back.
"And more deserts!" Sugar added immediately.
Everyone laughed.
At the edge of the dock, Aisa approached Arthur in silence. Unlike the others, she carried nothing in her hands. She simply stopped in front of him.
"I can still hear them."
"The voices." Arthur tilted his head slightly.
"They're peaceful now." Aisa glanced toward the distant Giant Jack rising proudly above Upper Yard.
Arthur followed her gaze.
Far beyond the harbor...
The enormous silhouette of the legendary tree still towered above the clouds, while the Golden Bell gleamed faintly beneath the morning sun.
"I think..." Aisa smiled softly. "...they finally got what they wanted."
"So do I." Arthur smiled back.
A gentle silence settled between them before Aisa stepped back to rejoin the others. The crew finished loading the final supplies onto the Athena.
Moments later, the massive anchor lifted from the cloud beneath the ship.
Everything was ready for departure.
"Until we meet again." Arthur gave one final nod toward everyone gathered at the harbor.
The engines rumbled softly. The Athena gradually drifted away from Angel Island, cutting gracefully through the endless sea of clouds.
The people of Skypiea kept waving long after the ship had begun disappearing into the brilliant white horizon.
"I can still see them!" No one aboard waved longer than Bepo.
"You've been saying that for five minutes," Law replied dryly.
"I really can!"
"They're dots now."
"They're friendly dots."
The conversation earned another round of laughter.
Gradually...
Angel Island became smaller.
Then Giant Jack.
Finally...
Even the Golden Bell vanished beyond the endless clouds. Only then did Robin finally closed the book she had been holding against her chest. Throughout the farewell, she had barely spoken.
Arthur noticed her quiet withdrawal and walked toward the stern without saying a word.
Robin rested both hands upon the railing as the cool wind gently stirred her dark hair.
Behind them...
The White Sea stretched endlessly toward the horizon.
Ahead of them...
Countless unknown islands still waited above the clouds.
For several moments, neither of them spoke.
Then Robin slowly opened the thick leather-bound journal she carried. Every page was filled with carefully copied inscriptions.
Ancient Shandian records.
Historical accounts.
Fragments of forgotten civilizations.
Not a single stone inscription from Shandora had been left undocumented.
The wind quietly turned several pages on its own.
Robin's eyes followed the familiar symbols.
For an instant...
She was no longer standing aboard the Athena.
She stood once again beneath the towering Tree of Knowledge.
Shelves overflowing with books.
Scholars debating forgotten civilizations.
Professor Clover patiently explaining another archaeological mystery.
Olvia smiling proudly.
The countless voices of Ohara echoed within memories untouched by time.
Those voices had once been silenced by flames.
Yet every Poneglyph she deciphered...
Every civilization she documented...
Every forgotten truth she rescued from oblivion...
Ensured that history would never be silenced again.
A quiet smile appeared on her face.
"Another dream of Ohara fulfilled."
The words were barely louder than the breeze.
Arthur approached quietly until he stood beside her.
His gaze lingered upon the journal without opening it.
"Many more remain." Arthur came to her side, gazing toward the endless sky ahead.
"I know." Robin gently closed the journal.
"And this time..." Her eyes lingered on the distant horizon. "...I'm no longer searching alone."
Arthur smiled faintly, saying nothing.
Some answers required no reply.
The Athena sailed deeper into the White Sea, leaving Skypiea farther behind with every passing mile.
Beyond the familiar skies surrounding Angel Island lay countless islands that few people from the Blue Sea even knew existed.
Arthur unfolded a navigation chart across the rail.
His finger stopped over a vast blank region where almost nothing had been recorded.
"We're not heading back to the Blue Sea just yet."
"Those aren't Skypiea." Hancock glanced at the map.
"No." Arthur tapped the empty section of the chart.
Several crew members gathered around the map.
"We've only seen one corner of Heaven."
"There's no reason to leave before we've explored the rest."
A familiar excitement lit Arthur's face that always appeared whenever a new adventure awaited.
...
The Athena sailed onward, leaving the familiar skies of Skypiea behind.
Ahead lay an entirely new world.
Unlike Angel Island, where towering cloud formations surrounded the settlements, the White Sea stretched far beyond a single kingdom. Countless floating islands drifted across the heavens, scattered like stars upon an endless ocean of clouds. Some were no larger than a village, while others rivaled entire countries.
Arthur intended to see as many of them as possible.
"If we want to understand this world," he said as the chart fluttered beneath the morning breeze, "we can't stop after visiting only its most famous place."
No one questioned the decision.
After all, that had always been Arthur's way.
Where others saw a destination...
Where others saw an ending... he saw another beginning.
Over the following days, the Athena wandered through regions rarely marked on any map.
Some islands were connected by long Cloud Roads that twisted through the sky like giant white rivers. Others floated alone, hidden behind enormous banks of mist that concealed them until the ship drew close enough for their outlines to emerge.
Each stop revealed something different.
Some islands were blanketed by forests whose trees had adapted to grow from cloud soil, their pale trunks reaching high into the brilliant blue sky. Elsewhere, towering cliffs of condensed cloud released endless waterfalls of mist.
Robin spent hours documenting every culture they encountered.
Although none possessed the historical significance of Shandora, each island preserved traditions unique to its people. Different dialects. Different architecture. Different ways of using Dials in daily life.
To Robin, every discovery was another fragment of the world's forgotten story.
Meanwhile, Monet carefully revised the charts she had begun after arriving in the White Sea.
Existing maps contained little more than rough outlines.
Many islands had never even been named.
With every new destination, fresh notes appeared across her parchment.
Routes.
Cloud currents.
Natural landmarks.
Safe harbors.
By the end of each day, the once-empty chart grew steadily more complete.
Elsewhere aboard the ship, Baby-5 found herself just as busy.
The cloud forests were home to medicinal flowers and herbs unlike anything that existed in the Blue Sea. Some plants drew moisture directly from the surrounding clouds, while others bloomed only at high altitudes where ordinary vegetation could never survive.
Every sample was carefully labeled before being stored inside the Athena's botanical greenhouse.
Not everyone devoted their time to research.
Far above the deck, flashes of blue lightning repeatedly illuminated the sky.
Law hovered in midair, his body transforming into crackling electricity before reforming several hundred meters away.
Again.
And again.
Each attempt became smoother than the last.
"Too slow." Hancock watched from a nearby cloud platform.
"I arrived before the lightning faded." Law clicked his tongue.
"Barely."
Without another warning, Hancock vanished into a stream of white clouds.
A bolt of lightning exploded across the sky.
Law instinctively chased after it.
The two streaks crossed the heavens in an instant, disappearing beyond the clouds before another flash announced the continuation of their training somewhere in the distance.
Arthur observed them only briefly before returning to his journal.
Day after day followed much the same rhythm.
Explore.
Observe.
Record.
Learn.
The voyage itself had become their reward.
For many more days...
The Athena pressed onward across the endless White Sea.
Island after island welcomed them.
Some were no larger than a village drifting among the clouds.
Others stretched across the horizon, hiding forests, rivers, and settlements unlike anything found below.
Every destination revealed another page of history.
Another culture.
Another forgotten piece of the world waiting to be understood.
Robin's journal steadily grew thicker.
Monet's charts filled steadily with new routes and discoveries.
Baby-5 filled crates with seeds and herbs unknown to the Blue Sea.
Law's control over the Goro Goro no Mi improved with each passing day as Hancock continued pushing his mastery of lightning.
Even Karoo had begun flying confidently through the clouds, often racing Bepo and Sugar across the Cloud Roads while the rest of the crew cheered them on.
Arthur watched it all with quiet satisfaction.
When he had first entered the Grand Line years ago, he made himself a promise.
If he wished to understand the world...
...then no corner of it would be left unexplored.
Eventually...
The final Sky Island connected to the White Sea disappeared behind the Athena.
Monet carefully compared their route against the navigation charts.
After several moments, she closed the map.
"We've visited every known Sky Island connected to this sea."
Arthur nodded in satisfaction.
"Then our time above the clouds is complete."
He lifted his eyes toward the endless blue stretching beyond the sea of clouds.
"Time to return."
Without another word, the Athena gradually altered course.
Its bow turned toward the edge of the White Sea...
Where the endless ocean of clouds gradually descended into the world below.
...
Preparations were completed without unnecessary words.
The great sails unfurled once more as the Athena slowly pulled away from the final island of the White Sea. Gentle winds carried the ship away from the peaceful settlement, leaving behind the last traces of Heaven that had accompanied them throughout their journey.
Before them...
Nothing but endless clouds.
Arthur stood quietly at the bow.
His long coat fluttered behind him while the horizon remained fixed in his crimson eyes.
"Captain." Monet approached with the updated navigation chart. "I've finished mapping every island we visited."
Arthur unfolded the chart.
Compared to the nearly empty map they had brought into the White Sea, this one was now filled with routes, currents, settlements, landmarks, and notes gathered over the past several days.
"Good work." He studied it for a moment before rolling it closed.
"Another blank space has disappeared from the map." Monet smiled faintly.
"And countless more are waiting." Arthur nodded.
No one aboard disagreed.
That had always been the purpose of their voyage.
Not conquest.
Not treasure.
But understanding the world one island at a time.
Minutes later...
The edge of the White Sea finally appeared.
The endless ocean of clouds no longer stretched without end.
Instead, the horizon slowly curved downward.
At first, only Arthur and Monet recognized the subtle change.
Then the cloud beneath the Athena began flowing.
Not with the gentle rhythm of waves...
But like a river.
"The current's changing," Hancock observed.
"We've reached the southern edge of the White Sea." Monet nodded while studying the navigation instruments.
Far ahead...
The sea of clouds the sea of clouds opened into a colossal opening stretched across the heavens.
Beyond it...
Nothing.
Only an endless blue abyss hidden beneath layers of drifting clouds.
Even after everything they had witnessed in Skypiea...
The sight left several crew members speechless.
"It feels like the sky just... ends," Baby-5 murmured.
"It does." Arthur rested both hands upon the railing.
"The White Sea doesn't surround the entire world."
"It simply connects the Sky Islands."
"And every route eventually ends somewhere."
The Athena continued forward.
The gentle current beneath the ship steadily gained speed.
The calm sea of clouds transformed into a vast descending river, carrying everything toward the opening ahead.
Wind rushed harder across the deck. The sails snapped loudly. Clouds streamed past both sides of the hull.
"We're descending." Monet calmly tightened her grip on the helm.
The bow tilted downward.
Slowly at first.
Then more noticeably.
"...Captain." Sugar blinked.
"Yes?"
"Are we... falling?"
"No."
"...Are you sure?"
"Mostly."
"...Mostly?!"
The moment Arthur finished speaking...
The current suddenly pulled the Athena forward.
"WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"
Everyone stumbled.
"I DON'T LIKE HEIGHTS!" Bepo immediately clung to the mast.
"You've been living in the sky for two weeks!" Koala shouted.
"I DIDN'T LOOK DOWN!"
Nearby...
Baby-5 calmly poured herself another cup of tea.
"You seem surprisingly relaxed," Hancock remarked.
"If Captain isn't worried..." Baby-5 smiled.
The Athena suddenly dropped several more meters.
"..."
Without saying another word...
Baby-5 quietly placed the teacup back onto the table.
"...I've changed my mind."
She calmly placed the teacup on the table... then quietly gripped the nearest railing with both hands.
"...Perhaps I'll hold onto something."
"You'll be fine." Arthur laughed.
"I trusted you until just now."
Even Monet allowed herself a faint smile while maintaining the helm.
The ship entered the descending cloud current completely. Mist swallowed the Athena from every direction. Visibility shrank to only a few dozen meters. The roar of rushing wind drowned out every other sound.
For several long moments...
The world became nothing but white.
Then...
The clouds beneath them gradually thinned.
Sunlight pierced through the mist.
One ray.
Then another.
Until an endless blue sky suddenly unfolded before them.
Far below...
The Blue Sea shimmered beneath the morning sun.
The Athena burst through the final layer of clouds, gliding gracefully into open air before descending toward the ocean.
Its hull kissed the waves with barely a splash.
Gentle ripples spread across the water.
The familiar scent of salt filled the breeze.
Bepo slowly released the mast with trembling arms.
"...Are we alive?"
"Barely." Arthur glanced at him.
"...Captain." Bepo's face turned pale.
"Yes?"
"I hate your jokes."
Laughter echoed across the deck as the Athena sailed steadily forward.
For the first time in weeks, the endless ocean stretched beneath them instead of clouds.
After weeks spent above the heavens...
Far overhead, the White Sea had become nothing more than a sea of clouds drifting peacefully across the heavens, hiding the world they had just left.
A familiar scent drifted across the deck.
Salt.
Sea spray.
The unmistakable smell of the open ocean.
Bepo inhaled deeply.
"I missed this smell."
"You've only been gone for a few weeks," Law replied.
"It still counts."
"I almost forgot waves actually move." Sugar leaned against the railing.
"They're much less comfortable than clouds," Hancock added.
"I don't know... I think both have their charm." Baby-5 laughed.
Arthur quietly unfolded his world map.
With a fountain pen, he drew one final line connecting every route they had traveled through the White Sea.
Then he placed a small mark across the region.
White Sea Expedition — Complete.
He closed the map.
One more destination had become part of their journey.
One more mystery had become familiar.
But the sea never allowed travelers to rest for long.
"Captain." Monet's voice turned more serious.
More serious.
"Our position has been confirmed." She held another chart in her hands.
Arthur took the report and scanned it in silence. A faint smile appeared.
"So..." He raised his head toward the endless ocean ahead. "We've entered New World and Emperor's territory."
Several crew members instinctively exchanged glances.
"Which one?" Law folded his arms.
"Red Hair." Monet answered immediately.
Silence settled across the deck.
Even the wind seemed quieter.
The name alone carried enough weight to command respect throughout the world.
Arthur's smile widened ever so slightly.
"So this..." He looked toward the distant horizon. "...is Akagami's sea."
No one needed to explain what that meant.
Every island beyond the horizon existed beneath the protection of one of the Four Emperors.
Whether they would meet...
Only fate knew.
Far away...
On another island.
A lone News Coo descended from the sky before releasing the morning newspaper.
A large hand caught it effortlessly.
Marshall D. Teach.
He unfolded the paper while walking toward the shoreline.
Several headlines filled the front page.
The Fall of Crocodile.
Alabasta Restored.
The Mystery of Mock Town.
Unexplained Phenomena Above Jaya.
Teach's eyes continued downward until they stopped on a familiar name.
Phantasm D. Arthur.
His grin slowly spread.
"Zehahaha..." He folded the newspaper. "So you've been moving around all this time..."
The waves rolled gently against the shore.
Teach stared toward the distant sea as though searching beyond the horizon itself.
"We keep missing each other." His grin grew wider. "But that's fine."
"There are only so many seas in this world."
"And eventually..." He crushed the newspaper in one hand. "...everyone arrives at the same stage."
"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
His laughter erupted across the coastline. The laugh startled a flock of seabirds into the sky.
Far beyond the island...
Beyond countless waves...
Beyond the territory of the Red Hair Pirates...
The Athena continued sailing toward an uncertain future.
Two captains.
Both chasing dreams that could change the world.
One sought understanding.
The other sought dominion.
Neither realized...
That destiny had already begun steering them toward the same sea.
And when those two paths finally crossed...
The world itself would decide which dream was worthy of shaping the next era.