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Chapter 156: Sky Island Journey (Part 4)
"Heaven's… Gate? No way, does a door like that actually exist?!"
Roughly ten minutes later, a majestic, colossal gate radiating a soft golden glow came into view at the end of the sea of clouds.
The gate towered dozens of meters high, its frame carved from some alabaster stone. Its surface shimmered with a delicate luster, looking almost as if it had been forged from solidified moonlight.
The most breathtaking sight, however, was the scene directly behind it. A white current of clouds cascaded down from a higher stratum like a plunging waterfall, forming a spectacular, seamless curtain. The billowing currents churned and surged with a low, rumbling roar, looking for all the world like a literal passageway to heaven.
After sailing the ship through the gate, the crew curiously took in their surroundings, letting out occasional gasps of awe.
"Passing through this gate… we didn't actually just sail into heaven, did we?"
"Are you saying we're already dead?"
"It's entirely possible! Think about it: there's no normal way to sail a ship this high up into the sky. If this isn't a dream, then we must be dead!"
"Hey, stop saying such ominous things!"
"Hahaha! Even if it is heaven, I can't wait!!"
Amidst the lively, cheerful atmosphere, a raspy cough interrupted them.
"Ahem."
A withered old woman with a pair of diminutive wings on her back walked out from somewhere behind the gate.
"Are you here for sightseeing, or are you here to invade?"
She had small, droopy eyes and looked like an ordinary elderly woman with one foot in the grave.
Click! Click!
Before anyone could answer, she suddenly raised a camera, pointing the lens at each person on the ship and snapping photos of each person.
A collective chill ran through the crew. They had assumed they'd met another kindhearted Skypiean, but her photographing them clearly meant something else.
She… must be some sort of Sky Island official.
"Granny, we're traveling! We finally made it up from below—"
Luffy hadn't noticed the shift in atmosphere. He flashed a huge smile, eager to chat with the local, but the old woman clearly wasn't interested in small talk.
"It matters not." She cut Luffy off, her voice flat, devoid of any inflection. "If you wish to reach the upper level, please pay the immigration fee. It is one billion Extols per person."
"What?! A billion?!"
Everyone was stunned by the absurd figure.
"What's an Extol? And how many Berries is a billion Extols worth?" Luffy turned to Ganyu, who was standing nearby.
Ganyu shook her head. How was she supposed to know? "I have no idea…"
Luffy then looked over to Robin. As the former Vice President of Baroque Works, she possessed a vast wealth of knowledge and was one of the few erudite members on the ship.
Robin quickly flipped through the ship's logbook. A few seconds later, she gently shook her head as well.
"Noland's logbook… makes no mention of 'Extols' either." She closed the journal and looked at the silent Skypiean, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes. "It might be a currency system established on Sky Island in recent years. I'm afraid it doesn't exchange with Berries."
"Um… excuse me…" Nami rubbed her hands together, asking with a sheepish grin. "If we don't have the money, can we still go in?"
Even though they didn't know the exchange rate between Extols and Berries yet, unless it was absolutely necessary, Nami would never willingly part with a single Berry.
"Certainly."
Hearing this, the old woman flashed a bizarre, unnerving smile. She looked at the crew.
"Whether you pay or not is entirely your choice. I am neither a guard nor a soldier. I am merely responsible for… asking."
Eh? Wait… Is it really that casual?
Nami breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she didn't have to pay, she was happy.
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