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Chapter 160: Waver
"This thing is called a Waver."
The gentle, crisp breeze of the White Sea swept across the shore of Angel Island, carrying with it a scent that was entirely devoid of the Blue Sea's heavy saltiness. In the pristine clearing right outside Konis's house, where the soft island clouds met the undulating sea clouds, Pagaya stood beside a peculiar-looking vehicle. The kind-faced, middle-aged Skypiean chuckled warmly, patting the sleek hull to show it off to the wide-eyed pirates.
It was a bizarrely shaped "boat," though calling it a boat felt like a massive understatement.
Constructed entirely from a beautifully polished, lightweight white wood native to the sky, its overall design was incredibly simple yet aerodynamic. It featured a streamlined hull designed to cut through the dense clouds, a small seating area, and a set of steering handlebars that closely resembled those of a motorcycle. Rather than a traditional ship, it looked much more like a high-speed jet ski capable of seating two, perhaps three people at most.
"This is one of the most common modes of transportation here on Sky Island. Everyone who lives here knows how to pilot it to get around," Pagaya explained, his tone laced with a hint of local pride as he demonstrated how to grip the handles.
Much like his sweet-natured daughter, he bore a pair of small, angelic Skypiean wings on his back. Whenever he smiled, deep, warm crinkles formed at the corners of his eyes, giving him the aura of a friendly, exceedingly patient neighbor.
"So cool!!!"
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper stared at the gleaming white machine, their jaws practically hitting the cloud-sand. Imaginary stars sparkled intensely in their eyes. To boys with adventure carved into their very bones, a brand-new, completely unknown vehicle was the ultimate treasure.
"Can I try it?! Can I try it right now?!" Luffy bounced on the balls of his feet, his rubbery limbs practically vibrating with barely contained excitement.
"Of course, you're more than welcome to," Pagaya nodded with an accommodating smile, stepping back and gesturing toward the seat.
The moment the words left his mouth, Luffy was already moving. He eagerly hopped onto the Waver, completely ignoring any further instructions on weight distribution or steering nuances. Mimicking Pagaya's earlier posture with purely instinctual confidence, he gripped the handlebars tightly, planted his sandaled feet firmly on the footrests, and twisted the throttle.
Whoosh—!
With a sudden, violent burst of acceleration, the Waver shot out across the water like a fired cannonball!
"Woohoo—!!!"
Luffy's ecstatic cheers echoed over the vast expanse of the White Sea. The Waver carved a brilliant, sweeping white wake across the surface of the Cloud Sea, the sheer momentum kicking up trails of misty spray. It moved at an astonishing, breakneck speed, far faster than any normal boat they had ever sailed.
"Whoa, that's too fast! It's basically flying!" Usopp yelled from the shore, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sky-sun.
"So cool, Luffy! Do a trick!" Chopper jumped up and down, waving his hooves frantically.
"Hey, don't hog it! Hurry up and get off, I want a turn too!" Sanji yelled, already rolling up his sleeves.
The companions on the shore watched their captain having the time of his life, tearing across the water with reckless abandon. Every single one of them was deeply, overwhelmingly envious.
But that intoxicating thrill only lasted about a dozen seconds.
Splash!
Without warning, the Waver suddenly began to shake violently. The nose dipped too sharply into a dense patch of sea cloud, the tail fishtailed wildly, and Luffy completely lost control of the temperamental machine.
A moment later, under everyone's watchful, horrified eyes, the Waver caught an edge and did a massive, spectacular 180-degree flip. It launched both the shrieking rubber captain and the vehicle high into the air before they crashed straight down into the depths of the Cloud Sea. A heavy plume of white mist erupted, and when it cleared, only a single, familiar straw hat was left bobbing gently on the surface.
There was a moment of stunned silence on the beach.
Then, Usopp doubled over, clutching his stomach and howling with uncontrollable laughter. "Hahahaha!!! Look at him! Luffy, you absolute idiot!"
"Step aside and let a real man show you how it's done." Sanji confidently cracked his knuckles and eagerly hopped onto a second Waver parked nearby. He shot a charming, confident smirk toward Konis. "Watch closely, my sweet Skypiean angel."
Whoosh—!
The blond cook shot across the water with impressive initial grace, leaning into the wind.
Twenty seconds later…
Splash!
Sanji misjudged a sharp turn, overcorrected, and was violently violently ejected from the seat, tumbling head over heels into the water.
"Amateurs, both of them. This thing requires the delicate, calculated touch of a master sniper," Usopp declared self-importantly. His smile had vanished, replaced by a look of intense concentration. He gulped, gingerly swinging his leg over the final available Waver. Adjusting his posture to ensure his center of gravity was flawless, he gripped the handlebars tightly and took a deep, centering breath—
Whoosh—!
Splash!
He lasted less than fifteen seconds before the Waver bucked like a wild stallion and threw him face-first into the clouds.
A few minutes later, three drowned rats swam back from the Cloud Sea one after another. They dragged themselves onto the fluffy white shore, soaking wet, shivering slightly from the high-altitude chill, and looking completely, utterly miserable.
Luffy, in particular, was in an abysmal state. His body was completely limp, as if his very soul and all his physical strength had been completely sapped through his pores. He had to be hauled out of the shallows and dragged back onto dry land with Sanji and Usopp supporting him heavily on either side, his rubber legs dragging uselessly behind him.
"I… I don't have any energy left…" Luffy muttered weakly, his voice barely a raspy whisper. His head drooped, his tongue hanging out, his rubber body as limp and heavy as a wet noodle.
Watching the trio's thoroughly miserable state, Konis and her father exchanged a highly amused, knowing smile. It was a sight they were quite used to seeing with tourists. Konis hurried into the house, her small wings fluttering, and quickly fetched a few thick, clean towels, handing them over to the shivering pirates.
Konis laughed softly, her voice like a gentle bell. "Please don't feel bad. Even for the locals born here, it takes at least ten years of dedicated practice to fully master a Waver. It reads the sea currents and requires perfect balance. For you all to last a few dozen seconds on your very first try is actually quite impressive!"
"Thank you, Konis-chan! You're so incredibly sweet and merciful to us fools!!!"
Sanji immediately snatched the towel, clutching it to his chest as his legs turned to jelly. He thanked her in his usual exaggerated, swooning tone, his eyes turning into giant pink hearts despite his soaked, shivering state.
Then, as the cook roughly ruffled his soaking wet blonde hair to dry it, his expression slowly shifted into one of deep confusion. He looked down at Luffy, who was currently sprawled out flat on his back, staring blankly at the sky.
"Hey, wait a second," Sanji said, his brow furrowing around his unlit cigarette. "Aren't we ten thousand meters in the sky right now? And this is a sea made entirely out of clouds, not the actual ocean… so why did you suddenly lose all your strength out there?"
"I have no idea," Luffy answered weakly, not even trying to sit up, preferring to remain a puddle on the sandy beach. "But it felt exactly the same as falling into the regular ocean down below. The second I went under, my whole body just went completely numb. I couldn't move a single muscle."
"That's super weird." Usopp frowned deeply, vigorously wiping the cloudy moisture from his face with his towel. His sharp mind started turning gears. "Logically speaking, these are just clouds. Condensed water vapor. It's not salt water. It absolutely shouldn't have any crippling effect on a Devil Fruit user…"
He paused mid-wipe. The sound of the rolling cloud-waves suddenly seemed much more significant. A sudden, chilling realization hit him, causing his hands to freeze and his eyes to go wide behind his goggles. He slowly turned to look at the vast, rippling expanse of the White Sea.
"Don't tell me… are these clouds actually made of solid seawater?!"
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