Lina stared at the restless sea below, her brows slightly furrowed. There was no sign of land anywhere, only endless waves colliding against each other.
It did not look like an island at all.
Not only Lina, but everyone aboard the ship shared the same confusion.
"There is no island here. Laugh Tale was supposed to be an island, right?" Law said while standing at the railing, his eyes scanning the horizon.
In the world of pirates, everyone knew the end of the Grand Line existed. That end was supposed to be an island.
The Final Island.
At the very least, it should have been something that could be stood upon.
"AHO, even if it is not an island, it cannot just be endless sea, right?" Franky said loudly as he moved from one side of the ship to the other, inspecting the surroundings.
No matter how he looked at it, it was no different from any other stretch of ocean.
Vivi spoke next, her tone uncertain. "That is right. If the One Piece is stored there, there must be a place to hold it. It cannot just be inside the sea water."
"Yahahaha, there is no Final Island at all. Maybe it is just a joke," Enel laughed, his voice echoing with arrogance as he watched the others struggle with doubt.
"Enel, this is an island acknowledged by the World Government, and even Pirate King Roger confirmed its existence. How could it be a joke?" Crocodile replied, exhaling smoke while maintaining his usual composure.
"Yahahaha, but there are no records, no images, nothing at all. So who can prove it exists? Maybe this so called Joy Boy just created a legend," Enel said lazily.
That statement caused several people to frown. It was hard to accept, yet the evidence in front of them made doubt unavoidable.
A disturbing thought began to grow among the crew.
What if the Final Island never existed at all?
Law narrowed his eyes slightly. "The Pirate King named it Laugh Tale, meaning a story or a joke. Could it be that the Final Island is not real at all, just a fabricated myth?"
That idea immediately gained Lina's attention.
"That is possible," she said, tapping her cheek as if thinking it through.
Robin gently shook her head. "That would actually confirm its existence. Roger and his crew reached it. They saw the truth there, which is why they named it Laugh Tale."
"But we are already at the coordinates shown by the Road Poneglyph," Vivi argued. "There is still no island in sight. How do you explain that?"
Silence followed.
No one doubted the authenticity of the Road Poneglyphs.
No one doubted Nami's navigation skills either.
So the only remaining doubt was the island itself.
Enel scoffed. "Maybe there was never anything here from the start. A treasure that does not exist, sounds like a perfect scam."
At that moment, Kuro and Issho remained silent.
Even Rolan frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on the sea.
He had not lived through the full truth of this world in his previous life. He had died before the Pirate King's story reached its conclusion.
But something about it felt wrong.
If this was truly the center of the One Piece world, then it should not end in emptiness.
There had to be more to it.
Rolan's eyes narrowed slightly as he considered possibilities.
Was there another condition beyond the four Road Poneglyphs?
Or had the World Government erased the island after Roger's execution?
Either way, what stood before them now was only open sea.
Enel suddenly stretched his arms. "If there is nothing here, I am leaving. I still have gods to tear down."
Lightning flickered around him as he hovered over the ocean. "Maybe the island is in the sky. Or under the sea."
At that moment, several voices spoke at once.
"So that is it."
Kuro, Issho, Law, Robin, and Rolan all reacted simultaneously.
The others turned in confusion.
"What is it, Rolan? Did you figure something out?" Lina asked, gripping his arm.
"Yeah, what is it, husband?" Hancock added, standing close beside him.
Franky tilted his head. "AHO, what are you guys talking about?"
Rolan let out a short laugh. "We were thinking too narrowly. We kept assuming an island has to exist on the sea."
Franky blinked. "Huh? I do not get it."
Zoro, leaning casually against the railing, spoke without opening his eyes. "I see it now."
"See what?" Franky immediately turned to him.
"That is what I am asking too," Lina added.
Crocodile exhaled slowly. "So that is how it is."
Understanding began to spread across the crew.
"Oh… I get it now," Hancock said.
"Understood," Vivi added.
Franky raised both hands. "Wait, someone explain it properly."
Enel frowned. "You all sound like you lost your minds."
Robin stepped forward. "The Road Poneglyphs confirm the location is correct. The Final Island is real. That much is certain."
She adjusted her glasses slightly.
"If it is not on the sea surface, then it must be somewhere else. Either above the sky or beneath the ocean."
Lina tilted her head. "Above the sky… or under the sea?"
Kuro nodded. "There is no rule saying an island must exist on the sea surface. It could be a Sky Island or even something underwater like Fishman Island."
Lina looked up and then down again, still uncertain.
Enel suddenly laughed. "A Sky Island, then let us go see."
He raised his hand, controlling the ship as it began to rise.
The vessel moved rapidly upward.
One thousand meters.
Two thousand meters.
Five thousand meters.
Ten thousand meters.
Soon, they passed through the clouds.
All around them was pure white nothingness.
No island.
No structure.
Nothing at all.
Rolan activated his observation ability, extending it across tens of kilometers.
Still nothing.
He shook his head.
Enel clicked his tongue. "There is nothing here either."
"Then it must be underwater," Kuro said calmly.
The ship shifted direction and began descending.
The deeper they went, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.
Then they saw it.
A massive whirlpool spinning violently beneath them.
Nami stood at the front, holding the Log Pose and map. Her eyes narrowed.
"It is there."
"What? That is a giant whirlpool," Lina said instantly, gripping Rolan tightly.
Franky struck a pose. "AHO, so the entrance is inside that?"
Rolan stared at the whirlpool for a moment.
A strange sense of familiarity hit him.
Then he remembered.
This was similar to the same kind of whirlpool seen at the beginning of the Pirate King's journey.
A full circle.
He exhaled lightly and turned to Enel.
Enel smirked. "Hold on tight."
The ship descended into the whirlpool.
The closer they got, the heavier the pressure became.
Lina screamed. "We are going to die."
Rolan placed a hand on her head. "Relax. I am here."
An electromagnetic barrier spread instantly around the ship, stabilizing everything.
The descent continued.
After what felt like an eternity, silence finally returned.
Lina slowly opened her eyes.
"Are we… there?"
Everyone looked ahead.
Their expressions changed instantly.
===
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