Just as Ronan, Luffy, and the others were marveling at the Going Merry's astonishing transformation—
The once-calm sea not far away suddenly began to collapse inward.
A massive vortex, several kilometers wide, formed in an instant.
Then—
The entire ocean seemed to be lifted from beneath—
As if an invisible giant hand had thrust upward from the depths.
"Look! What is that?!" Nami cried out in shock.
At the center of the sea—
A deep-blue column of water burst upward from the horizon—
Defying all logic—
Piercing through the dark storm clouds—
Connecting with the thunder and lightning tens of thousands of meters above.
"The sea… shot into the sky?"
Usopp's legs gave out as he collapsed onto the deck.
"Incredible… this is insane…!"
But Luffy leapt onto the glowing golden sheep figurehead.
Holding down his straw hat—
He shouted toward the towering current:
"Everyone! We're going there!!"
"Luffy! Are you crazy?! That's suicide!!"
Usopp screamed.
"That force could shred Sea Kings! The Merry will be torn apart!!"
Ronan stood calmly by the main mast.
He could clearly sense the immense energy within that current—
The explosive release of geothermal pressure and oceanic force.
"Usopp, don't dismiss it so quickly."
Ronan gently touched the mast, now as solid as metal, a faint smile on his lips.
"Looks like Nami… has figured something out."
At the side of the deck—
Nami stared at her Log Pose.
The needle pointed straight up—
Trembling violently.
"I get it… I finally get it!"
She looked up, her face soaked with seawater—
But her eyes burned with pride.
"We were wondering why the Log Pose suddenly pointed to the sky…"
She pointed at the towering water column.
"It's the Sky Island!"
"The Log Pose isn't broken—our next destination has always been above the clouds!"
"And that Knock-Up Stream—"
"Is the staircase the sea has given us to reach it!"
"WHAT?! Sky Island?!"
Sanji and Chopper shouted in disbelief.
Even Robin's expression shifted, intrigued.
Zoro rested his hand on his sword and looked up.
"A sky island, huh…"
"Sailing to the heavens… doesn't sound bad."
"In the Grand Line…"
Ronan chuckled, spinning his spear lightly.
"What can't happen?"
He looked at Luffy.
"Luffy?"
"OF COURSE!!"
Luffy spread his arms wide and roared to the sea:
"MERRY! WE'RE GOING TO THE SKY ISLAND!!!"
And then—
Something unbelievable happened.
The Going Merry—
Now fused with the Munch-Munch Fruit—
Moved on its own.
"Clack… clack… clack…"
The rudder turned—
By itself.
Like a fish sensing the Dragon Gate—
The ship cut through wind and waves in a smooth arc—
Charging straight toward the Knock-Up Stream.
"That's it! That's it, Merry!!"
Usopp froze for a moment—
Then leapt up in excitement, slapping the railing.
"Go! GO!! If you want to fly, I'll go crazy with you!!"
As the Merry approached the massive current—
The grand spectacle became—
Oppressive.
Overwhelming.
"ROOOOAAARRR—!!!"
The Merry slammed into the towering column of water.
In that instant—
Everyone felt their bodies sink—
As if crushed under immense weight.
Then—
The sensation flipped—
Into pure madness.
"We're… we're flying?!"
Usopp clung to the ropes, voice cracking.
Outside—
The ocean tilted nearly ninety degrees.
The Merry wasn't crushed.
It was—
Climbing.
Riding along the outer wall of the water column—
Ascending toward the sky.
"THIS IS AWESOME—!!"
Luffy clung to the figurehead, laughing wildly as the wind distorted his face.
"What kind of physics is this?!"
"It's the wind!"
Nami shouted.
"Not just the current—there's an updraft from geothermal pressure!"
Sanji, cigarette long extinguished, watched the hull carefully.
"Wait… something's wrong."
"The current is dispersing. The ship is drifting outward…"
"If this continues—"
"We'll be flung off before reaching the Sky Island!"
"What?!"
Usopp looked down—
"If we fall from this height—we're dead!!"
At that critical moment—
Nami remained calm.
No fear.
Only control.
"This isn't just a water column—"
"It's a flowing sea!"
"As long as it's wind and sea—"
"I can navigate it!!"
"MERRY!! FOLLOW MY COMMANDS—RAISE THE SAILS!!"
"WOOONG—!!"
The sails unfurled instantly in the raging wind.
"Who's the navigator on this ship?!" Nami shouted.
"NAMI-SAN—!!" Sanji roared in devotion.
"Merry! Take the wind on the starboard side!"
"Turn port thirty degrees!"
"Align the hull with the outer wall of the current!!"
Under Nami's precise control—
At the brink of disaster—
The Merry "bit" into the current.
"Bad news! We're leaving the water completely!!"
Chopper screamed, staring at the edge of the water column far below.
"We're going to fall!!"
"It'll work!"
"Trust me—"
"And trust Merry!!"
And then—
The Merry—
Fully left the water.
But—
Instead of falling—
It entered the eye of the updraft perfectly.
The ship—
Broke free from gravity.
Sailing alongside the towering column—
With golden wood patterns and white sails—
It became—
A soaring eagle.
"WE'RE FLYING!! THE MERRY IS FLYING!!!"
Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp cheered wildly.
Ronan stood on the deck.
Watching his crew.
Feeling the living miracle beneath his feet—
Resonate with his energy.
"It worked…"
Nami smiled—
Brilliantly.
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