The thunderous roar of the Knock-Up Stream gradually faded from their ears, replaced by a strange, hollow ringing that followed the silence of extreme altitude.
The Going Merry, like a dark-gold arrow, pierced through the massive, pitch-black storm clouds filled with lightning. At the moment of deepest darkness, everyone held their breath.
Then, suddenly, the darkness vanished, and brilliant sunlight poured down.
"As long as we can control the current and the wind, we can go anywhere!" Nami gripped the railing tightly, her short hair whipping wildly in the wind, her eyes shining with the thrill of conquering nature.
"Nami, are we almost at the Sky Island?" Luffy jumped onto the figurehead, looking around excitedly.
Nami pointed toward the towering layers of clouds above, a breathtaking sight that had never appeared on any map. "If it exists, it's beyond those clouds! Everyone, we're going up!"
As the Merry pierced through layers of mist, an otherworldly scene unfolded before them.
There was no blue ocean.
Instead, there was an endless expanse of white—thick, soft, and seemingly solid: a sea of clouds.
"What is this place?" Zoro rested his hand on his sword, his eyes filled with rare uncertainty.
"It's all white…" Sanji muttered, staring at the cloudscape.
"Clouds! So many clouds!" Chopper leaned over the railing in amazement.
"We're standing above the clouds…" Nami's voice trembled slightly. "This is the legendary Sea of Clouds."
Ronan stood beneath the mast, quietly taking in the surreal view.
"Look! Over there!" Luffy suddenly pointed ahead.
At the end of a waterfall-like cascade of clouds stood a massive, ancient gate. It radiated a solemn and oppressive aura. Carved into its beam were four words:
Gate of Heaven.
"'Gate of Heaven'?" Usopp read aloud, shivering. "That name is way too ominous. It feels like we'll die if we go through it!"
"Maybe we're already dead," Zoro said with a smirk.
"Yeah," Sanji added, exhaling a faint puff of smoke. "That would explain everything. We're in the afterlife."
"WHAT?! We're dead?!" Chopper burst into tears, clinging to Luffy.
"That's enough," Ronan said calmly, cutting off their wild imaginations.
"Heaven, huh? Sounds fun!" Luffy showed no fear at all and directed the Merry toward the gate.
At that moment, a small pink figure emerged from a pavilion behind the gate.
"Someone's coming!" Usopp quickly raised his slingshot.
They looked closely and saw a tiny old woman, her skin wrinkled like dried fruit, with a pair of small white wings on her back. She held a camera and kept snapping pictures of the Merry.
"An angel?!" Luffy widened his eyes. "Do angels look like dried orange peels?"
"I am Amazon, the gatekeeper of the Gate of Heaven," the old woman said as she lowered her camera. Her cloudy eyes carried a merchant's sharpness and indifference.
"What is your purpose here? Sightseeing… or war?"
"We're going to Sky Island," Luffy answered loudly.
Zoro narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by 'war'?"
Amazon ignored him and pulled out an old scroll. "It doesn't matter. According to the law, to enter the upper realm, each of you must pay an entrance fee of one billion Extol."
"One billion?!" Usopp's jaw dropped. "Why don't you just rob us outright?!"
"Ronan, is Extol their currency?" Nami asked, frowning.
"Most likely," Ronan replied calmly. "It sounds like a huge amount, but it could just be inflation. Still, it's not a small number."
"Seventy billion in total," Robin calculated. "Zoro, do you think she's extorting us?"
Zoro's hand moved to his sword. "If she is, I don't mind turning her heaven into hell."
Nami looked directly at Amazon. "What if we don't pay?"
Amazon adjusted her glasses, her tone eerily calm. "You may still proceed. I only record. The law exists, but whether you follow it is your choice."
"…Wait, we don't have to pay?" Luffy immediately brightened.
"Then let's go! We're broke anyway! Bye, granny!"
"…Seven people," Amazon muttered, lowering her head with a strange smile.
Ronan watched silently but did not interfere. He knew this was a deliberate trap—illegal entry.
But for the Straw Hat crew now, even a so-called "god" wouldn't pose much of a threat.
"But how do we get up there?" Luffy asked, looking confused at the flat sea of clouds.
"Hehehe…" Amazon let out a strange laugh. "That's not your concern."
Suddenly, the clouds around the Merry churned violently.
Before anyone could react, two massive red claws covered in spikes shot up from below and clamped onto the Merry's reinforced sides.
"What?! An attack?!" Usopp shouted, raising his weapon.
Zoro moved to draw his sword, but Ronan stopped him. "Don't. That's transportation."
The cloud surface exploded outward, revealing a gigantic crimson shrimp, dozens of meters long, lifting the Merry into the air.
"White Sea specialty—Express Shrimp!" Amazon's voice echoed from behind as it quickly faded into the distance. "Enjoy your journey through God's domain… criminals."
"Criminals?" Nami frowned, not yet understanding the implication.
In the next instant, an overwhelming force slammed into them, pressing them back as the ship shot forward at terrifying speed.
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