On the merry go.
When everyone saw a person wearing a bull mask, holding a cannon, rushing towards them, they immediately prepared for battle.
Just as the person was about to crash into the merry go, the opponent suddenly leaped up, rested the cannon on his shoulder, and growled in a deep voice.
"Invaders, die!"
Boom!
As he spoke, there was a roar.
A black cannonball rapidly shot towards the merry go.
Clang!
A figure flashed past Luffy, followed by a clanging sound.
The next second.
Boom! Boom!
Two explosions.
They exploded in mid-air on both sides of the merry go, not harming the Merry in the slightest.
The person with the bull mask saw this scene, and his eyes immediately filled with shock, looking incredulously at the swordsman standing by the ship.
"Bastard! How dare you attack us without a word!"
Another voice came to Luffy's ears.
Then, Sanji took a puff from his cigarette, his face full of anger, and stepped forward.
He ascended into the air with Moonwalk.
He chased after the bull-masked person in mid-air.
After a brief exchange between the two figures.
Bang!
The bull-headed mask was kicked by Sanji onto the deck of the Merry, at Luffy's feet.
This scene shocked the man.
Luffy, of course, recognized this person.
It was Wapa, the "Battle Ghost" of the Shandia Tribe!
Wapa looked at the group of people on the deck in disbelief, his heart trembling.
What in the world are these guys?
Why are they different from the Blue Sea people he used to instantly kill?
Especially when he fought Sanji, he felt like he had no power to fight back at all.
He suddenly did a carp flip, retreated to create distance, and looked at the group of Blue Sea people in front of him with shock.
Just then.
A voice came from the sky.
"That's enough for now! Wapa!"
"Blue Sea people, wait a moment! I'll come to save you right away!"
Everyone looked up at the sound.
They saw an old man, riding a strange bird and wearing armor, holding a spear, rushing down from the sky.
As he gradually approached the Merry, his expression suddenly became strange.
He only saw Wapa looking out of breath, his eyes filled with shock.
The group of Blue Sea people opposite him, however, looked calm.
"Huh?!"
"What's going on?"
The old man asked in confusion.
"Hey! Are you old man here to attack us too?"
Nami was the first to step forward and question him.
Of course, she asked while hiding behind Luffy.
Otherwise, she wouldn't dare to speak!
The old man looked at Wapa, then at Luffy and the others, and said.
"No! I am the Sky Knight, Gan Fall!"
"This is my mount, Pierre!"
"We are here to save…"
Mid-sentence, Gan Fall paused, then suddenly changed his tone.
"No! I am here to maintain peace!"
"Blue Sea people, please spare this man!"
Although Gan Fall usually didn't get along with the Shandia, he always hoped for peace.
However, Wapa didn't think so at all. Hearing Gan Fall plead for him, he immediately roared.
"Shut up! Gan Fall!"
"As a Shandia warrior, I will not beg for mercy from the enemy."
With that, Wapa once again raised the cannon in his hand and aimed it directly at Luffy.
"Blue Sea people, you all can die!"
Wapa roared with a tearing voice.
Just as he was about to fire, he saw the man with the Straw Hat opposite him move his lips slightly.
"Stop!"
A low voice came from that man's mouth.
Before Wapa could fire, he suddenly felt an unparalleled aura erupt from the other party.
It made his heart feel an immense fear and shock.
In just an instant!
He was covered in cold sweat, his strength completely gone, and the cannon in his hand dropped to the ground with a "clatter."
And immediately after, his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness, collapsing onto the deck.
This scene made even Gan Fall so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth.
"You… who exactly are you people?"
Luffy looked at Gan Fall and said.
"I am Monkey D. Luffy!"
"We are pirates from the surface!"
Hearing Luffy's name, Gan Fall couldn't help but be stunned and muttered.
"D, huh?"
He remembered that more than twenty years ago, a man whose name also contained D came to Sky Island and became his good friend.
And that man exuded this kind of unparalleled kingly aura.
Gol D. Roger!
Gan Fall called out the man's name in his heart.
Just then, he heard Luffy continue to speak.
"We're not here to fight you; we just want to go to Sky Island~."
"But it looks like this isn't Sky Island yet!"
"Can you take us there?"
Gan Fall frowned and couldn't help but glance at Wapa lying on the deck.
Seeing this, Luffy understood something and said.
"That guy is fine; he just fainted!"
"I won't kill him. Let him go when he wakes up!"
Hearing Luffy say this, Gan Fall immediately breathed a sigh of relief and instantly gained a lot of goodwill toward Luffy and the others, so he began to explain to them.
"The place you are in now is the White Sea, located at an altitude of 7,000 meters!"
"And the Sky Island you just mentioned is the White-White Sea, located at an upper altitude of 10,000 meters!"
Saying that, Gan Fall pointed in a direction for Luffy and said.
"Do you see that waterfall?"
Luffy and the others looked in the direction Gan Fall pointed and indeed saw a cloud sea waterfall, blocked by clouds, falling from a higher level of the sky.
Then, they heard Gan Fall continue to say.
"Below that waterfall, there is a Heaven's Gate leading to the White-White Sea!"
"Pass through that gate, and you can reach Sky Island!"
Hearing Gan Fall's introduction.
Everyone on the ship immediately became incredibly excited.
"Sky Island really exists!"
"So exciting! What is Sky Island like?"
"Will there be angel ladies? Wow! I can't wait!"
"Speaking of which, the food on Sky Island should be very unique too!"
Luffy and his crew were filled with anticipation and longing.
But this scene, seen by Gan Fall, made his expression dim.
Gan Fall suddenly spoke.
"You'd better not stay on Sky Island for too long."
"I remember many of you Blue Sea people who come here say you want to record some kind of log pose, right?"
"Once your log pose is full, leave this place quickly!"
Hearing Gan Fall say this, everyone on the ship except Luffy was immediately confused.
"Why? Does Sky Island not welcome outsiders?"
"And what exactly is this 'Blue Sea people' you keep talking about? Are all of us from the surface called Blue Sea people by you?"
"Don't let us stay long! Does that mean Sky Island is very scary?"
"Huh?! Sky Island is very scary?! No! I suddenly got a disease where I'll die if I go to Sky Island!"
"Ah! Usopp! Are you sick? I'll come help you right away!"
The ship quickly descended into chaos.
Gan Fall listened to everyone's numerous questions and waved his hands repeatedly, saying.
"I know you must have a lot of questions since you just arrived at Sky Island."
"But the answers to some questions you'll find out yourselves once you get to Sky Island."
"I'm just advising you, try not to stay on Sky Island for too long."
"This Sky Island… has a god!"
"Once you offend the god, you won't be able to return to the Blue Sea!"
Hearing Gan Fall's words, the ship once again fell into chaos.
"This… this island actually has a god?!"
"Is it a real god? A legendary god who can see everything and cannot be opposed!"
Hearing this, Gan Fall frowned and nodded seriously.
"He can see everything on Sky Island; he is… invincible!"
The cowardly trio plus Karu were immediately trembling with fear upon hearing this.
Nami even hugged Luffy's arm and pleaded with a pitiful look.
"Luffy, I think we should leave here as soon as the log pose is full!"
"A god or whatever, it sounds so scary!"
Luffy looked at the pitiful Nami and just said calmly.
"Maybe the Golden City is on Sky Island!"
Suddenly!
Nami straightened up abruptly, her eyes turning into the shape of Berries, and clenching her fists, she said with immense determination.
"Luffy! Let's set off for Sky Island right now!"
"What god or no god, I've never believed in gods."
Usopp couldn't help but retort from the side when he heard this.
"Your eyes have turned into Berries, Nami!"
And Nami continued to say.
"Those guys who pretend to be gods, just leave them to…"
Nami paused as she spoke, then looked at Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji and said.
"It's up to you guys to take him down!"
"Exactly!"
Zoro grimaced at the words and retorted, "Why don't you go yourself, you woman!"
Gan Fall stared blankly at the strange crew, his eyes filled with confusion.
How could these guys remain so calm and composed even after hearing that God was invincible?
He couldn't understand!
Just then, he saw Luffy smile at him and say, "No matter what God Sky Island has, we decide when we leave."
"Besides, we still want to find something on Sky Island!"
"So don't worry about us!"
"But thank you for telling us all this."
Luffy said, a sudden smirk playing on his lips, his eyes full of confidence as he continued, "If any God dares to obstruct us, then we'll… show him what God-slaying looks like!"
At Luffy's words, Gan Fall's body trembled violently, his eyes filled with shock.
Luffy's confidence filled Gan Fall with immense admiration!
But reason still told him that Luffy's group… was too naive.
They knew nothing of God's power!
Gan Fall sighed helplessly in his heart.
He took out a whistle from his person and handed it to Luffy.
"Keep this whistle."
"When you need help, just blow this whistle, and I will appear to assist you."
"Each time only requires a payment of 5 million Berries!"
After speaking, Gan Fall suddenly shifted his gaze to Wapa, who was lying unconscious, and said, "If you hand that person over to me, I can provide you with one free assistance!"
"How about it?"
Although Luffy and the others said they wouldn't kill Wapa, he knew Wapa's temper.
It was very likely that Wapa would attack Luffy's group again after waking up, which was why he wanted to take Wapa away beforehand to avoid further trouble.
Luffy nodded at the words and said, "Alright! Do as you please!"
"Thank you!"
Gan Fall thanked him upon hearing this.
He then carried Wapa onto Pierre's back.
Then he said to Luffy and the others, "Well then… we shall take our leave!"
"If you need any help, just blow the whistle in your hand, and I will arrive by your side at the first opportunity."
As soon as he finished speaking, before Luffy and the others could reply, Gan Fall rode Pierre and soared into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.
"Wait! I still wanted to ask that old man what those 'Berries' he mentioned were!"
"There are still so many questions I want to ask!"
Nami said helplessly, looking at Gan Fall, who had vanished into the sky.
Luffy patted Nami's back and said, "Alright, don't worry about him."
"We'll understand once we get to Sky Island!"
"Let's go! To the real Sky Island!"
With Luffy's command, the merry go set sail again, officially heading towards the Gate of Heaven.
...
Following Gan Fall's instructions, Luffy and his crew passed through a thick layer of clouds, and indeed, behind the clouds, below the waterfall, they saw a massive archway.
Above the archway, a line of text read: [Gate of Heaven]!
"This is so ominous, it's like we're about to die," Usopp said with a horrified expression, looking at the name.
Especially thinking of the God Gan Fall mentioned, it made him even more terrified.
Zoro, Sanji, and the others, however, looked indifferent and calmly said, "Maybe we're already dead, haha!"
"Possibly! That would explain why this world is so peculiar!"
Just then, Vivi suddenly called out, "Look, someone's coming out there."
Vivi pointed to a platform below the archway.
On the platform stood an old woman with wings and a wrinkled face.
She was currently holding a camera, continuously taking pictures of Luffy and the others.
"Are you here for sightseeing?"
"Or for war?"
The old woman asked, then continued, "Either way, it doesn't matter!"
"If you wish to go to the upper layer, please pay the entry fee, 1 billion Berries per person."
"This is the law!"
Hearing this exaggerated number, the crew on the ship were stunned.
"10… 10 billion?! How much is 10 billion Berries in exchange for Berries?" Usopp asked about the exchange rate.
Nami, meanwhile, asked, "Um… what if we don't have money…?"
Before she could finish her question, the old woman opened her mouth and said, "You can still enter!"
"Huh?"
Hearing this answer, everyone on the ship was stunned again.
"Is that allowed?"
The old woman continued, "You don't have to go in either."
"I am neither a gatekeeper nor a guard."
"I'm just asking for your intentions!"
At these words, everyone on the ship instantly wanted to complain.
If you're nothing, why are you asking?!
But before they could speak, Luffy said, "We don't have money, but we want to go to Sky Island!"
A strange smile flashed across the old woman's lips as she heard this and said, "You can!"
"Do all 11 of you want to go?"
Luffy nodded.
"Yes!"
No sooner had he spoken than Luffy and the others felt something rapidly approaching from beneath the cloud sea.
Soon, two giant shrimp claws emerged from the cloud sea.
The old woman continued, "Those are special express shrimp, a specialty of the White Sea, which will transport you to the upper layer, the White-White Sea."
No sooner had she finished speaking than the merry go was clamped by the express shrimp and rapidly advanced along the current towards the upper layer.
At the same time, the old woman muttered to herself, "Gate of Heaven Monitor, Amazon reporting."
"Almighty God and all the Divine Officers, please enact [Heaven's Judgment] upon the 11 illegal entrants heading to God's Country, the Sky Holy Land!"
...
Transported by the express shrimp, Luffy and his crew passed through a ribbon-like cloud river, finally seeing a sign at an opening leading to the upper layer.
God's Country! Sky Holy Land!
"We're here!"
Cheers of delight erupted from the ship.
Then, carried by the express shrimp, they leaped out of the opening and landed on another layer of vast, white cloud sea.
"I see an island!" someone exclaimed in delight.
Everyone immediately saw the island situated above the clouds.
The ground and beaches were all vast, white clouds.
Houses were hidden one after another behind the clouds, appearing faintly.