Rolan already expected resistance, but the citizens' support for the move surprised him.
Originally, he thought convincing them would take at least ten days to half a month. But by the afternoon of the second day, every response he received expressed unanimous agreement.
Even so, Rolan still gave everyone a week's time, because relocating such a large nation was never a small matter. The weather in the New World would be vastly different. Also, Rolan did not intend to keep Sky Nation at an altitude of 10,000 meters. He planned to bring it down to sea level, so that it could connect with the rest of the world.
He explained every possible change, and the citizens remained wholeheartedly supportive. To them, as long as they could live under Rolan's leadership, they would follow his plan.
So during those days, the lives of the citizens remained almost unchanged. Only Rolan's private battles continued daily.
For the first two nights, Hancock barely managed to endure. By the third day, she finally broke and begged for mercy, ultimately handing over the task of facing Rolan to Lina and Robin.
However, Lina and Robin were also utterly defeated and soon were pleading for mercy themselves.
Rolan's amplified voice spread through the minds of everyone present.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves. There may be light tremors soon. We will begin moving in ten minutes."
Everyone had prepared fully, knowing today was the day. After about ten minutes, Rolan nodded at Nami beside him.
People gathered all around. Apart from Kuro and the rest of Rolan's crew, Gan Fall and others who once led Sky Nation before also stood nearby.
Worry etched their faces; they didn't know whether moving such a massive island all at once would strain it or cause calamity.
In truth, Rolan himself was cautious too. Could human power alone really move this enormous island? Nami reassured him earlier, saying that creating clouds required tremendous energy, but moving existing clouds took far less effort.
Rolan trusted Nami's expertise, though he didn't attempt to explain those details to Gan Fall and the others. No matter how he described it, their minds would only conjure fear of the unknown.
Then, Nami gently raised her hand. The cloud layer beneath the island surged, and the entire mass of Sky Nation began to shake.
Rolan raised his hand and created an electromagnetic barrier around the entire island.
At this moment, Gan Fall and the others felt their hearts in their throats. They were 10,000 meters above the sea. If anything went wrong and the island fell, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Though they had full trust in Rolan and Nami, they had never seen humans perform feats like this in reality or in reports.
Still, the citizens weren't worried at all. Their admiration for Rolan, their king, bordered on blind faith.
As Nami's ability activated, the island began moving forward slowly. Some residents noticed the subtle shift, though at first the motion was so gentle that it caused hardly any discomfort.
As speed gradually increased, the massive landmass continued to be supported by the clouds. Seeing this, Gan Fall and the Shandia Chief exhaled in relief, slowly calming their pounding hearts. They, too, were beginning to understand Nami's astonishing skill.
Rolan turned and grasped Nami's slender hand.
"How are you? Are you alright?" he asked.
Nami looked up at him and shook her head.
"I'm fine."
After a gradual but steady acceleration, the speed of Sky Nation had now surpassed that of many aircraft from his previous life. Yet life on the island continued almost as usual, barely affected.
Below the sea, apart from some pirate compasses beginning to drift from pointing upward, there was no notable anomaly. Almost no one noticed that a colossal island was passing overhead.
…
"Wow! That must be the Red Line, it's so… so immense!" Lina stood at the edge, awestruck at the vast continent towering like a crimson wall within the clouds below.
After some time, Sky Nation approached the Red Line. Members of Rolan's crew, including Rolan himself, stared at the towering landmass below.
A colossal red cliff stretched out, its surface rising so high that it seemed nearly impregnable. No wonder few survivors in history had managed to climb or cross the Red Line on foot.
In Rolan's memory, only a few had succeeded — Fisher Tiger scaling it barehanded, Germa 66 crossing with amphibious snail ships, and select commanders of the Revolutionary Army.
To live atop the Red Line itself was nearly a legendary existence.
As the cloud layer pushed them forward, Sky Nation settled above the Red Line. Rolan deliberately chose a path that kept them far from Mary Geoise, the World Government's capital city at the top of the Red Line, before descending.
Below their feet spread a barren red land that seemed to extend without end.
But no matter how long they flew, they still hovered over Red Line. If one couldn't see the island actually moving, it would seem motionless — a testament to the continent's vastness.
"It… this is the Red Line!" Enel's eyes sparkled. The depth and scale of this world far exceeded what he had imagined.
Though Rolan knew the Red Line was a massive landmass in theory, seeing it with his own eyes brought a new level of awe.
He recalled that in the original One Piece world, Fish-Man Island sat 10,000 meters below the sea, directly under the Red Line, serving as a gateway between seas.
With that in mind, Rolan wondered what this world might become. Rumors and predictions spread across islands, but no one truly knew what the future held. He forced a shrug and chose not to ponder too deeply.
For now, they still had one step at a time.
…
After successfully crossing the Red Line, Nami gradually lowered Sky Nation's altitude. Ultimately, she placed the massive island at the center of the five seas.
Super Heart Net activated as Rolan confirmed no casualties on the ground.
His lips curved in satisfaction. Although expected, ensuring every person was safe gave him a sense of quiet joy — every soul on this island was under his rule.
"What are your plans next?" Kuro asked.
Rolan considered the question carefully; with their current strength, a direct clash with the World Government seemed unlikely.
After a moment, he replied, "Once things settle, I'm heading to the Moby Dick first."
"What?!" Kuro blurted out in surprise.
___
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