Just then, Luffy's newly acquired [Information Derivation] passive talent automatically triggered.
He looked up thoughtfully at their surroundings. "This place... seems to only be at an altitude of seven thousand meters."
"Seven thousand?" Merry, floating in the air, emerged from the ship and tilted her little head in confusion. "Didn't Mr. Cricket and the books say Sky Island is at ten thousand meters?"
By now, Nami, Vivi, and Robin had quickly changed into dry clothes in the cabin and come back out.
Nami took over the explanation. "Merry, this is just the White Sea. According to records, the White Sea is located seven thousand meters above the Blue Sea. To reach the true Sky Island—Angel Island, which is in the White-White Sea—we need to go up another three thousand meters."
Vivi gently tucked a still-damp strand of her blue hair behind her ear, her face full of wonder. "It felt like we flew for ages, and we're only at seven thousand meters?"
Nami smiled. "Actually, from the Knock Up Stream's eruption to us breaking through the cloud layer, it was only about a minute. The process was just so intense it made time feel longer."
Usopp, having recovered a bit of strength, peered curiously over the railing at the sea of clouds below, soft as cotton candy. His eyes lit up. "Can you swim in this sea of clouds?"
He looked at Luffy.
Luffy was also tempted.
"Theoretically, yes," Nami cautioned. "But the clouds of the White Sea are less dense than seawater in the Blue Sea, and offer much less buoyancy. If you're not careful, you could sink and then plummet seven thousand meters straight back down to the Blue Sea. Unless you can fly or have special equipment, it's best not to try it lightly." She grabbed Luffy, who was about to jump in with Usopp, with a deadpan expression. "Also, a sea of clouds is still a 'sea.' You, a Devil Fruit user, stay put and behave."
Luffy: "..."
Just then, Merry suddenly looked up, alert. "Everyone, be careful! Something big is approaching!"
No sooner had she spoken than the sea of clouds off their port side churned violently. A huge, strangely-shaped Sky Island fish leaped from the clouds, its maw full of sharp teeth wide open.
Its first target was Nika, who was floating nearby trying to open a bottle of wine to celebrate. Whether it wanted the wine or Nika herself was unclear.
But for Nika, either was unacceptable.
"You're asking for it!"
Nika's crimson eyes flashed. Her petite figure instantly swelled, transforming into a large white tanuki, and she threw a punch.
Thwump!
The giant sky fish, struck squarely in the head by the seemingly small but terrifyingly powerful fist, was sent spinning dizzily back into the sea of clouds, floating belly-up, motionless.
"Wow! Nika's not bad!" Luffy's eyes lit up as he praised her.
Nika puffed out her chest proudly, patted her small hands, and returned to her normal form. "Of course! Ni's strength, hehehe."
However, Luffy's next sentence almost made her fall from the air.
"I meant this fish looks like it has great meat. We can have a full Sky Island fish feast tonight! Sanji!"
"Oh! Leave it to me!" Sanji immediately perked up, rubbing his hands together. He looked at the massive fish with the gleam in a chef's eye when beholding a top-tier ingredient.
Nika huffed angrily, turning her back to Luffy with her wine gourd.
Ni, fallen from grace, is bullied by Luffy!
A feast was soon held on the deck of the Going Merry. The unique, exquisite flavor of the Sky Island fish had everyone raving.
However, halfway through the banquet, a sudden beam of light shot from the distant clouds, accurately hitting the Merry's mast. It didn't cause serious damage, but the provocation was clear.
"Who's there?!" Zoro's hand instantly gripped the hilt of his Wado Ichimonji.
Robin didn't even look up. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and whispered, "Fleur Fleur: Twist."
In the distant clouds, a Shandian warrior with shell-made wings on his back, wielding a Flare Dial, was just about to launch a second attack when several arms sprouted from his neck and gave a sharp twist!
He didn't even have time to grunt before he lost consciousness and began to plummet from the clouds.
"You're fast, Robin." Luffy extended a rubber arm, fishing the unconscious Shandian out of the air and pulling him onto the deck like catching a fish. "Who is this guy? Why did he attack us?"
Suddenly, Luffy raised his head, his gaze sharp as he looked higher into the sky. "And who are you?"
"Oh? Quite perceptive, young man from the Blue Sea."
A calm, aged voice came from above.
Everyone looked up to see an old man who looked like a knight, holding a lance, slowly descending on a bird.
He introduced himself. "I am the Sky Knight, Gan Fall. This is my partner, Pierre. The one who just attacked you was a Shandian."
"Sky Knight?" Nami asked curiously. "And what's the deal with the Shandians? Why did they attack us?"
Just as Gan Fall was about to explain, Luffy's [Information Derivation] talent activated again.
"The Shandians are the original inhabitants of Sky Island. Four hundred years ago, they and their homeland, Upper Yard—which you know as part of Jaya Island—were driven out by a 'God' from the Blue Sea and his people. The Sky Islanders and the Shandians have been fighting over Upper Yard for four hundred years now. Right?" Luffy stated.
Gan Fall opened his mouth, but Luffy had already said everything he was about to. He looked at Luffy, somewhat embarrassed and surprised. "No... you said it all. So what am I supposed to say? Young man, just who are you? How do you know Sky Island's history so well?"
This Information Derivation passive talent was really useful.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who's going to be King of the Pirates!" Luffy grinned.
With Gan Fall's supplementary explanations, everyone gained a clearer understanding of Sky Island's situation.
In the White-White Sea above, there existed Angel Island and a place called the Sacred Ground, Upper Yard—part of the original Jaya Island. Together, they formed a divine kingdom ruled by a God named Enel.
The Shandians who had just attacked them formed a guerrilla force, continuously assaulting the divine kingdom in an attempt to reclaim their homeland.
Gan Fall, the Sky Knight, was a neutral mercenary roaming between the White Sea and the White-White Sea.
After a brief exchange of information, Gan Fall rode off on Pierre. They didn't need the Shandian, so they had him take the man along.
Luffy and the others then followed his directions to the Gate of Heaven, the entrance to the White-White Sea.
The old gatekeeper, Amazon, demanded an entry fee of one billion Extol per person, which converted to 100,000 Beri each.
Having learned the exchange rate from both Cricket and Gan Fall, Nami now acted like a high roller, directly paying the fee for the entire crew.
"My, my, what generous people from the Blue Sea," Amazon chuckled, taking the money. She then summoned the giant Express Lobster.
***
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