Several hours later — the White-White Sea
The White Gull drifted across the White-White Sea for hours on end. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but an endless expanse of soft, rolling clouds, broken only by the occasional sky fish gliding past in lazy arcs.
Lipo lay sprawled over the railing, utterly bored, poking at the clouds below with a carrot in her hand."Gern… did we get lost?"
"Skypiea is bigger than you'd imagine." Gern Reginald Sigmar stood at the bow, his gaze sweeping calmly across the distant horizon."If my memory serves me right, Angel Island should be drifting somewhere on the White-White Sea."
(The White Sea exists at an altitude of 7,000 meters, while the islands of Skypiea float above 10,000 meters, in the White-White Sea.)
"Vice Admiral Gern." Tesoro adjusted the recording needle in his hand, frowning deeply. "The magnetic field here is a mess. The pointer keeps spinning—it's completely unusable."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."Snake Princess lounged lazily on a deck chair, casually smoothing her wind-tousled hair as she shot Gern a sideways glance."If this place is as big as the real sea, we're going to be searching for a long time."
Gern was just about to reply when his Observation Haki suddenly picked up something. His expression sharpened, and he raised a hand abruptly, signaling everyone to be quiet.
"…There's a sound."
The crew held their breath. A moment later, a faint engine-like hum drifted in from afar.
Splash!The cloud sea split apart as a bizarrely shaped Waver shot up from below, stabilizing itself in midair directly in front of the White Gull.
The rider was a young Skypiean man wearing goggles, a pair of small white wings sprouting from his back. He gripped a spear made from a Burn Dial, staring at them warily.
"Blue Sea intruders?!" he shouted in shock. "How did you get through the White Sea?!"
Before Gern could answer, the surrounding clouds churned violently. Three more Wavers burst out in succession, forming a loose encirclement around the White Gull.
Each Waver carried a Skypiean warrior armed with various Dial-based weapons, their expressions tense and hostile.
The lead warrior removed his goggles, revealing a pair of sharp, piercing eyes."Blue Sea people who have illegally entered the realm of the gods—state your purpose!"
Lipo waved enthusiastically."Hello! We're looking for Angel Island!"
"Angel Island?"The Skypiean warriors exchanged uneasy glances, something flickering briefly in their eyes.
The leader snorted coldly."Angel Island isn't here. This is the domain of Lord God Gan Fall!Any intruder without permission will be punished!"
"God?" Tesoro frowned. "Vice Admiral Gern… is this Gan Fall the god we're looking for?"
"Uh…"Hearing the name, Gern recalled the old man's face and tugged awkwardly at the corner of his mouth."This god… isn't that god."
I nearly forgot—this is the end of the year 1498 of the Sea Circle Calendar. Skypiea's ruler right now is the sixth God of Skypiea, Gan Fall.Enel won't take over until 1506… and after being defeated by Luffy, he was thirty-nine.If I count backward from 1520—the year Luffy set sail—then Enel should still be back on Birka right now, munching on apples.The future tyrant who will destroy his homeland… is only seventeen years old at this point.
...
Meanwhile, Snake Princess glanced at Gern and noticed him staring off into the cloud sea, a faint, unreadable smile hanging on his lips.
"Tch. Daydreaming again."She let out a soft snort, tapping the black scabbard at her waist with her fingertip as she sauntered forward, crimson lips curling into a half-smile.
"Oh? Punishment?"Her voice was languid—yet laced with a chill sharp enough to bite."With just the likes of you?"
In an instant, the Skypiean warriors were enraged by her disdain. They raised their Burn Dial spears as one, flames roaring to life at the tips, illuminating their darkened expressions.
"Impudent! This is the realm of the gods—not a place for Blue Sea trash like you to run wild!"
"Is that so?"Snake Princess's smile turned dangerous, cold light flashing in her eyes."Perfect. Then take us to meet your god."
"Arrogant!" the leader roared. "Lord Gan Fall is burdened with countless affairs—he's not someone you Blue Sea people can meet just because you want to!"
With that, he thrust his spear forward. Flames erupted violently from the Burn Dial."Attack! Capture them!"
The moment his order fell, all four Wavers surged forward at once, tearing through the cloud waves as they charged straight for the ship.
"So you refuse a toast… and insist on drinking a forfeit."Snake Princess's gaze froze over. Slowly, she raised her blade—one hand gripping the scabbard, the other resting lightly on the hilt. Steel brushed against wood with a faint, chilling ring.
"Drawing from overhead?"Gern raised an eyebrow, watching her with clear interest."So the chains of fate are mine to sever, huh?"
She didn't answer—only smiled.
The next instant—
"Nine Serpents Style · Gathering Blossoms at Dawn, Scattering at Dusk!"
Clang!A crescent of blade-light bloomed like a newborn moon.
No one saw her draw.
All that followed were four nearly overlapping sounds of metal snapping apart.
The Wavers split cleanly in half.
The Skypiean warriors remained frozen in their charging poses, as if time itself had stalled.
Crack… crack… crack…Their goggles shattered simultaneously. A hair-thin slash appeared across the armor on each of their chests.
Thud!Every one of them collapsed to their knees atop the wreckage of their Wavers.
Hands flew frantically over their bodies—only for them to discover, in sheer terror, that not a single wound marred their skin.
The slash had severed their weapons and Wavers with terrifying precision—without even tearing a corner of their clothing.
Snake Princess calmly slid her blade back into its scabbard.
Click.
Her high heels echoed rhythmically across the deck as she stepped forward, gazing down at the kneeling warriors.
"Now," she said softly, red lips parting,"will you guide us?"
The leader trembled from head to toe, his throat so dry he could barely force out the words."W-who… who are you people?"
"Who are we?"Gern walked forward unhurriedly.
Snake Princess stood to his left. Tesoro to his right. Lipo peeked out adorably from behind him.
Standing at the center, Gern smiled faintly. His tone was relaxed—but carried unquestionable authority.
"We're just a group of passersby… looking for a 'god.'"
The Skypiean warriors' faces drained of color.
"Y-you…" the leader stammered, forcing down his terror. "What do you want with Lord Gan Fall?"
"The god I'm looking for isn't him."Gern slipped his hands into his pockets, eyes drifting toward the distant cloud sea.
"That said… I do happen to have a few questions for him."
He paused, then added casually,
"Of course… if he's unwilling to cooperate, we don't mind using some… special methods."
Snake Princess let out a soft laugh, her fingers gently brushing the scabbard.
"For example," she said sweetly,"letting the realm of the gods change its owner."