My ship rose above the waves, and suddenly... there it was, Jaya, appearing before me like a giant skull.
"Hahahaha! It looks like a giant face!" I laughed as I brought my ship down.
Four hundred years ago, the Knock Up Stream struck this island and sent half of it skyward. Because of this current, Noland was executed, and his name was passed down through generations as the great liar.
From above, I could see Mock Town, but I had no interest in going there. All I needed to do was catch that strange bird and head to Skypiea.
I anchored my ship in a deserted corner of the island, secured it well, and ventured into the forest in search of the South Bird.
After a long search, I finally saw it—the South Bird, that bizarre creature whose head always points south. Its wings were purple with hints of green feathers, and its head was oddly shaped, with two strange protrusions and a purple beak tinged with yellow. It was the weirdest creature I'd ever seen.
"This is my chance to reach Skypiea!" I whispered, raising my hands.
I used my telekinetic powers to press the air around it, trapping it in an invisible force field. The bird screeched, trying to escape, but it was like fighting an unseen wall!
"Don't be so stubborn!" I laughed, tightening the force around it.
After minutes of struggling, the exhausted bird finally gave in. I gently lowered it onto my ship and tied its legs securely.
"Now, my friend," I patted its white feathers, "you're going to lead us upward, to where the Thunder Fruit awaits!"
The bird flapped its wings again, its head still stubbornly pointing south, but now it was under my control. Together, we took off toward the high clouds, where the greatest challenge of my life awaited.
Now, I had two travel companions—this strange bird and the Den Den Mushi. I had to make sure to feed them both.
---
We rose slowly at first, the South Bird flapping its large purple wings with all its might. The funny thing was, its head kept pointing south even as it tried to resist me! "Squawk!" it screeched, trying to turn its head, but it simply couldn't—it was like a magnet locked onto the South Pole.
"What a dumb bird!" I laughed, watching its head stay fixed southward even as it tried to look at me. It spun in circles, but no matter what it did, that stubborn head wouldn't budge.
The bird looked utterly frustrated. "Don't be mad, buddy—it's just your nature!" I said, stroking its green feathers. But it kept screeching in protest, even as it carried us higher.
The ship began to shake slightly, but I used my powers to stabilize it.
Despite all its protests, the bird was doing an excellent job. Its head pointed south, and I began to catch glimpses of the White Sea below.
"Whoooooosh!"
The ship plunged into the White Sea from below. My vision blurred, and I could barely breathe, but I kept controlling the ship, forcing it upward.
Breaking through the thick layer of clouds, I suddenly found myself in a completely different world! Before me stretched the endless White Sea, like a massive blanket of soft cotton spread in every direction. I paused for a moment, awestruck, my eyes wide with wonder.
"What a sight...!" I whispered as my ship floated gently on the surface of this sea of clouds. I dipped my hand into the white liquid—it was warm and slightly sticky, yet it held us up with surprising stability. "It's like hot milk soup!" I laughed, watching the liquid flow between my fingers.
Looking around, I spotted something strange—a clear path of dense clouds, as if carefully drawn across this white sea. The clouds here were thicker, forming a winding trail that shimmered under the sunlight. "This must be the way to Skypiea!"
The South Bird, now growing accustomed to my presence, let out a loud cry, its head (still pointing south) gesturing toward that bizarre path. "I agree!" I said, slowly steering the ship toward the cloud road.
The further we went, the more breathtaking the scenery became. Here and there, thin columns of mist rose like fountains, and small islands of dense clouds floated like chunks of white coral. At one point, a school of crystalline cloud fish darted past us, playing in the cloud waves.
"This is even more amazing than I imagined! If I had a camera, I'd take a picture of myself here!" I laughed, watching the clear blue sky above reflect off the white sea, making it feel like we were floating inside a giant blue gem.
My ship glided smoothly over this magical surface, leaving behind a thin trail that slowly faded. The South Bird began to calm down, as if realizing we were in a safe place. Even the Den Den Mushi seemed to enjoy the view, its tiny eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Look over there!" I suddenly shouted, pointing toward the horizon. A series of natural cloud arches formed a massive gateway, beyond which the path began to rise gradually. "This is our way up!"
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the clean scent of the clouds, then carefully steered the ship toward the ascending path.
---
After a while, a silver gate with golden edges appeared before me, inscribed with the words: "Gate of Heaven."
As I approached the gate, an ugly old woman with white wings on her back appeared and said, "To enter the sky island of Skypiea, you must pay one billion Extol."
What she asked for might have seemed like a huge amount, but in reality, it was just a small fraction of my berries.
I didn't bother asking about the exchange rate. I grabbed a stack of bills from my pocket and tossed them toward her. "Will this be enough?"
"Yes, you may now enter Skypiea." The old woman collected the money and retreated inside the gate.
I passed through, and what appeared before me was a massive waterfall of clouds flowing upward.
Suddenly, a giant crab appeared, sinking its claws into the sides of my ship and lifting it upward.
"This stupid animal just put two big holes in my ship!"
---
When Luka finally broke through the clouds, it felt as though the world around him had transformed.
Silence enveloped the air—the only sound was the beating of his own heart. As the clouds faded from view, Skypiea appeared before him in all its splendor.
A world suspended in the sky... an island that didn't float on the sea, but on the clouds themselves.
The sight was breathtakingly beautiful. Pristine white buildings stood tall amid the clouds, their designs reminiscent of fairy-tale palaces, surrounded by arches and bridges of mist with no discernible beginning or end.
Huge green plants hung from above like ropes tethering the sky to the earth, their leaves glistening under the soft sunlight reflecting off the clouds.
In the distance, a waterfall cascaded from the clouds themselves, like a river escaping from heaven.
Luka couldn't believe his eyes.
He took a deep breath and smiled in awe.
"My God..." he murmured quietly. "Is this real?"
His eyes darted between every detail—every cloud, every building, every color.
This wasn't just another stop on his journey...
Skypiea was a living work of art unfolding before him. A painting not drawn by an artist, but one that pulsed with life.
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