You're Really Something!

The night was utterly silent.

The two stood before a gigantic archway of peculiar design, with the words "SKYPIEA" written across it.

Bullet looked shocked and could not help exclaiming,

"Where did this gate come from? It's huge!"

"This is Heaven's Gate, the only way into Sky Island. Only by passing through it can you reach the true Sky Island."

Xia Luo's voice came from beside him, and Bullet could not help asking again, "But aren't we already on Sky Island?"

"Could there be another Sky Island above this one?"

Xia Luo smiled and explained, "Not exactly. We're currently above the White Sea, and above that is another White-White Sea. Only after passing through the White-White Sea will you reach the real Sky Island."

"Nani? There's another sea? Then how do we get up there?"

Bullet was greatly shocked. It was so strange—there was actually another sea above the sea!

"Why not ask the gatekeeper?" Xia Luo said as he continued walking toward the gate.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

Xia Luo's shout echoed through the empty gateway.

After waiting for a moment, a middle-aged woman in pajamas came out.

Her eyes were bleary, and she looked as though she had not fully woken up, but her temper was extremely foul. One look was enough to tell that she had a serious case of morning grumpiness.

"You're so damn noisy! Disturbing people's sleep in the middle of the night will ruin their skin!" the woman grumbled furiously.

"Huh? You're actually Blue Sea people. How did you get up here? Where's your ship? Are there only two of you?"

"Hello. Our ship was destroyed, and only the two of us remain."

Xia Luo looked at her in surprise. Why was there only one guard on duty? Could she be the future Granny Amazon?

"Oh my god, then you two really have it rough. How pitiful."

"Right, my name is Amazon, and I'm the guard of Heaven's Gate. You're heading to Sky Island now, right? There are two ways to go up: one is to pay, and the other is not to pay. If you pay, it's five hundred million Extol per person. For two people, that's one billion."

After expressing her sympathy, Amazon held out her hand for payment.

Xia Luo sighed. It really was Amazon—the true gatekeeper!

At that moment, Bullet flew into a rage and roared, "Are you kidding me? One billion! Why don't you just rob us?!"

"That's always been the price."

Amazon looked perfectly calm. Every time she quoted a price to Blue Sea people, they reacted like this. They could not even afford a measly billion—what a waste of life. How contemptible.

Xia Luo grabbed Bullet by the collar, afraid he would suddenly lash out and hurt her. "Bullet, don't be impulsive. She isn't talking about one billion Beli. She means one billion Extol."

"I don't care what kind of Extol it is. She opens her mouth and asks for a billion? That's ridiculous! Does money grow on trees?"

Bullet was indignant.

Xia Luo did not know whether to laugh or cry and could only continue explaining,

"Is it possible that one Beli is equal to ten thousand Extol? One billion Extol sounds like a lot, but it's actually only one hundred thousand Beli."

"One hundred thousand Beli isn't exactly a small amount either. Why should we give it to her..."

Xia Luo ignored him, took out some money from his pocket, and turned to Amazon. "Ms. Amazon, I'm sorry. He's still just a child, so please don't hold it against him. Here's one hundred and ten thousand Beli. One hundred thousand is the entry fee, and the remaining ten thousand is an apology. Please accept it."

Although they could indeed choose not to pay, doing so would count as illegal entry. Xia Luo was not here to cause trouble. Paying to enter would help him avoid unnecessary trouble, so he treated it as buying a ticket.

A mere one hundred and ten thousand Beli was nothing to him.

The moment Amazon received the money, she beamed. Her enthusiasm and efficiency skyrocketed, and she quickly arranged Express Shrimp for the two of them. Xia Luo and Bullet each rode one; ordinary people did not receive such treatment.

In Amazon's words, Xia Luo was the most generous-paying Blue Sea person she had seen in recent years, so naturally he deserved better service.

Ahem, it definitely was not because of the one hundred million Extol tip.

"Have a safe journey." Amazon smiled and waved.

After saying goodbye to Amazon, the two Express Shrimp carried Xia Luo and Bullet upstream at incredible speed, quickly passing through the White-White Sea.

The true Sky Island was right before them.

Sky Island was mainly made up of three major islands: Angel Island, Upper Yard, and Birka.

Upper Yard was also known as the Island of God and the Sanctuary. It was the holy land of the Skypieans and the homeland of the Shandia. It had once been part of Jaya Island, but four hundred years ago, a massive Knock Up Stream sent it into the sky, making it the only land on Sky Island with soil.

Birka was the smallest of the three islands, and it was also Enel's hometown. Based on speculation, the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit was very likely located on Birka.

Birka was also one of Xia Luo's destinations on this trip.

As for Angel Island, it was the large island before Xia Luo and Bullet. Most Skypieans lived there, and it was also the most prosperous island in Sky Island.

Watching the Express Shrimp slowly sink beneath the water, Bullet swallowed greedily.

"Boss Xia Luo, what do you think they taste like? Shrimp that big must have delicious meat. I really want to try some."

Xia Luo said speechlessly, "Are you a devil? They just brought you up here, and now you want to eat them? Try acting like a human being."

Bullet grinned. "What devil is as kind as I am? At most, I count as the Devil's Heir."

Xia Luo: "6!"

So you gave yourself the title "Devil's Heir"? You really were outstanding!

Then Xia Luo fell into thought. His main reason for coming to Sky Island this time was the Devil Fruit.

Since he knew the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was on Sky Island, he had no reason to turn a blind eye to it, especially when he had the ability to take it.

The Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit was known as the strongest Logia. Even if Xia Luo did not eat it himself, he could use it to cultivate a subordinate. As long as the person who ate it was not complete trash, they would at least be commander level, right?

Within the Navy, that would mean candidate admiral level.

Second, aside from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Xia Luo greatly liked Sky Island. It was isolated from the world, easy to defend and hard to attack, making it perfect for developing into a headquarters.

The Navy was ultimately only a stepping stone to help him grow stronger. Xia Luo would leave sooner or later. Did anyone really think he had joined the Navy to be someone's dog?

Rather than struggle alone and grow wildly, it was better to join the Navy's great tree. It could shelter him from the wind and rain while allowing him to draw on its nourishment. Why not?

From beginning to end, Xia Luo had never thought there was anything wrong with joining the Navy.

A moment later.

Xia Luo cleared his thoughts, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked forward.

"Let's go. We'll pay a visit to the master of this place."

If nothing unexpected had happened, Gan Fall should already have become the "god" of Sky Island by this time.

Since Xia Luo wanted to bring Sky Island under his command, the first thing he needed to do was persuade Gan Fall to join him. Second, he needed to find a way to gain widespread recognition from the people.

Of course, if Gan Fall was unwilling to cooperate, Xia Luo would not mind using force. He had to take Sky Island!

Even Enel could replace Gan Fall and become the new god. Why could Xia Luo not?

What he wanted to accomplish would inevitably involve bloodshed and sacrifice. Since it was inevitable, why could it not be others who bled and sacrificed?