Heaven's Gate

The clouds blocking their view gradually parted.

An enormous golden gate, sharply angular like a many-pointed star, slowly came into view.

A plaque hung on the magnificent golden gate, bearing the words "HEAVENS·".

Behind it, a white waterfall flowed upward, reaching straight into the sky.

This was Heaven's Gate, the entrance to the Land of Gods.

"Wow!!!!!"

"That's spectacular!!!"

"But..."

"Heaven's Gate sounds a little ominous..."

"No."

"Maybe... we're already dead~"

"Hahahahaha."

"What!!!"

As the warship sailed closer, the magnificent golden gate filled everyone's view.

Exclamations rang out, and a squad of guards emerged from a building inside the gate.

Seeing them appear, Sakazuki ordered the ship to stop, and the warship gradually slowed.

By the time it stopped, it had pulled alongside the terrace where the guards had appeared.

The guards wore matching uniforms and armor, holding their spears upright.

Most astonishing of all were the pairs of white wings on their backs. Sakazuki nodded to his adjutant.

The adjutant jumped down from the ship and approached the guards.

"Hello. May I ask your name?"

"Greetings, adventurers from the Blue Sea. My name is Gray Hodgson, captain of the ninth squad of God's Guard."

"May I ask what brings you here?"

"We came to search for a lost island."

"An island?"

"Yes, it's called Jaya. Have you heard of it?"

"Uh... no. Perhaps it's somewhere in the White Sea."

"There are countless small sky islands in the White Sea. All I can do is wish you luck."

"I see. Thank you."

"By the way, may we enter the Land of Gods to look around?"

"Of course. For sightseeing, each person must pay one hundred million Extol."

"Gasp!"

"One hundred million?"

The adjutant sucked in a sharp breath, unable to keep himself from asking again.

"Yes, one hundred million Extol."

"It's... that expensive...?"

"Expensive? Didn't you exchange your currency on the way here?"

"Exchange it?"

"...That's strange. Normally, you would have to pass through at least a few islands to reach this place. Did you never stop?"

"Uh, we actually came up on the Knock Up Stream."

"!!!!!!"

"You rode that monstrous current???"

Hodgson's eyes widened as he stared at the warship in shock. He looked it over, his expression finally turning to admiration.

"Not a scratch on it. You really are... monsters."

"Not at all. We had a scare, but we came through safely."

The adjutant replied modestly, leaving Hodgson speechless. A scare, but they came through safely? They made it sound so easy.

"That current is a monster."

"Very few people manage to ride it all the way up. Even those who make it suffer unimaginable losses."

"And yet you seem to have come through completely unscathed."

"Luck, just luck."

"Do you think I'd believe that...? Never mind, I won't pry. Let's get back to your earlier question."

"The exchange rate between Extol and your Blue Sea Beli is ten thousand to one."

"In other words, ten thousand Beli per person."

"Phew, I see. Please wait a moment."

The adjutant returned to the ship and spoke with Sakazuki.

Then he brought down ten million and twenty thousand Beli and handed it to Hodgson to count.

"Hmm, 1,002 people?"

"Yes."

"All right. Please return to your ship and hold on to the railings."

"Have a pleasant journey."

"Also, do not approach God's Island, Upper Yard."

"That is God's dwelling. Outsiders are forbidden to enter."

Tweet!!!!

Then Hodgson blew his whistle.

Several enormous Giant Lobsters surfaced, surrounding the warship.

They extended two pairs of massive pincers and clamped tightly onto the ship.

The adjutant jumped back aboard, and the Express Shrimp heaved together, charging up the white waterfall flowing in reverse.

Only then did everyone realize that inside the inverted white waterfall was a spiral stairway made of clouds.

The Express Shrimp dragged the warship along, accelerating toward the top of the Spiral Cloud Stairway...

Watching the warship vanish into the stairway, Hodgson took out a shell and pressed it.

"Hodgson, captain of the ninth squad of God's Guard, reporting to our merciful God."

"A group of powerful adventurers calling themselves Marines have entered the Land of Gods after riding up on the monstrous current."

"Please..."

God's Island, Upper Yard.

A palace of pure white stood there.

Magnificent cloud patterns were carved into its walls. On the throne inside,

a long-bearded man put down the shell in his hand, summoned an attendant, and gave him a few instructions.

"Marines..."

Gan Fall walked out of the Palace and gazed at the sky, momentarily lost in thought.

Whatever had crossed his mind, his gaze grew firmer. He returned inside and picked up the notes on the table.

"I can't put this off any longer..."

This long war had to end. Too many people had already died...

The dazzling sunlight overhead drew closer and closer.

Boom!

They burst out of the stairway. The Express Shrimp released their hold, and the warship crashed into the Cloud Sea.

Before them lay an island formed from an enormous vine interwoven with white clouds.

Angel Island.

Countless branches of the enormous vine stretched into the sky.

Countless clouds rested on its spreading branches, with castle-like houses standing atop them.

Countless white stairways connected the clouds. Skypiean children with white wings on their backs roamed those steps, playing and roughhousing.

"Wow!!!"

"That's incredible! What an enormous plant."

"A world made of clouds."

"By the way..."

"Have you noticed it's getting harder to breathe?"

"Yeah. I felt it down below, but it seems worse now."

"That's because we're more than ten thousand meters above the Blue Sea. The air is thin, so people with weaker constitutions may feel unwell. In severe cases, oxygen deprivation can be fatal."

The adjutant explained this to the soldiers aboard, then looked at Cricket.

He was the only child on the ship, yet the adjutant found that he showed no signs of discomfort.

Noticing the adjutant's gaze, Cricket spoke.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"I've been diving into the sea to look for ruins since I was little, so I'm used to not having much oxygen."

"All right. Tell us immediately if you feel unwell."

"Okay!"

After ordering the soldiers to explore freely, Sakazuki took Cricket sightseeing as well, taking in scenery unlike anything in the Blue Sea.

Half a day later, a messenger arrived, interrupting their brief leisure.

"Reporting, Vice Admiral Sakazuki."

"A Skypiean calling himself God's Attendant says that 'God' would like you to come see him."