The God of Sky Island

Unlike ordinary Sea Kings, this octopus did not leave behind a corpse. Instead, it burst open like a punctured balloon, turning into a small amount of flesh and blood and a large amount of mist, which dissipated into the sea of clouds.

Nami was stunned and quickly asked, "What happened? Why did that Sea Kings just explode?"

Ivan calmly explained, "These are Sea Kings unique to the cloud sea. To adapt to the thin environment at high altitudes and the light clouds, they have evolved a large amount of gas in their bodies, making them extremely lightweight."

Nami nodded in understanding. "I see, the Grand Line truly lives up to its reputation as the most amazing route!"

Just as the two were marveling at the wonders of the Sky Island, Smoker suddenly turned around, staring at Tashigi in disbelief, and exclaimed in shock, "Tashigi, when did you become so strong?"

He remembered clearly that not long ago, Tashigi was just an ordinary naval soldier. Although she had a talent for swordsmanship, she was far from reaching this level.

But that attack just now was incredibly powerful. Even from that single strike, one could tell that she could easily defeat him now.

Tashigi sheathed her sword, looked at Chen Ji, and said with happiness in her eyes, "This is all thanks to Vice Admiral Ivan. The Vice Admiral General possesses a special enhancement ability, which has greatly improved my strength."

Smoker's pupils contracted instantly, and his eyes were filled with shock as he looked at Ivan.

He knew that Ivan was a Devil Fruit master who had developed many incredible Devil Fruit abilities.

Therefore, he had no doubt that Ivan could develop the ability to enhance his body.

The basic principle is to extract life force and inject it into others to help them strengthen their physique.

Upon learning of Ivan's abilities, Smoker showed excitement and said to Ivan, "Vice Admiral Ivan, could you help me enhance mine as well?"

Ivan smiled helplessly at his gaze and waved his hand, "Alright, stop looking at me like that. I'll give you a boost when we get back."

After calming Smoker, the Orange sailed smoothly above the boundless sea of clouds, heading deeper into the Sky Island.

Before long, the sea of clouds in front suddenly parted, and a magnificent and enormous gate came into view.

The entire door is made of pure white clouds, and four characters are engraved on it: Heaven's Gate.

Seeing the door, Nami's lips twitched violently. Hands on her hips, she couldn't help but mutter, "Making such a big fuss, anyone who didn't know better would think we're all dead and lining up to go to heaven!"

Tashigi couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth into a smile, "Maybe we were already gone when we were swept up by the Knock Up Stream, we just didn't realize it yet."

Her words amused everyone, and amidst the laughter, the Orange slowly sailed into the Heaven's Gate.

The doorway led not to the expected open space, but to an incredibly wide tunnel. The tunnel walls and floor were covered in soft, cloud-like material, making it feel light and airy underfoot as it meandered forward.

Turning their gaze, the group spotted an elderly woman with gray hair sitting on a cloud chair on the side of the tunnel.

She was wearing a simple cloth dress, with a pair of small, delicate white wings on her back, and was resting with her eyes closed.

Upon seeing the old woman, Smoker's pupils constricted, and he exclaimed in shock, "She has wings! Could she be the legendary angel?"

Nami also joined the ship, her eyes shining like stars, her voice full of amazement. "It's amazing! There really are people with wings on their backs, just like in the stories!"

Ivan, who was already familiar with the inner workings of the Sky Island, leaned against the deck railing, smiled faintly, and calmly explained, "This is just the natural constitution of the Skypieans; there's nothing to be surprised about."

Just as Giants are born with enormous bodies and Longarm Tribe have unusually long arms, the Skypieans are born with wings, which is a natural evolutionary adaptation to the high-altitude environment.

Upon hearing this, the surprise on everyone's faces gradually faded, and they all Satori.

At this moment, the old woman slowly opened her eyes, her cloudy gaze sweeping over the people on the Orange, and slowly asked, "Are you going to enter the Sky Island?"

"Yes."

The old woman slowly extended her withered hand, her fingertips pointing to the payment counter beside her. "Entry fee, one billion Extol per person."

"One billion?!"

Upon hearing the number, Nami instantly bristled, nearly jumping up. "This is blatant robbery! You're asking for a billion right off the bat! Is this Sky Island or a den of bandits?!"

Tashigi and Smoker's expressions instantly darkened, and they both placed their hands on the weapons at their waists.

As naval personnel, they were openly extorted; these Skypieans were simply courting death.

Seeing this, Ivan raised his hand and gently pressed down, signaling everyone to calm down. "Don't get excited, what's the rush?"

The exchange rate between the Sky Island currency, the Extol, and the Beli is very different; one billion Extol is only equivalent to one hundred thousand Beli.

For Ivan now, 100,000 Beli is nothing but a drop in the ocean, not even a fraction of what he could casually take out.

Moreover, his destination was the Golden City Shandora deep within the Sky Island, so the mere entry fee was insignificant.

He didn't want to waste time on such a trivial matter, so he casually took out several hundred million Beli, tossed them lightly, and the Beli landed in front of the old woman.

"No need to look anymore, this is enough for everyone's entry fees."

A hint of surprise flashed in the old woman's eyes when she saw Beli in front of her.

She nodded, then waved her hand, and the cloud tunnel ahead slowly opened, revealing a path leading to the heart of the Sky Island: "Passage through. I wish you all the best on the Sky Island."

After passing through the cloud tunnel of the Heaven's Gate, Ivan and his companions finally stepped onto the real Sky Island.

Instead of heading straight to their destination, Ivan led the group on a leisurely stroll through the town, showing them the Sky Island's specialties and local customs.

Nami was already captivated by the glittering cloud-shaped ornaments and exotic shells on the street, unable to move an inch.

Tashigi, meanwhile, observed the lives of the Skypieans with curiosity, her eyes filled with wonder.

The accompanying marines couldn't help but whisper among themselves, each taking out their Beli to buy local specialties.

After strolling around for a while, Ivan raised his hand, signaling everyone to wait where they were. His tone was calm. "You all rest here. I'll take two people to explore deeper. Nami, Tashigi, you two come with me."

Nami's eyes immediately lit up, and she quickly followed. "Alright, are we going to the City of Gold?"

"That's right, this time, we're going to take the entire City of Gold with us!"

The three of them followed the road, heading deeper into the Sky Island.

Ivan wasted no time; his Observation Haki spread out instantly, like an invisible net, covering every corner of the entire Sky Island.

In the blink of an eye, the shimmering golden silhouette of the Golden City Shandora, and the dwelling place of Upper Yard on the God's Island...

The divine beings, then, clearly manifested in his perception.