A Mysterious Course Deviation
Caesar was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected such a drastic deviation from their original course.
"Huh? The Log Pose isn't working?"
Lily suddenly exclaimed, staring at the Log Pose in her hand with a puzzled expression.
"The Log Pose isn't responding properly? Could it have been damaged during the previous battle?"
Brad leaned over curiously and saw that the needle of the Log Pose was pointing straight up toward the sky.
"No, before we set sail, it was working just fine."
Eli also checked, his confusion mirroring Lily's.
"How is this happening?"
The rest of the crew gathered around, discussing the anomaly in hushed voices.
For a while, no one could determine whether the Log Pose was broken or if there was another explanation.
Then, Caesar muttered under his breath:
"Sky Island…"
Hearing this, the others turned to him in curiosity. After a moment's thought, Caesar organized his words and explained the existence of Sky Island to them.
"What!? There are islands floating in the sky? That's incredible!"
Arnold's eyes widened in disbelief.
The rest of the crew reacted similarly, astonished by the revelation.
"I've traveled the seas for years, yet this is the first time I've heard of such a thing!"
"Amazing! I wonder what it looks like."
"But how do people get up there? Do they just… fly?"
"Maybe there's a ladder or something."
The crew was abuzz with excitement and curiosity. Even nearby passersby overheard their conversation, throwing them sidelong glances.
If they hadn't recognized the notorious Caesar Pirates—who had recently returned from the War of the Best—they might have laughed at such a fantastical discussion.
Seeing his crew's enthusiasm, Caesar made a decision.
"Well, since everyone's curious, let's go see for ourselves."
"Really!? That's great!"
Gnaly grinned.
"Yes! I can't wait to see it with my own eyes!"
Lily was elated.
"Sky Island… Heh, now that sounds interesting…"
---
Reaching Sky Island
For Caesar, reaching Sky Island wasn't difficult. He had the power to levitate their ship toward the White Sea and the White-White Sea using his psychic abilities.
However, there was a problem.
Sky Islands were formed from special Sea Clouds and Island Clouds, meaning they had no natural magnetic field. This rendered the Log Pose useless.
To navigate in the White Sea, they would need a special creature: a South Bird.
The South Bird could always point its beak south, making it essential for direction-finding in the Sky Islands. These birds could be found in the dense forests of Jaya, specifically on the western side—once part of the ancient city of Shandora.
"We'll need a South Bird to guide us," Caesar explained. "Otherwise, we'll get lost even if we reach the White Sea."
"A South Bird? What kind of bird is that?"
Weina asked, intrigued.
"It's a bird that always keeps its beak pointed south," Caesar replied, recounting what he knew about the species.
The idea of such a bird didn't surprise the crew much. In a world filled with bizarre creatures, this was just another marvel.
But capturing one wouldn't be easy.
The South Birds resided deep in Jaya's uninhabited forests, where fierce beasts roamed. Since few people ventured there, these birds had little interaction with humans and were skittish.
"We'll have to be careful. If we startle it, catching it will be much harder," Lily warned as they entered the forest.
Arnold, eager as ever, smirked.
"I could just use my Speed-Speed Fruit to grab it before it notices."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"You'll just scare it off! If it panics and flies away, we might never find another one."
"She's right," Caesar agreed. "We should be strategic."
After some searching, they spotted a South Bird perched on a tree branch, its beak fixed stubbornly in a southern direction.
"Careful… don't startle it…"
Caesar raised his hand and, with his psychic power, formed an invisible force that gently enclosed the bird. Before it could react, he lifted it from the branch and brought it toward them.
The South Bird squawked in confusion but found itself completely restrained.
"Caesar really is something…" Arnold muttered in admiration.
As the bird calmed down, they noticed that, just as expected, its head remained locked in a southerly position.
"It really does work the way you said!" Lily marveled, lightly touching the bird.
Brad, on the other hand, eyed it suspiciously.
"I wonder how it tastes…"
"Forget eating it!" Caesar snapped. "We need it to reach Sky Island."
With their South Bird secured, they returned to their ship and set sail toward the sky.
"Let's go to Sky Island!"
The crew cheered.
Caesar wrapped their ship in psychic energy, lifting it into the air.
As they ascended, the sea below shrank into the distance. Faster and faster they climbed, piercing through the dense layers of clouds.
Then, finally, they emerged into the White Sea.
---
[115] Arrival at the Gate of Heaven
The moment they entered the White Sea, an issue arose—altitude sickness.
As they ascended, the oxygen levels dropped. Even the stronger members of the crew felt lightheaded, while the weaker ones turned pale.
Only Lily remained unaffected, thanks to her Cloud-Cloud Fruit powers, which gave her an advantage in this environment.
Fortunately, the effects weren't severe, and after a short adjustment period, everyone recovered.
Surrounded by a vast expanse of white clouds, they marveled at the breathtaking scenery. The layers of clouds resembled rolling ocean waves, creating a surreal and beautiful world above the Blue Sea.
After some time sailing through the White Sea, they spotted a winding cloud river leading to a large structure—the Gate of Heaven.
"We're almost there," Caesar announced.
As they approached, the ship slowed down. Standing at the entrance of the gate was a woman, young and composed, holding a camera.
Brad squinted.
"Who's that? Some kind of security guard?"
"Let's find out," Caesar said as they docked.
As he disembarked, the woman spoke in a monotone voice:
"Welcome to the entrance of Sky Island. Please pay the entrance fee."
Caesar raised an eyebrow.
"Entrance fee?"
His mind flashed back to an old woman who had once greeted the Straw Hat Pirates at this very gate.
'Wait… could this be that old woman in her youth?'
The thought made him smirk inwardly.
"The entrance fee is 1 billion Extol per person."
The woman continued, expressionless.
"1 billion Extol?"
Lily frowned. "What's Extol?"
"It's the currency used in Skypiea," the woman explained.
Lily, being the crew's treasurer, remained composed.
"So… how many Berries is that?"
She knew full well that 1 billion Berries as an entrance fee was absurd.
She just needed to confirm the actual exchange rate.
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