On the deck—
Ain's beautiful eyes shone with sheer disbelief.
Although seeing fish and Sea Kings in the clouds earlier had convinced her that Sky Island might truly exist…
Now that she was actually here—
Even with mental preparation, the shock hit hard.
Sky Island was real.
Not a fairy tale.
Not some old folks' legend passed down by word of mouth.
It truly existed—high above the reach of ordinary people, beyond the endless layers of clouds.
"Someone's there," Ain said.
They soon noticed the fishing youth nearby.
His appearance was unremarkable, save for his long, wide earlobes.
Looking at him, Creed felt an odd sense of familiarity—until the truth struck him.
Enel.
Those ears, that face—it was definitely Enel.
Creed was a bit surprised. To run into him right upon arriving was unexpected. Judging from his current state, he clearly hadn't eaten the Goro Goro no Mi yet—just an ordinary person.
At that moment…
Enel glanced at them, eyes widening when he saw their backs bare of wings. "Blue Sea people?"
Then, as if recalling something, he said urgently, "Blue Sea people, leave quickly. That commotion just now was huge. The royal patrol will be here soon."
He hesitated, then added, "If you don't mind, come with me."
With that, he paddled his shabby raft to lead the way.
Ain looked to Creed.
"Follow him," Creed said, studying Enel with a hand to his chin. This Enel didn't seem nearly as cruel as the one in the original timeline.
Before long, under Enel's guidance, they spent half an hour traveling—
A cloud-formed landmass appeared ahead.
They reached a secluded coast and anchored their ship.
Enel brought them ashore, stopping before a rundown little house.
Scratching his head awkwardly, he said, "The place is a bit messy. I'll get you some tea."
Soon he returned with tea and a few Sky Island fruits.
"By the way, I'm Enel. Blue Sea people need to pay a fee to enter Sky Island. Since you didn't come through the main gate, you count as illegal entrants. If the royal patrol catches you, you'll be fined double the 'passage fee.' If you can't pay, they'll send you into the 'Cloud Drifting Current'—that's a death sentence."
"I'm Creed. She's Ain," Creed replied. "Where exactly are we on Sky Island?"
"This is Birka. Not far from here is Birka Kingdom's center—Birka City. We're on the outskirts."
Creed nodded—just as he'd guessed, they were indeed in Birka, Enel's hometown.
He glanced around. The house was extremely bare—poverty was written on its walls.
"Let's go explore. I'll show you Sky Island," Creed said to Ain.
"Alright!"
Her eyes lit up. Ever since they'd arrived, she'd been looking everywhere like a wide-eyed villager seeing a grand palace for the first time.
"I'll take you," Enel offered. "If it's your first time, you'll get lost."
"Thanks, that'd help."
The three set out toward Birka City.
Before long…
At the city gates, Enel hesitated, his steps faltering.
"What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing."
He led them in.
Every building was made of cotton-candy-like clouds.
The streets bustled with life, immaculately clean.
The Sky Islanders all bore small white wings on their backs, paired with distinctive clothing—like angels from a storybook.
"Blue Sea people."
"Haven't seen any in ages."
"Can't believe one actually came."
…
Passersby whispered as they noticed Creed and Ain's wingless backs.
Sky Islanders weren't strangers to Blue Sea people—each year, some made the trip via the Cloud Road. But in recent years, visitors had become rare.
Walking through the streets, Creed's group passed shops selling strange wonders—oddly shaped clouds, flame-storing shells, wind-blasting shells, and pets found only here.
Ain bought several things along the way.
Sky Island's currency was the "Iku," with an exchange rate of 1 Belly to 10,000 Iku—practically worthless like leaves.
Guided by Enel, they wandered Birka City, soaking in its exotic charm.
Then—
"Well, well, if it isn't Enel."
A mocking voice rang out, and Enel flinched instinctively.
…
(End of Chapter)
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