—Crack—
The sound of his own leg shattering echoed in Teach's ears like a muffled thunderclap.
He had absorbed a terrifying amount of cold, and now the frost was creeping from his skin deep into his muscles, covering his entire body.
His left leg, which had taken the worst of it, had been completely frozen solid and then snapped off by the piercing chill.
"Tch—" Teach bit down hard on his lip, using every ounce of his willpower to choke back the scream of agony that was clawing its way up his throat.
His teeth chattered uncontrollably.
He squeezed his eyes shut, veins bulging on his forehead as every muscle in his body locked up from the pain.
'I can't scream! I absolutely cannot make a sound!'
He already knew who had done this.
There was only one person in the entire world who could wield this kind of bone-deep cold.
Marine Headquarters Admiral—Kuzan, 'Aokiji'!!!
'Why? Why would an Admiral be in a place like this?!'
This was supposed to be the first half of the Grand Line, the so-called "Paradise"!
Mock Town was a lawless island, completely outside of Marine jurisdiction.
How could Kuzan possibly be here?
If it wasn't for his freakishly tough body, that single attack would have turned him into a permanent ice sculpture.
Unfortunately, his leg was gone and the pain was blinding.
But he couldn't afford to cry out.
He couldn't let Kuzan know he was here.
The last place he wanted to end up was Impel Down.
Just then, the sky above the now-frozen Mock Town began to change.
"—BOOM—"
Dark, inky clouds swirled together, swallowing the moonlight.
The whole sky seemed to warp and press down on the world, growing heavy and oppressive.
Thunder roared in the distance, and the wind over the sea whipped into a frenzy, sending violent waves crashing against the shore.
Mike who had been admiring the icy art that was once Mock Town, looked up, sensing the shift.
He narrowed his eyes and a small smile played on his lips.
"Oh? Is the Knock-Up Stream here already?"
"Hmm." Standing beside him, Kuzan also noticed the change, his lazy expression turning serious.
"Looks like it's about to arrive."
He turned and barked orders at the Marines on the ship.
"All hands, prepare for impact!"
The soldiers scrambled into defensive positions, bracing themselves for what was coming.
"—Whoosh—"
The surface of the sea began to twist as if it were being kneaded by a giant, invisible hand.
A massive whirlpool formed, sucking in everything around it.
As the incredible force built up, the entire warship was suddenly lifted into the air.
"—BOOM—"
A deafening roar split the sky, like the sound barrier itself was being torn apart.
The energy from the Knock-Up Stream exploded upwards, forming a colossal pillar of water that shot towards the heavens at an unbelievable speed.
The warship groaned under the immense strain as it was ripped from the sea's grasp, soaring into the sky like a rocket.
The air pressure shifted instantly.
Mike stood firmly on the deck, planting his feet as he felt the incredible upward thrust.
The scenery blurred, the sea below becoming a distant speck as the clouds rushed down to meet them.
A surge of pure adrenaline shot through him.
His eyes sharpened, and a wide, excited grin spread across his face.
He let out a slow breath, savoring the thrill of it all.
A real-life space elevator was out of reach, but this ten-thousand-meter high water spout was a pretty damn good substitute.
"Not bad," Mike murmured, a satisfied look on his face.
"If we get the chance, we should ride this thing more often. Make it a regular activity."
Kuzan stood beside him, watching the clouds rush past, a small smile on his own face.
'Sky Island, here we come' he thought.
'Military funds, here we come!'
Propelled by the massive current, the warship finally broke through the thick layer of clouds, landing with a soft splash on a vast, floating sea of white.
Sky Island—they had arrived.
....
Back in the frozen wasteland of Mock Town, the air was heavy and still.
Teach struggled to pull himself free from the ice, with Burgess clumsily helping him up.
"Captain, was that… a Marine warship just now?" Burgess asked, his face a mask of confusion.
"I recognized one of them," Van Augur said grimly, a wary glint in his eye.
"That was Admiral, 'Aokiji'. That freezing air was his doing. A little longer, and we all would have been frozen solid."
Doc Q silently looked at Teach's shattered leg, his eyes full of concern.
"Captain...?" he finally asked softly.
"Should we treat your leg? We can't save it, but we can at least stop the pain…"
Teach didn't answer.
His eyes were locked on the sky where the warship had disappeared.
A mix of shock and utter bewilderment was on his face.
He'd been a member of the Whitebeard Pirates; he knew the Marine command structure inside and out.
"On that warship," he muttered to himself, "besides Aokiji, there was also 'White Hunter' Smoker… But more importantly…"
"That man standing between them… Who is he? Why was he in the center, in the position of command…?"
Teach's questions drifted away on the cold night wind, with no answers to be found.
Some people get to smoke cigars and admire ice sculptures.
Others are just unlucky and lose a leg.
....
Skypiea.
As the massive warship glided onto the sea of clouds, entering the territory of the "God's Country," a man in a temple high above opened his eyes.
He wore a white headband over his blond hair, and his earlobes were stretched long, with golden earrings dangling from them.
His upper body was bare, showing off lean muscles, with a large ring of drums strapped to his back.
Golden rings adorned his wrists, and he held a long golden staff.
He wore loose, billowing pants, and his feet were bare except for the golden rings between his toes.
This was Enel.
A cold, arrogant smirk spread across his face, his eyes glinting with disdain as he murmured.
"That ship is quite impressive—"
"It is worthy of a 'God' like me!"
With that, he gave his order.
"Priests, go and bring it to me!"