"Master, the Log Pose looks broken."
As she brewed red tea for Kahn, Robin noticed the change in the Log Pose on the table and spoke to Kahn, who was reading a tabloid.
"No, it's not broken."
Controlling the Grantaine as it shot skyward, Kahn flipped a page. "It's just being pulled by the magnetism of an island in the sky, so it points upward."
"Eh?"
At that, Robin didn't react.
Training not far away, Hancock—working hard to learn Rokushiki—stiffened slightly, looked up, and said, "In this world, there are islands floating in the sky?"
"Amazing… the outside world?" Sonia and Mary stared up with shining eyes.
"Normal."
Kahn explained evenly: "If Fish-Man Island exists ten thousand meters below, then sky islands ten thousand meters above aren't strange."
"That's true."
Robin nodded slightly, agreeing.
As for how Kahn knew sky islands existed?
Robin figured he had seen them with that one-of-a-kind Observation Haki.
She did not know it could read memories and hearts, but she did know his Observation could fuse with telekinesis and see at least hundreds of kilometers away.
If he could see that far, what was a mere ten thousand meters up?
Knowing her Master's power, Robin had long since grown a heart that stayed calm no matter what.
With that mindset, once she awakened Observation Haki, she was destined to attain great mastery.
Unlike the unflappable master and maid, the Boa sisters were simply curious about the sky island.
Soon their rosy lips parted in awe.
Wrapped in a vast telekinetic veil, the Grantaine pierced the White Sea at seven thousand meters, the White-White Sea at ten thousand, and reached Angel Island.
Before them the sea was pure white, and the islands were dusted in the same color.
It was like a fairyland—ethereal and breathtaking.
"So beautiful… a sky island?"
The Boa sisters stood at the rail, eyes shining toward Angel Island.
"Come on—we'll go down and see how a ten-thousand-meter island differs from those below."
Telekinesis became invisible hands to furl sails, drop anchor, and lower the gangplank; Kahn led Robin and the three toward Angel Island.
They crossed the white Angel Beach and the Angel Avenue, entering Angel Island's most bustling Cute Street.
"No wings—Blue Sea people?"
"Welcome to Angel Island, Blue Sea folk—enjoy yourselves!"
"Blue Sea people, come look—we've got sky-island specialties you can't find below."
…
The moment they entered Cute Street they caused a stir.
Stallholders and shopkeepers on both sides greeted them warmly.
"Master, the sky islanders are so friendly."
"Master, they all have wings on their backs—are they angels?"
The residents' enthusiasm startled the shy, stranger-wary Boa sisters.
After their time together, relying on Kahn's seemingly omnipotent power, they edged closer to him, seeking the safety they'd felt when rescued.
"Think nothing of it. Goodwill is always better than malice."
As he did with Robin, Kahn used his height to ruffle Hancock's and Mary's hair. "The wings are real. These sky islanders are, like fish-men and long-arms, another human race."
"I see."
The sisters relaxed a little.
Feeling the warmth of his hand and sensing genuine hospitality, Hancock let her tension ease and looked around with curiosity.
Soon Kahn led them into a specialty shop—and the sisters understood the reason for such warmth.
Sky-island currency differs from the Blue Sea's.
Here they use iks; below it's beli.
One beli here equals ten thousand iks—astronomically valuable.
So in their eyes, Kahn's party were rich.
Dial shells are fine things; Kahn bought them by the armful.
It was the first time the four had seen shells with special functions; they couldn't put them down.
He also bought five water scooters of the pirate world—the so-called Wavers.
With his telekinetic veil, Kahn feared no sea, and he could shield Robin as well.
So he and Robin could ride Wavers and feel the sea breeze.
After buying dials and Wavers, they didn't hurry back to the beach; they tried the Wavers and kept strolling Cute Street.
After a while the usually unassertive Robin tugged Kahn's arm and pointed to a shop.
Kahn saw it was a bookstore, ruffled her hair, and nodded with a smile.
Robin smiled faintly.
Leading the way, she took Kahn and the sisters inside and asked the owner for books on history.
Where there are people, there is history.
Robin was fascinated by the sky island's past.
After some talk she bought several volumes to read aboard.
Next they visited other shops, buying sky-island clothes, housewares, and more…
Finally Kahn led them into a navigation shop.
There he found what he wanted.
The—map of the Summit of the Western Sky route.
As everyone knows, from Reverse Mountain to the Sabaody Archipelago there are seven routes.
In truth there are eight.
The eighth runs in the sky.
It is called the Summit of the Western Sky.
Along it lie not a few sky islands.
Angel Island and Birka are both on that route.