"Karin, is there anything to eat? I'm starving!"
"Karin-sis, me too!"
"Haha, alright, I'll make everyone a late-night snack! Just wait a bit~"
After eating, everyone headed off to rest.
The next morning, the weather turned gloomy—like a storm was brewing.
"It's about time. Benson, steer toward the direction the South Bird is pointing!"
By noon, a massive whirlpool appeared on the sea, twisting violently as if it wanted to swallow everything whole.
"The time's almost here! Hold on tight! Benson, head straight into the whirlpool!" Karl shouted.
The Tiger God began to spiral toward the vortex's heart.
"Uncle… is this really safe?" An asked nervously.
"Totally safe! Don't worry, An!" Karl said—though his tone didn't sound all that certain.
Suddenly, the whirlpool's center began to rise like a spring bursting upward.
"Hold tight! The Knock Up Stream's about to erupt!" Karl yelled.
Right on cue, a towering column of water shot into the heavens, hurling the Tiger God skyward.
"Reel in the sails! Ride the Knock Up Stream—it'll take us to Sky Island!"
The Tiger God soared upward through roaring winds and screaming voices.
"We're really flying!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
"Hold tight!"
They pierced the cloud belt and burst into the White Sea above.
"We… we survived!" Adrian gasped, face pale.
Everyone else looked just as shaken—but alive.
Karl laughed. "Hahaha! Thrilling, wasn't it? Take a deep breath—the air up here's thinner. You'll feel dizzy at first; just get used to it."
"Captain, this is Sky Island? Why's it so empty?"
"We're not there yet. This is the White Sea—around 7,000 meters high. Sky Island lies above, in the White-White Sea at ten thousand meters."
"Open the sails! Head toward that gate—we need to pass through Heaven's Gate!"
"That's Heaven's Gate?"
"Should be."
"Foreigners! To enter God's Kingdom, each of you must pay ten billion Extol in tax!" croaked an old, sly-looking woman.
Karl only gave her a cold look. She was, as he'd recall later, the most annoying person on Sky Island.
"Attach the Express Lobster. It'll pull us up to the White-White Sea."
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, an enormous lobster-like creature latched on and began towing them upward.
"Captain, something wrong?"
"That old hag's a scammer. The local currency—Extol—doesn't match ours. One Berry equals ten thousand Extol. So when she said ten billion Extol per head, it's just a hundred thousand Berries. She wanted to trick us into thinking it was too expensive so we'd skip paying and 'illegally' enter. Then we'd be branded criminals."
"She's awful! Karl-nii, I wanna go punch her!"
"So we broke their law?" Adrian asked.
"It's fine," Karl said lightly. "I'm here to meet their so-called god anyway."
"God? You mean there's a real god?"
"Hah—no. Just a Logia-type Devil Fruit user."
Before long, the Tiger God reached the White-White Sea.
"Wow—it's so beautiful!"
"Are those… angels? There really are angels up here!"
"Alright, off the ship. We've got work to do."
"Haso! Are you from the Blue Sea?" asked a timid man with small wings.
"Haso! You guessed right. Do you know where Gan Fall is? I need to talk to him."
"I don't know where the former god is… What do you need him for?" The man's eyes darted nervously—afraid of Enel's wrath.
"Never mind. Wait here. I'll go talk to that chūnibyō god myself."
Karl shot into the sky toward the Upper Yard—Enel's domain.
Inside the Shrine of God, minutes later.
"Yahahaha! Blue Sea man! You dare trespass in God's sanctuary? Prepare for divine punishment!" Enel's voice boomed.
Karl's eye twitched. This chūnibyō needs therapy.
"Enel. Two choices: surrender and join my crew—or get beaten senseless and then join. Your call."
"Yahahaha! You dare anger God? Die! Thirty million volts—Thunderbird!"
A crackling thunderbird screamed toward Karl.
That's it.
Karl vanished with a flicker, reappearing in front of Enel. Armament Haki wrapped his fist as he grabbed the "god" by the neck and slammed him to the floor, pummeling away.
"Play god, huh? You overgrown battery! How's this for divine punishment—!"
Each punch rattled the heavens. Screams echoed through the Sky Island. Even the Shandians in the distance stopped fighting, thinking some miracle had struck. Gan Fall rushed toward the noise.
"Had enough?" Karl asked, panting.
"Gu—uh—enough…" Enel wheezed weakly.
"See? Wasn't so hard to say." Karl dragged him off toward Angel Island.
When they landed, the entire island was in shock. The invincible Enel lay sprawled on the ground, beaten beyond recognition.
"Aili, patch him up."
"Karl-nii… this is the god here?" Aili blinked.
"Yeah. A lucky punk with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. All lightning, no Haki."
"Rumble-Rumble Fruit? That's one of the rarest Logias!"
"Yep. He developed it well enough. I'm recruiting him."
Benson grinned. "A natural-type user will be a huge asset, especially one this powerful."
Gan Fall stepped forward. "Sir, what will you do with Enel?"
"You're Gan Fall, right?"
"I am. What do you intend for Sky Island's people?"
Karl turned. "We'll discuss that with everyone. Call the Shandian chief too."
A young warrior—Wyper—appeared, wary. "What do you want with us?"
"Relax. I'm not here to fight. How long have your people been at war?"
"Over four hundred years. We must reclaim our land!"
Both sides bristled.
"Don't you ever get tired of fighting? Wouldn't peace be better?" Karl said calmly.
"From now on, Sky Island answers to me. I'm declaring this—Shandians and Angel Islanders can both live on Upper Yard, freely."
Gan Fall sighed. "We never wanted war. We only wished to keep Apaya's blessings."
The Shandian chief nodded. "If we could fulfill our ancestors' promise, we'd gladly coexist."
Karl smiled faintly. "Then it's simple. I know where the Golden Bell is."
"What?!" Wyper gasped.
"If you can ring it, will you make peace?"
"Yes! If the Golden Bell rings, we'll honor the old vow!"
"Good. The bell's atop the giant vine. Let's go."
"Benson, lock Enel up with Sea Prism cuffs. We'll deal with him later."
They climbed the enormous vine until the massive Golden Bell came into view.
Tears filled the Shandians' eyes.
"We've finally found it! After four centuries—we can complete our promise to Norland!"
"Captain, that bell must be worth a fortune!"
"Hah! You think that's rich? There's an entire golden city beneath this vine."
"Oh right—the City of Gold!"
"Exactly. Now, Chief—ring the bell."
"Thank you, Lord Karl, for letting us fulfill our promise. Wyper!"
"Yes, Chief!"
With a mighty swing of his Impact Dial, Wyper struck the bell.
GONG——!
The deep resonance echoed through the clouds, reaching all the way down to Jaya, where an old man wept.
"The sound of money is so beautiful," Karl said with a grin.
"Ugh, Captain, you're so tacky!" Aili rolled her eyes.
Then came a rumbling hiss.
"The Sky Serpent!"
"Relax—it just heard the bell. I'll talk to it."
Karl dropped down, gave the massive snake a solid smack on the head.
"Behave. Go back. Don't eat people."
The serpent whimpered, then slithered away.
Back on Angel Island, both tribes gathered again.
"Here's the plan," Karl said. "From now on, Sky Island will be co-governed by Gan Fall and the Shandian chief. Both peoples can move freely and live where they want. You'll report directly to me. The name's Portgas D. Karl—just call me Karl."
"No objections from us," said the Shandian chief.
"Nor from me," Gan Fall agreed. "We've fought too long. Peace will be welcome."
"Good. Spread the word—and prepare for a celebration!"
That night, the island came alive with laughter, music, and dancing.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!!"
"Enel, pick up your glass!" Karl barked.
The fallen god scowled but complied, clinking mugs before draining his drink.
"Don't pout," Karl said. "You lost because you relied too much on your fruit. Learn Armament Haki, and you'll see how vast the world really is."
Enel's eyes glimmered. "Teach me."
"Good. Then you're one of us now."
"Captain, these Sky Fish are delicious! I'm storing a batch for later!" Karin said.
"Karin-sis, I want more Sky Cuisine too! Yours is the best!" An chirped.
Karl leaned back, watching his crew laugh under the starlit clouds, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
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