Thus, they arrived on the land of Skypiea.
Two figures, a young man and woman who looked like a match made in heaven, strolled hand in hand along the steps of Angel Island.
One was the youngest Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters, Christian Raleigh, while the other was the dream goddess of many Marines, the "Flower of the Navy"—Gion.
Some Marine soldiers, who had already changed into casual clothes and were wandering around Skypiea, couldn't help but exclaim when they saw them.
"Commander Raleigh and Lady Gion look so well-matched."
"Their chemistry is so sweet. I'm totally shipping them."
Hans and Beck happened to spot Raleigh and Gion at a street corner.
"Beck, don't you think Commander Raleigh seems to be missing something in his hands right now?"
Beck looked at Hans with a confused expression, not understanding what Hans meant.
Seeing Beck's confusion, Hans couldn't be bothered to explain. He quickly walked to a flower shop by the street and bought a bouquet of red roses.
"Red roses represent passionate love, perfect for a man in a relationship to give to a woman," Hans muttered to himself.
"Commander Raleigh is clearly a bit dense when it comes to romance—we subordinates have to think of these things for him."
Before anyone else could notice, he quietly circled around to approach Raleigh from behind.
As Hans approached, Raleigh's Observation Haki had already detected him, along with the bouquet of roses in his hands.
Raleigh's expression didn't change at all, but his free hand moved behind his back, out of Gion's sight, and gave Hans a thumbs-up.
After silently expressing his gratitude to Hans, Raleigh's hand accepted the flowers Hans offered.
Raleigh turned to look at the stunningly beautiful Gion beside him.
Noticing Raleigh's gaze, Gion shifted her attention to his face, her expression tinged with confusion.
"Why are you looking at me, Raleigh?"
"Nothing. I just think you look exceptionally beautiful today."
Raleigh praised Gion sincerely while producing a single red rose from the bouquet behind his back.
"Much like this rose in my hand—something anyone would adore."
Gion's eyes sparkled with surprise and delight as she looked at the flower.
No woman dislikes beautiful flowers, unless they come from someone she doesn't care for.
To be honest, the rose in Raleigh's hand couldn't compare to the meticulously selected ones Tokikake always presented to her.
But sometimes, love defies all logic—Gion never even glanced at Tokikake's gifts.
Yet, she carefully cradled Raleigh's rose in her arms, a blissful smile spreading across her face.
"Thank you, Raleigh. I absolutely love red roses."
After speaking, Gion bit her lip—a move Raleigh found utterly irresistible.
To him, she was like a piece of tempting candy. If not for the large crowd surrounding them, he might have kissed her right then and there.
Still, holding Gion's hand while strolling through the dreamlike streets of Angel Island was satisfying enough.
Under the sunlight, the tall man walking with the beautiful woman holding red roses drew admiring glances from everyone.
"Darling, look at that couple—so romantic! I want roses too."
The urged boyfriend gently pressed his forehead against his girlfriend's and replied tenderly.
"Alright, I'll go buy your favorite flowers right now."
"Ah, youth... Just watching them brings back sweet memories. That's the love I've lost."
On a rooftop somewhere on Angel Island, an old man puffed on his pipe as he watched Raleigh and Gion pass by below.
Raleigh and Gion spent half a day wandering around Angel Island.
Just as they grew tired and decided to return to their naval ship, a warrior-dressed Skypiean suddenly appeared and blocked their path.
"Greetings, respected Marine Officers. I am Ban Douglas, a Divine Guard. You may call me Ban."
Raleigh looked at the respectful guard with a puzzled expression.
He knew exactly who the "God" of this country was likely to be, but he hadn't expected this deity to seek him out so soon.
"What does your God want with me? If I recall correctly, we've never had any contact with him."
Ban replied without hesitation, "Respected Marine Officer, matters of the God are beyond our speculation. But I assure you, you are the most honored guest in our God's eyes. He has commanded me to extend the highest courtesy and invite you to accompany me to the Divine Residence."
Gion subtly tugged at Raleigh's sleeve.
Without speaking, Raleigh gave her a reassuring glance.
Truth be told, Raleigh wanted to see this God of Skypiea for himself and find out what he was plotting.
"Since your God has extended such a sincere invitation, I can't refuse him. I'll go with you."
"Thank you for your trust. Please follow me, Marine Officer."
Receiving Raleigh's affirmative response, Ban was extremely excited; the divine command given to him had been successfully completed.
Raleigh and Gion followed behind the Divine Guard Ban, quickly leaving the streets of Angel Island behind.
Their destination was the most mysterious forbidden land in God's Country, a place ordinary people could never set foot in—Upper Yard (formerly known as Jaya).
Ban led the way while Raleigh and Gion followed.
The three walked along a path leading toward the shrine, surrounded by towering giant trees on all sides.
Both Raleigh and Gion showed expressions of great interest. Their original purpose had been sightseeing, and although there was now a deviation from their initial plan, they were witnessing scenes they could never have seen in the Four Seas or the Grand Line.
"It's truly miraculous," Gion remarked, touching a massive tree trunk. "I originally thought there wouldn't be many plants in a place like the Sky Islands. Yet what I'm seeing now has changed my understanding. This place not only has giant trees but also fertile land."
Hearing Gion's words, Ban turned his head to explain.
"Actually, you're right. Initially, the Sky Islands didn't have this much land or trees. But we have God, who generously bestowed this land upon us."
Ban grew more excited as he spoke, his face showing a devout expression.
"Forgive my interruption, but was this land given to you by God 400 years ago?"
Raleigh, who had been listening to Ban and Gion's conversation, suddenly interjected.
Ban stopped walking and widened his eyes, looking at Raleigh with an incredulous expression.
"Sir... could it be that you are very familiar with our history? Otherwise, how would you know that God gave us this land exactly 400 years ago?"
Raleigh rubbed his nose, realizing he had slipped up.
He knew this island was the part of Jaya that had been blown skyward by the Knock Up Stream, but he couldn't directly tell Ban this.
After all, the belief that this island was "Holy Ground" was deeply ingrained in the hearts of guards like Ban.
"No, I just overheard some people discussing the history of the island when I was arriving here," Raleigh lied smoothly.
He didn't want to reveal just yet that he knew Upper Yard was actually Jaya Island.
He still wanted to see what this "God" wanted with him first.
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