A soft "puff" sounded.
"Surprisingly firm." Daz Bonez jumped down from the deck, his black leather shoes sinking slightly into the cloud sand. He glanced down at the resilient surface that briefly indented before springing back, his stern face showing no expression:
"So this is Sky Island? Even the ground is made of clouds." Zala followed closely behind, her high heels sinking half an inch into the cloud sand. A sharp bone spur silently extended from her heel, stabbing deep into the cloudy surface.
Though the clouds appeared soft, the bone spur only penetrated partially. Twisting her waist to pull her foot free, she remarked, "Looks fluffy, but it's as hard as stone."
Mikita bounced down from the ship, the lemon patterns on her yellow dress standing out vividly against the white clouds. She deliberately buried her feet deep in the cloud sand before yanking them out, giggling: "Captain, look! It's like stepping on cotton!"
BABE stood dumbfounded by the ship's railing, clutching his baseball bat, while the dachshund Rasu slipped between his legs and rolled in the cloud sand.
As Ryan descended the gangplank, he ignored Mikita's excited chatter, slowly surveying their surroundings. In the distance, exquisite aerial pavilions stood gracefully among the island's snowy clouds, connected by sky bridges, with massive green vines winding through them.
This place was unmistakably the Angel Beach visited by the Straw Hat Kid's crew.
"Captain, come quick!" Mikita hopped onto a giant cloud sofa, which gently dipped under her weight before supporting her comfortably. She waved excitedly: "This sofa is amazing! So soft I never want to get up!"
As she spoke, she flipped over on the sofa, stretching out luxuriously.
Ryan walked over and hesitated briefly before sitting down. Just as Mikita had said, the cloud was perfectly soft—neither too yielding nor too firm—with a dense elasticity that surpassed even the velvet-covered chairs on their ship. Leaning back, he let the cloud sofa cradle him, its coolness dispelling the heat from their journey.
"Not bad," Ryan murmured, eyes closed as he felt the cloud contour to his body. A thought occurred to him—how comfortable it would be to replace their ship's beds with cloud material.
But he dismissed the idea immediately. These were clouds after all; if taken beyond Sky Island, they'd likely dissipate elsewhere.
Maintaining his reclined position, Ryan let the softness envelop him. Sunlight filtered gently through the clouds, carrying a warmth that didn't sting the eyes, while the breeze carried a faint salty tang.
Daz Bonez stood nearby, expressionless as ever. Zala twirled a colorful cloud flower she'd plucked from somewhere, while BABE crouched watching Rasu chase his own tail, occasionally chuckling.
Gazing at the leisurely drifting clouds above, Ryan suddenly thought taking a breather on this strange beach wasn't such a bad idea.
Just as he relaxed, the clear notes of a harp drifted over on the cloud-laden wind—neither too near nor too far—carrying a soothing gentleness that quieted the bustling beach.
Mikita propped herself up on the cloud sofa, peering curiously toward the source: "Who's that?"
Ryan opened his eyes and followed her gaze. Near a distant sky bridge, a girl sat on an outcropping of cloud stone, cradling a small harp. At her feet lounged a pure white fox with perked ears and a tail as fluffy as cloud wisps, lazily licking its paws.
The girl had radiant golden hair tied into two shoulder-length braids tipped with pale yellow spherical ornaments. She wore a white high-necked minidress that barely covered her thighs, paired with matching slippers that revealed slender ankles.
Most striking were the small white wings on her back, fluttering slightly with each breath—the distinctive mark of Sky Island's inhabitants. Her posture was graceful, neck arched like a harp string, profile softened by the play of light and shadow.
Recognition dawned on Ryan—this angelic girl was none other than Conis.
Noticing their group's attention, Conis stopped playing and looked up. Spotting their unfamiliar attire, she blinked in surprise before offering a friendly smile and wave, calling out cheerfully: "Heyso!"
Rising with her harp, Conis stepped barefoot onto the sky bridge and approached, wings fluttering gently. Tilting her head as she drew near, her eyes brimmed with sincerity: "You're from the Blue Sea, aren't you?"
Ryan sat up on the cloud sofa and nodded.
"Welcome to Angel Beach!" Conis' smile curved like Moonfang, her tone warm and welcoming: "I'm Conis, a resident here."
She gestured to the white fox at her feet, which was studying the strangers with grape-like black eyes, ears perked.
"This little one is a cloud fox named Shu." As Conis spoke, she scratched Shu's chin with her fingertips. The fox immediately narrowed its eyes contentedly, emitting a soft "shu" sound as its wispy tail brushed her ankle.
Ryan replied evenly, with casual ease: "I'm Ryan, a traveler who happened upon this place."
"You must be unfamiliar with Angel Island since you've just arrived," Conis took half a step closer, wings still fluttering with guileless kindness: "If there's anything you don't understand or any difficulties you encounter, please don't hesitate to ask me!"
Seeing the pure sincerity in Conis' eyes, Ryan thought she truly embodied the image of an angel. After studying her briefly, he asked directly: "We're not familiar with this place. Would you be willing to guide us around, Miss Conis?"
"Of course!" Conis agreed immediately, her smile brightening: "I'm free right now anyway. Let me show you around Angel Island—there are so many interesting things here!"
Without delay, Conis moved ahead, turning to beckon them: "This way! I'll take you to Heaven's Gate first—it's the passage for entering and leaving Angel Island."
Ryan stood, Mikita immediately bouncing to his side while Daz and Zala followed. BABE carried his baseball bat with Rasu trotting alongside.
The group followed Conis deeper along the sky bridge. The lingering harp notes mingled with her cheerful explanations in the breeze, lending this unfamiliar Sky Island an unexpected warmth.