Unlike ordinary Sea Kings, this octopus did not leave behind a corpse. Instead, it burst like a punctured balloon, transforming into a small amount of flesh and blood and a large cloud of mist, dissipating into the Sea of Clouds.
Nami stared in confusion and quickly asked, "What's going on? Why did this Sea King just explode?"
Ivan calmly explained:
"This is a Sea King unique to the Sea of Clouds. To adapt to the thin atmosphere at high altitudes and the light Sea of Clouds, they have evolved to contain large amounts of gas inside their bodies, making them extremely lightweight."
Nami nodded in understanding. "So that's how it is. The Grand Line truly lives up to its reputation as the most miraculous sea route!"
Just as the two were marveling at the wonders of Skypiea, Smoker suddenly turned his head, staring at Tashigi with an expression of disbelief and shock.
"Tashigi, when did you become so strong?"
He remembered clearly that not long ago, Tashigi was just an ordinary Marine soldier. Although she had talent in swordsmanship, she was far from reaching this level.
Yet that strike just now was incredibly powerful. Even from that single slash, he could tell that she could now easily defeat him.
Tashigi sheathed her sword and looked at Smoker, her eyes filled with happiness:
"It's all thanks to Vice Admiral Ivan. The Vice Admiral possesses a special enhancement ability that greatly improved my strength."
Smoker's pupils instantly contracted, and he looked at Ivan with astonishment.
He knew Ivan was a master of Devil Fruits, having developed many incredible Devil Fruit abilities.
Therefore, he had no doubt that Ivan could develop an ability to enhance the body.
The principle was probably something like extracting life force and injecting it into others to help strengthen their physique.
Upon learning of Ivan's ability, Smoker became excited and said to Ivan, "Vice Admiral Ivan, could you enhance me as well?"
Ivan gave a helpless smile under his gaze and waved his hand:
"Alright, stop looking at me like that. I'll enhance you too once we return."
After calming Smoker down, the Orange Ship sailed smoothly across the boundless Sea of Clouds, heading deeper into Skypiea.
Before long, the Sea of Clouds ahead suddenly parted, revealing a towering, massive gate.
This gate was entirely constructed from pure white clouds, with four characters engraved on it: Heaven's Gate.
Seeing this gate, Nami twitched her mouth, placed her hands on her hips, and couldn't help but complain:
"With such a grand display, anyone who doesn't know better would think we've all died and are lining up to enter heaven!"
Tashigi couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile:
"Maybe we actually died when we were swept up by the Knock Up Stream and just haven't realized it yet."
Everyone chuckled lightly at her words. Amidst the laughter, the Orange Ship slowly sailed into Heaven's Gate.
Inside the gate was not an open space as expected, but an incredibly wide tunnel. The walls and floor of the tunnel were all made of soft clouds, feeling light and airy underfoot, winding forward.
Shifting their gaze, they spotted an elderly woman with gray hair sitting on a cloud chair on one side of the tunnel.
She wore a simple cloth dress, with a pair of small, delicate white wings on her back, and was resting with her eyes closed.
The moment he saw the old woman, Smoker's pupils contracted slightly as he exclaimed in shock:
"Wings… Could she be the legendary angel?"
Nami also leaned over the ship's side, her eyes shining like stars, her tone filled with wonder:
"This is incredible! There really are people with wings on their backs, just like in the stories!"
Ivan, already well-versed in the affairs of Skypiea, leaned against the deck railing and offered a faint smile, calmly explaining:
"This is just the natural physique of the Skypieans, nothing to be overly surprised about. Just as the giants are born with massive stature and the long-arm tribe with unusually long arms, the Skypieans are born with wings—a natural evolution to adapt to high-altitude environments."
Hearing this, the astonishment on everyone's faces gradually faded, replaced by nods of understanding.
At that moment, the old woman slowly opened her eyelids, her cloudy gaze sweeping over the crew of the Orange Ship as she leisurely asked:
"Are you… planning to enter Skypiea?"
"Yes."
The old woman slowly extended a withered hand, pointing a bony finger toward a nearby payment counter:
"Entry fee. Ten billion Extol per person."
"Ten billion?!"
The moment she heard the number, Nami practically jumped out of her skin. "This is outright robbery! Ten billion just to enter? Is this Skypiea or a den of thieves?!"
Tashigi and Smoker's expressions instantly darkened, their hands moving in unison to rest on the weapons at their waists.
As Marines, they were being openly extorted—these Skypieans truly had no regard for their own lives.
Seeing this, Ivan raised a hand, gently signaling for everyone to calm down:
"Don't get worked up. No need to panic. The exchange rate between Skypiea's currency, Extol, and Berries is vastly different. Ten billion Extol is only equivalent to about a hundred thousand Berries."
To Ivan now, a hundred thousand Berries was a drop in the bucket—not even worth the loose change he casually carried. Moreover, his goal on this journey was the City of Gold, Shandora, deep within Skypiea. A mere entry fee was hardly worth mentioning.
He had no patience to waste time on such trivialities. Casually taking out several million Berries, he tossed them lightly, and they landed before the old woman:
"Keep the change. This should cover everyone's entry fee."
Seeing the Berries before her, a flicker of surprise passed through the old woman's eyes.
Then, she nodded, raised her hand, and with a wave, the cloud tunnel ahead slowly opened, revealing a path leading into the heart of Skypiea:
"Permission granted. May your journey in Skypiea proceed smoothly."
Passing through the cloud tunnel of Heaven's Gate, Ivan and his companions finally set foot in the true Skypiea.
Ivan was in no hurry to rush toward his goal. Instead, he led the group on a leisurely stroll through the town, exploring Skypiean specialties and local customs.
Nami was already captivated by the glittering cloud-crafted accessories and peculiar shells lining the streets, unable to take another step.
Tashigi observed the lives of the Skypieans with curiosity, her eyes filled with fascination.
The accompanying Marines couldn't help but murmur among themselves, pulling out Berries to purchase local goods.
After wandering for a while, Ivan raised his hand, signaling for the group to wait where they were, his tone calm:
"Rest here for now. I'll take two people deeper in to have a look. Nami, Tashigi, you two come with me."
Nami's eyes immediately lit up as she quickly followed:
"Got it! Are we heading to the City of Gold?"
"Exactly. This time, we're taking the entire City of Gold with us!"
The three of them followed the path, heading deeper into Skypiea.
Ivan wasted no time, immediately spreading his Observation Haki like an invisible net, instantly covering every corner of the entire island.
In the blink of an eye, the gleaming golden outline of the City of Gold, Shandora, and the so-called deity residing in Upper Yard became clearly visible within his perception.
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