Suddenly, they felt something strange about the ship.
It had started moving sideways!
But upon closer inspection—what the hell?!
A massive whirlpool!
An extremely enormous whirlpool had silently formed.
They were being dragged by the waves towards the seabed.
Everyone’s faces were filled with terror.
One by one, their faces turned deathly pale.
But suddenly, everything seemed to vanish.
The sea returned to its usual tranquility.
Just as everyone thought it was over, Vir grabbed onto Chopper’s little reindeer antlers.
And then—
*BOOM!!!*
A gigantic wave surged into the sky.
The Going Merry abruptly tilted upwards.
The sudden force nearly flung Luffy off the ship.
Luckily, he extended his arms and grabbed onto the mast.
The others also scrambled to grab hold of something to stabilize themselves.
Chopper, swinging helplessly in the wind, looked utterly horrified. This was the same reindeer that got scared just from riding a motorcycle—now it was on the verge of passing out.
Fortunately, Vir had a firm grip on Chopper’s antlers, so there was no need to worry about him flying away.
Everything around them rapidly blurred as they shot upward.
1,000 meters… 3,000 meters… 8,000 meters!
With the current propelling them, their ascent was as fast as a rocket.
At one point, a bird even crashed into Luffy’s head and exploded on impact.
Fast was an understatement.
After a few minutes of rapid ascent, the violently shaking ship finally stabilized.
The crew slowly opened their eyes.
What they saw was an endless sea of clouds.
Their ship was now sailing along a river of clouds.
The winding cloud river stretched far into the distance, its destination unknown.
Everyone looked as if they had just stepped into another world.
Staring at the stunning cloudscape, they let out gasps of amazement.
Vir looked at Chopper, who somehow seemed quite energetic, and asked in confusion, “Yo, Chopper! You didn’t pass out?”
“Eh!!! Big bro, I’m fine! I’m completely fine! I’m totally awake! Please don’t kill me!”
Vir’s voice had startled Chopper so much that he nearly fell off the ship.
The reason he hadn’t fainted earlier was because, right before passing out, he suddenly realized what would happen if he did.
The mere thought of Vir snapped him awake instantly.
What? You think the speed was too intense?
Compared to one of his master’s treatment sessions, this was nothing!
Given the choice, Chopper would much rather stay awake and survive.
Seeing this, Vir chuckled.
The poor kid had trauma.
Guess he’d have to be a little gentler next time.
As Vir took in the surroundings, he began contemplating their next steps.
Soon, they would pass through the Heaven’s Gate, which was basically a toll station.
But would they pay?
What a joke. If anyone dared to pay, Nami would probably kill them.
Once they illegally entered Skypiea, they would be wanted by the enforcement squad.
But it didn’t matter. Those guys were just small fry.
Vir’s true target had always been Enel.
Any trouble along the way should be avoided if possible, and if not, it should be dealt with swiftly.
Even though Vir knew the original story, he had no idea where to go. It would be best if they could find a local guide.
And that guide would be arriving very soon.
Once they reached the White-White Sea, they would be attacked by some native warriors.
Perfect—he could just capture one or two of them.
Having them lead the way would be ideal.
What? What if they refuse?
No problem, fights always result in injuries, right?
A little medical treatment, and they’d be more than willing!
The ship soon arrived at the entrance of the Heaven’s Gate.
The enormous and majestic gate looked awe-inspiring.
One might even mistake it for the gateway to paradise.
The ship continued drifting along the cloud river.
But upon reaching the gate, it came to a halt.
It was as if the cloud river stopped flowing at this point.
As everyone wondered what was going on, a short and elderly woman walked out from beneath the Heaven’s Gate.
Her face was full of wrinkles.
She glanced at them indifferently before speaking in a monotone voice.
“If you wish to enter, you must pay a fee of 10 billion Extols per person.”
Everyone was stunned.
10 billion?
They didn’t know what an Extol was, but the number 10 billion was terrifying enough.
“Can we not pay?”
Nami tentatively asked, though she didn’t hold much hope.
But the old woman’s response shocked them all.
“Of course.”
Everyone was dumbfounded.
You could actually enter without paying?
Although they were full of questions, they didn’t push their luck. If they could get in for free, that was the best outcome.
The old woman said nothing more, and the massive gate slowly opened.
A giant crab emerged from below, grabbing their ship and carrying them forward at high speed.
After another long journey, they finally arrived at the White-White Sea.
An endless ocean of clouds stretched before them.
The entire surface below was flowing clouds.
“Is this really the sea? A sea made of clouds?”
Usopp was tempted to jump in for a swim.
Since this was their first time here, there were so many things he wanted to experience.
But just as he removed his shirt and climbed onto the railing, he suddenly remembered something unpleasant.
His poised-to-jump stance froze instantly.
He awkwardly turned his head to glance at Vir.
If he drowned in there, wouldn’t he be screwed?
Forget it, forget it—better not gamble with his life.
Usopp climbed down quietly.
But the moment he landed, his entire body felt weak.
He collapsed to the side, gasping for breath like he had just run a marathon.
Everyone stared in shock.
All he did was climb up and down a railing—how did that leave him exhausted?
Since when was Usopp this weak?
As they puzzled over it, a group of strange figures suddenly sprinted across the cloud sea in the distance.
They wore peculiar masks, and their shoes emitted bursts of air.
Their target seemed to be the Going Merry!
Seeing this, Vir’s eyes lit up.
Here we go!
As he observed Usopp’s condition, Vir suddenly recalled that bodies needed time to adjust to Skypiea’s environment.
Even minor movements would feel exhausting at first.
But that was no problem for him.
He opened his medical kit and pulled out a syringe filled with an ominous, jet-black liquid—darker than even Garp’s Armament Haki.
This was an injection designed to help people rapidly adapt to any environment.
Without hesitation, he jabbed it into his own chest.
As the serum coursed through his body, Vir immediately felt his breathing become smoother.
Meanwhile, the three masked figures leaped onto the ship.
Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy quickly realized the intruders were hostile.
They launched their attacks without hesitation.
But both their speed and strength were far weaker than usual.
Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t even touch the enemies’ clothes.
Instead, they exhausted themselves.
The three masked attackers took the opportunity to counterattack.
Luffy and the others were completely overwhelmed.
Before long, all three were down.
And now, the masked figures turned their sights on Vir.
They intended to take out the most threatening-looking one first.
Vir, having observed them closely, already understood their abilities.
Nothing special.
Their entire combat strength relied on those bizarre dials they carried.
—–
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