THE CHILDREN Set Sail!

Disclaimer: Zettai Karen Children and One Piece are not of the same universe, nor are they produce by the same company. Seeing as I can't be two places at once, I must resign from claiming ownership over either of them.

Back in the Children's world, despite all of Minamoto's effort to locate any clues to the Children's whereabouts, he is left with nearly an entire two weeks without sleep. Dark bags had appeared under his eyes attest to dedication to finding his teammates.

But no matter how much of a workaholic he is, even he has limits. Fortunately, the usually unreasonable Chief of B.A.B.E.L. also realized this and has order him to take the time off to get some proper rest.

"…I'm sorry for having to make you do this, Kashiwagi-san," Minamoto managed as he rest tiredly on the couch, watching the Chief's secretary vacuum the room.

"It's alright," Kashiwagi smiled, "This is great practice for me who, as embarrassing as it is to say, pales in comparison to you when it comes to household chores…"

"I see…any news-?"

"Stop~!" Kashiwagi held up a hand, halting Minamoto from inquiring any further, "Today, you're only concern is to rest and regain your strength. I won't allow anything associate with find the Children today for you…"

"But-!"

"But nothing! The last thing we all need is for the Children to come back and not be able to recognize you because you wear yourself out, understand?"

"…Yes ma'am…"

"Good!"

Minamoto sighed before drifting off to sleep in a matter of seconds.

"…So he finally fell asleep," Kashiwagi sighed, shaking her head at the sight before obtaining a blanket and covering him with it. "If only the Children could see just how worry you are about them. I bet even they would be touch…"

The aforementioned Children, meanwhile, are currently having their own struggle. Having just left Arabasta behind and unexpectedly obtaining a new crewmember, they happen upon discovering the existence of the fantasy-like "Sky Island". After much difficulty involving monkey brothers, a red-light district-like port town, nighttime bird hunting and catching, egoistic pirates, and gigantic sea explosion, they are finally on their way to the fable Sky Island by riding the disaster-like Knock-Up Stream.

It was not an easy flight. It got even worse since they penetrate the Millennium Cumulonimbus where Sky Island is thought to be in. All three had no explanation as to why they were suddenly having problem breathing as they soar through the surprisingly resisting clouds. It didn't help with the fact that they were still going fast; they were somewhat experiencing the same phenomenon that astronauts feels whenever they are blast off into space. It is taking all their energy to ensure they themselves did not go flying off their mode of transportation, the Merry Go. For Kaoru, she was ensuring that their buccaneer friends, the Straw Hats Pirates, didn't fly off on their way up.

After experiencing this sensation for about half a minute, the Merry Go finally broke free of the clouds into open and landed with a splash. The wings of the ship were torn off by the pressure of the fast ascend and the entire boat was drench. As for everyone onboard, they were all lying about in exhaustion; Usopp was knock out cold at some point possibly having been hit in the head as they finish their ascend.

"…I-*cough*-Is everyone…alright?" Zoro managed, breathing heavily.

"…*cough*…I'm…alive," Aoi managed, "…somehow…"

"Ugh~!" Shiho panted, "I feel as if I had held my breath…*cough*…underwater or something…"

"…! I'm not okay~!" Kaoru panicked as she tries to find her pulse, "I can't find my pulse-!"

"Kaoru…you're alright; you're talking and breathing…"

"… …Oh, right…"

"Hey!" Luffy suddenly called, already leaning over the rail, "You guys, check this out~!"

"Honestly," Aoi began as she got up, "How can he just get up so-WOW~!"

"!? What's wrong-!?" Kaoru managed as she got up in a hurry, "…EH~~~!"

"…What is this!?" Shiho managed upon seeing what her two friends saw, "A Cloudy White World!?"

Hearing Shiho's description, everyone aside form Usopp (who was still unconscious) got up to see what's up. It didn't take long for some of them to comically gawk in shock or awe. Left to right, forward and behind, and most importantly beneath the ship there was clouds! Most leveled just below the ship's hull like water, while a few bulge up in wave-like movements or iceberg-like formation.

"W-We're sailing on top of clouds!?" Nami gasped in astonishment, noting that the ship was showing no sign of falling through the clouds, "How can that be!?"

"Of course we can sail on top of it," Luffy noted, "Clouds float, boats float, same thing…"

"No, it's not!" Zoro, Sanji, Chopper and the Children violently wave their hands in denial, "This should be impossible!"

"If it were possible," Shiho began, "How many skydivers would remain vacationing on top of a cloud!?"

"Or how many airplanes would become sea—I mean, sky wrecked!?"

"…I don't know what a 'skydiver' or an 'airplane' is," Sanji sweat dropped at the proper nouns they'd used, "but I'll agree nevertheless…"

"Ah~!" Chopper suddenly exclaimed, having checked on the unconscious Usopp, "This is bad, Usopp isn't breathing~!"

"What!?" Luffy exclaimed as he began shaking Usopp by the shoulder, "Usopp, hang on~~!"

"…You think we need to do CPR?" Shiho sweat dropped as she glances at Aoi.

Aoi knew immediately what she was implying. "Oh, hell no! I'm not giving my first kiss to Usopp!"

"But you are the doctor and it isn't your first kiss, remember~?"

"Ugh-! D-Don't remind me…"

Back in the Children's world, Fujiko was carefully applying makeup to her face when she suddenly sneezed.

"…!? Is someone talking about me?" Fujiko wondered before realizing that the sneeze has caused her smear the makeup all over her face, "Ah-! NO~~~!"

"If Nami-swan needs CPR~," Sanji swooned at the idea, "I volunteer~~~!"

"Idiot," Zoro rolled his eyes at Sanji's idea.

"…!? I'm sorry I didn't quiet catch that! Did you just call me an idiot!?"

"I forgot…"

"HELLO~!" Shiho called for attention, "Usopp~!?"

"He's still not breathing!" Luffy frantically exclaimed.

"Relax, I got this~!" Kaoru rolled up her sleeves and pointed her glowing red palm at Usopp's chest, "It's been a while since I did this! Psychic Heart Massage~~!"

Usopp's left chest dimly lit up in faint red before Usopp's jolt a bit. He immediately got with a gasp.

"WAH~~!" Chopper and Luffy awed, "Amazing~!"

"Aw it was nothing~!" Kaoru nervously scratch her cheek in embarrassment.

"Phew," Aoi breathed a sigh of relief, "No CPR…"

"That is another reason why I don't want to be a doctor," Shiho smirked knowingly.

"He's alive again!" Luffy cheered as Usopp sat himself up.

"…I am?" Usopp groggily managed in confusion before noticing his surrounding with a comical wild take scream, "Where are we!? What's with all these clouds!? They're everywhere~~!?"

"Basically," Shiho answered in disbelief, still awed by the area around her, "It's an ocean in the sky…"

"No way! Seriously!?"

"Well, we didn't die and went up to heaven, that's for sure…"

"…Hmm, how strange," Nami suddenly hummed in confusion.

"…? What's strange?"

"The Log Pose…it's still pointing up!"

"…WHAT!?" the Children exclaimed in unison as they gather around the Log Pose to see it still pointing upward, though not as steep as it was before, "Ah-! You're right!"

"So we must still be in the middle of the Millennium Cumulonimbus," Robin hummed in thought.

"Eh!? You mean we have to go higher?" Chopper noted in shock, "How?"

"That I don't know, but that's what the Log Pose says at least…"

"An ocean of clouds~!" Usopp managed before stripping off the top part of his overall.

"…? Usopp?" Aoi blinked in confusion, "What are you-?"

"Here I go~!" Usopp cheered with laughter, "Cloud-Ocean Swimming Champion Usopp~~!"

"WHAT-!?"

"Don't be stupid!" Shiho exclaimed as Usopp perched himself on the rail ready to dive into the clouds, "You can't swim here! We still don't know anything about this place!"

"Watch me~!" Usopp declared as he dived in regardlessly, "A sea is still a sea as far as I can see~! Hey, that rhythm…"

With a hollow-like splash Usopp disappeared under the clouds only to resurface moments later and wave to everyone aboard.

"See~!"

"EEH~~~!" The Children comically gasped in astonishment, "He's swimming~~~!"

"He did it!" Luffy's eyes sparkled in admiration.

"He's so brave~~!" Chopper complimented.

"He's actually swimming in it!?" Nami awed, "In the clouds!?"

"You bet I am!" Usopp grinned, "It's hard to see anything under here but I can really move down here. There's also so little resistance down here too! I'm going to see how far I can go like this! I'll be right back~~!"

With that Usopp dived back under with the intent to see how far he can dive.

"…Little resistance, huh?" Shiho hummed, "You think it's because these are clouds?"

"Possible," Aoi noted with a shrug, "I heard that clouds are really water that are more spread out so…"

"How good of a swimmer is Usopp," Kaoru wondered.

"…A lot better than me," Luffy sulked, "It's not fair! I wish I could swim like that!"

"I bet it's the funniest thing ever!" Chopper sulked as well.

"Oh, right~!" Shiho sneered, "Neither of you two could swim~!"

"Shut up~!" Luffy and Chopper moaned.

"… … … …Hey, uh," Zoro noted after everyone waited for a minute for Usopp to return to the surface, "He's…not coming back up…"

"…That's weird," Aoi managed with a sweat drop as everyone began to gaze nervously overboard, "He said he'll be right back…"

"Everyone says that," Shiho grumbled, "But then it's always 'Just another second' or 'I'll go back after this'…"

"He must be having fun down there," Kaoru frowned, "I bet he's trying to reach the seabed or something…"

Hearing that Robin hummed in thought for a moment before wondering out loud. "You know, it's possible that this ocean may not have an actual bottom…so, now that I think about it, would there really be a 'seabed' to stop him from going further?"

…

… …

… … …

"SAY WHAT~!?" The Children gasped in realization.

"You don't mean-!?" Nami gasped as her head jerked back to the patch of clouds Usopp disappeared under.

"That fool," Zoro managed in panic, "Did he just fell through the clouds!?"

"Usopp~~!" Kaoru leapt into the ocean as Luffy cast his stretch arm beneath the clouds in an attempt to reach the Sniper. But it was only moments later when Kaoru surface hacking and coughing. "It's no good! *cough* I can't hold my breath long enough to get through!"

"Then penetrate all the way through!" Aoi exclaimed in hysteria, "Instead of coming back up here!"

"We can only rely on Luffy now!" Shiho managed in worry.

"That bastard," Sanji frowned in frustration, "That's why Shiho told him not to!"

"Luffy," Robin called, "Stretch your hand as far as you can!"

"I am~!" Luffy turn to Robin while comically crying in helplessness, "But I can't see where he is~!"

"Just leave that part to me!" Robin declared as she cross her arms and pedals swirl around her, "Ojos Fleur~~!"

Suddenly, eyes began to pop up all over Luffy's stretching arms.

"Oh~!" Shiho noted in understanding, "I get it! You can do something like this!?"

"Yes," Robin simply answered as she concentrate, looking through her duplicate eyes for any sign of Usopp, before smiling, "Found him~! He really fell through the clouds…"

"Really!?" Shiho went over and use her Psychometry to see through Robin's eyes. Robin's eyes did indeed find Usopp falling while comically gawking in fright, "…Yep, that's him…"

"Veinte Fleur~!" Robin announced. Shiho, through her powers, watch as twenty arms sprouted out and grab Usopp, "Okay, now pull him up!"

"She got him!"

"Got it!" Luffy nodded as began to reel back his long-nose comrade.

"…Is he heavy?" Chopper wondered when he saw how strained Luffy's face was as he pulled Usopp back up.

"…He shouldn't be that heavy," Aoi noted.

"Here," Kaoru noted as she used her powers on Luffy's arm, "I'll help out!"

"Come on, Luffy, you can do it!" Chopper encouraged.

"Pull harder!" Nami ordered.

Finally, after some tense moments, Luffy finally pulled Usopp up out of the cloud of sea…

"Yes, he's back-!"

…With a gigantic octopus-like creature and a serpent-like creature bursting from beneath not a second later, following Usopp.

"But's not alone~!" Aoi exclaimed, startled.

"Something followed him!" Shiho exclaimed as Nami and Chopper comically scream in fright, seeing the serpent-like creature's mouth wide up heading towards Usopp, "They trying to eat Usopp!"

"Aoi!" Zoro called as he leapt towards the octopus-like creature's tentacles that closed in on Usopp.

"Got it!" Aoi proclaimed as she teleport to one of the other tentacles that Zoro couldn't reach, her swords ready, "Two-Sword-Style: Exorcise Cross!"

In one instance, Zoro and Aoi attack the tentacles, which to their surprises popped like a balloon.

"HUH!? What the-!?"

"Sanji!" Shiho called as the serpent-like creature suddenly aimed at the ship.

"Go low, I'll go high!" Sanji called as he leapt over the creatures jaw and deliver a powerful axe kick.

"Eat this!" Shiho declared as she leapt under the creature's jaw and deliver powerful kick to the chin, "Extreme Jaw Breaker!"

It was only a matter of seconds later that the creatures were dealt with. Aoi and Zoro easily mince up the octopus-like creature as it body parts float about. The combine force of Shiho and Sanji instantly killed the serpent-like creature as it collapse, resting its dead jaw on the Merry Go's side railing.

But with the battle now over, everyone who had a part in the battle was now breathing as if they nearly exhausted themselves in that short fight.

"This air," Aoi panted tiredly, "it's so thin…"

"It's hard to breath," Zoro panted in the same manner.

"What do you make of this," Shiho managed in-between her panting as she examine the serpent-like creature, "It's strangest creature I've ever seen so far in this world…"

"I'm not even sure it's a fish," Sanji admitted in-between panting.

"That octopus-like creature was more like a big balloon too," Aoi added.

"Yeah," Kaoru nodded, "Except balloons don't have teeth…"

"But," Nami scratched her head in confusion, "how can there be fish up here in the clouds?"

"Miss Psychometrist said it best herself," Robin offered, "Basically it's an ocean in the sky…"

"So what's this big snake thing?" Chopper pondered.

"I don't know," Luffy shrugged, "A flat fish?"

"But it wasn't flat until Sanji and Shiho kicked it…"

"…Now that you mention it," Shiho mused as she reexamines the serpent-like creature; its body had been more round before it dropped dead, but now it was as if it had deflated.

A pathetic scream of horror and pain interrupted her trail of thoughts as she turn to see Usopp screaming his head off as he struggle to pull something out of his pants.

"Oh come on, Usopp," Sanji rolled his eyes, "what is it this time?"

"…! There's something in my pants~!" Usopp managed as he finally pulled out whatever it was in his pant and collapses in teary mess, "Sky Island is scary, Sky Island is scary, Sky Island is scary…"

"Poor him," Shiho sarcastically sighed, "It's not his day today…"

"Hold on, do you know what this is?" Robin noted, catching everyone's attention. She had just picked up what was in Usopp's pants: a small flat struggling creature, "I think it's one of the 'Sky Fish' Noland describe in his log…"

"Whoa! Really!?" Kaoru exclaimed as she and her two childhood friend drew in closer to inspect the fish in Robin's hand. It was indeed flat in a way more like a stingray than a regular fish; its scales look more like feathers, though, and they have carnivore-like teeth more like a wolf or lion's teeth than a Parana.

Aoi readjusted her glasses. "It's so flat~!"

"Yes," Robin nodded, "It sounded pretty fantastic at the time, but now that I see it looks like these creatures have somehow actually evolve to survive up here in the clouds…"

"E-Evolve!?"

"You mean," Zoro pondered, "They turn all flat and balloon-like and stuff?"

"To make themselves even lighter," Robin nodded to Zoro's guesswork, "The buoyancy up here must be several times weaker than the oceans down below…"

"And they grew scales like feathers," Nami added in awe, "And those weird carnivore-like mouths-…."

"…Uh, Nami, are we done with the fish?" Shiho managed as she watches Luffy enthusiastically walked by and nonchalantly snatch the Sky Fish out of Robin's hand.

"No, why?"

"Well~…" Shiho directed everyone's attention over to where Luffy and Kaoru was now holding a plate of cooked fish, with Sanji standing satisfied next to them.

"I try sautéing it," Sanji announced.

"…! Delicious~!" Luffy and Kaoru exclaimed after taking a bite out of the dish.

"HEY~~~!" Nami exclaimed in rage, "We're still examining that~~~! What were you guys thinking-!?"

"Oh, Nami, you're too uptight," Kaoru grinned as she used her powers to shove a piece of fish into Nami's mouth.

"…! Mm~! This is good~! I never tasted anything like this before~!"

Sanji chuckled. "Well, you know me, I aim to please…"

"Oh!" Luffy cheered, "Let's try the big one too~!"

"Forget it, I don't aim to please that much…"

"…If you guys want, I can give it a try," Shiho offered, "Just give me a few minutes; I can't work as fast as Sanji after all…"

"Yahoo~!" Kaoru and Luffy cheered, "We love you Shiho~~~!"

"So where is this Sky Island~?" Chopper wondered out loud meanwhile as he scanned around using a telescope.

"Uh, Chopper-han," Aoi sweat dropped, "I don't think you even need to use that to see there isn't anything close to an island around here…"

"You never know," Chopper countered before suddenly narrowing his eyes, "…Huh? What's that? A ship?"

"…Come again?"

"Hey guys there's a-!" Chopper began to inform before pausing awkwardly and then screaming in horror.

"W-What's wrong Chopper-han? Did you see-?"

"Yeah! There was a ship, but then it exploded~~! And there was a bull with wings; he's running around on the clouds~~!"

"…Huh~!?"

"Calm down," Zoro sweat dropped, "You're not making any sense…"

"What got into you~?" Kaoru chuckled as she stared off in the direction Chopper was looking at, "A bull with wings running around on the cloud~! As if-!"

Kaoru halted as caught sight of man wearing a giant native bull mask making his way towards them.

"Oh my GOD~~~! He's right! Only it's not a bull but a guy in a mask~~~!"

"WHAT-!?" Everyone turn to see that Kaoru was right.

"There IS a guy running around out there," Sanji managed before the man jump towards them at high speed, "Whoa, hey! Stop! What do you want!?"

"To destroy you~~~!" The man proclaimed.

"Oh is that it-?" Sanji managed before being kicked back hard, crashing into the cabin wall.

"What-!? Sanji-! GAH!" Shiho managed before being sweep kicked by the intruder, barely preventing herself from falling overboard by grabbing the rail at the last second.

"Shiho!" Aoi exclaimed as she launched herself at the intruder, aiming to slice him only for him to somersault over her and smacker her off with his shield, "GAH-!"

"Oh that's it! He's mine!" Zoro declared but before he could get into position the intruder kicked him across the face.

"What-!? What's going on-!?" Luffy managed as he tries to defend himself only to be axe kicked by the intruder.

"Why you-!" Kaoru snared as she began activating her power, "…!? My power-!? UGH!"

The intruder took the opportunity to drop kick Kaoru in the belly before launching himself above the ship and aim what looks like a bazooka he was carrying at the ship.

"Hey! Don't let that guy walk all over you!" Nami exclaimed to her down comrades as they struggle to get back up, "Get him!"

"Ah~~~!" Chopper comically gawked in horror as Usopp continues being a sobbing mess on the deck, "He's going to blow us up~~~!

"… …That's enough, villain~~!" A voice suddenly declared from higher above, catching the intruder's attention. He barely brought up his shield in time as a blur tackled him, knocking him into the sea of clouds.

Once the intruder was gone, an old skinny man long white mustache and beard in a knight armor outfit landed on the ship.

"Oh great," Nami weep in fear, "Now who's this guy?"

"…Miss, you may call me the Sky Knight," the old man turn to everyone and announce as a large pink, red-polka-dotted bird landed behind him, "And you need not to worry, he's gone now…"

"You saved us, thank you," Chopper bowed to the Sky Knight in appreciation.

"I'm just doing my duty; this one is on the house…"

"Uh, yeah~, thanks…But, what's going on here? Who the heck was that guy?" Nami managed before glaring at Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and the Children who were just recovering from their loss battle and breathing heavily, "And you all! Could you all be anymore worthless!? That was pathetic; you had him outnumber six to one!"

"I'm starting to wonder myself," Aoi admitted as she breathed heavily.

"…?"

"What gives?" Sanji panted as well in confusion, "I feel so weak…"

"For once," Zoro huffed as he heavily panted, "We're in agreement…"

"Yeah," Luffy added, lying on the ground panting heavily, "I-I could barely move like I want to…"

"My power was temporarily delay for some reason," Kaoru managed in-between panting as she stared questionably at her own hands.

"…Aren't you all just making excuses-?" Nami rolled her eyes, until she receive a death glare from Shiho, "… … …Of course not~! Silly me~! It's not like ALL of you will lose a fight on purpose~!"

"Thanks the sarcasm," Aoi sighed tiredly, "But what is going on with us?"

"It must be because of the thin air," Robin hypothesized, "And if I recall correctly, psychic powers comes from the mind and the mind needs air…"

"What-?" Zoro managed rather dumbly before he recalled his comment from before, "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that…"

"Ah~!" Kaoru noted, "That's right; it was how I stop my power last time when it went haywire…"

"Ah~! To be saying those words," The Sky Knight noted suddenly, catching everyone's attention. "You must be Blue-Sea People…"

"…? Blue-Sea People?" Nami inquired, "What's that? And who are you really?"

"As I said, I am the Sky Knight and 'Blue-Sea People' is what we call those who live beneath the clouds…"

"The Sky Knight," Chopper repeated in awe.

"I'm assuming you people traveled here from the Blue Sea?"

"Yeah," Luffy nodded, "That's right…"

"Then that explains it. You've reached the White Sea, Seven Thousand Meters in the air. The White-White Sea, where I assume you're heading, is still further up about Ten Thousand Meters in the air. Ordinary Blue Sea People can't possibly endure it here…"

"Well, it's a good think we're not 'ordinary' people," Kaoru glee as she got up, better than when she did her first attempt.

"Yeah," Luffy nodded as he checks his breathing, "Okay, I think I gotten used to it…"

"Yeah," Zoro added, breathing a lot less heavier than before, "I'm starting to feel better already…"

"No, no, no," The Sky Knight sweat dropped, waving his hand in denial as he watches the Monster Four slowly "getting used to" the atmosphere, "It doesn't work that simply…"

"So Mister Knight," Chopper inquired, "Why was that guy running around in the clouds attacking people?"

"On that matter," Aoi readjusts her glasses, "How can that guy run around in the clouds?"

"Now, now, not so fast," The Sky Knight spoke, "No doubt you have many questions, but first we have manners of business to discuss…"

"…Business?" Nami pondered; Shiho could guess Nami was not such a big fan of being on the receiving end of "talk of business" by her tone.

"You see I am a soldier for hire; the White Sea can be quite dangerous. There are Guerillas lurking about, like the one you just face, who like nothing more than to turn you into food for the Sky Fishes. But if you purchase a Five Million Extol One Whistle, I'll protect you…"

"… … …Huh? What are you talking about?" Luffy questioned as he and everyone else tilted their head in confusion.

The Sky Knight nearly fell comically when he heard this. "Now listen! That price is quite reasonable! I can't afford to lower it a single Extol more! I need to earn a living too!"

"Uh, we understand your plight, really!" Aoi assured, "It's just…"

"What we're trying to say is: what the heck is an Extol?" Shiho finished, "We can't give you something we have no knowledge of, can we?"

"And what's this 'One Whistle' thing, or whatever you call it?" Kaoru added, "If you want us to buy, you got to tell us what it is first, Old Man…"

Upon hearing this, the Sky Knight blinked in astonishment. "You don't know!? I don't understand; you came from the summit of the High West, didn't you!? Surely you must have passed an island or two…"

"I still don't know what you're talking about," Luffy grumbled at the Sky Knight's roundabout answer.

"…!? Wait, hold on!" Nami suddenly exclaimed, "Let me get this straight! You're saying that there's another we could have gotten up here where we would have pass an island or two!? As in there is more than one Sky Island!?"

"EH~~!?" the Children exclaimed in revelation, "More than one Sky Island!?"

"…What!?" The Sky Knight managed in shock, "Don't tell you travel by way of-!?"

"We rode up on the Knock-Up Stream," Robin informed.

"My word~~! That monstrous current!? So, there are still souls in the world brave enough to make the attempt!"

"I wouldn't call our attempt bravery," Aoi sweat dropped as she remembers how they had tried to persuade Luffy to not take the Knock-Up Stream.

"… …Wait a minute," Shiho managed with a pale face, "If what I am hearing is correct, then in this day and era there wasn't a need to take such a risky method to get here! And that means…"

Kaoru thought about for a moment she understood with a shock. "We pointlessly risked our lives!?"

"I knew it~! So we really risked our lives for nothing~!" Nami wept in agony before comically strangling Luffy in rage, "Are you happy now!? We could have all been killed; if we had just asked around a little bit more, we could have found a safer way to get here~~~!"

"…Did you lose any of your crew?" the Sky Knight suddenly asked.

"No," Luffy answered as he was getting strangled, "We all made it~!"

"Then you can consider yourself fortunate. Had you taken a different route, one or two of you would have survived the journey but the rest of you would have perished. That's the gamble; by way of the Knock-Up Stream, either everyone dies or everyone survives; those are the only two possible outcome. Not many are willing to accept that sort of all-or-nothing risk, especially these days; if nothing else, I see now that you are navigators of exceptional bravery and skill…"

"Ah-! In other words," Aoi concluded, "even if we did find another way, the Knock-Up Stream remains our only option since we don't want to lose even one of us…"

"What kind of set up is this~!?" Shiho grumbled, "A choice between all-or-nothing and win-some-lose-some!? How is that remotely reasonable!?"

"Whatever the case," Kaoru snickered, "Taking the Knock-Up Stream prove our ability as fearless sailors, huh?"

"Yeah~!" Usopp suddenly gloated, having finally stepped out of his sobering mess, "Well, I hate to take all the credit, but see when things get scary and these guys were all screaming for their mommies, I was the one who stood and said-!"

"Ahem!" Shiho coughed as Kaoru and Aoi lightly kicked the back of Usopp's knees while Nami angrily pinched the corner of his mouth.

"Ouch! … …Nothing at all…"

"Thought so," Nami and Shiho huffed.

"This is the One Whistle," The Sky Knight suddenly stated as he toss a small silver whistle at the Straw Hats, with Aoi promptly catching it, "you may use it as you see fit. Should you find yourself in danger, you have but to blow on it and I will come to your aid. As I said normally I would charge you Five Million Extol, please accept this as my gift to you…"

"Hey wait!" Nami called as the Sky Knight prepare himself to leave, "We still don't know your name!"

The Sky Knight hesitates on this question before turning to the Straw Hats again. "My name is Gan Fall, and this is my partner Pierre…"

The bird, Pierre, cawed in acknowledgement.

"Despite his appearances, he is no ordinary bird. He is one who had eaten the Horse-Horse Fruit…"

"…! Horse-Horse Fruit!?" Shiho gasped, "Doesn't that sound like-!?"

"A Devil Fruit!?" Kaoru exclaimed excitedly.

"Indeed," Gan Fall nodded as he boarded Pierre as it suddenly began to morph, "which means he can become a winged horse!"

"Seriously!?" Aoi awed with twinkles in her eyes, "So that means Pierre can a Pegasus-!?"

Unfortunately for the Children (as well for all other fairytale loving girls, characters and readers alike), Pierre hybrid form which was supposed to make him look like an idea Pegasus looks more like a deform large donkey with wings, with most of Pierre's feature still present making him even more unpleasant to look at.

'…It's a little bit off…' Everyone thought with a sweat drop.

"I wish you luck, Brave Travelers~!" With that final phrase, Gan Fall and Pierre flew off into the distance.

"…Am I the only one who finds that bizarre?" Sanji wondered aloud breaking the awkward silent.

"No, you're not," Shiho admitted.

"I don't get," Kaoru mumbled, "Was there even a reason for it to transform?"

"Good question," Everyone else responded with a collective sweat drop.

"… …In the end," Robin sweat dropped, "he didn't tell us anything useful, did he?"

"…Yeah~!" Usopp managed, "Nothing actually…"

"Well," Aoi sighed, "We're back to square one, I guess…"

"Yeah," Zoro grumbled, "Where are we supposed to go from here-?"

"I know!" Luffy cheered as he snatch the whistle out of Aoi's hand prepare to blow into it, "Let's call the Old Man back and ask him-!"

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, LUFFY!" Nami and Usopp comically stopped Luffy from blowing the whistle by a combination of strangling him and comically pulling his face away from the whistle, "You don't blow that whistle to ask for direction! It supposed to be for emergencies only!"

"Yeah~!" Aoi teleported the whistle out of Luffy's hand and back into hers, "What if that Guerilla guy that attacked us comes back again!? You want to get us blown up!?"

"I'll tell you what," Zoro began, "For now let's just keep moving…"

"…! Hey, look over there, you guys!" Chopper suddenly hollered as he stares off into the distance again.

"Not another Guerilla, right~?" Shiho pondered nervously.

"Uh, no…"

"…? What is that?" Robin pondered as she too spotted what Chopper saw.

"It looks like a bunch of funny-looking clouds…"

"It looks more like a waterfall if you ask me," Shiho noted as she stared at the distant set of cloud that oddly enough looks like a waterfall.

"Okay then, that settles it," Zoro shrugged, "We go that way and check it out…"

"I second that," Aoi nodded, "Better than hanging around the place where we were attack just a while ago…"

"Yosh~! Everyone, set sail~!" Luffy called excitedly.

It didn't take them long to navigate the ship closer to the supposed waterfall-like clouds. Sailing up to it was actually much easier as the Children found out. The sea of clouds offers very little resistance against the Merry Go's advancement. And while the ship is still operational by air power or by Kaoru's power, the Merry Go still function just as well in if it was sailing in a calm lake.

It was smooth sailing until Nami, who had been keeping an eye on the Log Pose, suddenly call out, "Hey, hold on a second! Stop the boat here!"

Without questioning, Kaoru used her power to halt the advancement of the ship.

"…? Why are we stopping?" Shiho wondered; just because Kaoru is willing to do what Nami ask without question, it doesn't she has to keep silent about it.

"Why? That's why!" Nami pointed ahead at what looks like a set of large clouds that rose well above the rest of the sea of clouds.

"It looks like our road is block," Robin pointed out.

"What do we do?" Chopper wondered.

"Those big clouds look like they're floating on top of the ocean," Sanji observed, "like icebergs…"

"So what?" Usopp mused, "They're cloud-bergs?"

"Well there's obvious something different about them," Aoi noted, closing her eyes and concentrating, "Hmm~! I feel a little resistance from them, like they're actually solid…"

"Impossible, clouds are clouds in the end; I'll just blow them off," Kaoru offered as she activate her powers to create an air current that blew against the set of Cloud-bergs. But instead of blowing apart like normal clouds do when suddenly hit by a burst of wind, it deform a bit before returning to its relatively original shape, not even moving much. "Huh!? What happen!?"

"Let me try!" Luffy volunteered as he winded up his arm before shooting it forward, "Gum-Gum Pistol~!"

To everyone's shock, though, while Luffy's fist did touch the clouds it, it contract a bit at the area Luffy had punch before deflect it off with a soft BOING~!

"EEH~~!" The Children gasped at this, "Luffy's fist bounced off~!"

"So cool~~~!" Luffy exclaimed in excitement as he suddenly jump towards the set of Cloud-bergs.

"Wait-! Luffy! Don't, you could-!" Shiho called only to cut herself off as she witness Luffy actually landing and standing on the Cloud-bergs without falling through, "…EH~~~!?"

"Hey look~~~, I'm not sinking~~~!" Luffy laughed, stating the obvious as he bounced around on the cloud like it was a bouncing playhouse, "It's all fluffy and bouncy~~~! It's great~~~, you guys got to try this~~~! Come on, it's fun~~~!"

"…How…does this work?" Nami managed in her shock.

"It's a mystery," Robin admitted.

"A chance of a lifetime~~~!" The Children cheered as they, Chopper and Usopp hopped onto the cloud as well.

"Ah~~~!" Shiho sighed as she lazed about on the cloud, "It's so soft~~~!"

"It's like resting on a gigantic marshmallow pillow," Kaoru glee.

"Marshmallow~~~!" Luffy drooled at the comparison.

"Maybe I can just take a nap like this," Aoi suggested.

"Don't just come up here to doze off, come on and have some fun~~~!" Usopp chuckled as he began bouncing around with Chopper, causing the other to start bouncing around and enjoying themselves too.

"…Hmm," Nami meanwhile pondered at the predicament they're in, "Well, it's obvious now we can't sail through these clouds; we have to find a way to get around them somehow…"

Nami thought about for a moment before yelling back at the six who were enjoying themselves on the Cloud-berg.

"Hey~! You guys see if you can spot a route the ship can take~!"

"Oh, yeah~!" Kaoru and Luffy holler back, "Okay~!"

"…! Oi, Luffy," Shiho hollered from a little ways off with Usopp, "Kaoru, come check this out~!"

"What!? What is it!?"

"Hey-! Where do you think you're going!?" Nami shouted as she watch Kaoru and Luffy run off, completely forgetting what she had told them to do earlier, "Get back here and quit playing around!"

"Do you see what I see, Usopp?" Shiho meanwhile wondered alongside Usopp as he used his specialize goggles to get a better look at what they saw.

"I'm seeing it," Usopp replied as Kaoru and Luffy arrive to see the same thing with a shock, "But I don't believe it~!"

"…! Isn't that a-?" Luffy managed in shock.

"We better tell the others about this!" Kaoru concluded as she and the others race back.

"…A gate!?" Nami gasped, "Are you sure!?"

"Yeah, a big one!" Luffy informed, "It's up ahead beneath that waterfall-like thing!"

"And it didn't look like a cloud at all," Shiho added, "It was all colorful and solid looking…"

"Yeah, like it was made of-!" Kaoru managed before Aoi and Chopper, who had rolled off the cloud as they were having fun, landed hard on hers and Usopp's heads respectively, "GAH-!"

"Still having fun, Aoi?" Shiho asked sarcastically as the aforementioned nursed her swollen head.

"…Ugh, as I was saying…stone…"

"A stone gate?" Nami hummed in thought, "Did you guys by any chance see the route to take us there?"

"Yeah," Shiho nodded, "I'll lead the way…"

"So there's a manmade structure up here in the cloud?" Sanji pondered as Shiho directed the ship through some waterway route to take the ship to the gate.

"At this point," Robin chuckled, "I'm not sure anything we find up here will surprise me…"

"Well," Luffy grinned in anticipation, "We'll see soon enough…"

"Take a left next!" Chopper called.

"No take a right!" Usopp argued.

"But it's to the left!"

"It's on the right!"

"It's to our left," Shiho hollered from the stirring rod of the ship, "Honestly you were there, Usopp, how could YOU get it wrong!?"

"…A-Are you sure?" Usopp asked hopefully in embarrassment.

"I'll call the Old Knight Guy-!" Luffy offered as he snatch the One Whistle from Aoi to blow on it, only for Usopp and Chopper comically stopping him from doing so which gave Aoi the time she need to teleport the whistle back into her hands.

"Hey, we're here!" Nami informed once the ship reach a point where the gate is visible.

Everyone couldn't help but awe at the strangely divine sight. It was an oddly shape structure that looks more like docking station, and it was definitely not naturally made.

"Yep," Sanji managed, "that's a gate alright…"

"And look," Nami noted, "Those strange clouds we saw really is some kind of waterfall. They're coming down on those Cloud-bergs…"

"…Hold on, am I reading this right?" Usopp sweated nervously as he read the not-so-easily-miss sign above the gate, "Heaven's Gate? What's that all about~? It sounds like a place you go when you die~!"

"T-That isn't really true," Aoi quickly thought up some sort of excuse, "I-In ancient text, there are plenty of ways to go to Heaven without dying…"

"Yeah," Kaoru shrugged, "But if you ask me, it's not a very original name…"

"I think you're missing the basic point, Kaoru," Shiho sweat dropped.

"Yeah? Well now that you mention it maybe we are dead," Zoro chuckled, "Did you ever think about that, huh?"

"Huh," Sanji hummed in thought, "You know that would actually go a long way in explaining this weird place…"

"But I don't want to be dead!" Chopper exclaimed comically in horror.

Luffy laughed. "Who cares~? We're here, right?"

"Yeah~!" Kaoru giggled, "Wherever this gate goes, I'm going-!"

"Will you idiots get serious!?" Nami shouted as she comically smacked Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, Sanji and the Children's head.

"Ow! What was that for!?" Zoro grimaced from the impact.

"If you're making a joke, it's not funny!"

"So why did you hit me too?" Chopper comically wept.

"We were just in the line of fire," Aoi place a comforting hand on Chopper's shoulder.

"…! Wait, over there!" Shiho suddenly noted, pointing over to area in the gateway, "There's someone coming out!"

Everyone turn to see a short very elderly woman with an extensively wrinkled face. She has purple hair, put into two buns. She has thin arms, and wears a pink tunic, and has small white wings on her back. She was currently taking pictures, and judging from the direction she was taking their pictures.

"Look!" Chopper exclaimed, "S-She got wings!"

"Wow~!" Luffy awed, "That's what Sky People looks like? She's so wrinkly~!"

"…I'm pretty sure that's just because she's elderly," Aoi sweat dropped.

"Yeah," Shiho replied in the same manner, "There's got to be younger ones…"

"… …Uh, hello!" Nami began when the old lady didn't do anything once she was done taking pictures, "Who are you?"

"I am Amazon," The Old Lady introduced, "The Heaven's Gate inspector. State your business: Sightseeing, Warmongering, or others?"

"…I-I guess it's kind of like sightseeing…"

"We want to go to the Sky Islands!" Luffy added, "They're passed this gate right?"

"Can we say all of the above?" Zoro wondered.

"We're not here looking for a fight, Zoro-han!" Aoi comically exclaimed.

"Well I am…"

"You're impossible!"

"…It makes little difference," Amazon simply stated, "If you wish to proceed, you must first pay the entrance fee of One Billion Extol per person. That is the law…"

"WHAT!?" Usopp exclaimed in shock, "One Billion!?"

"They're really big on these Extol things, aren't they?" Sanji managed.

"I can't even count that high," Kaoru frowned as she stared at her hands.

"I don't think anyone can," Shiho sweat dropped.

"How much that is in Belis I wonder?" Usopp scratch his head on his own question.

"It's got to be a lot," Chopper concluded, "I mean, it's one billion of anything. It sounds expensive…"

"A billion per person," Robin noted, "Which makes Ten Billion in total…"

"Something's fishy here," Usopp frowned in distrust, "Ten Billion just to go through a stupid gate? I think the old bag is trying to scam us-!"

"Listen!" Nami called as she sealed Usopp mouth with her hand, "About the money, what if, you know, we don't have it?"

"Hey, we still have some Belis. If we just ask for a proper-!" Shiho began, before Nami stomped down on her feet, "…! EEK-!"

"You may still pass," Amazon replied in the meantime.

"WHAT!?" Kaoru comically backslap the air, "Seriously~!?"

"The choice is yours~! I won't certainly try to stop you~!"

"Eh~?" Everyone blinked in confusion.

"My job description does not require me to actually guard the gate. I'm merely here to ask your intentions…"

Everyone gave each puzzling look before Luffy suddenly nodded as if he understood. "Well, that settles it! We want to go to the Sky Islands!"

"But we don't have the money," Kaoru added, "so we can't pay you!"

"Very well," Amazon nodded, "The ten of you then?"

"…? Yeah," Luffy nodded, "…Except, well, we still need you to tell us how to get there-!"

But before Luffy could even finish her sentence, giant orange claws appear over the sides of the ship and clamp themselves and what remains of the ship's wings.

"What-!?" Kaoru exclaimed in shock, "What the heck is that!?"

"The White Sea's famous Express Lobster," Amazon informed as the creature the claws belong to appear directly beneath the ship.

"Lobster!?"

Truly it is a lobster, only gigantic almost double the sizes of the ship itself. It was facing backwards as it start speeding its way towards the waterfall, of course traveling backwards.

"It's a giant lobster~~!" Chopper cried.

"We're moving~~!" Usopp screamed as he and everyone else hanged on for dear life.

"It's taking us up the waterfall!" Zoro informed.

"Everyone, hang on tight!" Nami ordered.

"Well what do you think we're doing!?" Shiho exclaimed.

"It's going so fast," Aoi managed.

"Whew~~~!" Kaoru and Luffy cheered as they stared

In no time, the Merry Go had clear away from the Heaven's Gate. This of course didn't allow them to see or hear Amazon as she file in a report through a transmission device.

"This is Heaven's Gate Inspector Amazon," Amazon reported with a smirk, "Here me now, to the Almighty God above and his Holy Priest, I bare dire news of ten illegal entries has passed into God's lands, Skypiea! Bestow upon them Heaven's Judgment~!"

Shiho (snickering): "You see~~? Usopp did do something stupid~~!"

Usopp (weeping): "Stop~~~! I don't want to remember~~~!"

Aoi (sweat dropping): "Well, she did warn you…"

Kaoru (fuming): "On that note, there are so many things I don't understand in this chapter! What the is a Extol? Who was that Guerrilla and why was he trying to sink us!? And how can he running on the clouds like that!? I'm sure he's not an Esper…"

Normama (laughing): "I'm sure you have a lot of question, but for now you'll just have to wait… …or if you can't wait, you can always buy the One Piece manga and read about it…"

Kaoru (gawking): "EH~~~!? But those cost a lot~~~!"

Normama: "I know, so I guess you just have to stay tune and find out!"

Shiho (shrugging): "Well, regardless, next time we finally get to where we want it: Sky Island! Attractions includes beaches of clouds, tropical fruits, and an old man surfing! So until then, please review~~!"