One Piece: Burning the Sun God to Ash

The clouds obscuring their vision gradually dispersed.

A massive, angular golden gate shaped like a many-pointed star slowly came into view before their eyes.

On the resplendent golden gate hung a plaque, on which was written: "HEAVENS·GATE·".

Behind it was a white waterfall flowing in reverse, suspended upside down and stretching up into the sky.

This was the entrance to the divine realm—Heaven's Gate.

"Waaah!!!!!"

"That's incredible!!!"

"But..."

"Heaven's Gate... sounds kind of ominous, doesn't it...?"

"No."

"Maybe... we're already dead~"

"Hahahahahahaha."

"What!!!"

As the warship sailed forward, the golden gate entered everyone's line of sight.

Cries of amazement echoed again and again. At that moment, a squad of guards emerged from a building inside the gate.

Seeing someone appear, Sakazuki ordered the ship to stop, and the warship gradually slowed down.

By the time it stopped, it had come to rest right beside the terrace where the guards had appeared.

The guards were dressed in uniformed armor and held long spears upright in their hands.

Most astonishing of all was the pair of white wings on their backs. Sakazuki gave a nod to his adjutant.

The adjutant jumped off the ship and began conversing with the guards.

"Hello, may I ask how to address you?"

"Greetings, adventurers from the Blue Sea. I am Grey Hodgson, Captain of the 9th Squad of the Divine Guard."

"What is the purpose of your visit?"

"We've come in search of a lost island."

"An island?"

"Yes, it's called Jaya Island. Have you heard of it?"

"Uh... no, perhaps it lies in some corner of the White Sea."

"There are countless small sky islands on the White Sea. All I can say is, good luck."

"I see. Thank you."

"By the way, may we enter the divine realm for some sightseeing?"

"Of course. For sightseeing, each person must pay 100 million Extol."

"Hiss!"

"100 million?"

The adjutant gasped sharply and couldn't help but ask again.

"Yes, 100 million Extol."

"That's... pretty expensive..."

"Expensive? Didn't you exchange currency before coming here?"

"Exchange?"

"...That's strange. Normally, there are several key islands one must pass through to get here. Didn't you stop at any of them?"

"Uh... actually, we came up using the Knock-Up Stream."

"!!!!!!"

"You used that monstrous current???"

Hodgson's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the warship, glancing around before eventually showing admiration.

"To make it up without a scratch... you're monsters."

"Not really. It was dangerous, but we made it through."

The adjutant responded humbly. Hodgson looked speechless. Good grief.

"Dangerous but fine," he says so casually.

"That current is a monster."

"Very few manage to ride it up successfully. Even those who do often suffer massive losses."

"But looking at you all, not a scratch."

"Just luck, pure luck."

"You think I'll believe that... whatever. Let's return to the previous topic."

"Extol converts to your Blue Sea's Belly at a rate of 10,000 to 1."

"Which means 10,000 Belly per person."

"Phew, I see. Just a moment."

The adjutant returned to the ship to confer with Sakazuki.

Then he brought down 10.02 million Belly and handed it over to Hodgson for inspection.

"Hmm, 1,002 people?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Please return to the ship and hold onto the railing."

"Enjoy your journey."

"And do not approach the divine island, Upper Yard."

"That is the dwelling of God. Outsiders are forbidden to enter."

Toot!!!!!

At the sound of Hodgson's whistle—

Several massive lobsters surfaced from the water and surrounded the warship.

They extended two giant claws that gripped the ship tightly.

The adjutant jumped back on board. The express lobsters began moving, surging upward along the reverse-flowing white waterfall.

Only now did everyone realize—the interior of the inverted white waterfall was actually a spiral staircase made of clouds.

The express lobsters pulled the warship upward, speeding toward the top of the spiral staircase...

Watching the warship disappear into the cloud path, Hodgson took out a shell and pressed it.

"This is Hodgson, Captain of the 9th Squad of the Divine Guard, reporting to the merciful God."

"A group of powerful adventurers claiming to be Marines rode the Knock-Up Stream and entered the divine realm."

"Requesting..."

...

Divine Island, Upper Yard.

A pure white palace stood tall.

Elegant cloud patterns were carved into its walls. Inside, upon the throne—

A long-bearded man set down the shell in his hand and summoned a guard to give him a few instructions.

"Marines, huh..."

He walked out of the palace. Gan Fall gazed up at the sky, momentarily lost in thought.

Whatever he was thinking, determination gradually filled his eyes. He returned to the hall and picked up the notebook on the table.

"It can't be delayed any longer..."

This endless war must be brought to an end. Too many lives have been lost...

...

As the blinding sunlight above grew closer—

Boom!

They burst out of the cloud staircase. The express lobsters detached, and the warship plunged into the cloud sea.

Before them appeared an island composed of massive vines and white clouds intertwined.

Angel Island.

Countless giant vine branches extended into the sky.

Clouds were scattered across the far-reaching branches, and houses resembling castles stood atop them.

Endless white staircases connected each cloud, and children of the angelic race—sporting white wings—ran and played on the stairs.

"Wow!!!"

"This is amazing, such massive plants."

"A world made of clouds..."

"By the way..."

"Have you all noticed that it's getting harder to breathe?"

"Yeah, I felt it a bit down below, but it's definitely worse now."

"That's because we're more than 10,000 meters above the Blue Sea. The air is thin. People with weaker constitutions will feel unwell—some might even die from oxygen deprivation."

The adjutant explained to the soldiers aboard, then turned to look at Cricket.

He was the only child aboard the ship, but the adjutant noticed that Cricket showed no signs of discomfort.

Cricket sensed the gaze and spoke up.

"I'm fine, no need to worry about me."

"I've been diving into the sea looking for ruins since I was little, so I'm used to low-oxygen conditions."

"Alright. If you start to feel unwell, let us know right away."

"Mm!"

...

After ordering the soldiers to move freely, Sakazuki began exploring the surroundings with Cricket, taking in the scenery different from the Blue Sea.

Half a day later, a messenger appeared, interrupting their brief moment of leisure.

"Reporting, Vice Admiral Sakazuki."

"An angelic being claiming to be a Divine Guard said that 'God' is requesting your presence."

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