One Piece: Lightning's Heir

The line between sea and sky blurred. A colossal current—carrying the force to send an island skyward, erupted from the ocean's depths.

"BOOM!!!"

The sound was deafening. Like a curtain—vast and overwhelming, it stretched across Islands - a sight of breathtaking grandeur.

The power of nature was beyond human comprehension. Black Bear LaBeouf, who had already fled beyond the current's reach, was still gasping for breath, his heart pounding with lingering fear.

He stared at the towering pillar of water, a mixture of awe and terror etched on his face. If he had been a moment slower, hesitated for even a second, he would be dead. His ship would be nothing but splinters, his crew, lost to the depths.

A fleeting thought crossed his mind—the boy, the one who had jumped into the sea.

...

"Hahahaha!" Arthur laughed, a wild, unrestrained sound—He had waited five years for this, five years of planning, of pretending. And now, his moment had finally arrived.

This was just the first step, the first step towards reaching the pinnacle of this world!

He was a strong swimmer; his rigorous training had seen to that—He had also spent the last five years fishing with the villagers of Jaya.

His physical strength was immense—his lung capacity incredible, allowing him to hold his breath underwater for an astonishing amount of time.

Arthur took a deep breath and plunged into the water, swimming towards the center of the towering water column. The edges were too risky; he might fall out. Only the center guaranteed a successful ascent to Sky Island.

Remember, Sky Island had two layers—The first was at around 23,000 to 26,000 feet, the second at 33,000 feet.

They were separated by a few thousand feet. Only the second layer was where Arthur desired to be.

Enel's home—Birka, was at 33,000 feet. To get the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Arthur needed to meet Enel, to know his location.

In the original story, Enel was in his thirties when Luffy defeated him. Right now, it was 1493, meaning Enel was probably in his teens.

He might be older, he might be younger.

But it didn't matter—Once Arthur reached Sky Island, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit would be his. He could follow Enel or search for it himself. It was only a matter of time.

....

The immense force of the current carried everything upwards. Debris from the seabed, fish, all were swept up.

Some fell back down midway. Others would remain in the sky forever. Maybe one day they would fall back into the Blue Sea during a shift in the White Sea's cumulonimbus clouds.

Arthur was in the very center of the rising current, holding his breath, his cheeks puffed out. He was excited, looking at the fish swimming around him.

Time passed. Arthur could feel the current slowing. It was still rising, but not as forcefully.

He knew he had passed through the White Sea at around 25,000 feet. He was less than 7,000 feet from the White-White Sea, from Sky Island.

"Damn it, I'm running out of air. Already?" Arthur's face was flushed—his body weakening. The Lack of oxygen was making him dizzy.

"Hold on, hold on! My dream is within reach!" He was desperate, so close. Failure here was unacceptable.

If he reached Sky Island but failed to get the fruit, he could only blame his bad luck and grumble a bit. But failing on the way up? Unthinkable! That was not an option.

Failure meant death. There was no second chance.

"Is this where my journey ends? No—I absolutely refuse!"

Arthur grimaced, holding onto his last shred of consciousness. Darkness closed in. He passed out.

....

Sky Island was a place beyond human reach—33,000 feet above the Blue Sea. Most people thought it was a myth, a fantasy.

That was because most who tried to reach it died. Only the exceptionally strong, or the exceptionally lucky, survived, a mere handful. So, legends of Sky Island circulated on the seas, but no one could prove its existence.

There were only two ways to get there: one was to ride the rising sea current, like Arthur. The other was to enter the White Sea at around 23,000 feet via the High West.

A gentle breeze blew. Soft, comfortable island clouds were beneath him...

"Gah!!"

"Cough! Cough!"

Arthur gasped, coughing up seawater. He opened his eyes, clutching his head. It felt like it was splitting open. His body, starved of oxygen, was now functioning normally again.

Sky Island was high up. The air was thin. But it was enough to bring him back.

"Hahahaha! I made it..." Arthur pushed himself up—grabbing a handful of the soft, white island cloud. He was certain. This was where he had longed to be.

Tears streamed down his face as he laughed—His first step, the hardest step, was a success.

He wiped away the tears, squinting. His vision was blurry, like he was severely nearsighted.

He could only rely on common sense. The sea breeze was coming from the White-White Sea.

The restricted blood flow had definitely affected his vision.

"Nothing to worry about," he mumbled to himself. "Just a temporary side effect. A little rest, and my vision should be back to normal."

Arthur wasn't worried. He was just excited.

He had waited years for this, paid the price. Now, he could finally relax. He felt lighter.

Taking small steps, he came to the edge of the White-White Sea and sat down, reaching out to feel for any shells that might have washed up.

He was starving. He needed food. Otherwise—he wouldn't have the strength to deal with any surprises.

There were many types of shells on Sky Island. Arthur found a bunch, even with his eyes closed.

He brought them close, able to tell they were non-toxic and could be eaten raw.

The altitude didn't give him altitude sickness, so he could eat raw food without vomiting. Strong people had better adaptability. He was most proud of his body's ability to adapt and recover quickly. It was practically a superpower in itself.

After a good meal, Arthur's vision was a little better. He began to explore.

He needed to gather information as quickly as possible. That way, he could take the initiative and form a plan.

Behind him was the White-White Sea. Only in front of him were white island clouds. The choice was obvious. Arthur adjusted his animal-hide clothing and walked forward.

Island clouds were strange. They felt different than solid ground.

Walking on them felt unsafe—like you might fall through at any moment. It was a disconcerting feeling, enough to make anyone feel a little nervous.