Sailing into the Sky

A massive, spotted sea king with a gaping maw full of sharp teeth bursts from the ocean surface, roaring "RAAAWWWRRRR!!!" and "GRAAAAA!" with a loud "RUMBLE". However, the giant beast is immediately sucked into a colossal whirlpool, sinking with a "GLUB" "GLUB". Nearby, the Going Merry looks tiny as it teeters on the edge of the swirling vortex. On the deck, Usopp, Chopper, and Nami scream in absolute terror, their eyes bulging and jaws dropping, while Luffy stares ahead with a mix of shock and awe. The sea king's roar fades into a "RAAAWWWR..." as it disappears into the depths.

A wide view reveals the sheer scale of the gigantic whirlpool, its dark, swirling waters pulling everything toward the center with a loud "SPLASH...". In the distance, Masira's ship manages to stay clear of the pull. Masira waves toward the Merry, yelling, "Alright, then! The rest is up to you!" Luffy cheerfully waves back, shouting, "Okay! Thanks for getting us here!" while Usopp screams in panic, "NOO, WAAIIT!" On the Merry's deck, the crew is in full meltdown. Nami cries hysterically, "I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT GOING IN A GIANT WHIRLPOOL! THEY DUPED US!" Chopper wails, "JOOEE! GAAAHHHHHHHH!" Usopp, clutching his head, screams, "YOU GOTTA BE KIDDIN' ME! YOU BASICALLY DRAGGED US TO AN EXECUTION! GET US THE HELL OUTTA HERE, YOU LUNATICS!"

The Going Merry is dragged closer to the dark, churning center of the whirlpool. Voices cry out in panic: "AGHHHH! NIGHT'S ALREADY FALLEN ON US!" and "THE WHIRLPOOL'S SUCKING US IN CLOSER AND CLOSER!" Usopp, tears streaming down his face, pleads with his captain, "LUFFY, LET'S TURN BACK! WE MIGHT STILL MAKE IT IF WE TURN AROUND NOW! YOU SAW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT SEA KING! THAT WHIRLPOOL ALONE WILL KILL US, LET ALONE THE BLAST FROM THE KNOCK-UP STREAM!" Nami agrees, shouting, "SKY ISLAND'S JUST SOME FANTASY AMONG FANTASIES!" Luffy remains silent, looking forward. Nami continues, "A fantasy among fantasies...? You're right! Exactly, Luffy! I think it's impossible too!" Suddenly, Luffy turns around with a massive, thrilled grin on his face. He declares, "AN ADVENTURE ON A FANTASY-ISLAND AMONG FANTASIES!? WE'D REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES IF WE GAVE THIS CHANCE UP!"

Nami, Usopp, and Chopper stare at Luffy, completely exasperated by his excitement. Nami sighs, "HE'S TOTALLY STOKED...!" while Usopp mutters, "HE..." Zoro, standing calmly with his hand resting on his sword, points out, "Guys, while you were making a futile last-ditch attempt to dissuade our captain... The whirlpool swallowed us." Usopp looks up in shock, "What is it now?" The Going Merry plunges over the edge, falling into the massive abyss of the whirlpool. Sanji yells, "Nami, leap into my arms!" Usopp screams, "GAHHH! WE'RE FAAAAAAAALLIIIINNNNGGGG!" as a chorus of terrified screams echoes, "AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly, the violent swirling stops. The ocean surface calms down, leaving only a gentle "SPLASH...". The crew looks around the deck in utter confusion. Luffy asks, "Wha!?" Usopp wonders, "What happened!?" Sanji questions, "Why'd it disappear!?" and Chopper asks, "How could that gigantic whirlpool just suddenly vanish!?" Nami stares down at the water, her face pale and sweating. She realizes what is happening and says, "No... The whirlpool's already been negated at the ocean floor! It's starting...!" Luffy looks confused, "...Huh?" and Usopp stammers, "Wait, wha!?"

Zoro notices something approaching and says, "Hm?" Luffy points and says, "Hey, Zoro. Over there." Usopp looks through his sniper goggles and yells, "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" A massive raft made of giant logs, bearing a huge Jolly Roger with three skulls, sails toward them. Standing at the front is Marshall D. Teach, also known as Blackbeard. He laughs boisterously, "ZEHAHAHA! I CAUGHT UP TO YOU AT LAST, STRAW HAT LUFFY!" Blackbeard opens his mouth wide, shouting, "SAY YOUR PRAYERS! I'VE COME FOR THAT 100 MILLION BELI HEAD OF YOURS!" Sanji asks, "Who're they?" Nami, recognizing them, replies, "Ah... Those are the guys from Mocktown..."

As Blackbeard's massive raft pulls up alongside the Going Merry, Zoro says, "Beats me...!" Luffy asks, "Who're they...? Their friends?" Blackbeard holds up two wanted posters, yelling, "There's now a 100 million beli bounty posted for your head! And as for your friend, 'Pirate Hunter Zoro,' there's a 60 million beli bounty!" Luffy looks confused, "100 million beli head? What're you talking about?" Blackbeard realizes, "Ah, so you really didn't know, did you...! Hm? Why're the skies so dark here?" Usopp looks through his goggles and confirms, "He's right! Those are the new wanted posters! Zoro! There's a bounty on your head now!" Sanji gets angry, "What!? Hey, what about me!? There's one for me too, right!?" Usopp flatly replies, "Nope." Sanji insists, "Look closer!" Usopp repeats, "Still nope." Nami pieces it together, "...Ah! The Alabasta incident must have raised the bounties! I can't believe it's 100 mil..." Zoro smirks, "Can't say I'm satisfied with just 60 million." Luffy laughs excitedly, "Hear that!? 100 million!" Nami furiously yells at them, "STOP BEING SO DAMN HAPPY ABOUT IT!"

Masira looks up at the dark sky, sweating nervously. He mutters, "IT'S COMING... THE KNOCK-UP STREAM...!" He quickly turns to his crew, yelling, "Hey! Hey, guys! Don't get distracted!" Suddenly, the ocean surface beneath the Going Merry and Blackbeard's raft begins to bulge upward, forming a massive dome of water. Blackbeard looks down in shock, "Huh? What's going on?" His crewmates are equally confused, with one yelling, "Prepare to die!" On the Merry, panic ensues. Sanji orders, "ALL CREW ON DECK! GRAB ONTO SOMETHING OR HEAD INSIDE!" Usopp screams, "GYAAA! THE SEA'S GONNA BLAST US INTO SMITHEREENS!" Luffy stares at the rising water, wide-eyed, "Wha...!?"

A colossal explosion of water erupts from the ocean, shooting a massive, blindingly white pillar straight up into the sky. The sheer force of the Knock-Up Stream shatters Blackbeard's log raft into pieces, sending the logs and his crew flying through the air. Voices scream in terror, "AAAAAGGHHHHHHH!" and "AAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!" as the devastating blast dominates the scene with a deafening roar.

Mont Blanc Cricket sits quietly, taking a drag from his cigarette with a soft "INHALE...". The scene shifts to a wide view of his house on the shore. In the distance, the colossal pillar of water from the Knock-Up Stream towers over the ocean, reaching high into the dark clouds above. The sheer scale of the eruption is visible from miles away, a massive vertical column connecting the sea to the sky.

The massive waves generated by the eruption toss Masira and Shoujou's ships violently. Voices cry out, "HOLD STEADY!" "OH NO! OUR SHIP'S GONNA CAPSIZE" "DON'T BE TOSSED OFF!" and "AAAAAAAAGHHHHH!" Despite the chaos, Masira and Shoujou are shown in a close-up, grinning wildly with excitement. Together, they shout, "FLY UP TO SKY ISLAND!" The towering pillar of water continues to blast upward, piercing through the clouds with a thunderous roar.

The Going Merry is caught in the Knock-Up Stream, riding vertically up the side of the massive water pillar. Voices scream, "W-WHAT'S GOING ON!?" and "AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" as the ship ascends. Usopp yells, "THE SHIP'S RIDING ALONG THE PILLAR OF WATER!" Chopper, clinging to the railing, asks, "How's this even possible!?" Luffy, however, is having the time of his life, cheering, "WOOHOO! THIS IS AWESOME!" Nami feels a breeze and says, "Wind...!?" Luffy throws his arms up and shouts, "YAHOO! LET'S GO STRAIGHT UP TO THE SKY! GO, MERRY, GO!"

Sanji, with a cigarette in his mouth, looks down and warns, "Wait a second...! I don't think this is as good as it seems...!" Zoro asks, "Why, what is it?" Usopp adds, "What's wrong? Did you leave something behind?" Sanji explains, "THE ENTIRE SHIP'S BEGINNING TO FLOAT OFF THE WATER STREAM!" Usopp panics, "WHAT!? AT THIS RATE, WE'RE GONNA GET KNOCKED OFF THE STREAM AND FALL BACK DOWN!" Chopper cries, "E-e-even if we know that, just what can we do!? We're barely hanging onto our lives as it is already!" Suddenly, the giant sea king that was sucked into the whirlpool earlier falls past them, its mouth wide open. Chopper screams, "AAAHH! WHAT'S THAT!?" Usopp yells, "A SEA KING! It must be the one that got sucked in earlier!"

The sea king plummets downward as Sanji notes, "It's only a matter of time until that happens to us too!" Usopp realizes their grim situation, "But we're only flying up right now from the impact of the blast! It's not like we can just fly the rest of the distance from here..." Sanji asks, "So this was just a natural calamity after all!?" Chopper cries out, "AGHHHH! All the things that were sucked in by the knock-up stream are starting to fall down! WE'RE GONNA CRASH DOWN INTO THE SEA AND DIE INSTANTLY! SO IT'S OVER FOR US THEN!" Suddenly, Nami takes charge, yelling, "RAISE THE SAILS! QUICKLY!" Luffy asks, "What!?" Nami explains, "THIS IS STILL THE OCEAN, IT'S NOT JUST SOME SEPARATE STREAM OF WATER! WHAT WE'RE RIDING UP RIGHT NOW IS AN OCEAN CURRENT! AND THE BLAST CREATED BY THE HEAT AND STEAM FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR HAS GIVEN RISE, TO A 'SKYWARD WIND!'" Zoro and Sanji look at her in surprise.

Nami smiles confidently, sweat on her face, and declares, "AS LONG AS WE'RE DEALING WITH THE SEAS AND WINDS, I CAN NAVIGATE THROUGH THEM! DID YOU ALL FORGET WHO'S THE NAVIGATOR OF THIS SHIP!?" The crew looks at her with renewed hope. Sanji swoons, "Naaaaamiiii!!!" Luffy grins and orders, "Alright, guys! Let's do as Nami says!" The crew responds, "AYE-AYE!" Nami quickly issues commands, "Turn the rudder port-side so we can catch the wind from starboard!" Zoro and Sanji rush to the rudder, shouting, "QUICKLY!" and "YES, SIR!" Chopper panics as the ship tilts, "AHHH! THE SHIP'S FLOATING OFF MORE AND MORE! WE'RE GONNA FALL, WE'RE GONNA FALL! DO SOMETHING, NAMI!" Nami reassures him, "Don't worry, we can make it!"

The sails catch the skyward wind, and the Going Merry stabilizes, flying upward along the side of the water pillar. Luffy cheers wildly, "HELL YEAH! WE'RE FLYING INTO THE SKY NOW!" Usopp, eyes wide, asks, "is this for real!?" Robin smiles calmly. Chopper looks amazed. A voice exclaims, "WHA!?" Nami smiles in relief, "We did it!" Zoro smirks, "Wow..." Sanji swoons, "Nami, you're amazing!" Luffy yells in pure joy, "WE'RE FLYING!?"

The Going Merry sails smoothly up the massive water pillar, heading straight for the dark clouds above. Nami confidently states, "AS LONG AS I CAN GRASP THE WINDS AND THE OCEAN CURRENTS, WE CAN SAIL ANYWHERE!" Sanji swoons nearby, "I love you!" Luffy looks up at the sky, asking, "Hey Nami! Are we gonna arrive at Sky Island soon!?" Nami replies, "Above the cloud, eh!? If it exists, it should be just beyond that cloud!" Luffy grins, "I wonder what's lying for us up there...!?" The ship approaches the massive, dark cumulonimbus clouds. Luffy shouts, "LET'S BREAK THROUGH THE EMPERORNIMBUS! WHOAAAAAAA!" Text at the bottom reads: "Vol. 25 'The 100 Million Man' (End)".

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