HEAVEN'S GATE

The armored knight, sitting atop his large bird, looks back over his shoulder and asks, "DID HE LEAVE...?" On the deck of the Going Merry, Nami is furiously yelling at Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy, who are all sitting or lying on the deck, looking completely exhausted and battered. Chopper stands nearby, looking concerned. Nami shouts, "WHAT'S GOING ON...!! WHO WAS THAT GUY!? ALSO, YOU THREE ARE SO USELESS!!! THREE ON ONE AND YOU STILL LOST!!" The knight, now standing on the ship's railing, says, "THANK YOU FOR SAVING US." Sanji, sitting on the deck, replies, "DON'T MENTION IT. IT COULDN'T BE HELPED." The knight adds, "THIS IS A SERVICE." Sanji, looking frustrated, mutters, "TSK. THAT WAS... EMBARRASSING. FOR SOME REASON... MY BODY CAN'T MOVE VERY WELL." Robin, standing calmly nearby, explains, "...THAT'S BECAUSE...THE OXYGEN IS SCARCE HERE."

The Going Merry sails peacefully across the fluffy white sea of clouds. A voice calls out, "AHH... TO BE SAYING THOSE WORDS..." On the deck, the armored knight addresses the crew, asking, "ARE YOU CITIZENS OF THE BLUE SEA?" Chopper looks confused and asks, "? WHAT'S THAT?" Nami questions the stranger, "...BY THE WAY, WHO ARE YOU?" The knight introduces himself, "I WOULD BE THE 'KNIGHT OF THE SKY.' ALL LIVING THINGS UNDER THE CLOUDS ARE CITIZENS OF THE BLUE SEA. --IN OTHER WORDS, DID YOU COME UP FROM WHERE THE SEA IS BLUE?" Luffy, lying on the deck, confirms, "...YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT." The knight explains the situation, "IT CAN'T BE HELPED THEN... THIS PLACE IS 7000M ABOVE THE BLUE SEAS, CALLED THE WHITE SEA. AND 10,000M ABOVE YOUR SEA IS THE WHITE-WHITE SEA. THE BODIES OF AVERAGE CITIZENS FROM THE BLUE SEAS CANNOT HANDLE IT."

Luffy sits up, smiling, and says, "OKAY! I'M SLOWLY GETTING USED TO IT ALREADY." Zoro flexes his hand and agrees, "YUP. IT'S BECOME FAIRLY EASY TO BREATHE NOW." Chopper, however, is panicking, sweating profusely as he says, "NO, NO, NO NO, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE. --BUT, THAT GUY FROM BEFORE, HOW COME HE CAN RUN ON TOP OF THE SEA?" The knight, still standing on the railing, addresses the crew, "NOW, WAIT A MINUTE... YOU PROBABLY HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, --BUT FIRST THINGS FIRST, I NEED TO TALK BUSINESS WITH YOU. I AM A FREELANCE MERCENARY. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PART OF THE SEA. THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW HOW TO FIGHT IN THE SKY WILL BE ATTACKED BY THOSE GUERILLAS LIKE BEFORE, OR BECOME FOOD FOR THE SKY-FISH." He then states his price, "ONE WHISTLE WILL COST YOU 5 MILLION EXTOL, FOR ME TO COME AND SAVE YOU!"

The crew looks utterly confused by the knight's offer. Zoro asks, "WHAT'RE YOU TALKING ABOUT, MISTER?" Sanji looks surprised. The knight glares down at them and yells, "QUIT ACTING LIKE A FOOL... THE PRICE IS VERY CHEAP ALREADY!! I WON'T ACCEPT EVEN 1 EXTOL LESS THAN THAT!! I HAVE LIVING EXPENSES, TOO!!" Nami retorts, "THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU WHAT AN EXTOL IS, AND WHAT IS THE WHISTLING THING?" The knight looks exasperated, "YOU PEOPLE......DIDN'T COME HERE THROUGH THE TOP OF HIGH WEST? THEN YOU MUST HAVE BEEN TO ONE OR TWO ISLANDS, RIGHT!?" Luffy replies, "I TOLD YOU I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MISTER." Nami, realizing something, asks, "WAIT!! THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO GET TO THIS SKY SEA!?...AND BY 'ONE OR TWO ISLANDS'... YOU MEAN THERE'S MORE THAN ONE SKY ISLAND?"

The knight is shocked by Nami's revelation. "...WHAT?! SO YOU GUYS ACTUALLY CAME VIA THAT MONSTROUS STREAM!!?...I NEVER THOUGHT THERE WOULD STILL BE PEOPLE THIS BRAVE......SO IT WASN'T THE NORMAL ROUTE... I KNEW IT..." Nami bursts into angry tears, covering her mouth as she yells, "WE ALMOST DIED!! IF WE'D PATIENTLY COLLECTED MORE INFORMATION, WE COULD'VE USED A SAFER METHOD..." Sanji tries to comfort her, "WE'RE HERE ANYWAY RIGHT? RIGHT?" The knight asks Luffy, "DID YOU LOSE ONE OR TWO CREW?" Luffy grins and replies, "NOPE, WE'RE ALL HERE." The knight explains, "OTHER ROUTES ARE NOT LIKE THIS... --HOWEVER, THE KNOCK-UP STREAM MEANS THAT EITHER EVERYONE DIES, OR EVERYONE GETS THERE TOGETHER." He looks at them with newfound respect, "EITHER 0 OR 100, NOT MANY DARE TO TAKE THIS GAMBLE. ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THESE YEARS. I DEEPLY RESPECT YOUR NAVIGATOR WHO HAS BOTH COURAGE AND REAL STRENGTH."

Usopp, crying dramatically, pinches Nami's cheek and boasts, "YEAH--BUT IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF ME!! WHEN THESE GUYS WERE CRYING AND GIVING UP, I SAID, 'I WILL SHOW YOU MY NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS!!!'" Nami angrily swats his hand away, yelling, "HEY!" The knight tosses a small, rectangular whistle attached to a string towards them. "ONE WHISTLE. BLOW THIS WHISTLE ONCE," he says. As the ship continues to sail, he adds, "AND I WILL COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN TO SAVE YOU!!! USING THE CURRENCY OF THE SKY, EACH WHISTLE WOULD COST 5 MILLION EXTOL, BUT YOUR FIRST WHISTLE WILL BE FREE AS MY GIFT TO YOU." The knight then leaps off the ship's railing, his cape billowing behind him. "USE THE WHISTLE TO CALL ME AT ANY TIME!!!" he shouts. Nami calls out after him, "WAIT!! WE DON'T EVEN KNOW YOUR NAME..."

The knight stands next to his large, spotted bird. "I WOULD BE GAN FALL, THE KNIGHT OF THE SKY!!! THIS IS MY PARTNER, PIERRE!!!" he announces. Pierre squawks, "PIEH--!!!" Chopper looks shocked. Gan Fall continues, "AND BEFORE I FORGET, PIERRE..." Chopper mutters, "EH..." The bird's talons suddenly transform into horse hooves. Gan Fall explains, "EVEN THOUGH HE'S A BIRD, HE HAS THE POWER OF THE 'UMA UMA FRUIT.'*" A note explains this is the Horse Horse Fruit. Sanji, Zoro, and Robin watch in surprise, with Sanji saying, "AH... BIRD..." A silhouette shows Pierre transforming into a winged horse, with Gan Fall riding on his back. Gan Fall declares, "WHICH MEANS HE CAN BECOME A WINGED HORSE!!!" Nami clasps her hands together, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "--IN OTHER WORDS...... NO WAY!!! SO BEAUTIFUL...!! IT'S A PEGASUS!?"

The "Pegasus" is fully revealed, and it is far from beautiful. It's a goofy-looking, spotted horse with a bird's beak and wings, looking incredibly awkward. Gan Fall proudly proclaims, "THAT'S RIGHT! A PEGASUS!!" Pierre squawks, "PIEH--!!!" Sanji, Zoro, and Nami stare at it, sweatdropping in disappointment. Sanji mutters, "A LITTLE BIT OFF..." Gan Fall and Pierre fly away into the sky. "I WISH YOU LUCK, BRAVE ONES!!" Gan Fall calls out. The crew watches them leave. Luffy comments, "IT TURNED INTO A STRANGE ANIMAL!" Robin observes, "...IN THE END, HE DIDN'T REALLY TELL US ANYTHING USEFUL!" Nami agrees, "...YEAH... REALLY... NOTHING AT ALL."

The Going Merry continues sailing on the sea of clouds. Nami says, "SO NOW WE'RE BACK TO SQUARE ONE. --THEN HOW DO WE GET HIGHER?" Chopper suggests, "EH... OKAY, LET'S CALL MISTER AND ASK HIM." Usopp panics, grabbing Luffy who is holding the whistle near his mouth. "WA-WA-WA WAIT!! WAIT A MINUTE, LUFFY!! THIS IS ONLY FOR AN EMERGENCY!!" Zoro adds, "IF THAT WEIRD MASK GUY COMES AGAIN, WHAT WILL BE DO WITHOUT THE WHISTLE!!" Sanji says, "ANYWAYS, LET'S JUST GET THE SHIP MOVING." Robin points ahead, "HEY, LOOK OVER THERE!" She asks, "WHAT'S THAT..." Nami observes, "LOOKS LIKE A WATERFALL, BUT..." Chopper adds, "THAT CLOUD IS WEIRD, RIGHT?" Luffy grins and decides, "OK! IT'S DECIDED. LET'S GO OVER THERE AND CHECK IT OUT!!"

The ship approaches a massive, towering wall of clouds that looks like a waterfall. Nami looks up at it and says, "...THERE IS A HUGE CLOUD IN THE WAY... WHAT DO WE DO?" Sanji suggests, "IT'S FLOATING ON TOP OF THE SKY SEA, SO IT'S PROBABLY NOT A PART OF IT." Usopp wonders, "...THEN WHAT KIND OF CLOUD IS IT...?" Nami says, "IF IT'S A NORMAL CLOUD, WE CAN JUST SAIL STRAIGHT THROUGH IT." Luffy winds up his leg, preparing to kick it. "WE'LL KNOW IF WE TOUCH IT, RIGHT!?" He kicks the cloud with a loud "OOOOOH!!!" His foot sinks into the cloud and then bounces right back off with a "PAFUN...!!" sound. Chopper watches in amazement, "WAH! IT BOUNCED OFF. WOW!!!"

Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper are having a blast bouncing on the fluffy cloud surface. Luffy laughs, "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..." Usopp cheers, "LOOK! I'M BOUNCING! NO SINKING!" Chopper adds, "IT'S FLUFFY, TOO!! LIKE COTTON!!" Robin, Nami, and Sanji watch them from the ship. Chopper yells, "AMAZING--!!!!" Robin wonders, "...WHAT PHENOMENON IS THIS?" Sanji remarks, "STRANGE." Luffy continues to bounce, "WHAT'S THIS, WHAT'S THIS!!? IT'S SO MUCH FUN--" Usopp joins in, "UOOH!! I'M GOING, TOO!!" Luffy then lies down comfortably on the cloud, sinking into its softness. "HAH--IT FEELS SO NICE...!! IT'S SO WARM. I WANT TO SLEEP LIKE THIS... IT FEELS BETTER THAN A THOUSAND FUTONS." Nami, however, looks concerned. "...HOWEVER, IF THE CLOUD IS LIKE THAT, THE SHIP CAN'T GET PAST THIS PLACE..."

The ship is parked near the bouncy cloud while Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper continue to play. Sanji yells up to them, "HEY!! WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE, TRY TO FIND A ROUTE FOR THE SHIP TO PASS!!" Luffy replies, "OOH! OKAY!!" Usopp spots something and calls out, "HEY!! LUFFY, THERE'S SOMETHING THERE. WHAT IS IT, WHAT IS IT?" Nami yells, "HEY--!!!" The ship sails towards a gap in the clouds. Usopp asks, "A GATE?" Luffy confirms, "YEAH! UNDER THAT WATERFALL-LOOKING CLOUD THERE'S A HUGE GATE." Nami looks relieved, "IF WE GO THROUGH THERE, WE'LL SEE IT....GOOD! WE SEEM TO HAVE PASSED THROUGH." As they sail, Sanji directs, "TURN LEFT NEXT." Zoro argues, "NO, RIGHT. IT WAS DEFINITELY LEFT!!" Usopp suggests, "LET'S JUST CALL THAT ARMORED MISTER. STOP!!!" Chopper gasps, "...AH!" Luffy looks surprised, "HUH!?"

A massive, ornate gate built into the clouds comes into view. It has a large archway and a sign that reads "HEAVEN'S GATE". Usopp stares in awe, "IT'S REALLY THERE..." Sanji points out, "PLUS, LOOK! THAT WATERFALL-LOOKING CLOUD IS REALLY A WATERFALL...!! IT'S FLOWING WITH CLOUDS LIKE THE TYPE WE JUST SAW." Nami reads the sign, "'HEAVEN'S GATE'..." The crew reacts to the ominous name. Usopp trembles, "GOTTA BE A BAD OMEN. IT'S LIKE WE'RE GOING TO DIE..." Zoro calmly suggests, "...YEAH, BUT MAYBE WE'RE ACTUALLY DEAD ALREADY?" Sanji considers this, "REALLY? IF THAT'S SO, THEN THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THIS STRANGE WORLD..." Chopper panics, "WE'RE ALREADY DEAD!!?" Luffy, however, is thrilled, laughing as he says, "HEAVEN? LOOKS FUN!!! WE'RE FINALLY GONNA GET THERE!!"

A small door at the base of Heaven's Gate clicks open. Usopp points, "LOOK, SOMEBODY'S COMING OUT!!" A voice asks, "ARE YOU HERE FOR SIGHTSEEING? OR... FOR FIGHTING?" A short, elderly woman with small wings on her back steps out, holding a camera. She takes pictures of the crew with a "CLICK*!!". A caption box identifies her as "'HEAVEN'S GATE' WATCHER, AMAZON." Amazon states, "ACTUALLY, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHY YOU'RE HERE. IF YOU WANT TO GO UP, EACH PERSON MUST PAY A 1 BILLION EXTOL ENTRANCE FEE. THAT'S THE LAW." The crew is shocked. Luffy exclaims, "AN ANGEL!! SO THAT'S HOW ANGELS LOOK...!! SHE LOOKS LIKE AN UMEBOSHI!" Usopp calculates, "1 BILLION EXTOL, HOW MUCH IS THAT WHEN CONVERTED TO BELI?" Nami nervously asks, "...IF WE... UM... DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY..." Amazon replies, "YOU CAN STILL GO UP." Usopp and Chopper yell in surprise, "REALLY!!??"

Amazon's expression turns serious and slightly menacing. "--ALSO, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GO UP... IT'S OKAY TOO. I'M NOT A GUARD, NOR AM I A SOLDIER. I JUST WANT TO KNOW YOUR... INTENTIONS." On the ship, Nami declares confidently, "THEN WE'RE GOING. WE WANT TO GO TO SKY ISLAND!! EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE MONEY, WE'RE GOING, GRANNY!!" Amazon asks, "REALLY? SEVEN PEOPLE, RIGHT!?" Luffy confirms, "RIGHT...! BUT HOW DO WE GET UP?" Suddenly, a massive, monstrous shrimp-like creature bursts from the clouds beneath the ship, grabbing the Going Merry with its giant pincers. Amazon calmly explains, "THAT'S WHITE SEA'S SPECIAL 'SPEEDY SHRIMP'..." The crew screams in terror, "EH!? GYAH--!! GYAH--!!" Usopp yells, "WHAT!!?? SOMETHING APPEARED!!?"

The giant Speedy Shrimp carries the Going Merry up the spiraling cloud waterfall at incredible speed. The crew screams, "WAAAH!!! IT STARTED TO MOVE!!" Usopp yells, "IT'S CLIMBING THE WATERFALL!!?" Luffy cheers, "IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP!" The ship ascends the massive, swirling column of clouds. Luffy shouts excitedly, "YAHOH-!!!" Chopper yells, "UOOOO OOOH--!!" Meanwhile, caption boxes reveal Amazon's report: "'HEAVEN'S GATE' WATCHER, AMAZON REPORTING. TO THOSE WANTING TO VISIT GOD'S COUNTRY, SKYPIEA... TO THESE SEVEN ILLEGALLY ENTERING TRAVELERS... BESTOW UPON THEM HEAVEN'S JUDGEMENT. OH MIGHTY GOD AND HIS PRIESTS,"

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