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A massive sea current shot up from the whirlpool, and Noir gripped the ship''s helm, struggling to control the direction.
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As the ship ascended higher and higher, to their surprise, the force of the upward current began to weaken.
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Robin, looking into the distance, saw an abrupt white cloud sea and shouted, "Noir! Look over there!"
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Noir looked ahead and saw a large mass of clouds that appeared to flow like water.
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Formed by clouds, was this the Sea Clouds?
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Noir steered the ship towards the Sea Clouds, but the ship had taken a beating and was in poor condition.
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Gritting his teeth, Noir jumped off the ship in Robin''s startled cry, flying through the air.
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Falling rapidly, Noir reached the bottom of the ship, exerting great force with his arms, igniting the flames of the Flame-Flame Fruit from his elbows, and creating a powerful thrust.
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With his tremendous strength and ability, he guided the ship steadily towards the Sea Clouds.
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Managing to hover briefly using his flames, Noir was finally pulled back onto the ship by Robin''s powers.
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Landing on the deck, Noir said, "Thanks!"
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Robin shook her head, and they both safely landed on the exclusive Sea Clouds of the sky island.
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At an altitude of about 7,000 meters above the ground, they would need to ascend a bit more to find the island.
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The battered ship creaked ominously, making their voyage feel perilous.
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Following the upward sea current, Noir successfully navigated the route to the peak of the sky.
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Sailing in the sky was a magical experience, with the ship circling upward along the cloud sea, continually gaining altitude.
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The sensation of flying in the sky felt wonderfully strange to Noir, and even Robin was intrigued by their surroundings.
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Led by the cloud sea, Noir gradually moved from the peak of the sky into the depths of the cloud sea.
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This layer, as far as the eye could see, was an endless white ocean.
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In addition, there was a structure standing on the sea, behind which was a stairway leading further up into the cloud sea.
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Noir, shielding his eyes, surveyed the area. This seemed to be the gateway to the upper Sea Clouds.
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He remembered that to enter Enel''s "God''s Land," one had to pass through this place.
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As Noir''s ship sailed slowly, he sensed through his Observation Haki a figure rapidly approaching.
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A half-naked man wearing a grass skirt with small white wings on his back was flying toward them.
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The man wore a bull mask and had strange jet-powered shoes, clearly heading straight for them.
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Carrying a long-barreled cannon on his shoulder, he leaped from the sea cloud, swinging the cannon at Noir and shouting, "Greedy outsiders! You shall not pass!"
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From his appearance, was he a Shandian from the sky island?
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Noir frowned and extended his five fingers, calmly catching the cannon swung at him.
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The Shandians had been fighting to ring the Golden Bell and fulfill their ancestors'' wishes for generations, a spirit Noir admired.
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However, dealing with troublemakers was another matter.
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Noir raised his fist and, under the astonished gaze of the Shandian, punched him in the nose.
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The mask shattered, revealing a young but fierce face.
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Recognizing him, Noir was about to speak when calls came from beneath the ship.
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"Wyper! We need to go, Enel''s men have found us."
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Hearing the name, Noir remembered the character.
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In the world of pirates, there were many minor characters with impressive abilities despite their brief appearances.
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For example, Gin, who once dominated Sanji in the East Blue, and now the warrior Wyper.
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Equipped with a set of seastone and numerous impact dials, Wyper nearly defeated the god Enel.
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Wyper, hearing his companion''s call, glared fiercely at Noir.
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Hesitating for a moment, he jumped off the ship to join his companion.
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This small episode did not delay Noir''s plans. Watching Wyper''s retreating figure, Noir felt oddly interested.
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He planned to find some companions on the sky island. Wyper might be a good choice!
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He had already been considering potential candidates.
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Enel was one option; if he refused, Noir would beat him up and bring him along.
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If that didn''t work, Noir would kill him and take the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
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Including Wyper, that would make two.
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It would be ideal to find a gentle woman, too; the ship shouldn''t have only one woman, Robin.
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Though he hadn''t recruited anyone yet, Noir had his plans all figured out.
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After the Shandians left, Noir prepared to visit them after landing on the island. Meanwhile, their ship reached the gate.
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The gate, shaped like an arch, had a small room beneath it, seemingly guarded by someone.
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As they approached, a voice suddenly called out.
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"You two, entering the sky island requires an entrance fee."
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Another entrance fee?
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Noir squinted at the small house, from which an elderly woman emerged.
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She was extremely short, with small wings on her back, and her face was wrinkled.
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Holding a camera hanging around her neck, she blocked Noir and Robin with an expressionless face.
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Annoyed, Noir asked, "How much?"
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"Ten billion Extols per person," the old woman said flatly. "Equivalent to one hundred thousand Berries from the Blue Sea below."
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Not expensive, but why would the domineering Noir pay?
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The Bell-mère family didn''t pay unnecessary fees.
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Noir shook his sword at his waist, threatening, "What if I don''t pay a single coin?"
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The old woman glanced at Noir, who didn''t look friendly, and said, "If you don''t pay, you can still enter."
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Noir was taken aback, then nodded in satisfaction. "Then we won''t pay. Let''s go!"
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Robin, looking at the camera in the old woman''s hand, sighed helplessly.
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It seemed they had already offended someone just upon arriving.
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The old woman nodded, and soon, red claws grabbed the ship, lifting it.
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This was a sky island''s Sea Clouds specialty, a speedy shrimp, used to carry people to the higher sea.
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Prepared by his Observation Haki, Noir was unfazed. The large shrimp quickly carried the ship towards the cloud sea staircase.
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After they left, the old woman took out a communication shell and reported in a slow voice:
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"Amazon, the gatekeeper of Heaven''s Door, reporting to the Almighty God and the priests."
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"Two individuals have illegally entered the God''s Land. Please bestow them with Divine punishment!"