One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

One day later, Vane and the others arrived at their destination—beneath the Sky Island, at the lower half of the island. Above them floated Sky Island.

The way to reach Sky Island was by riding the rising sea currents up into the sky. Once through the sea of clouds above, you'd arrive at the fabled Sky Island.

These rising currents occurred five times a month in different directions across this sea. Deep below the seafloor was a massive cavity filled with magma. When seawater poured into it, the magma rapidly heated the water, causing it to expand and rise violently. That surge generated the terrifying upward force necessary to propel a ship 10,000 meters into the sky.

Tomorrow would be the last of the five monthly upwellings.

Vane had learned all of this from a local old man on the island.

The man didn't seem thrilled about sharing the information—perhaps disappointed, perhaps skeptical. Too many had tried to reach Sky Island, but most never made it. Many fell mid-ascent, crushed by the fall, devoured by sea creatures, or lost to the depths. Even those who reached the sky often died at the hands of the island's defenders.

The only crew known to have reached Sky Island and left behind a legacy was the Roger Pirates.

But Vane was confident. He would make it. His goal wasn't fame or adventure—it was to plunder the Thunder Fruit. Once he had it, he'd be gone.

"Does Sky Island really exist?" Kalifa asked, adjusting her glasses and looking up. Above them loomed heavy black clouds that refused to disperse. The skies around them were clear, but above this area hung thick cumulus clouds.

Those clouds weren't ordinary. They supported the massive Sky Island. Their lower half was dark, dense and heavy, while their upper side glowed a soft white.

"It exists," Vane said with a chuckle. "And up there… lies a city of gold."

Kalifa raised an eyebrow. "You're after gold, my lord?"

"I want everything."

Gold could be used to accelerate investment. There was no point letting it sit useless in the sky.

"I thought you weren't interested in that kind of thing."

"Gold doesn't just mean wealth. It's a resource. It has greater uses."

Above Angel Island was the Golden City—a forgotten, abandoned place with streets paved in gold.

The next day arrived.

The King (The Ship) entered the dark sea, and as expected, a terrifying undersea maelstrom formed.

"Kalifa, steer us in," Vane ordered calmly.

"Steer in? We'll be swallowed—!"

Kalifa stared at the monstrous whirlpool ahead. Compared to the swirling abyss, their ship was like a speck. Beneath the whirlpool was a black void—it looked like a massive hole in the ocean.

"Do it. I'll handle the rest."

"…Understood."

Kalifa hesitated, then grabbed the helm. She trusted him. As the King entered the swirling waters, the ship surged forward at incredible speed.

"We're falling in!"

Kalifa cried out. The ship bucked wildly, and the howling wind roared in their ears.

Then—suddenly—it all stopped.

The whirlpool vanished in an instant. There was no buffering, no warning.

"What…? Where did the whirlpool go?" Kalifa gasped.

"Get ready. If you're scared, go below deck and sleep," Vane said casually.

"I'm not afraid!"

Suddenly, the ship lurched again. From above, one would see a massive whirlpool shadow still beneath the King. The sea surface looked calm—eerily so. Two seconds later, the water exploded upward.

A towering jet of seawater burst from the depths like a Sea King rising from the abyss. Almost transparent columns of water shot toward the sky, driven by raw force. The current had begun—one minute of vertical chaos.

The King rocketed upward with the flow.

"Kalifa, open the sails!"

"No way! That's crazy! We'll die if we open the sails!"

Kalifa was panicking now. Even her usual calm was gone. The ship was nearly vertical, and the sea was hundreds of meters below—and falling away fast. If they dropped now, they'd be shattered.

"This is your training. Feel the wind blowing up from the sea? Open the sails. Use the force to rise! Hurry!"

"Huh? Oh—oh right!"

Kalifa finally understood. The fierce updraft created by the current could be used like wind. If they opened the sails, they could use it to climb higher—almost like flying! It would also keep them steady along the current's path—like sailing in reverse.

She opened the sails—and just as Vane predicted, the ship stabilized.

"You were right…"

"Push forward!" Vane shouted.

Kalifa nodded and steered straight into the heart of the current. From a distance, their tiny ship was flying upward, heading straight into the sky—toward the Sky Island.

"I see light!" Kalifa shouted. "My lord, that's light up there!"

From below, they could see a faint glow in the center of the clouds.

It was the sunlight—once hidden by the massive cloud, now within reach.

Three seconds later, the King broke through the clouds—into a sky filled with golden sunlight.

They had arrived.

This… was the Sea of Clouds.

Sky Island awaited.

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