Although Mio's sailing skills couldn't compare to Nami's in the original story, he still knew how to control a ship well enough. After all, this ship had been reinforced, much like Luffy's Going Merry after its upgrades in the original work.
Following the plan laid out in the original timeline, Mio adjusted the sails and steered the ship toward the rising current.
As the ship neared the massive stream of water shooting into the sky, it caught the current for a moment before slightly drifting off course. Still, with the sails raised and the reinforced wings helping balance the vessel, it began to ascend slowly into the sky.
To everyone's relief, the ship did not plummet.
Soon, it pierced the clouds, rushing higher and higher until—boom—they broke through the top of the current. The ship emerged from the dense mist and landed smoothly on a sea of what looked like fluffy white clouds.
They had arrived on the White Sea, one of the two cloud oceans that make up Sky Island.
Despite being made entirely of clouds, the White Sea was indeed navigable, and various creatures even lived there. Above the White Sea was another layer of sky called the White White Sea, which could only be accessed through the Gate of Heaven.
"Is this… Sky Island?" Robin asked with wide-eyed curiosity. She wandered across the deck, running from one side of the ship to the other, taking pictures with a camera she brought.
"What a spectacular sight," Erica said with amazement.
The rest of the crew nodded in agreement, marveling at the breathtaking scene.
As Mio scanned the horizon, he quickly spotted the Gate of Heaven in the distance. If they wanted to go higher, to the White White Sea, that was the path they needed to take.
Just like in the original story, they encountered the toll system at the gate.
The gatekeeper was still the old woman from before, though she appeared much younger now. To avoid any trouble, Mio paid the entrance fee without hesitation—it wasn't much anyway.
With the fee paid, Mio guided the ship through the Gate of Heaven, heading toward the White White Sea.
This upper sea layer didn't look much different from the White Sea, except the air felt thinner. The scenery remained an endless expanse of soft, cloud-like water. Strange cloud-dwelling creatures drifted in the distance, curling through the mist like fish in the sky.
After taking in the environment, Robin ran up to Mio. "Captain, where are we heading next?"
"Our destination is definitely Upper Yard—Arpayado," Mio replied, scratching his head. "But we'll need to find someone to ask for directions. I have no idea which way to go with all this cloud surrounding us."
Unlike islands on the sea below, islands in the sky were made of clouds and had no fixed markers. Finding the landmass known as Arpayado—referred to as the Island of God—would be tricky. It was also the only known place in Sky Island with actual soil rather than clouds.
"Tsk, and I was just thinking about how hard it would be to find someone out here," Mio murmured. "Looks like we've got company."
Robin tilted her head in confusion at his words. But soon, she heard the sound of movement. Looking to the side, she saw a figure approaching—a man in a savage-looking outfit, wearing a tribal mask, a shield in one hand and using his feet to surf on the White Sea.
The man was charging straight at them.
Without hesitation, the masked figure jumped into the air and raised a shoulder-mounted cannon, preparing to fire at their ship.
But before he could act, Kuroken sprang into the air.
In one smooth motion, Kuroken appeared in front of the attacker, grabbed him by the neck, and slammed him down onto the deck with a loud bang. The cannon clattered aside as the man groaned beneath Kuroken's grip.
"Shandian?" Mio muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Shandian?" Robin echoed, looking curious. "What's that?"
Mio stepped over to the subdued man and explained, "The Shandians were originally inhabitants of Jaya Island on the Grand Line. Centuries ago, part of Jaya was blasted into the sky and became what we now know as Arpayado. The Shandians came with it and remained here. They are the guardians of the Golden City and are believed to protect ancient texts—some even related to Poseidon."
"They were eventually driven out of Arpayado by the current Sky Islanders, which is why they're always at war."
"I see…" Robin nodded, eyes lighting up with interest at the mention of ancient texts. "Maybe we'll come across another Poneglyph here."
Meanwhile, the masked man stopped struggling when he heard Mio's explanation. His expression softened slightly as he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Are you from the Blue Sea?"
"Yeah, that's right," Mio replied calmly, sitting cross-legged on the deck. "What's up? Do you have something to ask?"
The man was silent for a moment, then spoke again. "Can you let me go? I thought you were Sky Islanders. That's why I attacked."
Kuroken looked to Mio for confirmation.
Mio nodded. "Sure, let him go."
After all, the Shandians had been fighting against the Sky Islanders for centuries. It was understandable.
Kuroken released his grip, and the man stood up. He bowed deeply toward Mio. "I apologize for the trouble. My name is Gerard, from the Hidden Cloud Village—where the Shandians now live. I would normally invite you to our village to formally apologize. However, our ongoing conflict with the Sky Islanders makes that dangerous. I can only apologize here."
His tone was sincere and respectful.
Mio waved it off. "No need to worry. If you really want to help us out, though, there are two places I'm looking for. Could you tell me how to get to them?"
"Of course," Gerard replied immediately, though he subtly stepped away from Kuroken, still wary of the powerful man who had floored him effortlessly.
"The first place is Birka," Mio said.
Birka was Enel's hometown and the place where he had found the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. If the fruit hadn't been consumed yet, that would be the place to find it. At this time, Birka hadn't been destroyed.
Gerard thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I know it. It's quite far from here, though. You need to sail in that direction," he pointed, "and when you reach a fork in the cloud path, take the left channel. That should take you there."
"Great," Mio said with a satisfied nod. "The second place is Arpayado."
At that, Gerard took a step back, his face tightening. "Why do you want to go to Arpayado?"
"For the Golden City, of course," Mio replied honestly.
Hearing this, Gerard visibly relaxed. For the Shandians, the gold wasn't the most important thing—it was reclaiming their land. The Golden City had long since fallen into ruin, and there was more gold there than anyone could carry.
Even the treasure Luffy and his crew managed to recover from Sky Island had come from inside the stomach of a massive python. Despite that, it was still worth over 300 million Berries.
The real Golden City was made entirely of gold—a fortune beyond comprehension.
After a brief moment of thought, Gerard nodded. The gods of Sky Island currently resided in Arpayado, but the strength of these visitors from the Blue Sea gave him hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could help the Shandians reclaim their homeland.
Gerard shared the location of Arpayado with Mio.
There was a subtle glint of hope in his eyes—a small, silent wish that Mio might just be the force that would turn the tide for his people.