met free 56: Sea of Clouds
56: Sea of Clouds
The dramatic ascent finally stopped, and the specially made boat broke through the last milky-white cloud layer, gliding forward for a distance.
The oppressive feeling caused by overload suddenly disappeared, replaced by a wonderful feeling of weightlessness and floating.
Wow!
The sight before her eyes left Gails in awe.
What came into view was an endless expanse of pure white.
The sky was a clear, almost transparent blue, but what carried their small boat was no longer the azure sea, but a constantly surging and flowing sea of white clouds!
This is the White Sea.
The sunlight streamed down without obstruction, refracting dazzling light on the sea of clouds. The air was so fresh it carried a hint of coolness, and each breath felt like a cleansing of the lungs.
Looking into the distance, islands of various shapes and sizes dot this white ocean.
Some are upside-down mountain peaks, some are giant mushrooms, and some are strangely shaped spiral cloud pillars. They are all made of seemingly soft clouds, yet they strangely support green vegetation and even buildings.
In the distance, the outline of an island with solid land can be vaguely seen, like a divine kingdom floating in the sky.
"Are we... really flying in the sky?"
Gails held onto the edge of the boat, carefully leaned out, and poked the "seawater" outside the boat with her finger.
The clouds felt cool and damp to the touch, yet they provided enough buoyancy to support their boat.
"What a wonderful feeling! Orogo, look over there, those islands are floating above the clouds!"
Oro had no answer; his entire mind was now immersed in another, even more turbulent "wave."
It's completely different from the feeling of having to deliberately search for something on the Grand Line.
Here, above this sea of clouds, the "call" and "resonance" originating from gold are several times stronger!
Especially the island with the towering giant vine, the golden resonance emanating from there, like a lighthouse in the night, was so clear and intense that it almost burned his senses.
That place must be "Apayado" marked on Montblanc's map, which is also his destination.
Moreover, Oro noticed that the nano-sized gold powder he had just scattered in the air had an astonishingly enhanced propagation efficiency and sensitivity in the special environment of the White Sea.
They were no longer merely physical extensions; they seemed to have become the extremities of his sensory nerves.
He could even vaguely capture the "emotional fluctuations" of life within a certain range through these pervasive gold dust.
It wasn't a specific thought, but a vague feeling, like... right now there are several small points of light, carrying a sense of "warning," rapidly approaching.
"Some locals have arrived."
Oro opened his eyes and looked toward the sea of clouds to his left.
Upon hearing this, Gails immediately suppressed her curiosity, stood up straight warily, and instinctively placed her hand on the fanny pack she carried with her.
Not long after, a distinctive engine sound came from afar.
Several figures rode on single-person vehicles similar to jet skis, nimbly tracing graceful arcs across the sea of clouds, rapidly approaching their small boat.
The people who arrived were dressed in uniform white uniforms and wore white berets. The one leading them was a middle-aged man with a rather serious-looking face.
Behind the middle-aged man were several young team members, one of whom had a look of eagerness on his face, like a newcomer trying his hand at something new.
The squad skillfully spread out in a fan shape, subtly surrounding Oro's small boat.
The eager young team member had a name tag hanging around his neck that read "McDinley".
McKinley drove up in his miniature boat, cleared his throat, and tried to make his voice sound authoritative, though it still carried a hint of youthful awkwardness:
"Halt! You are illegal immigrants!"
"According to Article 2, Paragraph 5 of the Sacred Law, anyone who enters the territory of the White Sea, the Kingdom of God, without permission shall pay a fine of 1000 million Iq per person!"
"A total of 2000 million IK for the two! Pay immediately!"
The middle-aged man behind McKinley crossed his arms, nodded expressionlessly, and acknowledged the ruling made by his teammate.
This is a daily routine for their White Berets unit: using fines to "generate revenue." This tactic has proven effective against bewildered newcomers to the blue ocean market, even if the other party is a bit tall.
Gails blinked and whispered to Oro:
"Orogo, what is this 'Ik' they're talking about? It sounds expensive."
Oro showed no sign of offense or nervousness. He didn't even look at the young player named McKinley; his gaze went straight past him and landed on the middle-aged man who looked like the captain.
"A fine?" Oro raised his right hand.
Without warning or a burst of light, countless golden specks of light appeared out of thin air in front of his palm and quickly converged!
The liquid gold flowed and solidified, and in the blink of an eye, a golden lion statue with an ancient and majestic shape, almost as tall as a person, took shape!
Sunlight shone on the pure gold sculpture, reflecting a dazzling light that was impossible to look at directly, and even dyed the surrounding pure white sea of clouds with a magnificent golden hue.
Its heavy texture and pure luster speak volumes about its value.
"Is this enough?" Auro asked calmly.
Everyone in the White Berets was dumbfounded, their mouths agape enough to fit an extra-large squash, a specialty of the Sky Island.
Yellow, gold?! Really?!
Such a huge pure gold sculpture was just casually created?
2000 million IK? The value of this golden lion is probably more than ten times that number!
McKinley's hand froze in mid-air, and the ticket book fell with a thud onto the sea of clouds beneath his feet. He was completely unaware, his mind blank, with only the golden light shining through.
Oro ignored their shock and manipulated the golden lion to slowly fly to the middle-aged man:
"Now, take me to see someone who is in charge, whether you call him a god or an elder, it doesn't matter, don't waste my time."
The middle-aged man snapped out of his daze and stared intently at the golden sculpture that was right in front of him.
His serious and businesslike demeanor was replaced by a complex emotion that mixed awe, greed, and disbelief.
He had no doubt that if he refused, the other party would have a more "direct" approach.
Therefore, after careful consideration, in order to avoid greater conflict and damage to the interests of God's Kingdom, he decided not to refuse.
"Of course! Honored guest! We are the White Berets of the Divine Kingdom, and I am Captain Mondado!"
Mondado's tone was full of reverence for gold:
"Please come with us! I will take you to see the deity!"
Mondado gestured to his team members, and together they carried the heavy golden lion onto a larger transport vehicle.
Gails watched this scene from the side and couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
During a lull in the White Berets' activity, Gails took a look at some of the little gadgets on their bodies.
She noticed that several team members had different colored and patterned seashells hanging from their waists; some were emitting a faint light for illumination, while others seemed to be recording sounds.
Captain Mondado had arranged everything, and he personally led the way in his mini-boat:
"Honorable guest, please follow me closely, we are now heading to the shrine!"
Oro steered the small boat at a leisurely pace, following behind the white beret whose attitude had suddenly changed 180 degrees.
The small boat cut through the white clouds and sailed leisurely toward the power center of this mysterious celestial kingdom.