"Upper Yard is the sacred land of the Shandians. We will never allow outsiders to seize it," Calsedon declared, his voice firm with resolve.
Bege shook his head with a light chuckle, a cold sneer twisting his lips. "You've fought the Skypieans for four hundred years, and still, you have nothing to show for it. You still haven't reclaimed Upper Yard. Tell me, how much longer will it take you to defeat them and return?"
Calsedon's expression stiffened, but he lifted his chin defiantly, his voice hardened with determination. "All Shandians, for generations to come, will wage war against the Skypieans. Sooner or later, we will reclaim Upper Yard and return to our ancestral homeland."
"Is that so? Do you truly believe the Shandians have a future? That there will be future generations? Four hundred years of endless fighting... how many Shandians have died? The longer you fight, the more you lose. Perhaps, before you even have a chance to retake Upper Yard, the Shandian people will be extinct," Bege said gravely. "And even if, one day, you do manage to reclaim Upper Yard, how many Shandian lives will it cost?"
Calsedon's face was grim, but he couldn't refute Bege's words.
"I want Skypiea as my territory, but I won't occupy Upper Yard like the Skypieans do. Once I defeat Skypiea's God, I will allow the Shandians to enter Upper Yard. I will allow you to live there. I have only one condition: the Shandians must follow my leadership," Bege stated.
Calsedon stared at Bege, his expression unreadable, his mind clearly racing.
"Skypiea is as good as mine. After I defeat their God, I hope you will willingly pledge your allegiance to me. And I, in turn, will do my best to ensure you live a good life. But if you refuse to submit... I will not hesitate to show you no mercy."
Bege drew his sword and cut the ropes binding Calsedon. His disciples followed suit, freeing the other Shandians.
"Go back and tell your Chief. Discuss it amongst yourselves. I will be waiting for your answer in Upper Yard," Bege said.
Calsedon, silent, led the Shandians to the edge of the ship.
"Wait..." Bege called out suddenly. Calsedon turned, eyeing Bege warily, while the others activated the jets on their Wavers, ready to flee at a moment's notice.
"I need a map of Skypiea," Bege said.
Calsedon hesitated for a moment, then used his Heat Gun to draw a map of Skypiea on the deck. With that done, he and the other Shandians leaped onto their ship and sped away.
"Do you think that map is real?" Moria asked.
"Probably. The Shandians are likely hoping we and the Skypieans will destroy each other, leaving them to pick up the pieces," Bege replied.
"Makes sense!"
"Set sail! To Skypiea."
The pirate ship set off again. Bege had already learned the location of Heaven's Gate from the Shandians.
"Those Shandians aren't strong on their own, but combined with those strange weapons, they can unleash some serious destructive power," Modi observed, standing beside Bege.
"Exactly. Those weapons are a combination of Dials. If used properly, their power can be astonishing. That's another reason I'm so interested in Skypiea," Bege agreed, nodding. "If I had an army equipped with Dial weapons, it would play a crucial role in my future conquests."
The others' eyes gleamed with anticipation. Their expectations for this expedition to Skypiea had just risen significantly.
The pirate ship arrived at a peculiar area, filled with dozens of pure white cloud formations, piled hundreds of meters high like small mountains. The ship, upon colliding with them, was actually bounced back.
Bege knew they were close to Heaven's Gate. He leaped onto the white clouds and saw the enormous waterfall cascading down from the sky ahead. That was the location of Heaven's Gate.
A sea route cut through the towering clouds. The pirate ship navigated the twists and turns of this path, finally arriving at the entrance to Heaven's Gate.
The massive structure built upon the White Sea was a sight to behold. They entered Heaven's Gate.
An elderly woman in her sixties emerged from a nearby building, snapping photos of them with a camera. Bege guessed correctly that this was Amazon, the gatekeeper of Heaven's Gate.
"It's been a long time since anyone came to Skypiea. I am Amazon, the gatekeeper of Heaven's Gate. Are you here for sightseeing or war?" Amazon asked.
"We're going to Skypiea!" Bege declared.
"To enter Skypiea, you must pay the entrance fee, according to Skypiean law. It's ten billion Extol per person," Amazon informed them.
"Old woman, we don't have any Extol. Call out the Super Express Shrimp," Bege said coldly.
"So you know about the Super Express Shrimp. This isn't your first time in Skypiea, is it?"
Amazon's face darkened. Suddenly, two enormous shrimp claws emerged from beneath the ship, gripping it tightly. The ship was lifted into the air.
The others were startled and quickly looked down, seeing a gigantic lobster.
Then, the Super Express Shrimp began to move, its speed astonishing. In an instant, it shot out of Heaven's Gate.
The Super Express Shrimp surged onto the cloud path behind Heaven's Gate, racing along the spiraling track at a breathtaking speed.
"What kind of shrimp is this? It's unbelievably fast!" The others were terrified.
"It's a Skypiean specialty, the Super Express Shrimp. It will help us ascend to Skypiea along this cloud path," Bege explained.
The Super Express Shrimp was truly terrifying. In a single breath, it carried the pirate ship from Heaven's Gate to Skypiea, a vertical climb of three thousand meters.
After delivering the ship to the White-White Sea, the Super Express Shrimp sank back into the water and disappeared. The others were still in a state of shock.
Bege pulled out a cigar from his pocket, lit it, and muttered to himself, "That was one hell of a ride!"
He surveyed the White-White Sea, catching a glimpse of Skypiea in the distance.
"Alright, lads, set sail for Skypiea!"
They had finally reached their destination. Bege's heart was pounding with excitement.
The pirate ship quickly approached Skypiea. There were people riding Wavers in the nearby waters, but they quickly retreated upon seeing the pirate ship, not daring to approach.
The ship docked beside Skypiea, and the crew disembarked.
"This ground isn't soil. What is it? It can't be clouds, can it?" Moria questioned, touching the ground curiously.
"It is indeed cloud. It's called Island Cloud," Bege explained, kicking the white, soil-like ground.
"This place is fascinating," Ricky exclaimed in amazement.
"Let's take care of business first. By the way, are you guys acclimated to the environment? Don't want you to screw things up at the crucial moment," Bege said.
"Don't worry, Captain! We're good to go! If we run into those Shandians again, I guarantee we'll crush them," Ricky said with a wide grin.
"No problem," Modi said calmly, gripping the hilt of his sword.
"Heh heh heh, leave it to me!" Moria laughed arrogantly.
Bege nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "Then let's get going. From today on, Skypiea will have a new ruler."
The group followed the map's directions, traversing Skypiea. They passed some white houses along the way, catching glimpses of figures inside. However, no one came out, clearly wary of Bege and his crew.
Bege had his disciples take a traced copy of the map to some Skypieans and inquire about its authenticity. After confirming the map was accurate, he proceeded directly towards Upper Yard.
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