The ocean stretched endlessly before us, a glittering expanse under the afternoon sun.
The battle with the Crimson Serpents had left The Stormchaser scarred but proud. My crew worked with an easy rhythm, repairing the damage, patching the sails, and reinforcing the hull where cannonballs had torn through. Riku sat cross-legged on the quarterdeck, honing the edges of his twin swords. Kaelen was at the helm, humming a sea shanty, while Vargan flexed his massive arms, testing the ship's new reinforced railings.
Me?
I stood in the captain's quarters, staring at the map we'd taken from the Serpents' captain's safe.
It wasn't just any map.
It was something far more dangerous — and far more tempting.
The parchment was old, the edges frayed and brittle, the ink faded with time. Across the yellowed surface was a depiction of islands I didn't recognize. Twisting whirlpools, jagged mountain peaks, floating structures… and at the very center, drawn in swirling gold ink, a symbol I did recognize.
A golden winged emblem.
Sky Islands.
"I thought Sky Islands were just legends," Kaelen said, leaning over my shoulder.
"They exist," I said, recalling snippets from the anime — Skypiea, Shandora, the City of Gold.
But this wasn't Skypiea.
This was something different.
Something older.
A name was scrawled across the top of the map in bold, sweeping letters:
"Zephyra — The Lost Sky Fortress."
Zephyra.
A name that made my heart race.
If it was real, it could hold treasures beyond imagination — or dangers no one on the sea below could ever prepare for.
"We're really gonna do this?" Riku asked, sheathing his swords with a sharp snap.
Vargan laughed, a deep rumble in his chest. "Course we are. Adventure's what we signed up for, ain't it?"
I smiled.
"Set a course," I said. "We're heading for the clouds."
The next few days were a blur of preparation.
Following the map wasn't easy. It took us into a region of the Grand Line thick with strange weather — sky blackened by constant storms, whirlpools that spun lazily like giant mouths, and sea beasts larger than ships.
We fought through it all.
Lightning storms that made even my Kirin-enhanced powers seem tame.
Torrential rains that turned the deck into a river.
Winds that screamed like banshees through the rigging.
Through it all, we pressed onward, chasing the hint of a dream.
On the fourth day, just before dawn, we spotted it.
A massive column of water, rising from the ocean like a tower to the heavens.
"A Knock-Up Stream," I whispered, recognizing it instantly.
One of nature's strangest miracles — a surge of water so powerful it could launch a ship into the sky.
At the top... the clouds.
Floating islands.
Maybe even Zephyra itself.
But we had no way of knowing if the stream was stable, or if it would tear The Stormchaser apart.
It was a gamble.
A huge one.
I gathered my crew on deck.
"This is it," I said. "One shot. We catch the stream, we ride it to the Sky Island. Or we get smashed to pieces."
Kaelen adjusted his goggles and grinned. "Sounds like fun."
Vargan pounded a fist into his palm. "Best way to die if you ask me."
Riku simply nodded, unsheathing one sword and pointing it toward the sky. "We move forward. Always."
I couldn't have asked for better crewmates.
We made ready.
Tied down the cannons. Secured every line. Braced the sails. Reinforced the hull as best we could.
I stood at the prow, the Leviathan Spear planted like a banner.
The ship shuddered as the first tendrils of the stream grabbed us.
The water roared around us like a living thing, lifting The Stormchaser higher and higher.
The deck tilted. Crew clung to rigging and rails.
Mist soaked us. Lightning crackled in the clouds above.
I felt the Kirin inside me awaken fully, responding to the sheer, raw chaos of nature.
And then—
We broke through the cloud cover.
For a heartbeat, everything was silent.
And what I saw stole the breath from my lungs.
Floating in the golden light of dawn were islands — massive, ancient structures suspended in the sky, chained together by huge bridges of vine and stone.
Waterfalls cascaded from their edges, disappearing into the mist below.
Strange birds circled overhead, their wings as wide as our sails.
In the distance, a shining city crowned the highest island — a place of spires and temples, glinting like jewels.
Zephyra.
We had made it.
But there was no time to celebrate.
Shapes moved along the outer islands — winged figures, clad in armor, riding massive birds.
They weren't rolling out the welcome mat.
The skies belonged to them.
And we were intruders.
The first arrow whistled past my ear, embedding itself into the mast.
"Get ready!" I shouted.
Adventure waited.
But so did danger.
And the real test of our crew was just beginning.