Chapter 305: Cloud End

They all stood on the Bridge of the Miss Love Duck. Nojiko was at the helm. Kaya, Vivi and Saphir stood near her, watching her movements and chatting. 

Robin, Marianne, Raki and HQ stood near the window observing the river.

Ben stood next to Conis. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Conis fluttered slightly. "I am fine, Captain," she replied.

"I did say you can call me Ben," Ben reminded her.

"Thank you, Ben, but sometimes I like calling you Captain," Conis commented. Ben realized that almost everyone, except the A.S.S. Models and Alvida, call him Captain. Actually, he thought Alvida might have done so once.

"I know this will be a big change for you, but the other girls will support you," Ben reassured her. "I will as well," he added.

"Thank you," Conis replied.

"Was your father really happy?" Ben asked.

"He was," Conis said with a warm smile. "He said I reminded him of my mother. But he knows you will be there to protect me." She smiled again, her eyes sparkling with joy. "He also said he will beat you up if anything happens to me." She giggled, then put her face in her hands, slightly embarrassed by her father's overprotective nature.

Ben sighed. "I will protect you, I will protect everyone, I love," Ben stated.

Conis blushed. He did protect her from Enel, he protected her. She smiled. 

"I am going to miss this place," Conis said. "But I want to see this world," she added.

"We will come back," Ben remarked. 

"I know," Conis replied. 

"What is that?" Marianne asked.

"What is what?" Kaya asked. She looked to see a vibrant building with multiple spires and towers. There was a red roof. The main building had a large golden archway. There were two tall serpentine statues with white scales. "Cloud End," Vivi read out. 

"This is the place where the white sea connected to the blue sea," Conis replied. 

"So we can get back down?" Saphir asked.

"Yes, we can take this back," Conis responded. 

"I've never been down there, but we're going to need it," Conis added as she sprinted out of the Bridge.

"What is she going to get?" Vivi asked.

"We'll see," Ben replied, not wanting to ruin the surprise.

"I bet it's something perverted," Kaya commented.

"Conis won't be like Ben," Nojiko said.

"That is true," Vivi agreed.

"I only have good intentions," Ben stated, feigning innocence.

The girls all looked at him, their expressions a mix of skepticism and amusement.

Robin giggled. "I think we should wake everyone up," Ben suggested.

"Why?" Kaya asked. "They're tired," she added. 

"It's going to be a bumpy ride," Ben replied. "We're going down a waterfall," he warned

Vivi and Nojiko eyes widened. "That sounds scary," Marianne said.

"That sounds like a fun ride," Robin remarked with a grin.

"Or dangerous," Raki added, her voice filled with concern.

"What should we do, Captain?" Vivi asked.

"We will trust Conis," Ben replied. 

The girls nodded. 

They crossed the archway and got to the end. The Miss Love Duck sailed through it. They got to the end of the river. It stopped. 

"There is nothing there," Saphir commented.

"We will be going down," Nojiko shouted. 

"The Miss Love Duck is strong and can handle the fall," HQ replied. 

"It would but we may go splat," Robin said.

The girls looked shocked. "We are not going splat," Ben assured.

As the Miss Love Duck approached the edge of the waterfall, the ship trembled as it inched closer. The mist from the plummeting water enveloped the crew in a cool, damp embrace. A sudden lurch, the Miss Love Duck tipped over the edge and plunged into the abyss.

The ship free-fell from the sky island, hurtling through the open sky towards the ocean below. The wind screamed past the crew, whipping their hair and clothes into a frenzy. The sensation of weightlessness gripped them, and the deck seemed to drop away beneath their feet.

"Hold on tight, Conis will save us!" Ben shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of the wind and water. 

The ship's bow cut through the air like a spear, leading the charge downwards

Robin, always composed, had a wide smile on her face. "This is exhilarating!" she shouted, her voice filled with excitement. Vivi gripped Ben and held him.

"This is insane!" Kaya screamed as she held onto Ben as well. 

Marianne ran up and hugged Ben while Raki held his shirt. Marianne's eyes squeezed shut. 

As the ship plummeted, Conis emerged from below deck. "I can see Conis there," Saphir said. She held a small whistle and blew into it with all her might, producing a resonant, echoing sound. 

Just as the Miss Love Duck continued its wild descent, a massive shadow loomed above the ship. The crew looked to see a colossal octopus emerge from the clouds, its tentacles stretching out in all directions.

The octopus's enormous tentacles wrapped around the Miss Love Duck, encircling the hull and securing the ship in its gentle, yet firm grasp. 

"Is that... an octopus? From the sky?" Vivi exclaimed. her voice is a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"Not the first animal we have seen from the sky," Nojiko pointed out. 

"Hold on tight, everyone!" Ben shouted as he smiled. 

The octopus's head began to inflate, expanding like a gigantic, organic balloon. Its body swelled, creating a buoyant cushion of air that enveloped the ship. The sudden change created a sense of weightlessness, and the previously chaotic descent transformed into a controlled, gentle glide.

"This is incredible!" Robin said.

"It's like a balloon," Kaya commented. 

The ship, now cradled by the octopus, descended smoothly through the sky. The octopus's inflated head acted as a massive hot air balloon airbag. The Miss Love Duck safely towards the ocean below. 

As the ship neared the surface of the water, the octopus released a gentle burst of air, slowing their approach even further. It lowered the Miss Love Duck onto the waves, setting it down with the softest of splashes. The ship settled into the ocean as smoothly as a feather landing on a pond.

The octopus slowly released its hold, its tentacles unfurling and retreating into the sky, leaving the Miss Love Duck bobbing gently on the calm sea.

Kaya, still gripping the railing, finally found her voice. "Did we just get saved by a giant sky octopus?" she asked.

"It seems so," Ben replied, a grin spreading across his face. "Conis called for it," he added.

Conis looked up at the retreating octopus, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered. The rest of the crew joined her on the deck of the Miss Love Duck, their faces all very happy.

Marianne, her initial fear giving way to curiosity, asked, "How did it know to catch us?" she asked.

"It is a special whistle that allows them to catch us," Coins replied.

Ben nodded, looking out over the now peaceful ocean. "Thank you Conis," Ben added. "I knew you were going to do that, we all had faith in you," Ben stated. Conis smiled back and blushed.

"Another one," Kaya sighed and smiled.