《One Piece: Magma of Absolute》Chapter 43: Heaven’s Gate

The clouds slowly drifted apart, revealing a sight that took everyone's breath away.

A colossal golden gate, sharp-edged and radiant like a many-pointed star, emerged before their eyes. Its surface gleamed, dazzling in the sunlight. Suspended atop the gate was a grand plaque, emblazoned with the words: "HEAVEN'S GATE."

Beyond the gate, a massive white waterfall flowed upward in defiance of gravity, disappearing into the endless sky.

This was the entrance to the Land of God—Heaven's Gate.

"Whoa!!!"

"Incredible!"

"It's almost too much to take in…"

"But… 'Heaven's Gate' sounds kind of ominous, doesn't it?"

"Nah."

"Maybe… we're already dead, and this is the afterlife~"

"Hahahahaha!"

"What?! Don't say that!"

As the warship sailed closer, the golden gate loomed ever larger, drawing awestruck gasps from the crew. Then, a squad of guards marched out from a building nestled inside the gate.

Spotting the approaching figures, Sakazuki gave the order to halt. The warship slowed and glided to a stop, perfectly aligned with the platform where the guards stood.

The guards wore matching armor and carried long spears held upright. Most striking of all, a pair of white wings sprouted from their backs. Sakazuki gave a nod to his adjutant.

The adjutant leapt ashore and approached the guards.

"Greetings. May I have your name?"

"Welcome, adventurers from the Blue Sea," the lead guard replied. "I am Gray Hodgson, Captain of the Ninth Squad of God's Guard."

"What brings you here?"

"We're searching for a lost island."

"An island?"

"Yes. It's called Jaya. Have you heard of it?"

"Hm… I'm afraid not. It might be tucked away somewhere in the White Sea. There are countless small sky islands here—I wish you luck in your search."

"Thank you. By the way, would it be possible for us to enter the Land of God as tourists?"

"Of course. For sightseeing, each visitor must pay one hundred million Extol."

Hiss!

"One hundred million?!"

The adjutant sucked in a sharp breath, unable to hide his shock.

"Yes, one hundred million Extol."

"That's… awfully expensive…"

"Expensive? Didn't you exchange your currency before coming here?"

"Exchange?"

"…That's odd. Normally, you'd have passed through several key islands to get here. You never stopped?"

"Actually, we came up here on the Knock Up Stream."

"!!!"

"You rode that monster current?!"

Hodgson's eyes widened in disbelief. He scanned the warship from bow to stern, then shook his head in amazement.

"Not a scratch on your ship… You're monsters."

"Oh, it was nothing—just a bit of luck," the adjutant said modestly.

Hodgson looked at him, speechless. A bit of luck, huh? Easy for you to say…

"That current's a death trap. Very few make it up alive, and even then, most suffer heavy losses. Yet here you are, not a single wound."

"Just lucky, I guess."

"You expect me to believe that…? Never mind, let's move on."

"One Extol is worth ten thousand Berries from the Blue Sea. So, that's ten thousand Berries per person."

"Whew, that's much more reasonable. One moment, please."

The adjutant returned to the ship to report to Sakazuki, then came back with 10,020,000 Berries, which he handed over to Hodgson for counting.

"One thousand and two people?"

"That's correct."

"Very well. Please return to your ship and hold onto the railings."

"Enjoy your visit. And one more thing—do not approach the Island of God, Upper Yard. That is the dwelling place of God. Outsiders are strictly forbidden."

Toot!

At Hodgson's sharp whistle, several enormous lobsters surfaced from the cloud sea, encircling the warship. With their massive pincers, they clamped onto the hull.

The adjutant hopped back aboard, and the Express Lobsters surged forward, dragging the warship up the reverse-flowing white waterfall.

Only now did the crew realize that inside the upside-down waterfall was a spiraling cloud stairway, winding ever higher.

The Express Lobsters hauled the ship upward at breakneck speed, racing toward the top of the spiral cloud path...

Watching the warship vanish into the clouds, Hodgson pulled out a shell and pressed it.

"Ninth Squad of God's Guard, Captain Hodgson reporting to the merciful God.

A group of powerful adventurers calling themselves Marines have ridden the monster current up and entered the Land of God.

Requesting further instructions…"

Upper Yard, the Island of God.

A palace of pure white stood tall and majestic. Elegant cloud patterns were carved into its walls, and atop the throne inside sat a long-bearded man. He set down the shell he'd just used, summoned a guard, and issued a few quiet orders.

"Marines, huh…"

Stepping out of the palace, Gan Fall gazed up at the sky, lost in thought. Whatever weighed on his mind, his eyes soon hardened with resolve. He returned to the hall, picked up a notebook from the desk, and murmured to himself:

"I can't delay any longer…"

This endless war needs to end. Too many have died already…

As the blinding sunlight above drew ever closer—

BOOM!

The warship burst out from the spiral cloud stairway. The Express Lobsters let go, and the ship crashed down into a sea of clouds.

Before them appeared a vast island woven from massive vines and billowing white clouds.

Angel Island.

The giant vine's branches stretched skyward, piercing the heavens. Clouds clustered along the branches, each supporting castle-like homes. White staircases connected every cloud, and children of the Angel Tribe, their white wings fluttering, darted up and down the steps, laughing and playing.

"Whoa!!"

"Amazing! That plant is gigantic!"

"A world made of clouds… Incredible."

"Hey… Has anyone else noticed it's getting harder to breathe?"

"Yeah, I felt it down below, but it's worse now."

"That's because we're over ten thousand meters above the Blue Sea," the adjutant explained. "The air is thin up here. Anyone with a weaker constitution might feel dizzy—or worse, suffer from oxygen deprivation."

He glanced over at Cricket, the only child aboard. But Cricket looked perfectly fine.

Sensing the adjutant's gaze, Cricket grinned. "No worries about me. I've been diving for sunken ruins since I was a kid—I'm used to a little lack of oxygen."

"Alright. But if you feel unwell, let us know immediately."

"Got it!"

After giving the soldiers leave to explore, Sakazuki took Cricket on a tour of the island, soaking in the sights and sounds of this world so unlike the Blue Sea below.

Half a day later, a messenger appeared, breaking their peaceful stroll.

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, sir! An Angel tribe member—calls himself a Divine Guard—says 'God' requests your presence."

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