Dressrosa, King's Highland.
At first, everyone thought only Gecko Moria was a waste of time. No one expected Crocodile to be just as worthless.
Meanwhile, in Loguetown, East Blue…
The Straw Hat crew had anchored to resupply for their next journey. The port was bustling, filled with the chatter of merchants and the calls of seagulls.
"Eh?! This guy… one hundred million berries?!" Sanji caught a wanted poster drifting down from the sky, then immediately crumpled it up and hurled it at the News Coo flying overhead. A string of zeroes caught his eye on the front page of the newspaper.
"Who's this Renaud? Is he that powerful?" Luffy tilted his head, looking genuinely puzzled.
Usopp trembled and replied, "Luffy, he's the monster who beat you and Zoro back in Sirabu Village."
Zoro's grip tightened on his swords. "I want to take back what's mine."
Thanks to Morgans' relentless sensationalism, the Alabasta incident had exploded into a global scandal. News agencies were flying to even the most remote towns to make sure no one missed the story.
Back on Renaud's side…
Makino hadn't started making wine yet. The other girls were simply relaxing. They glanced at one another, slightly confused. Hadn't this all escalated way too fast?
In just a few days, they'd been swept into Renaud's rhythm, overwhelmed by his energy and unpredictable decisions.
Inside a massive coffee shop, Valentine, Golden Week, and Sarah were busy behind the bar, mixing exotic blends for everyone.
"Renaud, what's this 'Sky Island' you mentioned?" Robin asked as she closed the ancient book in her hands.
"I've heard about Sky Island before," she continued, raising an eyebrow. "But isn't it just a legend?!"
"Captain, is that place even real?" one of the girls chimed in.
"Sky Island?! It sounds dreamy!" Weiwei pressed her cheeks with both hands, already picturing clouds and fantasy landscapes.
Renaud nodded slowly. "Sky Island is real. But it's incredibly difficult to reach, so many believe it doesn't exist."
He went on to explain that part of Jaya Island had once been thrust into the sky by an enormous upward sea current, becoming part of Sky Island itself.
The girls fell into a thoughtful silence. For the first time, they understood the origins of the mythical floating island.
"Renaud-nii~" Weiwei, who had been dozing against his shoulder, suddenly perked up, her big dark eyes twinkling. "Tell me more! What are you planning to do on Sky Island?"
!!!
The question jolted the other girls from their dreams. Their eyes shifted—knowingly.
Of course…
Renaud was not the type to travel just for sightseeing. There was always an ulterior motive.
"Captain, do you have any acquaintances up there?" Tashigi adjusted her glasses, her eyes glinting behind the lenses.
This setup… felt oddly familiar.
"If you must know…" Renaud smirked. "There are two beautiful women waiting for me up there."
"What?!" the girls exclaimed in unison.
Of course. Whenever Renaud took something seriously, a gorgeous woman was usually involved.
"Captain, could this be… the legendary City of Gold?" Robin's eyes sparkled as she made the connection.
According to legends, the golden city had vanished without a trace.
If Renaud was right about part of Jaya being launched skyward, then perhaps—just perhaps—the City of Gold had gone with it.
"This time, I'll bring all that gold back with me," Renaud said casually.
"What?! Gold?!"
Nami's shriek was immediate and piercing. The other girls weren't quite as vocal, but their eyes betrayed the same interest.
Faced with such immense wealth, who wouldn't be tempted?
Renaud curled a finger under Nami's chin. "If I hand you gold, will you behave for once?"
"I'll be very obedient," Nami nodded furiously.
Elsewhere: Holy Land of Arpayado.
The domain of the so-called god.
The moment Renaud's spaceship broke into Sky Island's atmosphere, a figure lying in bed suddenly opened his eyes.
"What is that?" Enel frowned as the unidentified ship flew through his domain.
As Sky Island's self-proclaimed god, his Mantra ability, enhanced by the power of the Goro Goro no Mi, covered every inch of the island. No movement escaped him—until now.
This time, the mental signal was distorted. He couldn't penetrate the ship with his mind.
"Hah… this is getting interesting." A grin slowly spread across Enel's face. For the first time, his Mind Network had failed.
He rose from his bed, his body crackling with silver-white arcs of electricity.
The ship pierced the clouds and landed on a sea of white fluff.
"Wow… it's beautiful!"
"This is Sky Island?! It's amazing!"
The girls were awestruck, their eyes glittering at the sight.
Everywhere Renaud went, he conquered. But beauty, real beauty… he appreciated that too.
"Renaud-nii, these clouds feel so soft!" Keya called out joyfully.
The others followed her lead, squealing and laughing as they bounced across the fluffy landscape.
"Renaud! Come over here! This cloud chair is amazing!" Nami waved him over.
Just as Renaud was about to settle in, a gentle melody floated over the clouds.
"Someone's there," Nami whispered, spotting a faint silhouette in the distance.
"I know," Renaud said, stepping forward. He already knew who it was.
A Heavenly Encounter.
The woman before them looked like an angel—high-neck mini dress, twin tails in a soft yellow hue, and a harp in her hands.
Yes. It was her.
Conis.
She noticed their stares and smiled warmly. "Hello."
"So kind!" the girls muttered under their breath, snapping out of their daze to greet her.
"You all came from the Blue Sea?" Conis walked gracefully toward them.
"Yes," Makino answered with a gentle nod.
Before arriving, Renaud had already explained what "Blue Sea people" meant to the locals. To the Skyfolk, anyone from below was simply a Blue.
"I'm Renaud," he said, stepping forward at last. "Captain of the Renaud Pirates. These girls are my crew."
"All of them… your crew?" Conis's gaze swept across the stunning women.
What a lucky man…
The girls exchanged glances and nodded subtly. They didn't need Renaud to tell them which two Sky Island beauties he was after.
Standing here now, they were sure—Conis was one of them.
Don't ask why. Call it women's intuition!
Conis eagerly guided them across the island, showing off its unique customs and culture.
After nearly two hours of walking, they stopped at a small pavilion to rest.
"Conis, didn't you say there's a place no one's allowed to enter?" one of the girls asked after sipping some water.
Conis's expression darkened. "Yes. That place is sacred. It belongs to the god. No one is allowed near it."
"Pfft—'God'?!"
"Where are these gods hiding in this world?" Nami burst out laughing, spraying her drink.
"If we anger the god, he'll punish us," Conis said fearfully, her expression spooking the others.
"Renaud… don't say anything else," she whispered. "If he hears us, we'll all be doomed."
A strange terror crept over her angelic face.
Who could have made such a kind girl tremble?
The others were equally outraged. If they could beat him, they'd make him pay.
"He's not even that strong," Renaud explained calmly. "Just a Devil Fruit user—Goro Goro no Mi. There's no one with Haki on Sky Island, so he acts all high and mighty."
A natural-born Devil Fruit user?!
That explains a lot.
Without anyone to oppose him, he might as well call himself a god.
"Still…" Renaud's voice turned cold as his eyes narrowed. "Enel, with that arrogant attitude… when did you start eavesdropping?"
"Get out. Now."