"Everyone, we see it."
To the left of the Freedom, a two-seater vehicle called a Waver, with a bull's head on the front and a spider flag and a large horn in the middle, was steadily advancing under the control of the large bearded man in the front seat and the thin old man in the yellow t-shirt.
In the back seat sat a young girl with light yellow twin ponytails, wearing a pink dress, a small white pair of wings on her back, and her hair styled in a bun at the ends.
These two were Conis and her father.
Conis, holding a white cloud fox, turned and shouted loudly towards the Freedom on the right.
"Please look ahead, the end of the clouds has arrived."
"Shoo~"
Perhaps hearing its master's call, the cloud fox thought it was being addressed and also lifted its head, replying loudly.
Coincidentally, this cloud fox was named "Shoo," also known as "Si Si."
Just as Pierre's cry was "Pi,"
Shoo's cry was "Shoo."
It was indeed fitting.
Hearing Conis's shout, everyone except A Tao in the cockpit came to the ship's side.
Then, following Conis's pointing direction, they indeed saw a huge archway in the distance ahead, adorned with a giant rainbow, like a dream.
"I didn't expect to be here so soon!"
Ah Hua emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray. He first served juice to Kuina and Robin, who were standing by the ship's railing. After they took their drinks,
He then looked ahead and shouted to Kouta, who was sitting on the ship's railing at the bow, "Kouta."
"Got it."
A hint of helplessness flashed in Kouta's eyes. Ah Hua was getting lazier; he wasn't even bringing the juice to the bow.
Kouta retracted his gaze. With a thought, a glass of juice from Ah Hua's tray flew to the bow and landed in his hand, and another flew to the left side of the ship, landing in Conis's hand.
As for the others, if they wanted a drink, they could get it themselves. He wouldn't indulge them.
"Conis."
Kouta floated down from the railing and walked to the left side of the bow. He looked down at Conis below, took a sip of his juice, and asked, "Do many ships pass through here each year?"
Conis took a sip of juice, looked up at Kouta, her eyes filled with unspoken respect and gratitude. She smiled, "Before Enel arrived, our Sky Island still received a few ships from the Blue Sea each year. Although not many came with friendly intentions, one or two ships still left through here annually."
"Oh!"
Kouta nodded, took a sip of his juice, and leaned his upper body over the railing. He then asked, "So, after Enel came, has it been a long time since any ships have gone down this way?"
"Mhm!"
Conis lowered her head, her gaze fixed ahead, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes. "Ever since Enel arrived, the ships reaching Sky Island were either stopped by the more hostile Shandians or lured to Apis, and they never returned. So, for these past few years, you are the only ship to have reached here!"
Speaking of which, Conis took a sip from her cup and then looked up, her gaze sweeping across the people on the ship, her eyes filled with even more gratitude.
She knew that without Kouta and his companions, Angel Island and its residents would have been oppressed by Enel for who knew how much longer.
Life without hope was filled with suppression and despair.
It was Kouta and his group who tore through the dark clouds that enveloped Sky Island, allowing Angel Island to once again bask in the true light of hope.
It was also their arrival that ended the 400-year war between Angel Island and the Shandians.
Therefore, no matter how grateful they, the residents of Sky Island, were, it was not enough.
A Luo stepped out of the elevator on the mast and walked to Ah Hua's side. He took a glass of juice from Ah Hua's tray, drank it while looking ahead, and said.
"To be honest, as we are about to leave, I feel quite reluctant!"
For A Luo's words, Ah Hua, uncharacteristically, didn't argue. He pushed up his glasses, looked at the white clouds to his left, and a hint of reluctance also flickered in his eyes.
Sky Island was the most legendary place they had visited since setting sail.
Everything here was so dreamlike, as if it were truly a place from a dream, full of wonder.
All sorts of sky fish, clouds, pumpkins, people, soil, shells, history…
Although it had only been two days,…
Everything was so endearing.
Now that they were truly leaving, they realized how intense their reluctance was.
However, no matter how reluctant, they had to leave. This was just a part of their journey. Just like their time on Bass Island and Alabasta, they had also felt a strong sense of reluctance. If they hadn't moved on, how could they have encountered such a beautiful Sky Island?
So!
Their journey would not linger for any single beautiful place, because their journey encompassed the entire world!
He believed that beyond the sea of clouds, beneath the sea of clouds, in the boundless ocean, there would be more, more wondrous, and more dreamlike scenery awaiting them.
Awaiting their arrival.
Ah Hua picked up a glass of juice from the tray, placed the tray on the coffee table in the middle of the deck, and then walked to the bow, standing beside Kouta, looking ahead. The reluctance in his eyes was gone, replaced by anticipation for the journey ahead.
Just like when they first received news of Sky Island.
Soon.
Conis's family's Waver, piloted by her father, was the first to charge into the cloud path in front of the giant archway.
The Freedom followed closely behind.
However, Conis's Waver did not enter the main gate. It stopped in front of the gate. They jumped off the Waver, ran, and shouted loudly to Kouta and his group standing on the bow of the Freedom.
"Everyone, we will see you off here."
"Mhm!"
Kouta nodded, looked at Conis and her father, and smiled, "Thank you for guiding us."
"It is we who should thank you! We will never forget you."
Conis looked at Kouta, her eyes full of gratitude, "Thank you!"
Conis's father also said with gratitude, "Thank you!"
"Shoo!"
Even Shoo, following at Conis's feet, cried out loudly.
"Haha!!"
Kouta laughed heartily, waved his hand, and said, "You've been thanking us for two days, and you're not tired of it."
"Alright, take care. We'll say our goodbyes here then!"
"Mhm!"
Conis and her father replied. Seeing that they were about to enter the passage, he quickly shouted, "Please lower the sails immediately and hold onto the ship!"
"Alright."
A Luo smiled, pushed off the deck with his legs, and with a "whoosh," jumped onto the mast. Under A Tao's control, he quickly furled the sails.
After the sails were stowed, they both walked to the bow and waved goodbye to Conis and her father standing on the shore.