Not long after, Ah Hua emerged from the kitchen, carrying a dish that was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
After tasting it, everyone's eyes widened, fixated on the clouds above.
They all hoped for another fish to satisfy their gluttonous desires.
The fish weighed about four to five catties. With everyone getting a piece, it was gone before they could fully enjoy it.
Seeing their expressions, Kong Tai couldn't help but chuckle, "Haha!! You're on Sky Island now, and you're still worried about not having enough fish to eat?"
"We'll have so much of this fish you'll be sick of it. And Sky Island isn't just about fish! There are all sorts of other delicacies. You can eat as much as you want, and even pack leftovers if you're still hungry."
"Heh heh!!"
Upon hearing Kong Tai's words, everyone lowered their heads, their expressions returning to normal.
"Hmm... that was a bit embarrassing!"
However, the thought of the delicacies Kong Tai mentioned made everyone swallow unconsciously and lick their lips.
After all, fresh, delicious, and novel ingredients were always unforgettable.
Once they had eaten their fill, they naturally wouldn't have any more lingering thoughts.
It was like when they first entered the Grand Line. Initially, they'd constantly eat the various sea fish, but after a while, it felt like chewing on wax. So, while sailing at sea, their meals mostly consisted of fruits and ordinary beef or pork bought on islands.
Though they had eaten this meat for half their lives, they were accustomed to it. If they didn't eat it for a while, they would actually miss it.
Otherwise, they would catch special types of fish. Fish they had already eaten, they would release even if they caught them.
This must be a common human trait!
Often, people are deeply devoted, yet also prone to seeking novelty.
They always want something better, forgetting that these fish once held a special, amazing appeal.
"Light!!"
Just then, Ah Hua, staring ahead, suddenly stood up.
Hearing the exclamation, everyone quickly turned their heads to look forward.
Far in the distance, a beam of golden light was piercing through a white spot, shooting into the passage.
Indeed, as they grew closer to the exit, the surrounding clouds also told them they were almost there.
This was because the light within the clouds was becoming more abundant and brighter.
In a short while.
The sailing ship ahead was the first to break out of the tunnel.
Shortly thereafter, the Freedom, against the light, with everyone on the bow shielding their eyes, burst out of this final, yet safest, sky road.
Upon exiting the tunnel, everyone experienced a moment of temporary blindness. Then, the sky, clear and azure, opened above them. The sea of clouds surrounding them undulated incessantly with the wind, forming wave after wave of cloud surges, much like a real ocean.
Being in this vast, boundless sky above ignited an involuntary sense of pride. They had truly reached the legendary sky, ten thousand meters high. Although they hadn't seen the actual Sky Island yet, the feeling of conquering nature made everyone cheer loudly the moment the ship emerged.
The ship continued to sail.
Kong Tai turned, took out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket, switched it on, and said to it, "A'Tao, change course and follow the sailing ship ahead. We're not out of danger yet!"
"Understood!"
Kong Tai put the Den Den Mushi back into his pocket and walked towards the bow. The moment they emerged, he had retracted his domain, allowing everyone to feel the wind and the breath of nature again, which explained their excitement.
They knew they weren't out of danger yet; safety would only come after leaving this sky road.
Even when they were still on the sea, they had seen a colossal waterfall cascading down from the clouds.
They assumed this waterfall was the sky road, implying there must be a direct downward channel for the water to flow.
Under A'Tao's control, the Freedom immediately changed course, and with the power of its propellers, it shot out of the sky road's water current.
It landed smoothly on the adjacent sea of clouds.
Upon landing, the Freedom sank for a moment, its draft doubling that on the sea surface before stopping.
It seemed that the sea of clouds, while a sea, offered less buoyancy than the real sea surface.
If a fully loaded cargo ship were to come here, it might sink directly.
But that was just a metaphor; no brave soul would load their ship with cargo to challenge the sky road. That wouldn't be brave, it would be suicidal.
Haha!!
Getting sidetracked.
Kong Tai walked to the bow, leaned forward, rested his hands on the railing, and looked up at the sailing ship ahead.
These guys had even broken their main mast. He wondered how they managed to break free from the sky road's current.
Regardless of how they got out, they were undeniably heading towards true paradise.
The sailing ship ahead was moving slowly, propelled by the wind.
Without the upward sea current for power, and with only one sail, how could they outrun the Freedom?
As the two ships rapidly closed the distance, one chasing the other.
The sea of clouds suddenly began to churn violently. Dark shapes were swiftly moving beneath the clouds, causing the entire expanse to tremble like boiling water, the very spray disturbed by the shadows.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
Massive water bulges erupted from the sea of clouds surrounding both the sailing ship and the Freedom. Then, these bulges shattered, and droplets of water sparkled with rainbow hues in the sunlight.
However, this originally beautiful scene was marred by the emergence of several enormous, varied sky fish from the water pockets.
These sky fish were not like the one they encountered in the tunnel; they were much larger, each one comparable in size to their ship. One sky fish, resembling an octopus, unfurled its tentacles, casting a shadow that blotted out the sun.
"Oh..."
Kong Tai looked up, gazing at the numerous sky fish completely obscuring the sun. He chuckled, "This must be the final trial before reaching Sky Island, right? Haha!! How unique!"
As he spoke, he licked his lips.
Gulp!!
Everyone on the bow swallowed hard.
See, they were just complaining about not having enough to eat in the tunnel, and now, these sky fish were practically delivering themselves.
Just then, with a "bang," A'Luo jumped down from the mast, landing on the deck at the bow. He looked up at the surrounding sky fish, a cold glint in his eyes. He drew his Ming Gou and raised his gun, aiming at an eel-like sky fish.
"Don't shoot!"
Just as he was about to fire, Ah Hua quickly stepped forward to stop him.
These were all delicious food!
He didn't want this fool A'Luo to ruin it.
They all knew the power of the Ming Gou. One shot would take out a large chunk of the sky fish.
You see, sky fish were different from sea fish!
When killed, these sky fish would deflate, meaning that despite their immense size, they didn't have much meat.
For these hungry individuals, they weren't sure if these surrounding sky fish could even fill their stomachs.