The giant golden eagle glanced down at the world below.
Islands drifted across the ocean like scattered pebbles.
Ships crawled across the sea.
Coastal towns appeared as little more than clusters of dots.
The eagle let out a dismissive snort.
So these are the humans from the outside world?
Pathetic.
I kept hearing how dangerous the outside was.
Doesn’t look very impressive.
From its perspective, most humans barely qualified as a threat.
That was the problem with spending five years around Rowan.
After witnessing someone punch hundred-meter Sea Kings to death, one’s standards became hopelessly distorted.
Rowan, meanwhile, paid no attention to the bird’s silent arrogance.
His eyes were fixed on the horizon.
A large island was slowly emerging from the distance.
Jaya.
A faint smile touched his lips.
“We’re almost there.”
The eagle followed his gaze.
Rowan pointed ahead.
“That should be Jaya.”
For a moment, he studied the waters surrounding the island.
Ships.
Trade routes.
Signs of civilization.
His eyes narrowed.
“There’s no reason to draw attention to ourselves just yet.”
The giant golden eagle was hard enough to ignore.
A giant golden eagle carrying a mysterious rider was even worse.
Rowan pointed toward a cluster of smaller islands nearby.
“Find an uninhabited island and land.”
The eagle immediately adjusted course.
Rowan nodded.
“You need some rest before we continue.”
The bird visibly brightened.
Then Rowan added,
“If you run out of stamina before reaching Skypiea, that would be embarrassing.”
The eagle’s expression instantly darkened again.
It wanted to argue.
Desperately.
But five years of experience had taught it a valuable lesson.
Arguing with Rowan rarely produced positive outcomes.
A short time later, they landed on a small deserted island not far from Jaya.
The giant eagle folded its wings and collapsed onto the beach with dramatic exhaustion.
Rowan stepped off its back and stretched.
Muscles cracked pleasantly.
Then he lifted his gaze.
Upward.
Far beyond the visible clouds.
Beyond ordinary comprehension.
Beyond the reach of most people in the world.
The White Sea.
Skypiea.
The Kingdom of God.
A cold smile appeared on his face.
“Enel.”
The name drifted into the wind.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“You’re up there somewhere.”
For a moment, he wondered how strong Enel truly was in this timeline.
Canon knowledge could only take him so far.
Reality rarely followed stories perfectly.
Still, one fact remained unchanged.
The Goro Goro no Mi was not optional.
It was essential.
The Lightning Fruit was the missing piece of his future.
And Enel happened to be standing between him and that goal.
Which meant there was only one outcome.
Enel had to fall.
At least partially.
The eagle still looked exhausted.
Rowan chose to ignore that.
He climbed back onto its back and settled comfortably between its shoulders.
The giant bird released a resigned sigh.
Then spread its wings.
Wind gathered around them.
Rowan pointed toward the sky.
“Let’s go.”
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
“Straight to the Kingdom of God.”
The eagle let out a piercing cry.
Then launched upward.
BOOM!
Sand and loose stones exploded outward.
The giant bird shot into the air like a golden meteor.
Higher.
And higher.
Its ascent never slowed.
Rowan remained calm throughout the climb.
From the very beginning, he had intended to head directly for Upper Yard.
There was no point sneaking around.
No point searching.
No point wasting time.
Enel would find him.
The self-proclaimed god possessed one of the most absurd Observation Haki abilities in the world.
With the aid of the Lightning Fruit, his Mantra extended across enormous portions of Skypiea.
The moment Rowan entered his territory, Enel would know.
And with Enel’s personality?
A grin appeared on Rowan’s face.
The man wouldn’t be able to resist.
Someone invading his domain?
A powerful outsider appearing in Upper Yard?
The challenge would be too obvious.
Too direct.
Too insulting.
Enel would come personally.
Arrogant people hated being ignored.
God-complex lunatics hated it even more.
As long as Rowan reached Upper Yard, the battle would come to him.
Simple.
The giant eagle pierced through layer after layer of clouds.
The world below grew increasingly distant.
One thousand meters.
Two thousand.
Four thousand.
Six thousand.
The ocean gradually disappeared beneath a blanket of white.
The sea became a faint blue smear on the horizon.
The air changed.
The temperature dropped noticeably.
The wind grew sharper.
Breathing became slightly more difficult.
Rowan immediately noticed.
“As expected.”
He took a slow breath.
“The oxygen’s getting thinner.”
The sensation was uncomfortable.
But only slightly.
His body had long since surpassed normal human limitations.
After a few breaths, the discomfort faded.
The Behemoth-enhanced physique adapted quickly.
Rowan patted the eagle’s neck.
“Keep it up, Golden Gale.”
The eagle nearly choked mid-flight.
That cursed nickname again.
Golden Gale.
Little Gold.
It hated that name.
Absolutely despised it.
Once upon a time, it had been the undisputed ruler of an entire island. The source of this chapter is g.com.
A majestic king of the skies.
A legendary predator feared by every creature beneath its shadow.
Now it answered to Little Gold.
The humiliation was unbearable.
If Rowan weren’t terrifyingly strong, there would have been a rebellion years ago.
The eagle endured its suffering in silence and continued climbing.
The clouds grew denser.
Brighter.
The sky itself seemed to change.
Seven thousand meters.
Eight thousand.
The strain finally became obvious.
Its wingbeats slowed.
Its breathing grew heavier.
Each movement demanded more effort than the last.
Even for a creature of its size, reaching Skypiea through sheer flight was ridiculous.
Most birds would have collapsed long ago.
Rowan noticed immediately.
His relaxed expression became more serious.
“Almost there.”
Observation Haki spread outward.
He estimated the remaining distance.
“Maybe another two thousand meters.”
The eagle’s eyes widened.
Two thousand more?!
Its soul nearly left its body.
It wanted to scream.
Cry.
Complain.
Anything.
Rowan remained merciless.
“Falling from this height isn’t an option.”
The eagle wished he would stop motivating it.
“So don’t stop now.”
The bird wished even harder.
“You focus on flying.”
Rowan looked ahead.
“If something goes wrong, I’ll handle it.”
The reassurance helped.
A little.
Not much.
But a little.
The truth was, Rowan had concerns of his own.
If even the strongest flying beast on his island couldn’t reach Skypiea, he would need an entirely different approach.
That would waste time.
And Rowan was done wasting time.
The Lightning Fruit belonged to him.
The only question was how long Enel could keep it.
The eagle understood one thing perfectly.
At this altitude, failure meant death.
No second chances.
No retreat.
No safe landing.
Only forward.
Its golden eyes sharpened.
A fierce determination ignited within them.
Then—
SCREEEEEEEE!
A cry powerful enough to shake the surrounding clouds echoed through the heavens.
The giant eagle surged upward.
Its wings beat harder than ever before.
Ignoring exhaustion.
Ignoring pain.
Ignoring fear.
It climbed.
Straight toward the realm above the clouds.
Like a golden spear piercing the sky itself.
And somewhere beyond that endless sea of white, a self-proclaimed god waited for them—whether he knew it yet or not.