Aruyama United Army — Today.
They were under attack.
No—more accurately, they had encountered a man of overwhelming power. He didn't even need to lift a finger; one glance from him, and their entire army collapsed to the ground.
"What… What is the purpose of your arrival?"
Wen Brankulik, a descendant of Rolando—the infamous "King of Tall Tales"—and leader of the Aruyama United Army, was now trembling. He had never encountered such a fearsome presence. With just a flicker of intent, nearly every member of his army had dropped like flies. Only a handful of his core officers remained standing.
It was terrifying.
Yet, in that moment of panic, a sudden flash of clarity hit him—like a temporary boost in intelligence. He realized something: despite the chaos, the mysterious man hadn't finished them off. He stood calmly, untouched. It couldn't be that he just didn't care… He had to have a reason for coming here.
"Oh? Not bad. You've got a brain in there," the man said with a raised brow.
"I'm a bounty hunter," he continued, "and normally, I'd just take the heads of those with bounties on them and be on my way."
His words sent a jolt through everyone present.
Damn it.
Someone here has a bounty. Could it be… us?!
Their legs grew weak.
The aura that radiated from this man—it was paralyzing. They didn't think for a second they could escape. If he decided to kill them…
They were dead.
"…But," the man added, "this time I'm here to ask for your help. If you cooperate and get the job done, your heads can stay where they are—on your shoulders."
His indifferent gaze swept across the orangutans and apes alike, and to them, it felt like the Grim Reaper's scythe had just grazed their throats.
Wen Brankulik swallowed hard. "Your Excellency… please, tell us what you need."
"There's a sky current I need to ride," the man said. "I intend to reach Sky Island. As Rolando's descendant, you should be well-acquainted with the rules of the sky current."
The man—Kairos Flint—stated his intention without hesitation.
Wen Brankulik's eyes widened. So that's what this was about.
As a descendant of Rolando—ridiculed for centuries as a delusional fantasist—he had long yearned to restore his ancestor's honor. Helping this man reach Sky Island could be his chance to prove to the world that the Golden Land was real… and that Rolando wasn't a liar.
"Yes," Brankulik replied without a moment's hesitation. "I'll help you with everything I've got."
"Good."
Kairos gave a satisfied nod.
"Then go prepare."
With that, Kairos turned to leave alongside Nami and the others. But just before vanishing from sight, he spoke again:
"If any of you are thinking about running away... you're welcome to try. See if you can make it."
The threat hung in the air like a storm cloud.
And from someone like Kairos Flint, that wasn't an empty warning—it was a promise.
Even the thought of escape became a distant fantasy.
Several days passed.
In that time, the Aruyama United Army had thrown themselves into strengthening and reinforcing Kairos's ship. After all, riding a sky current was no small feat.
The force of such an eruption could destroy a ship in seconds if it wasn't properly reinforced.
"Lord Kairos, all preparations are complete," Wen Brankulik reported respectfully. "Now we just have to wait for the sky current to erupt. According to the current cycle, it should happen today."
Strength demands respect—and Wen knew better than to treat someone like Kairos with anything less.
"Got it," Kairos nodded.
He boarded the vessel with his crew and positioned the ship precisely where the sky current was expected to erupt.
Sky currents—also known as upwelling currents—are rare natural phenomena found on the Grand Line. Cold seawater seeps into vast caverns on the ocean floor, where geothermal pressure builds until the sea itself explodes upward, creating a towering column of water that lasts for about one minute.
They occur five times a month—but the exact location of each eruption is unpredictable, making luck a critical factor.
Suddenly—
BOOM!!!
The sea erupted beneath them.
The ship carrying Kairos and his companions was launched into the sky on a pillar of water like a cannonball.
Onboard—
"So this is what a sky current eruption looks like?" Vivi gasped. "It's unbelievable! Without all those reinforcements, the ship would've been torn apart."
Nami's eyes sparkled. "The Land of Gold, here I come!"
Kairos had already told her about the golden riches of Sky Island. The mere thought of all that treasure waiting above the clouds made her heart race.
She wasn't the only one excited.
Robin had also heard from Kairos that Sky Island might contain an ancient Poneglyph. As a scholar of history, that was all the motivation she needed.
Uta, on the other hand, didn't care much for treasure or history.
She was focused on her live broadcast.
The live show had begun back in the Kingdom of Alabasta. After being tricked onto Kairos's ship, Uta couldn't just do nothing—so they'd struck a deal with King Cobra. Using den-den mushi scattered across Alabasta, they launched a nationwide live stream of her singing performances.
In no time at all, her popularity skyrocketed.
It wasn't every day a rising star debuted with the backing of an entire kingdom.
Soon after, Kairos and his crew broke through the clouds.
They had arrived on Sky Island.
"It's amazing…" Vivi said in awe. "There's really an island floating more than 10,000 meters in the sky."
The others were just as stunned.
If someone told you there was a floating island miles above the ocean, you'd laugh in their face. But seeing it with your own eyes…
It was magical.
"Don't wander off," Kairos warned. "We have business to take care of first."
He pulled out a few glowing crystals.
"Robin, these two will boost your strength."
"Uta, you're more of a sword type. This crystal will make you a Supreme Swordswoman. Also—take this blade. It's decent for now. I'll get you something better later."
He handed the weapons out.
Buzz…
The sword at his waist—the Third Generation Kitetsu—vibrated in protest. It clearly resented being left out.
"Quiet," Kairos muttered, resting his hand on the hilt. The cursed blade calmed immediately.
"Captain, you're so generous," Robin said with a sly smile.
"There are four priests serving under Enel. You'll handle them. I'll deal with Enel myself."
Kairos's words were blunt. "Robin, your original strength wasn't going to cut it, so I gave you a boost."
Ouch.
Robin chuckled gracefully, hiding any offense. She couldn't argue—compared to the rest of Kairos's monster crew, she had been the weakest.
Still, she'd gained something powerful.
"Thanks," she said, taking the crystals.
Moments later, she awakened both Armament Haki and Observation Haki to a high level. She could now harden, wrap, and release Haki freely. To achieve internal destruction or future sight, though, she'd have to push further—to Emperor-level Haki.
Uta also absorbed her crystal.
Within minutes, she transformed from a novice to a supreme swordmaster.
Even Mihawk would've done a double take.
"Alright, team assignments," Kairos continued. "The priests are strong, but nothing you can't handle. Beat them—but don't kill them. Bring them back alive."
"As for Enel… he's mine."
With his allies upgraded, Kairos could now delegate the grunt work—leaving him to collect powerful ability crystals by striking the final blow.
"Leave it to me!"
"No problem!"
"I'll bring the priest back myself!"
Nami, Robin, Uta, and Vivi all responded with confidence. With their power levels boosted so drastically, this was practically a guaranteed win. Especially when Kairos mentioned that Enel's priests were far weaker than Crocodile.
And then—
BOOM!!!
A blinding bolt of lightning cracked down from the sky, striking directly at them.
The speed—unbelievable.
The power—devastating.
Kairos reacted instantly.
He covered himself in Conqueror's Haki and drew his blade.
With one swing, ghostly energy and Haki fused together, generating a red lightning slash wrapped in a green aura.
CRACK!!!
The blade met the lightning in midair—and shattered it.
Kairos looked up.
"So, Enel… Can't wait to kill us, huh?" he sneered.
"Well, listen closely."
"Your time's up. Better enjoy your last meal while you can—dying on an empty stomach is never a good look."
He knew exactly who had attacked them.
And Enel—no doubt watching and listening with his enhanced senses—would hear every single word.