The small boat was no longer moving by the wind; it was being sucked into a massive, violent current that defied gravity. Ahead of them, the ocean seemed to tilt upward, rushing toward the clouds against the sheer face of the Red Line.
"Hold on to something!" Silas shouted, his hands white-knuckled on the rudder. "If we hit the walls, it's over!"
Kai stood at the bow, his new [Emerald Aegis] flickering faintly around the hull. The spray of the sea was cold, but his blood was boiling with excitement. He could feel the raw power of the ocean—millions of tons of water moving as one.
[Ding! New Challenge: The Ascent.]
[Objective: Maintain boat integrity above 50%.]
[Current Integrity: 95%.]
Suddenly, a massive whirlpool formed at the base of the canal. The boat tilted dangerously to the left, the wood screaming under the pressure.
"We're going to hit!" Kai yelled.
He didn't hesitate. He activated [Soul Blade Projection], but instead of a dagger, he channeled the energy through his feet, locking himself to the deck. Then, he lunged toward the side of the boat that was about to slam into the rock.
"Emerald Aegis... Expand!"
A translucent green shield erupted from Kai's palm, forming a buffer between the boat and the jagged red cliff. BOOM! The impact shook Kai to his bones, and blood trickled from his lip, but the boat remained intact.
[Integrity: 82%.]
[Soul Coins Consumed: 5.]
"Keep us straight, Silas!" Kai roared over the thunderous sound of the water.
As they climbed higher and higher, the air grew thin. Kai looked back and saw the entire East Blue shrinking beneath them. It was a terrifying and beautiful sight. They were literally sailing into the sky.
[Warning: High-Level Soul Presence detected at the peak!]
[Target: 'The Gatekeeper of the Grand Line'.]
Kai narrowed his eyes. He knew who was waiting at the top. A giant whale... and an old man with a grudge. But in this version of the story, Kai had something they didn't expect: the ability to see the weight of their souls.
"Get ready," Silas muttered, a rare smile appearing on his face. "We're almost at the top of the world."