One Piece: The Emperor Luffy

Ann squinted at him. "Thinking? Just what is going on in your head."

She laughed, nudging him, but there was something in his eyes she couldn't quite read.

Luffy chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, nothing much. Anyway, I'm leaving. Gonna go see some things."

Both Sabo and Ann blinked in surprise.

"Leaving? Like… leaving Foosha?" Ann asked, her tone more serious now.

"Yep. Got a little adventure waiting for me," Luffy replied, his voice carefree but his mind already elsewhere. He took a step toward the door, then turned to the three of them, his gaze softer but intent.

"Take care of things here while I'm gone, okay?" He was already halfway out, heart pounding with excitement at what lay ahead.

Makino called after him, her voice holding a tremor of worry. "Luffy, wait! Are you sure about this? What's so important that you'd leave like this?"

He paused, looking back with a smirk. "Something that's worth everything."

And with that, he turned and disappeared from the bar, the newspaper with the words Elegia and tragedy left lying on the counter like a secret he couldn't share.

Luffy stood at the edge of the village, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon. He took a deep breath, then smirked, pulling the system interface and opening the Universal GPS. Its smooth surface held a soft glow, casting a faint blue light over his small, determined face.

With a few taps, the map expanded, showing him the distance between his current location and Sky Island.

The route stretched through uncharted territories and miles of open sea, a daunting journey for most, but to Luffy, it was nothing short of thrilling.

"Sky Island, huh? Let's see just how high up it is…" He murmured to himself, a glint of excitement in his eyes. The cunning side of his soul reveled in the preparation, calculating the time and speed he'd need to reach his destination.

As the GPS settled into navigation mode, Luffy's thumb traced over his wrist. With a quick flick, he activated his Wapu Wapu no Mi powers, feeling the familiar, exhilarating pull as he stretched upward, ready to leap from one cloud to the next.

A moment later, he was soaring through the air. He combined the Wapu Wapu no Mi with the Sky Walk technique he'd learned, practically flying over the waves below. With each bound, he could feel his heart race with a mix of excitement and satisfaction, knowing that he was growing stronger with every step of this journey.

The wind whipped through his hair, the salt spray of the ocean mist cooling his face. There was a freedom in this—being alone on the vast open sea with nothing but his goal before him and the endless blue expanse around him.

For hours, Luffy continued his high-speed travel, leaping and resting in short bursts, his eyes glued to the distant sky, where he knew Sky Island awaited. As he journeyed, his mind wandered to the Goro Goro no Mi, the legendary Devil Fruit he sought.

'The power of thunder, he mused, a sly grin crossing his face. With that, I'll be unstoppable. Imagine the kind of people I'll attract to my side with that strength. I'll be more than a legend—I'll be a force of nature.'

After hours of relentless movement, the air began to feel lighter, and cooler, with a mist clinging to the space around him. He knew he was close; the White Sea was near.

The GPS confirmed it, the route narrowing as he approached the thin barrier that separated the Blue Sea from the cloud-like ocean above.

As he broke through the mist, a new world unfolded before his eyes. The White Sea stretched endlessly in all directions, a shimmering ocean made not of water, but of clouds, thick and soft beneath his feet.

For a moment, Luffy simply stood there, stunned by the beauty of it. The sky above was a deep, endless blue, and the "sea" beneath him reflected golden light from the sun as it glowed through the clouds, casting everything in a magical, otherworldly hue.

"Wow…" Luffy murmured, his voice barely a whisper. He took a step forward, his foot sinking slightly into the dense cloud-like sea. "This place... it's unreal."

He looked out across the White Sea, his mind flashing to the future crew he intended to gather. He could picture Zoro here, standing tall and smirking at the strange ocean; he could imagine Nami's wide-eyed wonder as she navigated these clouds; he could almost hear Usopp spinning tales about his bravery against sky creatures.

"Guess I'm seeing this without you guys, huh?" Luffy thought, a pang of guilt settling in his chest. "When I finally bring you all here… it'll be worth the wait."

A warm smile crossed his face as he thought of his future friends, his loyalty to them as fierce as his desire to grow stronger.

He took another deep breath, letting the fresh, pure air fill his lungs. This place was beyond beautiful—it felt like stepping into a dream. Yet, as much as he wanted to enjoy it, his gaze sharpened. He couldn't linger here; he had a mission to complete.

Pushing his sentiments aside, Luffy took another glance around, his senses heightened. Everything here looked different, but it also felt fragile, as if even the slightest disturbance could shatter the illusion.

As he moved forward, the clouds shifted beneath him, rising and falling in waves like a real sea. Each step felt like walking on air, his feet leaving faint indentations that disappeared seconds later.

"If I didn't have a purpose here, I'd be tempted to stay a bit longer," He muttered, his grin returning. "But there's someone waiting for me—and I won't let her down."

His mind drifted briefly to Uta, and he clenched his fists. 'No matter what it takes, I'm bringing her back. She's not going to face this world alone.'

The power that had brought him here, that cunning side of him that analyzed and planned, thrived on the idea of protecting her, of shaping his future through sheer will.

As he moved across the White Sea, Luffy's footsteps became a rhythm, each step drawing him closer to his destination. He looked around, his sharp eyes catching glimpses of life in the clouds—a flock of skybirds glided above, their wings catching the golden light, while strange cloudfish swam below, leaving ripples across the cloud sea. He marveled at the world around him, each detail filling him with awe.

"A place this amazing… it's almost like a piece of heaven dropped into the sea." He let his thoughts wander, savoring the peacefulness of the scene.

But his resolve didn't waver. Every sight, every wonder he encountered was a reminder of why he was here and what he had to do.

Soon, he'd reach Sky Island, and there he would find the Goro Goro no Mi. The thrill of that power surged through him again, anticipation and ambition mixing in his veins.

'I will need all the strength I can get to make a mark in this world—to protect what's mine.'

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