The next phase of the Skypiea adventure began not with a grand declaration, but with a simple, unspoken understanding:
Both the Straw Hats and the Queen's Grace would be charting their paths toward Upper Yard, side by side yet apart, rivals racing through the trials of the sky.
The White Sea, normally calm and silent, now buzzed with tension.
The air shimmered with the weight of gods, priests, and the storms that loomed just beyond the cloud horizon.
And in the midst of it all, two pirate crews danced on the edge of destiny.
The Sky Race Begins
The sun was barely cresting over the clouds when Kaito's crew weighed anchor.
Nojiko had plotted an aggressive course—one that would cut through dangerous zones and put them neck-and-neck with the Straw Hats if they moved swiftly.
"They're aiming for the direct route," Nojiko reported, scanning the Sky Compass. "But we can slice through the south cluster and reach the first trial ahead of them."
Carmen smirked from the galley, wiping her hands on her apron. "Sounds risky. I like it."
Kuina tightened the wrappings on her sword hilts. "If it's faster, let's do it."
Aisa, standing on the mast with her observation haki flaring, shouted, "Luffy's crew just sailed out! They're trying to beat us!"
Kaito's grin stretched. "Then let's not let them win."
He turned to Nojiko. "Full speed."
"Aye, Captain."
The Queen's Grace surged forward, cutting across the White Sea like a blade through silk.
The race wasn't just about speed.
The Sky Currents here were wild, shifting without warning. Invisible air pockets could stall a ship or slam it sideways in a heartbeat.
Navigation wasn't enough—you needed intuition, guts, and a bit of madness.
Luckily, Kaito's crew had all three.
Aisa's observation haki painted the invisible winds in her mind, guiding Nojiko's sharp hands at the wheel. Carmen used the kitchen's fire dials to create small controlled explosions behind the ship, giving them microbursts of extra speed at key moments.
Conis played her harp softly, the sound harmonizing with the sky, stabilizing the chaotic cloud flows around their hull.
Even Khalifa contributed by calculating dial energy consumption mid-sprint, ensuring they didn't burn out their Sky Jet boosters before the final stretch.
They passed through cloud rings, skimmed over unstable vapor pits, and narrowly avoided collapsing cloud bridges.
Kaito never ordered them to slow down.
He never had to.
His crew was in sync.
Focused.
Pushing forward as one.
Ahead of them, the silhouette of the Going Merry shimmered in the distance.
The Straw Hats were fast—but the Queen's Grace was catching up.
First Sky Trial: The Waver Gorge
The Sky Priest Satori, one of Enel's chosen, had set up his trial here—a treacherous maze of narrow wave channels, lined with impact dials and collapsing cloud walls.
The Straw Hats were already inside, their wavers zipping through the dangerous pathways.
Kaito's crew arrived moments later, dropping their small skiff and preparing to ride the wavers through the maze.
"Looks like they've got a head start," Carmen observed, stretching her arms.
"Not for long," Kuina said, stepping onto her waver.
Kaito grinned. "Let's crash this party."
He looked at Conis and Kaya. "You two, stay on the Queen's Grace and monitor the situation. This is going to get messy."
Conis tightened her grip on her harp but nodded. "Be careful."
Kaya smiled softly. "Come back safe."
The four riders—Kaito, Kuina, Khalifa, and Carmen—launched into the gorge.
The waver engines roared, the wind whipping past them as the walls of the maze closed in.
Inside the trial, chaos reigned.
Satori's voice echoed from hidden speakers, laughing maniacally as he unleashed his dials and traps.
"Welcome to the Ordeal of Balls! Try to survive, if you can!"
Dozens of impact balls rained from above, detonating with sudden bursts of force.
Kaito's group quickly spotted Luffy and his team—Nami and Usopp—engaged in a desperate waver chase with Satori.
Luffy glanced back, grinning wildly when he saw Kaito.
"Oi! You're late!" he shouted.
"Just in time, actually!" Kaito called back, steering his waver into a sharp turn to dodge a cluster of impact balls.
Kuina surged forward, cutting down two incoming balls mid-air with precise, fluid strikes.
Khalifa twisted her waver expertly, deflecting attacks with her dial-enhanced gloves, maintaining perfect balance even as the paths narrowed.
Carmen, laughing like a madwoman, ignited small fire dial bursts behind her to propel herself over collapsing bridges.
The two crews, though separated by rivalry, fought in a natural rhythm—each covering blind spots, each pushing harder through the ordeal.
Satori's smug confidence began to crack.
"These… these aren't the intruders I was prepared for!" he screeched.
Kaito's sword hummed as he sliced through an oncoming barrage.
"Then you're not prepared at all."
With a final coordinated push—Kuina slashing from the left, Khalifa disarming dials on the right, Carmen blasting a pathway forward—Kaito shot straight at Satori.
His strike was clean, swift, and decisive.
Satori crashed into the cloud walls, his waver spinning out of control as he was knocked unconscious.
The ordeal ended.
The two crews regrouped on a stable cloud platform beyond the trial zone.
Luffy laughed, slapping his straw hat back into place. "That was awesome! You're pretty fast, Kaito!"
Kaito grinned. "Had to keep up with you, right?"
Zoro and Kuina exchanged nods—silent but respectful.
Sanji and Carmen continued their playful bickering about sky shrimp recipes, ignoring the fact they'd just survived a death trap.
Nojiko arrived shortly after with the Queen's Grace, expertly navigating the ship through the safer passages.
Conis and Kaya greeted the crew with relieved smiles, though Conis quickly scolded Aisa for trying to sneak onto one of the wavers during the trial.
"I told you to stay on the ship!" Conis snapped.
"But I wanted to fight too!" Aisa pouted.
"You'll get your chance soon enough," Khalifa remarked, brushing dust off her gloves. "The next trials won't be so forgiving."
The brief moment of rest was welcome—but short-lived.
The system chimed in Kaito's mind.
[Next Ordeal: Trial of Iron – Sky Priest Ohm]
[Warning: Increased threat level detected.]
Kaito's gaze sharpened.
"This next one won't be a game."
Luffy stretched, grinning as if that was the best news he'd heard all day. "Let's go then!"
But before they could set off, Nami's Log Pose pointed straight toward the heart of Upper Yard.
"We're being pulled in," she said, frowning. "There's no turning back now."
Kaito's system confirmed it.
[Route Locked: Upper Yard Main Temple.]
"Looks like the real fight's waiting for us," Kaito said, his grin unwavering. "Let's not keep it waiting."
As the two ships prepared to sail deeper into Upper Yard, Kuina's hand briefly grazed the hilt of her sword.
The next step would bring her closer to the thunder fruit.
Closer to her own battle.
She could feel it—like the distant rumble of a coming storm.
The Queen's Grace and the Going Merry sailed forward, not as enemies, not quite as allies, but as two forces chasing their own freedom through the clouds.
And above them all, the sky god Enel watched in amused curiosity, the drums of his thunder echoing softly.
Soon, their paths would cross.
Soon, the real test would begin.