Ruins of Gaya Island.
The Fairy Tail docked at the shore.
"Are you Wen Braun Kulik, the one who commissioned us to find the Golden Land?" Yuuto asked calmly.
"Yes… I am Wen Braun Kulik!" The middle-aged man with a diamond-shaped face and chestnut hair trembled as he spoke.
"About your commission—" Yuuto began, but Kulik interrupted him.
"I know, I know, President Yuuto! Last time, in my hurry, I forgot to mark the entrustment fee. Here is all my net worth. Please accept it! If it's not enough, give me a little time!"
Kulik pushed a heavy bag of gold toward Yuuto. It was the culmination of years of underwater salvage operations.
"Wow… gold~~~" Nami's eyes sparkled at the sight.
Over the past two days, they had helped solve problems across several islands. But the rewards had been modest. The islanders were incredibly poor—poorer even than those in Cocoyasi Village.
Even Nami, who valued money above almost anything, hadn't insisted on charging more. They had even distributed some of the treasures they recovered from pirates to the impoverished locals.
Though the profit was small, Nami had enjoyed the work immensely. And of course… extra money was always welcome.
"Enough." Yuuto nodded calmly, signaling Nami to collect the reward. Then he turned and returned to the boat.
At once, the ape and orangutan companions of Kulik panicked. Previously, their father had been bullied by local thugs during a salvage mission, and now this party had arrived—not to demand payment, but to actually help him recover the Golden Land.
But when Yuuto turned, his sharp gaze froze the three of them in place.
"What are you standing there for? Don't you want to find the Golden City?" he asked.
"Ah… oh-oh-oh!" Though they didn't fully understand, the three climbed aboard the ship quickly.
"President Yuuto, I don't have much information about the Golden Land… please listen to me," Kulik began.
"No, that's fine." Yuuto waved him off, interrupting the story.
Kulik stared in disbelief. Did they really want to help find the Golden Land? Or were they just here to take the gold?
The ape and orangutan companions exchanged worried glances, feeling the weight of the unknown.
"Uncle Lizitou, President Yuuto knows far more about the Golden Land than you. Just follow his lead," Nami explained with a reassuring smile.
"President Yuuto, you really know where the Golden Land is?" Kulik asked nervously.
"Of course," Yuuto replied. "You've been searching underwater and found nothing. That's normal. The Golden Land isn't beneath the sea… it's in the sky."
He pointed upward.
"Nani?!"
All three of Kulik's companions stared, their eyes wide with shock.
But the next moment shocked them even more. Yuuto stepped lightly onto the deck with his right foot.
Gravity magic, activate.
Under the pull of reverse gravity, the Fairy Tail rose gracefully into the air, heading straight for Wanmi Sky Island. Though the ship had built-in flight capabilities, gravity magic made vertical ascent effortless.
"Wait for me! President Yuuto! I haven't boarded yet!" Morgans' voice called from afar.
Yuuto paused briefly. When Morgans climbed aboard, he fully activated the gravity magic. The ship surged upward at incredible speed.
Five minutes later, the Fairy Tail hovered above the Baibai Sea, seven kilometers above ground. The speed slowed slightly, easing the heavy weight pressing down on Kulik, Morgans, and the others.
"Huh~~~" Everyone exhaled, amazed.
"The Golden Land… is really in the sky?" Wen Braun Kulik whispered nervously, glancing around.
The girls of Fairy Tail were equally thrilled. This commission was less of a task and more of an adventure.
The ship slowly followed the Island Cloud Trail, finally reaching an arch inscribed with the words "Gate of Heaven."
Ignoring the sour-faced old woman who guarded the gate, Yuuto continued onward.
"President, what was that old lady saying?" Erza asked.
"It seems… she demanded an entry fee. A billion dollars per person," Robin said seriously.
"Don't say that! It's impossible! She must be welcoming us," Nami waved her hands, unwilling to accept the idea of paying.
Another five minutes later, the Fairy Tail pierced the last layer of thin clouds, reaching an altitude of 10,000 meters.
Ahead, the endless white sea sparkled in the sunlight, breathtakingly beautiful.
"Wow… this is amazing!"
"This is what 10,000 meters up looks like!"
"It's like a real heaven!"
The girls stared in awe.
"Gaya! There it is… the Gaya that vanished! Four hundred years ago, the Golden Land didn't sink into the sea—it was carried into the sky by the soaring ocean current! My ancestor Nolando wasn't lying. The Golden Land is real!"
Wen Braun Kulik gripped the rails, staring unblinkingly at the colossal island. Tears streamed down his face.
"Very good!"
"That's amazing, Dad!"
Even the apes and orangutans were moved to tears.
"Hahaha! A Sky Island at 10,000 meters, and the legendary Golden City of Shandora—this will shock the world!" Morgans laughed excitedly, snapping pictures along the way.
"President, shall we head to the Golden City?" Nami, blinded by the thought of treasure, could barely contain herself.
"Not yet," Yuuto said. "First, we need to pick someone up."
10,000 meters above sea level – Cloud Shinobi Village.
This village, hidden among the White Clouds, had been home to the Gaya Island natives and the Sandia people for generations.
"Really, Wendy, how many times have I told you not to push yourself too hard? And all of you in Sandia, don't fight recklessly just because Wendy is being treated!"
A little white cat scolded in a playful voice.
"Okay, okay, Lulu! I'm fine! Everyone in Sandia is eager to reclaim our homeland. If only everyone were here, we could definitely help!" Wendy, the sky dragon slayer, sighed softly.
At that moment:
"Wendy, Wendy! Look! A ship is coming from outside the village, and its emblem… it's the same as yours!" Aisha, a Sandia girl, shouted anxiously.