Luffy scratched his head, not understanding at all, and foolishly asked, "So... this water column will wash us up?"
Nami helplessly put a hand to her forehead, "Idiot, were you even listening to me?!"
"Of course it will! But if we don't handle it well, we'll be directly smashed to pieces!"
Usopp's eyes widened, and he cried out in terror, "Wait, wait a minute! If this Knock-Up Stream is formed by a volcanic eruption, wouldn't we be boiled alive if we get caught in it?!"
Nami shook her head and patiently explained, "No, Usopp."
"Although the temperature underwater is extremely high, by the time it breaks through the surface, it will have cooled rapidly in the atmosphere!"
"So the water temperature won't be too high, but the impact of the current is the truly terrifying part!"
Zoro frowned and asked, "Then how is the appearance of this current determined? How do we know when it will erupt?"
Nami pointed to the clouds in the sky, "That's where we observe the weather!"
"When a volcano is about to erupt, the heat from underground will cause drastic changes in the atmospheric pressure above the sea area."
"At this time, the clouds in the atmosphere will thicken rapidly, and strong updrafts will appear."
"This is also why we can know in advance that the Knock-Up Stream is about to erupt!"
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression subtly changed, and he said in a deep voice, "Miss Nami, listening to you, this thing... it's even more terrifying than a tsunami."
"So how do we safely enter the Knock-Up Stream?"
Nami nodded, her expression extremely serious, "There is only one correct way to enter—"
"Before the Knock-Up Stream erupts, accurately steer into the center of the current and use its kinetic energy to shoot straight into the sky!"
"If we miss the timing, then we're finished!"
"If the entry angle is wrong, then we're also finished!"
"If the ship isn't sturdy enough, then we're still finished!"
Everyone's faces immediately darkened upon hearing this.
"That's too difficult!" Usopp nearly jumped up.
Nami put her hands on her hips, a confident smile on her lips, "So, this requires the command of me, the Genius Navigator!"
"Don't worry, Sky Island, we're definitely going!"
Luffy laughed excitedly after hearing this, "Hahahahaha! That's great!"
"Then let's do as Nami says!"
Sure enough, the clear blue sea surface underwent drastic changes in just a few minutes.
"Hey, everyone! Look over there!"
Sanji stood on the deck, suddenly pointing into the distance, a rare look of shock on his face.
Everyone looked in the direction Sanji was pointing, only to see that sea area.
The originally calm sea was violently churning, like boiling water, stirring up huge waves!
Giant waves rolled, as if the sea was enraged, and the currents in the entire area became incredibly violent!
"It's coming! Just as Nami said—"
Nami gripped the railing tightly, shouting excitedly, "The underwater volcano is about to erupt! The Knock-Up Stream is about to form!"
"Everyone, quickly, we must get there immediately!"
However, her excitement did not infect everyone.
Usopp's face instantly turned pale, and he shook his head repeatedly, saying in terror, "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait—"
"Nami, you're not joking, are you?! The waves in that sea area are almost swallowing the sky, wouldn't our going merry be smashed to pieces if we go there?!"
Zoro grinned, his eyes gleaming with fervent Battle Intent, "Heh... this is getting more and more interesting."
Luffy, even more excited, clenched his fists, suddenly jumped up, and loudly ordered, "going merry, full speed ahead!"
At Luffy's command, the going merry bravely headed into the violent waves!
The sea surface trembled violently, the waves roared like ferocious beasts, and towering waves swept over, causing the ship to constantly sway and pitch!
Everyone on board stumbled, unable to stand steadily, but Lin Ning stood firmly on the deck, unmoving.
He narrowed his eyes, looking at the surging waves, and said in a deep voice, "The waves... are getting higher."
"This is too exaggerated!"
Usopp's face was ashen, his hands gripping the mast tightly, as if he was about to be flung off!
"Hey, hey, we really won't sink, will we?!"
Chopper, even more frightened, hid in Usopp's arms, covering his head with his hands, shivering and crying, "No—I want to go home!"
Robin, meanwhile, stood calmly to the side, asking faintly, "Navigator Young Miss, what is the log pose pointing to?"
Nami raised her wrist, glanced at the log pose, then looked up at the sky, frowning as she said, "...It's still pointing to that cloud."
Sanji also looked up; in the deep sky, thick white clouds were layered.
They formed a strange spiral shape, as if a mysterious force in the sky was attracting everything.
"Is Sky Island really up there?" Sanji asked in a deep voice.
Nami stared intently at the sky, her eyes sparkling, and said excitedly, "The wind direction is very stable! The Cumulonimbus clouds are continuously gathering at the center of the vortex!"
"At this rate, the Knock-Up Stream will appear very soon!"
"The vortex?! Where's the vortex?!"
Luffy looked left and right, shouting excitedly.
Just at this moment—
"Rumble—!!!!"
An earth-shattering roar erupted from the depths of the sea!
The next second, the entire sea area seemed to be violently stirred by some invisible force, and a terrifying giant vortex suddenly formed!
The vortex was bottomless, hundreds of meters in diameter, as if the sea had opened a giant swirling maw, ready to devour all life that entered it!
The waves spun wildly, and huge waves swept the going merry, as if it could be dragged into the abyss of the vortex at any moment!
"Waaahhhhhh!!!!"
Usopp and Chopper immediately hugged each other, crying out, "No—don't! Turn back! Let me go back!"
Zoro, however, looked at them with a cold expression, a look of "life and death are trivial, if you don't like it, fight" on his face, and said faintly, "Give up, Usopp... it's too late."
Usopp's face was pale, his mouth wide open, almost on the verge of tears!
"Hahahahahahaha—!!!!"
Just as everyone was terrified and uneasy, Luffy's excited laughter echoed across the deck!
He clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on the sky-devouring vortex, a wide grin on his face, and shouted excitedly, "Sky Island, here we come—!!!"
"Hahahahaha!!!"
The going merry sailed into the vortex without hesitation!
As if entering a giant abyss maw, the entire ship trembled violently, being frantically pulled into the center of the vortex!
Just at this moment—!!!
"Boom!!!!"
An earth-shattering roar exploded from the depths of the sea!
Accompanied by intense tremors, a towering current of water shot up from the seabed, like a pillar supporting the sky, piercing through the heavens!
The going merry was right in the terrifying center of this Knock-Up Stream!
The violent current instantly enveloped the going merry, waves crashed onto the deck, and the entire ship was carried straight into the sky with the water column.
Everyone was blown around by the strong winds, and the whole world seemed to be violently churning!
Nami desperately clung to the railing, her face full of excitement and surprise!
"We succeeded!! We've been caught in the Knock-Up Stream!!!"
Luffy laughed excitedly, raising his hands high and shouting, "To Sky Island!!!"