The White Sea wasn't very thick.
In the original story, after the Straw Hat Pirates boarded the White Sea, Usopp had been curious enough to sneak into it and almost fallen straight through.
Therefore, when it came to crossing the White Sea, Kaito's method was quite simple: cut through the White Sea and create a passage.
"Wait, Captain. You don't need to bother. My Paper-Paper Fruit can directly produce waterproof paper that isolates seawater."
Lafayette stopped Kaito before he could make his move.
"Waterproof paper?" Kaito looked at him in surprise.
"Yes. I'm well aware of paper's weaknesses, so I've specifically developed my ability in this area. I've already overcome weaknesses such as water and fire."
Lafayette spoke confidently.
Kaito immediately became interested.
"All right. Since you're confident, I'll leave it to you."
He trusted Lafayette very much.
Likewise, Lafayette did not let Kaito down and immediately got to work.
After crouching down, Lafayette placed one hand against the back of the pterosaur beneath his feet.
The next second, a special layer of paper emerged from his palm and rapidly spread across the surface of the paper pterosaur.
This special paper was very similar to oil paper, but it was smoother and tougher.
After covering the paper pterosaur, the waterproof paper quickly formed a yurt-like structure on its back, enclosing Kaito, Lafayette, and Neferpitou inside.
Swish!
Once everything was prepared, Lafayette immediately controlled the paper pterosaur and flew into the White Sea above.
Seawater pressed down against the paper pterosaur and the yurt on its back, but it couldn't penetrate the waterproof paper.
The paper pterosaur easily traveled through the White Sea.
Before long, it broke through the surface of the sea and emerged above it.
The yurt opened up, exposing the three of them to the air once again and allowing them to see the scenery outside.
"Is this what it looks like above the White Sea? It's truly spectacular."
Seeing the scenery surrounding them, Lafayette couldn't help but marvel.
The White Sea lived up to its name, appearing as though it were surrounded by endless clouds and mist.
The scenery wasn't simply beautiful. It also gave people an inexplicable sense of peace and comfort.
Of course, because they were at such a high altitude, the air was extremely thin, making breathing somewhat uncomfortable.
That discomfort, however, depended on the person.
An ordinary person might need quite some time to adapt, but for Kaito and the others, it obviously had little effect.
Kaito and Neferpitou, who was sitting on his shoulders, were also looking around at the White Sea.
"It's truly spectacular."
Hearing Lafayette's praise, Kaito nodded slightly.
Although he had seen the White Sea in the anime in his previous life, actually witnessing it with his own eyes was undoubtedly far more shocking than seeing it on a screen.
"Captain, shall we continue upward?"
After admiring the scenery for a while, Lafayette turned to ask Kaito.
"Yes. Let's keep going."
Kaito looked up toward the sky.
The White Sea was only the first layer.
Three thousand meters above it was the second sea, the White-White Sea.
Only after reaching the White-White Sea could they truly arrive at Sky Island.
Once Kaito confirmed it, Lafayette once again controlled the paper pterosaur and began flying upward.
The clouds drifted around them.
From time to time, they could even see hills that appeared to be made from clouds.
Boom!!!
Suddenly, a towering column of water erupted from the clouds.
A pterosaur burst out from the cloud and mist.
"Is this the higher-level White-White Sea? It doesn't seem much different from the White Sea below."
The pterosaur flew through the air, continuously beating its wings.
The yurt on its back opened once again, allowing Kaito, Neferpitou, and Lafayette to appear outside.
Having already experienced the White Sea, Lafayette wasn't particularly surprised by the cloudy and misty scenery before him this time. Instead, he began casually observing his surroundings.
"Captain, there are two small islands over there, meow!"
Neferpitou, sitting on Kaito's shoulder, suddenly pointed toward the distance.
Hearing her voice, Kaito and Lafayette immediately looked in the direction she indicated.
Sure enough, they could see two adjacent islands in the distance.
Moreover, the two islands were clearly different from one another.
One of them was made of ordinary earth and soil, just like the land below.
The other appeared to be made entirely from White Cloud, making it look extremely strange and magical.
When Lafayette saw the two islands in the distance, his eyes flashed.
His gaze immediately focused on the island made of earth.
"Captain, this island should be our destination, right?"
After observing it for a while, Lafayette turned toward Kaito to confirm.
Kaito, who had also been staring at the earthen island in the distance, nodded slightly.
"Yes. Let's go there."
The earthen island floating within the White-White Sea was naturally the Upper Yard, the ancient land that had been carried into the sky by the Knock Up Stream.
Kaito had chosen to begin their journey from Magic Valley Town precisely so that they could conveniently locate the ancient island after reaching the White-White Sea.
Now that the Upper Yard was nearby, it was obvious that his plan had not been in vain.
Following Kaito's order, Lafayette controlled the paper pterosaur and flew toward the distant island.
After a while, the paper pterosaur successfully reached the Upper Yard before flying toward the western part of the island.
The Upper Yard still retained its original appearance.
Dense forests and towering giant trees could be seen everywhere across the island.
Even from the sky, they could still see some extinct prehistoric creatures moving through the forest below.
The paper pterosaur flew over the forest.
But just as they were approaching their destination, the sound of thunder and lightning suddenly came from above.
In an instant, the eyes of Kaito, Neferpitou, and Lafayette all flashed red.
All three looked toward the sky.
Boom!!!
Amid the thunder and lightning, a terrifying bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky above the paper pterosaur.
The target of the terrifying lightning was the paper pterosaur.
Or, more precisely, the three people riding on it.
Boom!!!
A deafening roar rang out through the forest.
The astonishing impact caused the earth to tremble violently.
"Huh? They dodged it?"
In the central region of the Upper Yard, an enormous vine rose high into the sky.
Near the upper end of the vine floated a small Sky Island.
A magnificent palace stood upon this small Sky Island.
At this moment, in front of the palace, a man was half reclining on a deck chair while casually eating an apple.
His name was Enel.
The instant the lightning strike missed its target, Enel paused in the middle of his meal.
A look of surprise appeared on his face.
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