A/N: Be warned, chapter outlines will have spoilers. If you do not wish to be spoiled, do not read. If you don’t care and would like to give feedback (good or bad) on the chapter’s skeleton before it is actually written, this is your opportunity to do so.
Morning at Cricket's place / on the Merry after it's been retrofitted for the Knock-Up Stream.
Everyone is getting ready in their own ways.
Ben asks Cricket if he has any jars he can use.
Crew chatter after the previous night.
Mirrors closely to Episode 152 with crew preparing to set sail for the Knock-Up Stream location.
...
As the Going Merry sets sail alongside Masira and Shoujou's ships, Ben takes the time to ask what everyone's skills are and their roles on the crew.
Ben then tells them plainly that once they reach Skypiea, they need to avoid fighting Eneru directly if possible. He specifically says that most of them (outside of Luffy) would stand no chance against him as they are now.
Luffy, naturally, is not intimidated.
Zoro and Sanji bristle.
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper take the warning seriously.
Robin listens closely.
...
Robin approaches Ben privately, probably on a quieter stretch of deck.
She advises that when they reach Skypiea, "Kevin" may not be a safe name to keep using. She cites Eneru's Mantra and the possibility that names, voices, and remembered presences may matter.
Ben says it will be fine, but this is partly bluff.
Robin gently presses: "Could it be that Kevin isn't your real name?"
Ben neither confirms nor denies.
Robin responds with a playful, intelligent challenge: she'll likely figure it out first.
...
Blackbeard appears on the raft below/right before launch. Before anything meaningful can happen, the Knock-Up Stream erupts. Blackbeard's raft is blasted apart just like in canon.
The Going Merry is launched skyward.
Ben transforms into Brainstorm to function as a living prediction engine, providing the optimal directions in order for the ship to traverse the Knock-Up Stream.
Include the various reactions to Brainstorm's form and hyper-intelligent speech.
Flow:
Nami remains the navigator and caller of course.
Brainstorm rapidly calculates:
angle of approach,
wave timing,
pressure shifts,
current vectors,
elevation trajectory,
survival margin.
He relays recommendations to Nami.
Nami interprets, adjusts, and steers.
...
Merry survives the launch and lands on the White Sea.
Chaos on deck.
Ben changes back to human and catches Nami before she can crash into deck.
Luffy is thrilled they made it. Usopp and Chopper are half-dead from terror. Zoro is just annoyed.
Wyper and Gan Fall scenes (similar beats to canon)
...
Pay off Chapter 3's stealth problem and move Ben into Skypiea undetected.
After Gan Fall leaves, Ben transforms into [REDACTED]
He explains as little as possible to the crew beyond:
"Eneru already knows what I look and sound like. I'm not giving him that advantage twice."
When the ship arrives at the Entrance Gate, Ben uses jars of dirt to pay for his and the crews' entry since Vearth is revered and more valuable than anything else in Skypiea.
Therefore, the Straw Hats and Ben enter without being labeled as criminals. The old lady at the gate gives Ben and the Straw Hats special necklaces to confirm that they are legal.
...
They are carried into the White-White Sea zone with Angel Island in the distance.
Ben quietly takes in the sight. He is glad to be back but uneasy.
The crew reaches Angel Beach. (Canon beats)
Conis is on the beach, playing a sad song on her harp, appearing subdued from grief. She does not recognize [REDACTED] as Ben because:
[REDACTED] does not resemble Ben at all
she believes Ben died on Upper Yard.
Pagaya crashes on shore on his Waver. (canon beat)
He asks if they came legally through the gate. When they confirm yes and show him their necklaces, Pagaya is visibly relieved.
Luffy is unable to ride the Waver. Nami picks it up easily. (canon beats)
Before Nami takes the Waver out, Conis urgently warns them sternly not to go near Upper Yard. Her volume surprises the group. She's emotionally charged from grief due to the guilt she feels about Ben's death.
Nami, taken aback by Conis's command, promises she will not go near Upper Yard.
Ben looks at Conis out of the corner of his eye, frowning.
...
Later...
Pagaya offers lodging and lunch. Sanji helps out with the cooking.
Conis apologizes for her outburst on the beach. She explains that a friend of hers died after going to Upper Yard.
"Kami/god" killed him for trespassing. She had failed to warn him beforehand.
That line should land hard on Ben. He feels guilty for letting her keep mourning him. He hates lying to her, but he knows he cannot reveal himself yet.
Robin asks for the friend's name.
Still disguised, Ben cuts in and says the name is not important / they do not need to dig into a dead man's past.
Then he redirects the room by asking Pagaya to explain Skypiea's systems again.
...
As Pagaya and Conis explain Skypiea to the Straw Hats, Ben ventures into town.
He asks careful coded questions to citizens about:
Eneru's habits,
his priests,
Upper Yard access,
punishments,
what gets his attention,
whether he acts personally or through intermediaries.
Note: Ben uses writing to get answers, so no one has to communicate anything verbally. Can use vearth as a bargaining chip toward other Skypieans. He can also use coded language (for example: Boss = Eneru, House = Upper Yard, etc)
Robin discreetly keeps an eye on Ben's investigation (she's impressed by his methods) and has even more reason to keep studying him.
...
Introduction of Eneru's priests. Mirrors canon, with the exception of the bruise still being present on Eneru's face.