The original story had never clearly revealed the exact location of the City of Gold. Upper Yard, however, was a massive island, and searching every inch of it by themselves would be an enormous undertaking. Rojen simply didn't have the manpower, time, or resources for that.
That was why he had hoped to rely on either the God of Skypiea or the Shandians. Unfortunately, after meeting Gan Fall, that plan seemed to have hit a dead end.
"So you're saying... you don't know much about Shandia either?" Rojen asked.
Gan Fall smiled helplessly and nodded. "That's right. To be honest, ever since I became God, I've never set foot there."
Rojen studied him carefully. He could tell Gan Fall wasn't lying.
It made sense. To an archaeologist, ancient ruins were priceless, but to someone with no interest in history, they were just old ruins.
"That place is known as the City of Gold," Rojen said, unable to hide his curiosity. "You're telling me you've never been tempted?"
A name like the 'City of Gold' spoke for itself, there had to be an unimaginable amount of treasure hidden there. Even after centuries, the ruins should still contain incredible wealth.
Gan Fall gave another helpless smile. "Of course I've been tempted. But those ancient ruins belong to the Shandians, and they're the only ones who truly know what's inside. When I first became God, I sent God's Army to investigate, but after suffering several heavy losses... I abandoned the idea."
Rojen nodded thoughtfully. From what Gan Fall had said, Skypiea clearly held secrets the original story had never revealed. The Shandians' determination to reclaim Upper Yard wasn't just about winning back their homeland, there had to be something even more valuable hidden there.
Likewise, the Gods of Skypiea probably had their own reasons for refusing to let it go.
"Now that I think about it..." Gan Fall suddenly said, "about six years ago, another group from the Blue Sea came here. They called themselves pirates, and they explored those ancient ruins as well. They seemed to discover something... but they never said what it was."
He looked Rojen over again before adding in surprise, "The leader of that crew looked a lot like you. Just... older."
Rojen smiled. "That was my older brother, Roger."
Gan Fall's eyes widened in realization. "So that's why."
"I came to Skypiea because I wanted to follow in his footsteps," Rojen said. "I wanted to see what he had seen."
"I understand," Gan Fall sighed. "Your brother must have been a truly remarkable pirate."
He had met Roger once before, and the man with the curled mustache had left an unforgettable impression.
Rojen simply smiled. The conversation drifted to other topics for a while before he finally asked what he really wanted to know.
"God... I'd like to know the exact location of those ancient ruins."
Gan Fall had clearly expected the question, answering without hesitation. "I knew you'd ask. Pirates have an irresistible attraction to treasure. When your brother's crew arrived, they spent the whole time shouting about finding treasure." He chuckled. "But in the end... they left disappointed."
After saying that, he handed Rojen a map. "I've marked the location of the ancient city of Shandia. You can go take a look, but... please don't damage the ruins."
After giving that solemn warning, Gan Fall took his leave. As the God of Skypiea, he still had countless duties to attend to, personally welcoming them and dining with them had already shown exceptional hospitality toward visitors from the Blue Sea.
Rojen naturally didn't try to keep him. He unfolded the map and examined it carefully. Several locations had been marked, and he quickly spotted familiar names: Trial Grounds, Shandia.
Unlike the original story, the Trial Grounds on this map were simply marked as a specific location, with what lay inside remaining unknown. Both it and Shandia had large red X's drawn over them, forbidden areas where no ordinary person was allowed to enter.
---
Once everyone had finished eating, Rojen clapped his hands. "Finished? Then it's time to move."
Jason let out a satisfied burp, his stomach so full it had become perfectly round. The rest of the crew looked equally content, though several still looked reluctant to stop eating. The ingredients and seasonings of Skypiea were unlike anything found on the Blue Sea, and everyone had fallen in love with the local cuisine.
"Captain!" Chaporos called out. "Where are we going?"
"Treasure hunting," Rojen grinned as he walked out the door.
The crew froze for a second, then every pair of eyes lit up.
Treasure hunting!
What was a pirate's real job? Finding treasure, of course. Ships needed maintenance, crews needed supplies, and all of that required money. Compared to earning it any other way, discovering hidden treasure was far more exciting.
---
The ancient ruins of Shandia weren't far from the Divine Shrine. Following the map, Rojen soon led everyone to the edge of the forbidden area.
The forest grew eerily quiet, and the birds and animals that had filled the surrounding woods became noticeably scarce.
"This place feels strange..."
"It's way too quiet."
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
Trens and the others instinctively lowered their voices. Only moments ago, the forest had been alive with birdsong and the cries of animals. Here, everything had fallen silent, as if something terrifying lurked deeper within the forest, its mere presence enough to frighten every living creature away.
"No one's entered this place for a very long time, so it's only natural that it feels different," Rojen smiled and stepped forward.
According to the map, they had officially entered the forbidden region known as Shandia. What exactly lay inside? Even Rojen didn't know.
The original story could serve as a reference, but blindly trusting it would be foolish. Not only was this a different era, but even within the same era, countless unseen variables could change the course of history.
The group continued deeper into the forest, gradually passing through dense vegetation and towering trees.
Then... ancient buildings slowly emerged before them.
Everyone stopped in their tracks.
"This..."
"So this is the ancient city of Shandia?"
"It's incredible..."
Even after hundreds of years of wind and rain, the ancient city, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, still carried a breathtaking majesty. Its presence stirred something deep within the soul.
Rojen took a deep breath as he gazed at the magnificent city spread out below.
"The City of Gold..."
"So this... is the City of Gold."
(End Of This Chapter)