When Robin informed the Shandian chief that their mission was complete, he burst into tears. Generation after generation had sacrificed so much to guard and reclaim Shandia and the Golden Bell.
What had once been an ancient honor had turned into a curse—now finally lifted. The three factions then engaged in deep conversation, sharing information. The Shandians learned that Roland's descendants were still searching for the legendary City of Gold.
They even dove day and night beneath the sea in search of the land Roland once described. This news came from Rosen himself.
The Shandians were stunned. Rosen had no reason to deceive them—especially not about something so trivial.
Soon after, under the watchful eyes of all, the Golden Bell was rung to send a message. The deep, majestic, and beautiful sound echoed across the heavens and earth. It was hard to believe a bell could sound this beautiful.
Rosen and the others were entranced. The bell was rung several times, its tones traveling far—starting powerful, then ethereal, then crisp in the distance. It truly resonated across vast expanses.
Donnnng~—a melody rich and sublime.
Jaya Island.
"Is that sound coming from the sky? It's too beautiful… How can there be such a heavenly bell in this world?" On Jaya Island below Skypiea, many looked up in awe.
"Could it be true that an island really exists in the sky?" a pirate murmured, gazing upward.
"Don't be ridiculous. Even a three-year-old knows that's impossible. Probably just someone messing around," Bellamy scoffed, though even he didn't sound confident.
"This bell… it matches exactly with the tone described in our ancestor's records. Could it be? Has the lost island always been in the sky?" said a diver who had just surfaced. In the sunset, the silhouettes of Skypieans could be seen in the sky above.
"The City of Gold must be up there. There must be a way to reach Skypiea," declared Mont Blanc Cricket, listening to the bell. At that moment, he made a decision—no matter how hard it would be, he would find the path to Skypiea and confirm the City of Gold's existence to clear his ancestor's name.
"Tell everyone: each of you will receive between 50 million to 100 million Berries as a reward! Eat, drink, and enjoy!" Rosen had Bones and the others steer the Ark and even dismantled several useless golden pillars near the Golden Bell for transport.
"Wooo!"
"Uncle Rosen rules!"
"No alcohol for kids!"
"Hahaha…"
Rosen estimated they'd need two ships just to carry the gold they collected. Including the gold from Enel's ship, the total haul would exceed 10 billion Berries.
That amount rivaled the total bounty of an entire Yonko crew like Kaido's or Big Mom's.
Rosen even worried whether the black market could handle such a flood of gold. But it likely wouldn't disrupt the global gold price—at least not dramatically.
Still, someone like Dazelle from the New World would probably be very interested in gold. If no one else could buy it, they could always sell it to him.
Now that the Dawn Pirates had clearer goals, everyone was driven by ambition. Changing the world under Rosen's lead would be a legendary feat. In the face of such a dream, money no longer swayed their hearts.
That's why Rosen had no problem giving out generous rewards.
"This is the Shandora Ruins. If you're interested, feel free to explore." During the feast, Rosen led Robin to the ancient ruins beneath the giant vine. There wasn't much left—Enel had long since looted anything of value.
Rosen showed it to Robin mainly for her personal interest—and to help sober up.
Relations between the Shandians, Skypieans, and the Dawn Pirates had significantly improved after discovering the Golden Bell and sharing information.
Gan Fall even sent over special Sky Island delicacies—meat and wine. They still upheld hospitality traditions. Besides, Gan Fall personally held no deep hatred toward the Shandians and even felt guilt during his rule.
After all, their ancestors had forcibly occupied Upper Yard.
He had once considered reconciliation—but changing something that's lasted so long takes immense courage.
If the person before him had been a Skypiean, Gan Fall might've chosen him as their leader. But even as a Blue Sea dweller, perhaps this wasn't such a bad outcome.
At least Gan Fall didn't oppose coexistence—nor was he against the idea of being ruled by a powerful yet seemingly kind outsider.
"You're awake, Lightning Man?" As night fell, Hathaway, who didn't drink, quietly ate grilled meat and noticed Enel slowly regaining consciousness on the ground. She put down her food, grabbed him, and dragged him toward a cave.
"Let me go, damn Blue Sea scum! Discharge—discharge… Damn it, my powers… What did you do to me?!" Enel thrashed wildly, furious and confused. He tried to use his abilities but found himself powerless.
"Big sis Queen, can I come too?" Natalie followed Hathaway curiously.
"Stay put. When you're two years older, I'll teach you how to interrogate." Hathaway's calm tone made Daz Bones and the others shudder mid-drink.
She was going to interrogate Enel? But they didn't even need intel—this was clearly revenge for the time Enel electrocuted little Natalie.
Scary. Better never cross this woman unless absolutely necessary. She's not someone you want to mess with.
"What do you want?" Enel suddenly felt a bad premonition. Looking at the woman radiating murderous energy like a demon of the underworld, he felt fear for the first time.
Why does such a beautiful Blue Sea woman exude such a terrifying aura? Why did I have to be so good at Mantra?
Though arrogant and power-drunk, Enel wasn't particularly strong-willed. He'd always been used to crushing others from above. Now that he'd fallen so low, he couldn't handle it.
"Our captain wants you to either become our crew member—or a prisoner. No need to decide now. We have time…" Hathaway dragged Enel into the cave.
"Don't be ridiculous! I'm a god! I would never serve you Blue Sea trash!"
But then the crew outside heard horrific screams from within the cave. Enel's voice went from hysterical to hoarse, to eerily calm, then to howling, and finally fell completely silent…
"Did he die? The boss actually values this lightning guy… If he's dead, how are we gonna explain it?" Valentine's heart pounded. That so-called god even screamed for his mommy in there!
"Don't worry. Her Majesty has a sense of control. She's good at dealing with scum. In Landis, lots of villains straightened up after just one beating," Leah said proudly.
The others were baffled—was that really something to be proud of? It sounded horrifying.
"Big sis Queen is amazing! Leah, was she always this awesome or did she become like this after growing up?" Natalie asked admiringly.
"She's always been like that."
Not far off, Gan Fall and the Shandians were deep in discussion. The atmosphere wasn't exactly friendly, but not hostile either. Some heard Enel's occasional screams and fell silent.
No one sympathized. This was the demon who had tried to destroy Skypiea. The only reason he wasn't executed was because they didn't have the authority to do so.
"I thought this was a celebration. Why is everyone so quiet?" Rosen returned to find the mood a bit off. Everyone seemed tense—was it because of outsiders? But his crew wasn't the type to fear others.
Just as Bones was about to speak, Hathaway emerged from the cave after an hour, dragging a bloody and trembling Enel behind her. Rosen was stunned.
Torture?
Oh well, Rosen didn't really care. As long as Enel was still alive, it was fine. At least now they might be able to control him. Hopefully, Hathaway didn't go too far.
"He's not cut out for this. Next time, pick someone with stronger willpower. I barely even started, and he confessed everything. Such a waste of a good fruit. But he's got potential—he claims to be skilled in mechanics and metallurgy. We'll need his powers, though," Hathaway said, tossing Enel by the fire and washing her bloody hands with strong liquor.
"So… it's done?!" Rosen was shocked. He always knew Enel lacked mental toughness—sometimes even childish despite his strength, as seen in his fights with Luffy.
But to be subdued this quickly? And judging by the wounds, Hathaway hadn't even tortured him severely. Physically, he wasn't too damaged—but mentally, he looked shattered.
Rosen stared at the blood dripping from Hathaway's fingers and recalled her nickname—The Crimson Queen. There really are no wrong nicknames—only wrong names. Did I bring a monster aboard?
"No, don't draw my blood, please…" The moment Rosen approached, Enel waved his hands frantically in terror.
"This was Skypiea's god?" Rosen looked to the heavens. Hopefully, she didn't break him completely.
"He's unlikely to be a threat for now. If he joins my command, he shouldn't cause problems."
"Can we talk privately?"
"What is it?" Hathaway followed Rosen outside.
"How did you do it?" Rosen was curious—but such questions weren't suited for public conversation, especially if the methods were… extreme.
"I didn't use any heavy torture. I'm not a Devil Fruit user either, so no need to guard against me. I just… understand despair better than most." Hathaway's calm words made Rosen pause—and feel a bit ashamed.
"Sorry," he said sincerely, his heart sinking. Hearing that, he had some idea of her past. He had been wary of her mental state—concerned about how easily she could control people.
But now… he realized there was far more behind her quiet strength.
(End of Chapter)