"I won't be staying long on Skypiea, so the Shandian chief and Gan Fall will act as joint interim administrators, executing the new laws and policies," Rosen said calmly.
His intention to become Skypiea's new god was merely incidental—he had no particular desire for power.
He had held back this announcement earlier because he wanted to see if both sides were truly willing to follow the laws of the new order. If he had told them beforehand, Gan Fall and the chief might have agreed too easily, believing they still had room to maneuver as actual administrators. That would have diminished their sense of responsibility and possibly made them complacent.
Only after they had proven themselves and accepted Rosen as the new god could he grant them power—ensuring their dedication to genuinely implementing the new system.
"You're not staying?!" the chief and Gan Fall exclaimed in surprise. They had assumed Rosen and his people would remain permanently.
They hadn't expected to be entrusted with authority, which essentially meant the power was fully handed to them. That realization left them a little ashamed—at first, they had assumed this man was power-hungry, but now they saw he was only interested in being a symbolic figure, not a ruler.
Clearly, Rosen's vision of a utopia governed by new laws came from the heart—it wasn't a scheme or a show.
In his ideal state, everyone would be bound by law. No one—not even the god—would be above it.
And with Skypiea being relatively small, two administrators were more than enough. Rosen wouldn't actually rule. He simply wanted to see if the new order could bring a better life to the people here.
"Skypieans pay heavy taxes to their gods—that must be reduced first. Low-income citizens shouldn't be taxed. We must also promote interaction with other sky islands and encourage trade with Blue Sea people. Of course, we can't neglect our military. We won't attack others, but we also can't be defenseless..."
Rosen wasn't concerned with holding real power. Instead, he laid out the most urgent issues he'd observed, giving Gan Fall and the chief responsibility for moving things forward.
His focus was on the livelihood of the people—only by improving that could the new order yield visible results quickly.
They talked through the night...
By the next day, all of Skypiea had received an invitation to the ceremony of the new god. Rosen didn't want it to be extravagant. Although Skypiea was relatively hidden, if too many people learned that a former Shichibukai now ruled it, trouble would follow.
Rosen didn't plan to reveal his face. It wasn't the right time to appear publicly, so at the ceremony, even though the Shandian chief and Gan Fall stood at his sides, Rosen wore a mask.
This surprised everyone—he was the first god to ascend without showing his face.
But Gan Fall and the chief respected it. This proved that Rosen truly intended to remain a symbolic figure, while real authority stayed in their hands.
While many Skypieans had already seen Rosen and could guess who he was, guessing was very different from confirmation. The potential impact of seeing his face was much greater.
Remaining a behind-the-scenes figure was enough for Rosen. What mattered most was the successful implementation of the new order.
"Fellow citizens of Skypiea, today marks a turning point. Not long ago, our former god Enel lost his mind and tried to destroy our land. We were powerless. But then, a man from the Blue Sea saved us from destruction. He didn't just save Angel Island—he saved the Shandians too. His noble character and heroic deeds have earned our trust. The Shandian chief and I jointly recommend that the Lord of the Earth become the new god of Skypiea," Gan Fall announced solemnly.
In truth, once the chief and Gan Fall both agreed, there was little opposition. Everyone had seen with their own eyes the sand giant who saved them from ruin.
Some still had doubts, but Gan Fall was deeply respected by the people of Angel Island, just as the chief was among the Shandians.
If they approved of someone, he had to be better than Enel, whose rule they had long opposed.
"Uncle is really that great? Weren't we just after the gold?" Natalie asked Robin quietly, standing among the crowd.
"This is part of the ceremony. Just don't say that out loud," Robin replied with a gentle smile. Though it had been her idea to begin with, even she hadn't expected things to go this smoothly.
Gan Fall then declared that the Shandian conflict would be treated as a historical mistake, and introduced a peace treaty between the two sides. Any violations would be punished under the new laws.
Though there would be an adjustment period, this was expected. There was some unrest among the citizens—many whispered among themselves. But in truth, most didn't care who ruled.
What they cared about was whether the new god would raise their taxes or take their lives lightly. That was the concern of the common people.
After Gan Fall finished, the chief also spoke at length, acknowledging the pain both sides had inflicted on each other, and expressing a desire for peace.
Then it was Rosen's turn.
"By my appearance, you can tell I'm not from Skypiea. But like you, I believe in the greatness of the earth, and in a better life," Rosen said calmly, raising both hands.
All around the sky island, pillars of sand rose silently.
"He really is the Lord of the Earth. Amazing! He's the one who saved us!" someone exclaimed.
Though not earth-shattering, the sight held deep meaning for the Skypieans, who worshipped the earth, or "Bas."
It also confirmed the legend of the sand giant who had saved them. That built trust. Rosen wasn't worried about showing this trick—controlling the ground wasn't exclusive to his Devil Fruit power. Though if exposed, people would likely figure it out.
"Was Enel really defeated?" someone whispered. Having lived under Enel's reign of terror, even mentioning his name had been unthinkable—until now.
"It's true. I saw it myself. And his end wasn't pretty. But I wonder what kind of laws this new god will impose," another replied quietly.
"I object. Why should an outsider become our god? Isn't this just handing Skypiea over to the Blue Sea?" a bold voice cried out from the crowd.
The moment those words rang out, the crowd fell silent. Rosen remained calm. He had expected this.
That voice represented a small portion of the islanders. Many others thought the same but kept it to themselves.
But the tide of change was strong. With both Gan Fall and the Shandian chief in agreement, scattered objections could not change the outcome.
(End of Chapter)