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[email protected]/Heroicverse
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High atop the ruins of the temple, gazing at the exquisitely crafted golden bell, Cricket (Kuriketto) burst into tears.
"So the Golden City (Shandora) was on Skypiea (the Sky Island)! No wonder we dived for years and never found a single clue to it!"
He immediately rushed forward and furiously slammed his fists against the Golden Bell.
Dong!
The long, resonant toll echoed across the Sky Island and carried out over the sea.
On Jaya Island, both the surviving two thousand pirates and the members of the Saru-Yama Alliance (Monkey Mountain Alliance) looked up simultaneously.
"That's... the sound of the Golden Bell? 'Great Liar' Mont Blanc Noland's story was actually true!"
As the beautiful chime of the Golden Bell faded, Cricket was still weeping uncontrollably. The honor of his ancestor had finally been restored!
Having achieved his life-long ambition, Cricket and his men gathered with Auguro in the temple to discuss the future of the Saru-Yama Alliance.
"Of course, I'm willing to stay, but the Ape and the Gorilla—"
Before Cricket could finish, the two men immediately chimed in, "Wherever the Boss is, we are too!"
After fighting side-by-side for so long, they were already family!
Seeing their unwavering loyalty, Cricket wasted no time and immediately agreed for the entire Saru-Yama Alliance to join Auguro's banner!
"Excellent!" Auguro nodded in satisfaction. "The name Saru-Yama Alliance can remain. If you wish to continue salvaging shipwrecks, you may do so."
"However, as a forward outpost, I need you to constantly monitor the movement of people in the surrounding waters, especially anyone attempting to reach the Sky Island. You must report them immediately!"
"Understood!" Cricket replied seriously. Simply taking on a security detail posed little danger to them.
Over the next two days, Mock Town was completely reorganized. Auguro had the Saru-Yama Alliance locate several uninhabited islands and began using the Senkaimon (World Gate) to transport soil to Skypiea.
The primary laborers in this undertaking were, naturally, the two thousand captured pirates. These individuals were sentenced to at least ten years of hard labor, with the most heinous criminals starting at thirty years.
With this new soil, Auguro's prestige on Skypiea reached an unprecedented high. All Sky Islanders now respectfully addressed him as "Lord Spirit King" (Reiō-sama) whenever they saw him!
A few days later, Kuchiki Byakuya approached Auguro and respectfully stated, "Lord Spirit King, all preparations for the founding of the Divine Realm have been completed. Please proceed."
Inside the Central 46 Chamber, a large crowd had already gathered. In addition to the Sky Islanders, representatives from all territories in the East Blue, including Paparoco Island and Cocoyasi Village, were present!
As an ally, Alabasta had intended to send Vivi (Nefertari Vivi), but Auguro politely declined. The Divine Realm was only in its nascent stage, and their alliance should not be exposed yet.
Snap!
The doors of the Central 46 Chamber opened. Auguro, cloaked in the Spirit King's Haori, slowly walked up to the main seat under the gaze of all present.
The entire ceremony was hosted by Kuchiki Byakuya. As the head of one of the Four Great Noble Clans, his etiquette was impeccable.
"The World Government has ruled for eight hundred years. They fleece the common people with the Heavenly Tribute (Tenryūkin), the Celestial Dragons (Tenryūbito) mock life, the Marines (Kaigun) only look out for themselves, and Pirates (Kaizoku) run rampant across the four seas. The citizens are called nationals, but in reality, they are left to fend for themselves! Left to be exploited by the nobles!"
Byakuya's imposing and profound voice slowly carried throughout the chamber, detailing the World Government's many sins over the years.
The hearts of the assembled people instantly filled with sorrow and righteous indignation. These were facts they had all experienced firsthand! A simple sentence from Byakuya often represented the absolute ruin of their entire family in reality!
"When the nation fails to protect its people, no household can find peace! Lord Spirit King, moved by the suffering of the world, now establishes the God Kingdom to create a pure and peaceful land for the world and bestow well-being upon all living beings!"
"The World Government is a den of iniquity, a scourge upon the world. The Divine Realm shall surely destroy it!"
The ensuing cheers from below rose up like a tumultuous wave.
"Long live Lord Spirit King!"
The founding ceremony was not overly long. The proceedings concluded as Auguro announced that the Divine Realm's destined name would be the Holy Spiritual Empire .
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the mission: The Birth of the Divine Realm. Reward: Fifty Reserve Shinigami.]
In his private chambers, Auguro stretched his stiff back, summoned the fifty individuals, and assigned them to Byakuya and Soi Fon (Sui-Feng) for distribution.
"The Divine Realm is established. Now it's time to fulfill a promise!"
He had promised Laboon he would rescue Brook (Burukku). It was time to set sail!
The matters of Skypiea would be left to Kuchiki Byakuya. As the head of the Kuchiki family, managing a single sky island was more than enough for him.
According to Auguro's plan, Skypiea would trade its specialties like Dials (Beis) with the Blue Sea, gradually expanding the Divine Realm's reputation. The East Blue territories, having a weaker foundation, would remain largely self-governed for now.
Using the Senkaimon, the Desert Rose was transported directly from Skypiea to the harbor on Jaya Island.
The crew configuration remained the same as before: Soi Fon, Kuchiki Rukia, Matsumoto Rangiku, Yamada Hanatarō, Nami, and Robin (Nico Robin).
Auguro had originally intended to leave Rukia behind to assist her elder brother, but Byakuya refused.
He made a string of bizarre remarks, such as: Serving the Spirit King is the most important mission of the Kuchiki family. And, the Spirit King's favor must not be stolen by other women. Auguro was left utterly bewildered.
In the end, Kuchiki Byakuya only requested Gan Fall, who was very familiar with the situation on Skypiea, as his deputy and sent Rukia back onto the Desert Rose.
Cricket personally ensured the Desert Rose was fully stocked with supplies and reported to Auguro, "Lord Spirit King, Mock Town is almost completely repurposed! We've established two commercial districts and a residential area!"
Following Auguro's vision, Jaya Island was meant to be both a forward outpost and Skypiea's external trade market. Skypiea, as the main base, currently lacked sufficiently strong protectors and could not be exposed to the general public.
Cricket continued, "There are four small teams patrolling and keeping watch at sea. Following your orders, we have placed the area near the Knock-Up Stream under martial law to prevent anyone from accidentally entering the Sky Island."
Auguro nodded, quite satisfied with Cricket's arrangements.
With the miscellaneous matters settled, the Desert Rose officially set sail.
"The Thriller Bark Triangle (Devil's Sea/Florian Triangle) is quite far from here. We'll have to stop at Water 7 for supplies first!" Nami said, holding an Eternal Pose set for Water 7.
This Eternal Pose was part of the loot from Mock Town, found in the treasury of the Rosy Life Pirates. Those pirates would regularly visit Water 7 for ship maintenance.
"Water 7 is a wonderful place! It has beautiful scenery and fantastic food!" Robin chimed in opportunely.
Auguro nodded. "Hm! I've heard as well! It'll be a good opportunity to check if the Desert Rose needs any maintenance."
Out on the open sea, a Marine battleship was drifting with the currents.
"Vice Admiral! We have news!"
A Marine soldier rushed onto the deck and saluted a Vice Admiral.
A dog-head hat immediately popped up from a deck chair.
"What's this? We actually have news! I thought I'd get a few more days to rest!"
The dog-head hat was casually removed, revealing a sturdy and jovial elderly man with short gray hair—Hero of the Marines, Vice Admiral Garp!
After Sengoku and Tsuru discussed and decided to invite Auguro to become the next Warlord of the Sea (Ōka Shichibukai), choosing who to send for the invitation became a problem.
The target had a suspected Admiral-level fighting capability, and if negotiations broke down, a weaker person might not make it back. With few strong personnel—most of whom were in the New World—they couldn't afford to recall them.
It was at this moment that Garp, who had shown up to sneak some of Sengoku's donuts, was cornered by the two.
"No way!" Garp shook his head like a stubborn block of wood. The Warlords? Who were they to warrant his personal invitation?
Sengoku's veins bulged as he roared, "The next time you go to the East Blue, I'll give you a whole month of vacation!"
"Deal!"