The golden bell's song resounded throughout the entire Sky Island.
Eventually, it, along with Eneru's ark Maxim, fell into the sea of clouds under the watchful eyes of the Skypiean and Sky Island people!
It seemed to symbolize the demise of an era of war and gods, and Sky Island would usher in a new epoch!
The bell's toll made the lights of Shandora, the lost city, shine brightly.
The promised bell rang after 400 years!
Even if the journey of the floating island was long, distant memories were hard to forget!
...The war ended!
The Skypiean and Sky Island people all rushed to Upper Yard.
They tightly wrapped ropes around tree trunks and climbed up the cliffs.
The Sky Island people excitedly scooped up the soil; it was the Varth they yearned for!
The Skypiean jumped up and down in excitement; it was the homeland of their dreams!
...Beams of sunlight poured down on the ruins!
The injured warriors received treatment, but the lost lives could never be regained!
"Zoro, Sanji! Your injuries are too severe!" Chopper said seriously as he treated them.
"Don't mind us, go check on that guy first! We'll talk later." Zoro calmly looked at the fallen Wipper.
Chopper immediately scurried over on his short legs, checked his injuries, and exclaimed, "It's true, even his bones are shattered!"
Sanji just held his cigarette lightly, as if this matter had nothing to do with him!
"Speaking of which, I wonder where Nami and Conis went!"
...On the other side, Luffy followed his nose to a warehouse!
"Luffy, what are you doing here?" Nami asked, puzzled, but didn't stop him!
"Yes, it's here!" Luffy sniffed, then punched the warehouse door.
"Bang!" The warehouse burst open, revealing a mountain of food piled inside!
"So, Luffy, you came for food." Nami rubbed her forehead; after defeating Eneru, Luffy had rushed here non-stop, and she had thought it was something important!
In the end, one could only say that Luffy was still Luffy! Reliable, but not entirely reliable!
While Nami was lost in thought, Luffy had already packed all the food into a large sack!
"Let's go, let's go! Nami, it's time for a feast!" Luffy laughed, dragging a sack dozens of times bigger than himself, towards the ruins!
Nami quickly trotted after him!
..."Is it okay? To leave Wipper to the people of the Blue Sea!" A Skypiean expressed concern.
"It's fine. They seem quite upright for now!" Raki, a beautiful Skypiean, indicated that they could be trusted... In the evening,
Above the ruins, people lay contentedly on the ground, gazing at the moon, with only food scraps scattered everywhere.
"It's already evening, isn't it?" Zoro mused.
"It's time to head back to the ship!" Nami suggested.
"Nami, what are you talking about?" Luffy retorted.
"What am I talking about? Back on the ship, there's a warm bed!" Nami asked, confused.
"Usopp, listen to what she's saying!" Luffy glanced.
"Indeed, it's outrageous! To say such things, let alone a pirate, you're not even human!" Usopp scoffed.
"What are you two talking about?" Nami bristled.
"A feast, a feast, a bonfire party!" Luffy explained.
..."This is...!" Wipper slowly opened his eyes from the bed.
"This is inside the Shandora ruins!" Gan Fall said, arms crossed.
"Just rest and recover!" The Skypiean elder gently advised!
"Wait, this is?" Wipper stared blankly at the firelight outside the tent!
"Is it? Go and confirm it with your own eyes!" Gan Fall pulled back the tent, and a bonfire instantly appeared before them. "No one wants to fight anymore!"
Wipper's eyes widened. He saw everyone gathered around the bonfire, singing and dancing joyfully!
There were Sky Island people, Skypiean, snakes, wolves, and birds! It was as if all living creatures on this land had gathered here.
And in the very center, Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were using chopsticks to test their noses and lower teeth! Bringing endless joy to the people!
Wipper was shocked, looking at Luffy like an idiot, unable to believe this was the mighty Luffy who had defeated the god, Eneru!
"You idiot, can't you be a little more serious?" Nami felt Wipper's gaze fixed on Luffy and helplessly rubbed her forehead! She wondered if he could show some demeanor of a strong person?
"Hehe, it's fine! It's a party, just have fun!" Luffy grinned, like a comical extra!
Then everyone danced and made merry!
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper performed, Nami watched helplessly, Sanji danced with a Sky Island auntie, Zoro clinked glasses with Budaram, whom he had defeated with one slash, and Robin stayed in a quiet spot, studying history!
"Hahahaha!" Everyone laughed joyfully.
Wipper held his forehead, looking exactly like Eggman!
Thick smoke from the burning flames drifted towards the sky! Contributing to the greenhouse effect!
The feast continued for several days!
...At dawn, a Skypiean burst into the elder's tent.
"Elder, the golden bell has been found!"
"Really?"
"Yes, it's hanging on the giant vine! Everyone is pulling it up now. Those with strength, go to the West Coast now!"
"Alright, gather the comrades! To the West Coast." Everyone was eager and excited!
...On the West Coast,
Everyone tied the golden bell with giant vines and desperately pulled it upwards!
"Damn it, there still aren't enough people!" Some people's palms were bleeding from the friction, but the golden bell still showed no sign of coming up!
"This is the glory of our ancestors, Shandora! We must get it up no matter what!" Budaram was very resolute.
Just then, one by one, the Sky Island people stepped forward. They smiled and waved, joining this "battle to protect honor."
More and more people joined, and the golden bell was finally pulled up with a mighty effort!
Everyone looked at the giant golden bell, filled with emotion.
Just then, Robin walked out! She walked straight to the Poneglyph beneath the golden bell.
"An Ancient Weapon with the name of a god: Poseidon! Its location...!"
Robin was deep in thought, 'Another weapon, something different from Pluton of Alabasta!'
..."Pluton, I heard that with just one shot, it can leave an island completely devastated!" — Crocodile.
...'Such a dangerous thing is still sleeping in this world!' Robin felt a bit disappointed. 'I don't want to know these things!'
But the next second, she saw the same ancient writing carved on a corner of the golden bell.
"I have arrived here, leading this text to its final destination!" — Gol D. Roger.
"How could this be?" A wave of doubt rose in Robin's heart.
"Roger, he was a pirate from the Blue Sea who came here 20 years ago. Is his name carved on it?" Gan Fall inquired.
"Yes!" Robin had a guess in her heart!
"Elder, this Poneglyph has completed its mission!"
"Mission! So our task is also complete, is that right? Do we... do we no longer need to fight?" The elder's eyes gradually welled up. "So, our ancestors' wish has been fulfilled?"
"Yes!" Robin walked away, leaving only her back.
...Ancient Ruins
Usopp exchanged nearly a basketful of Sky Shells with the Sky Island residents using rubber bands!
"Why isn't Robin back yet? We need to go!" Luffy looked at the gold in his system space. The value of this Golden City could reach hundreds of billions, or even trillions!
But they didn't need to take all of it; after all, too much money was just a number. Luffy took about a hundred billion worth of gold! That was enough.
"How about I go and grab her?" Luffy thought for a moment, then directly set off, leaving only his back for Zoro and the others!
In the forest, Robin was slowly strolling when, the next second, a red figure darted out, its elongated arms binding her, and without a word, pulled her away!
"Luffy, what are you...?" The gentle big sister's ears were a little red!
"Too slow, Robin!" Luffy showed his signature smile!
"Ugh!" Anyway, Robin couldn't do anything about him!
...Soon, everyone arrived at the ship's bow and met Conis and her father!
"Are you leaving so soon?" Conis looked reluctant, but quickly cheered up. "I'll see you off!"
"Thank you then!"
...Deep in the forest,
The Skypiean and Sky Island residents gathered, solely to discuss one matter.
"I am the Sky Knight, a mercenary of freedom." Gan Fall introduced himself.
"From now on, this country doesn't need such a person!" The elder looked at Gan Fall. "From now on, this country needs someone who can govern it!"
Upon hearing this, Gan Fall quickly refused, "This city originally belonged to you all!"
"That cannot be an excuse! Everyone must have experienced this great war. Varth belongs to no one.
The God is the pillar of the country. The only person who can become the God of this country is you, who has always been troubled by this war!
Sky Knight Gan Fall, please ascend to the position of God once again. I hope you will support this scarred country once more!" The elder looked at Gan Fall with determination and expectation.
"We entrust ourselves to you, Lord Gan Fall!" — The Sky Island people.
"If it's you, we also agree!" — The Skypiean.
"Oh, really. I was just thinking I could plant my pumpkins to my heart's content!" Gan Fall rubbed his head.
"Oh~ oh~ oh!"
...On the other side, the going merry had already reached the end of the clouds.
"Ah, it's a bit hard to say goodbye to this country!"
"It's time to say goodbye to this white sea!"
"Sky Island was really fun, though a bit scary too!"
"If we pass through that gate, we can take the cloud path back to the Blue Sea!"
The going merry flew straight through the end of the clouds.
"Captain, the log for the next island is very clear!" Nami looked at the log pose in her hand.
"Next, we're starting a new adventure!"
The next second, the cloud path disappeared, and the going merry plummeted from the sky!
"Ah~ ah~ ah!" Everyone grabbed the mast, screaming wildly!
"Charge! Charge!" Luffy sat steadily at the bow, shouting excitedly.
"It's coming, Sky Island's specialty, Octopus Balloon!" Conis suddenly blew a whistle.
The next second, the clouds surged! An octopus flew towards the Merry, its tentacles tightly gripping the entire ship, forming a hot air balloon!
"Interesting!"
"It's slowing down!"
"I thought I was going to the other world!"
Suddenly, dong—dong—dong.
Bright bell tolls resounded throughout the entire Sky Island!
"Ring it! With this bell, send off the benefactors of this country...!"
Is it a dream, or reality?
The God's Country in the clouds, 10,000 meters high. Just by listening closely, one can hear this bell.
It rings today, and it will ring tomorrow!
The great bell resounding in the high heavens is the glory and song of this lost land!
Luffy listened closely to the bell, a faint smile on his face.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for completing the mission: God and People!
Reward: Rumble-Rumble Fruit (system-produced) integrated into the Gum-Gum Fruit!"
"Hmm?"
"The Gum-Gum Fruit itself is a Mythical Zoan - nika Fruit, inherently possessing fire and lightning! However, the elements of a Mythical Zoan can never be compared to a Logia-type Devil Fruit!
After integrating the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, the host is essentially a dual Devil Fruit user! And the two Devil Fruits mutually nourish each other, sharing a single proficiency!"
"Is that so!" Luffy suddenly understood!
"Ding, explanation complete, rewards being distributed...!"
"Zzzzzz!" Tiny blue electric arcs flowed into Luffy's body one by one!
In an instant, Luffy felt a sensation that transcended nature, a feeling of all things bowing to him, a god-like feeling!
The next moment, Luffy instantly dispelled this thought! 'As expected of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, it's truly overbearing!'
Luffy subconsciously called out his panel:
host: Monkey D. Luffy
Constitution: 74.5 (Advanced)
Strength: 70.8 (Advanced)
Speed: 71.5 (Advanced)
Haoshoku: 75.0 (Advanced)
Armament Haki: 75.4 (Advanced)
Observation Haki: 77.8 (Advanced) nika (Rumble) Fruit: 59.9 (Intermediate)
Skills: Life Return - Ultimate, Marine Six Powers Basic (Mastered), Iron Fist - Stance
Evaluation: Yonko Commander — Strong Yonko Commander
Good heavens, truly good heavens! His ultimate combat power is directly approaching King the Conflagration!
(Sky Island Arc, Concluded)