Every eye turned to Luffy.
The rubber captain didn't hesitate for even a second. "We're going back!"
Those words were all it took.
Grins spread across the Straw Hats' faces. The people of Skypiea had just given them shelter, food, and friendship. They'd helped them celebrate. They'd rung that massive golden bell for them.
You didn't abandon people like that.
Turning around mid-flight was actually simpler than it sounded. Marcus pulled out more Jet Dials from his inventory, and Usopp quickly installed them at around the Going Merry's hull.
Within minutes, the ship was drifting steadily back toward Skypiea, picking up speed as the dials propelled them through the clouds.
---
Meanwhile, back on Skypiea, life continued in blissful ignorance of the approaching danger.
"I wonder if the Straw Hats can hear the bell ringing," Raki said with a smile as she braided a little girl's hair.
The girl's name was Aisa, and she was special, born with Observation Haki so powerful it rivaled Enel's range when he'd wielded the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. She could sense presences across the entire island and beyond.
"They definitely heard it! And I bet they loved it too!" Aisa said cheerfully, barely able to sit still as Raki worked on her hair.
Just then, Kamakiri ducked through the doorway. "The Chief and the others are back. Wyper wants us to gather."
"Already?" Raki finished tying Aisa's hair into a neat ponytail, matching her own. She'd known about the plan that the Shandia Chief and Gan Fall had been preparing, the official announcement that the Shandians and Skypieans would develop the island together, as one people.
They'd deliberately waited until after the Straw Hats left to make the announcement. Having a massive relocation of Angel Island's population while their guests were still sightseeing would've been chaotic and discourteous. Plus, where would the Straw Hats have bought supplies if all the shops were packing up?
Now that their friends had departed, the plan could finally begin.
---
A similar scene was playing out on Angel Island.
Conis and Pagaya had already packed all their belongings, their entire house stood empty.
"Conis, are you sure we didn't forget anything?"
"Father, you brought way too much," Conis said, covering her mouth to hide her giggles. "Upper Yard has even more supplies than we do here, and our boat can't possibly fit everything you're trying to carry."
Pagaya currently had a backpack strapped to his shoulders that stood nearly three meters tall, taller than three people stacked on top of each other. And somehow, he'd managed to strap an entire bed frame to the front of that mountainous pack.
"Hahaha... I got a bit carried away," he admitted sheepishly. "But these were all things your mother used. I couldn't bear to leave them behind."
Across the island, McKinley was directing the evacuation. "Service to the people! Move those feet faster, keep the cloud roads clear! And you there! Be careful with that full-body statue of God Usopp! Don't chip it!"
The entire sky island buzzed with excitement about the future. New beginnings were in the air.
Which made the timing of what happened next particularly cruel.
---
The floating islands began descending toward Skypiea.
The Golden Lion Pirates had arrived.
At the center of the main floating island, inside a structure that resembled a palace more than a ship, Shiki sat on his throne. Below him, researchers in white lab coats shuffled forward one by one, clutching reports and calling out data.
"Buoyancy index 3.2, small islands operational. Main island gravity index exceeds tolerance parameters, cannot maintain current load."
"Cloud-sea indicators abnormal. Moisture content critically low."
"Large landmass detected to the south. Island-fusion procedures ready for implementation."
"Detecting large numbers of native sky fauna entering peripheral island zones."
The reports kept coming in a steady stream, but Shiki barely paid attention. These briefings were technically addressed to him, but they were really meant for his lead scientists. All he needed to do was wait for the right moment to release his Float-Float Fruit's hold on certain islands.
"Admiral," one of his subordinates approached. "The Straw Hat Pirates we detected earlier appear to be following us."
"Doesn't matter." Shiki waved dismissively. "This generation of Supernovas has a few promising sprouts. If they know what's good for them, we'll just consider them the first to submit to our cause."
The subordinate bowed his head. "Should we maintain surveillance on them?"
"Not necessary. The upcoming plan takes priority."
"Yes, sir."
"Prepare to connect all Den Den Mushi lines to the Underworld network," Shiki ordered. "Our crew has been silent for too many years. It's time we stepped into the spotlight again. But before that..." He turned to a figure standing nearby. "Indigo, let's go see this so-called City of Gold."
A man dressed like a circus performer stepped forward. Every step he took made an odd puchi-puchi squeaking sound, like stepping on rubber ducks.
He didn't speak at first. Instead, he twisted his body in strange contortions, using gestures and pantomime to express his thoughts.
Of course, nobody understood what the hell he was trying to communicate.
Only after finishing his entire silent performance did he finally open his mouth to speak: "That bell we heard earlier... pretty nice sound. I checked the records, it's called 'The Light of Shandora.' Fits perfectly with our upcoming plan, don't you think? Why don't we go claim that light for ourselves!"
"You can actually talk?!" Shiki blurted out.
His subordinates showed no reaction whatsoever, they were long used to Indigo's theatrical nonsense.
"Of course I can. Now then, shall we?"
At that moment, another researcher in a lab coat came rushing into the hall, looking panicked.
"Admiral! The native sky island creatures and our hybrid beasts are fighting each other!"
"And?"
"Several hybrid beasts have already fallen into the cloud-sea..."
Apparently the genetically modified creatures weren't very intelligent. Having never encountered the White-White Sea before, they'd simply tried to walk on it like solid ground, with predictable results.
"Should we establish containment boundaries?" Another researcher immediately suggested a solution.
The proposed solution involved planting barrier plants all around the island's perimeter, a time-consuming process. The fastest method would be having Shiki scatter the barrier plants himself using his Devil Fruit powers.
"No need," Shiki said coldly as he stood from his throne. "This is just another form of natural selection. Only those who survive have earned the right to become my weapons."
He strode toward the exit, and Indigo fell into step behind him with that ridiculous squeaking sound following every footfall.
The researchers left in the hall exchanged nervous glances, sweat beading on their foreheads. One of them looked like he wanted to continue reporting, but ultimately swallowed his words and said nothing more.
---
On the island below, the Shandians suddenly felt the earth shake beneath their feet.
The Shandia Chief had been standing in the City of Gold, preparing to explain the integration plan to the gathered tribespeople, when the tremor hit.
"What was that? Did the Master of the Sky ram into the vines again?"
In the past, Upper Yard would occasionally experience minor tremors when the massive snake collided with the giant vines that grew throughout the forest. Those were always mild shakes, nothing like this.
This felt like the entire island was tearing itself apart.
The residents of Angel Island felt the exact same violent shaking. Gan Fall stared toward Upper Yard in disbelief as thunderous booming echoed across the white sea.
"What's happening over there?"
Then came the roars.
Dozens of bestial howls erupted from the western side of the island, sounds like nothing that naturally existed on Skypiea. The Shandians immediately sensed something was very wrong. Those roars were closest to their position, coming from the direction of Upper Yard.
For Aisa, the experience was overwhelming.
Hundreds of "voices" suddenly flooded into her mind at once. The normal background noise of the island's population was bad enough, but now there were dozens of new presences, alien and aggressive.
And two particularly powerful presences were rapidly approaching the island, their "voices" so loud they drowned out everything else.
Too many sensations hit her at once. She clutched her ears, trying to block out the psychic noise.
Raki immediately pulled the girl into her arms. "It's okay, don't be afraid."
"Raki!" Aisa's voice came out high and frightened. "There are so many scary voices in Upper Yard! And there's one... no, two human voices heading straight toward us!"
Raki had known since Aisa was a toddler that the girl could hear "voices," the presence of other living beings detected through her incredible Observation Haki. But she'd never seen Aisa this terrified before.
"They're so fast!" Aisa stared toward the western sky, her body trembling. "They're coming right at us!"
The moment she finished speaking, Shiki appeared above the City of Gold.
He floated in the air, looking down at the Shandian settlement with mild disappointment. "This is supposed to be the Golden City?"
He'd visited plenty of sky islands over the years, hell, some of the islands he controlled right now had native skyfolk living on them. But this? This was underwhelming.
Indigo followed behind him, squeaking with every step as he surveyed the ruins below. The place had nothing to do with gold.
He started making a flurry of hand signs in the air.
Shiki watched for a moment, then sighed. "What are you trying to say?"
"Looking at all those rail tracks down there, someone already dismantled the Golden City and carted off the good stuff," Indigo finally spoke, pointing downward. "But check out the center, under that big golden bell. See that cube? That's a Poneglyph. Looks extremely similar to the section we stole from Roger's ship back in the day. I can't confirm which chapter it is, but it should be part of one of the weapon texts. Whether it's about Pluton or Poseidon, I couldn't tell you."
"You could've just said that from the start instead of doing your mime routine," Shiki grumbled, then grew thoughtful. "So someone already picked this place clean. Well, whatever. We'll take what's left."
He descended, landing beside the massive golden bell.
Wyper jumped down from his perch on top of the bell structure, his eyes locked on the man who'd just dropped from the sky.
The moment Shiki's feet touched the ground, he felt it, an invisible pressure radiating from this stranger. The man wasn't even trying to be intimidating, but his mere presence screamed danger. Like standing in front of a sleeping lion that could tear you apart without even waking up properly.
Cold sweat ran down his back despite his best efforts to stay calm.
"Outsider, you—" the Shandia Chief started to speak.
But before he could finish his sentence, Shiki vanished.
"What?!"
When they spotted him again, he was already standing directly in front of the golden bell, one hand resting on the Poneglyph.
"Huh. There's writing on this side too." Shiki examined the ancient text carved into the golden base. "Might as well take the whole thing."
He seemed to be considering something as he ran his fingers over the stone. Originally, he'd been interested in the so-called Golden City. If it had lived up to the legends, he wouldn't have minded preserving it as some kind of trophy. But looking at the crumbling buildings, the moss-covered bell, the overgrown ruins... no matter which way you looked at it, everything was worn down and shabby. The place was a dump.
He felt no attachment to such a broken-down ruin. Taking just the Poneglyph would be enough. As for the value of the massive golden bell itself? Once his livestream started, destroying something like this would make for great entertainment. He could always come back to salvage the gold afterward.
Indigo had somehow already landed beside the giant bell without anyone noticing. "Someone managed to carve this kind of text," he said, sounding impressed. "If I'm not wrong, it was probably that samurai from your stories. The one from that closed-off country. Only his clan has the ability to read and write the Poneglyphs."
"That samurai from Roger's crew?" Shiki's interest perked up. "The one from Wano? Take it. I want to see what kind of legacy Roger was trying to leave behind. Any progress on deciphering the Poneglyph text?"
Indigo shook his head. "That's not my field. I do synthetic beasts, remember?"
"Right. I can't expect you to do everything, I suppose. Let's get moving."
The two talked as if they were alone, completely ignoring everyone around them.
Meanwhile, every single Shandian warrior stood frozen, not one of them moving a muscle. From the moment this stranger appeared, they'd all sensed the overwhelming gap between them.
Wyper gritted his teeth, fury burning in his eyes. "You bastard! That bell is the Light of Shandora! You can't just—"
"Noisy."
Shiki barely glanced at Wyper before making a casual gesture with his hand.
The ground erupted.
A massive lion made entirely of earth rose from beneath their feet, forming itself in seconds. Though it was just dirt and stone, its eyes blazed with an intensity that made it look alive. Every line of its face was sharp and angular, carved with the kind of precision that made it look like a sculpture of the king of beasts.
With another lazy wave from him, the earth lion opened its jaws wide.
Though no sound came out, everyone present felt it, the roar of an apex predator reverberating directly in their minds.
The lion's mouth clamped shut around Wyper.
The whole thing happened so fast he didn't even have time to dodge.
Crack!
The sound of bones breaking wasn't loud, but it echoed in the silence. Some of the elderly and children who'd gathered to watch collapsed to the ground outright, their legs giving out from sheer terror.
Screams? Nobody was screaming. They were too terrified to even breathe loudly, afraid that any noise might provoke the man-eating monster.
When the lion's jaws opened again, all that remained on the ground was a small mound of compacted dirt.
Bright red blood seeped from the mound, staining the earth.
"Ruthless as always," Indigo commented with a smile.
Then, BOOM.
The mound exploded outward, sending chunks of earth flying in every direction.
One particularly large piece flew straight toward Indigo. He tilted his head at just the right moment, dodging it by millimeters.
"That scared me to death! I almost got hit!"
Wyper crawled out of the destroyed mound, his entire body covered in blood. His right arm hung at an unnatural angle in front of him, clearly shattered. His other hand dripped blood steadily onto the ground.
"A Reject Dial?" Shiki looked impressed by Wyper's defiant glare. The corner of his mouth curved upward. "Not bad. What's your name?"
"Wyper."
"Well then, Wyper, how about joining my crew? If you sign on, I might consider sparing your people. I might even take in your families, give them proper—"
"Never!"
Wyper cut him off.
Shiki's expression didn't change at all. If anything, his smile widened.
"Hahaha! I like hardheaded bastards like you. Tell you what, if you survive when my beasts attack this place, I'll come back and ask again."
With that, Shiki and Indigo rose smoothly into the air.
Behind them, the massive golden bell, so heavy that a hundred men would struggle to lift it, floated up as well, following them like it weighed nothing.
The Shandians watched in horror as the two men drifted away with their most sacred treasure.
Only when Shiki's presence had completely vanished from sight did people finally remember how to breathe. The elderly and children gulped down air greedily, like they'd been drowning and just reached the surface.
"Wyper!"
Raki rushed to his side immediately, dropping to her knees beside him.
She'd never seen him like this, completely broken and bleeding out. When her hands touched his mangled right arm, her fingers trembled. Just from that brief contact, she understood the extent of the damage. Every bone in the arm was pulverized. The fact that it was still attached at all was probably thanks only to his skin holding it together.
Taking a direct hit from Shiki wasn't something you just walked away from. He had survived only by sacrificing his entire arm to block the attack with a Reject Dial. And even then, he'd been crushed inside that earth lion.
Yet despite such severe injuries, he hadn't screamed once.
Raki was one of the few medical specialists among the Shandian warriors, but looking at Wyper's arm now, she felt completely helpless. No matter how she assessed it, the limb was beyond saving. Even the slightest pressure made fresh blood seep through his skin.
"Wyper..."
At that moment, Aisa came running out from where she'd been hiding, her face pale with terror.
"Chief!" she shouted to the Shandia leader. "There are so many monsters coming from the west, they're heading straight for us!"
---
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