The City of Gold!
Those three words exploded in Shandian leader Joshua's mind like a giant hammer strike.
For generations, the Shandians had searched for the long-lost City of Gold, Shandora.
They wished to see the Light of Shandora that belonged to the Shandian people.
To find the relics of their ancestors that had long been buried in the river of history.
But why did this man from the Blue Sea know all of this?
And judging by appearances, this cloud-clad man was clearly the leader of these Blue Sea people.
Unlike the shocked Shandians, Gan Fall's mind was buzzing as well.
'If this Vice Admiral Hammer truly helped the Shandians recover their historical ruins, wouldn't that place Skypieaens directly against him?'
Offending such a terrifying existence was definitely not a good thing.
"That's right. When you get down to it, the grudges between your two sides only come down to a few points, don't they?"
"First: land. The ownership of Upper Yard."
"Second: Shandora. The Shandians want to search Upper Yard for the legacy of their ancestors, but the place has already been occupied by Skypieaens, so they can't."
"Third: the hatred accumulated over four hundred years of war."
"Am I right?"
Hammer laid everything out clearly and logically.
Gan Fall and Joshua both nodded instinctively.
Then their eyes met,
And an invisible current crackled through the air.
"Tch, what's the big deal? Sure, your ancestors fought for four hundred years, but can't it end with your generation?"
"Upper Yard does technically belong to the Shandians."
Gan Fall's expression changed instantly.
The thing he feared most was happening.
"After all, Upper Yard was blasted up from the Blue Sea. The Shandians are the original natives."
"But then again, whose fault is it that Upper Yard suddenly rose into the sky and disrupted the peaceful lives of Skypieaens? If it gets taken, who do you blame? Blame the Knock-Up Stream."
"And besides, Upper Yard is huge. Can either Skypieaens or the Shandians even fully occupy it by themselves? Hm?"
Hammer instantly turned into a machine gun, firing criticism at both sides nonstop.
"Blue Sea man, you make it sound so easy!"
"Upper Yard originally belonged to us Shandians!"
The hardheaded Joshua immediately snapped back.
"Then you should've defended it better. Weren't you driven out anyway?"
Joshua: 'F&cking! Damn Blue Sea bastard!'
"If your own strength wasn't enough to protect your homeland, then who exactly are you blaming?"
"And as for Skypieaens, having possessiveness is normal human nature. But seriously, look at how few people you actually have."
"Can you even fully occupy a place this large?"
After finishing with the Shandians, Hammer immediately turned his fire toward Skypieaens.
Gan Fall's face grew increasingly ugly.
"So what I'm saying is, instead of fighting, why not just peacefully live together on Upper Yard?"
"I'll help you Shandians relight the legendary Light of Shandora."
"As for Upper Yard, the place is massive anyway. You can just live there together."
Hammer spoke in an incredibly relaxed tone, completely ignoring the emotions of both sides.
"Hmph. Easy for you to say. How could four hundred years of hatred possibly disappear so easily?"
"Vice Admiral Hammer, I also think you're being too naive."
Joshua and Gan Fall suddenly found themselves on the same side.
Skypiea patrolmen and the Shandians alike glared angrily at Hammer.
"Sigh... I don't particularly enjoy conflict."
"I prefer resolving disputes instead."
"But if this is the attitude both of you insist on having, then I can't help it. I'll just have to..."
BOOM!
Faced with the hostility of both factions, Hammer was no saint.
The Slacker King aura instantly erupted.
The overwhelming pressure of Conqueror's Haki blasted away the surrounding clouds.
Both sides immediately felt their hearts seize up as the sensation of death flooded over them.
"Heart Hammer Strike!"
And it still wasn't over.
A heavy hammering sound suddenly echoed directly within everyone's minds.
DUANG!
The terrifying sound instantly shattered all their fighting spirit, leaving behind only endless fear.
"So... can everyone finally talk properly now?"
After doing all that, Hammer smiled slightly.
Gan Fall and Joshua were drenched in cold sweat, their eyes filled with horror as they looked at Hammer.
"Wouldn't it be better to let go of hatred and live peacefully together?"
Joshua's expression changed again and again.
Finally, he slowly spoke:
"Can you really relight the Light of Shandora? You should know that it's a miracle buried in four hundred years of history."
"Of course. Not only that, even taking you Shandians to the City of Gold itself would be no problem."
Hearing Hammer's confident answer, Joshua let out a long sigh.
As chief, he couldn't gamble with the lives of all the Shandian warriors.
The man before him was simply too terrifying.
If they angered him, the entire Shandian tribe might not survive the consequences.
"If you can truly relight the Light of Shandora and fulfill our wish, then I am willing to lead the Shandians in abandoning hatred!"
Hammer looked satisfied as Joshua finally made up his mind.
Then he turned toward Gan Fall, waiting for the god's response.
"Vice Admiral Hammer... if you can guarantee that the Shandians will no longer attack the people of Skypiea, then I can make the decision for Skypieaens to let go of their hatred as well."
Under immense pressure, Gan Fall chose to yield.
During this period, he had interacted often with Lance and the Marines, leaving him with a very favorable impression of them.
Although Hammer was overly domineering, if this truly could permanently resolve the centuries-long conflict between both sides, then perhaps it wasn't a bad solution.
After all, in the future, Skypieaens would only say that Hammer used terrifying strength to threaten Gan Fall into submission.
Everything would be blamed on Hammer alone.
What did that have to do with him, Gan Fall?
He would still remain God!
"Good! See? Problem solved!"
"As for the City of Gold... come on, I'll take everyone to see it."
Seeing both sides finally state their positions, Hammer was delighted.
And he was delighted because his "private backyard" plan had finally taken its first successful step!
Afterward, Hammer withdrew the Cloud Armor, and the vast masses of clouds transformed back into cloud patterns.
At the same time, he fully released his Observation Haki, exploring the terrain of all Upper Yard.
"Hm..."
"This direction, huh..."
"Alright then, everyone. Let's go witness the glory of the City of Gold."
And with that, Hammer immediately set off in one direction.
The Shandians were the first to follow him.
After exchanging glances, Lance and the Marines followed as well.
Gan Fall and the others, meanwhile, lagged behind at the rear.
The City of Gold, Shandora, rested deep within Upper Yard.
It had slumbered there all these years,
Waiting for the arrival of those destined to find it.
And just as Hammer's group headed toward the City of Gold,
A disturbance suddenly appeared upon the White Sea outside Angel Island.
A beautifully crafted ship burst through the cloud sea and entered Skypiea.