While his companions were still stunned by the truth of the City of Gold, Riberra Sami clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back.
"Alright. We can savor the legend later. For now, we split up."
He pointed at the glittering wealth surrounding them.
"Feich, Henry, Hans—you three stay here. Pick out gold items that are easy to carry and pack them up."
He paused, calculating the time.
"We probably have… about two hours. After that, return the way we came, transport the gold to the Waver, and wait for me there."
"Marcus, you're responsible for security and coordination. If anything unexpected happens, retreat safely is the first priority."
Marcus nodded.
"Understood. Boss… what about you?"
Riberra Sami looked upward toward the hole they had descended through.
"I'm going up there. There's something more important."
"More important?" Feich glanced at the piles of gold in disbelief. "More important than all this?"
"For me, yes."
Riberra Sami didn't elaborate.
"Carry out the order. If I'm not back in two hours, go back to the Waver and wait for me."
Marcus frowned slightly, but when he saw Riberra Sami's unwavering expression, he nodded.
"Yes, Captain. Please be careful."
Without further words, Riberra Sami grabbed a Lamp Dial, exited the chamber, and began climbing the massive beanstalk rising through the center of the ruins.
After climbing for about ten minutes, he reached the top.
The first thing that came into view was a colossal golden bell, as large as a small hill.
It hung quietly beneath a golden frame, its surface covered in exquisite carvings and unfamiliar ancient script.
Despite centuries of wind and rain, the bell still radiated a soft golden glow.
"This is it… the Golden Bell… and the Poneglyph."
Riberra Sami hurried forward, barely suppressing his excitement as his hand brushed across the cold stone surface.
Neatly carved ancient characters filled the slab.
This was one of the core objectives of his journey—the Poneglyph.
Of course, Riberra Sami didn't actually know how to read the ancient script. No one on the ship could.
And besides…
"Poseidon, the Sea King, huh? I already know that anyway. Still… maybe this will be useful someday."
He took out paint, paper, and rubbing cloth from his backpack.
Carefully, he pressed the cloth against the stone and copied every indentation of the characters.
When the final line had been perfectly transferred, Riberra Sami checked it several times before storing the rubbing safely.
Mission accomplished.
Looking at the stone tablet that had endured nearly eight hundred years of history, Riberra Sami suddenly remembered the legend that Poneglyphs could never be destroyed.
A powerful curiosity rose in him.
He knew it was childish.
But… since he was already here…
Riberra Sami rolled his shoulders and stepped back a few paces.
"I'll just try it lightly… should be fine, right? It's not like it'll break."
He inhaled deeply.
Muscles tensed.
Power surged from his legs, through his waist and torso, into his arm—
"Ha!"
He unleashed a punch containing all the strength he currently possessed, slamming it directly into the Poneglyph.
BOOM—!!!
The dull impact sounded like a hammer striking solid alloy.
The stone didn't crack.
It didn't even move.
Instead, Riberra Sami felt as though his fist had smashed into an indestructible wall.
The recoil shot through his arm instantly.
"AH—!!!"
He yanked his hand back, grimacing in pain.
His fist was already swelling, visibly larger.
"Damn… that's ridiculously hard!"
Riberra Sami sucked in a breath as he stared at the Poneglyph.
Not even a faint white mark remained on its surface.
"What kind of stone is this made of? Even Seastone isn't this outrageous… And Roger actually carved words into this thing? That guy was a monster…"
His experiment had proven only one thing.
The legend was absolutely true.
Riberra Sami's eyes suddenly lit up mischievously.
A prank formed in his mind.
He pulled out a small jar of red waterproof paint and a brush.
"Hehe… I can't leave a legendary message like Roger, but leaving a little 'I was here' for future visitors should be fun."
With confident strokes, he wrote a bold line across the front of the Poneglyph in bright red paint:
Year 1476 of the Sea Circle Calendar
· Riberra Sami and the Jellyfish Pirates were here!
The City of Gold, Shandora, truly lives up to its name.
And the Poneglyph is indeed extremely hard!
P.S. (ง°皿°)ง³₌₃
My fist really hurts.
After finishing, Riberra Sami stepped back and admired his work.
The bright red paint stood out vividly against the dark stone and golden surroundings.
"Perfect!"
He nodded in satisfaction, imagining the confused expressions of future visitors when they saw it.
"Hahaha! I'd love to see their faces!"
Still chuckling at his own mischief, Riberra Sami packed away the paint and brush.
His gaze swept across the Golden Bell, the Poneglyph, and his flamboyant red message.
A strange feeling filled him—part accomplishment, part reverence for history.
"Hmm… feels like something's missing… Oh right. Rubbing and graffiti aren't enough."
Riberra Sami grinned and pulled out an Image Dial.
He placed the Lamp Dial on the ground facing the Poneglyph as makeshift lighting.
Click… click…
The crisp shutter sounds echoed across the silent summit of the beanstalk.
Like an enthusiastic tourist, Riberra Sami changed angles constantly—photographing the Golden Bell, the Poneglyph, the ancient carvings, and the panoramic view of the beanstalk's peak.
Wide shots.
Close-ups.
Detail shots.
He captured hundreds of images, determined to document every corner of the legendary site.
Finally, he stood before the Poneglyph.
Behind him was the bright red message he had just written.
After setting the Image Dial's timer, he hurried into position.
Click!
The recorded image showed:
Before an ancient stone carrying eight centuries of history and mystery—
A young man stood smiling brightly at the camera, raising a cheerful V-sign with his fingers.
"Perfect check-in!"
Riberra Sami laughed happily as he reviewed the images stored in the Image Dial.
"Rubbing, graffiti, and photos—that's the complete travel package."
He looked up at the moon and estimated the time.
"Still under two hours… guess I was too conservative."
Without lingering further, Riberra Sami quickly descended along the beanstalk.
He needed to reunite with his companions before the agreed time.
When Riberra Sami landed lightly back near the chamber, he saw that Feich and the others had already packed several bulging bundles of gold.
"Boss! You're back!" Henry whispered excitedly. "Look! We picked the best stuff! Even the big pieces can be broken down and used as trade goods!"
"Boss… what happened to your hand?"
"Nothing."
Riberra Sami shook his head.
"Let's move. Same route back."
Carrying the heavy gold bundles, the group quietly left the sleeping City of Gold.
They followed the same path through the forest, heading back toward the hidden Waver at the shore.
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