「Hey, Krieg... wasn't there supposed to be a giant golden bell up here?」
「Wha—!? Why!? It definitely should have been at the top of Giant Jack!」
The unit had reached the absolute summit of the beanstalk, but they were greeted by nothing but thin air and drifting mist.
In the original story, the final battle between Luffy and Enel took place here, but Krieg's memory had betrayed him—the Golden Bell wasn't perched on the vine itself. It had been blown away centuries ago and was resting on a detached island-cloud nearby.
「What now, Boss? If the objective isn't here, we've climbed all this way for nothing,」 Gin said, looking around the empty peak.
「Grrr... Alright, Cotton! Kafu! Scout the surrounding area! It has to be close!」
「We're on it-less! But if we don't find it, don't blame us-less!」 Cotton chirped as she took off on Kafu's back, disappearing into the white expanse.
Krieg paced nervously. Please let it be there. If not, Plan C is the Great Snake's stomach, and I really don't want to play 'Jonah' with a giant venomous serpent.
Krieg's mission to Skypiea had two main pillars: Dials and Gold. He'd succeeded with the Dials (mostly), but the Gold hunt had been a disaster so far.
The ruins were empty, and now the Bell was missing. If Plan B failed, he'd have to resort to Plan C: taking the gold from the belly of Nola, the giant snake.
But he hesitated. That gold—worth roughly 300 million Berries—was destined to be the Straw Hat Pirates' "treasure," the funds they would eventually use to build the Thousand Sunny. Taking it felt like robbing the future of its centerpiece.
Suddenly, a high-pitched voice pierced the wind.
「Krieeeeg! We found it-less! Something shiny and gold is floating over there-less!!」
Krieg pumped a fist in the air. Relief washed over him.
The Aerial Trek
The Golden Bell was resting on a "stray" island-cloud, drifting a significant distance away from the beanstalk's summit. For an ordinary person, it was unreachable. For the Vanguard Unit, however...
「...Wait. Tesoro can't fly,」 Krieg realized.
Cotton and Kafu were airborne. Sigma and Gin were masters of Moonwalk (Geppo). Krieg, of course, could tread the air with ease. But Tesoro, despite his mastery of gold, was still grounded.
「What, are you going to leave me behind?」 Tesoro asked.
「No choice. Hop on.」 Krieg sighed, crouching down and gesturing to his back.
「You want me to... give you a piggyback ride? Are you serious?」
「Do you want the gold or not? You're the only one who can 'process' it efficiently once we get there. Move it!」
「...Fine,」 Tesoro grumbled, reluctantly climbing onto the Rear Admiral's back.
The group took to the sky. Krieg, Gin, and Sigma kicked the air with explosive force, while Kafu soared alongside them.
「...I really need to find a way to fly on my own,」 Tesoro muttered into Krieg's ear.
「I could teach you Geppo later, you know.」
「No thanks. I've seen the training for 'Six Powers.' It looks miserable. I'll figure something out with the Gold-Gold fruit.」
「Suit yourself. Cotton, is that it?」
「Straight ahead-less! Just a little further!」
True to her word, the mist parted, and the Great Bell of Shandora appeared. The unit landed on the springy island-cloud and stood in stunned silence.
The Singing Voice of the Heavens
「This is... magnificent,」 Tesoro whispered, his professional appreciation for precious metals taking over.
「Boss, is the whole thing made of gold?」 Gin asked, his eyes wide.
「Must have been a nightmare to build-less!」
「Grrrruuu.」 (Sigma sniffed the base of the bell, intrigued by the scent of ancient metal.)
This was the "Song of the Heavens" that had rung out when the land was first cast into the sky. It was the very thing Mont Blanc Cricket had been searching for down in the Blue Sea to prove his ancestor wasn't a liar.
The bell had been hidden by smaller, drifting clouds, acting as a natural veil. It was a masterpiece of ancient craftsmanship, glowing with a warmth that seemed to defy the cold altitude.
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