High above the Blue Sea, ten thousand meters in the sky, Skypiea lay beneath a vast, unobstructed canopy of stars. With no clouds to veil the heavens, the night sky felt close enough to touch. Constellations shimmered like scattered diamonds, and the full moon hung luminous and serene.
As the golden bell continued to echo across the White Sea, a profound calm settled over the land.
Though the bell resounded loudly beside them, the hearts of those present grew unexpectedly tranquil. The villagers of Diwen Village gradually fell silent. They watched the Shandians, who wept openly in joy and relief, without a trace of mockery. There was no ridicule in their eyes, only understanding.
They had all heard the history of the Shandians. They knew of Kalgara and Noland, of promises broken by time, and of four centuries of longing. Witnessing the Shandians' tears now stirred genuine empathy within them.
To an outsider, such emotional resonance might seem overly sentimental. Yet the villagers did not allow their sympathy to cloud their judgment. They felt deeply, but they did not lose themselves in feelings that were not their own.
Compassion, tempered by reason.
It was this balance that Ash Thalos valued most in the people of Diwen Village. They were kind, yet not naive. Empathetic, yet not reckless. They treasured what they had built and did not sacrifice their future for fleeting emotion.
That restraint had already been demonstrated earlier in the day. After hours of discussion with Gan Fall and the Shandian chief, the village elder had only agreed to limited visitation rights to God Island. There had been no reckless promises of shared residency. Goodwill did not require surrendering prudence.
After savoring the peaceful moment, Ash withdrew his gaze from the emotional reunion and turned toward the distant mountain range.
A faint smile curved his lips.
"Finally," he murmured softly.
A sharp hiss cut through the night air.
The sound was subtle at first, nearly drowned out by the fading resonance of the bell. Then it grew clearer, rhythmic and deliberate.
The sound of a massive tongue flicking through the air.
Ash rose slowly into the sky.
There, coiled near the cliffs, was an enormous serpent. Its scales glinted faintly beneath the moonlight. Its body was so massive that it dwarfed the surrounding trees.
The Lord of the Sky.
When Ash had previously swept Skypiea with his Observation Haki, he had not detected the creature. Nor had it appeared when he rang the bell before. The original accounts offered little detail about its habits, so he could not be certain where it dwelled.
But one fact remained undeniable.
He would not allow such a colossal threat to linger near his people.
He had not forgotten how the Lord of the Sky had swallowed Monkey D. Luffy and Aisa in the past. That outcome had relied heavily on improbable fortune. His villagers would not benefit from such luck.
If any of them were swallowed, they would not emerge unharmed.
This time, ringing the bell had served two purposes. One, to fulfill the Shandians' long awaited wish. Two, to draw this ancient predator into the open.
Fortunately, it had answered the call.
Below, both factions soon noticed the massive python perched above the cliffs.
The reactions were immediate and starkly different.
Sali and the other young adults of Diwen Village tensed at once. As Ash ascended, they followed without hesitation. The elders began organizing a calm but swift retreat for the noncombatants.
The Shandians, however, reacted with visible excitement.
Their chief hurried forward, explaining urgently to the village elder that this serpent was no ordinary beast. It was the sacred companion of the great warrior Kalgara from four hundred years ago.
The village elder listened carefully. He sympathized deeply with the Shandians' history, yet he would not gamble the safety of his people for the sake of sentiment.
After measured thought, he sent word to Ash and Sali. The identity of the Lord of the Sky was to be considered, but the final decision would rest with the younger generation.
Above, Ash remained unaware of the elder's internal deliberation. His focus never left the serpent.
The Lord of the Sky had already noticed him. Its massive eyes flicked upward briefly before scanning the crowd below, as if searching for someone.
Ash understood.
Four centuries ago, when it had been little more than a hatchling, it had followed Kalgara because it loved the sound of the golden bell. Now, drawn once more by that sound, it searched instinctively for the warrior it once knew.
But even a creature that could live for centuries could not comprehend human mortality.
Moments later, Pini joined Ash in the sky and relayed the village elder's message.
The core of it was simple.
Prioritize safety. Act according to circumstances.
Ash exhaled softly, faint amusement in his eyes.
The elder truly underestimated them.
The Lord of the Sky was enormous, but its scale did not exceed that of certain medium Sea Kings. The Sea Kings they regularly hunted were nearly as long and sometimes heavier.
Still, this creature held meaning for the Shandians.
Ash made his decision.
"The village elder has finally made new allies," he said calmly. "We will show them respect. No snake stew tonight. Subdue it, do not kill it."
At his command, Sali and the others surged forward.
The Lord of the Sky, having failed to find Kalgara among the crowd, began slithering toward the city.
It never reached it.
Ice crystallized across its scales. Wind pressure hammered its massive body sideways. Thunder cracked against its hide, and controlled flames scorched without penetrating too deeply.
The sky lit up in bursts of violet and red.
The serpent thrashed violently at first, its immense body shaking the air itself. Yet each coordinated strike forced it back, driving it away from the city. They targeted joints, eyes, and pressure points, overwhelming it with disciplined precision rather than brute force.
Ash observed without intervening.
This was not a battle of survival. It was a lesson in dominance.
Within minutes, the Lord of the Sky lay battered and stunned, its movements slowed, its aggression broken.
Sali and Ash descended almost simultaneously.
"You have to admit," Youki said with a grin, rubbing his wrist, "this thing is tougher than a Sea King."
"It would have ended faster if we were not holding back," Pini added, though his tone carried a trace of regret.
Ash noticed it immediately.
Pini was a long range fighter by nature. During their time guarding the entrance at Reverse Mountain, he had been forced into close combat because arrows made it difficult to claim pirate heads for Berries. With his enhanced physique, ordinary arrows shattered in his grip, and reinforced arrows launched with wind and thunder power were devastating enough to obliterate targets entirely.
Now, surrounded by gold in Skypiea, monetary constraints no longer applied. Yet tonight's fight had required restraint.
Ash suddenly recalled Enel's Lightning Metallurgy, the technique that allowed him to reshape gold with electricity.
Without hesitation, he shared the method with Pini.
As the explanation concluded, Pini's previously dull expression sharpened instantly.
Without another word, he dashed toward a nearby structure.
Ash called after him calmly, "Use a spare gold block for practice. Do not damage the buildings."
Above them, the Lord of the Sky remained alive, subdued but breathing.