That night, Pini slept with his golden bow held tightly in his arms, a blissful smile on his face as if he had found a lifelong companion.
Sali watched him with unconcealed envy. In the latter half of the night, he quietly joined in experimenting with Lightning Metallurgy. Although he had obtained his Devil Fruit ability later than Pini, his steady temperament and disciplined training had allowed him to narrow the gap considerably.
By morning, the entire plaza was greeted by the sight of Sali wielding a massive golden horse slaying blade over three meters long. Each swing carried formidable force, the blade cutting through the air with a deep metallic hum.
The young adults of Diwen Village immediately surrounded Sali and Pini, their eyes burning with jealousy. Demands for custom golden weapons erupted from every direction.
Meanwhile, the Lord of the Sky stirred groggily from its unconscious state. The moment it lifted its massive head, Sali and the others descended upon it without hesitation. After a brief but decisive beating, the giant serpent collapsed once more into a dazed slumber.
The Skypieans who had stayed overnight in Skypiea, guests of Ash Thalos after the bonfire celebration, had long since awakened. Watching the sacred serpent fall into another childlike sleep, they felt conflicted.
They could not bear to see it suffer. Yet they understood a simple truth. A beast submits only when strength compels it to.
Unable to interfere, the Shandian chief chose to avert his gaze. He bid farewell to the village elder, saying they would meet again below next time, and led the elderly and children away first.
The village elder's expression tightened briefly at the phrase meet again below, yet he forced a polite smile and saw them off.
Wyper and the other Shandian warriors remained. They returned to clearing the giant vines, dead branches, and debris throughout the city, working with far greater urgency than even the Diwen villagers.
Under the chaotic whirlwind technique unleashed by the village elder's staff, the Diwen youths, led by the Daly three brothers, were eventually forced to release Sali and Pini and return to their cleaning duties.
Only Youki and Dicken, who had rushed forward the fastest, managed to secure their own golden weapons before being dragged back to work.
Youki received a pair of solid golden gauntlets, perfectly molded to his fists. Dicken obtained two golden daggers roughly half a meter long. Their shape resembled wakizashi, though far more extravagant in appearance. Pure gold carried its own presence.
Dicken even licked the flat of one blade while explaining how he could coat it with his poison ability. The sight nearly made Ash laugh each time he saw it.
Seated casually atop the golden bell, Ash observed everything with a faint, satisfied smile. Peace was not an abstract concept to him. It was this, watching his people grow stronger together.
Then his stomach growled.
Last night, Pini and Sali had immersed themselves completely in Lightning Metallurgy experiments. After everyone else had gone to sleep, Ash had stared at the slumbering Lord of the Sky and decided that if he could not eliminate the serpent for now, he could at least remove another future threat.
The sea calendar year 1515 was drawing to a close. Birka had likely already fallen.
But Enel could arrive in Skypiea at any time.
Ash could not remain stationed here indefinitely waiting for him. He still had Vice Admiral Tsuru's appointment to keep before the end of the year. So, in the dead of night, he had flown out in search of Enel.
The sky was vast and empty.
He found nothing.
After hours of teleportation and flight, he returned at dawn, exhausted and ravenous.
Of those who had awakened Observation Haki, Pini was sleeping with his golden bow, Sali was swinging his massive blade, and the rest were still groggy. Only Kirk was fully awake.
Seeing Ash's starved expression, Kirk snorted softly and began preparing breakfast without complaint.
The advantage of having a dedicated chef was undeniable.
Soon, Kirk's voice sounded clearly beside Ash's ear.
"Breakfast is ready."
Through precise spatial manipulation granted by the Voidborn Chaos Fruit, Kirk could project his voice anywhere within a thousand meters.
Ash smirked.
Clever technique.
"I'm coming."
In an instant, his figure vanished from the golden bell and reappeared before the large tree stump that served as their dining table.
"Thanks. I'll start."
He devoured the food like a whirlwind.
Not only was he hungry, but he sensed the village elder approaching slowly with his walking stick. Though the elder would never steal from him, Ash's instincts urged him to eat faster anyway.
Kirk's mouth twitched as Ash shamelessly consumed not only his own portion, but also part of the siblings' share.
"Starved ghost," Kirk muttered before turning back to the stove.
As he passed the village elder, he politely asked, "Are vegetable rolls, pancakes, onion meat patties, and fresh mushroom soup acceptable for breakfast?"
The elder chuckled. "That sounds excellent. Thank you, Kirk."
Ash continued eating as the elder sat beside him.
"Eating well builds strength," the elder said warmly, patting his shoulder. "You have grown again this month. You must be around two meters tall now."
Ash took a long gulp from his gourd, washing down the food before replying, "I measured at a clothing shop in Spring Queen City. Exactly two meters."
The elder nodded knowingly. "No wonder your clothes look tighter."
Ash understood the problem. The beach outfit he had arrived in after transmigrating would not last much longer. Clothes that fit at one point seventy five meters would not magically fit at two meters.
"I'll buy new ones when I return to Spring Queen City," he said casually.
The elder smiled and placed a bundle before him.
"I prepared some already."
Ash paused.
"When we met again at Reverse Mountain, I noticed how fast you were growing," the elder continued. "The village aunties made these soon after you left."
Ash slowly opened the bundle.
Inside were three sets of clothes. Blue beach shirts and loose shorts patterned with white flowers, nearly identical in style to what he wore.
"A-Chen, we could not find the same material," the elder said gently. "But we imitated the style you like. The top two sets match your current height. The bottom one is made for two and a half meters. Want to try?"
Ash did not hesitate. He changed immediately into a new set.
Though the fabric lacked the smooth waterproof feel of his original clothing, it was comfortable and well made.
"It fits perfectly," he laughed.
The elder handed over three pairs of sandals as well.
After a short pause, the elder asked, "Sali mentioned you did not sleep. You went searching for someone hostile to Sky Island?"
"Yes," Ash admitted calmly. "It is better to eliminate threats before they mature. Unfortunately, I did not find him."
The elder fell silent briefly.
"So you plan to leave again soon."
Ash scratched his head and smiled. "The world is vast. I want to see it with my own eyes."
The elder laughed softly.
"Young men are not meant to stand still."
Ash did not deny it.
Beyond Skypiea, beyond the clouds and seas, there were monsters and legends awaiting him.
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