"Since you want to set sail, then set sail immediately!"
After a brief laugh, the Village Chief's tone turned firm.
"What about the village then?" Ash asked.
"Sali and the others can leave one or two people behind."
The Village Chief smiled calmly. "Power comes with responsibility. Now that they have gained strength, it is time they give something back."
He stood and gazed across the magnificent ruins of Shandora, the ancient city within Skypiea. Golden structures shimmered under the White Sea's light, freed from much of their overgrowth.
"What a magnificent city," he said softly. "From today onward, this will be the new home of our people."
Turning to Ash, his eyes carried warmth and certainty.
"If they are people of Diwen Village, then they will shoulder its duties. After you deal with the enemy you mentioned, if they wish to sail, I will have them find you."
He paused, then added, "As for you, Ash, you have already given more than enough to this village. You have your dream. Go pursue it. Just remember that wherever we settle, this village will always be your home."
For a moment, Ash said nothing.
"Awoooo!"
"Ash, what are you howling about?"
Kirk walked over carrying a tray and kicked him without mercy before placing the food before the Village Chief. "Grandpa, please enjoy."
"I just feel fired up!"
Ash did not mind in the slightest. He shot into the air, raising both hands high. Golden flames erupted around him, interwoven with arcs of crackling lightning that coiled along his body.
Below, villagers paused their work and looked up.
Pini and Dicken, already familiar with Ash's Super Saiyan form, immediately noticed the difference.
This time, it had presence. Aura. Impact.
"Oh, Ash has a new stance again!" Pini said enviously, lightning flickering faintly around his own body.
Sali, who had secretly attempted the same and managed only a few scattered ice crystals mixed with sparks, straightened his clothes and said with a composed smile, "Such dramatics are the privilege of youth."
Little Tail Saci opened his mouth. "Bro, you just…"
"Enough. Back to work," Sali cut him off cleanly.
At lunch, the announcement spread quickly. Ash would be setting sail again.
Sali and the others had long known he intended to establish a Pirate Hunter group, so there was no shock. What caused an uproar was the matter of who would accompany him.
When it was mentioned that someone needed to remain behind to guard against the possible arrival of Enel, most volunteered nobly. However, the moment it was confirmed that Ash would be sailing with the Kirk siblings, the argument exploded.
Ash evaluated the situation calmly.
Enel possessed the Goro Goro no Mi, the Rumble Rumble Fruit, a Logia type with devastating power and advanced usage of Observation Haki known as Mantra. His priests would not be weak either.
In the end, Ash decided he would take only one additional fighter.
Sali, as the eldest and natural leader of the youths, was the first to withdraw voluntarily.
Pini, whose wind and lightning abilities could theoretically counter some aspects of Enel's power, was more valuable staying behind.
Youki insisted on going, arguing that Dicken had already sailed once. Dicken, unwilling to compete with his second brother, stepped aside.
The Daly three brothers had only recently obtained their Devil Fruits and still required time to develop control, so they were eliminated as well.
The final decision came down to Youki.
Then Little Tail Saci made his move.
Since he was young, he claimed, he was not much help in clearing the city. Against potential enemies, he would be even less useful. However, on a ship he could raise sails, steer, maintain equipment, monitor the Log Pose, do whatever tasks were required.
His reasoning was transparent.
Ash burst into laughter, loud and unrestrained. The Village Chief did not object.
The final departure group was decided.
Ash Thalos.
The Kirk siblings.
Youki.
Little Tail Saci.
That afternoon, the Lord of the Sky woke again. Ash sensed it instantly. With a single precise punch, he knocked the massive serpent unconscious once more, sending it into its third infant like slumber.
After an entire day of doing very little, Ash finally stretched.
He gathered everyone in the cleared plaza and rose slowly into the sky.
Activating his control over earth and wood, he extended his will outward.
A thunderous roar followed.
Countless vines tore free. Dead trunks and rotten timber rose into the air as if gravity itself had been reversed. With a sweeping motion of Ash's arm, the debris drifted toward the island's edge.
With a final gesture, he released it.
The mass plummeted into the vastness below, beginning its long descent toward the Blue Sea.
When the dust settled, nearly eighty percent of the Golden City stood cleared in one decisive act.
Ash clapped once. "Work done. Time to clock out."
Below, chubby Jebao stared upward in disbelief. After a long silence, he turned to Weber.
"So what exactly have we been cleaning for the past day?"
Weber clenched his fist tightly. "This is power. Power like a god."
"That's correct," Dicken added calmly. "This is the power of a god."
Seeing the curiosity in everyone's eyes, he continued with satisfaction, "Ash's strength traces back to ancient myths from a distant land. Legends of beings who shaped the world."
Nearby, the Kirk siblings quietly listened while packing.
"Enough staring!" Sali clapped sharply. "Ash cleared the hardest part. Now scrub the moss off the stone structures. Youki, stop packing and soak the ground with water. Jason, assist him. Move!"
Laughter spread among the elders who watched from the side.
"This is the future of our village," the Village Chief said proudly.
One elder hesitated. "Village Chief…"
"What is it, Kan Qi?"
Kan Qi, Youki's uncle and second only to the chief in status, stepped forward.
"Our village was named after Diwen Island in the Benbona Kingdom of North Blue. But now we live in Skypiea. Should we still be called Diwen Village?"
The Village Chief nearly replied that Diwen Village was its people, not its land. Yet for some reason, the words felt inappropriate.
"Tell me your thoughts," he said instead.
"Diwen Village is not an island. It is us," Kan Qi began. "As long as we are together, we may call ourselves Diwen Village anywhere. But we may also choose a new name."
He looked toward the golden city.
"A name fitting for our new home."
The Village Chief stroked his beard.
They could not call it Skypiea. The history and implications were too heavy.
This was no longer a small settlement in North Blue. This was the restored city of gold above the White Sea.
"So," the Village Chief asked slowly, "what shall we call it?"
The question lingered in the air.