Seeing that no one objected, Will stepped forward, raised his fist, and punched straight down into the thick cloud layer beneath his feet.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out, and a massive crater was blasted open in the clouds.
Will peered down to survey the situation below, then leaped in first.
"Come on down, everyone. There's a platform right here."
At his words, the others quickly gathered and jumped into the crater one after another.
Standing on the gently sloping platform, the group finally beheld the ancient city hidden beneath the clouds.
Gazing at the colossal, magnificent structures, they understood at last: what they had seen from above was merely the tips of these buildings—the true tip of the iceberg.
"Is this the real Golden City, Shandora?"
Nami was awed by the vast ancient complex, yet a trace of regret lingered in her voice. There was still no sign of gold anywhere. The wild overgrowth covering the buildings only confirmed how long this place had lain abandoned.
The group flipped over the platform's edge and landed on solid ground.
Walking among the ancient ruins, they couldn't help imagining the prosperity that once filled these streets.
Robin reached out, fingers brushing the weathered stone, a quiet joy blooming in her chest. So many ancient structures stood before her; she could barely contain her excitement.
"Hm?"
Will suddenly halted, turning toward a distant corner shrouded in cloud.
"What is it?" Carina noticed immediately and asked with curiosity.
"Issho, do you sense anything unusual over there?"
Will didn't answer her directly. Instead, he turned to the blind swordsman.
Issho, who had been tapping his cane to feel the way forward, stopped at once. He faced the direction Will indicated and released his Observation Haki.
After a thorough sweep, he frowned slightly and shook his head.
"This old man senses nothing out of the ordinary."
A hint of curiosity crept into his voice. "Captain, did you discover something?"
"I'm not sure yet."
Will's gaze shifted. He addressed the group. "Never mind. I'll go check it out myself. Keep exploring; I'll be right back."
Before anyone could reply, he vanished in a flash.
The others weren't worried—just curious what had caught their captain's attention.
They dispersed again to wander the ruins.
Whoosh.
Will landed lightly and steadied himself. His eyes locked onto the spot he had sensed moments ago, thoughtful.
After Issho's confirmation, he already had a strong guess.
Thanks to his unique talent—the Breath of All Things—he could clearly perceive the distinct "Qi" emitted by objects around him.
What he had just felt was the same special Qi possessed by every crew member except Nami: the unmistakable signature of a Devil Fruit.
No one else seemed able to detect this Qi through Observation Haki. Only Will, with his rare gift, could.
He had memorized that signature long ago, which was how he had noticed the faint anomaly here.
Though the Qi was extremely weak, his senses had caught it all the same.
That was why he had asked Issho, whose Observation Haki was extraordinarily powerful, to double-check.
Since Issho felt nothing, Will ruled out the presence of another Devil Fruit user hiding nearby.
So what was emitting that faint signature?
Hard to say.
Will shook off the stray thoughts, stepped forward, and began digging through the thick clouds in the corner.
After more than ten seconds of rapid work, a heavily damaged yet still sealed treasure chest emerged from the cloud layer. Despite its ruin, traces of its former grandeur remained.
"Oh? A treasure chest buried here?"
Will's eyes brightened, then narrowed in puzzlement.
This wasn't the White Sea; this was Upper Yard—solid earth. Treasures here should be buried in soil, not suspended in clouds.
Then he remembered how Upper Yard had reached the sky in the first place.
"Could the Knock Up Stream have brought it up too?"
He vividly recalled the terrifying current capable of hurling an entire island into the heavens.
Perhaps, long ago, this damaged chest had been caught in a Knock Up Stream, carried skyward, and eventually enveloped by clouds—only to be discovered today by someone with his unique perception.
He couldn't be certain, but he didn't particularly care to dwell on it.
Dismissing further speculation, Will gently lifted the chest, snapped the rotted lock, and slowly opened the lid.
No golden flash, no traps, no poison gas.
Only the one thing he had already suspected.
"It really is…"
A smile curved his lips as he gazed at the singular treasure inside.
He closed the lid and left the spot without delay.
Meanwhile…
Robin stood in a sunlit corridor, quietly reading the characters carved into the stone wall.
"So the Shandia truly carried such a mission…"
A few minutes later—
Whoosh.
Will reappeared in the wide clearing at the heart of the ruins.
Carina, Robin, and the others converged at the sound.
Seeing the chest in Will's hands, Nami's eyes instantly sparkled. She trotted over excitedly.
"Will! Where did you find that treasure chest? Is there hidden treasure inside?!"
"Treasure chest?"
Will smiled at Nami's eager expression and handed it over.
"You could say that. Open it and see."
Nami took the chest, set it carefully on the ground, and lifted the lid.
The moment she saw what lay inside, she froze—then let out a loud gasp.
"This… this is a Devil Fruit?!"
The others immediately crowded around, curiosity piqued.
Indeed, nestled within was a Devil Fruit—exceedingly rare even on the Grand Line.
It was pale blue, covered in distinctive spiral patterns, and shaped like a whirlpool.
"A Devil Fruit…"
The sight stirred memories in several of them; their expressions shifted slightly.
Will paid it little mind. Seeing everyone had gotten a look, he spoke.
"Alright, there's probably nothing else useful here. Let's head back."
"Nami, hold onto the Devil Fruit for now."
He turned and started toward the platform they had descended from.
No one objected. They followed.
Nami quickly hugged the chest to her chest and fell in behind them.
Robin first packed away the texts and historical notes she had copied from the ruins, then joined the group.
Once back atop the clouds, they returned without incident to the edge of Upper Yard.
The moment they emerged from the dense jungle, they saw a large crowd gathered at the island's rim, faces alight with joy.
The Golden Bell—brought down by Will and temporarily placed near the shore—had been moved by the people and reattached to the land.
"Lord Will!"
A sharp-eyed Skypiean spotted them and waved enthusiastically.
Will smiled warmly and raised a hand in return.
Gan Fall and the Shandian Chief, who had been directing the effort to secure the bell, turned in surprise.
"You're back already, Mr. Will."
Seeing Skypieans and Shandia working together in harmony, Will couldn't help but smile.
"We've seen the Golden City Shandora. It truly lives up to its reputation—an ancient city from four hundred years ago. Spectacular."
At those words, a wistful look crossed the Chief's face.
Just then, a Shandian called out in confusion.
"Chief, come look! What does this stone say?"
The Chief snapped out of his reverie, walked over, and studied it closely. His voice grew low.
"This… is something we do not need to know…"
"Because we are merely—"
Robin stepped forward and gently finished the words.
"'Keep the true history in your hearts, and speak not a word. We are the ones who write history, together with the echoes of the Great Belfry.'"
The Chief whirled around, eyes wide with shock.
"You… how do you know the words passed down through our generations?"
Robin gave a soft smile.
"Because they are carved on a wall deep within the Shandora ruins. And they speak of your duty."
She continued quietly, "You are the guardians who have protected that Poneglyph for generations."
A look of realization dawned on the Chief's face. He remembered the inscription—only he hadn't expected this young woman to find and record it.
Robin walked to the Poneglyph on her own, eyes shining with longing for the past.
"How is it?" Will asked as he and the others joined her. "Does it have what you're looking for?"
"No."
After carefully translating and reading the text, disappointment clouded Robin's eyes. She shook her head.
"What is recorded here is another Ancient Weapon—Poseidon. Like the Poneglyph in Alabasta, this one only reveals Poseidon's location. There is no other useful historical information…"
She had hoped, after finding another Poneglyph here in the sky, that it might finally hold what she sought.
But it was not to be.
Issho, Nami, and the others showed mild curiosity at the mention of an Ancient Weapon, yet none pressed further. Seeing Robin's disappointment, they let the matter drop.
Just as Robin turned to leave, Will pointed to the golden base beside the Poneglyph.
"Look here, Robin. There's another inscription."
She paused and followed his finger.
Her expression changed dramatically. Word by word, she read aloud:
"I came here… and led these words… to their final destination… Pirate Gol D. Roger."
Shock and uncertainty flickered across her face.
"These words… were left by the Pirate King Roger himself!"
"Why would he write that…?"
"Pirate King Roger?!"
Nami and the others exclaimed in unison.
"Roger came to Skypiea too?" Carina folded her arms, eyes thoughtful.
Will shrugged, unconcerned. "Doesn't matter. We've been here now."
"Since this Poneglyph has nothing else, let's head back and rest."
Robin had already copied Roger's message into her notebook and tucked it away.
As the group boarded the sky island ship to depart, Gan Fall and the Shandian Chief stood side by side at the island's edge, watching them go with grateful eyes.
"They're leaving Skypiea."
"Yes. Someone like him was never going to stay long."
"Just like Roger and his crew twenty years ago."
With Enel still unconscious, Chopper had remained dutifully on deck, studying rare herbs gifted by the Skypieans and Shandia.
Hearing the approaching ship, he dashed to the railing, leaped up, and waved with all his might.
"Hey! Welcome back!"
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