The winds suppressed between heaven and earth were suddenly unleashed, forming a colossal tornado connecting the sky and ground. It surged upwards, carrying scattered lightning and dust.
The heavy, leaden-black Knock Up Stream clouds in the sky's center were blasted open by this supreme attack—a combination of a giant's ultimate technique, Haki, and lightning—creating a massive, perfectly circular hole the size of the entire Upper Yard island itself!
The huge roar, like divine punishment, echoed through the heavens, resounding across the entire God's Country!
On Angel Island, in God's Country, everyone who looked up at the sky was left utterly dumbfounded, their jaws agape in stunned silence.
"The... the sky?"
"It's been pierced through!!!"
The Skypieans were terrified by this spectacle, both cataclysmic and divine. They collapsed to the ground, deeply feeling the insignificance and powerlessness of humanity before such might.
"Has a god descended?!"
"Who is it?"
"Could it be Enel?"
"This is a miracle!"
Someone was the first to cry out. Many more, seeing the divine, golden sunlight spilling through the huge gap in the clouds, instinctively fell to their knees in worship.
The enormous breach in the thick clouds seemed to open to another world. Beams of warm, golden sunlight streamed down unhindered, like spotlights on a stage, falling upon the long-suffering land and upon people's faces. It was as if the entire Skypiea was coated in a sacred, golden light, like a fairyland.
"Has... has Enel been defeated?"
Gan Fall stared blankly at the huge hole in the sky and the dissipating remnants of the Raijin form. Turbid tears unconsciously flowed from his aged eyes.
He murmured, his voice choked. "This country... is finally saved."
He looked up towards Luffy and the others in the sky and bowed deeply. "Truly... thank you..."
Luffy's figure slowly returned to normal, the white flame-clouds dissipating.
He clicked his tongue, feeling it was a bit of a loss.
To give Enel a profound lesson just now, he had used nearly all the compressed electricity stored in his body and much of what he had absorbed from Enel in that final Hakoku.
No other reason. He simply wanted this "God of Thunder" to experience what it felt like to be struck by lightning.
To be honest, this enemy, Enel, hadn't brought Luffy any real pressure from start to finish.
Constitution countered. Physical skills overwhelmed. Haki superior... The victory had been almost suspense-less. A bit too easy.
As he landed, Luffy crossed his arms and thought for a moment.
There didn't seem to be any combat experience worth summarizing. It was just a straight push-through.
Ah, whatever.
Luffy looked down.
He discovered Nami, Vivi, and Robin were all standing at the edge of the Lord of the Sky's head, their arms spread wide, wearing expressions as if ready to catch something.
Luffy looked suspicious, tilting his head. "What are you all doing?"
Nami made a sound of surprise, instinctively asking back, "Shouldn't you have turned back into a kid by now? After using such a powerful move."
"Why would I need to overdraw power against a guy like that? There are no side effects at all!"
Everyone: "..."
If Enel were conscious right now and heard these murderous words, he'd probably spit blood in rage and pass out all over again.
Are these even human words?!
Gan Fall, riding Pierre, slowly descended next to the Lord of the Sky's massive head. He looked at this group of Blue Sea dwellers who had just defeated a god, his eyes complex.There was awe. And gratitude.
"Uncle Sky Knight, you came just at the right time."
"Take us to that Shandora place, the one with the Poneglyph and the gold."
Luffy greeted him with a smile, as if the earth-shattering battle just now was merely a warm-up.
In truth, his goal had been clear from the start. It wasn't to defeat some self-proclaimed god, but to seek out the lost history.
"Gold?"
The moment Nami heard that word, her eyes instantly morphed into Beli symbols. She lunged forward, grabbing Luffy's collar and shaking him back and forth. "Why didn't I hear about this before?!"
No wonder the name Shandora had sounded familiar to Nami earlier.
"Luffy! Luffy!"
"If it's the City of Gold, Shandora! There's definitely loads and loads of gold there! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to replenish the ship's funds!"
I was just afraid you'd lose your mind the moment you saw money.
"That's... Skypiea's stuff, right?" Luffy's head wobbled like a rattle-drum, his rubbery neck stretching long as he mumbled.
Hearing this, Gan Fall quickly spoke up. "No. You who have defeated Enel are the benefactor who liberated Skypiea."
"If you desire it, the people of Skypiea will not be stingy. Moreover, the land of Shandora originally belonged to the Shandia people. Now that Enel has fallen, its ownership will need to be renegotiated."
As for the gold?
Skypieans used Dials and clouds as daily currency and materials. They truly didn't have much use for gold.
Gan Fall said, "If that gold is useful to you, please take it. The Poneglyph you seek, Luffy-dono, should be among the ruins of Shandora."
"Excellent!" Nami cheered, letting go of Luffy.
She clasped her hands together, her eyes already picturing mountains of gold.
"Then we'll trouble you to lead the way, uncle!" Luffy patted the Lord of the Sky's cool, smooth scales.
"Big guy, follow us!"
And so, the group set off once more.
Gan Fall rode Pierre, leading the way at the front.
The Lord of the Sky, carrying Luffy, Nami, Vivi, and Robin, traveled along ancient cloud-paths, heading deeper into Upper Yard.
Soon, a forest of astonishing density appeared before them.
Towering ancient trees with lush canopies, entwined with vines, exuded an aura of antiquity and mystery.
"We've arrived. This is the outer forest of Shandora," Gan Fall indicated for everyone to dismount.
They leaped down from the Lord of the Sky's head, landing on soft soil.
Robin observed the surrounding trees carefully, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "The species of these trees... are almost identical to those on Jaya Island. Only here, they are much larger in size."
"It seems the tale of part of Jaya being carried skyward by the Knock Up Stream is true," Vivi also remarked sighingly. She suddenly pointed to a strange-shaped bird on a branch. "Look! That bird's beak is always pointing in one direction. Could that be the South Bird Mr. Cricket mentioned?"
"The Poneglyph should be in this area," Luffy said, looking around at the seemingly endless ancient forest and the looming ruins. He scratched his head. "But where do we start looking?"
Just then, the Lord of the Sky's massive tail rose, pointing in a specific direction within the forest. Then it lowered its head, its huge, vertical pupils gazing gently at Luffy as it let out a low, rumbling hiss.
***
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