After secretly clearing the evidence of her morning mishap, Yamato returned to her seat as if nothing had happened.
"Good morning, Haruko," Yamato greeted her casually, trying to sound as natural as possible.
"Good morning, Young Master. We should be close to the next Sky Island soon. If you're hungry, you can eat some of the dried meat from the bag first," Haruko said.
Yamato shook her head. "I'm not very hungry right now. I'll just wait and eat when we reach the next Sky Island."
"Alright then," Haruko nodded. About an hour later, Yamato and Haruko arrived at the next floating island. After having a quick breakfast and wandering around the local shops for a while, the two of them set off once again.
Twelve days passed in this manner. Eventually, they arrived at a Sky Island located directly above the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Young Master, we have officially left the New World and entered the first half of the Grand Line. The Sabaody Archipelago is right over there," Haruko said, checking the Eternal Pose. The needle pointed firmly toward a specific coordinate on the sea below.
In that direction lay the Sabaody Archipelago, and further beyond it was Marineford. Both locations were situated very close to the Red Line, the massive continent that circles the globe.
"Yeah, but for now, let's go check out the Golden City, Shandora. I wonder how well it's been preserved after all this time. Anyway, as long as we can find some gold, it's fine," Yamato said. She didn't want to overthink things; she was primarily there for the treasure.
Seeing Yamato's determination, Haruko didn't argue. As their small boat sailed along the Cloud River, the Transponder Snail suddenly began to ring.
"Hello, Maria! You finally contacted me. Were you worried about me?" Yamato asked with a giggle after picking up the receiver.
"A little, but I'm calling to tell you some interesting news. I figured you must be on a Sky Island right now and probably haven't heard what's happening on the sea," Maria said with a smile in her voice.
"That's true. So, did something big happen?" Yamato asked.
"Yes. After you and Haruko left, Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was arrested by the Marines. A few days later, the Marines' judicial island, Enies Lobby, was conquered. Furthermore, because of a Marine Buster Call, the entire island was destroyed," Maria explained slowly.
"Sir Crocodile was arrested?" Haruko's eyes widened in surprise.
The last time a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea fell was when Hana Fuda was defeated by "Fire Fist" Ace. She hadn't expected that just two years later, another Warlord would be taken down.
"That's right. I heard it was because he tried to usurp a member nation of the World Government. He was discovered by the Marines and defeated. However, the details are a bit fuzzy; only the fact that Crocodile fell is certain," Maria noted. She paused before continuing, "What's even more shocking is the matter of Enies Lobby. It was conquered by a group of unknown pirates."
"Which pirate crew did it?" Haruko asked, her curiosity piqued. For pirates to successfully conquer Enies Lobby was something that hadn't happened in hundreds of years.
"The Straw Hat Pirates. The Captain is named Monkey D. Luffy, a teenage boy who looks very young. I didn't expect him to do something so bold. Conquering Enies Lobby is like declaring war on the World Government. I have to say, this Straw Hat youth has a lot of courage," Maria said, her tone filled with genuine amazement.
Yamato wasn't particularly surprised to hear this, as she already knew of the boy's reputation.
"Monkey D. Luffy? Isn't that the rookie who appeared a while ago? I remember his initial bounty reached 30,000,000 Berries," Haruko recalled. Because Yamato had asked her about the letter 'D' in his name back then, the name had stuck in her memory.
"Hahaha! His courage is off the charts! He even destroyed Enies Lobby. I can't imagine what he'll do next. Haruko, remember this person. He is definitely going to keep making waves in the future," Yamato laughed.
Haruko shook her head skeptically. "Doing something like that once is more than enough. How many more times does he plan on challenging the world? Does he really think he's immortal?" Even the Four Emperors wouldn't repeatedly cause such massive scenes without a reason.
"Well, this Straw Hat boy's bounty has already risen to 300,000,000 Berries. For a rookie, that is very impressive. I just wonder if he can survive long enough to make it to the New World," Maria said. A pirate's ability to cause trouble is a double-edged sword; if they aren't strong enough to back it up, they'll be crushed.
"He'll surely be dealt with before he even enters the New World," Haruko replied. She felt this was a certain outcome. A rookie who refuses to keep a low profile and openly defies the World Government usually dies young.
"Haruko, you're not being polite at all. But then again, this sea doesn't let people act recklessly for long. If someone is too arrogant, they'll definitely be targeted. Before entering the New World, a person like that will surely suffer a major setback," Yamato agreed.
"I hope he's not just a flash in the pan. Anyway, that's all for now. If I hear anything else, I'll contact you again," Maria said before hanging up.
"I didn't expect so much to happen in just ten days. As expected, the sea is always full of surprises," Yamato said as she put away the Transponder Snail.
"Young Master, these matters aren't worth our attention. It's just some small-time pirate mischief," Haruko said dismissively. To a powerhouse like Yamato, destroying an island like Enies Lobby would be an easy task.
"You're right. However, these rookies are just getting started, which means they have great potential. I'm looking forward to them entering the New World. Maybe they'll even become our rivals one day," Yamato laughed.
"You're wrong about that, Young Master. They are still far from being your rivals. In fact, they likely won't even reach your level in their entire lives," Haruko said flatly. She knew exactly how talented Yamato was. In her twenties, Yamato already possessed combat power comparable to the Four Emperors, and her Haki and Devil Fruit abilities were top-tier. To fight Yamato, only an Admiral or another Emperor would be qualified.
"Perhaps. But I still hope to find rivals like that. Having no one to fight on the sea is a bit boring. I can't exactly go around starting wars with Admirals and the Four Emperors every day, can I?" Yamato smiled.
"Young Master, please don't become a battle maniac. If you ended up like Charlotte Linlin, both Maria and I would be very unhappy," Haruko warned.
Yamato's mouth twitched. "Hey, Haruko, why did you have to bring up that woman?"
"Because Big Mom is a lunatic. Even if she is one of the Four Emperors, I can't bring myself to like her. She's too ugly," Haruko said bluntly.
"Pfft... Hahaha! Haruko, you're so bold, criticizing an Emperor like that. You really are my personal guard!" Yamato burst into laughter. While Big Mom was considered unattractive now, Yamato knew she was in her sixties. In her youth, she had actually been quite beautiful.
"In any case, you must not become like her, Young Master. Don't get that hungry for battle," Haruko remained firm.
"I know, I know. Don't worry, I won't turn out like that. Besides, she was born with some issues, and I'm perfectly normal," Yamato waved her hands dismissively.
"That's good to hear," Haruko finally nodded.
"Alright, let's keep moving. Shandora should still be some distance away, probably another few days," Yamato said, ending the conversation.
The two continued their journey toward the ruins of the Golden City, now known as the "Holy Land" Upper Yard. This time, it only took five days to reach their destination.
"Look, Haruko! That's where Shandora was located. Now, they call it Upper Yard," Yamato pointed from the boat toward a massive green island floating on the Sea Clouds. The trees on the island were incredibly giant, far more spectacular than any forest on the blue sea.
"It's truly astonishing. An island was actually pushed up into the sky. If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't believe it," Haruko said in shock. Seeing an island survive a Knock Up Stream and remain intact ten thousand meters in the air was incredible.
"Hmm? It seems like a fierce battle broke out here recently. There are traces of destruction everywhere. That Giant Beanstalk looks like it was broken during the fight as well," Haruko noted.
Yamato knew exactly why that was the case, but she didn't elaborate. "Don't worry about that. Let's go see the Bell Tower and pick up some gold while we're at it," she said with a wink.
Haruko knew Yamato was far more interested in the gold than the history. They parked their boat on the shore and stepped onto the island.
"The trees here are massive. Plants really do grow better at high altitudes," Yamato remarked, looking at trees that were taller than skyscrapers. "Visibility is poor down here. Haruko, let's go to the treetops!"
Yamato leaped up, reaching the top of the canopy, and Haruko followed closely. From their vantage point, Yamato looked for the ruins of the city. She remembered they were located near the base of the Giant Beanstalk.
"There it is," Yamato locked onto the base of the Beanstalk. "Let's go. The ruins should be right there."
They leaped across the treetops, moving quickly toward the center of the island. Soon, they arrived at a field of ruins. This was the site of ancient Shandora.
"Are those the ruins?" Haruko asked, spotting a trapezoidal building nearby.
"Yeah, that's the top part. The main city is further down, but the Great Golden Bell Tower shouldn't be inside," Yamato observed. She figured that after the battle, the Bell Tower should be near the coast. "It should be over there. Let's go."
Haruko was surprised by how much Yamato seemed to know about the layout. It was as if she had been here before. However, Haruko had learned not to question Yamato's strange knowledge and simply followed.
Before long, they reached the western coast. There, they saw a massive, stunning Golden Bell Tower. Beside it, several Skypiean guards stood with spears.
"Hey, who are you? Are you here to visit the Bell Tower?" one of the guards asked, surprised to see them. Since they were women, the guards didn't seem too threatened.
"That's right. We're here to see the Great Golden Bell Tower," Yamato said with a smile.
"I see. You found out about it quickly. Not many people even know it exists yet. Please feel free to look, but do not damage it, and don't try to take anything," the guard warned.
"No problem. We just want to admire the artifact. We won't cause any damage," Yamato promised.
The guards stepped aside, and the two women approached the tower.
"It's beautiful. Even after hundreds of years, it still shines like this," Haruko said. She knew that if this were on the sea, it would cause endless wars.
"That's... a Poneglyph, built right into the tower," Haruko noticed the black stone engraved with ancient script.
Click! Click!
Yamato used her Transponder Snail to take photos. "Alright, I've seen enough. It's just a pity... there's so much gold here."
"Young Master, the gold is still the most important thing to you, isn't it?" Haruko sighed.
Yamato then walked up to the guards and asked directly, "Hello! I'd like to take some of the local specialty gold with me when I leave. Is that okay?"
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