Deep within Upper Yard, sunlight pierced through the ancient jungle like golden blades, cutting across layers of dense forest.
Ronan and the others walked among broken ruins.
The buildings had long been swallowed by vines and moss, yet the exposed stone foundations still carried a heavy, ancient aura.
Robin walked at the front, her fingers lightly brushing a fractured wall covered in strange carvings.
To her, this place wasn't rubble—it was a book sealed by time.
"It seems we're walking toward the 'truth.'"
She stopped and turned to Nami.
"The greatest treasure the Shandians have protected for four hundred years… isn't gold."
"Eh?!" Nami's eyes, which had been sparkling like currency, suddenly froze.
"There's something more valuable than gold?!"
Ronan rested his long spear against his shoulder, feeling the richness of the earth beneath his feet, and smiled faintly.
"For a people, there's a kind of treasure beyond material wealth—it's where their soul belongs."
Robin nodded and continued, "The Golden Belfry of Shandora… and the Poneglyph."
"The Poneglyph?"
Robin raised her hand and pointed toward the center of the ruins—at the massive vine that pierced straight into the sky.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's at the very top."
"That's where the true soul of the City of Gold lies—the 'Light of Shandora.'"
"Then what are we waiting for?! Luffy! Ronan! Let's hurry up and go get that golden bell down!" Nami was already overflowing with excitement.
Usopp craned his neck to look at the endless vine, his neck nearly going stiff.
"Hey, you've got to be kidding… from that height, even an indestructible body would turn into paste if you fell…"
"Of course we climb up!"
Ronan leapt forward, landing on the massive vine like a swift beast.
"Let's go!"
"Wahoo!" Luffy cheered, stretching his arms to grab distant branches and swinging upward like a monkey.
As they climbed higher, the breathtaking scenery spread out beneath them.
Through layers of white clouds, Angel Island shrank to the size of a fingernail.
The distant sea of clouds rolled endlessly, glowing orange under the setting sun.
"Magnificent…"
Ronan stood on a massive leaf, the high-altitude wind whipping his clothes.
At this height, even his inner energy flowed more smoothly.
Finally, after passing through the last layer of clouds, a dazzling golden light burst into view.
It was a massive bell tower.
Made entirely of gold.
Time had given it a deep, steady sheen.
Its surface was covered in intricate carvings depicting ancient rituals, hunts, and glory.
"So this… is the Light of Shandora?" Nami stood there in awe.
Robin's breathing quickened as she approached the base, where a massive indestructible stone was embedded.
"…The Poneglyph."
Luffy, on the other hand, looked at the enormous golden bell with excitement rising in his chest.
He stepped forward, grinning.
"Everyone, I'm going to ring it!!"
He took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and gathered his inner energy.
"Gomu Gomu—Bullet!!"
"GONG——————!!!!"
A clear, powerful bell sound rang out, echoing across the sky and through the clouds.
The sound spread like ripples, shaking the surrounding clouds and carrying far into the distance.
In the Shandian camp, the warriors—including Zoro and Raki—froze when they heard it.
Then tears streamed down their faces.
"Ancestor Kalgara… can you hear it?" Wyper fell to his knees, crying. "Four hundred years… the Light of Shandora has finally been lit again!"
On Angel Island, people opened their windows and looked up at the sky.
"That sound… could it be…?"
The bell continued to echo.
Robin stood before the Poneglyph and read softly:
"'Let the true meaning be conveyed to the heart… we are the ones who weave history… together with the sound of the great bell.'"
"Is that what it says?" Luffy asked.
Robin shook her head, her expression turning more complex.
"No… that's Shandora's message. This stone actually records the location of an ancient weapon—Poseidon."
"Poseidon?" Usopp shivered. "That sounds terrifying… like something that can destroy an island in one shot…"
"Another weapon…"
Robin smiled faintly, somewhat bitter.
"What I seek is the truth of the lost century… not tools of destruction."
Ronan turned to Luffy.
"Luffy, do you want an ancient weapon? The kind of power that can wipe out an island in one blow?"
Luffy adjusted his straw hat and grinned.
"Nope! I'm going to be the Pirate King! I don't need something like that!"
Ronan laughed loudly.
"Exactly! That's our path!"
"Ancient weapons exist because people back then weren't strong enough—they relied on machines to make up for it."
"But our path is different."
"We'll make our bodies surpass steel, and our power surpass lightning!"
Ronan's eyes burned with intensity.
"One day, if we keep training—"
"With just our fists and this spear—"
"We'll be able to do the same."
"We'll become the strongest living weapons on this sea."
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