Soon, following the guidance of Observation Haki, Caesar led the group deep into the island.
Near a massive beanstalk vine, they discovered the City of Gold buried beneath layers of Island Cloud!
Clang—
A black slash instantly cleared the surrounding Island Cloud, and dazzling sunlight poured down from the dome above, illuminating a golden kingdom!
"Wow—"
The group gasped in unison.
"Gold~"
Nami's eyes sparkled with glittering gold, her lips curling into a wide grin as silent tears streamed down her cheeks, her face filled with infatuation.
"Gold… an entire city of gold!"
Deuce's voice trembled: "It's actually real… every building in this city is made of gold!"
Click, click!
Caesar picked up a camera and began snapping photos with practiced ease.
The group scattered in excitement, splitting into smaller teams to explore the City of Gold. Only Robin remained composed, staying behind—more interested in history than treasure.
"So, the Poneglyph isn't here?"
"According to legend, the City of Gold houses an enormous Golden Bell, and the Poneglyph is embedded in its base. See that giant beanstalk in the distance?"
Caesar pointed toward the colossal vine connecting the sky and earth like a towering pillar.
"Up there?"
"Exactly, at the very top…"
Caesar nodded. "Wait for me to make arrangements. I'll take you there shortly."
Robin nodded in agreement, while Caesar sought out Kuma, who was accompanying Bonney on her treasure hunt. The father-daughter duo sat atop a pile of ruins, sifting through nearby golden artifacts.
"Kuma, I have a job for you."
With a flick of his wrist, Caesar summoned Enel's corpse.
"Enel imprisoned some people on this island to build ships for him. They're the former god of Sky Island's guard. Take this body and release them. Have them find the former god, Gan Fall, and the current leaders of Sky Island. Tell them to come see me."
"Understood."
Kuma nodded and vanished instantly with a wave of his hand.
"Hey—did you really have to assign my dad a job right now?"
Bonney pouted as Kuma left. "Then you have to play with me, Caesar!"
"Fine, let's go see the legendary Golden Bell!"
Caesar lifted Bonney, and the little girl deftly climbed onto his shoulders. Then, cradling Robin in his arms, he spread his wings and soared into the sky, racing toward the top of the beanstalk.
"Yahoo!"
Bonney's cheers echoed across the heavens as the trio quickly ascended to the summit.
As they landed atop the beanstalk, the setting sun dyed the sea of clouds crimson and gold. Caesar set Robin down, but Bonney remained perched on his shoulders, swinging her legs excitedly. "That bell is bigger than a house!"
The Golden Bell stood silently on a platform woven from vines, its surface adorned with intricate ancient patterns. The sunset bathed it in flowing flames.
Robin ran her fingers over the uneven inscriptions at the base of the bell, her eyes alight with quiet excitement.
"Just as you said, these inscriptions contain information about the Ancient Weapon, Poseidon."
"Told you so, didn't I?"
Caesar smiled as Bonney jumped off him and began fiddling with the golden South Bird sculptures at the base of the Golden Bell. These sculptures were identical to the ones Cricket had salvaged from the sea.
"Now, it's time to fulfill my promise to Cricket."
Caesar circled the Golden Bell once, then clenched his fists together before leaping up and delivering a powerful punch to the bell!
Dong—
The bell swayed, and in an instant, a deep, ancient chime resonated far and wide!
The rich sound of the bell spread outward at the speed of sound, reaching the islands below, the White Sea, and even further down to the Blue Sea.
Calculating the distance, it was only about ten kilometers from here to Jaya Island in the Blue Sea.
Dong—
After four hundred years, when the sound of the Golden Bell rang out once more, everyone on Sky Island was drawn to the chime, turning their heads toward the direction of the sound.
...
Deep in the sea of clouds, Cloud Hidden Village.
"What? Wiper is dead?"
"How is that possible? What about the others? Kamachiri? Braham?"
"They... they're all dead."
At Raki's weak reply, the surrounding Shandia people immediately fell into chaos.
"Calm down."
Among the crowd, the Shandia chief, wearing an animal-skin hat and holding a staff, spoke with a grave expression.
"What exactly happened? Was it that bastard Enel?"
"No. On our way to Upper Yard, we encountered a group of explorers from the Blue Sea..."
Raki knelt before the chief, her voice trembling as she recounted their encounter with Caesar's group.
"...Wiper attacked them without hesitation, only to be cut down by their captain with a single slash."
Her voice was filled with deep fear. "They were incredibly strong. The others didn't even have time to fight back before they were killed. Even just one of that man's subordinates possessed a Logia Type ability like Enel's..."
"Logia Type?"
The chief's eyes widened slightly. "What ability?"
"Fire..."
Raki answered truthfully.
"This... isn't this just another Enel?"
"Even worse, that was just one of his subordinates. That means the entire group must be even stronger than Enel!"
The crowd grew restless. Just Enel alone had been enough to oppress both the Sky Islanders and the Shandia. Now, an even more powerful group of Blue Sea People had arrived, filling everyone with an overwhelming sense of despair.
"Chief, I must avenge Wiper!"
Just as the crowd was drowning in grief, a large man wearing a chef's hat stepped forward. "Are we just going to surrender like this? Wiper was still the leader of our guerrilla unit..."
"Silence, Jebo! Wiper brought this upon himself!"
The chief sharply cut him off, slamming his staff against the ground. "Attacking innocent people without reason—were they Pirates? Sky Islanders? Or members of God's Guard? How is that any different from Pirates?"
"Or do you consider everyone sailing through these clouds to be Pirates? Did they raise a Jolly Roger?"
"No..." Raki shook her head, her face pale.
"Then why did Wiper attack them? Tell me the truth, Raki!" the chief demanded sternly.
"Wiper said..."
Raki bit her lip. "He said those navigators are no good either and might get in the way, so he planned to deal with them first."
"And their ship looks new—they might have supplies we need..."
"Foolish!"
The chief growled, his eyes filled with anger but even more exhaustion.
"In the end, it's my fault... That boy is the descendant of the great warrior Calgara. I once told him about Calgara's promise with his friend. Ever since then, the boy devoted all his energy to fulfilling his ancestor's wish through conflict."
"But later, I realized Wiper had become obsessive. He would attack anyone, whether they were Sky Islanders or not. Since they were mostly Pirates before, I turned a blind eye..."
"No, perhaps some innocent travelers were among them too. The root of this mistake lies with me."
"What should we do then?"
The crowd fell silent. The large man who had earlier wanted to avenge Wiper couldn't help but ask.
The chief turned to Raki. "What did those people say?"
"He said... he would kill Enel and rule Sky Island. If we submit, he would allow us to return to Upper Yard to live..."
"And if we refuse?"
"...Annihilation of our people!"
Raki's face darkened with sorrow.
The chief remained silent for a moment before sighing deeply. "If he truly intended to wipe us out, he wouldn't have let you return."
Raki froze at his words.
Suddenly, from the distant sky where clouds swirled, a deep, ancient bell tolled resounded.
Dong—
Whoosh...
From the forests of Upper Yard, countless South Birds took flight into the sky.
Above the clouds, a glimmer of radiant gold shimmered under the setting sun.
"This is..."
The chief stiffened, his eyes filled with disbelief. "There's no mistake... this is... the Golden Bell!"
Dong—
The distant bell tolled again, and the crowd stood in stunned silence.
"The bell..."
"Is this the sound of the Golden Bell?"
"Lost for four hundred years..."
The crowd stirred, everyone turning toward the direction of the sound.
"So... does this mean Enel has truly been defeated?"
The chief closed his eyes weakly. "And yet, just after Wiper's death... Because of violence and obsession, the hope passed down for four hundred generations was severed just before this bell tolled. How cruel fate can be!"
"Pass down my orders—all warriors are to lay down their arms and follow me to Upper Yard!"
Jebo was puzzled. "Chief?"
"We are not going to fight."
The chief said solemnly, "We are going to negotiate. This conflict that has lasted four hundred years... it's time to end it."
"But what if those Sky Islanders refuse to end it?" someone asked worriedly.
The chief laughed bitterly, shaking his head.
Refuse to end it?
Then someone else will end it for them.
...
Blue Sea, Jaya Island.
This island was never short of Pirates, most of whom were stranded here after their Log Poses were stolen by Sky Island.
But to the vast majority of Pirates, Sky Island was nothing more than a ridiculous legend.
After all, how could an island possibly float in the sky?
"Sky Island? Pfft—hahahaha! That's just a fairy tale, isn't it? Are you a child or something?"
Whenever someone inquired about Sky Island, the pirates on the island would respond with similar remarks, mercilessly mocking this naive dreamer who refused to face reality, before drowning themselves in alcohol and ignoring the Log Pose on their wrists that pointed straight upward.
On the other side of the island, however, there still lived some stubborn individuals unwilling to compromise with reality, holding fast to the dreams in their hearts.
By the shore, Cricket sat as usual beside a tree stump, upon which lay the storybook titled "The Liar Noland." The ashtray nearby was filled to the brim with cigarette butts.
Dong—
The distant toll of a bell resounded across the sky, startling countless South Birds into flight.
Cricket sprang to his feet, looking up toward the source of the sound—the heavens!
"It's him!"
Dong—
The bell tolled again, and Monkey and Masira rushed over, their faces alight with excitement.
"Boss! Could this be..." Masira asked eagerly.
"Yes, he found it!"
Cricket gazed at the sky as the deep, resonant bell continued to ring, rousing countless drunken pirates from their stupor.
"Not just Sky Island... but the City of Gold too!"
"My ancestor Noland was no liar!"
Looking at the storybook that had been famous in the North Sea for over four centuries, tears welled up in Cricket's eyes.
"This is true romance!"
The lingering echoes of the bell reverberated through the sea of clouds, while the setting sun dyed all of Upper Yard in crimson.
Robin was fully engrossed in recording the contents of the Poneglyph, while Caesar gently traced the carvings on the stone tablet. Though he had no interest in history, the sense of communing with ancient people from centuries past was undeniably poignant.
He then pulled out a camera and a Visual Den Den Mushi, meticulously capturing every detail of the Golden Bell and the Poneglyph.
Caesar wasn't sure whether Robin would choose to reveal the truths of history, but if that day ever came, he wanted to preserve as much evidence as possible to ensure his woman wouldn't be doubted.
Suddenly, his Observation Haki detected a disturbance beneath the clouds.
With a flutter of his black coat, Caesar levitated into the air, spotting two groups advancing toward Upper Yard in the distance.
One was led by the former Sky Island deity Gan Fall, consisting of Sky Islanders, while the other was a group of Shandia.
The two parties maintained a cautious distance from each other as they made their way toward the center of Upper Yard.
"It seems our guests have arrived."
Caesar descended back onto the Island Cloud, leaving with Robin and Bonney.
By the time the three returned to the City of Gold, the others had moved past their initial excitement and were gathered together, sorting through the treasures they had unearthed from the ruins.
Kuma and Issho had also returned—Kuma having freed the Sky Islanders imprisoned by Enel, while also helping Issho deal with a God Enforcer along the way.
Soon, the two orderly groups arrived from afar.
Both Gan Fall and the Shandia chief deliberately restrained their subordinates to avoid any conflict at this critical moment, lest they displease Caesar.
They both understood clearly—while Enel had been someone they could still struggle against, these individuals who had effortlessly defeated Enel were forces they absolutely could not afford to offend!
"Powerful warriors from the Blue Sea..."
The moment he laid eyes on Caesar's crew, the Shandia chief instantly recognized Caesar as their leader. After all, with all the beautiful women gathered around him, the only one on a ship who could command such presence had to be the captain.
"I deeply apologize for Wiper's offense against you all."
"So, your apology won't just be lip service, will it?"
Caesar sneered: "Attacking strangers without reason or conflict of interest—no wonder you lost your homeland. Ignorant savages. If my subordinates weren't a bunch of saints, your people would be facing extinction today!"
"Gomen nasai... sumimasen!"
The Shandia chief laid down his staff and prostrated himself before Caesar in a deep bow.
"Wiper's offense was entirely due to my failure in teaching. I am willing to bear all responsibility. I only hope you will spare my people. Our entire Shandia tribe is willing to submit to your rule."
"Chief!"
Behind the elder, the Shandia tribesmen wore expressions of sorrow, unable to hold back their cries.
"Enough, save it."
Caesar scoffed and turned to Gan Fall.
"Enel has been dealt with by me. From now on, this place is under my rule. Like the Shandia, I give you two choices."
"First, submit to me. Sky Island will also fall under my rule, and you will become my subjects, under my protection. I will allow you to live on Upper Yard alongside the Shandia, abandoning past grudges and governing together."
"Second, return to your Sky Island. I will permit trade with the Shandia, but you must never covet this land again. Any transgression will result in the annihilation of your people!"
Caesar disliked the Shandia, but he felt no fondness for the Sky Islanders either.
From their shared history, these Sky Islanders were outright invaders!
"We choose the first option!"
Gan Fall removed his helmet and knelt on one knee without hesitation.
He could see that while this man wasn't as vile as Enel, his ruthlessness far surpassed Enel's!
With talk of annihilation at every turn, Gan Fall had no doubt about the sincerity of Caesar's words.
"Not only have you done us a great favor, but after Enel's rule, we've come to realize our past mistakes."
Gan Fall sighed: "Four hundred years ago, our ancestors violently invaded Upper Yard. Then, years ago, Enel ruled Sky Island in the same manner..."
"We were wrong, and we are willing to apologize to the Shandia."
"Wrong? Of course you were..."
Caesar snorted. "If you weren't wrong, you'd be dead."
Gan Fall: "..."
While that was true, he was genuinely remorseful.
Truth be told, years ago, before Enel arrived, he had discussed with the Shandia chief about ending the hatred and ceasing hostilities.
But Wiper had ruined it...
As the current god of Sky Island, Gan Fall disliked conflict and understood the origins of their ancestors' mistakes four centuries ago.
Coincidentally, this generation's Shandia chief was also weary of strife, and the two had quickly reached an agreement to negotiate peace.
Yet the problem lay here.
To the Shandia, the Sky Islanders were invaders. Wiper had declared that for reconciliation, they must offer the lives of a hundred Sky Islanders as tribute.
Naturally, Gan Fall couldn't agree.
While he regretted his ancestors' invasion and was willing to negotiate, apologize, and even compensate, Wiper's demand was utterly absurd.
Finally, Gan Fall couldn't resist taunting Wiper, causing the ceasefire negotiations to fall through.
Now that Caesar had descended upon this place with absolute power and instantly defeated Enel, Gan Fall considered this an entirely positive development.
Although Caesar's attitude seemed rigid and unyielding, it was far preferable to Enel's cruel tyranny.
From the moment Caesar landed on the island and killed Enel, to ringing the Golden Bell, freeing the Sky Islanders enslaved by Enel for shipbuilding, and ordering both Sky Islanders and Shandians to gather at Upper Yard—every action clearly indicated Caesar's intention to establish a new order here!
The fighting must cease!
Evil must be eradicated!
Hum—
An invisible wave of pressure instantly spread outward, the faint Conqueror's Haki inspiring awe in all present.
With his massive black wings unfurled, Caesar descended upon the Mayan pyramid-like structure behind him, looking down imperiously at the crowd below.
"From this day forward, Sky Island and its territories shall fall under my rule!"
"Henceforth, there will be no distinction between Sky Islanders and Shandians, nor any so-called gods or chieftains! Only a new nation—the Dawn Empire!"
"And I shall be your one and only emperor!"
Caesar stood tall at the pyramid's peak, radiating confidence and ambition.
"The Dawn Empire..."
Gan Fall gazed up at the figure silhouetted against the sunset, the golden light gilding the edges of those black wings. "Emperor? Is that what they call rulers in the Blue Sea?"
"From now on, you are all my subjects!"
"I care not for your past grievances, but under my rule, no further conflict will be tolerated! Should anyone refuse to let go of old grudges, I shall personally settle the matter for them!"
"I've said my piece. Who agrees? Who objects?!"
As Caesar's voice faded, his Conqueror's Haki swept over the crowd, leaving the people below utterly silent.
"We pledge our loyalty to the Emperor!"
Gan Fall raised his knight's lance overhead, and behind him, hundreds of Sky Island guards and the Beret Force knelt in unison, their voices rising like a tidal wave.
The Shandian chieftain studied the figure atop the pyramid before driving his ceremonial staff deep into the cloud-covered earth. "The Shandia people pledge our allegiance to Your Majesty."
The aged voice carried a tone of relief—four centuries of obsession dissipating with the chime of the Golden Bell.
"Good..."
Caesar gave a satisfied hum.
He didn't particularly like these people. Had they resisted, he likely would have eliminated them and brought up replacements from Alabasta's little princess.
Fortunately, they knew better than to oppose him.
Recognizing the signs of the times marked them as wise, so Caesar saw no need to press them further.
"Kuma, take Nami, Ace, and Dr. Wolf to secure Enel's Ark Maxim. Refit it with dual flame and electric propulsion systems."
"List all required materials—replace the keel with Adam wood if needed. Coordinate manpower with Gan Fall."
"Understood."
Kuma nodded slightly, a hint of excitement in his demeanor.
"Issho, you and Law will oversee clearing the City of Gold ruins and urban construction. Both factions will provide labor."
Leaning on his cane sword, Issho gave a quiet nod. "As you command."
"Oh, and remember to build me a grand, luxurious palace!"
Issho's expression darkened. "Tyrant."
Caesar pretended not to hear and landed back on the ground, turning to Robin. "I'll leave the rest to you—promoting integration between the two clans and handling taxes."
"Leave it to me."
Robin smiled
Nami patted her cheeks and smiled. "Just this morning we were still on Jaya Island, and by evening you've become the emperor ruling over Sky Island..."
Hearing this, Caesar couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
"This is only the beginning..."