"Oh, you're from the Blue Sea below, aren't you?"
On Angel Beach, a young Skypiean was repairing a Waver. When he saw Ashen and his group approaching, he put down his tools and greeted them warmly.
"That's right. We just arrived and were hoping to ask a few questions, if that's alright?"
Although Ashen had some knowledge of Skypiea, that was based on events from over twenty years in the future.
To understand the present situation properly, it was best to speak with a local.
"How about this, why don't you all come to my place? It's getting late anyway."
The Skypiean, setting aside his work, offered the invitation enthusiastically.
"Sounds good!"
...
Half an hour later, inside a house along the coastline of Angel Island, Ashen and his crew were warmly welcomed.
The dining table was covered with various exotic dishes from Skypiea, and the group dug in without hesitation, eager to taste the local specialties.
"Everyone, welcome to Skypiea. My name is Pagaya, and I'm a Waver craftsman here. This dish is made from a skyfish caught in the upper air sea…"
After introducing himself, Pagaya kept pouring drinks for the group, quickly building a friendly rapport.
Through their conversation, Ashen gradually pieced together a rough understanding of Skypiea's current state thanks to Pagaya's explanations.
"Pagaya, from what you're saying, finding St. Briss would require a large-scale search operation?"
Ashen frowned, setting down the half-eaten sky lobster in his hand.
Originally, he thought locating Tesla's ancestor's ship would be straightforward, but it turned out to be far more complicated.
"That's right," Pagaya nodded.
"Ships sentenced to drifting exile float endlessly in the sky without a fixed location. You might search one area and find nothing, only for the ship to appear there minutes later.
And the one you're looking for has been drifting for nearly two hundred years. A large-scale search will rely heavily on luck."
As someone born and raised in Skypiea, Pagaya knew firsthand how terrifying sky exile could be. He understood all too well how difficult it would be to find a specific ship.
"Thanks, Pagaya."
Ashen gave a small nod of gratitude, then turned to Tesla, who looked a little down.
"Don't worry, Tesla. For today, let's rest. Tomorrow, we'll begin searching for St. Briss. Plus, we've got the Pufferfish, that'll help us cover more ground.
If that's not enough, I'll come up with something else."
"Right! Captain, our family has been searching for almost two hundred years already, what's a few more days?"
Hearing Ashen's words, Tesla's spirits lifted.
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Ever since arriving in Skypiea, Tesla had been excited, thinking his family's long-held wish was finally within reach. Pagaya's explanation had been a heavy blow.
But now that it was confirmed that St. Briss was indeed here, it was only a matter of time. There was no need to rush. With that thought, he quickly adjusted his mindset.
Thanks to Pagaya's warm hospitality, everyone ate and drank their fill. During the meal, Lafitte even flew dinner back to the crew who had stayed behind on the Pufferfish.
...
The next morning, under Ashen's orders, the crew split up.
Tesla and Dan returned to the Pufferfish to conduct aerial searches. Ashen himself headed toward Upper Yard with Elvis and Lafitte.
Within the dense jungle, Ashen led the way, weaving between trees with practiced ease, relying on memory to guide them.
His destination was clear: the long-lost ruins of Shandora, silent for over four hundred years.
Ashen wasn't here for sentiment. He was here for gold.
There was just over a year left before Roger would turn himself in to the Navy, igniting the Great Pirate Era.
Soon, countless pirates would flood into the New World. It was the perfect time to expand the Helgrave Pirates.
But to sustain such a force, money was essential. That was one of the main reasons Ashen had come to Skypiea, to claim the city of gold.
Hiss… Hiss…
As the trio moved swiftly through the jungle, a large serpent covered in ornate patterns suddenly slithered into view, it was Norla.
"Heh, just in time!"
Ashen had been annoyed at their slow progress. Who would've thought a mount would deliver itself?
Nether Eye!
Activating his Devil Fruit ability, Ashen's eyes turned violet. Using the power of the Nether Eye, he initiated a mental exchange with Norla.
...
Ten minutes later, the three of them rode the now bruised and beaten Norla to a giant vine in the center of the island. Beneath it lay the ruins of Shandora.
Clang!
Ashen unsheathed his sword and sliced a circular opening in the island cloud beneath their feet. Without hesitation, he jumped down.
"Whoa! We're rich, Captain!"
Lafitte followed closely behind. The moment he landed and laid eyes on the gleaming treasure, he couldn't contain his excitement.
Norla peeked her head into the cavern, eyes lighting up at the sight of the long-lost city. She wore a near-human expression of joy.
But remembering how Ashen had beaten her senseless just moments ago when their initial communication failed, Norla dared not enter, she just looked from the entrance.
"Don't celebrate too soon. Let's start hauling all this gold out first!"
Ashen snapped Lafitte out of his treasure-drunkenness and got to work alongside Elvis, focusing on dismantling the golden structures atop Shandora's altar.
Clang…!
Inside the ruins, Ashen swung his sword over and over, expertly slicing golden sections from the ancient stonework. Soon, piles of gold began to stack around him.
Elvis and Lafitte had tried to help at first, but compared to Ashen's speed, their efforts were a joke.
After a few attempts, they gave up and switched to transporting the cut gold pieces out of the cloud cavern.
The tedious task continued for over twenty minutes. By the end, they had stripped Shandora of nearly all its gold, only a few difficult to remove scraps remained.
Outside, Norla resumed her role as beast of burden, gently gripping the gold in her mouth. With Ashen and the others riding her back, she began heading northeast.
...
Suspended in the center of the giant vine's canopy was a floating island, small, yet distinct.
This was the residence of Skypiea's current "God", Gan Fall. The Skypieans called it the Shrine.
At that moment, more than a dozen Divine Soldiers stood at the edge of the Shrine, staring into the distant sky.
"What a massive creature! When Granny Amazon sent a photo yesterday, I didn't think much of it. Now that I see it for real, I can't believe how huge it is!"
One of the Divine Soldiers exclaimed, staring at the Pufferfish drifting through the clouds.
"I know, right? I've never seen anything like it!" another soldier chimed in.
But just then, a gust of wind blew past, and the Pufferfish's undercarriage, its hanging cabin, emerged clearly from the clouds. The soldiers finally realized something was off.
They saw figures beneath the ship. Alarmed, several soldiers rushed to inform Gan Fall.
"My Lord! It's that thing!"
Gan Fall followed the soldiers out. One of them pointed up at the sky, toward the Pufferfish.
Gan Fall narrowed his eyes and gave a single call.
"Pierre!"
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