"Well said, Tesla!"
Ashen's voice rang out from the sky as he appeared beside Tesla in a blur.
Just moments earlier, his Observation Haki had picked up the presence of a battle in this area.
Upon rushing over, he had heard Tesla's words.
"Captain, I've caused trouble for the crew," Tesla said apologetically, his anger gradually subsiding as he began to understand Ashen's intentions.
Back on the Pufferfish, when Ashen had said he wanted to speak with Gan Fall, Tesla hadn't quite caught on at the time.
But when McKinley and the rest of Gan Fall's Divine Soldiers arrived and Tesla saw their reverence for the old god, he quickly realized what Ashen was aiming for.
To have Gan Fall rally the forces of Skypiea and help them find the St. Briss.
Now, however, with Gan Fall beaten half to death by Tesla, asking for his help was out of the question. At best, these people wouldn't cause more problems.
"Heh, don't worry about it. Controlling Skypiea's power isn't limited to just one path."
With that, Ashen stepped toward Gan Fall, who now looked utterly miserable, and said coldly, "We could've coexisted peacefully. But that time has passed. No point in forcing it now.
You have two choices: One, you willingly lead Skypiea to submit to the Helgrave Pirates and serve under us. As for the second… I think you already know what that is."
Cough, cough!
Gan Fall, already seriously injured by Tesla's earlier onslaught, coughed violently at Ashen's words, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, making him look even more pitiful.
Today was undoubtedly the most humiliating day of Gan Fall's life.
First, he was chased across Skypiea by a pirate from the Blue Sea, beaten to a pulp in front of countless skyfolk.
Now, this newly arrived pirate captain was here to take Skypiea's very sovereignty.
He had been completely stripped of dignity.
"Impossible! Skypiea acknowledges only one god, and that's Gan Fall! We'll never submit to pirates!"
Before Gan Fall could even speak, McKinley, that fool, jumped out to express his loyalty, completely oblivious to the way Gan Fall's face darkened further.
"Yeah! We, the people of Skypiea, have only one god! We'll never bow to pirates!"
The rest of the Divine Soldiers followed suit, each trying to be louder and more loyal than the last, afraid that if they were too slow, they'd be remembered for their hesitation.
The added irritation made Gan Fall's eyes roll back. He nearly passed out from the fury and cursed inwardly, How did I end up with such a bunch of idiots?
Now's the time to talk back? We're on death's doorstep and they still don't see the reality… These bastards really want me dead faster, don't they!?
Buzz!
Ashen's Conqueror's Haki exploded across the battlefield, silencing the chaotic noise in an instant.
With the air heavy and still, he calmly asked, "What's your answer, Gan Fall?"
…
At the center of Upper Yard, midsection of the massive vine
Over half an hour earlier, the Shandians had stormed the area. War erupted in an instant.
Now, flames raged at the shrine, thick black smoke contrasting starkly against the white clouds of the sky island.
"Heh heh! Looks like your god isn't coming back!"
Dodging a Divine Soldier's Impact Dial, a Shandian warrior sneered, his mocking tone enraging the nearby soldiers.
The Divine Soldier facing him said nothing. Instead, he pulled a Wind Dial from his pouch and, with a click, mounted it on the elbow socket of his Jet Spear, launching another attack.
Whoosh! The added speed from the Wind Dial boosted the soldier's punch significantly. The Shandian was struck hard, nearly falling from the sky due to the impact.
Clang! Clang!
Just as the Shandian tried to retaliate, a deafening chime echoed through the sky.
"That… that's the Golden Bell! It's been nearly four hundred years, but the bell has finally rung again!"
The nearby Shandian chieftain dropped to his knees in reverence, tears streaming down his face.
Even though he had never heard the bell in his lifetime, he recognized that sound, the one he had longed for in dreams.
"What? Chief, is it really the Golden Bell?"
All the Shandian warriors froze, momentarily dazed. They had grown up on tales of the Golden Bell and knew well what it meant to their people.
"Perfect chance, take them down!"
The Divine Soldiers didn't understand why the Shandians were suddenly distracted mid-battle, but they weren't about to waste the opportunity.
"Enough! This war no longer has any meaning!"
Gan Fall's voice arrived just in time, echoing across the battlefield.
…
Two hours later, all of Skypiea was shaken by two astonishing announcements.
First, Gan Fall and the Shandian chieftain had reached an agreement to end the nearly 400-year conflict.
From now on, Shandians and Skypieans would coexist as equal residents of the sky. The ruins beneath the vines would be rebuilt as a city for the Shandians.
Gan Fall would no longer bear the title of god. Instead, he would become the first King of Skypiea, now formally called the Holy Land of the Sky.
Second, all of Skypiea had officially submitted to the Helgrave Pirates, becoming an affiliated nation under their protection.
Before the people of Skypiea could even process this stunning news, they received the first royal decree from King Gan Fall.
Everyone was to mobilize, alongside the Shandians, to search for St. Briss.
Soon, the skies above and the White Sea below were filled with the roar of countless shell-powered ships.
…
"My lord! We've searched the entire sky island, there's still no sign of St. Briss!"
In the captain's quarters of the Pufferfish, Gan Fall respectfully reported to Ashen and Tesla.
"Captain, if we really can't find it… maybe we should just let it go," Tesla suggested hesitantly.
It had already been two days since the search for the St. Briss began, spanning the entire expanse of Skypiea.
Tesla didn't want the crew's journey to be delayed just because of him. Still, he trusted Ashen completely, and deep down, he felt sure the St. Briss was here.
"Gan Fall, are you absolutely certain every corner's been searched?" Ashen asked, his brow furrowed. The St. Briss had to be here, so why hadn't they found it?
"My lord, every bit of cloud has been scoured. Each search team was led by someone capable of using Mantra! If even a part of the ship had surfaced, they'd have found it!" Gan Fall swore earnestly.
Ashen tapped his fingers lightly against the table, deep in thought. Something wasn't adding up.
Could it be a timing issue? Is St. Briss only supposed to appear decades from now…?
"Time… time…" Suddenly, a spark lit in his mind.
He sat up straight, energized. "Gan Fall! Are island clouds always static? What happens if they're under pressure for long periods, do they change shape?"
"Of course not. A perfect example is Skypiea itself. When island clouds are compressed, they overflow at the edges and rise into smaller cloud formations. If it's a small enough landmass, the cloud will completely envelop it.
In fact, the cloud supporting Upper Yard is constantly absorbing and ejecting material. It's just so slow that the changes are invisible to the naked eye," Gan Fall replied.
"I get it now, Captain!" Tesla exclaimed.
-------
If you want to support me and read 25 advance chapters, please visit.
pa-treon.com/Anfractuous
[Just remove the hyphen(-) to access the page.]