The hull of the Oro Jackson slid across the Cloud Sea, making a soft shushing sound like a whispered secret. The crew descended the gangplank carefully, their boots sinking into the soft, springy clouds with a feeling that was both strange and wonderful.
Buggy crouched down and poked the "ground," his fingers passing right through a wisp of cloud. "Hey, Shanks, look! This stuff can actually hold us up!"
Shanks copied Kyle from earlier and did a little jump, bouncing on the Cloud Sea as if it were a giant trampoline. He giggled, enjoying the feeling. Kozuki Oden, however, was the most dramatic. He dove headfirst into the clouds, coming up sputtering with a mouthful of white fluff. He wiped his face and laughed heartily. "Oh, oh, oh! This sea isn't salty at all!"
As the crew played like children in a new playground, a calm, dignified voice spoke from nearby. "Guests from the Blue Sea, welcome to Sky Island, the Land of God, Skypiea."
Everyone turned to see an old man with a long white beard riding a winged, spotted horse, which descended gracefully from the sky. On closer inspection, the elegant creature had the distinctively vacant eyes and beak of a giant duck.
"I am the 'God' of this land, Gan Fall," the old man said. After he dismounted, his pegasus-duck folded its wings and waddled behind him like a loyal pet.
"G-God?!" Buggy yelped, immediately hiding behind Jabba.
Roger, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. He laughed and strode forward, holding out his hand. "Yo! Hello, God! We're pirates. The name's Roger! Thanks for the welcome!"
Gan Fall looked surprised by the man's complete lack of fear or reverence, but he politely shook the offered hand. "Pirates... you are rare guests indeed. Fate must have guided you here. Please, follow me. Allow me to offer some hospitality to warriors from afar."
Following Gan Fall, they entered Angel Island. The architecture was unique, with most buildings being round domes decorated with pure white angel wings. Many of the residents also had small, feathered wings on their backs. They watched the wingless "Blue Sea people" with a mixture of curiosity and shyness.
What truly amazed the crew were Skypiea's unique tools—the Dials.
"Oh, oh, oh! What's this?" Buggy asked, picking up a seashell from a market stall and shouting into it.
The vendor smiled. "That is a Tone Dial. It can record and play back sounds." He pressed the top of the shell, and Buggy's shout echoed back perfectly.
"That's cool!" Shanks said, grabbing another strange-looking shell and blowing into it with all his might.
"That's a Wind Dial," the vendor began to explain, but it was too late. A powerful gust of wind blasted from the shell's opening, sending Shanks tumbling backward and messing up his red hair into a bird's nest.
"Puhahaha!" Buggy pointed and laughed so hard he bent over, stumbling into a nearby shelf. A plain-looking shell fell into his arms and suddenly pulsed.
Bang!
An invisible shockwave slammed into Buggy's stomach. His eyes bulged out, and he doubled over like a cooked shrimp, foaming at the mouth. "Ugh... what... what kind of Dial was that...?"
"Ah, that's an Impact Dial," the vendor said kindly. "You must be careful. The recoil is very powerful."
Kyle also found the gadgets interesting. He picked up an Impact Dial and closed his eyes, sensing the energy stored within it. The principle felt similar to his own Devil Fruit ability, but the energy was purer, more focused. He thoughtfully placed the shell back. The technology of Sky Island seemed to be based on the manipulation of "waves."
Later, at a banquet, Gan Fall served them unique Sky Fish and cloud vegetables. After a few drinks, Roger got to the real reason for his curiosity. "Gan Fall, I heard a rumor that there's a city made of gold somewhere above this Cloud Sea."
Gan Fall set down his cup, his expression turning serious. "You've heard of that legend? The Golden City, Shandora... It does exist. Long ago, it was launched into the sky by the Giant Jack, the massive vine we live on. It now rests in the 'Upper Yard.' That place is now the territory of the Shandian warriors, a tribe that was also sent into the sky four hundred years ago. They have been fighting us ever since to reclaim their lost home."
"A city... of gold?" Buggy's ears perked up. The pained green tint on his face was replaced by a greedy red glow.
A different kind of light shone in Roger's eyes—not greed for treasure, but the thrill of an explorer finding a new destination. "Shandian warriors? Sounds like fun! We've made up our minds. We're going to the Upper Yard!"
Gan Fall tried to talk them out of it, but seeing the determination in Roger's eyes, he could only sigh and show them the way.
The next day, the Oro Jackson set sail once more, following the giant vine upward until it reached a massive island covered in a dense, ancient forest—Upper Yard. The moment they stepped onto solid ground, they were hit by the wild, untamed feeling of the place. The roars of giant, unknown beasts echoed through the trees.
"Everyone, I think I hear something," Roger said suddenly, stopping and tilting his head as if listening to a distant sound only he could perceive.
Rayleigh and Kyle's expressions grew serious. They couldn't hear anything, but they could sense a strange energy from Roger, as if he were connected to the very heart of the island.
"This way!" Roger pointed and pushed through the thick bushes.
The crew followed him for hours through the dense jungle until the trees suddenly opened up, revealing a clearing. Before them stood the magnificent ruins of a city. Broken walls, ancient temples, and wide streets—everything was crafted from solid gold. The sunlight made the entire city shine with a brilliant, dreamlike glow.
"We're... rich..." Buggy's jaw hung open, a trail of drool dripping from his lip. His eyes practically turned into spinning Berry symbols.
"Incredible..." Shanks was too stunned to say anything else.
"Oh, oh, oh! The City of Gold!" Oden shouted in excitement.
In the center of the ruins stood a giant, golden belfry. The enormous golden bell hanging within it was silent, as if it had been sleeping for centuries.
"That's it!" Buggy shrieked, unable to control his greed any longer. His body split apart as he flew straight for the bell, pulling out throwing knives to try and chip off a piece. "Just a tiny little piece! That's all I need!"
"Buggy."
Roger's voice wasn't loud, but it hit Buggy like a bucket of ice water. He froze in mid-air and turned stiffly to see his captain watching him with a patient smile.
"Captain... I... I was just checking to see if it was solid..."
"That bell is more than just gold," Roger said. He then broke into a wide grin. "When you have your own pirate crew and fly your own flag, if you still want it, you can come back and take it with your own strength."
Buggy stopped. He looked at Roger's smiling face, then back at the magnificent golden bell. The knives in his hand fell from his grasp. He silently flew back to the ground, reassembled himself, and stood with his head lowered. Shanks walked over and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Roger turned his attention to the base of the belfry, where a large, square stone stood. It was a Poneglyph, covered in mysterious text that seemed ancient and eternal.
Kozuki Oden walked up to it, tracing the characters with his fingers as he began to read aloud. "...Fish-Man Island... 'Poseidon'... With a single command, she can sink the entire world into the depths of the sea..."
The name of the Ancient Weapon, Poseidon, the Sea King, filled the air with a heavy pressure. The power to command all the Sea Kings was the stuff of legends.
"Kuhahaha!" Roger's laugh shattered the silence. "So that's it! What an interesting answer!" He showed no fear or greed for such a power, only the pure excitement of an explorer who had found a new piece of the puzzle. He turned to Oden, his expression more serious than ever.
"Oden."
"Yes!" Oden stood up straight.
"Carve this next to it," Roger said, pointing to a blank space on the belfry's stone base. He spoke each word with purpose, using the Kozuki clan's ancient script. "'We have arrived here, guiding this text to its conclusion—Pirate, Gol D. Roger'!"
It wasn't just a message; it was a declaration across time. A challenge and a guide for whoever would come after him, for whoever could reach this place and understand the truth.
Oden's breathing grew heavy. He understood the historic weight of those words. He nodded, drew his katana, and began to carefully carve the bold statement into the hard stone. The crisp sound of steel on stone echoed through the silent golden city, like the turning of a new page in the book of history itself.
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