Passing through layers of clouds, Leno finally arrived at Sky Island. Gazing at this expanse of White Sea, the awe in his heart was unimaginable.
This world is truly magical. Such a spectacular sight can only be seen here.
Leno flew back and forth a few times above Sky Island, pinpointing the location of the small island, Birka, and also discovering the golden city of Shandora.
He had to admit, seeing a city built of gold was still shocking. It was literally gold everywhere.
'Mine, mine, it's all mine... I won't have to worry about money from now on, hahaha...'
Better find the Rumble-Rumble Fruit first. Arriving at Birka, he searched carefully and finally found a dilapidated structure.
'This seems to be a temple? Judging by the murals, the people here long ago experienced a world-ending catastrophe and were led to the Infinite Land by a god.'
'This god led many craftsmen to build a huge airship, then transformed into lightning and merged with the airship. Everyone boarded the airship and flew towards the Infinite Land.'
He approached the golden box on a high altar in the center of the hall, surrounded by four statues of devout worshippers.
Arriving at the box, Leno placed his hand on it. "Lightning Smelting." As the box melted, inside, as expected, was the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Picking up the fruit, he took a bite.
'Ugh~, this taste is really ugh~'
Slowly feeling the integration of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Leno flew into the air and unleashed lightning freely. The entire Sky Island was instantly covered in dark clouds, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling.
Witnessing this terrifying scene, the usually peaceful residents of Sky Island were thrown into a massive panic. The Shandians and the god of Sky Island all rushed towards this location.
As the power of lightning continued to erupt, Leno's Observation Haki extended along with the lightning, finally breaking through a critical point and covering the entire Sky Island.
Sensing that the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was almost awakened and his Observation Haki had advanced to a high level, Leno began to form a plan.
Leno returned to the temple. Seeing several chests placed beside the altar, he opened them and found inside the blueprints for the construction of the Ark Maxim as well as some historical records.
He read that the people of Sky Island initially did not have wings. Later, their ancestors went to the Infinite Land, and those who remained developed a longing and worship for the god and the Infinite Land.
They gradually grew accustomed to having wings. No wonder Enel was so desperate to go to the Infinite Land; he simply wanted to live there like his ancestors imagined.
Just as Leno was continuously using his ability to collect gold, the current god of Sky Island, Gan Fall, and the hostile Shandian tribe arrived before him.
"Yo, you guys are here. I've been waiting for a while."
"Who are you? What is your purpose in coming to our Sky Island?"
"Are you from the Blue Sea? Was that commotion just now caused by you?" The Shandian warriors watched Leno with extreme vigilance.
"Don't rush, don't rush, I'll explain slowly. First, I came to take the gold here. Secondly, I'm here to help you resolve your centuries-old conflict, to end this pointless struggle. After all, Skypiea is a very important location."
"First, descendants of the great warrior Kalgara, your friend Montblanc Norland did not deceive you." Leno then told them about how Norland returned to the Blue Sea, spoke of Sky Island, and was subsequently executed.
"Your faith did not let you down. It is time to end your fight. Later, I will ring the Shandora Bell, bearing witness to your vow and that of Norland's descendants. After all, all these years, Norland's descendants have also been making unremitting efforts."
The old Shandian chief fell to his knees with a thud. "Our... our vow, fought for over centuries, is about to be fulfilled?! Wuwu..."
"Next, Gan Fall. My intention is that from now on, the Shandians and the Skypieans will jointly enjoy the right to reside in and use the sacred land. Both sides shall coexist peacefully and develop Sky Island together. If anyone disagrees... *Crackle* *Crackle*..."
As he spoke, Leno transformed into a giant of lightning, his dazzling radiance illuminating half the sky.
"A god! A true god!"
"It's a god! A true god has been born on our Sky Island!"
Witnessing this incredible divine miracle, everyone knelt and kowtowed, even Gan Fall.
"We obey your command, God!"
"I didn't mean to become... Fine. From today onward, I am the god of Sky Island! My name is Leno! Starting today, whether Shandian or Skypiean, all are citizens of Sky Island. No hostility or fighting is allowed between you. Offenders will be severely punished!"
As his words fell, boundless lightning flashed, and Leno's fearsome divine form as the God of Thunder was projected across the entire Sky Island.
"We follow the divine oracle!" xN
"Good. Since that's settled, have people gather all this gold. I have use for it." Having said that, Leno disappeared.
Arriving at the top of the giant vine, the enormous golden bell sat upon a patch of island cloud.
*Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!...*
The majestic sound of the bell spread throughout Sky Island, reached the distant Blue Sea, and traveled towards even more distant places...
"The light of Shandora! The god has rung the light of Shandora!" The Shandians cheered and danced with joy.
The Skypieans stopped their work one by one, raising their heads to listen to the beautiful sound of the bell.
Far away on the Blue Sea, on the west coast of Jaya, three monkeys[^3] shed tears of joy: "Yes, yes, the light of Shandora has sounded. Sky Island truly exists! Our ancestor Norland was not a big liar! Wuwu..."
Sitting on the main seat in the temple, Leno said to the old chief and Gan Fall before him: "Pirates are rampant in the Blue Sea now. There's no guarantee that pirates won't come up here to wreak havoc someday. Sky Island's defensive capabilities are still too weak. So, select two hundred people and send them here. I will teach them how to train and improve their combat power to protect Sky Island. After all, I have my own matters to attend to and cannot stay on Sky Island forever."
"We obey the divine decree!" x2
Over the next few days, Leno taught these two hundred strong warriors how to cultivate Haki. During this time, the physically robust warriors awakened Armament Haki. Due to the environment of Sky Island and Leno's stimulation with lightning, they also awakened Observation Haki.
During this period, Leno used lightning to show them what divine power meant! The warriors gazed at Leno with fervent, worshipful eyes. "Is this the power of a god? Powerful, so powerful!"
"From now on, you will be Sky Island's guard force. Protect Sky Island's safety when I am not here!"
"We will follow your command, God!"
For the next ten-plus days, in addition to training these warriors, Leno also collected all the gold, a staggering thousand tons. "I'm rich, I'm rich, I'm really rich now. Hehehe..."
After collecting various local specialties and the giant lobsters of Sky Island, Leno announced his departure.
"Alright, I've done what I needed to do. The rest is up to you to maintain. You two are old, so when I'm gone, you can make decisions together. Wyper, you are the strongest of these warriors. After I leave, you will be responsible for strengthening the warriors' training. I've already made the details about Haki clear."
"We obey the divine decree! God, do you need us to send a few people to serve by your side?!"
"Not necessary. I will return when I have time. That's all then. I'm off." With a crackle, Leno disappeared.