Oguro led Nami and Robin up the long staircase at an unhurried pace.
After Soifon and the others had cleared the path, no one dared to show their face. Oguro's Observation Haki told him that all of Enel's divine soldiers had been knocked unconscious and tossed into the corners of the temple grounds.
By the time the three reached the top, the wide platform was silent. Other than Soifon and her squad, there were only four Skypieans kneeling on the floor, trembling in fear.
Soifon bowed slightly. "Lord Soul King, they claim to be Enel's priests. They surrendered the moment we arrived."
"Surrendered?" Oguro looked at them in surprise.
Enel's most loyal subordinates, surrendering so easily?
The bald man among them quickly dropped to his knees and kowtowed hard. "My lord! I am Ohm, the Executor of the Trial of Iron! We saw you coming from the place where Lord Enel was fighting!"
He shivered as he continued, "Enel has gone missing—no doubt defeated by you! You must be a god from the Blue Sea! We've witnessed your divine might and humbly surrender! Please… spare our lives!"
He pressed his head to the ground again, and the other three priests followed suit, nearly sobbing as they begged for mercy.
Oguro waved a hand, looking mildly amused. "Enough. I'm not some devil who kills for fun. Since you've surrendered, take us into the temple."
"Yes, yes, right away!"
Relief flooded their faces as they scrambled to their feet, practically tripping over each other to show Oguro the way.
The moment they stepped inside, Nami's eyes lit up like gold coins.
Piles upon piles of treasure lay scattered about the hall—mounds of gold bars and ornaments glinting under the soft light.
"We're rich! We're so rich!" Nami cried, diving toward the nearest pile and clutching a chunk of gold like it was her firstborn child.
Robin, meanwhile, looked thoughtful. "In the story of the City of Gold, the outer ruins were said to be made entirely of gold. Why is all of it gathered here?"
Ohm immediately slipped into his new role as a sycophant. "Originally, the gold was outside. But after Lord Enel arrived, he melted it with lightning and brought it all here. The City of Gold no longer exists!"
He pointed at a blackened streak along the floor—a clear mark left by molten metal.
Oguro knew the truth. Enel had been building his ark and needed gold for it, and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit made refining it easy.
Sure enough, Robin soon found blueprints for the ark among the temple's documents.
"Some of the gold's been used," she said, scanning the drawings, "but there's still plenty left."
Oguro didn't show much interest. "A ship to sail to the Infinite Earths? Hmph. Let's conquer the seas first."
He turned away. "Come on. Let's find the Golden Bell and the Poneglyph."
The Golden Bell rested at the temple's peak.
Before long, they stood before it—a magnificent bell of pure gold, shining against the white clouds.
"It's beautiful," Robin whispered in awe. "No wonder it became the stuff of legend."
Nami, of course, had only one thought—money.
That much gold… if they sold it, they could buy half the world.
Robin's scholarly focus returned quickly as her eyes fell to the Poneglyph engraved at the bell's base. She began reading.
"'The location of the Ancient Weapon… Poseidon…'"
Her expression dimmed. It wasn't what she'd hoped to find—the truth she'd sought all these years remained hidden.
"Done reading?" Oguro's voice came from behind her.
Robin nodded, expecting him to ask about the text. But instead, he said, "Then let's head back down. I need to meet the leaders of Skypiea's factions."
Now that the island had no ruler, it naturally belonged to him.
"You're… not curious about what it says?" Robin asked, puzzled.
Oguro paused, then shook his head. "The Void Century doesn't interest me. Eight hundred years of dead history—what good does it do to dig it up?"
"To me, it's better to build a future of my own than to drown in the mysteries of the past."
Robin was taken aback.
Since Ohara's destruction, her life's purpose had been to uncover the truth of history—for her people, for her mentors. She'd never thought about the future.
In truth, she wasn't carrying their dream forward—she was trapped by it.
"What kind of future are you trying to create?" she asked softly.
"A world where everyone is treated fairly," Oguro said without hesitation. "Where the old are cared for, the young are protected, and no one dies without reason."
"A world where tragedies like Ohara never happen again."
His tone was calm, almost casual, but the words struck Robin like thunder.
A fair world...
That meant overthrowing the very foundation of the world—the Celestial Dragons themselves.
Could that even be done?
Robin's reason told her no. The World Government had ruled for eight centuries. Its power was absolute.
Yet Oguro's conviction rippled through her heart like waves.
If such a world could exist… how wonderful would that be?
Inside the temple, Oguro took a seat upon Enel's high throne. He looked down at the four trembling priests.
"Wake the unconscious soldiers," he commanded. "Tell them Skypiea has a new ruler. Then summon every major leader on the island to the temple for a council."
Gedatsu, the guardian of the Trial of Swamp, quickly reported, "My lord, Gan Fall will be easy to reach—but the Shandians have always been hostile. They may not obey your command."
Oguro waved a hand dismissively. "Tell everyone this council will decide all territorial rights. Anyone who refuses to attend will be considered to have forfeited their claims. Whatever lands remain will be divided without their input."
"Yes, my lord!" The priests scurried away to carry out the order.
"Wait."
Soifon's voice stopped them in their tracks.
She turned to Oguro. "Lord Soul King, I have a better way. One that will make them understand your power—and ensure they come willingly to pay their respects."
Oguro's eyes lit up. "Very well. I'll leave it to you."
Soifon stepped out onto the temple platform. Her voice rang clear as she began her incantation.
"Black and white net! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns, footprints, distant thunder, peaks, returning ground, night's hidden trail, sea of clouds, azure sequence, overflowing essence—reach the heavens!"
"Bakudo #77: Tenteikūra!"
A vast web of spiritual energy expanded, covering all of Skypiea.
A moment later, every person on the island heard a clear, echoing voice in their ears.
***
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