Crane Claw!
Marco in his Hybrid Form crouched down to grab, his legs transforming into massive bird claws.
The Shandia panicked, firing several cannonballs in rapid succession, each exploding against Marco's body without any effect.
"Attacks without Haki are useless against the Phoenix～"
Marco chuckled lightly, subduing the Shandia with a single claw and carrying him back to the ship.
The moment they landed, the Shandia leaped up like a wounded beast, desperately searching for an escape route.
But upon seeing Cricket, the Shandia froze.
"Noland?"
the Shandia uttered in disbelief.
"Does this guy really resemble his ancestor that much?" Marco commented from behind.
"Are you Shandia?"
Cricket pressed his lips together, feeling both excited and at a loss.
It matched, everything matched!
The Shandia trembled, shaking more intensely than when he had faced the monstrous Marco earlier.
"Have you come to fulfill our ancestors' promise? I'm sorry, we... we..."
The Shandia knelt weeping, his words choked with grief, sorrow overflowing.
Watching this scene, Marco nudged Chronos with his elbow, asking what was going on.
"When Noland first came to Jaya Island, he saved the Shandia who were suffering from Tree Fever and became instant friends with the great warrior Kalgara.
However, to cure the Tree Fever, Noland cut down the Shandia's sacred tree and was consequently exiled.
As Noland was leaving, he heard the bell ringing from Jaya Island - likely Kalgara discovering the truth and bidding Noland farewell.
From Noland's preparations to return to Jaya Island, they must have made a promise to meet again.
But the outcome...
Was less than ideal."
Chronos explained while referencing the script.
Hearing this, both Cricket and the Shandia instinctively looked at him.
Marco gave a thumbs up - truly his brother.
"Is what he said true?"
Cricket asked the Shandia. Due to his childhood experiences, he was particularly sensitive to emotions, and he could feel the Shandia's regret and shock.
The Shandia nodded painfully.
"Four hundred years ago, our island was carried here by the Knock-Up Stream. The greedy god of this place coveted our land, and war broke out.
The great warrior Kalgara, not adapted to the thin air here, was ultimately overwhelmed and died in battle, and we were driven out.
To this day, we continue fighting against the god of this place, struggling to reclaim our land and fulfill the promise of the 'Lights of Shandora'!"
Cricket fell silent. So the Shandia hadn't betrayed Noland, and Noland had believed in the Shandia, but...
Fate plays cruel tricks!
After hearing this, Whitebeard's face darkened enough to drip water. His own hometown had been torn by war, driving him to sea to become a pirate.
Now hearing that the Shandia couldn't even return to their homeland because of war, Whitebeard's anger surged.
"Bastards who steal others' precious homelands!"
Recalling the God Valley incident from over a decade ago, Whitebeard grew even more furious.
Tremors began to arise without reason, causing the entire White Sea to shudder as if on the verge of being torn apart.
"Pops, calm down!"
Chronos reminded him, prompting Whitebeard to take a deep breath and rein in his rage.
Striding over to the Shandia tribesman, Whitebeard tapped his Cloud-Cutting Sword, sending violent ripples that momentarily stilled the White Sea's waves.
"Hey, kid, take me to see where the other half of Jaya Island is. As payment—"
Whitebeard grinned widely.
"I'll help you kill that so-called 'God'!"
"Oh, we're fighting a self-proclaimed god?" Marco grew excited—he'd long despised those who called themselves deities.
"According to records, the god of Skypiea should be equivalent to a king in our world, but that's irrelevant," Chronos said indifferently. "This problem can't be solved without beating them up first."
Eh?
Marco and the others shifted their gaze in confusion. In their memories, Chronos never liked unnecessary conflicts—shouldn't he be trying to dissuade them in this situation?
Seeing their expressions, Chronos spread his hands and stated plainly, "Records say entering Skypiea requires paying one billion Extol per person—that's a hundred thousand Belly. I don't want to pay that."
The Whitebeard Pirates had too many members.
Whitebeard immediately turned solemn, grabbing the Shandia tribesman. Now it wasn't just a matter of principle—reality forbade it too!
"Kid, say you agree now!"
Trembling before the towering Whitebeard, the Shandia tribesman glanced at Cricket, still distrustful of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Don't worry, they're trustworthy," Cricket said seriously. "And in terms of strength... I believe they're top-tier."
He still wondered whether he'd dreamed the scene of Whitebeard launching a ship skyward with one punch.
With the descendant of Noland vouching for them, the fierce yet pure-hearted Shandia tribesman nodded, though he soon looked troubled again.
"I'm from the Shandia guerrilla unit. Frankly, people like me sneak down here while avoiding the Land of God's surveillance. Your ship is too large—aside from passing through the Gates of Heaven, there might be no way to reach the White White Sea."
"Then we'll go through the Gates of Heaven," Whitebeard said casually.
"But—"
"No buts," Chronos interrupted the Shandia tribesman. "If we're discovered, all the better—we'll treat it as our declaration of war."
"Chronos is right!"
Watching the fearless Whitebeard Pirates, the Shandia tribesman understood.
"In that case, I'll guide you!"
The massive white whale ship set sail again, cutting through waves as it advanced into the distance.
Soon, they reached a waterfall-like area blocked by elastic clouds. After navigating through twisting paths, a hexagonal gate inscribed with "Gates of Heaven" appeared.
As the Moby Dick entered the passage, a middle-aged woman named Amazon emerged from the front. She wore a bun hairstyle, held a camera-like device, and had small wings on her back.
The moment she saw the Moby Dick, Amazon froze, unsure where to begin photographing the ship full of people.
Camera flashes flickered rapidly as Amazon demonstrated astonishing hand speed.
"Are you here for sightseeing, or..."
"We're here for war."
Whitebeard interrupted directly.
"Go tell your god - we are the Whitebeard Pirates!"
Amazon froze, panic instinctively surfacing. She had seen many people coming to Skypiea, but none possessed Whitebeard's imposing presence.
With such a massive ship and numerous crew members, this could be...
"Wait, hold on!"
Amazon instinctively wanted to ask if there was some misunderstanding, but...
Crunch! Crunch!
Two heavy sounds echoed as Skypiea's specialty, the Express Shrimp - an unprecedented super-sized Express Shrimp - emerged from the sea, extending two pincers to grip the ship's hull.
Then...
Whoosh! The oversized Express Shrimp slapped its tail, carrying the Moby Dick as it rapidly ascended the spiraling Heaven's Path before them.
Amazon stared blankly. Impossible! How could there be such a large Express Shrimp here?
On the Moby Dick, Chronos withdrew his hand, his face showing pain.
A thousand years of lifespan! Gone just like that.
Are Homies really this costly? No wonder Big Mom in the original story needed to establish a country to collect lifespans. Just creating one large shrimp Homie consumed so much lifespan!
Unlike the previous Soul Avatar which was temporary, the Homie Chronos created using that Express Shrimp now existed permanently.
Though it couldn't compare to Homies like "Zeus" or "Prometheus," it was roughly at the level of "Noble Crocodile."
While lacking in intelligence, it obeyed commands and had its physical attributes greatly enhanced.
Since the Moby Dick was a large vessel and the local Express Shrimp couldn't carry it for navigation, Chronos had used the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit to create a large Homie for convenience.
The Whitebeard Pirates stared in amazement at the Express Shrimp below them. Marco's mind raced as he locked eyes with Chronos.
Whitebeard asked directly, "Chronos, is that your ability?"
Chronos nodded. "I discovered this guy underwater, but it was too small. At this size, it can just carry the Moby Dick."
As he spoke, Chronos looked thoughtfully at the Moby Dick's white whale head.
He seemed to sense a faint, elusive soul aura from this ship.
Was it the Moby Dick's ship spirit?
But the aura was too weak. If the Moby Dick was 1, that aura was at most 0.1 - less than one-tenth.
If left to form naturally, it would take several more decades to manifest.
Calculating this, perhaps the birth of a ship spirit was related to the ship's size as well?
Thinking of the Merry, which developed a ship spirit in less than three months of sailing, Chronos nodded.
However, the Merry was built and cherished with all the devotion of Kaya's butler Merry - he deserved much credit for that.
Wait...
Suddenly realizing something, Chronos's expression turned strange. Since the ship spirit appeared to repair the ship, could damage be a necessary prerequisite?
If that were the case, it would be better if ship spirits never appeared.
Whitebeard looked at the Express Shrimp beneath the ship, his interest piqued like a big boy's curiosity being awakened.
"Chronos, can your ability make a Hercules Beetle bigger too?"
"Huh?"
It's appeared, a world-class treasure that can rival "One Piece"!
"No problem, I suppose."
Chronos laughed, wondering if he should get Pops a giant rhinoceros beetle toy for his next birthday.
Suddenly feeling an intense gaze from behind, Chronos turned his head to see the Whitebeard Pirates' members, all looking excited.
After a moment of silence, Chronos felt somewhat helpless.
At the end of the Heaven's Path, a plaque inscribed with "Land of God" appeared, shimmering with light.
With a roaring ascent, the Moby Dick burst out of the tunnel, revealing a vast expanse of buildings and vegetation ahead.
"Is that Skypiea?"
Marco and the others were intrigued. They had thought they were just visiting, but it seemed they were in for a showdown!
Whitebeard observed for a moment, then frowned. He didn't sense any hostile aura; on the contrary, the atmosphere there felt quite peaceful.
The giant shrimp surfaced from the White White Sea and waved its claw toward Chronos on the deck.
"Hmm..." Chronos thought briefly and simply said, "I'll call you Big Shrimp. Now dive down and follow behind us."
Big Shrimp nodded and submerged into the White White Sea, awaiting further orders.
The Shandian took a deep breath and then leaped down from the Moby Dick.
"Friends of Noland, please follow me. Our village is in that direction."
With that, the Shandian strode away, gliding swiftly as if on roller skates.
Click-clack!
Big Shrimp extended its claws again, carrying the Moby Dick as it followed the Shandian.
White White Sea - Cloud Hidden Village.
This was a village nestled near a giant pea plant, with most dwellings being conical tents adorned with bull skulls atop their peaks.
Tall torches blazed fiercely, resembling street lamps, alongside bird-shaped cylindrical totems.
As the Moby Dick approached, an involuntary wave of panic swept through the village.
Until the Shandian shouted loudly.
"Chief! Noland! Noland's descendants have come up from the Blue Sea!"
The cry echoed through every corner of Cloud Hidden Village, stirring the Shandians into a frenzy.
The seemingly elderly Chief moved with vigorous strides, reaching the village entrance in the blink of an eye.
"Noland has returned?!"
On the Moby Dick, Cricket watched as the Shandians poured out and gathered around, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
How capricious fate can be!
The Shandians' enthusiasm far exceeded the Whitebeard Pirates' expectations; even some islands under their flag weren't this hospitable.
Their determination to ensure their distant friends were satisfied, even at the cost of their own comfort, made even Whitebeard feel somewhat restrained.
By the bonfire, the Shandian Chief, wearing a wolf-head headdress, listened as Cricket recounted Noland's fate and how he had been slandered as a liar for four hundred years, breaking down in tears on the spot.
"We've wronged our most important friend!"
Cricket felt even more conflicted upon hearing this.
Natural disasters truly bring misfortune to people.
Nearby, the young warriors listened with bulging temples and veins throbbing, gripping their shields and cannons until they creaked under the strain.
Suddenly, the Chief stood up abruptly, gazing toward the direction of their homeland with resolve in his eyes.
"Friends, please rest tonight. Tomorrow, we will let you hear the most profound tribute from Shandora!"
Unaware of the details, Cricket simply raised his glass, clinked it with the Chief's, and downed it in one go.
Chronos blinked, those words already sounded somewhat mad.
At that moment, a whistling sound erupted, triggering an uproar among the Shandia people at the periphery.
"Gan Fall! And the 'God Squad' from the Land of God! What are you bastards doing here!?"
"Looking for a fight? The Shandia will gladly oblige!"
The Chief abruptly stood up, his face—originally filled with wisdom and age—contorted into a fierce expression.
"Gan Fall!"
"Apologies, friends. We have some matters to attend to now. Please wait a moment!"
After speaking, the Chief hurried away with the young warriors.
Only Cricket and the Whitebeard Pirates remained behind, exchanging bewildered glances.
Whitebeard gazed into the distance, sensing no malicious aura.
"Kurararara..."
He chuckled softly. It seemed things hadn't escalated to what Whitebeard had imagined.
"Let's go, children. We can't just let our friends handle things alone while we sit here idly!"
At the entrance of Cloud Hidden Village, the "God" of the Land of God—Gan Fall, who resembled one of the bearded Five Elders—was leading the God Squad for negotiations.
"People of Shandia, I come to negotiate," said Gan Fall solemnly, dressed in a long cloak with an attendant holding an umbrella over him, yet his expression remained calm.
"We can share that land equally and live together in one place. The Sanctuary has more than enough space to accommodate both our peoples."
"Get lost, old man!" a hot-tempered young warrior shouted.
"That was originally our land! And now you want peaceful coexistence? Search your conscience—what have your generations done to Shandia!? If you think war is unnecessary, then restore everything we've lost and show me!"
"I cannot restore everything..." Gan Fall spoke slowly but firmly.
"But the Sanctuary has become indispensable to the residents of Angel Island. The people are grateful for the blessings it brings. I cannot take it away from innocent civilians..."
"What did you say!? Innocent civilians?" The young warrior laughed in anger.
"Only those who refuse to fight and seek a peaceful life would think that way! If that's the case, should I drag everyone besides the 'God Squad' into this war!?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Gan Fall's expression shifted dramatically. Even though the Land of God had held the upper hand over the years, they never intended to invade Cloud Hidden Village!
"If you want to erase your sins, then take risks! First, find a hundred people unwilling to die and offer their heads as sacrifices!" the young warrior sneered.
"I cannot do such a thing!" Gan Fall had his own principles.
"Then negotiations have failed!" The young warrior waved his hand. "Get out! No..."
Click-clack-clack-clack...
A series of weapon sounds rang out as the Shandia warriors raised their firearms and blades.
"Today, we'll make you history! Let Shandia return to our embrace!"
Gan Fall's face grew sorrowful.
"Is there truly no possibility for peaceful coexistence?"
Unlike previous gods of the Land of God, Gan Fall had always strived to promote peace between the two sides, even allowing the Shandia to establish their village.
In other words, it was largely due to Gan Fall's deliberate leniency that the Shandia had gradually recovered. Otherwise, they would have been on the brink of extinction.
"Gurarara, peace is certainly possible, but you'd have to relinquish the initiative. So-called 'god'?"
Whitebeard stepped forward, his overwhelming presence causing both the Shandia and Skypiea residents present to look at the giant before them with terrified expressions.
"You are... Whitebeard!?"
Gan Fall paled in shock. Even though he lived in Skypiea, he knew this man's fearsome reputation - the sky islands weren't completely isolated from the Blue Sea.
"Oh? Didn't you come here to negotiate knowing I was here?"
Whitebeard asked arrogantly.
"Absolutely not," Gan Fall replied hoarsely, wondering internally what the gatekeeper Amazon was doing.
At the Gates of Heaven entrance, Amazon had just sent the information, but Gan Fall had already left - a perfect miss.
"Friend, this is a Shandia matter."
The Chief spoke up. He actually didn't harbor much ill will toward Gan Fall, knowing that his old rival had been deliberately lenient with them.
But generations of grudges couldn't be resolved so simply.
The atmosphere grew tense. Among the three groups, only the Whitebeard Pirates remained completely at ease.
"Our friends' matters are our matters."
Chronos casually replied. He knew this was Pops' kindness - preparing to end a war in his own way.
"Chronos is right."
Whitebeard laughed, then moved his Cloud-Cutting Sword to point directly at Gan Fall.
"You've got the causal relationship wrong!" God of Skypiea! That land originally belonged to the Shandia. If you want to live there, you should be the one requesting permission, not arrogantly granting others favors."
"Having called yourself a god for so long, have you really started believing you are one?"
"Now the Shandia have become my friends! I'm willing to lend them my flag."
"So, return the land to the Shandia!"
"If you want to use it, then prove through actions that you deserve their permission."
"If you don't return it, or try to go against this..."
Whitebeard grinned ferociously, his massive fist suddenly striking the empty White White Sea beside them.
Crack crack crack crack...
Terrifying tearing sounds erupted, deafeningly loud. Under Gan Fall's disbelieving gaze, that area of the White White Sea spanning hundreds of miles was shattered into several large pieces.
Countless large Sky Fish thrashed and rolled about, but soon lost all signs of life.
Finally, along with the shattered sea fragments, those Sky Fish all plummeted downward.
"So what will you choose? God?"
Gan Fall fell silent.