Chapter 95: Skypiea – The Flame of Shandora & the Dawn of a New Era
"That was caused by Sol fighting the god of Skypiea." Chopper pointed at the unconscious Enel, answering Usopp's question.
Only then did Usopp notice the bodies scattered everywhere: "Whoa! Was the battle that brutal? So many people lying on the ground!"
"Usopp, come help tie this guy up. And remember to put this on him too." Sol tossed the Sea Prism Stone to Usopp, then began treating Zoro's wounds.
"What the heck is this thing?!" Usopp's legs buckled the moment he caught it, sending him face-first into the dirt. "You could've at least warned me it was Sea Prism Stone, you jerk!" Sanji yanked him up by the collar, face covered in mud.
"Sorry, sorry~" Sol apologized without any sincerity, his healing magic already flowing, quickly mending Zoro's injuries.
With Sanji's help, Usopp tied Enel up like a rice dumpling, then firmly secured the Sea Prism Stone to his forehead. "Done and dusted!" Usopp clapped proudly.
At the top of the giant beanstalk, Luffy and Wiper stood side by side, gazing up at the massive golden bell that had been silent for four hundred years.
Sunlight filtered through the clouds, refracting brilliant golden light off its surface.
"Four hundred years… so it was waiting here for us all along?" Wiper's voice cracked; tears streamed down his resolute face.
He roughly wiped his eyes and turned to Luffy beside him: "Hey, straw-hat kid—ready?"
"Hehe, of course!" Luffy grinned wide, rubber arms already coiled and ready.
They positioned themselves on opposite sides in perfect sync, fists clenched tight. Under the sunlight's witness, both struck the Golden Bell with all their might.
"Ring out! Golden Bell!"
Dong—Dong—Dong—
The deep, resonant toll rippled outward like waves across the clouds, piercing through layers, echoing across the entire sky island.
Down in Mock Town ten thousand meters below, Cricket shot to his feet; his pipe clattered to the ground. "Did you hear that, gorilla! Ape! That's… that's the sound of the Golden Bell!"
"We heard it, old man! So it really was in the sky all along!" The two burly men hugged each other and sobbed.
On Angel Island, Conis looked up at the sky: "Is the earth singing? Father, the sound is coming from God Island…"
"Yes," Pagaya nodded gravely. "Something extraordinary must have happened there."
Residents across the islands stepped outside, standing still to listen to the bell that transcended time.
In the hidden Shandian village, the elder knelt, tears streaming: "Great warrior Kalgara… do you hear it? This is the flame of Shandora…"
Wherever the sacred toll reached, miracles unfolded: the unconscious Enel and Divine Soldiers gradually awoke; even the electrocuted Nora opened its eyes. When the holy sound entered its ears, tears flowed from the giant serpent's vertical pupils. Chopper finally explained to the crew: "Its name is Nora. It's the grandson of the snake god Kashi from 400 years ago… and a member of the Shandian tribe…"
Nami suddenly understood: "No wonder it cried when it saw these ruins…"
In the bell's toll that crossed four centuries, history and reality intertwined, lies and truth overlapped. All stories buried by time finally saw daylight once more.
"Cough cough… Qinghai god… I lost…" Enel murmured weakly. Bound by Sea Prism Stone and covered in wounds, staying conscious was already a miracle.
"You're awake?" Sol looked down at the revived Enel, lips curling into a smile. "As promised, you're my subordinate now. If you want freedom again, get stronger and come challenge me."
"Heh…" Enel forced a twisted grin, defiance still burning in his eyes. "Just you wait… once I'm stronger… I'll challenge you again… Qinghai fire god…" Before he finished, the chuunibyou late-stage sky island ruler fainted once more.
In Enel's warped perception, since he lost to a "god," Sol must be the "fire god" of the Blue Sea. Strangely, this conclusion let him accept defeat more easily.
"Hey hey! Fire god? That sounds lame!" Sol complained loudly, shaking Enel's shoulders. "Dragon god sounds way cooler, right?" Unfortunately the other party was already unconscious and couldn't respond.
At that moment Nami furiously grabbed Sol's cheek: "You took him as a subordinate? Then what about our gold?!"
"Ow ow ow!" Sol rubbed his pinched-red face helplessly. "Let him keep it for now. The Merry can't carry that much gold anyway. Better to leave it here than force it. Besides—you saw how terrifying the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power is!"
Soon after, Luffy and Wiper climbed down from the giant beanstalk. The two had ultimately decided to leave the Golden Bell at the top of the clouds to prevent any more accidents.
"Ooh! Sanji! Usopp! You finally made it!" Luffy's loud voice carried from far away, full of excitement.
When the two approached, the awakened Shandian warriors immediately surrounded Wiper, eyes filled with both reluctance and confusion. "Wiper, what now? Enel is being protected by that Qinghai… we can't kill him…"
On the other side, the revived Divine Soldiers were being calmed by Gan Fall. Both sides stood in silence, waiting for Sol's decision.
After all, the one controlling the situation now was this Qinghai pirate who had defeated Enel.
At that moment Luffy rubbed his stomach and shouted loudly: "Hey Sol! I'm starving! Let's have a party! To celebrate finding the Golden City!" His suggestion instantly lightened the mood.
Sol smiled, gaze sweeping over Gan Fall and Wiper, and spoke clearly: "In that case, you all join too! Tonight we'll bring everyone together for a big celebration. Also… I have something to announce."
After Gan Fall and Wiper each led their people away, Sol turned to his crew, expression serious: "Everyone, I have an idea. I want to make Skypiea the Straw Hat Pirates' first territory!" He paused, eyes shining with ambition and wisdom. "That way we can control this sky, and completely resolve the 400-year grudge between Shandians and Skypieans."
"Ooh! That sounds super fun!" Luffy immediately raised both hands in approval, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Zoro folded his arms, lips curling into a smirk: "Heh… you're starting to look like a real pirate captain."
The others nodded one after another. Even Nami—still thinking about the gold—showed an approving smile.
After all, this sky island might truly become an important stop in their legendary journey.
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