Aiden stood off to the side, calmly watching everything unfold.
He understood how everyone felt, the professors' devotion to history, and the Shandians' attachment to their homeland and the wishes of their ancestors.
He glanced at the Poneglyph that Professor Clover and the others were gathered around, but his eyes moved away after only half a second.
As a transmigrator, he already knew what was written on it.
Compared to a "past" that had already been recorded, he cared more about the mission in front of him.
His gaze passed over everyone and settled on the massive Golden Bell.
"Aiden," the Chief said, wiping away his tears.
He raised his left arm, the only one he could still move, and pointed at the giant clapper. "This is our long-cherished wish. Please..."
Aiden nodded.
He knew the first goal of this trip was about to be completed.
He calmly walked up to the Golden Bell and stopped in front of the huge wooden beam used to ring it.
"Hey, Aiden," Smoker said with a frown. "That thing used to ring the bell is huge. Do you need help?"
Before he could finish, Aiden took a deep breath and pressed both hands against the cold, heavy wooden beam.
Under everyone's breathless gaze, the muscles in Aiden's arms slowly tensed.
He put all his strength into it without holding anything back.
"Creak... creak..."
The huge wooden beam that had stayed still for four hundred years let out a harsh groan as Aiden pulled it back inch by inch with unstoppable force.
"DONG!!!!!!!"
A roar that seemed to come from ancient times burst out.
The bell was so loud and clear that it seemed to shake the whole sky.
The ringing turned into a powerful shockwave that instantly blew away the thick mist hanging over Upper Yard.
Everywhere the sound reached, even the sea of clouds trembled, as if responding to a promise that had lasted for four hundred years.
As they listened to the bell that had been silent for four centuries, the Chief and the Shandia warriors stopped crying.
What filled them now was relief. Freedom.
They raised their spears high, pounded their chests with all their strength, and let out fierce cries mixed with tears and pride, as if they were telling their ancestors, Kalgara, and Noland:
"We did it!"
Gan Fall sat atop Pierre, circling through the sky.
He removed his helmet and closed his eyes, listening to the bell of peace that marked the end of the four-hundred-year war between the two peoples.
Jaya, the Blue Sea
In Mock Town, the pirates were so startled by the sudden ringing that they fell to the ground in panic.
"What was that sound?! Did something fall from the sky?!"
On the other side of the island, the man known as the descendant of the "liar," Mont Blanc Cricket, was leaning against his houseboat, drinking.
When the sound of the bell broke through the clouds and reached his ears, the bottle in his hand slipped and hit the ground with a clang.
He jerked his head up and listened to the familiar ringing in disbelief.
"That sound... there's no mistake..."
"He... he wasn't lying..."
Cricket's legs gave out beneath him, and he dropped to his knees on the beach.
This tough man could no longer hold it back and let out a choked cry.
"Ancestor!! The City of Gold really is in the sky!!!"
The Search for the Fruit
After the ringing faded, Aiden calmly stepped down from the base of the Golden Bell.
He watched the professors and the Shandians embrace each other, celebrating the reconciliation and salvation that had come four hundred years late.
The problems of the professors and the Shandians had been resolved.
Now it was time to deal with his own business.
Without saying a word, Aiden quietly left the celebrating crowd.
After a few quick movements, he arrived alone on the far side of the ruins of Shandora.
"Where exactly did Enel find that fruit?" Aiden stood atop a broken wall, looking down at the vast golden city below.
"Upper Yard is enormous. I can't search every part of it by hand."
He closed his eyes and pushed his Observation Haki to its limit.
His perception spread like an invisible net, sweeping across every inch of land, every ruin, and every cloud.
He could hear the cheers of the Shandians, the excitement of the professors, and even the ancient message on the Poneglyph speaking of "Poseidon."
But after searching for ten minutes, he still had not sensed any trace of a Devil Fruit.
"I can't find it."
Aiden opened his eyes and frowned slightly.
Then he quickly thought of an item in the system shop.
[Devil Fruit Compass]
Description: You can specify one Devil Fruit, and the compass will point toward its location.
Price: 100,000 Sin Points
"One hundred thousand points?" Aiden calmly closed the shop.
"Too expensive. I still need to save my points to upgrade a [Peak] skill."
"I'll try another way first. If it really doesn't work, then I'll consider buying it."
Aiden decided to try the simplest approach instead.
He jumped down from the ruins and found Gan Fall, who was still discussing the peace treaty with the Chief.
When their conversation paused, Aiden stepped forward and took out the [Devil Fruit Encyclopedia].
He flipped to the page for the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
"Excuse me, have you ever seen a fruit like this before?" Aiden asked Gan Fall, pointing at the page.
"It might be kept somewhere as a sacred object."
Gan Fall studied it carefully for a long time, but in the end, he shook his head with regret.
"I'm sorry, Aiden. I've never seen this fruit in Skypiea or Upper Yard."
"Even he doesn't know..." Aiden frowned.
"So the fruit isn't here? Or maybe it just hasn't appeared yet?"
For the time being, the search for the fruit had reached a dead end.
Aiden pushed down his disappointment and decided to settle the professors first before making any further plans.
New Ohara
That afternoon, the group returned to the lower level of Upper Yard.
Under Aiden's firm mediation and witness, the Shandia Chief and Gan Fall officially announced peace.
The professors were granted the right to live near the ruins of Shandora and study the Poneglyph.
Aiden took the nearly 30 million Berries he had taken from the Great Bull Pirates and handed it all over to Professor Clover as starting funds to rebuild their home and library.
With money, land, and safety all secured, the professors' passion was fully ignited.
Over the next few days, all of Upper Yard was busy with construction.
Saul used his giant body to carry massive logs with ease, putting up the frames for the library and the houses.
Smoker was also forced by Aiden to help with the labor.
He constantly used his smoke powers to lift heavy materials to higher places.
He complained the entire time, but he never stopped working.
During those days, Aiden kept searching for the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, but he still found no clues.
After several days of everyone working together, a simple but brand-new "New Ohara," filled with hope, was finally built beside the ruins of Shandora.
That evening, Aiden stood at the edge of New Ohara, looking at the lights already glowing in the distance from the new homes, preparing to discuss the return trip with Smoker.
"Aiden!"
Robin's clear voice rang out.
She was holding Olvia's hand as she ran over.
"Aiden," Olvia said as she approached him.
She gave him a deep bow. "I truly... don't know how to thank you. You didn't just save us. You gave Ohara, and Robin, a real home."
"Mom's right!"
Robin quickly copied the bow.
Then she looked up at him, her large eyes shining with admiration. "Thank you, Aiden! Everyone here, the Shandians and Gan Fall, they all say you're the hero who brought peace!"
Aiden let out a faint laugh and reached out to rub Robin's head again.
"I'm no hero."
He looked at Olvia.
"Olvia, from today on, you're completely safe."
He spoke calmly.
"You can study history here as much as you want. There won't be another Buster Call, and no one will come to disturb you. Live peacefully... with Robin."
Olvia looked into Aiden's calm but steady eyes.
Her own eyes reddened again, and she nodded heavily.
As Aiden watched the mother and daughter walk toward the newly built wooden house in the distance, a system notification rang out in his mind.
Ding!
[Side Quest: The Long-Cherished Wish of the Tree of Knowledge has been completed. The sparks of Ohara have been rekindled on the Endless Vearth.]
[Calculating rewards...]
[Distributing rewards...]