The aircraft cautiously passed through the Void Creatures' patrol zone and finally landed in a relatively safe area at the edge of Skypiea. The moment they touched down, they heard a bell ringing in the distance—the deep, far-reaching tone unique to the Golden Bell.
"The Golden Bell is still ringing," Luffy said with relief. "That means someone is still resisting over there."
The two quickly headed toward the sound of the bell. The sights along the way were heartbreaking. Skypiea's once-beautiful buildings had been riddled with holes by Void Energy erosion, while withered trees drained of life and wilted flowers lay scattered across the streets. From time to time, Void Creatures swooped down from the sky with piercing shrieks.
When they neared the area where the Golden Bell stood, they saw the battle underway. A group of Skypieans and Shandia warriors had gathered around the Golden Bell, desperately resisting under Gan Fall's command.
Gan Fall no longer possessed the majesty he once had. His white beard was mottled with blood, and his armor was covered in scratches, yet his gaze remained resolute and unyielding. Riding back and forth among the warriors on his warhorse, he used his spear to repel wave after wave of Void Creature attacks.
"No one is to leave the range of the bell!" Gan Fall commanded loudly. "The Golden Bell's sound is our only protection!"
Sure enough, whenever the Golden Bell rang, the Void Creatures retreated in pain, as though the bell's toll dealt them some special kind of harm. But as time passed, the bell's effect seemed to weaken, and the Void Creatures' encirclement gradually tightened.
Luffy immediately took out the Connection Bow and aimed at the flock of Void Creatures in the sky. He drew the string, and a golden Dimensional Arrow condensed into