Kingdom of God Memories: Finale

Over the next four years, Sky Island entered a new era blessed by fate.

The roar of war was gone, along with centuries of bloodshed and hatred. In their place came unprecedented integration, rebirth, and prosperity.

The Sky Island natives and Shandia warriors, who had once viewed each other as mortal enemies, now carried massive stones side by side to restore the ancient city;

They practiced combat techniques together beneath the giant trees;

They even danced around the same bonfire during harvest festivals.

At last, the Shandia could return openly to their ancestors' land. They no longer needed to approach the ruins of Shandora armed and filled with hatred.

For the first time, the Sky Island natives sincerely acknowledged that God's Island was not their exclusive sacred land, but the homeland from which the Shandia had been separated for centuries.

Over those four years, a long-silent name once again echoed through the Cloud Sea:

Jaya Island.

Under Rock's guidance, everyone accepted that once-buried name,

Because it represented not only the land's true ownership, but also the shared future of two peoples.

After the people of Birka Island joined them, it was as though a rift leading toward the future had been torn open in Jaya's skies.

—They brought a technological revolution.

Knowledge from Rock's memories, combined with Sky Island's unique Dial resources, seemed to propel the entire island into another era.

Airships sailed through the Cloud Sea;

Cloud Wings allowed warriors to glide above the forests while on patrol;

Thunder Communication Dials allowed news to spread across the entire island within seconds;

Shock Dial Armor doubled the warriors' defensive power;

Flame Dial Furnaces, Wind Dial Pumps, Thunder Purifiers...

In just four years, Jaya Island transformed from a primitive tribe into a modern aerial city.

For the first time, the Shandia felt the power of civilization;

For the first time, the Sky Island natives realized that technology could change their lives;

And the people of Birka took pride in having their knowledge respected by the entire island.

Children ran through clean cloud-paved streets, airships cruised through the sky, and laughter from all three races rang out beneath the giant trees.

As time passed, a shared understanding gradually took shape among the three races:

Rock was not merely a symbol of strength. He was the true architect of peace.

Without him, there would have been no peace among the three races;

Without him, there would have been no Dial technology revolution;

Without him, this land would forever have remained steeped in hatred and misunderstanding.

Thus, at the end of the third year, beneath the glow of the Golden Bell, the representatives of the three races proclaimed:

"Let Rock become the true 'god' of the Kingdom of God."

The Shandia called him—the "Great Benefactor of Lightning Roar."

The Sky Island natives called him—the "True Lord of the Heavens."

The people of Birka called him—the "Divine Child Who Changed Fate."

Rock had wanted to refuse, but when he saw the trust and hope in the eyes of tens of thousands...

He understood. A new era needed a representative, and it also needed a guardian.

So, he nodded.

That day, all of Jaya Island erupted in celebration.

Tens of thousands from the three races gathered before the Golden Bell as lightning descended from the sky, illuminating that young figure.

"Thunder Emperor · Guardian of the Kingdom of God · Rock, Sovereign of the Three Races."

The proclamation echoed across the entire Cloud Sea.

From that day onward—

Whenever airships flew through the Cloud Sea, a faint silver-white arc of lightning would always flash across the sky;

Whenever Shandia children prayed before the altar, they would secretly raise their heads to look at that young man who was not like a god, yet surpassed one;

Whenever Sky Island warriors patrolled the borders, they could not help but gaze into the sky—

There, a silent flicker of lightning always watched over the entire Sky Island.

Everyone knew it in their hearts:

That youth clad in lightning had always silently guarded this kingdom in the skies ten thousand meters above the world.

The temple hall was quiet and solemn. Light streaming through the cloud windows seemed to coat Rock in a faint golden glow.

The youth had closed his eyes, having just finished recalling the long past. When he opened them again—he was already the "god" chosen by the peoples of Sky Island.

Rock slowly let out a breath, tapped the armrest, and muttered to himself:

"Hmm... a king at sixteen..."

"And with the entire population undergoing stimulation training with Thunder Dials, plus living for years in the thin air ten thousand meters above the ground..."

"Every last one of them can fight..."

He raised his brows, revealing a hint of pride.

"Their physiques are way better than those so-called pirates down below, right? Isn't this the legendary 'every citizen a soldier'?"

Rock stroked his chin and pondered for a moment. "Looking at it this way, did I casually achieve the goal Crocodile never managed in his entire life?

—Building an armed nation strong enough to soar?"

Remembering how that sand crocodile from his previous life had been defeated by the protagonist's plot armor, he could not help but chuckle.

The two rows of guards below had long since grown accustomed to their "god's" casual nature and chatterbox tendencies. They could not help but snicker:

"Lord Thunder God is talking to himself again~"

"His voice is so familiar, huh."

"But... just sitting there makes people tremble. That pressure is way too unlike a sixteen-year-old..."

Rock's ears twitched, and his face reddened slightly. "Hey! I can hear you guys!!"

The guards immediately looked elsewhere without changing expression. "We didn't say anything—"

Rock sighed helplessly, raised a hand, and let a delicate arc of lightning dance lightly at his fingertips.

After completely mastering the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Rock had once silently transformed into a bolt of lightning and descended to the world ten thousand meters below, investigating the true "world."

It was a realm completely different from Sky Island—

The genuine azure sky was no longer obscured by the White-White Sea;

The boundless ocean carried salty sea winds in its waves;

Crowds thronged the ports, with cries of vendors ringing without end;

On land, the scent of soil mingled and surged with humanity's desires and ambitions.

Most importantly—

Through his omnipresent lightning senses, Rock pieced together a crucial fact from intelligence, rumors, and people's conversations.

The era he now inhabited was Sea Circle Calendar 1480.

A truly chaotic and glorious old era, where powerful figures rose one after another.

—The Rocks Pirates ruled through terror, and the seas trembled before them;

—The pirates' great treasure, Shakuyaku, had just retired from piracy and was preparing to open a bar on Hachinosu;

—The Celestial Dragons were extravagant and cruel, treating the world like a toy;

—The Navy and pirate forces rose and fell against one another, while order teetered on the brink of collapse;

—Powerful figures emerged in endless numbers, stars shining brilliantly, each one a major figure capable of shaking the era.

And most importantly, there were still four years until the world-shaking God Valley Incident.

The lightning at Rock's fingertips pulsed rhythmically like a heartbeat.

Deep within his chest, the restlessness and wildness that peaceful life had concealed for so long gradually awakened.

"The old era..."

"The strong are everywhere, and chaos surges like the tide..."

An excited smile curved his lips. "What an irresistibly tempting era."

Rock rose from the divine throne and slowly descended the steps.

Cloud winds from the heights surged in through the cloud windows, making his black hair, cloak, and lightning arcs dance side by side.

He raised his head and looked beyond the cloud windows, toward the deep and boundless blue sky.

Beneath that sky lay the magnificent sea, a stage where countless legends rose and fell.

Unrestrained sharpness flashed in his eyes:

"Rocks..."

"Garp, Roger..."

"And all those great pirates who are about to shake the world..."

A soft laugh escaped him, like the low rumble before thunder:

"Let me, the Thunder God, personally witness the storms of the old era."

He extended his hand, and a ball of pure, dazzling lightning quietly gathered in his palm.

That light was like dawn, casting the entire temple in silver-white.

It was time.

To descend to the lower world.