Shandora and Birka

God's Island, Upper Yard.

Sakazuki and Cricket left the Temple and explored the island, taking in the changes wrought by four hundred years.

"Mr. Sakazuki, when are we going to the Shandia settlement? Can they really make peace?"

Cricket's troubled voice rang out.

Back in the Temple, Sakazuki had agreed to visit the Shandia People settlement and convey Gan Fall's wishes on his behalf.

But... was peace really possible?

Though the boy lacked experience, even he knew a four-hundred-year war could hardly be resolved so easily.

"No rush. First, we'll find the ruins of Shandora and the Lamp of Shandora."

"Four hundred years of hatred won't be resolved easily."

"But..."

"If we rekindle the Lamp of Shandora..."

"There might be a chance for negotiations."

Sakazuki fully unleashed his Observation Haki, pinpointed the general area, and led Cricket toward it as he spoke.

It was rather laughable: the Land of Gods had occupied Jaya for four hundred years without even knowing these ruins existed.

They had only been found after Enel arrived, and he had emptied Shandora of its gold to build the Ark Maxim.

"I see..."

"Found it."

"Huh?!"

Whoosh!

Sakazuki grabbed Cricket by the collar, and both figures vanished.

The golden city, Shandora, had a few scattered golden structures among its ruins.

It was impressive, yet a little strange. It didn't seem quite as... as the legends claimed.

"The golden buildings are incredible, but is this really the legendary golden city?"

"Of course not. Shandora is below us."

"Below?"

Boom!

Holding Cricket by the collar, Sakazuki stamped down hard.

An invisible column of air blasted downward, breaking through the ground, and the two plunged through.

Moments later, fresh clouds filled the hole.

As they fell through the air, they saw a city made entirely of gold.

Golden light glittered as far as the eye could see, and a Giant Vine pierced the city's center.

Four golden towers stood around the enormous Giant Vine.

Without the Giant Vine, the center they guarded should have held the legendary Lamp of Shandora.

Behind the enormous Giant Vine stood an altar that reached toward the heavens.

The few scattered golden structures visible above had merely been a corner of the altar's summit.

Countless golden houses stood below, some intact, others reduced to crumbling ruins.

Everything here was made of gold.

An ancient, timeless air washed over them. Standing within it, they could imagine how prosperous and magnificent Shandora had been eight hundred years ago.

Setting down Cricket, who was stunned into silence, Sakazuki walked toward the enormous Giant Vine.

There were some broken golden tablets there, engraved with square-shaped script. Sure enough...

"I can't read it."

Sakazuki felt a little helpless, but not particularly disappointed.

The Poneglyphs recorded things long past-nothing more than swords from a bygone dynasty. After wandering for a while, he found Cricket taking notes.

Seeing Sakazuki approach, Cricket said:

"Mr. Sakazuki, the legendary Lamp of Shandora doesn't seem to be here."

Sakazuki picked Cricket up by the collar.

"The Lamp of Shandora isn't here. It's up in the sky."

Then he leaped forcefully, a volcanic burst of power erupting beneath his feet as he flew toward the top of the enormous Giant Vine. Hidden by the clouds there was the Golden Bell.

Meanwhile, on the White Sea.

Birka, a small island to the southeast.

Unlike the castle-like style that had developed on other Sky Islands...

The buildings here retained a simple solemnity, their decorative patterns carrying a distinctly ancient air.

It felt somewhat oppressive, as though even speaking loudly here were a sin, as though this were an ancient holy land.

But that was only a first impression. With people living here, the island also had plenty of human warmth. For instance...

"Damn it! Where's that little brat Enel?"

"Find him! He dared to steal my apple, so I'm going to beat him good!"

"You, you, you, and you."

"You four go that way."

"You two come with me."

"Find him!"

A five-year-old Skypiean child led a group of three- and four-year-olds.

He directed them in their search for Enel, and once the children had scattered and gone far away...

A white cloud rose from behind a flower bed.

Enel's little head appeared beneath it. Unlike the Skypiean children just now, the three-year-old Enel had no wings.

Crunch!

Enel took a big bite of the apple and looked toward where the ringleader had gone, a smug expression spreading across his face.

"Hmph, idiot. You think you can catch me? Just wait until I'm a little stronger."

"I'll show you."

Crunch!

Crunch!

"Huh?"

Enel crouched down again.

A hundred meters away, a passerby happened to turn a corner.

Even after turning another corner and walking away, the passerby never noticed the little child in the flower bed.

Crunch, crunch...

God's Island, atop the Giant Vine.

The legendary Lamp of Shandora, the enormous Golden Bell, stood there silently.

Four hundred years of wind and rain had done nothing to diminish its brilliance.

Two massive golden pillars, each eight meters in diameter, stood there, with the enormous Golden Bell hanging between them.

It was a Poneglyph, the legendary song of the island, the signal that had begun a war lasting four hundred years...

"Do you want to ring it?"

"Huh?"

Beneath the enormous Golden Bell, even Sakazuki's nearly three-meter-tall figure looked small.

Looking at the bewildered Cricket, he spoke in a low voice:

"To the people of the sky, it's the signal for war, and also the signal for its end."

"To the Shandia People, it's a promise to Noland, and the regret the great warrior Kalgara carried to his grave."

"The war has lasted four hundred years. Generation after generation has bled and died."

"If it rings, the two sides will have a sliver of hope for peace talks."

"It all depends on whether their leaders dare to become the ones condemned for it."

"The ones who shoulder four hundred years of hatred."

"If you don't ring it, we can go to the Shandia People village right now."

"We can fulfill your ancestor's dying wish and convey Gan Fall's desire for peace talks."

"After all, hardly anyone has the courage to shoulder those four hundred years of hatred."

Cricket didn't know what to do. As Noland's descendant, he could serve as a bridge for peace between the two sides.

But he had no right to decide for the Shandia People. He gazed at the enormous Golden Bell.

"I..."

The moon.

The underground ruins, Birka.

The buildings and layout here bore an eighty-percent resemblance to the Sky Island on the White Sea, almost as though the whole place had been copied. Yet there was no trace of life.

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!...

A lone little robot patrolled the place, but it, too, could barely keep going. With no energy supply, after waiting for over a thousand years, finally...

Thud...

Having exhausted the last bit of energy in this enormous underground city, it collapsed to the ground and looked up toward the space above the ruins.

As though its gaze had pierced every barrier and seen that blue planet, the light slowly faded from its eyes...