Alvida, Zala, Kaya, HQ, Mikita, Honey, Nojiko, Vivi, Marianne, Robin, Saphir, Conis, Raki and Ben headed to the Bridge of the Miss Love Duck. They arrived there. Nojiko headed to the helm of the ship. HQ stood next to her.
Honey and Saphir held each of Ben`s arms. "Nojiko set a course down the river towards the Shandorian Golden Belfry Bell," Ben ordered.
"Yes Captain," Nojiko replied. She pushed a button and moved the lever forward. The Miss Love Duck started to move quicker.
"What is your plan at the Shandorian Golden Belfry Bell?" Raki asked.
Ben's hand hovered over the bell, a determined glint in his eye. "I'm going to ring it," he declared.
Raki furrowed her brow, perplexed. "Why?" she inquired. It was an odd choice, given the circumstances. The bell was covered in vines and has not rung in many years.
Ben's gaze drifted off, lost in thought. "For someone out there, searching for this sound," he murmured.
"The Golden Belfry Bell is located in Shandora from where my people had to leave," Raki replied.
"I know, we will be just there to explore for a bit and take the gold," Ben replied.
"Okay, I trust you," Raki said. She had only known him for a few days but it felt like she could. The stories she was told from everyone, made him seem like a trustworthy person. Conis leaned in with a spark of interest.
Zala's eyes locked onto Ben. "Who is this 'someone'?" she asked.
Ben met her stare, his voice steady. "A descendant of Nolan, someone Luffy encountered before our arrival here," he explained.
Robin's interest piqued, and she chimed in, "Nolan the Liar?"
"Exactly," Ben nodded. "Ringing this bell… it's a gesture of closure for him," he added.
Zala nodded in agreement. "Okay," she said.
Nojiko navigated the Miss Love Duck. There was chatter among the crew along the way.
"Master, we are approaching the end of this river," HQ informed.
"I did not think the river went all the way there," Ben remarked. "We would have to make our own way there," he added.
"It is not too far," Raki interjected.
"We can use Lexie," Honey suggested.
"And Pau Ra Pa," Marianne added.
"Yes, that is a good idea since it can fly as well," Zala said.
"It will be a squeeze but we can fit and adjust," Ben replied.
"That sounds like a plan," Mikita remarked as she pressed her body against his arm.
"Do we need anyone to defend the Miss Love Duck Captain?" Nojiko asked. She was concerned about leaving her alone.
Ben thought for a second. "Given that every threat is now gone, the Miss Love Duck will be safe," Ben responded. He added, "We are only gone for a few hours at most."
The girls agreed. "The Miss Love Duck is strong and capable," Alvida concurred.
Nojiko dropped the anchor and retracted the sails and turned off the engine. "Okay, let's go," Nojiko replied.
They all headed to the Third Floor of the Miss Love Duck where they saw Lexie and Pau Ra Pa. "HQ, Marianne, Vivi, Conis, Honey and Raki you could take Lexie," Ben stated.
"It will be a bit cosy together," Vivi remarked.
"Marianne could sit on my lap," Honey commented. Marianne nodded.
"Alvida, Kaya, Nojiko, Robin, Saphir, could you take Pau Ra Pa?" Ben asked. He added, "I will take Zala and Mikita."
"I wonder why you chose them my love," Alvida teased.
Zala and Mikita grabbed Ben by the side and hugged him. "We wonder why?" Mikita teased back.
"We should get going," Raki urged.
They all nodded. Everyone else was okay with the arrangements. Alvida, Kaya, Nojiko, Robin, and Saphir got on Pau Ra Pa. They held the handle of the robot on the side. "Pau Ra Pa follow Lexie," Alvida commanded. She heard from HQ she was controlled by voice command.
Pau Ra Pa red eyes glowed brighter. The two holes in the back started to make noise and a flame could be seen. She started to lift into the air and fly upwards. "Wow," Saphir said.
The ramp was dropped. Lexie started to move towards the river. Pau Ra Pa followed suit. Ben transformed into his hybrid form and followed behind. "We should get more vehicles," Ben remarked.
"I like this," Zala commented as she hugged tighter. They all made their way through the forest. In the distance they could see a city, now covered in vines and leaves. The buildings were made of stone. However there were cracks visible. The roots were all over the place. The stone pathways were covered in overgrown grass.
They could see a large, multi-tiered building with yellow walls. The building was covered in an abundance of greenery, including overgrown trees and grass. Ben thought the Golden Belfry Bell is located up there. "This place looks old," Zala remarked.
"It reminds me of the places we visited on the other island when we were searching for the orbs," Mikita added.
"That is right, there were many ruins all over the place," Zala confirmed.
"This was the city that got knocked up the knock-up stream," Ben said.
"Hard to believe," Zala said.
"It is," Ben replied. He took to the front. "Follow me," Ben shouted.
He went to the left and followed a street down. He saw a hole in the ground and went down it.
There he saw the colossal flying ark. The ark had a throne which was beneath a golden face. There was a large storage room. The gears and generators were quite large, and it had a line of oars on either side. The ark also has multiple rotors and propellers.
"Is that the Maxim?" Mikita asked.
"Yes it is," Ben replied as he flew down onto the deck of the Maxim. Pau Ra Pa flew down just behind Ben. Alvida, Kaya, Nojiko, Robin, and Saphir jumped off Pau Ra Pa.
"That was a bit scary," Saphir remarked.She thought how fast they were travelling.
"Ben could go faster," Kaya pointed out.
"That is true," Saphir agreed.
"So this is the Maxim?" Robin said as she looked around.
"It is a big ship," Nojiko remarked. "Where is the Bridge?" she asked.
"The throne room," Ben replied. Nojiko nodded and ran off. Saphir followed.
"My love, are you going to take this ship?" Alvida asked. She did not seem sure.
Ben thought this does not fit into their fleet of ships. The Miss Love Duck and Miss Love Geese were unique.
[You can take this ship and transform it into your fleet.]
(That sounds amazing Sweetie, how do I do that?)
[You need to complete the current quest, it will unlock a special hidden reward.]
(Sweetie, can we move Maxim without power?)
[Not at the moment. I would finish the quest as soon as possible. All the ships are connected.]
(Okay, thank you Sweetie, you are the best. Love you.)
Ben thought he heard something like a kettle going off. He smiled. She was interesting but very important to him.
"Sweetie says we need to complete the quest to claim this ship," Ben remarked.
Zala and Mikita face lit-up like a Christmas tree. "Pervert," Kaya commented.
"My love, there is only one mission left, you should do it," Alvida agreed.
Robin giggled. "These quests are important and the rewards have been very good so far, so you should," Robin added.
At that moment, Saphir and Nojiko returned. "There is a big bed next to the throne room," Saphir noted.
"It was fitting for a king," Nojiko added. She winked at him.
"Perfect," Zala and Mikita said.
"Have fun my love," Alvida teased.
Zala and Mikita faces changed. They each held Ben`s hand as they led him to the bedroom.