When faced with a threat to life, the Sky God Gan fall resolutely chose hospitality, much like how the invention of the Maxim machine gun made the nations that once roamed the Eurasian continent dance with joy.
The other half of Jaya Island, now called the Sacred Domain of Upper yard by the natives of Skypiea, is surrounded by the white White White Sea. The change in environment seems to have invigorated the island even more. The tall trees on the island have become even taller due to the unique environment of the White White Sea.
At this moment, under the watchful yet unwilling eyes of Gan fall and the other Skypiea guards, Nicholas and his group also set foot on this island.
Simon leaped onto one of the large tree branches, observing the surroundings.
Meanwhile, Cricket and his father, upon stepping onto this land for the first time, knelt down, tears streaming down their faces, holding the soil in their hands.
Having fulfilled the regrets of their ancestors by stepping onto this island, their next task is to head to the Golden Village of Shandora to fulfill the final agreement between their ancestors and Shandora.
"Is this the origin of the Tree Fever?" Urouge asked Brook, astonished by the sight of Upper yard in front of them, a type of island he had never seen before.
"Yes, Tree Fever almost destroyed the entire human population of Jaya Island back then. It was Noland who discovered the cure for Tree Fever," Brook replied. Urouge had been infected with Tree Fever when he arrived at Skypiea, and Brook accompanied him since then, knowing why Urouge had so many Tree Fever bacteria in his body. Skypiea had lost many lives to Tree Fever before the cure was discovered.
As they traveled through the jungle, Nicholas and his group arrived at an ancient ruin.
The dilapidated buildings filled with history, vines covering the broken walls, all spoke of the ancient years this place had endured.
The traces of time, though worn, conveyed a profound sense of history.
In the empty old city, besides the occasional roar of beasts from the forest, the only sound was the footsteps of the group on the ground.
It was quiet here, imbued with a strong sense of history.
Nicholas wasn't an archaeologist; he couldn't even pass O'Hara's exams. But as he walked among these relics of history, he couldn't help but appreciate and learn from them, feeling the grandeur of the ancient Shandora.
In this world, as in the Earth of his previous life, ancient wonders and structures stood as testaments to the wisdom and style of their respective eras. The materials left behind by these bygone days still held a special charm, even after enduring the passage of time.
To walk among these relics was like engaging in a dialogue with the past, witnessing the ingenuity of ancient people.
This, perhaps, was the allure of archaeology.
As they approached a towering vine, Nicholas headed towards it, wanting to see the golden bell atop the vine.
"Hiss!"
Suddenly, a massive snake head emerged from behind the vine, its cold eyes staring at them, warning them not to approach.
"Is this the Sky Lord?" Nicholas exclaimed, feeling the awe of seeing such a giant creature.
"Hiss!"
Though the giant snake couldn't understand human language, its keen intuition could sense the threatening aura emanating from the group.
"I have brought the descendants of Noland to fulfill the agreement with Calgara," Nicholas said directly, striking a chord in the giant snake's soul.
"Hiss..."
The giant snake hissed lowly, lowering its head slightly upon seeing Cricket's hairstyle, similar to that of Noland.
When faced with such a monstrous beast up close, Cricket himself knew the fear and anxiety better than anyone else.
"Sss..."
Seemingly acknowledging their identity, the giant snake slithered over the ancient city and disappeared into the forest.
Before the group could recover from the shock of encountering the giant snake and its sudden departure, a dark figure flashed through the jungle.
"Whoosh!"
A sharp black light flashed, aimed directly at Nicholas's neck.
"Chk!"
The sharp sound of a blade piercing his neck echoed, and the blade lodged into the opposite wall.
"Direct hit! That guy!"
From the jungle, a crisp exclamation of excitement rang out, followed by a hasty silence, as if they had hidden again in the forest.
As Nicholas turned to look at the direction where the voice came from, electric currents shimmered on his neck, dissipating after a few breaths.
Turning his head to the wall, he saw a bone-made dagger embedded in it.
"Ugh!"
A voice came from the jungle, then abruptly stopped, as if someone had covered their mouth.
"How is this possible? That guy clearly, clearly got hit by my dagger in the neck!" exclaimed a woman behind the tree.
"I know! I saw it too!" said another companion with a grim expression. They had encountered unexpected trouble with the events that had just transpired on Nicholas's body. They wanted to leave immediately and bring the news back to their tribe, as only the great chief could confront such adversaries.
"Let's go! Let's go now, before they notice us. Hurry back to the tribe and inform them. Perhaps only the great chief can deal with these people!" a man wearing a Cloud Wolf hat said, taking a deep breath, and then addressing his companions.
He was surrounded by three men and one woman, the standard configuration of their team.
Apparently realizing the seriousness of what had just happened to Nicholas, they wanted to leave immediately and bring the news back to their tribe.
But just as they turned to leave, a figure appeared.
"Miss, can you show me your panties?" came an unexpected voice, as a skeletal figure emerged from behind a tree.
Seeing the talking skeleton, the shocked group stood there with their mouths agape, as if they had witnessed the most shocking event of the year.
"What is this!?" exclaimed the female with a shrill voice, breaking the tranquility of the forest and startling a flock of birds.
Even the Sky Lord, still crawling, couldn't help but shudder as if he had heard something terrifying.