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The deep blue Poneglyph was surrounded by dazzling gold. Looking up, its surface was covered with moss, revealing ancient characters engraved in odd shapes.
Although Zyhark couldn't understand the specific content, based on the original storyline, it was likely related to the ancient weapon Poseidon, which was Princess Shirahoshi of Fish-Man Island!
Notably, beside this blue Poneglyph, there were clear, small inscriptions on the golden bricks.
These were left by the Pirate King Roger's crew, summarizing their presence with something akin to "The Roger Pirates were here."
"Hey, Zyhark, do all the Sky Islands have these strange stone slabs?" Aqua asked, pointing at the blue Poneglyph with her curious sky-blue eyes.
They had seen something similar beneath the oasis ruins on Birka Island. The unique shape made it recognizable even to the often clueless Aqua.
"Not every Sky Island has them. There are even completely red Road Poneglyphs in the Blue Sea below," Zyhark explained.
Seeing King and Meowth's puzzled faces, Zyhark cleared his throat and briefly introduced the Poneglyphs. He mentioned how collecting the four red Road Poneglyphs would lead to the final island, Laugh Tale, where the One Piece could be found, making one the Pirate King.
"The Pirate King, does that represent the strongest person in this world?" Meowth asked, examining the Poneglyph.
From the side, Meowth looked surprisingly cute with its head held high and eyes focused.
"Sort of," Zyhark replied vaguely.
Although not an absolute rule, the title of "Pirate King" carried significant weight, given the series' name.
"It's just a childish title. Nothing special," Aqua dismissed with a wave.
Mentioning the Pirate King made her think of a wide-grinning face. It had been a while since she'd seen Luffy. She wondered if that idiot had grown up.
Unaware of her own issues, Aqua arrogantly labeled Luffy as brainless with an undeserved sense of superiority.
At this moment, in Windmill Village in the East Blue, Luffy sneezed while adventuring with Ace in the forest.
After a few months of training, he had fully adapted to his rubber powers, and his small frame had grown a bit.
"What's wrong, Luffy?" Ace asked, having just knocked out a giant black bear with a single punch.
Since Sabo's death at the hands of the Celestial Dragons a month ago, Ace had shown increased care for his only remaining brother, Luffy.
The abandoned son of the Pirate King was learning to be gentle.
"Nothing, I just suddenly thought of two friends," Luffy said, almost mentioning Zyhark.
He knew about the blood feud between Ace and Zyhark over a stolen treasure.
"You're covering it up too obviously, Luffy. You wanted to mention that bastard Zyhark, right?" Ace said sternly.
Over the past few months, he had heard Luffy talk about Zyhark and some water goddess multiple times, knowing they had a good relationship.
"Ace, I still think Zyhark isn't that kind of person, even though he sometimes looks sneaky," Luffy insisted, pressing down his straw hat.
Ace remained unmoved. "Luffy, our business with that guy is none of your concern."
He and Sabo had vowed to make Zyhark repay the losses. With Sabo gone, he was even more determined to fulfill that promise.
It wasn't about money or revenge, but about keeping a promise made to Sabo.
"Okay," Luffy mumbled, lowering his head.
Ace watched Luffy's dejected posture. To avoid reminding him of Sabo's death, he didn't reveal his true reason for seeking Zyhark.
"We'll deal with it later, Luffy. For now, let's keep getting stronger so we can roam the seas freely!"
"Yeah!"
Luffy nodded vigorously, extending his arm to grab the black bear's body and following Ace deeper into the forest.
Back at the ruins, Zyhark slowly withdrew his hand from the blue Poneglyph, not sensing any significant reaction from the wishing pool.
Despite the immense wealth in the City of Gold, there was nothing that fulfilled the wishing condition of "priceless."
Was it only the red Road Poneglyphs that could meet the requirement?
Zyhark frowned, unsure of the standards for the wishing condition.
Maybe it wasn't about something being extremely rare and valuable, but more about the "unestimable" aspect?
Considering the whimsical nature of the wishing pool, Zyhark thought he might need a less conventional approach.
After wandering through the golden city with Aqua and the others and finding nothing else of importance, he transformed into a bolt of lightning and disappeared.
Aside from the historical Poneglyph and gold, there was one more place on Angel Island worth exploring: the top of the giant vine, higher than ten thousand meters, where the ancient Golden Bell was hidden in the clouds!
Zyhark ascended the vine at lightning speed, the surroundings blurring past. In seconds, he reached the top and, using his electromagnetic waves, located the ancient Golden Bell hidden in the clouds.
The thin air and high pressure at this altitude were slightly uncomfortable for Zyhark.
The winds blew through the naturally formed clouds, bringing a chill.
This hidden location, even on a Sky Island, was incredibly obscure. Without prior knowledge of the bell, finding it would be nearly impossible.
No wonder Enel missed such a treasure in the original story.
As he touched the Golden Bell, Zyhark summoned the radiant wishing pool.
The multicolored pool surface remained calm, showing no reaction.
As expected, this confirmed Zyhark's hypothesis that he needed to try a less conventional approach.
Perhaps the crazy Aqua could provide some useful insights?
Or maybe just toss her into the pool... Just kidding.
Putting aside these thoughts, Zyhark gazed at the moss-covered Golden Bell.
Feeling whimsical, he clenched his lightning-charged fist.
Since he was here, he might as well do a good deed and let the man below know that the City of Gold was actually in the sky.
If he could hear it…
In the next moment, a flash of lightning and a thunderous roar echoed as Zyhark's lightning-enhanced fist struck the bell, sending violent shockwaves through the air.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
The ancient, resonant bell rang out, spreading far and wide.
Everyone on Angel Island, from Aqua and the others in the golden city to Gan Fall and Wiper negotiating in Upper Yard, to the ordinary residents of Angel Island, heard the powerful, melodious bell.
But the bell's reach didn't stop there.
Even Mock Town on Jaya Island, far below, was affected by the ancient sound.
On that day, the diamond-faced man, Cricket, burst out of his shack and looked up at the sky.
As a descendant of "Mont Blanc Noland," he had spent his days diving into the deep sea to prove the existence of the City of Gold.
"This bell sound, it's unmistakable. It's the Golden Bell from the historical records!"
Cricket's worn face showed immense excitement as he held his breath and listened carefully to the bell's sound from high above.
"So that's it. The City of Gold didn't sink into the sea; it was pushed into the sky by the Knock Up Stream!"
Realizing he finally had the chance to clear his ancestor Noland's name, tears of joy streamed down his face.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Cricket, understanding the immense danger of reaching the sky, still resolved to make the journey!
Thus, the journey to Angel Island came to a fulfilling end.
Returning to the City of Gold, Zyhark dismissed Aqua's proposal to take everything.
Using his electromagnetic metallurgy, he melted down about ten billion Berries' worth of gold, transporting it to the Endless Dream docked at Angel Island's coast.
This sum would be enough for more than two wishes from the pool and wouldn't attract too much attention. At least, it would suffice for the first half of the Grand Line.
Of course, this assumed Aqua's unpredictable spending wasn't factored in.
Even if they needed more later, Zyhark could always come back for more.
For someone with the Goro Goro no Mi powers, it wasn't a difficult task.
This place would serve as a small treasury for the floating restaurant.
After all, in name, Upper Yard was still his "villainous" domain!
Upon returning to Angel Island, Zyhark and his group accepted Conis' warm invitation to her home.
As suspected, this well-endowed woman was indeed the sister of Conis from the original story!
"Aqua suggested a banquet, and Conis and her sister accepted, albeit with worried smiles.
Given Aqua's status as the God of Birka and their formidable power, they agreed.
Thus, under the bright moon, a small banquet commenced by the shore.
The other residents of Angel Island saw it as Conis' family hosting Blue Sea guests, unaware of their true identities.
However, Gan Fall, who had witnessed their terrifying power, couldn't stay indifferent.
The old man with the white beard rushed to the shore upon hearing about the banquet.
Arriving simultaneously was Wiper, riding his wind shell.
Both wanted to understand the young, powerful man's intentions towards Angel Island and Upper Yard.
Instead of answering directly, Zyhark invited them to the banquet.
After brief hesitation, they couldn't resist Zyhark's friendly smile and sat down.
Conis and her sister were again in tears, masking their distress with smiles as more guests joined.
However, they were soon captivated by Aqua's excellent banquet skills and the musical performances of the pet cat, Meowth.
Despite this, Wiper remained uneasy, drinking silently.
On the other hand, Gan
Fall, with his keen eyes, realized Zyhark's purpose in inviting them to the banquet.
People from Angel Island, God's Guards, Shandians, and even Blue Sea people could coexist peacefully, sitting down to drink and perform rather than fighting.
"Mr. Zyhark, thank you. I think I know what to do," Gan Fall said, standing up and flying away on his Pegasus.
To ensure peace, he would make concessions regarding the Shandians and Upper Yard.
From another perspective, if Birka could accept a Blue-Haired girl as their God, why not let Zyhark, with his power over lightning, be the God of Angel Island?
Ensuring he wouldn't destroy Angel Island was enough.
Watching Gan Fall leave, the restless Wiper also stood up to leave.
If not for the vast power gap and his duty to the Shandians, he would have fought Zyhark.
Fortunately, not all Shandians were battle-hungry. Back in their territory, after telling the female warrior Laki about the banquet, she deduced Zyhark's intentions.
With a superior like Zyhark, they no longer had to worry about Gan Fall's schemes.
Though the dream of reclaiming Upper Yard was distant, the outcome was favorable.
Thus, with his fists, Zyhark resolved the long-standing conflict between the Shandians and the people of Angel Island.
The next day, after bidding farewell to the nearly bankrupt Conis' family, the Endless Dream set sail.
Having secured the Goro Goro no Mi and the City of Gold, it was time to return to the Blue Sea and the islands of the Grand Line!
**(End of Chapter)**