"What!? Did the Lord God resign?" A middle-aged man on Jaya Island, sporting a hat, exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, I heard that the new deity hails from Bika. It's Bika's god, aiming to reign over the entire sky island and is rumored to be a child," replied another middle-aged man with a concerned look.
"What? How did this happen? Why did the Lord God step down?" The man in the hat widened his eyes in shock.
The gossiping man chimed in, saying, "Ah, I heard that the new god is incredibly powerful, despite being a child. Even the Shandia soldiers were defeated and surrendered because of this power."
"Really? We haven't seen defeat in four hundred years. How formidable is this new god?" exclaimed the man in the hat, clearly astonished.
"Well, rumor has it that this new god has consumed a Devil Fruit known as the Thunder Fruit. It grants the ability to transform into thunder and lightning, rendering physical attacks useless against him. His own attacks are immensely powerful, unstoppable by anyone," explained the gossiping man.
"How is that possible? I think I've heard of Devil Fruits before," remarked the man in the hat, trying to make sense of the news.
Conversations like these were buzzing all around Jaya Island that day. Gang Cole, the current deity, rode his ungainly Uma Uma no Mi to spread the news across the island.
As details of Arthur's ascent to godhood became clearer, the Jaya's gradually accepted the arrival of their new deity.
Ultimately, this change wouldn't affect their daily lives much; they'd continue living as they always had, regardless of the shift in divine leadership.
Gang Cole assured everyone to carry on as usual, as Arthur, despite his strength, lacked experience in managing divine affairs. Thus, Gang Cole would continue handling most matters.
The lesson learned was that strength grants authority and power. Even in the heavens, just like on earth, leadership brings its own set of challenges and worries, lest others seek to undermine your position.
Afterward, as long as one possesses strength, there are no issues!
Following this, the people of Jaya became greatly intrigued by the golden clock. They also learned that the song from the legendary island four centuries ago originated from a massive golden bell.
On the third day of their arrival in Raijin Island, officials from Bika, residents of Jaya Island, and the Shandia people gathered at the former residence of the Shandia.
This day marked Arthur's announcement of the new kingdom's birth. Although it was somewhat rushed, Arthur was keen not to waste any more time. He aimed to complete these tasks swiftly and focus on his training.
On the elevated stage, Gang Cole took charge this time. In line with Arthur's wish for simplicity, today's proceedings mainly involved testimonials, the proclamation of the Angel Kingdom, and policies benefiting the people under the new god.
After a brief delay, Arthur appeared on the high platform and declared the establishment of the Angel Kingdom! The golden bell then rang.
Ding-dong-ding-dong...
The twelve bells chimed, their resonant sound filled with tranquility, enveloping Raijin Island and Jaya in its enchanting melody.
The Shandia were moved to tears, overwhelmed to the point of speechlessness by their emotions. Four hundred years of searching and anticipation finally came to an end on this momentous day.
"Relight the lamp of Shandora!"
And so, the mission of the Shandia people would be passed down from their predecessors four centuries ago. This kind of sentiment may be hard for others to grasp, but for those with a mission, the revival of purpose can be deeply touching.
Unlike the emotional response of the Shandia people, the Jaya folks immersed themselves in the beauty but with a deeper sense of enjoyment rather than overwhelming emotion.
Each toll of the bell felt like a connection between their hearts, captivating them.
Meanwhile, a 500-meter-long giant python lifted its upper body, dancing and neighing amidst tears of joy.
On the ground below the sky island, a large man who had just emerged from the sea, a chestnut atop his head, gazed skyward for a long while.
"That is..."
"That is..."
"Shandora... the lamp, the resonance of the massive golden bell..."
Sitting on a rock by the shore, the man who had emerged from the sea listened quietly to the bell's sound from above. After a while, he lit a cigarette, took a couple of puffs, and burst into tears.
"My ancestors weren't deceivers! The land of gold truly exists! It's up in the sky! Uuuuu~"
Men don't usually show their emotions easily, but when tears flow, it signifies a profound weight on their shoulders.
As the twelve bells concluded, everyone remained in a daze for quite some time.
"Is that... music? It's incredibly beautiful."
Such sighs of awe echoed unanimously among the people. Arthur also snapped out of his reverie and stared in astonishment at the golden clock.
"Chief, Uncle Cole, from now on, let's ring the Shandora lamp once a month. It will chime twelve times on the last day of the year. This is a tradition of the sky island," Arthur said to the two, a deeply moved old man who couldn't contain his emotions.
The chief and Gang Cole nodded in agreement.
And so, the Angel Kingdom was swiftly established. Arthur was prepared to dedicate himself to developing the Thunder Fruit and honing his physical and combat skills.
In the White Sea, aside from Bika and Jaya, there were approximately a dozen other islands. Some were located in the New World, but the sky islanders in the New World were notably stronger. This was due to their access to sky islands, making their strength formidable compared to the newly formed Angel Kingdom.
Hence, Arthur continued the established order in Bika, forming an elite camp and recruiting a youthful army. All inhabited islands above the Grand Line would be subdued and integrated into the Angel Kingdom.
With the addition of new allies like Webber and others, alongside recruits from the elite training camp and existing guards, Arthur anticipated minimal issues. He would intervene only when necessary.
Although there were no Bicards in Jaya Island, with a population exceeding 600,000, recruiting ten thousand teenagers posed no difficulties.
Regarding the elite camps brought by Arthur, he entrusted those who could teach and left the rest to their own devices.
Leaving behind a three-year plan for the Angel Kingdom, Arthur vanished from Raijin Island, setting his sights on the future.