Northwest of Angel Island, about two kilometers away in the cloud sea, three Shandian warriors cloaked in artificial clouds were cautiously observing the distance.
Suddenly, they saw hundreds of Sky Riders and a large wooden ship rapidly approaching them.
"Damn! We've been spotted! We need to move!" Raki, still a little inexperienced, exclaimed, her face changing.
Kamachili, also known as Mantis, and Braham immediately snapped to attention.
However, a voice suddenly rang out from behind them.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." With a cheerful smile, Tommy appeared behind the three of them.
Mantis quickly swung his burning sword, but in the next second, his blade only slashed through a mirage as Tommy's body dissipated with the wind.
"Visual Art—Palette!"
In an instant, dozens of Tommy appeared, surrounding the group.
"Explosive Burning Slash!" Mantis, sensing danger, unleashed indiscriminate strikes in all directions.
"Visual Art—Inverted Corridor!"
In that moment, the surroundings seemed to flip upside down. Colorful, kaleidoscopic staircases engulfed the three of them from all sides.
Mantis, Raki, and Braham stood back to back, but soon they began to feel dizzy, disoriented by the hypnotic and visually disruptive effects of the kaleidoscope stairs.
They were already trapped in the illusion, with no means of escape.
In the next moment, the kaleidoscope stairs scattered like countless petals, and the three of them realized their hands and feet were shackled with chains.
"When did this happen?" Raki was shocked.
Tommy strolled out of the void with a smile. "From the moment you heard my voice."
Mantis, as if awakening from a dream, suddenly noticed a critical detail. "You don't have wings... you're not Skypieans!"
"Tommy, enough playing around. Bring them aboard," came Noah's voice, interrupting from afar.
At Noah's command, Tommy casually lifted the three of them and, with a quick Geppo (Moonwalk), returned to the deck of the ship.
Mantis saw Noah lounging on the deck, basking in the sunlight, but his expression was serious. He could feel an overwhelming, terrifying aura emanating from Noah.
Noah glanced at them briefly, clearly uninterested in conversation.
The ship, along with the Sky Rider troops, continued swiftly northwest.
They traveled approximately 37 kilometers across the White-White Sea before arriving at a seemingly unremarkable part of the sea.
However, before long, a large group of Shandians burst forth from the surrounding White-White Sea, including Wiper, the recently titled Great Warrior, and the chief of the Shandian tribe.
Standing on the deck, Noah watched the approaching Shandians. "This must be Cloud Hidden Village."
Upon seeing Mantis, Raki, and Braham bound on the deck, Wiper could no longer suppress his fury. He rushed towards Noah, wielding his weapon crafted from Skypiean Dials.
"Blue Sea people! Hand over Mantis and the others!"
"Foolish."
The next second, a burst of Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) surged toward the Shandians. Wiper's face turned ashen, and even though he gritted his teeth, he was paralyzed by the immense pressure.
The other Shandians were even worse off, collapsing one after another, staring in horror at the figure standing on the deck.
Sensing the danger, the old chief quickly stepped forward. "Honorable one, we meant no offense. Please forgive our rudeness…"
"Enough. I'm not interested in hearing about your so-called history. I'm here to offer you a new future. The question is whether or not you're willing to accept it," Noah replied with a faint smile, but his words carried an underlying threat.
The chief and Wiper, now standing on the deck, looked at each other, their faces filled with uncertainty.
"Honorable one, how do you plan to deal with us?" the chief cautiously asked.
"I have already brought Angel Island and the Island of God under the rule of the Dawn Kingdom. If you are willing to join and follow the rules of the Dawn Kingdom, I'll allow you to live on the Island of God."
"Honorable one, are you really willing to let us live on the Island of God?" the chief asked, both surprised and elated.
"Do I need to deceive you? If I wanted to deal with you, I would have done so already. There's no need for tricks."
The chief quickly realized the truth. Indeed, with the current situation, if Noah had intended to destroy the Shandians, he could have easily wiped them out. There was no need for subterfuge.
"Honorable one, I am willing to lead the Shandians in joining the Dawn Kingdom," the chief declared, dropping to one knee in a show of loyalty.
"Rise. From now on, we are family. Your grudge with the Skypieans ends here."
Although the younger Shandians like Wiper were reluctant to accept this, the chief understood reality. After fighting the Skypieans for 400 years, they were already exhausted.
Soon, with the chief's cooperation, all 1,273 Shandians were gathered. Noah then deployed several large transport ships, ferrying them back to Upper Jaya Island.
As the transport ships reached the shores of Upper Jaya, the chief and the Shandians wept as they stepped onto the land.
But soon, an unexpected visitor arrived.
A massive python emerged from the cloud sea.
Noah's Haoshoku Haki focused instantly, and the overwhelming pressure forced the serpent, the Sky Lord Norland, to tremble in fear.
"I know you can understand me. From now on, you will be the guardian of this Sky Island. Do you accept?"
The Sky Lord Norland felt the cold edge in Noah's voice—if it dared refuse, it would be torn apart. The snake quickly nodded in agreement.
"Go on, but don't harm anyone again."
The massive serpent slithered back into the cloud sea, grateful to escape with its life.
The chief watched the retreating serpent, a trace of nostalgia crossing his face. "That was the Sky Lord… Noah-sama's power is truly remarkable."
Noah didn't linger to chat. Instead, he led the group to the ruins of Shandora, where he retrieved the golden bell and the Poneglyph that had been raised high into the sky by the giant vines.
"The Golden Bell! It's really the Golden Bell!" The chief was ecstatic, caressing the bell in awe, then turning his attention to the black stone. "And this… this is what our ancestors have protected for generations."
Noah chuckled. "You should be grateful that your ancestors were sent flying to the sky by the Knock-Up Stream. Otherwise, you'd have been wiped out long ago."
"What? Why?" Wiper asked, confused.
"Do you even know what this is? This is a Poneglyph, one of the world government's greatest taboos. Had your ancestors stayed on Jaya Island, the World Government would've eventually found you, and then… they would've wiped you out."
Noah paused and then warned them, "As for that promise your ancestors made with Mont Blanc Noland, I'd advise you not to cling to that so blindly."
The chief, despite feeling uncomfortable, kept his composure. "Noah-sama, though we've agreed to join the Dawn Kingdom, the promise with Noland is a sacred one, bound to our ancestors. We cannot betray it."
"Then read this," Noah said casually, handing him a book titled The Great Liar.
The chief was puzzled but took the book. As he flipped through its pages, his face turned red with anger.
"Our savior… was branded a fraud."
Noah shook his head, worried about their naivety. "You really are a bunch of fools—sold out and still grateful for it."
"What do you mean, Noah-sama?" The chief's brows furrowed.
"Noland revealed the existence of gold on Jaya Island, and then the Lubnier Kingdom sent an expedition, following his description. But when they didn't find the gold, Noland was executed by the king. Don't you see anything suspicious in that?"
The chief thought hard, and suddenly, cold sweat broke out across his face.
"It seems you've finally understood. If Shandora hadn't been flung into the sky by the Knock-Up Stream, your fate would've been to be destroyed by the expedition from the Lubnier Kingdom."
"How could this be…?" The chief was overwhelmed with grief.
The Shandians had waited for 400 years, holding onto that promise, only to discover this hidden truth. Their hearts were heavy with sorrow.