HST: Chapter 62/63

Chapter 62: The Light of Shandora
"Would you consider it?"

The Great Elder and Gan Fall looked at Caelan expectantly, sincerely hoping he would agree.

They, too, wanted to end the four-hundred-year-long war but lacked someone with the authority to make the final decision.

Having Caelan become the master of Skypiea would not only express their respect and gratitude but also resolve this longstanding conflict once and for all.

"You really want me to be the master of Skypiea?"

Caelan understood their intent, they had practically laid it all out in the open.

"The war between the Shandians and the Skypieans has lasted for over four hundred years. We don't want to keep fighting," Gan Fall said first, his voice full of weariness from the endless conflict.

"But when it comes to choosing a leader, there's no one who can gain unanimous support. Only a hero like you can earn the approval of both sides."

"I hope you'll become the master of Skypiea so we can revere you every day," the Great Elder added, his tone sincerely respectful.

Nami and the others were dumbfounded. They had only been there for a day, and Caelan was already being offered the position of Skypiea's ruler?

The two were indeed sincere, but...

"Skypiea holds no allure for me. There's no need to discuss this topic any further."

Caelan's tone was calm and without hesitation.

He truly had no interest in being the king or god of Skypiea. To him, it was just a small place.

The expressions on the Great Elder and Gan Fall's faces stiffened. They wanted to speak but ultimately said nothing.

They both knew that only through strong deterrence could lasting peace be maintained.

But Caelan had no intention of staying, and they had no choice.

To think that the position so many had fought for meant nothing to Caelan…

"Of course, if you truly seek peace, I have no issue being your witness."

Caelan spoke again. After all, he had already received so much from them, it was the least he could do.

Hearing this, the two elders were overjoyed. Finally, they felt some assurance.

"We swear before the hero who defeated the 'God'—Skypiea and the Shandians will unite as one and share the holy land of Upper Yard!"

The Great Elder and Gan Fall made the vow without hesitation in front of Caelan.

At that moment, the Skypieans and Shandians present erupted into cheers. They knew that peace, lost for centuries, had finally arrived.

Everyone looked at Caelan with gratitude. He wasn't just the hero who had defeated the tyrannical god—he was also the one who brought peace to both tribes.

"Alright, now that your business is settled, it's my turn."

"I came to Skypiea for two reasons. One was gold, which I've basically collected. The other is to fulfill a promise and ring the Golden Bell."

Caelan spoke calmly as he looked at everyone.

In truth, his original goal was to battle Enel, but now that Enel had become Enelus, there was no need to dwell on that.

Golden Bell? Could it be the Shandoran Lamp?

The Great Elder was briefly stunned, suddenly recalling the oath of the great warrior Calgara. He looked at Caelan with mounting emotion.

"In the Blue Sea below, there's a man searching for the City of Gold. His name is Mont Blanc Cricket, and his ancestor was Mont Blanc Noland."

"To prove the existence of the City of Gold described by his ancestor, he's been searching for the Golden Bell."

"Before I came here, I made a promise: if the Golden Bell was on Skypiea, I would let him hear its chime."

Caelan said this with deep emotion.

When he first read that part of the story, it had moved him as well.

Keeping a promise—that's a man's romance!

"Noland's descendant is still searching? Great Warrior Kalgara, Noland is still keeping the promise!"

The Great Elder's voice trembled as he spoke.

Wyper and the Shandian warriors were stunned, tears streaming down their faces.

Four hundred years ago, the great warrior Kalgara made a promise with Noland to light the Shandoran Lamp and guide his return.

None of them expected that over these four centuries, while the Shandians had been fighting to protect it, Noland's descendants had also continued their search.

This was a promise that spanned four hundred years!

"But, didn't Enel take all the gold to build the Ark Maxim? The Golden Bell must be gone, right?"

Although Gan Fall was also touched, he couldn't help but pour cold water on the moment.

"No. If it had been melted down, I wouldn't even bring it up."

Caelan twitched the corner of his mouth. If it had been destroyed, what could he even do?

"Enel had a Mantra that allowed him to sense everything on Skypiea. If even he couldn't find it, then it must be there."

Robin looked up at the massive vine that pierced the clouds.

"Yes. The Golden Bell is at the top of that vine."

Caelan didn't keep it a secret and revealed the location directly.

If he hadn't read the manga, he would never have guessed that a bell weighing dozens of tons had been flung to the top of a thousand-meter vine.

It was outrageous. No wonder Enel hadn't found it.

"That's good, as long as it's still intact."

The Great Elder breathed a sigh of relief. At a time like this, they still had to rely on this hero.

He shot Gan Fall a fierce glare. Couldn't this old man have a little more faith?

He wasn't surprised that Caelan could find something even Enel couldn't. Caelan had defeated Enel, of course his perception would be stronger!

Yes, it made perfect sense!

"Wait for me. I'll be back soon."

Leaving those words behind, Caelan dashed toward the massive vine at the center of the island that connected the sky and earth.

In the astonished eyes of everyone present, he leapt up the thousand-meter vine in just a few jumps and vanished from sight.

"This is the Golden Bell? It's truly magnificent."

Standing atop the towering vine, Caelan couldn't help but marvel.

Though covered in weathered moss, the shimmering golden light of the bell still shone through, undiminished by time.

"Hah!"

With a light shout, Caelan grabbed the massive bell and leapt down from the thousand-meter height.

"Bang!"

With a resounding crash, smoke and dust billowed as Caelan descended from the sky, landing with the Golden Bell—and the Poneglyphs embedded in its base.

"This is the Golden Bell, also known as the legendary Light of Shandora!"

"Its sound is known as the 'Song of the Island.' It echoes across the seas like a lighthouse, guiding the way. That's why it's called the Light of Shandora!"

The Great Elder looked at the moss-covered bell, tears streaming down his face as he murmured.

The Shandians stared at the Golden Bell, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Was the bell they had fought for over four centuries finally going to ring again?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 63: Gold Rush

Under the gaze of the crowd, Caelan swung his fist and struck the Golden Bell.

Ding!

The deep chime echoed across the White Sea, carrying with it four hundred years of longing.

The resounding bell rang through the sky, ten thousand meters above, and reached all the way to the Blue Sea.

On the western shore of Jaya Island, Cricket and the Apes returned dejectedly after yet another salvage operation that yielded nothing but scraps.

"Did you hear that? There's a loud bell ringing from the sky!"

The apes and gorillas perked up at the sound coming from the clouds and looked at Cricket with excitement.

"I heard it. That's the sound of the Golden Bell."

"Shandora is real. It's on that Sky Island!"

Cricket threw aside the rags they had just salvaged, eyes burning with passion, and shouted excitedly toward the sky.

"My ancestor, Noland, wasn't a liar!!!"

After the outburst of excitement, Cricket lay on the beach and laughed aloud.

That terrifying Caelan had actually rung the Golden Bell above the clouds, just as promised.

This was the bearing of a true strong man. This was the romance of a man!

…

The Shandians were overwhelmed with emotion, many breaking into tears.

"Whether you care or not, you are the great benefactor of the Shandians. We Shandian warriors are willing to fight for you forever!"

The Great Elder choked up, overflowing with gratitude for Caelan's kindness.

In this moment, their generations-long dream had finally been fulfilled, and they truly didn't know how to repay him.

"It's not over yet. Robin, look at that."

Caelan pointed to the base of the Golden Bell with a smile.

"That's... a Poneglyph!"

Following Caelan's direction, Robin couldn't help but cry out in surprise.

"A Poneglyph?!"

The Great Elder's expression changed.

Their clan's mission had always been to protect the Poneglyph and wait for the one destined to take it to its rightful place.

"The Ancient Weapon Poseidon is in…"

After reading the Poneglyph, Robin couldn't hide her disappointment.

It still wasn't the truth behind the Void Century that she had been searching for. However, the line of smaller text below gave her a clue.

"I have come here and will lead this passage to the very end. Pirate, Gol D. Roger."

Reading that line, Robin couldn't help but speak softly.

"So the real history has been carried to the end."

Robin murmured, a bright smile forming on her lips.

The history she had been chasing had finally shown her the way. It was no longer just an illusion from the past.

Robin looked at Caelan, deeply grateful to be his companion.

If not for him, who knew how long it would've taken her to reach this step?

"Has the mission of the Shandian clan finally been fulfilled today?"

The Great Elder, who had been listening to their conversation, stood in stunned silence.

Enel was dead. The promise made four hundred years ago had been honored. The conflict between the Shandians and the Skypieans had been resolved. Even the mission passed down by their ancestors had been completed.

Once Caelan arrived, the skies cleared, and everything fell into place.

"Wonderful. Wonderful!"

The elder kept stroking his beard, too overjoyed to say anything else.

He turned to Gan Fall and gave orders to gather the Shandians and Skypieans at Upper Yard for a grand celebration.

…

Three days later, the banquet came to an end. It was time for Caelan and Nami to depart.

During those three days, Gan Fall had remodeled the Wind Rider according to Caelan's specifications and delivered all kinds of dials.

"Caelan, pack more. There's still room on your ship!"

The elder pointed to a towering pile of gold, encouraging Caelan to take more with him.

In the past few days, both the Skypieans and the Shandians had gathered all the gold from Upper Yard.

Bits from the ruins of Shandora, the nearly-completed Ark Maxim left behind by Enel, and even the gold inside the belly of the Lord of the Sky, it had all been gathered.

All of it was a token of gratitude and affection for Caelan.

"No, there's no space left."

Caelan twitched the corner of his mouth, a little speechless.

The elder was getting on in years, and his eyesight wasn't the best. The Wind Rider was already crammed with gold, and Nami and the other girls were all wearing gold jewelry from head to toe.

If he loaded any more, the ship wouldn't ride the wind—it wouldn't even float in a tsunami.

Caelan was honestly a little regretful. Even after loading so much, they had only taken a third of the total. There was still plenty left on Skypiea.

"Alright then, we'll keep the rest here for you. Take it next time you visit."

The elder sighed with a hint of reluctance.

Gold didn't have much use on Skypiea. Its greatest value now was to be gifted to Caelan.

"Well then, goodbye everyone!"

Caelan turned and boarded the ship, waving farewell to everyone on Skypiea.

Gan Fall, the Great Elder, and countless Skypieans and Shandians stood watching as the Wind Rider raised its sails once again, their faces full of sincere gratitude.

"Whooo!"

Gan Fall took out a whistle and gave it a strong blow.

Two enormous octopuses appeared in the clouds, wrapping their tentacles around the Wind Rider like a hot-air balloon and gently guiding it down toward the Blue Sea.

"We really struck gold this time!"

Nami looked around at the gold piled up all over the ship, her face glowing with joy.

"But no matter how much treasure we get, it's never enough with our captain's spending habits!"

She glanced sideways at Caelan and teased him playfully.

She had no idea what Caelan was doing, but Berry flowed out like water. No amount of money was enough.

If he hadn't been on the ship the whole time, she might have thought he was secretly funding a country.

"Yeah, there's never enough Berry. Nami-chan, you're not mad at me, right?"

Caelan pinched her cheek and smiled.

"No, I'll just work even harder to earn more money for your bottomless pit. I want to see how much you can actually spend!"

Nami raised her right hand proudly.

Just like she was willing to gather 100 million Berries for Cocoyasi Village, she was also willing to make enough money for Caelan.

"Haha, then I'll be waiting for your support, Nami!"

Caelan laughed as he teased her.

His system was indeed a bottomless pit. Once one template was maxed out, another would appear. Even Caelan didn't know how many Berries it would take to satisfy it completely.

If Nami ever found out, would she collapse? The thought amused Caelan.

Seeing the two of them banter, Robin and Vivi couldn't help but smile.

"But… with how heavy the ship is now, are we really going to land safely?"

Tashigi looked worried. The Wind Rider was clearly heavier than before.

"Don't worry. I specifically requested two octopuses. We'll land smoothly."

Caelan patted Tashigi's head reassuringly.

He had no intention of following in Luffy's footsteps and crash-landing halfway through the descent.

Soon, with the help of the octopus hot-air balloon, the Wind Rider continued its gentle descent.

Caelan couldn't wait. With so much gold converted into Berry, his Synchronization progress would definitely exceed 75%, and his strength would take another leap.

(To be continued.)