The negotiations with Gan Fall went smoothly.
First of all, the people of Angel Island cared most about Upper Yard—yet to Ren and his crew, that place held no particular value. But for the Sky Islanders, reclaiming that massive piece of Vearth meant everything.
Just the agricultural yields alone would be enough for the people of the so-called "God's Kingdom" to live comfortably. In fact, that was how they had once survived in the past.
There was no irreconcilable conflict of interest between the two sides. And even if there were, as the defeated party, the Sky Islanders had no means to take anything back from Ren's hands.
Thus, events proceeded without obstruction. Gan Fall decisively abandoned his previous notions and, under Ren's arrangement, stepped forward to take charge of Angel Island's affairs. That, after all, was why Ren had chosen to speak with him.
Compared to Enel—the fallen "God"—Gan Fall still had the people's trust. Having him act as the figurehead would save countless unnecessary complications.
In other words, the Angel Island problem was settled.
Next came the Shandians.
To make them allies, one particular person was needed—Robin.
The Shandians' resistance stemmed from their ancestral will. But Ren understood that history and now held absolute authority over it.
Therefore, untying this knot of fate was not a difficult task.
"To inherit history and leave the messages of the past to those who come after us."
Having learned the entire story from Ren, Robin softly spoke those words. "This is the true meaning behind the existence of the Poneglyphs."
"So… that's what it means?"
On the reclaimed land of Upper Yard, the Shandians stood in stunned silence before the gleaming Golden Bell Tower.
Four hundred years was far too long—a stretch of time that had eroded the traditions once held in Shandora. To survive, they had nearly become one with the civilization of the Sky Islands.
Their speech—the habitual Heso!, their fighting methods, even their attire—All had been replaced, the old customs of the Blue Sea lost to time.
The only thing left was the will of their ancestors.
Yet after so many generations, none of them truly knew what it was they were protecting. Even the eldest of the elders, who had inherited the most complete traditions, only knew one thing—They were guarding something greater than Shandora itself, something tied to the Golden Bell.
But no one could read the ancient words carved upon the stone. Centuries had created an unbridgeable cultural rift.
Now, however, thanks to the scholar, they finally had their answer.
The Shandians—or rather, the descendants of Shandora—had been safeguarding a forbidden yet indispensable legacy of history.
"So… does this mean our duty is fulfilled?"
The elder clutched his staff tightly, staring blankly at the massive Poneglyph before him. What they had protected all these years… was this?
A record and power capable of shaking the world below? After four centuries of bloodshed, the truth was finally revealed—And under circumstances no one could have foreseen.
For a long moment, the elder was speechless, his mind in chaos.
Then Wyper stepped forward, expression hardened. "You're not deceiving us, are you?"
"There's no point in deception."
Robin's calm gaze met his, and in an instant, countless arms sprouted from Wyper's own body, binding him completely. Before he could even react, the limbs dissolved into petals and vanished.
She spoke evenly: "As you can see, we possess the power to annihilate you all completely. Whatever we wish to seize, destroy, or erase—you Shandians have no means of resistance. Therefore, deceit would serve no purpose."
"…"
Wyper couldn't argue with the truth, but anger still burned in his eyes.
"Enough. Let's stop here—I have but one question. "The elder broke the silence, his weary eyes fixed upon the scholar. "Young lady, can you answer me?"
"I can."
"Our duty… has it truly ended?"
"If you speak of the purpose for which the Poneglyph exists," Robin answered softly, "then yes. I will take this history with me, and on the Blue Sea, books will once again record the tale it bears."
"I see…"
The elder's knees gave out as if his bones had been removed, tears streaming down his face.
"It's over… finally over. We did not shame our ancestors. We did not betray their will. Four hundred years of bloodshed—this mission passed down through generations—has finally found its end."
"Elder…"
"Then… does that mean we no longer need to fight?"
"…"
For a moment, the Shandians burst into heated discussion, like a boiling pot. Eventually, the elder steadied himself and calmed his people.
Robin watched quietly, then spoke again, throwing cold water on their fleeting relief. "Don't celebrate too soon. You seem to have forgotten your current situation."
The air instantly froze.
Yes—Even now, they were still captives, under guard.
The Shandians instinctively glanced around.
Hundreds of Two-Winged Angels floated above them, their golden radiance glinting off armor of ghostly violet. Each carried a fearsome weapon or a heavy shield; some even bore massive war-forged constructs in their hands.
It was these so-called "angels" who had captured every resident of Cloud Hidden Village within mere minutes.
That was the real reason the Shandians sat quietly listening to Robin—When a blade's already at your throat, refusing to listen isn't courage. It's stupidity.
Even the most reckless among them had to think twice. After all, their children were here too.
Still, everything was unfolding exactly as the captain had predicted.
Robin continued, "You've been defeated—there's no denying that. But fortunately, the one who defeated Enel, our captain, has no interest in exterminating an entire race. Therefore, on his behalf, I'll present you with an offer."
"Go ahead."
The elder spread his hands calmly. "We're all here—there's nothing we can't discuss."
"It's simple, really. A fair trade."
Robin spoke plainly. "You will provide labor and resources to assist our captain and his engineers in constructing a new ship. That is the first agreement—in exchange, all of you will be released safely.
The second agreement: those among you capable of fighting will handle security during the construction period, as well as resource gathering missions. In return, you may keep both the Golden Bell and the Poneglyph your tribe has guarded for centuries.
Of course, structural parts like the beams will be dismantled—we're only leaving you the bell's core body."
"…I see. For conquerors, you are far more merciful than I expected."
The elder's tone was measured as his gaze swept over the restless warriors. Once he confirmed none dared meet his eyes, he tapped the ground beneath his feet.
"Then what about our homeland—your spoils of war? How will that be exchanged?"
"That's not for me to decide."
Robin pointed toward the forest's shadow. "You'll have to discuss that with him."
Following her gesture, the Shandians watched as an aged knight stepped out from the darkness.
"Gan Fall!"
Wyper's face darkened. "You've already sided with the Blue Sea people?"
"Don't act so betrayed," Gan Fall replied, removing his helmet. "I merely made the right choice—just as your leader has now."
"What is it you wish to negotiate?" the elder asked coolly.
"Coexistence," Gan Fall said.
"…"
"After fulfilling your duty… do you really wish to keep bleeding?"
"Then let's talk."
In the end, the Shandian elder chose diplomacy over defiance, joining Gan Fall in discussions about Upper Yard's future.
Robin didn't interfere, only observed quietly. She turned her gaze back to the massive Poneglyph, then toward Angel Island.
Ren… was all of this part of your plan from the very beginning?
Robin later brought back excellent news: the Shandians and the Sky Islanders had reached an agreement. Whatever their private arrangements were, one thing was certain—The Ark, heavily damaged in the battle where the Thunder God fell, would now have ample manpower for reconstruction.
And, Weatheria was soon to arrive at the domain of God's Kingdom.
That meant the Ark's restoration project was officially underway, though no one yet knew how many resources it would consume to meet Ren's ambitions.
Then came the matter of profits.
In Ren's calculations, the greatest rewards from the Sky Island expedition were the Ark and its vast stores of gold. But thanks to the Dimensional Roulette, there had been an unexpected bonus—the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Now, the trade deals with Angel Island and the Shandians introduced new developments.
Gan Fall provided a special channel: at Heaven's Gate, a small market would open where Blue Sea dwellers and Sky Islanders could exchange currencies. It was a minor arrangement, born from Gan Fall's own connections.
He proposed a limited currency exchange to offset part of the reparations his people owed—This corresponded to the monetary compensation Ren demanded.
The final figure was set at one billion Beli.
As for the gold itself—surprisingly, there wasn't much left within Shandora's ruins. Nearly ninety percent had been taken by Enel for use in constructing the Ark, as gold was the ideal conductor for electricity and an essential material for its lightning systems.
However, after Haredas's inspection,he concluded that Enel's Ark had been built with excessive gold—much more than necessary.
By reconstructing it efficiently, they could recover gold valued at approximately 4.9 billion Beli. That alone nearly reached Ren's target estimate.
Yet even that was an understatement.
In truth, the amount of gold on the Sky Islands far exceeded his imagination.
Indeed—The so-called "City of Gold" was no mere legend.
Take, for instance, that colossal beam.When Ren saw it with his own eyes, he realized how absurdly he had underestimated it.
At least ten meters in diameter, sixty meters in length—a massive cylinder of pure gold.
After excluding moss and impurities, the rough estimate came out to one staggering number:
One hundred thousand tons of gold!
(Author's note: The gold's weight was checked online—if any reader spots an error, please let me know and I'll correct it.)
(TL Note: yeah the math of that exact volume is 90 ton, let's see if the author does gives a good number of beli.)
(End of Chapter)