Shandora—famed for centuries as the "City of Gold"—was said to be a metropolis forged almost entirely of pure gold.
Once part of Jaya in the Blue Sea, it had been hurled up to the sky by the Knock-Up Stream.
The heroic little-people explorer Mont Blanc Noland died as the "Liar King" simply because he failed to relocate it afterward.
Now that Rox had come all the way to the sky island—and considering how much money he burned every day crafting inventions—it would be a crime not to take the gold.
They arrived at the ruins.
Time had eroded the once-gleaming city, and much had been stolen or lost, but massive quantities of gold remained.
Especially the giant Golden Bell at the highest point of the city, and the two colossal golden pillars supporting it—they gleamed untouched, shining like miniature suns.
Rox smiled at King.
"Move it. Take all of it back to Wano."
However—
Yamato tugged at his sleeve, whispering:
"Honey… this gold belongs to the sky islanders. And it's part of history.
It feels wrong to just take it."
Yamato was perfect in every way—except sometimes her kindness bordered on saintly.
Rox put on a solemn face.
"We just saved the entire sky island, captured their tyrant god, and restored peace.
Taking a reward is natural."
"And as for history—precisely because it's a relic, leaving it here where no one can see it would only disgrace it."
Yamato blinked, confused.
It sounded reasonable…
and also sounded completely wrong…
Before she could sort out which was which—
A furious, cracked voice screamed from behind:
"STOP! Don't touch MY gold! That's the resource I need to reach the Endless Vearth!"
It was Enel.
King had been dragging him the whole way; he was filthy, scuffed up, and his pride was more broken than his body.
Yet somehow he still called himself "God," clearly not understanding his situation at all.
Rox smiled at him kindly.
"From now on, remember one thing: what's yours is mine, and what's mine is still mine."
Enel's eyes bulged with rage and humiliation.
He opened his mouth to roar—
But his seastone collar tightened abruptly, choking his voice into silence.
The high–purity sea-prism stone instantly robbed his body of power. He collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
Rox pressed the switch again, loosening the collar so he wouldn't suffocate.
Then he told King:
"He's been dreaming about going to the moon. Built a golden ark powered by lightning.
Go find it, melt down the gold, and bring everything back to Wano."
King departed immediately.
Enel, dragged along like a dying stray dog, wore an expression of pure despair.
In his eyes was the same hopeless horror he once forced onto the sky people he executed.
Yamato, though kindhearted, felt not the slightest sympathy.
Enel was worse than Orochi—arrogance and cruelty rolled into one.
As she looked around, her eyes widened at the massive stone slab beneath the Golden Bell.
"That's… a Poneglyph?"
She recognized it instantly—Wano had one too.
Rox nodded.
"It records the location of the Ancient Weapon Poseidon. Ah, and at the bottom… Gol D. Roger left a message."
"Roger?!"
Yamato's face lit up, sparkling.
Compared to ancient weapons, she cared far more about the Pirate King—because to her, the Pirate King was the freest soul in the world.
And freedom was the thing Yamato longed for most.
She grabbed Rox's arm and pleaded:
"Honey, I want to visit Loguetown—the Pirate King's execution site.
Please take me there, okay?"
Loguetown—the starting point and ending point of all pirates—sat right at the entrance of the Grand Line.
Sky island existed above that same region, so the trip wasn't far at all.
And Rox remembered his promise to her: one day, they'd travel the world together.
This could count as an early practice run.
He nodded.
Yamato kissed his cheek immediately—"Mua!"—her voice sweet as syrup.
"You're the best!"
But Rox's smile slowly turned sly.
"I'll take you… but you have to promise me something in return."
Yamato puffed her chest proudly.
"Whatever you ask, I'll agree!"
Rox leaned to her ear and whispered a few words.
Yamato's face exploded red.
Her eyes widened like saucers.
"I–I–In the air…?!"
She bit her lip, shot him a glare—embarrassed and angry and shy all at once.
But to go to Loguetown… she grit her teeth and nodded.
Barely.
Rox almost cheered on the spot.
When King returned with piles of gold, Rox told him:
"Take all the gold back to Wano.
As for Enel…"
Rox glanced at the man—dream shattered, pride crushed, future destroyed.
A god turned corpse without dying.
"If he can't even hold onto his will, I doubt he can handle a Dragon-Class Monster Cell."
He waved dismissively.
"Throw him into Rabbit Well Prison to mine. Toughen him up.
Have Queen whip him a few hundred times a day. Might ignite some fire in him."
Enel trembled violently.
He tried to scream, but the collar strangled every sound.
His pupils showed nothing but terror—raw, naked terror.
The former god finally understood:
In front of Rox, he was nothing but an insect.
Rox finished giving orders, wrapped his arm around Yamato's slim waist, and left the sky island with her.
He picked a secluded place deep within the clouds—where no one would ever see.
Soon—
The cloud sea trembled violently.
Hours later, the storming clouds calmed.
Rox parted the mist, holding Yamato—exhausted, boneless, and glowing with aftertremors—tight against his chest.
He used Moonwalk to descend back toward the ocean.
After a long rest, Yamato finally regained enough strength to speak.
She punched his chest lightly.
"You're getting worse and worse…"
Rox whispered in her ear:
"Only for you."
"…Really?" Yamato's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Then what about that mink-girl maid, Carrot? I've seen her in your lab many times."
Rox's heart skipped—
But his face didn't show a crack.
"She's just a little helper. I need someone to pass tools."
Yamato still looked doubtful…
But chose to believe him.
After all—Rox had never lied to her.
He spoiled her endlessly.
She wanted to help Wano—he rebuilt the entire nation for her.
She wanted to visit the sky island—he brought her instantly.
She wanted to visit Loguetown—he agreed just as quickly.
What else could she possibly ask for?
Yamato nestled back into his arms, smiling softly.
Rox exhaled in relief.
But a helpless smile tugged at his lips.
He'd need to be much more careful from now on.
Because Komurasaki, Viola, and Rebecca absolutely must never be discovered by Yamato.
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