Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two years had passed.
Over those two years, Mieko's strength underwent a complete transformation, and the reach of his electromagnetic sensing had long since expanded from Upper Yard all the way to Angel Island!
And a year ago, Mieko found the Shandia tribe's settlement—the Cloud-Hidden Village. He didn't make things difficult for those Shandia natives at all. With a light show of force, plus a bit of sweetening the deal, he successfully brought them under his command.
Clang, clang…
Deep within the lush, thriving expanse of Upper Yard, a clear, melodious bell rang out. That chime didn't just echo across the entire White Sea—people as far away as Angel Island could clearly catch that pleasant melody as well.
Whether it was the residents of Angel Island, or the Shandians who—under Mieko's permission—had been able to settle down and live on Upper Yard, everyone paused what they were doing and stopped to listen. Eyes closed, minds focused, they savored the Golden Bell's sound—something that rang only once a month—and their faces filled with genuine smiles.
That crisp, beautiful chime seemed to carry some mysterious power, washing people's hearts clean and sweeping away all the negativity that had built up through daily life.
This Golden Bell was something Mieko had found two years ago atop a towering, cloud-piercing plant in the ruins. He brought it down, later ordered a shrine rebuilt, placed the Golden Bell inside, and assigned guards to protect it. Once every month, right on time, the bell would ring.
Thump, thump…
In the forest, a massive mottled serpent was tearing through at high speed. Its enormous body was like a small, undulating mountain—an overwhelming sight that made people instinctively tremble.
Wherever the serpent passed, giant trees toppled one after another—some snapped under the weight of its heavy body, others were broken outright by the impact. It carved a long trail through the forest, like a "snake road."
Rustle, rustle…
Even the beasts that were usually ferocious beyond belief were now scattering in panic, shaking like leaves.
BAM!!!
The serpent's tail whipped out violently, and in an instant, more than a dozen towering trees—each so thick it would take seven or eight people linking arms to encircle—were swept clean through at the waist and crashed down.
Flash!
A streak of lightning cut through the air, and a slender figure appeared midair.
He stood around 178 centimeters tall and looked about sixteen or seventeen. His posture was straight and proud, his long black hair glossy as a waterfall as it spilled down his back. His features were striking and refined; beneath sharp brows, his star-bright eyes glinted with a keen, cutting light.
He wore flawless white clothing, hands clasped calmly behind his back. He was actually hovering in midair, thin arcs of electricity dancing around him—like a god who commanded lightning itself.
"Nola—if you keep wrecking this forest whenever you feel like it, I really will roast you into dried snake!" Mieko shouted down coldly, blue sparks flickering in his eyes.
So that was it: the mottled serpent below had heard the Golden Bell's chime, gotten overly excited, and started charging around the forest again—smashing and destroying everything in its path.
"Hisss…" The giant serpent slowly raised its massive head, flicking a bright red tongue. Those snake eyes even showed an unusually humanlike expression as it looked at Mieko with a pitiful, wronged face—like it was terrified of him.
Sigh. Over these two years, that mottled serpent had caused plenty of trouble. It had wrecked the forest more than ten times, and once it even nearly injured Odin. Only after Mieko punished it again and again did it gradually become tamed.
The reason Mieko hadn't killed it was simple: after he left Sky Island, he planned to leave it behind to guard Upper Yard. After all, if some suicidal pirate from the Blue Sea came up to stir up trouble and affected the construction of Ark "Noah," that would be a headache.
"Fine. I get it—the bell means a lot to you, and it's stirring up a ton of memories. But from today onward, you are not allowed to run wild in the forest again!" Mieko said sternly.
"Hiss, hiss…" Nola flicked its tongue, as if it truly understood. It kept bobbing that enormous, vicious-looking head, a scene that was honestly shocking to watch.
Mieko flashed forward, instantly landing atop Nola's gigantic head and sitting down steadily. He patted the serpent's head lightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Alright. I didn't come to punish you today. I came to say goodbye."
Thump, thump…
The moment it heard Mieko's words, Nola immediately grew restless. Its head whipped around crazily, its tail flailed wildly, and its huge body thrashed and surged in every direction. Wherever it went, the ground collapsed under the pressure and trees were snapped and swept down in droves.
Looks like it understood perfectly. It knew Mieko was planning to leave Upper Yard, and its emotions instantly turned violently unstable. On an island where the strong ruled, it acknowledged only one person—Mieko.
"Calm down! It's not that I don't want to take you with me to the Blue Sea…" Mieko sat firmly on that monstrous, enormous head. No matter how violently Nola shook, he kept soothing it as he spoke. "But you're simply too big. Even if I could bring you down, your huge body would be an easy target for the real monsters down there. The risk is way too high!"
This serpent was extremely special. Other than Mieko, it wouldn't listen to anyone—not even Odin's orders. Mieko had to explain things carefully. He was worried that after he left, Nola would go berserk and start tearing the island apart.
"There are still two years left. In two years, Ark 'Noah' will be completed. During these two years, you must protect this place. If anyone on the island tries to sabotage things, and Odin can't stop them… then it'll be on you to step in."
"Hisss…"
As soon as Mieko finished speaking, the serpent's previously agitated body stilled. Its huge head gently flicked its tongue, as if responding to Mieko's instructions.
…
On the Central High Ground of the Divine Island, inside the main hall.
"Mieko-sama… are you truly planning to go down to the Blue Sea alone?" Odin stared at the handsome, carefree-looking Mieko, his heart full of emotion. In the blink of an eye, he had been following Mieko for more than two years already.
A few days ago, Mieko suddenly told them he would be leaving Upper Yard for a while, planning to head to the Blue Sea—ten thousand meters below Sky Island—to train and temper himself.
After following Mieko for so long, everyone knew: once he made a decision, he wouldn't change it lightly. Naturally, no one dared to press him too hard.
It wasn't that Odin didn't want to follow Mieko to the Blue Sea and see the world for himself—of course he did. But the construction of Ark "Noah" was absolutely crucial, and Angel Island and Upper Yard truly couldn't be left unguarded.
"'Noah' isn't finished yet. I'm only going down this time for training. There's no need to bring anyone along," Mieko said with a nod. He had never planned to take anyone with him to the Blue Sea in the first place.
After all, aside from Odin—whose strength was barely passable—the rest were simply too weak to catch his eye.
This trip down to the Blue Sea was mainly to obtain the method to train Armament Haki, and to take care of a few other preparations along the way. For the time being, he had no intention of forming a pirate crew.
"Then… about when will you return?"
"Two years from now. I'll come back up to retrieve 'Noah.' From here on out, everything big and small here is in your hands…"
(End of Chapter)
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