novelnext Chapter 124 The Golden Bell Tolls
Chapter 124 The Golden Bell Tolls
Bai Yu raised his eyes and looked at the distant Golden Bell Tower. His gaze was distant, and his tone remained calm and unwavering, without the slightest emotion: "The matter began four hundred years ago. The moment the Sky Island people obtained what they believed to be land bestowed upon them by the gods, the conflict began. The Shandians were clearly driven out of their land long ago. This four-hundred-year-old blood feud cannot be resolved with just a few words. So-called reconciliation and persuasion are worthless in the face of generations of hatred and faith."
Bai Yu continued, "The Sky Islanders regard this place as a sacred land, and the Shandians regard this place as their homeland. They have fought for this land for hundreds of years, and their hearts are filled with hatred for each other. They have never thought of coexisting. Only when a common fear that can crush everything is pressing down on them will they put down their swords and temporarily set aside their grudges."
"I'm not here to mediate, nor am I here to be a savior."
Uchiha Hakuba withdrew his gaze, a fleeting crimson glow from his Sharingan: "I gave them a chance to live, and I also gave them a reason to unite. As long as the power they all fear exists, they will no longer dare to fight, but will instead unite against external forces."
Retsu Unohana nodded slightly, a look of understanding in her eyes: "Using swift and decisive measures to force out a moment of peace, though forceful, is also the most effective solution."
Matsumoto Rangiku raised an eyebrow and smiled, "That suits your style perfectly—decisive and efficient, never dragging things out."
Robin looked in the direction where the Sky Islanders and Shandians had retreated from the ruins, remained silent for a moment, and finally understood Bai Yu's intention.
It wasn't cruelty or bloodthirstiness, but rather the use of absolute power to forcefully quell four hundred years of war, giving both groups a chance to breathe and allowing this forgotten history to be preserved.
"Let's go, Robin. See that giant vine? Looking at Culika's map, have you discovered something?"
Robin looked at the vines, then at the layout of the golden city, and exclaimed, "The Golden Bell is right there!"
Following the direction of Bai Yu's finger, a giant vine, hundreds of feet thick, rose from the heart of the golden city. Its gnarled body coiled upwards, like a sleeping blue dragon, piercing the sky and tearing a huge hole in the clouds.
The surface of the vine is covered with raised nodules that can be stepped on, and dried seashells are wrapped in the gaps. These are the marks of the deep sea that were carried by the surging ocean currents when they lifted Shandora into the sky.
"This is it."
Bai Yu and his companions quickly walked to the base of the giant vine: "The Golden Bell should be hidden on the platform at the top of the giant vine."
Bai Yu took the lead and leaped towards the giant vine. With her toes lightly touching the vine joints, she climbed upwards like an arrow. Unohana Retsu followed slowly, covering several meters with a light sway of her clothes. Matsumoto Rangiku, holding Kanna's hand, followed closely behind with light steps. Climbing up from here was quite fun. Of course, Kanna wouldn't turn into a dragon and fly up.
After climbing for less than half an incense stick's time, the clouds were completely left behind, and a flat, golden platform suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.
In the center of the platform, a giant, gilded bell stands majestically, with its hammer suspended in the center. Below the bell, a blue square stone tablet rests quietly, its surface covered with dense ancient characters. Although the edges have been worn smooth by time, the characters are still clearly legible, and they are the very historical text that Robin is searching for.
Kanna stood on tiptoe to look at the giant bell, covering her mouth with her little hand and exclaiming softly, "What a huge golden bell!"
Matsumoto Rangiku leaned against the edge of the platform, looking down at the surging sea of clouds and laughed, "Even the bells are pure gold. This trip to the Sky Island has allowed me to see all the gold in a lifetime."
Shiraha and Unohana Retsu stood beside the Poneglyph, their gazes calmly sweeping over the inscription, quietly waiting for Robin to interpret it.
Robin stood before the historical text and read it line by line, taking a long time to recover.
"This historical text records two crucial events."
Robin paused for a moment. "First of all, it clearly records the true identity of Poseidon, the Sea King. He is not a weapon, but a mermaid with the ability to command sea kings. One of them is born every few hundred years and is one of the ancient weapons capable of overturning the world order."
Upon hearing this, Matsumoto Rangiku raised an eyebrow, her joking expression fading: "Mermaids? To be able to command all sea kings, that power is far too terrifying in a sea full of oceans."
Retsu Unohana nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes: "No wonder the World Government is willing to do anything to erase the Poneglyphs. Such power is enough to break the order they maintain."
If this were in Seireitei, Retsu Unohana recalled a battle with the Quincy of the Empire of Light. The old man's unbridled use of his power must have far surpassed the power of the so-called Ancient Weapons.
Robin continued to point to a small stele next to the inscription, where the handwriting style was completely different from the previous one, with wild and unrestrained strokes.
"At the end of the inscription, there is a message written in ancient script, written by Gol D. Roger."
"He actually knows ancient characters?"
Matsumoto Rangiku knew about the history of pirates, and naturally knew about the influence of the Pirate King on the sea.
"Roger?"
"It was him."
Robin nodded and softly read the message: "I came here to guide this message to its final destination."
"Like us, Roger deciphered the Poneglyphs. He traveled the Grand Line, collecting the information from the inscriptions scattered around the world, and finally brought them to the final island. He didn't take the gold or keep the secrets to himself; he just left behind this guidance."
Bai Yu leaned against the pillar of the Golden Bell: "The Void Century, Ancient Weapons, Laugh Tale, all the clues are connected. Shandora is not only protecting the gold and her homeland, but also the truth of the world being erased, which is the Poneglyphs."
The wind swept through the platform, lifting Robin's black hair. She looked down at the cloud-shrouded sky island below, and then at the boundless blue sea in the distance: "The Shandians are not protecting a piece of land, but the history entrusted to them by their ancestors."
"Does anyone want to ring the bell?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the curious Kanna rang the Golden Bell. The deep sound of the bell pierced through the clouds and resounded throughout the entire Sky Island.
The Sky Island soldiers and Shandian warriors who were withdrawing from the battlefield stopped and looked towards the depths of the Isle of God. The sound of the bell, spanning four hundred years, carried the promise between Calgra and Noland, Shandora's perseverance, and the truth of history to every corner of the clouds and the blue sea.
"This is...this is..."
Weber, lying on a makeshift stretcher, heard the bell and was extremely excited, though he had some guesses in his mind.
Bai Yu looked up at the blue sky at the end of the sea of clouds, his tone calm: "The bell has rung, and Kulikai should have received it by now. We also understand the Poneglyphs. Next, we'll take some of the gold and leave..."