Bonus for 400 PS.
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After a long and urgent journey, the Shandians finally arrived at the battlefield.
At this moment, Wyper could barely stand, and the other elite warriors who had been knocked down by the priests had also recovered to some extent.
"Great Elder, you're here. It was this powerful warrior from the Blue Sea who defeated Enel."
Wyper pointed at Caelan and introduced him.
"I already know. Aisa told me everything."
The Great Elder nodded, then quietly observed everyone present.
Caelan stood at the center, surrounded by Nami and the other women. Conis, McKinley, and the Sky Islanders were lined up around him, expressing their gratitude.
In contrast, the Shandian warriors were scattered and uncoordinated. Though they were also thankful, none of them had managed to approach Caelan.
The Great Elder couldn't help but curse inwardly. These muscle-headed fools had no idea how to read the room.
The Blue Sea warrior might not remember who praised him, but he would definitely remember who didn't.
"And that's Gan Fall, the last god of Sky Island. That old guy is still here too!"
The elder's eyes narrowed as he spotted Gan Fall near Caelan, praising him enthusiastically. A bad feeling surged in the elder's chest.
Before Enel came to Sky Island, the Shandians and Gan Fall's people were bitter enemies. Even if Gan Fall turned to ashes, he'd still recognize him.
"Great Elder, did you say that old knight used to be the god?"
Wyper, along with Braham, Kamakiri, and Genbo, was stunned. Seeing Gan Fall chumming it up with Caelan made their expressions turn sour.
Enel was dead, but who would now control Upper Yard?
Would they really have to fight Sky Islanders again over its ownership?
The Shandians had been fighting that war for 400 years. But after witnessing the battle between Caelan and Enel, war now felt meaningless. Their own struggles looked childish in comparison.
Any one of Caelan or Enel's attacks could've wiped them out hundreds of times over.
Now, Caelan clearly leaned closer to the Sky Islanders. If he supported them, the Shandians would have no chance of winning.
Their best option now was to further express their gratitude and make sure they did not become Caelan's enemies.
The elder took a deep breath. He saw that Laki was preparing to return and fetch the gifts. Without delay, he stepped toward Caelan.
"Mr. Caelan, thank you for defeating Enel and saving our Shandian warriors."
The elder bowed deeply, his gratitude genuine.
It was both respect for the strong and sincere thanks for saving their lives.
"Old man, you're being too polite."
Caelan replied casually. He had heard so many thank-yous by now that he was starting to feel numb to them.
"We Shandians admire you greatly. We've prepared a gift. I hope you won't refuse."
The elder smiled warmly, still full of gratitude.
A gift? Now he was listening.
Caelan raised an eyebrow, curious to see what surprise the elder had brought. If it turned out to be something like their sacred soil, he'd be annoyed.
The elder waved his hand. Laki led several strong men carrying a massive golden pillar to present it to Caelan.
"We don't have much in the Shandian tribe, so we hope you'll accept this local treasure."
The elder looked sincerely apologetic.
You expect anyone to resist this kind of temptation?
Caelan looked at the golden pillar, and his expression visibly softened. He even started to find the elder a bit more likable.
Nami's eyes practically turned into Berries. A golden pillar of this size had to be worth at least 700 or 800 million.
Even Vivi's jaw dropped. As the princess of Alabasta, she had never seen such a magnificent gift of gold.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Keep it for me. I'll take it when I leave Sky Island."
Caelan patted the golden pillar and smiled.
He didn't feel any guilt. After all, he defeated Enel. This could be considered a well-earned reward.
"Of course. We'll guard it for you."
The elder smiled and stroked his beard.
This was the tribe's most prized gold, taken when Sky Islanders occupied Upper Yard four hundred years ago. But it was worth it to win Caelan's favor.
Gan Fall, who had been watching, suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis.
The situation was clear now. Whether out of gratitude or fear, everyone on Sky Island needed to win Caelan's favor.
"Caelan, didn't you say you were interested in our special dials?"
"We're willing to offer all the types we have and help you refit your ship."
Gan Fall smiled respectfully as he made his offer.
Their island's gold had already been stolen by Enel. These shells were all they had left.
"I'll accept it. I'll bring them when I leave."
Caelan smiled back. He was growing more fond of Gan Fall. This old man with thick eyebrows knew how to read a situation.
"Mr. Caelan, we can help collect more dials too!"
Not to be outdone, the Great Elder raised the stakes.
"We also want to erect a statue of you in Angel Island to honor your deeds!"
Gan Fall countered with a powerful offer.
Conis and McKinley nodded in agreement. Erecting a statue for their savior was the least they could do.
"We'll build a statue for you in our tribe as well!"
The Great Elder fired back, unwilling to lose.
Alright, alright. This was getting out of hand.
Caelan looked at the two old men one-upping each other and couldn't help but laugh.
"Enough, enough. If you two keep this up, I'll end up ruling all of Sky Island."
Caelan jokingly separated the two.
"Forgive us."
The two elders flushed red in embarrassment.
Then, surprisingly, they looked at each other… and nodded.
"If you don't mind, Sky Island is yours."
Both elders spoke in unison.
"…Huh?!"
Caelan was stunned. He had only been joking!
(To be continued.)
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