In the heart of the Upper Yard, the Golden Belfry stood as a glittering testament to a promise fulfilled. The Shandians and Gan Fall stared at the magnificent structure, their faces a complex mixture of reverence, excitement, and tearful remembrance. Four hundred years of pain and longing were encapsulated in this single, shining moment.
Jerry clapped his hands together, breaking the reverie. "Alright, there will be plenty of time to admire it later. For now, let's stick to the plan."
"He's right!" Carina chimed in, her eyes gleaming with a different kind of reverence. "You said Enel used gold to build a ship! We need to go 'inspect' our spoils of war!"
"You all handle the arrangements here," Jerry said with a grin. "I'm going to take care of those floating islands." Without another word, he launched himself back into the sky, disappearing into the starry night.
The groups on the ground looked at each other, a new sense of unity in their shared purpose. After sending a messenger back to their village, the Shandian Chief led his people down into the sprawling ruins of their ancient city, finally uncovered from beneath the island clouds.
Jerry soared through the sky at incredible speed, quickly reaching the archipelago of fallen islands. Nearly a dozen landmasses of varying sizes were scattered across the White-White Sea. Thankfully, Shiki hadn't lifted them too high, so their fall had left them mostly intact, though any buildings had been shattered by the impact.
He flew to the island where the winged villagers of Merveille were gathered. They had already been reunited with their men, whom Jerry had freed from Shiki's palace after his victory. Now, he put the final phase of his plan into motion. With a masterful display of his spirit of the sea abilities, Jerry commanded the very sea clouds beneath the islands, guiding them, reshaping them, and pushing them across the sky.
He fused all the beast-infested islands into one single, massive new continent. He then carefully guided this new landmass and the villagers' home island, moving them slowly but surely until they rested in the sea of clouds just west of the Upper Yard.
The next day dawned bright and clear over a reborn Shandora. The oppressive island clouds that had shrouded the city for decades were gone, and the ancient stone streets pulsed with life for the first time in centuries. Under the morning sun, the residents of Angel Island, the winged villagers of Merveille, and the Shandian people gathered together.
A giant snake with gentle eyes had appeared silently near the belfry overnight, but it showed no hostility. The Shandian Chief recognized it as Nola, the great-grandchild of Calgara's friend, and assured everyone it was a friend.
Led by their chief and Gan Fall, the Shandians and Skypieans formally reconciled their ancient grievances. After the terror of Enel's rule, the desire for peace outweighed centuries of conflict. With the recovery of their homeland, the Shandians were willing to coexist peacefully, and the Skypieans, overjoyed at the prospect of so much new Vearth, were eager to build a new, unified kingdom.
Later, Jerry led a group to the base of the belfry where the historical Poneglyph stood. He remembered from the stories that this was where Roger had left his mark. It was time for a little performance.
He folded his arms, nodding with a look of deep concentration. "Hmm, interesting," he began, pointing to a small section of the ancient script. "This part looks like it was added later. The carving is different."
"Eh? Now that you mention it, you're right!" said Deuce, who had a keen interest in history and leaned in for a closer look.
His exclamation drew the attention of the others. The Shandian Chief, Gan Fall, Ace, and the rest of the crew all gathered around the mysterious stone.
Jerry's eyes twinkled. "And that character there," he said, pointing with theatrical confidence at a specific glyph. "Doesn't that look like the letter 'D'?"
"Huh?" Deuce, Ace, and Gan Fall all peered closer, surprised.
Before anyone could comment further, Gan Fall stroked his long, white beard. "Speaking of which," he mused, "nearly twenty years ago, I met a crew of pirates from the Blue Sea. Their captain was a man named Gol D. Roger."
"What!?" The exclamation ripped through most of the Black Star Pirates.
Deuce glanced instinctively at Ace. He saw a flicker of something—a shadow of the past—in his friend's eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a calm composure. After everything he had been through, Ace had finally learned to face the name that once brought him so much pain.
Jerry gave Ace a subtle, reassuring glance. "If it was him," he said, turning to the Shandian Chief, "then your people's ancient mission is complete."
He proceeded to give a masterful (and mostly fabricated) explanation of the Poneglyphs, explaining that they told a history that the World Government tried to erase. He explained that Roger had the ability to hear the "Voice of All Things," and that he had come here not to steal the stone, but to carry its message forward to the final island.
"Really?" the Chief asked, his eyes wide. "Then… we have fulfilled the vow our ancestors made." He had no reason to doubt Jerry; the fame of a man like Gol D. Roger was easy enough to verify. With a heart full of gratitude, he thanked Jerry and returned to his tribe to announce the monumental news.
The residents of the floating island were successfully integrated into the newly reorganized kingdom, and a sense of boundless optimism for their shared future filled the air.
"Since everyone's decided to be friends and we have our home back," Ace declared, his party-loving spirit taking over, "what are we waiting for? Let's throw a feast and celebrate!"
The proposal was met with a thunderous cheer.
And so began a grand banquet that lasted for days, a joyous celebration of a kingdom reborn. High in the sky, three distinct cultures came together as one, their laughter and music echoing across the heavens.
Meanwhile, far below on the vast ocean, a new batch of newspapers was already beginning its rapid spread, carrying fresh headlines of the Black Star Pirates' impossible deeds.
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