"Reclaim our homeland!"
"Reclaim our homeland!"
The efficiency of tribal civilization in war mobilization is beyond doubt. Reclaiming Apayado has always been the obsession of the Shandia People, although the current Chieftain hopes for peace and is considered a dove among the Shandia People.
But this dovish stance is only relative; reclaiming Shandora is his bottom line, an irreconcilable conflict between Sky Island people and Shandia People. Living high up in the sky, they have an obsession with land.
Using shells from Sky Island to craft their weapons by hand, stone spears, simple bows and blowpipes, they also have iron products from the Blue Sea.
The Shandia People have a wide array of weapons, and over the years, many pirates have come to Sky Island.
There are pirate ships that come from Western Heaven Peak via normal routes. They have fought with these pirates and also traded with them, which is how they acquired those weapons.
It seems the Shandia People are preparing for a desperate battle, bringing out all the gunpowder stored within the tribe.
Gunpowder is a scarce resource on Sky Island; its raw materials cannot be found here, so the only source is the Blue Sea. With unstable supplies, using some means having less.
"Yamato, why are you shouting along with them?"
"I can't help it... Godfather, so Norland really wasn't a liar?"
"Hmm, he wasn't a liar. He was indeed their friend back then, but his actions were foolish."
The Shandia People were mobilizing for war nearby, not noticing them here. According to Shandia customs, badmouthing Norland in front of them would not be a good choice.
"Why is that?"
"What did he do after returning to his country in the fairy tale?"
"He brought people from the kingdom to search for the Golden Land but found nothing, so he was called a big liar."
"That King sent people because he coveted the gold here.
If the sky-reaching sea flow hadn't sent them to Sky Island, what do you think the kingdom's army, wanting gold, would have done to these poorly equipped Shandia People?
The result would only have been a massacre. Helping his friends meant betraying his country; helping the kingdom's army meant backstabbing his friends. What did he gain from this?"
A person with talent possessing something envied brings about guilt. The Shandia People have too much gold and insufficient ability to protect themselves. When discovered, their fate would not be good.
Norland should not have spoken about this. He truly saw the Shandia People as friends, but his naivety cannot be denied.
"So, Yamato, if you really consider someone a friend, think carefully about the consequences before doing something, and don't impose what you think is good on others.
Perhaps Norland thought the kingdom's arrival could help the Shandia People develop, but once human desires start, they are hard to stop. He was wrong from the beginning."
Seizing the opportunity, he educated Yamato a bit. At this age, it's crucial for shaping character, and as long as education is attentive, there shouldn't be problems in the future.
However, seeing Yamato's puzzled little eyes, he felt she might not have understood much of what he said.
...
Apart from the elderly and the youth, even the women of the Shandia People took up their weapons. In fact, it's not just this time; they treat every action as a battle of no return, resting afterward due to casualties, then continuing to find ways to reclaim their homeland.
They are already familiar with the direction to Apayado, riding skateboards made from Wind Shells, the Shandia People once again embarked on the journey to Apayado.
The Chieftain also joined the expedition this time, bringing along several young tribesmen aboard the Origin.
Among them were Kodol and Shatira; although they accidentally took a wrong turn earlier, Kodol is now the strongest warrior in the tribe and has just married Shatira.
However, on the Origin, some special items caught the attention of the Shandia People.
"Chieftain, it's Bas... so much Bas."
Pointing at some greenery on the ship, Kodol looked envious. Here, Bas referred to soil. Expelled from their homeland, the Shandia People could find no other land on Sky Island.
The bottom layer of sea clouds isn't mud or sand but would fall directly, so soil, which is abundant in the Blue Sea, is exceedingly precious here.
"Yes, the Bas... the place where our ancestors lived... heading in that direction at full speed, we should reach Apayado in about half a day."
He didn't dwell long on the soil in a few pots of plants but continued to direct the Origin. Arceus could sense the Shandia's Hidden Cloud Village through the Plate, but they couldn't locate Sky Island precisely.
Half a day was just a theoretical estimate, but in fact, it would take less time because the people of Sky Island were not fools; they would not be unaware of events on the White Sea.
Origin's entry into the region was unusual, and its route was different from others, so they hadn't been noticed.
However, now that the main force of the Shandia People was advancing towards Apayado, the people of Sky Island naturally noticed all of this.
Though called a main force, it was actually only a scattered group of about one or two hundred people. Over nearly four hundred years, without communication with other tribes and constant wars, the number of tribe members had already begun to dwindle.
Before reaching Apayado, the army of Sky Island appeared.
Wind Shell skateboards weren't exclusive to the Shandia People; they learned to make them from Sky Island people. While their tribal system was relatively primitive, it didn't mean they wouldn't learn from others.
Compared to the Shandia People's assorted equipment, Sky Island people's attire and weapons were more uniform. Apart from a few leaders, everyone else wore the same white robes.
"Those are Sky Island's Guards. A few at the front are their Priests, and the one riding a horse is the current 'God' of Sky Island, Gan Fall."
This 'God' wasn't a deity in the true sense, similar to the General of Wano Kuni, but merely Sky Island's term for their ruler.
Following the direction pointed out by the Chieftain, one could see a slender middle-aged man.
He wore Silver Knight Armor, with a goatee at the corner of his mouth. Though it didn't leave just a slit at the glasses like Silver Axe, he wore a sturdy helmet, holding a medieval-style lance as his weapon.
Yamato continued observing the situation here from the cannon hatch, though her focus wasn't on Gan Fall but on the horse.
"A horse with wings? Do all horses on Sky Island have wings?"
Unfortunately, as she was observing from the ship's cabin, no one answered her question, nor did the two little ones beside her know the answer.
"Lord Holy Beast, allow me. I don't believe this person deserves to bear the title of 'God'."
Zeraora's shoulders crackled with electricity as he requested battle from Arceus.