Chapter 68: The Island of Echoes
The forest of Shayia was unlike anything the crew had seen across the seas. The trees were silver, their trunks smooth like glass, and their leaves rang softly when touched by wind — each sound a note, blending into a low, haunting melody. The ground shimmered faintly with crystals embedded in the soil, and every step echoed as if the island itself was listening.
Lisa whispered, unable to contain her awe. "This… this is like walking inside a song."
Her sister Surv grinned, sparks dancing across her fingertips. "Then let's hope it's not a funeral song."
Arthur's hand rested on his blade, his senses sharpened by Observation Haki. The island pulsed like a living being, its "heartbeat" syncing with his own. He exhaled slowly. "No one lower their guard. This place… it's not just an island. It's a forge of history."
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They reached the ruins Clover had noticed earlier — massive pillars covered in spiral engravings. The language resembled the Poneglyph script, but distorted, as though a mirror had stretched and twisted the words.
Clover's eyes burned with hunger for knowledge. He traced the carvings reverently. "This… this predates the Poneglyphs. The symbols… they're older, rawer. A precursor language from before even the Twenty Kingdoms rose."
Rio crouched low, rifle ready, scanning the treeline. "If it's so old, why hasn't it been destroyed by time?"
Clover answered without hesitation. "Because someone wanted it to survive. Someone made sure this place endured."
Arthur knelt, brushing his fingers over the runes. A faint hum vibrated under his skin, like energy stored in stone. A weapon's blueprint… Uranus… could it be hidden in a place like this?
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Suddenly, the ruins stirred.
The carvings glowed, and the pillars split, forming towering crystalline guardians. They resembled knights, their bodies sculpted from silver stone, their heads faceless masks.
"Figures," Hiroshi muttered, drawing both blades. "No ancient ruin without its toys."
The guardians raised weapons forged from crystal — spears, hammers, swords — and the ground trembled beneath their march.
Arthur unsheathed his blade in one smooth motion. "Formation! Don't scatter."
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The Battle of Echo Guardians
Hiroshi darted forward, steel clashing against crystal. Sparks flew as his dual blades carved through a guardian's leg. "Tch. Tougher than they look."
Rio dropped to one knee, sniper steady, each shot piercing through joints and glowing weak points. "Left flank clear. Keep moving!"
Lisa and Surv moved as a pair — Lisa marking enemy patterns while Surv unleashed bursts of lightning into cracks Alex had spotted. "Strike now, Surv! The current will split them!"
Rus roared, feathers of his Garuda form bursting forth. His talons clashed with a guardian's spear, the impact ringing like a bell. "These things won't fall easy, Captain!"
Clover, though no fighter, called out from behind. "Aim for the spirals on their chests — they're cores, energy nodes!"
Arthur nodded, his Observation Haki flaring. In a blur, he weaved through the battlefield, sword cutting with precision. Every swing shattered a guardian's chest spiral, sending them collapsing into shards of crystal.
Yet the more they destroyed, the more rose from the ruins.
"Captain," Rio shouted, "they're endless!"
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Then we cut the source."
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He dashed toward the central pillar. The ground beneath him pulsed with hostile energy, but his Conqueror's Haki erupted, blasting away lesser guardians in waves. The runes flared in protest, but Arthur drove his blade deep into the heart of the pillar.
For a moment, silence.
Then — the light inside the ruins dimmed. The guardians froze mid-strike, their bodies cracking before collapsing into lifeless shards.
The battlefield fell quiet.
Surv panted, sparks still dancing. "Well… that was fun."
Hiroshi sheathed his blades with a grin. "I could've taken ten more."
Clover, however, looked pale. He touched the shattered runes with trembling hands. "These guardians weren't merely defenses… they were watchers. We've awakened the island's memory."
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As they pressed deeper into the forest, the melody of Shayia grew louder, clearer. It wasn't just wind against leaves anymore — it was voices. Whispers.
Alex stiffened, his normally calm demeanor rattled. "They're… speaking."
Lisa swallowed. "What are they saying?"
Arthur closed his eyes, his Haki amplifying the whispers. The words bled into his mind — fragmented, but unmistakable.
> 'Uranus… the sky's crown… sealed in song… only the heir of storm may wield…'
Arthur's eyes snapped open, his chest tight. He turned toward his crew. "This isn't just an island. It's a test. A keeper of blueprints that lead to Uranus."
Clover froze mid-step. "Captain… if that's true… then we're standing at the threshold of a secret the World Government has hunted for centuries."
Arthur gripped his sword. His voice was steady, but his eyes burned. "Then let them come. We'll take what they fear most."
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Atop the crystalline cliffs, the Sky Forge shimmered brighter, its flames rising into the heavens.
But shadows already stirred within the light — another pirate crew had arrived, drawn by rumors of Shayia. Their banner fluttered black against the crystal sky.
Rio adjusted his scope, spotting the distant sails. "Captain… we've got company."
Arthur smirked, silver hair catching the forge's glow. "Good. Let's show them what happens when you chase the storm."
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✨ End of Chapter 68