Crow Dabao and Bear Cub, transformed into a white-headed eagle, soared against the wind high in the sky.
From time to time, they flew past Robin and the others as they climbed.
Not only was it good training for themselves, but it also provided Robin and her companions with solid security.
Moses climbed and climbed, endlessly, until finally, the path ahead ended—he had reached the summit.
Standing at the highest point, he panted as he gazed down at the sea of clouds below.
The entirety of Upper Yard and Angel Island lay before his eyes.
With each rise and fall of his breath, energy coursed through every corner of his body. As time passed, his breathing gradually grew steady and deep once more.
Arriving at the Golden Bell, Moses pulled on the golden chain hanging from the beam at its peak. With the creaking sound of turning gears, the bell tilted under the force of the chain.
When it reached a 60-degree angle, Moses released the chain. The golden chain retracted, and the Golden Bell swung back, striking with a solemn, awe-inspiring toll that shook the very soul!
Dong! Dong!! Dong!!!
Invisible waves of beautiful chimes spread outward, resonating across all of Upper Yard and Angel Island.
At that moment, countless people and animals alike raised their heads to the sky, instinctively squinting as they basked in the breathtaking "Voice of the Heavens."
Moses continued pulling the golden chain, letting the bell's toll ring without end.
After a full 108 strikes,
Moses finally stopped.
"Consider this a celebration for today—the Day of Correction, February 22nd. A day of some significance to me."
As the final chime faded, the sky itself seemed to continue reverberating, the lingering echoes twisting and turning without end.
Moses sat cross-legged on the base of the great bell tower, quietly savoring the lingering resonance in his heart.
Just then, the sound of flapping wings reached his ears as a bird native to Skypiea—called a "Sky Spot Bird"—flew up to him.
With pink feathers, brown spots, and a nearly three-meter wingspan, it was a strange and somewhat ugly creature.
But Moses wasn't looking at it—instead, his attention was on the white-robed Ganfall, who had just dismounted from its back.
At the same time, Ganfall noticed Moses sitting there.
He had known for some time that Moses and his group were climbing the Braided Vines here.
To avoid conflict, Ganfall had ordered that no one disturb them.
The earlier tolling of the bell had shaken him, and he soon realized the sound had come from the sky.
Following the chimes, he had spotted Robin and the others, eventually leading him to Moses' location.
Now,
Ganfall stood before the awe-inspiring great bell tower, walking closer to Moses before stopping, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"Was it… this giant that produced that magnificent sound just now?"
Seeing this, Moses couldn't help but tease, "As the God of Skypiea, standing on what is essentially your own roof, you didn't even know something like this was here?"
Ganfall's face flushed with embarrassment. Who in their right mind would fly so high to such a dangerous place?
The area was obscured by small patches of Island Cloud and somewhat hidden—wasn't it only natural he hadn't noticed?
Ganfall: "How did you discover this great bell tower?"
Moses replied, "This thing is called the Shandora Bell—a sacred relic passed down through generations by the Shandians. To them, it's something that carries the Souls of their ancestors."
Of course, there was no need to mention anything about the identity of the Poneglyph guardians.
It would be pointless to say it anyway.
Hearing this, Ganfall's expression changed involuntarily. It seemed he now understood why the Shandians had refused to cease their war for the past four hundred years.
The thought made his face twist bitterly.
In the distant past, there had been several opportunities to end the conflict, but the Shandians had always mentioned something about "the light" or "the bell tower."
But his side had never known what those things meant, so every attempt at peace had ended in discord.
Now, the truth was clear.
Ganfall bowed deeply to Moses, then raised his head and spoke with sincere gratitude:
"Thank you for this information. I will never forget this kindness."
Moses smiled, then immediately struck at the itch in Ganfall's heart with his next words.
"If you truly want to end the war with the Shandians, you could use the giant bell tower as leverage—return it to them, then show them your strength. I'm sure they'll agree."
Ganfall nodded happily at first, but then, as if possessed, he asked:
"What if they refuse?"
Moses grinned, flashing a row of white teeth. "Then muster the full might of your people and wipe them all out."
The words carried with them the stench of blood.
Ganfall's pupils shrank sharply, and he firmly rejected the idea:
"I would never do that. Even if they refuse now, there will still be a future. I believe we'll find another way."
Moses chuckled and simply said, "If you've already made up your mind, why ask me? Isn't that just taking off your pants to fart—completely unnecessary?"
Struck speechless by Moses' bluntness, Ganfall's old face flushed red.
Moses glanced at him dismissively.
「Appraisal」
Strength Evaluation: C-
Having obtained unexpectedly valuable information, Ganfall was deeply satisfied.
He thanked Moses once more, then mounted his beloved sky steed, Pierre, and flew downward.
Feeling sufficiently rested, Moses walked to the edge of the Island Cloud and leaped off.
The fierce wind howled past his ears.
Using the Paper Drawing technique to lighten his body, he synchronized his Breath with the surrounding winds, spreading his limbs to glide toward the ground.
About a minute later.
He spotted Perona and the others still climbing upward and flashed past them in an instant.
Adjusting his posture, Moses occasionally kicked against the air, creating sharp air explosion sounds beneath his feet.
「Moon Walk」
His body soared past several layers of Island Clouds before Moses finally landed steadily on the soil of Upper Yard.
Glancing up at the massive vine disappearing into the clouds above, Moses began climbing all over again.
Noon.
Inside the ruins, everyone shared a meal with Bear Cub.
Then they returned to their respective tasks.
…
In the blink of an eye, a month passed.
That afternoon, after lunch, Moses and the others headed to Angel Beach to enjoy some rare leisure time.
Moses, Bear Cub, and Chopper sat on a wide Island Cloud, fishing with rods in hand.
Crow Dabao led a flock of crows, frolicking freely in the sky.
Perona and Robin played in the shallows.
As for Kureha, she remained in Crow Dabao's castle-laboratory, continuing her experiments on biological gigantification.
"Um, hello… do you remember me?"
Just then, a girl about Perona's age approached, looking at Moses and speaking softly.
"We met that morning. My name is Conis, and you saved me."
Moses turned to look—a little girl with pale golden hair, wearing a sleeveless pink sundress, delicate and adorable in appearance.
He recognized her.
"I know you. Your home isn't far from ours. By the way, I'm Moses."
Conis smiled, then asked with some confusion:
"I've been to your house a few times, but no one was ever there."
Moses nodded. "Of course you wouldn't see us. We're always in Upper Yard during the day."
Conis understood and mustered her courage:
"Thank you for saving me that day. I've always wanted to thank you in person. Would it be convenient for you to come to my house? I'd like to treat you to a meal."
Moses waved his hand and laughed. "I told you, it was my fault that day. You don't need to thank me. And the meal isn't necessary."
The light in Conis's eyes dimmed slightly. She bit her lower lip, looking dejected:
"Oh… I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll go now."
Seeing this, Moses felt a bit helpless, as if he had bullied her. "We're having a picnic here later. Do you want to join us?"
Conis blinked, her tone brightening. She really wanted to play with so many peers:
"Wouldn't that disturb you?"
Moses shook his head. "Don't worry, it won't."
Conis immediately smiled and took two steps forward, squatting beside Moses. She asked curiously:
"Are you from the Blue Sea? What's it like there? I heard it's full of Bass and has all kinds of interesting races."
Then she pointed at Bear Cub and Chopper nearby. "Are they from other races too?"
Hearing the topic shift to them, Bear Cub chuckled and looked at Conis curiously:
"Bear is just a regular Panda, but a Devil Fruit User. An animal, not human. You have wings—are you bird people? Bear has been wanting to ask."
"Me too! I'm a reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit. Not human either," Chopper chimed in, patting Bear Cub's arm like they were best buddies.
Hearing this, Conis's eyes widened slightly. "Devil Fruit? What's that? Conis isn't a bird person—she's from the Skypiean tribe."
Moses smiled:
"A Devil Fruit is a..."
He gave her a simple explanation of what Devil Fruits were.
Conis listened with sparkling eyes, asking questions now and then. No one had ever told her about such a magical fruit before.
"Oh! I heard one of God's companions can turn into a flying horse. Is that also a Devil Fruit User?"
Moses thought for a moment, then nodded. "A Pegasus who ate the Horse-Horse Fruit. A Zoan-Type User."
Just then, Perona, seeing how lively the conversation was, ran over and smiled at Conis:
"You're the little girl from next door, right? I've seen you before."
Perona grinned. "What's your name? I'm Perona."
"Hello, I'm Robin."
Robin, barefoot, also walked over.
Conis happily introduced herself to them, then turned to Perona:
"I'm not a little girl. I'm taller than you, and I'm ten years old with a birthday in May. I should be older than you."
Hearing this, Perona's expression turned gloomy. "Oh, I'm also ten, but my birthday is in June."
Huff huff!
Bear Cub's shoulders shook as he grinned widely:
"You're two and a half years older than Moses, yet you're shorter than him—and way shorter than me! Peipei, where do you get the confidence to act like an older sister?"
Chopper covered his mouth, squinting with laughter. "Hehehe, Peipei-jie is a tiny midget."
The next second, Perona's Spirit Body partially separated, and in the blink of an eye, two Negative Spirits shot out, passing right through their chests.
She then retracted her Spirit Body, placed one hand on her hip, took a few steps forward, and planted her dainty, water-splashed foot on Bear Cub's head. Pointing at him with her other hand, she declared:
"Stupid bear, how dare you defy me?"
Meanwhile, Bear Cub and Chopper simultaneously collapsed into an orz position on the ground.
"Being born a bear is my greatest sin. If there's a next life, I want to be a cat."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong. As a mere reindeer, how could I be so insolent?"
"Hora hora hora~" Perona giggled behind her hand. "Let's see if you two dare mock me again."
Robin stifled a laugh nearby, while Conis stared at Perona in shock:
"G-ghosts?! No, wait—is she also a Devil Fruit user?"
Perona smirked proudly. "Hora hora~ Of course! I'm a very powerful ability user."
Like Bear Cub, Perona didn't reveal the specifics of her ability. She kept Moses' words in mind—personal ability information must remain confidential.
As for Chopper?
Just an ordinary citizen.
Whether he talked or not didn't matter. He had no special abilities—or if he did, they were latent and irrelevant to secrecy.
Conis was stunned. Moses had just mentioned how rare Devil Fruits were, and now another user appeared. She turned to Robin:
"Robin-nee, are you one too?"
Robin nodded with a smile. Conis then looked at Moses helplessly. "Don't tell me you're one as well?"
Moses shook his head and was about to speak when Bear Cub suddenly snapped out of his daze. Huffing angrily, he grabbed Perona's ankle from atop his head and flung her hard—sending her flying in a parabolic arc toward the distant sea of clouds.
The moment he did it, Bear Cub froze, eyes wide in panic as he frantically turned to Moses. "S-save—" Before he could finish, Bear Cub leaped out himself, transforming midair into a white-headed eagle.
But by then, it was clearly too late to catch up.
"WAAAAAH! Moses, save me!"
Handing his fishing rod to Conis, Moses shot forward. A series of air explosion sounds echoed as he activated Moon Walk, snatching Perona's arm just before she hit the water and tossing her upward.
At that moment, Bear Cub swooped in, his talons firmly gripping Perona's waist and legs, carrying her safely back to shore.
Splash!
A spray of water-cloud erupted as Moses vanished beneath the sea of clouds.
Plopping onto the Island Cloud, Perona was still shaken. Glaring at the apologetic Bear Cub, she gritted her teeth and roughly squished his chubby cheeks with both hands.
"You stupid bear! Were you trying to kill me?!"
Bear Cub, knowing he was at fault, endured the cheek-pulling like a scolded puppy.
Meanwhile, Conis panicked. "Aren't you going to save Moses?! He hasn't come back up yet!"
"Look over there, there's a Sky Shark. Sky Sharks are very ferocious."
Following the direction Conis pointed, they saw a dark blue dorsal fin emerging from the sea clouds, right where Moses had just fallen into the water.
Bear Cub glanced sideways, then looked at Conis and grinned. "Don't worry, the shark meat here is delicious. Later, Bear will treat you to grilled shark."
As he spoke, a dull "thud!" echoed from the sea clouds not far away.
(End of Chapter)