Lunch was a loud, happy affair, but as the plates were cleared away by Sanji and his sous-chef Vivi, the mood shifted from relaxation to anticipation. They had explored the depths; now, it was time to touch the sky.
"Alright, listen up!" Ben stood on a large rock, dusting crumbs off his coat. "Next stop: The Giant Jack. We're going to the very top. The Golden Belfry and Enel's personal playground."
"Finally!" Nami pumped a fist, her eyes practically glowing gold. "To the treasury!"
They moved out of the underground city and back to the surface of Upper Yard, standing at the base of the colossal beanstalk that pierced the clouds. Looking up, the top was lost in the white haze.
"It's a long way up," Masira, tilting his head back until his neck cracked. "Do we have to climb?"
"Nope," Ben grinned. "We fly."
He snapped his fingers.
"Accio Carpet."
From his inventory, a rolled-up, ornate rug flew out and unrolled in mid-air. It was a standard-sized magic carpet, hovering gently a few feet off the ground.
"Uh, Ben?" Wyper looked at the rug skeptically. "That is... small. For all of us?"
"Details," Ben waved his hand.
"Command T: Enlarge."
VOOM.
The carpet expanded rapidly, stretching out until it was the size of a small tennis court. It hovered there, looking like a floating living room floor.
"All aboard the Magic Express!" Ben announced. "Cricket, Masira, Shojou, Wyper, Gan Fall's men, and anyone who doesn't feel like jumping—hop on."
The Shandians and Skypieans looked terrified but climbed onto the floating rug, holding onto the tassels for dear life. Gan Fall opted to ride Pierre, his bird-horse, flying alongside them.
"What about us?" Nami asked, cracking her neck.
"You guys don't need gadgets," Ben reminded them. "You've got the serums."
"Right," Vivi smiled confidently. She closed her eyes, focusing.
SHING!
From Vivi's back, a magnificent pair of golden-brown Eagle wings burst forth, spanning nearly three meters. Her eyes sharpened, her pupils turning into predatory slits.
"Show off," Nami teased, but she grinned.
Static electricity crackled around Nami's body as her skin took on a faint, sleek sheen of an electric eel. Then, from her shoulder blades, massive, elegant white wings—resembling an Albatross—unfurled with a powerful gust of wind.
"Don't forget me!" Usopp shouted. He puffed out his chest. "Behold the Great Sky Warrior!"
With a pop, Usopp's transformation kicked in. His back sprouted sleek, aerodynamic Falcon wings. His eyes bulged slightly and moved independently for a second (chameleon trait) before locking onto the target above.
"And the rest of us?" Zoro asked, hand on his sword.
"We walk on air," Sanji smirked, adjusting his tie.
Luffy grinned.
"Let's go!"
WHOOSH!
The group launched into the sky.
It was a spectacle. The magic carpet surged upward, carrying the cheering (and screaming) passengers. Flanking it were Nami, Vivi, and Usopp, their powerful wings beating against the thin air, soaring with the grace of apex predators. And darting between the vines like missiles were Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Ben, kicking the air with explosive force.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
However, about halfway up the beanstalk, a familiar problem arose.
While Luffy, Sanji, and Ben were kicking straight up, following the vertical line of the stalk, Zoro was furiously kicking toward the horizon, moving horizontally away from the group.
"Hey! Moss-head!" Sanji screamed, pointing. "Where are you going?! The beanstalk is up!"
"I am going up!" Zoro yelled back, kicking the air angrily. "The sky is just crooked! Why is the beanstalk moving away from me?!"
"You're moving away from it!"
Ben sighed, shaking his head. He flicked his wand.
A magical rope shot out, lassoed Zoro around the waist, and dragged him back to the group like a wayward balloon.
"Put me down!" Zoro grumbled, dangling upside down as they continued their ascent.
Finally, they broke through the highest cloud bank and saw it.
Resting on a massive cloud foundation supported by the beanstalk was the Golden Belfry. And hanging in its center, gleaming with a brilliance that defied the ages, was the Great Golden Bell of Shandora.
"WE'RE HERE!" Luffy shouted, landing on the cloud floor with a bounce.
Nami landed gracefully, retracting her Albatross wings, and immediately sprinted toward the bell. She stopped right in front of the massive gold structure, drooling.
"It's... it's solid gold," she whispered, reaching out a trembling hand. "The whole thing. The pillar. The bell. The stand. It's worth... billions!"
She spun around to Ben. "Ben! Shrink it! Put it in the suitcase! We're taking it!"
"No," Ben said flatly, landing beside her.
"What?!" Nami shrieked. "Why?! You shrunk the snake! You shrunk the ruins! Why not the giant pile of money?!"
"Cultural heritage, Nami," Ben said, crossing his arms. He nodded toward Wyper, who had just stepped off the carpet and was staring at the bell with tears in his eyes. "That bell isn't just gold. It's the soul of the Shandia people. It's the proof of their history. Taking that would be like stealing a gravestone."
"But..." Nami looked at the bell, then at Wyper, then back at the bell. She bit her lip. "Can we take just a little piece? Like... the clapper?"
"No," Ben laughed. "I am not helping you steal the national monument. Find your own gold."
While Nami sulked (loudly), Robin had wandered to the base of the Belfry. Her eyes locked onto a square stone block nestled in the gold framework.
"A Poneglyph," Robin whispered.
She ran her fingers over the ancient text. The others quieted down, sensing the shift in atmosphere.
"What does it say, Robin?" Ben asked, stepping up beside her. Mini Merry hovered over his shoulder, her eyes recording everything in high-definition video.
"It speaks of an Ancient Weapon," Robin said, her voice serious. "Poseidon. It locates it... on Fishman Island."
"Another weapon?" Zoro frowned. "Pluton in Alabasta, Poseidon in Fishman Island. Dangerous stuff."
Ben took a picture of the Poneglyph. "Good to know. But Robin... look at the side. You missed something."
"The side?" Robin blinked. She leaned around the golden pillar to look at the edge of the Poneglyph stone.
There, carved not in the ancient text but in a jagged, hand-written script, was a message.
"I have come here and will lead this passage to the farthest ends of the world."
– Gol D. Roger
Robin gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Roger... The Pirate King. He was here? He could read this?"
"He could hear the Voice of All Things," Ben explained softly.
Robin paused, her fingers lingering on the jagged script. "'The Voice of All Things'..." she repeated slowly, turning to Ben with a furrowed brow. "I have read theories in Ohara's library about such a phenomenon, but... what exactly is it, Ben? How can someone hear a voice from stone?"
Ben leaned against the golden pillar, looking thoughtful. "It's not hearing with your ears, Robin. It's hearing with your spirit. Everything in this world—people, animals, even stones like this Poneglyph—has a 'voice.' A soul, if you want to call it that."
He gestured to the massive bell above them. "Most people are deaf to it. Some can hear animals, like Chopper or that little girl Aisa. But Roger... he could hear the world itself. He didn't need to decipher the ancient script letter by letter as you do. He just had to listen. The stone told him its story, its purpose, and its secrets."
Robin looked back at the message, awe replacing her shock. "He didn't read history... he conversed with it."
"Exactly," Ben nodded. "It's a rare gift. Maybe the rarest. But don't worry, you're still the only one who can truly understand the context. Roger heard the song, but you're the one writing the sheet music."
"He left his mark here," Ben continued, "proving he found the history and carried it forward."
Robin stared at the carving, a shiver running down her spine. The path she was walking... the King had walked it before her.
"Wyper," Robin turned to the Shandia warrior. "There is a message here. Not just from the ancients, but from a man who carried your history to the sea."
She explained Roger's message. Wyper listened, his knuckles white as he gripped his bazooka. Tears streamed down his tattooed face, unashamed.
"Our ancestors..." Wyper choked out. "Their wish... it reached the seas. The promise is kept."
He fell to his knees, bowing to the bell. The four-hundred-year war, the burden of his ancestors, was all finally washed away.
CLANG!
A deafening, vibrating noise shattered the solemn moment.
Everyone jumped.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Sanji yelled, covering his ears.
They looked under the bell. Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, Masira, and Shojou were standing directly inside the massive golden bell. Usopp had just swung a hammer and hit the rim.
"WHAT?!" Usopp yelled, clutching his ears. "I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING! MY TEETH ARE VIBRATING!"
"IT'S SO LOUD!" Chopper screamed, vibrating like a blur.
"SHISHISHI! DO IT AGAIN!" Luffy laughed, though his eyes were spinning.
"GET OUT OF THERE, YOU IDIOTS!" Nami roared. "YOU'LL GO DEAF!"
Ben sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, photo op. Everyone, get in front of the bell. Before Luffy decides to eat it."
They gathered in front of the legendary Golden Bell. The Straw Hats, the Saruyama Alliance, the Shandians, the Skypieans. Former enemies standing shoulder to shoulder.
"Say 'Gold'!" Ben held up the camera.
"MEAT!" Luffy shouted.
"GOLD!" Nami shouted.
"HISTORY!" Robin smiled.
"ROMANCE!" Cricket yelled.
Click.
A moment frozen in time. The Bell of Shandora, ringing silently in the background of a new era.
---
A short flight away, on a separate cloud platform, stood Enel's personal shrine.
If the Belfry was a monument to history, this place was a monument to ego.
It was a massive structure filled with dials, luxury furniture, and piles upon piles of loose gold. And sitting in the center of it all was a colossal, golden flying ship.
The Ark Maxim.
"GOLD!" Nami screamed.
This time, Ben didn't stop her.
"Gan Fall, Wyper," Ben turned to the two leaders. "We're going to liberate this treasury. You guys don't use gold as currency anyway, right?"
"Vearth is the only true treasure," Wyper grunted, eyeing the gold with disdain. "Take the yellow metal. It brings nothing but trouble."
"Indeed," Gan Fall nodded. "The Blue Sea values it. Here, it is just soft stone. Take it as a reward for saving our home."
"You heard them!" Nami yelled, diving into a pile of coins like a dolphin. "Clean sweep, boys! Take everything that shines!"
As the looting began, a series of chaotic events unfolded simultaneously in the shrine.
First, Luffy discovered a large fruit bowl on a pedestal. It was filled with perfectly sculpted, glistening apples.
"Ooh! Apples!" Luffy drooled. He picked up the largest, shiniest one and took a massive, jaw-unhinging bite.
CRUNCH-CLANG!
"GYAAAHHH!" Luffy dropped to his knees, clutching his jaw, tears streaming down his face.
"Luffy?!" Chopper ran over in panic. "Did you break a tooth?!"
"It..." Luffy wheezed, holding up the apple, which now had a perfect set of teeth marks dented into the metal. "It tastes terrible!"
Nami appeared instantly, snatched the golden apple, and whacked Luffy on the head with her baton. BONK! "Don't eat the loot, you moron! That apple is worth 500,000 berries!"
Meanwhile, near the back of the room, Usopp had found Enel's massive golden throne. He looked left, looked right, and then climbed onto it, crossing his legs and resting his chin on his hand.
"Behold!" Usopp declared to the empty corner of the room. "I am the new God of Skypiea! God Usopp! All shall tremble before my 80,000 followers and my..."
"Ahem."
Usopp froze. He slowly turned his head. Nami was standing there, holding a ledger and a pen, a demonic aura flaring around her.
"Rental fee for the Golden Throne is 50,000 berries per minute," Nami smiled sweetly. "You've been sitting for thirty seconds. Pay up."
"I was just testing the ergonomics!" Usopp shrieked, jumping off the throne and scrubbing it with his sleeve. "I'm cleaning it! See? Cleaning!"
Nearby, Sanji kicked over a pile of junk and found a Tone Dial labeled "DO NOT TOUCH ".
Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Let's see what kind of doals this lightning freak had."
He pressed the apex.
A beat dropped. A heavy, aggressive beat that sounded like thunderclaps mixed with static electricity. Then, Enel's voice—autotuned with lightning—blasted through the shrine.
"Look, I was gonna go easy on you... you Blue Sea plebs...
But I'm a God, I'm a God, I'm a Rap God!
Zap zap, watch me flow, watch the lightning go!
I'm beginning to feel like a Lightning God, Lightning God!
All my Priests from the Upper Yard nod, Upper Yard nod!
Now who thinks their arms are long enough to slap box, slap box?
They said I look like a rapper, so I zap like a rapper!
Maxim is the ship, yeah, I'm taking a trip!
Going to the Moon, gonna see you all soon!
Zap! Zap! Yeah!"
The crew stared at the dial in horrified silence.
"My ears..." Zoro muttered, clutching his swords. "They bleed."
"He... he actually recorded this?" Nami looked disgusted. "He rhymes 'God' with 'God'. Twice."
"Turn it off!" Usopp begged. "The cringe! It's too strong!"
Sanji calmly walked over to the dial, lifted his leg, and delivered a fiery kick that punted the recording device out of the shrine and into the stratosphere.
"Garbage disposed of," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette.
While the chaos subsided, Ben walked over to the Ark Maxim.
It was huge. A marvel of dial technology and gold conduction.
"Mini Merry, scan it," Ben ordered.
"Scanning," Merry chirped. "Propulsion system: Jet Dials enhanced by electrical conduction. Hull composition: Gold alloy. Energy source: External electrical input required. Design efficiency: 78%."
"Not bad for a megalomaniac," Ben mused. He walked up to the hull and placed his hand on it.
"This is too big to leave here. And way too dangerous if someone else finds it."
"Command T: Shrink."
VOOM.
The massive flying ark shuddered. The air warped around it. In seconds, the colossal ship shrank down until it was the size of a model toy, sitting innocently on the cloud floor.
"Yoink," Ben picked it up and tossed it into his suitcase, right next to the compartment holding the Going Merry's main body. "That's a nice project for a rainy day."
"Did... did he just pocket the Ship of God?" a Skypiean soldier whispered, horrified.
"We are pirates," Zoro shrugged, walking by with a sack of gold. "We take stuff."
With the bell rung, the history found, the gold looted, the cringe rap destroyed, and the villain's ship stolen, Ben looked out over the sea of clouds.
"Mission complete," Ben smiled.